Greetings and Happy Valentines Day! February—American Heart Month—is a very important month for your wellness. As you know, cardiovascular disease is by no means just a men's health issue. This disease is the #1 killer of women too, nearly 500,000 each year. That's more than the next seven causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, during mid-life, a woman's risk for heart disease starts to rise dramatically.

This is due in part to the fact that a woman's body stops producing estrogen. One in 14 women aged 45-64 has heart disease and this increases to 1 in 7 for women over age 65. Each year, about 88,00 women ages 45-64 have a heart attack. About half of women who have a heart attack before age 65 die within 8 years.

Fortunately, you personally can do a lot to prevent this killer. By taking action, older women and especially those who have heart disease already can reduce their risk of developing heart-related problems. Simple lifestyle changes are usually all that's needed. In fact, women can lower their heart disease risk by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Factors that increase a woman's risk of heart disease that you can take action against include:

• Smoking: about 22.6 million women smoke
• High blood pressure: about 25% of women have hypertension. This uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart failure, affecting 2.5 million women.
• High blood cholesterol: about 55.5 million women have high total cholesterol.
• Overweight/obesity: about 65% of women are overweight, including 33% who are obese.
• Physical inactivity: more women than men are physically inactive, with more than 25% of women engaging in no activity at all, and 60% not meeting even the minimum level of 30 minutes of walking each day.
• Diabetes: nearly 6 million women have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 2.8 million are undiagnosed.

Please take the time to objectively assess your habits, or those of your mothers, sisters or daughters and encourage positive change now to prevent health problems later.

On another note, for women dealing with premenopause or menopause issues that seek more information about effective natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy, see "Natural Menopause Solutions" below. Please share this information with women you know, as this is a challenging situation for many. Accurate, well-researched information about natural solutions can be hard to come by, as can highly effective natural products supported by sound science.

Lastly, for those of you interested in your nutritional wellness, how do you rate? How do you know? If you have not had your antioxidant level assessed yet with the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, you would be well advised to do so. As you may know, antioxidants are your bodies' frontline defense against the free radicals that constantly and adversely affect your cells. During the past 20 years, more than 30,000 scientific papers have been written about antioxidants and their fight to protect your body from free radical damage, which can promote such conditions as cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.

Testing for antioxidant levels in your body is emerging as a significant biomarker of a person's health—similar to blood pressure and cholesterol testing.

With the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, you can now—for the first time ever—obtain an accurate, non-invasive measurement of your personal antioxidant level. By simply placing the palm of your hand in front of a safe, low-energy laser, you receive an immediate reading of your carotenoid antioxidant levels. This provides a valuable assessment of your overall nutritional status and can be the catalyst to health-boosting dietary and lifestyle changes. For more information on this leading-edge technology, visit www.aolscanner.com.

To obtain this test at no charge, contact Kiki Powers 408.226.3223 or kiki@aboutnhs.com.

As always, I hope you find this month's information helpful. I invite you to share any comments or questions you have. Feel free to contact me at kiki@aboutnhs.com. A happy and healthy February to you and yours!

Kiki Powers, M.S.
Director, Natural Health Solutions

February includes the following national health observances:

Heart Health Month from the American Heart Association AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month from Prevent Blindness America National Children's Dental Health Month from the American Dental Association

Wise Health Consumer Month from the American Dental Association Kids E.N.T. (Ears, Nose, Throat) Health Month from the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.

Important health observance days:

• February 4 — National Wear Red Day 2005 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center

February 4 — Give Kids A Smile Day from the American Dental Association February 14 — National Condom Day from the American Social Health Association February 14 — National Donor Day from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services February 18 — National Women's Heart Day from the Sister to Sister: Everyone Has A Heart Foundation, Inc.

Important health observance weeks of note:

Reducing Blood Pressure Naturally
By Kiki Powers, M.S.

• If you're overweight, lose weight.
• Don't smoke.
• Limit alcohol to two drinks or less a day.
• Eat a low-salt diet and use salt substitutes with physician approval.
• Get regular exercise at least three times a week.
• Learn to handle stress by practicing relaxation techniques and rethinking stressful situations.
• Take any prescribed blood pressure medicine as directed. Don't skip your pills because you feel fine.
• If you're a woman, talk to your doctor about oral contraceptives and blood pressure. Many other birth control methods are available.
• Avoid over-the-counter cold remedies containing the ingredient phenylpropanolamine. It can raise blood pressure. Talk to your physician or pharmacist

Menopause is a natural transition occurring in the life of every woman. This period may be marked by a number of physical, mental, and emotional changes. Therefore, it is to your advantage to know what you might expect and which lifestyle modifications might help you to make as smooth and positive a transition as possible.

What problems might be associated with the menopausal transition?
According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the menopausal years are known to bring not only hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, but also accelerated bone loss and higher risks for heart problems, uterine endometrial cancer and breast cancer, as well as the risk of thrombosis (blood clots in veins).

Can you prevent and treat menopausal symptoms naturally?
As indicated in a 1998 study in the Journal of Women's Health, a significant number of women are unable to use prescription hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—a combination of estrogen and progestins—because of absolute or relative contraindications. The study also notes that other women are unwilling to use this treatment for a variety of reasons, including reluctance to use unnatural hormones and fear of the known and unknown risks of HRT. As a result, many women are seeking more natural options to address menopausal symptoms. These safe and effective natural tools—which include nutritional and herbal supplements—have also been shown to help protect against longer-term health risks like heart disease and osteoporosis.

What natural alternatives does a woman have?
Although some doctors avoid synthetic hormones and use only natural non-drug forms of the replacement hormones, millions of women are nonetheless looking for safe, natural, non-drug, non-hormone alternatives to HRT. An alternative should provide the same relief from the major problems of menopause and post-menopausal years that estrogen replacement does, but without the risks associated with HRT.

How can you minimize your risk of heart disease naturally?
Current research suggests that nutritional and lifestyle measures have a tremendous influence not only on the menopausal transition, but also on a woman's subsequent risks for heart disease and osteoporosis. A recent study states that increased rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) occur with advancing age in both sexes, although CHD rates in women lag behind those of men by about 10 years. However, there is a sharp increase in CHD rate among women after approximately 50 years of age.

It appears that around the time of the menopause, LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels increase by approximately 15 to 25%. One study indicates that since this increase is larger than in men over the same age span, it is likely that reduced estrogen levels (associated with menopause) play a role in the adverse changes in both blood lipid levels and CHD incidence.

How can you minimize your risk of osteoporosis naturally?
Osteoporosis is a major health problem facing women and men, and the number of people affected is likely to increase substantially as the population ages. The gold standard for treatment has always been prevention. Numerous peer-reviewed, medical journal studies have shown over the years that vitamins and minerals—specifically Vitamins C, D, E, B-6, B-12 and folic acid, as well as calcium and magnesium—supplemented in adequate potencies, can support exceptional cellular health, both in bone and in the cardiovascular system.

Evidence indicates that risk reduction of osteoporosis can be enhanced specifically through the use of ipriflavones and a comprehensive "bone building" vitamin and mineral program. Scientific research has shown that an extremely effective nutritional way to promote bone health and reduce hip fracture risk— and even possibly reverse bone loss—is to take 1200 to 1700 mg. of calcium daily along with up to 700 IU of Vitamin D. Also, 600 mg. of magnesium, 1000 mg or more of Vitamin C and 57 mg. of isoflavone phytoestrogens from red clover extract per day each have been shown to increase bone density.

Clearly, there is a wide array of natural tools to support the menopausal transition that address short-term discomforts and protect against longer-term health issues that become more serious considerations as we age. The idea that menopause is a disease requiring medical attention is gradually becoming history, and is being replaced with the perspective that a woman's midlife is a time of renewed energy and unlimited possibilities.

References available upon request.

Phase I - Estera Balance
For women in their child bearing years, Estera Phase I Balance Formula contains a patent-pending blend of phytoestrogens (plant-based compounds), flaxseed lignans and indole 3-carbinol, which work with the liver to eliminate undesirable metabolites. Estera Phase I Balance also provides relief from common PMS symptoms, including mild mood swings, breast tenderness, and skin problems.

Phase II - Estera Transitions
For women in menopause, Estera Phase II Transitions Formula contains a patent-pending blend of phytoestrogens (plant-based compounds), flaxseed lignans and indole 3-carbinol which work with the liver to eliminate undesirable metabolites. Studies have shown that the combination of phytoestrogens and black cohosh in Estera Phase II helps relieve common symptoms associated with menopause, including, but not limited to, occasional bleeding through the menstrual cycle, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, infrequent anxiousness, and mild mood swings.

Phase III - Estera Maintenance
For women in their post-menopause years, Estera Phase III Maintenance Formula is a patent-pending blend of phytoestrogens (plant-based compounds), flaxseed lignans and indole 3-carbinol which work with the liver to eliminate undesirable metabolites. Estera Phase III supports cardiovascular health, muscle, skin tissue, healthy bones, and cognitive function, and helps maintain healthy lipid profiles in postmenopausal women.

For more information about the Estera products, or to purchase at wholesale pricing, contact Kiki Powers at 408.226.3223 or kiki@aboutnhs.com.