POWER SURGE NEWS
FOR AOL AND THE WEB
A Free E-Mail Newsletter
of the Power Surge Women's
Midlife and Menopause Community The Power Surge Web Site
Dearest (Alice Stamm)
Founder and Facilitator
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** POWER SURGE GUEST CHAT
Thursday, Jan. 16, 9 PM, ET
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Natural Remedies For Treating Your
Menopausal Symptoms -- From Soy
And Vitamins To Herbs and Exercise
with JULIA ELLIOTT
Julia Elliott is more than a writer, researcher and
lecturer. Julia is a crusader, a woman who has selflessly
shared her extraordinary knowledge about the benefits of SOY
/ phytoestrogens, especialy for women during menopause.
Julia says, "I went through an ordeal with the medications
doctors gave me to help protect me during menopause. I did
not like the side effects, so together with my new doctor, I
explored the world of soy for this purpose. The results were
perfect. Just what my body needed. Because soy has the
ability to only give you additional estrogen through its
natural sources, it does not allow the body to turn it into
estrogen unless you are lacking it. That is the beauty of
it. If I have enough natural estrogen floating through my
system already, it does not allow the system to turn it into
more estrogen. But, if you are lacking estrogen, it will
help supplement it. I think this is why the Asians have such
sucess with keeping their menopausal and post meno pausal
women free of the menopausal effects." Author of "Simply
Soy: Nature's Own Antidote," Julia's passion for sharing
information about natural treatments for menopause is never
ending.
Julia has written a number of books on the effectiveness of
soy in not only treating menopausal symptoms, but in providing
heart and bone health and preventing cancer. Her newest book, Simply Soy: Nature's Own Antidote
I've always known, as next month Power Surge approaches the beginning
of its tenth year online, that this was a special "community," but since 4 AM
Saturday morning, I've been astonished at how truly extraordinary this
community is.
It appeared to be like any other early Saturday morning when I'd check my
mail and hit the Power Surge Message Boards where so many of us
communicate regularly. But, I had been alerted by my friend and Power Surge
Assistant, MaryO, of a strange message and was checking it out. I was soon
to find out that this Saturday morning would rock my world, as well as those
of hundreds of women who are regulars on the boards.
A message had been posted by a new member, "KalaniesDaughter." My
knee-jerk reaction was that this was some kind of hoax perpetrated on the
boards by a hacker. The message said that her mother, Kalanie (Vickie),
one of our most active members, board moderators, Web open chat hosts
and "friends," had passed away. Vickie? Passed away? That was impossible.
I went about my work on AOL determined to believe the message was a hoax
and was relieved when I received an Instant Mesage from Kalanie saying, "Alice?"
I said, "Vickie? It's you! Thank God you're all right, Vickie."
It wasn't Vickie. It was her husband informing me that Vickie had passed away.
I cried. I shook. I was in utter disbelief. Like so many of the other regular
particpants on the boards and in the chats, I felt anger, bewilderment, frustration,
stress, fear, horrific sadness that this could happen to a 54 year old woman --
to one of our online friends.
Vickie joined Power Surge about six years ago on America Online, before
I'd added message boards to the Web site. Vickie was one of our most
beloved members, always concerned about helping someone in distress.
Always providing excellent information. As a professional counselor, herself,
Vickie was attuned to other's feelings and issues and used her expertise
and warm and caring nature to help guide many a woman in menopause
through her difficult moments.
Vickie had just undergone knee surgery. She had a few complications
afterward, but was on the mend -- sharing her progress with us on the
boards, with me and others in E.mail. And then, out of the blue, Vickie
dies from an apparent post-surgical infection. The details aren't yet clear.
But what IS clear is that Power Surge has lost one of its most beloved
friends, a woman of character, of warmth, of intelligence, a woman who
touched so many lives and so deeply. A woman who enriched our lives.
To describe what we have all felt since hearing of her passing defies mere
words in the very tragedy of such an untimely death.
I have never seen such an oupouring of love for one of our members.
Some People ...
Some people come into our lives and quickly go
Some people move our souls to dance
They awaken us to new understanding
With the passing whisper of their wisdom
Some people make the sky more beautiful
To gaze upon
They stay in our lives for a while
Leave footprints in our hearts ...
And we are never the same
-- Author Unknown
Godspeed, dear {{{Vickie}}}. You will always be embedded in the
hearts of all those you touched in Power Surge. We love you!
And, to all of you reading this newsletter, savor every moment
for none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. That's why
I try to bring the best guests to answer your questions, provide
the best information on the site, see to it that everyone gets support,
understanding and compassion in order to keep ourselves sane
and healthy and to know we're not alone. Be your own best friend!
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** AFFIRMATIONS / QUOTES
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** Use quotes / affirmations / positive thoughts
"The vibes you give out come back to you!"
"I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me.
Or I can be lost in the maze.
My choice. My responsbility.
Win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny."
-- Anonymous
"You must act as if it is impossible to fail."
-- Ashanti Proverb
"Success is not a doorway, it's a staircase."
-- Dottie Walters
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONTROLLING YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
NATURALLY, INCLUDES SOY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Controlling Your Blood Pressure Naturally, Includes Soy
By Julia Elliott
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the "silent killer"; a
senseless crime against the body because it can be easily
handled once diagnosed.
Various factors can trigger an elevation of blood pressure -
- getting stuck in traffic, becoming angry -- any stress-
inducing situation makes the heart pump faster. After many
years of day-after-day battering, the arteries become
overtaxed. This takes place silently, without severe pain or
other warning signals, until suddenly the damage is all too
apparent.
Lose weight If you are overweight, lose at least 10 pounds.
Experts say that extra weight can cause a two-to-six fold
increase of your risk of developing high blood pressure.
(Being overweight causes 20 to 30 percent of all
hypertension.)
"Research indicates that losing weight is probably the most
effective non-drug method of lowering blood pressure."
-- Dr. Moser, author of Week by Week to a Strong Heart
Eliminate salt
"Reducing salt intake by half will probably lower blood
pressure an average of 3 to 5 points diastolic in some
people," according to Dr. Moser. Look for the hidden salt in
foods offered in your freezer cases. The labels may read,
"Healthy for the heart and low fat," but not mentioned is
the large amount of sodium present in some of these foods.
Canned foods are also generally high in sodium. One way to
reduce this is to rinse the canned vegetables under running
water to eliminate some of the salt. Once you get used to
eating less salt, you will be surprised how offensive the
salty foods are to your taste buds.
Additionally, substituting other spices may help, but beware
of the garlic salt and the onion salt, as the names
indicate, they, too, contain salt. Your better bet would be
the powders derived from these foods or use the actual foods
as a seasoning. Try to limit your salt intake to about 2400
mg a day. (This is the amount of one level teaspoon of table
salt.)
Potassium Try to include at least 3500 mg of potassium in
your diet every day. Listed below are some foods and their
potassium count in milligrams.
1/2 cup dried apricots 896
1/2 cup dried peaches 784
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt 531
1 boiled potato, cooked in skin 515
3 oz. baked or broiled halibut 490
1/2-cup lima beans 478
1 banana 451
1 boiled potato without skin 443
1/2-cup baby lima beans 365
1/2 cup boiled kidney beans 355
1/2 cup All Bran 340
1/2 cup canned kidney beans 329
2/3 cup winter squash, boiled 321
1/2 cup cooked soybeans 515
1 cup skimmed milk 406
Include three to four servings of calcium-rich foods per
day, such as salmon with bones, sesame seeds, yogurt and
tofu. Magnesium is also important, and taking a multiple
vitamin supplement containing 400 IU of vitamin D to make
sure that the calcium is absorbed is advisable.
Lecithin, a natural substance found in soybeans, lowers the
concentrations of fats in the blood according to Lester
Morrison, MD, DSc, which helps the arteries stay free and
clears sludge build-up.
Trim the fat wherever you can Eat less beef and pork.
Substitute with poultry or fish, which are lower in
saturated fats. Avoid processed foods, especially lunchmeats
Stop smoking Smoking a cigarette can increase your blood
pressure levels for at least 20 minutes after putting it
out.
Avoid alcohol Alcohol raises blood pressure by weakening the
kidneys and stiffening the arteries. In one British study,
blood pressure dropped when the subjects stopped drinking
only to rise again when they returned to drinking.
Use drugs as a last resort The side effects from some drugs
are not very helpful and may create additional health
problems as a result.
Exercise A study at Baylor College of Medicine showed that
those people who took part in an 8-week exercise program had
lower blood pressure than before exercising. Another study
conducted at Harvard showed those who exercised over the
years had lower blood pressure than the alumni who didn't
exercise, regardless of age.
Stress Once stress is removed the blood pressure is often
lowered. Suppressing anger or anxiety stirs up hormones
called catecholamines, which are believed to raise blood
pressure by tightening the blood vessel walls or by
increasing the heart's output, or both. Learn relaxation
techniques, biofeedback and deep breathing.
"White coat hypertension" Some people are nervous when they
visit their doctor, which in turn raises the blood pressure.
To get an accurate reading, have your doctor take more than
one reading (at least three) and take the average of those
readings.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
If you've never participated in or read the transcripts
of this series with Stephanie Marston, you really shouldn't
miss it. It's empowering! Reclaiming Ourselves At Midlife
A mild mannered man was tired of his wife always
bossing him around so he went to a psychiatrist. The
doctor told him he had to develop self-esteem.
The doctor gave him a booklet on assertiveness
training, which he read on the way home.
When he walked through the door and his wife came
to greet him, he told her, "From now on I'm the man of
this house and my word is law. When I come home from
work I want my dinner on the table. Now go upstairs
and lay me some clothes on the bed because I'm going
out with the boys tonight. Then draw my bath. When I
get out of the tub, guess who's going to dress me and
comb my hair?"
"The undertaker," she replied.
Remember, you don't stop laughing because you
grow old. You grow old because you stopped laughing.
Can you believe we actually need fat in our diets to stay
healthy? Fat gives us energy, as well as providing vitamins
A, D and E to keep our skin healthy and for optimal growth.
Although fat is a necessary for a healthy diet, not all fat
is healthy. Saturated fat, evident in the marbled effect in
some cuts of meat, is the fat we want to stay away from.
Saturated fat can also be found in vegetable oils, such as
coconut and palm, and animal fats, such as lard, butter and
beef tallow. Some vegetable oils are hardened by
hydrogenation, which changes some of these fats into "trans-
fatty acids." These acids are present naturally in beef,
pork, lamb, butter and milk.
The unsaturated fats found in nuts, vegetable oils and soft
margarines are a better choice for your diet. Choose foods
with unsaturated fats. Health experts claim that reducing
total fat and saturated fat intake can be the most important
dietary change you can make to provide better health.
Oil made from the soybean is high in polyunsaturated fats
and contains only a little of the saturated fat. The fats in
oil made from soy are needed to safely move the fat-soluble
vitamins throughout our bodies. Using this type of oil is
one way to insure the regularity of our body temperature as
well. Oil made from the soybean is the most widely used oil
in the US (75 percent). Most oils on the supermarket shelves
are sold under the generic name "vegetable oil," which is
actually 100 percent soy oil or a blend of soy and other
oils -- read the labels!
Although the soybean contains a healthy amount of fat, it is
the good kind of fat. The kind our body needs for a healthy
metabolism.
In a nutshell, eat a wide variety that includes mostly plant
foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, including soybeans, whole
grains and other grain products) and then limit sources of
high-fat meats and high-fat dairy products.
Midlife is generally a time of awakening, but not always a gentle
one! By the time most women are 40-something (give or take a
few years), they suddenly find themselves being introduced to an
unfamiliar body, but as their transitional years pass, they will
become more familiar with that body than ever before in their lives.
Forbes Magazine Selects Power Surge a "Best of The Web"
Web site and "Best of the Web" Health / Menopause Boards
Join other women in menopause and choose from
over 60 menopause and midlife-related message
boards filled with compassion, information, support
and caring. Be prepared for an abundance of support,
information and love! The Web Message Boardsand the
new 24/7 INSTA-CHAT for registered members.
Informative articles on menopause and midlife-
related issues in Educate Your Body
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SOY PROTEIN
AND ISOFLAVONES FOR THOSE WHO
CAN'T OR PREFER NOT TO USE HRT
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
The one thing that eliminated my hot flashes, depression,
fatigue, vaginal dryness, mood swings, lowered my
menopause-related cholesterol by over 100 points and
generally gave me back my life the past 4 1/2 years has
been doctor-formulated Revival Soy Protein. I've seen Revival
help not only me, but thousands of other women experiencing the
typical symptoms of perimenopause. Soy is SAFE and has been
used as a staple in the diet of Japanese women for thousands of
years. They are considered among the healthiest women in the
world. Soy is effective and reliable, especially for those who can't
or choose not to use hormone replacement therapy. The FDA
approves the use of SOY in lowering cholesterol and providing
general heart health. It's made from non-genetically engineered
soybeans, as are most of the soy products out there and the
isoflavones are taken from the "heart" of the soybean where
they are most concentrated. Read more
Ask Medical Director, Aaron Tabor, M.D. anything at Ask The Soy Doctor
View Dr. Tabor's last transcript in the Library Click Here
How are you handling menopause and
how is Power Surge helping?
We'd love your feedback! Click here
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** IF YOU CHOOSE HRT, THE OPERATIVE
WORD IS "NHRT - OR HIH, HUMAN IDENTICAL
"NATURAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY"
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
If you're dealing with menopausal issues you can't resolve
with other natural modalities and with all the controversy
surrounding conventional / synethetic hormone therapy, you
if you want to switch or start using hormones, make sure they're
NHRT (natural hormone replacement therapy) or HIH, Human
Identical, naturally compounded, plant-derived hormones. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D., Power Surge's Pharmaceutical Consultant for seven years will discuss
with you and your doctor low-dose natural hormones to suit
your body's needs, not the typical "One size fits all."
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** HUNDREDS OF GUEST TRANSCRIPTS
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
You can read more of what the most prestigious experts
in the area of women's health have said when they've
guested in Power Surge chats in the Library
Feel free to FORWARD THIS ISSUE of our Newsletter
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*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Disclaimer
The Power Surge Newsletter
disclaims any representation for the accuracy or completeness of information
contained herein. The sharing of information herein is not indicative of
Power Surge's personal endorsement of same. It is purely for informational
purposes. Health matters should be taken up with one's personal physician.
Nothing in the Power Surge Newsletters, chats, message base, bulletin
boards is intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Opinions expressed are Dearest's and the authors who contribute to Power Surge and don't reflect the opinions of America Online.
Sharing is what Power Surge is all about
Dearest
Good Health!
OWN YOUR BODY!
Visit our recommendations page
for tips and advice on multi-vitamins and supplements to help ease menopausal symptoms, and improve your overall health.
Doctor-formulatedRevival Soy Proteinis the #1 doctor-recommended soy protein in the country. Soy isoflavones eliminate menopausal symptoms.
Visit our recommendations page for tips and advice on multi-vitamins and supplements to help ease menopausal symptoms, and improve your overall health.
Why put your body through the rigors of adjusting to the "one-size-fits-all" HRT when naturally compounded, bio-identical hormones can be tailor-made to your body's needs?
If you haven't already done so, why not check out our extensive Educate Your Body area. There you will be able to read articles on midlife issues, as well as answers to commonly asked questions such as:
