The premenopause describes a variable period before the actual menopause. This difficult time can significantly compromise the quality of life for many women. Yet the underlying causes often go un-addressed and various drugs are prescribed to treat the symptoms.

DE-STRESS

These symptoms are not just about a disturbance in a woman's hormones and body chemistry. They are also about women who are out of touch with their feelings and with the cycles and rhythms of their bodies.

Balance is the key word. Often, these are women who struggle to find the balance between working for a living and caring for the family and who forget to care for themselves.

Ladies, recognise your own needs - emotional and physical - and attend to them. Forget about being superwoman. Make some time in your day for yourself and engage in some relaxing stress-relieving activity like yoga. I recommend my audiotape A Time to Relax as a useful self-help tool.

DETOXIFY YOUR SYSTEM

Environmental pollution is a major factor which contributes to the smtoms of the premenopause. Women today are constantly exposed to hormone-like chemicals that promote imbalance.

Become very conscious of the potential hormonal effects of the food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breathe and the personal care items you apply to your skin and hair. Many of these chemicals act like oestrogen and are called xenoestrogens. Avoid them as much as possible. Common sources of xenoestrogens include:

Solvents, adhesives, and nearly all plastics

Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides from petrochemicals

Motor vehicle exhaust fumes and industrial wastes

Emulsifiers commonly found in soaps and cosmetics

Commercial meat and poultry fed oestrogen drugs

Hormones from birth control pills used by millions of women daily are passed out in their urine, flushed down the toilet and eventually enters the food chain.

Start a comprehensive cleansing programme that helps the liver, skin and colon eliminate such toxins. I often combine a herbal cleansing programme, fibre and aloe vera, colonic irrigation, massage, saunas (especially infrared saunas) and steam treatments. This may be repeated at ninety-day intervals.

NOURISH YOUR BODY

Balanced nutrition is essential for the cells of your body to function well. Unfortunately, the poor quality of the foods we commonly eat is a major factor in many of our health problems. I recommend a plan called the Cellular Nutrition Programme. It makes sure that you get all the basic supplements in a simple, balanced way. In addition, take three or more grams of high quality omega three fatty acids daily.

EXERCISE

We all know that exercise is good for us, but did you know that it is good for your hormones? It lowers high levels of a stress hormone called cortisol while lowering levels of another important hormone called DHEA. Excess body fat, particularly around the belly, is a source of excess oestrogen. Fat loss means lower oestrogen levels, and for many women this is important in correcting oestrogen dominance. Start a regular exercise and weight management programme now.

A daily sunbath is also beneficial for hormonal balance.

BALANCE YOUR HORMONES

An imbalance in the two main female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, is frequently at the root of the symptoms of the premenopause. Usually, there is oestrogen dominance - an excess of oestrogen in relation to progesterone. I suggest the use of natural hormone balancers.

Natural Progesterone Cream

Natural progesterone is identical to the hormone produced by humans and is different to synthetic lookalike drugs that are really progestins and not progesterone. It is applied to the skin as a cream in a specific pattern so as to mimic the normal cycles of the human body. Instructions on how to use natural progesterone cream should be obtained from your healthcare provider. The late Dr John Lee, the world's foremost authority on the use of natural progesterone cream, still provides a gold mine of information on his website and through his many publications.

Natural oestrogen replacement

In the infrequent situations where there may be a deficiency in oestrogen production, a bio-identical oestrogen cream can be used. This must be prescribed by your doctor and usually compounded by a pharmacist. Again, this is different from the commonly prescribed oestrogen drug, taken from the urine of pregnant horses. Women are quite different horses. Oestrogen stimulating herbs like black cohosh, chasteberry and red clover can also be very useful. Your healthcare provider should again be consulted.

Tang Kuei is a famous female tonic herb, used for thousands of years by Chinese women. One of the many benefits of Tang Kuei is that it may stimulate the body's natural production of progesterone. I use a tablet that combines Tang Kuei with another soothing herb, chamomile. This herbal supplement is excellent in controlling many of the symptoms of the premenopause, while assisting to address the underlying imbalance.

The good news is that there is a simple, natural approach designed to deal with the premenopause and not just its symptoms. This may alleviate or prevent much of the suffering that so many women face.

You may email Dr Vendryes at vendryes@mac.com, or listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER 106FM on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. The programme also streams live on the Internet.