(peri)menopause

Do you take any supplemental flax oil? It solves all sorts of menopausal related issues including dry skin, hair and other eh, hem... dryness.

Heehee, no, I don't. There are flax seeds in the bread I eat, but not many I really abhor the flavor of them, but maybe pills would work better. I, um, don't have dryness in other places.

The flax seeds in your bread will give you good insoluble fiber but unless they're ground flax seeds they won't give you the benefits of the flax oil. You body can't digest the seeds to get to the oil and just passes them through (which has it's own benefits).

Try the flax gelcaps if you don't like the taste of the oil. The bottle says to take one or two per day but you can take up to 4 with every meal that doesn't include a fat. 4 gelcaps total 1 tsp of flax oil and each one is 10 fat cals but they're the best source of Omega 3s so the extra 40 cals doesn't hurt you.

Not yet I haven't!!!

Thanks for that info Bunny!

JB - interesting about the flax seed oil. Whyare you not able to take them with a meal containing fat?

Well, you can but then you're adding fat cals into a meal that already has plenty. If you saute something in olive oil for instance you've added fat cals into what you're eating via the oil so you don't necessarily want 40 more fat cals in that meal. It's all about balance, good fats, bad fats, too much fats, etc. Everyone needs fats in their diet and monosaturated ones are the best. Flax and fish oils are the best sources of Omega 3s which your body needs but can't produce so you have to add it within your diet. That's why fish is recommended twice/week - you get the omega 3s from the fish oil but there are too many other things in most of the fish we eat so you can't eat it every day. But you should get some omega 3s every day and supplemental flax oil or ground flax seed is one way to do that.

Too much info? sorry....

Nope, not too much. I get what you're saying about the fat count. I thought maybe it was something more complex, like some fat blocks the absoption of some other fat. Don't ask why I made that jump, I couldn't tell ya!

How come you know so much about this stuff? Not just the menopause thing, but the dermititis too.

About 3 years ago my metabolism shut down and I went to two different drs to try to get an explanation as to why I get gained 15 lbs in 7 months without any change in my routine. I was 45 at the time. They both shrugged and said 'middle age' like I was wasting their time. I didn't like that answer and didn't want to keep gaining weight so I spent a lot of time researching diet as it relates to metabolism and along the way learned a bunch of stuff about menopause which, considering my age wasn't a bad thing to learn about either.

I really don't know much about allergies except contact dermatitis can be mighty hard to pin down and the few times I've had it I never resolved what it was. I'm just asking a ton of questions to try to lead you in a direction that might make a light bulb go off with your experiences.

Ok, so, I developed rashes, I gained weight suddenly (not lots, but it's unusual for me), my hair is dry, my skin is dry, my periods are wacky...... is 36 too young to be having peri-menopause?

nope!

particularly if your mother changed early or you've had an 'hormonal event' that might have triggered a somewhat but not really early start. Hormonal events can be any kind of reproductive surgery, pregnancy, etc.

We buy the Omega-3 eggs. Worth the extra cost. Good thing, keeping up that Omega-3 level. I was told that you need to be really careful about how you use the flaxseed - it's apparently not effective once it's been heated, so as much as I love flaxseed bread, I'm gonna move on (I found some muesli flax pitas that taste fine unheated).

littlek--

Check with your doctor--OB/GYN. Lots of research is going on about The Change. (Mr. Noddy had a family fringe who excused her nasty behavior between the ages of 35 and 60 on Then Change).

You could be assulted by hormones--or you could have a problem thyroid.

Doctor, please?

Yes, and maybe a doctor who does more than shrug. My thyroid and gluc levels have been checked. I should get my hormones checked as well.....

Beth is right about heating flax oil. You can't cook with it. It not only isn't effective it becomes rancid and can make you sick at high temps. I've used the liquid on steamed veggies but don't use it as a cooking oil.

Drs that shrug really piss me off. You knew a shrug's worth before you walked in the door. Why should you pay for a shrug. sorry, little rant there...

Er - Little k - have you had your thyroid levels checked? I suggest you do, if you haven't.

And mebbe a check up generally.

I don't think 36 is too young for peri-menopause symptoms - but there might be other stuff going on.

Damn - answered already!

I'm fairly new to menopause; it began about two years ago and I have not felt any of the changes that are expected, except for a slight weight gain.

My skin seems a little dryer with a few new added wrinkles, but my hair is still shiny.
I'll take menopause over PMS any day!

Here's a book to check out at the library. It will tell you everything you need to know: ?'Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book'

Yay, Susan Love... she's good.

Susan Love - ok.