It is well known that green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, kale and broccoli are healthy foods. But did you know that these vegetables may help keep bones strong? And this isn’t merely because some of them contain calcium, but because they are fantastic sources of vitamin K.

Until recently, vitamin K has been most well known as a fat soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. However, researchers have also found that circulating vitamin K blood levels are often low in patients with osteoporosis. While a deficiency of vitamin K is considered rare by conventional medicine, a 2006 study by University of Michigan School of Nursing researchers has found that many women in early menopause may not have enough of the vitamin in their bodies. The study suggests that the generally accepted level of vitamin K in healthy women is inadequate to maintain bone health just at the onset of menopause.

Vitamin K is an integral part of bone mineralisation. According to a study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, Vitamin K is needed to make a protein that’s essential for bone formation. In the great majority of people, beneficial intestinal bacteria make much of the vitamin K needed for this purpose, which is why you hear so little about this vitamin. But to get enough K, especially to keep bones strong, you also need to eat vitamin K-rich vegetables.

In the USA, a Nurses’ Health Study followed 72,000 middle-aged women for 10 years. It was found that those who consumed moderate or high amounts of vitamin K (nearly all from vegetables) had a 30 percent lower risk of hip fractures than women consuming little or no vitamin K. This held true even when other factors affecting bone health, such as calcium and vitamin D, were taken into account.  It didn’t take much vitamin K – about 100 to 150 micrograms a day – to achieve this protective effect.

Worldwide, only a handful of researchers study vitamin K. But with the ageing of the population, this vitamin may command a bigger following as its importance to the integrity of bones becomes increasingly clear; especially as the manufacturing, farming and processing of food creates nutritional deficiencies and Vitamin K isn’t as abundant in the diet as once thought.

Vitamin K-Rich Foods

One portion:

• Cooked broccoli (90 micrograms of vitamin K)
• Cooked Brussel sprouts (230 micrograms of vitamin K)
• Coleslaw (120 micrograms of vitamin K)
• Cooked collards (370 micrograms of vitamin K)
• Iceberg lettuce (30 micrograms of vitamin K)Romaine lettuce (190 micrograms of vitamin K)

Sometime in your 40s or late 30s you may experience irregular menstrual irregularities that signal the perimenopause, or the beginning of the menopause. Your menstrual cycle may become irregular or erratic, large clots may be passed during menstruation and spotting or heavier than normal bleeding may occur.

All these ‘abnormalities’ are typical of the menopause but if you are concerned in any way or not sure if this is the perimenopause or really unnatural bleeding that needs attention and treatment talk to your doctor immediately. Heavy bleeding (flooding) is one irregularity that is typical among menopausal and perimenopausal women.

Flooding is a response to changing hormonal levels, most notably progesterone levels. Excessive bleeding may, however, be linked to other medical conditions such as fibroids or ovarian cysts so it is wise to consult your doctor if a period lasts more than twice as long as it ever did or if there is a persistent low back/pelvic pain.

Bear in mind to that irregular or absent periods are also a symptom of a very common hormonal imbalance in women (it affects as many as one in ten) called polycystic ovaries or PCOS. If you suspect PCOS, other symptoms include acne, excess body  hair and weight gain, see your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and put into place the nutritional recommendations in my ‘Nutritional Health Handbook for Women’ or you can download the ebook on PCOS from www.naturalhealthpractice.com. Over the last few years, research into the nutritional approach to PCOS has revolutionised the treatment of this problem so it is important to put these recommendations into place.

To ease the discomfort of menstrual irregularities first and foremost make sure you eat a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole foods, oily fish, legumes, nuts and seeds and as fresh and natural, preferably organic as possible, as this will give your body the antioxidants and nutrients it needs to boost your overall health and well being. The following tips should also help:

• Balance your blood sugar levels: Never leave more than two or three hours between  meals as skipping meals will trigger blood sugar and hormone imbalances which can impact your periods. Aim to start the day with breakfast, then have a mid morning snack, followed by lunch a tea time snack and a light supper. Other blood sugar balancing tips include: avoiding sugar, refined carbs, caffeine and alcohol and eating some quality protien, such as nuts, seeds or oily fish, with every meal or snack.
• Stock up on phytoestrogens: Phytoestrogens are substances found in certain foods that can have a hormone balancing effect and help ease menstrual irregularities. Foods rich in phytoestrogens can ease heavy bleeding because they can help to keep oestrogen under control and prevent excessive build up in the lining of the womb Phytoestrogens mainly fall into the class of isoflavones – found in legumes such as lentils, soya beans and chickpeas; lignans found in nearly all grains and vegetables, the best source being flaxseeds (linseeds) and coumestans found in alfalfa and mung bean sprouts.
• Take a multivitamin and mineral that includes B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, beta carotene and vitamin E (MenoPlus is the one I use in the clinic see Resources Page). You might also want to take a vitamin B6 and zinc supplement as studies have linked vitamin B6 and zinc deficiency to irregular periods. (You can take extra B6 and zinc separately or have them in a combination supplement such as BioCare’s P-5-P Complex see Resources Page).  
• Essential fatty acids have been proven to help regulate the cycle: supplementing with Omega 3 a day is strongly advised (e.g. Mega EPA). Oily fish, nuts, seeds, eggs and avocado are a source of essential fats and beneficial prostaglandins which are anti-inflammatory and anti-cramping and will help to encourage light, pain free periods.
• Constipation is bad news for periods as excess hormones are excreted through the intestines. The longer the bowel transit time the more likely old hormones will get reabsorbed so to avoid this happening increase the amount of fibre in your diet in wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. If you also get bloating reduce salt – diruetics aren’t advised as they deplete magnesium levels and lead to increased cramping.
• If you suffer from heavy bleeding it is especially important to make sure you are getting enough iron. Ask your doctor to confirm whether or not you are anaemic. You might also consider including more iron rich foods in your diet such as green leafy vegetable, egg yolk and nuts and some iron rich herbs in your diet. Try dandelion leaves, milk thistle,  echinacea and peppermint. Eating them on the day you are bleeding heavily is best.  Having a cup of nettle tea with food can increase the absorption of minerals including iron.  
• Avoid coffee which increase menstrual flow and avoid drinking black tea with meals which reduces the amount of iron that is absorbed.
• Agnus castus is the single best herb for regulating the menstrual cycle. When taken regularly it regulates the timing of the menstrual cycle by acting on the pituitary gland which in turn releases the hormones that regular ovarian function. Lady’s mantle is another herb often recommended for heavy bleeding or flooding.
• Herbalists often recommend cinnamon for keeping menstrual cycles regular and stemming heavy bleeding. If you are bleeding heavily sip a cup of cinnamon infusion, chew a cinnamon stick or take five to ten drops of tincture once or twice a day.
• If your periods have stopped completely or your ovulation pattern is irregular agnus castus can be helpful but other useful herbs include false unicorn root, siberian ginseng and milk thistle.  Raspberry leaf tea can also help tone the pelvic area and improve circulation.
• Progesterone-producing and hormone-balancing herbs to choose when perimenopausal periods become too frequent include: agnus castus, sarsaparilla, wild yam and yarrow.  
• Oestrogen-producing and hormone-balancing herbs to choose when menstruation is scanty, early, or irregular include alfalfa, red clover, hops, sage and milk thistle.
• Exerting pressure on acupressure points for one minute of every fifteen is believed to be an effective sedative for flooding. One point is located above the centre of the upper lip (under the nose), and the other is at the top of the head.
• Probiotics such as Lactobacillus Aciophilus help to regulate hormones by helping to remove unwanted visitors such as yeast that can unsettle hormones further.  (The one I use in the clinic is called BioKult which does not need to be kept in the fridge – see Resources Page.)
• Maintain a healthy body weight as being too thin or carrying excess weight has been shown to trigger irregular periods
• For aromatherapy, massage your abdomen with lavender or melissa oil if periods are irregular, rose or cypress oil if periods are heavy, marjoram oil or a warm compress placed on your abdomen if your periods are painful. Use a total of 2 drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of carrier oil (like almond oil) or massage and up to 4 drops for a bath.
• If you suffer from period pains try a warm bath with a couple of drops of geranium (mood lifting), chamomile (painkilling) and clary sage (muscle relaxant) oils to ease cramping and soothe pain. You could also try the good old hot water bottle.
• Avoid stress as much as possible as this can unsettle your hormones and trigger menstural problems. Try pampering yourself with araomatherapy oils. Studies have shown that acupuncture can be very effective at relieving pain and regulating the hormonal system. Yoga can also restore hormonal balance and there are specific exercises to ease tension in the lower abdomen. Deep breathing and stretching can help relax your muscles and your mind and increase the blood low to the pelvic region.

Water is absolutely essential for every function of the body. It is necessary for digestion, absorption, circulation and excretion. We might be able to survive without food for five weeks but we can’t live more than 5 days without water. We’re all made up of more than 70% water and we need every drop to help transport nutrients and waste products in and out of the cells, carry waste out of the body, and maintain body temperature.

Most of us do not drink enough water. We should all be drinking six to eight glasses a day. Try hot water and a slice of lemon before breakfast: it’s wonderfully refreshing and excellent for the liver. Herbal teas do count towards your liquid intake but other drinks don’t.

But do you know exactly what is in the water that you drink?

It is estimated that as many as 60,000 different chemicals now contaminate our water supply. In addition to man-made oestrogens (e.g. xenoestrogens and oestrogens from the contraceptive pill and HRT), a 2004 report found traces of Prozac and seven other drugs in the UK water supply. The standard purification techniques used by most water companies remove the bugs from the water but do not remove all the dissolved chemicals. In attempts to clean the water, other chemicals are often added including chlorine and aluminium. Not only may these chemicals be toxic in their own right, but chlorine may react with organic waste to form compounds which can increase the risk of cancer of the colon, rectum and bladder.

The recognition that there is a possibility that much of our tap water is contaminated has seen a boom in bottled water sales. Trouble is the next bottle of water you drink may be nothing more than tap water that has passed through a filter.

Tap water is not ideal but if you filter it, that helps. Filtered tap water is the cheapest and easiest way to ensure the water you are drinking is relatively clean. Water filter jugs are readily available. Use the filtered water for cooking as well as for hot and cold drinks. Bear in mind that filters can become breeding grounds for bacteria so replace the filter every month and clean the jug at least once a week. A good quality filter should eliminate or greatly reduce the levels of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and chlorine and remove any adverse tastes, colours and smells in the water.

If you want to go to the next level you can buy plumbed in filters for use in your kitchen sink or you can go for a system which is fitted to your mains water system at home. Alternatively buy water bottled in glass rather than plastic as plastic bottled water can increase the amount of toxins from the bottle into the water.

Bottled water now outsells cola in the UK (which can only be a good thing) and is very convenient when you are on the go. There are concerns about toxins leaking into the water from plastic bottles. To avoid this risk buy water in glass bottles or only buy bottled water that has a best before date. Besides the health implications, plastic bottles contribute to the half a million tonnes of plastic we throw away each year.

Be careful of using filtered tap water rule if your house was built before 1970 which may have lead pipes. Tap water that flows through lead pipes can pick up lead particles, which can then be ingested. Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning and there may be a link between early lead exposure and learning difficulties. If you are concerned that your home has lead pipes use only the cold water as the hot water is more likely to contain chemicals, like lead and asbestos. Let the cold water tap run for a few minutes until it is as cold as it can get to flush out the pipes. The longer it sits in the pipes the higher the level of pollutants. You should also call your water supplier as they may be able to test the water.

There is a difference between mineral and spring bottled water.

Spring Water is normally taken from one or more underground sources and has undergone a range of treatments, such as filtration and blending.

Natural mineral water is bottled in its natural underground state and is untreated. It has to come from an officially registered source, conform to purity standards and carry details of its source and mineral analysis on the bottle.

Naturally sparkling water is natural water from its underground source with enough natural carbon dioxide naturally occurring to make it bubbly.

Sparkling (carbonated) water –will have had carbon dioxide added during bottling just as ordinary fizzy drinks do.

Some waters, if they don’t say mineral or spring, can just be tap water filtered.

Watch out for the flavoured spring waters as they sound wonderfully natural, but often contain sugar or artificial sweeteners and other ‘nasties.

So the best form of water, in my opinion, is to drink still mineral water from glass bottles.