Menopause: A Gentle, Natural Approach a Gentle, Natural Approach

In Menopause: A Gentle, Natural Approach, Edna Copeland Ryneveld, a nutritional consultant and alternative healing practitioner, provides a wealth of information on ways to relieve menopause symptoms without using drugs. She supports the philosophy that menopause is not a disease, but instead a normal, natural change that occurs in women's bodies. "Listen to your developing wise woman," she advises, "and you'll unerringly choose the proper treatment for your own body's transformation. . . ." Ryneveld's book is divided into six main sections: herbs, vitamins and minerals, homeopathy, foods, yoga, and meditation and visualization. Each section then provides remedies for a variety of symptoms, including depression, endometriosis, headaches, hormonal imbalance, hot flashes, lack of energy, and osteoporosis. After discussing specific remedies for specific symptoms, Ryneveld closes each section with a "notebook" of general information. For example, the herb notebook explains how to make tinctures and salves; and the food notebook offers hints on cutting sugar and salt from the diet. She finishes with a chapter titled "New Discoveries, Age-Old Stuff" in which she discusses soy products, DHEA, and the role of natural progesterone in balancing hormones. Every woman interested in natural ways to keep her body functioning at optimal levels will find Menopause: A Gentle, Natural Approach an invaluable resource.