By: Kristin Gabriel

5 million women worldwide enter menopause annually. Estimates show that by the year 2030, that number will increase to 47 million women per year. Hormone replacement is an important choice for women, since estrogens are known to be the only effective treatment for estrogen-depleted states. Quality of life would improve for most symptomatic women. Relief of menopausal symptoms such as improved sleep could translate into a more productive woman whether she works or is a mother or spouse. Healthcare dollars could then be spent more wisely than in Medicare reimbursements for constant doctor visits and endless prescriptions and procedures.

In the wake of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), getting hormones is difficult. Doctors are leery of even the "Standard of Care" approved synthetics in this time and place. Getting legitimate insurance-covered physicians to prescribe even bio-identical hormones is a challenge.

The majority of Western medicine has been on a wild goose chase for the elusive proof that being completely hormone-less will save our lives, in the face of massive evidence that even with all of our estrogen blocked at every turn, we still keep dying of cancer. In the burst of the Baby Boomers becoming menopausal, doctors from all specialties have clamored to the forefront to be of service. Few doctors have any idea how hormones should be prescribed for women.

Since 1900, in the developed countries, the life expectancy of women has increase from age 47 to well over age 80, however, the average onset of menopause has remained at 50 as recorded for the last 150 years. That means most women are living at least thirty years longer than they did at the turn of the century. It's estimated that eighty percent of women experience a variety of transiently debilitating symptoms in menopause and 30 percent of those are classified as severe.

Tabitha Klausen Fitness Model, Figure Competitor

By: Stephen Lau

Hormones form the biochemical basis of major depression. Estrogen, a female hormone produced in the ovaries, plays a pivotal role in your brain in that it increases the amount of mood-regulating neurotransmiiters, whose malfunction often triggers depression in an individual. Neurotransmission is the process by which brain chemical impulses are transmitted from one brain cell (neuron) to another. Scientists have identified norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine as some of the essential brain chemicals requisite for brain health. Mood disorder, including depression and manic depression (also known as bipolar depression), result from an imbalance or deficiency of transmitters to make the right connection between the brain cells. Estrogen increases the ability of neurons for optimum connection or communication within the brain.

In addition, estrogen plays a critical role in the proper flow of blood to different parts of the brain, thereby instrumental in optimizing emotion, memory, and cognitive functions.

Research scientists have conducted various studies, which have indicated the impact of estrogen on the brain with respect to memory function and postmenopausal women.

Prior to the actual onset of menopause, estrogen level in women significantly decreases as much as 50 to 75 percent.

This may explain why women not only experience depression twice as much as men do but also are two times more likely to be hospitalized in their lifetimes. This discrepancy has little to do with the fact that women seek psychiatric help more frequently than men do, or the fact that women are more stressed out than men are.

Jennifer Rankin Figure Competitor

By: Andreas Lillebo

Typically with weight training alone, fat loss is similar to muscle gain, give or take a few pounds. Another great thing that adding muscle mass by strength training will do for you in terms of fat loss is change your total body composition. Most people think that this is hard, but I'll let you in on a secret. It is acquired through hard work, knowledge, and dedication.

So little wonder that fat loss is on our minds. It is essential in any weight loss and fitness program, and is best brought about with a sensible diet combined with a rigorous exercise program and intelligent supplementation.

For over-all health and rapid fat loss, your nutritional strategy must include high fibre foods. This help and keeps things moving. Now that's good stuff. There will be periods where you will experience more rapid progress as you continue building muscle mass.

But, like I said, if your goal is fast fat loss, give it a miss for a couple of weeks. Are you wondering if this is actually possible? Water is a great natural appetite suppressant and when combined with bulk forming fibres the two works wonders for you. Sensible weight loss will always give result in the long term for your training.

Vicky Pratt Fitness Model, Actress

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will make his professional boxing debut in two months, and the legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach says he expects Arlovski to impress.

Roach told me Tuesday that Golden Boy Promotions has signed Arlovski for a six-round fight on its June 27 show. No opponent has been determined, but Roach said that whoever it is, he thinks Arlovski will be ready to show off his punching power.

"Andrei is going to be aggressive, using his strength and his reach advantage and his height," Roach said. "He's going to be aggressive and looking for a knockout."

Roach said that Arlovski is ready to turn his attention to boxing after he suffered a first-round knockout loss in his January MMA fight against Fedor Emelianenko.

By: Chris Chew

Bodybuilding by weightlifting if done wrongly is a sure recipe for injuries. Sometimes even painful and permanent injuries that will derail your bodybuilding program. This article will address the common injury prone mistakes bodybuilders make in their quest to build a fit and muscular body and how to avoid those weightlifting injuries.

Many people who workout in gyms complain about backaches and they blamed it on their desk bound jobs sitting in front of the computer at long stretches of time. Perhaps they are right. Then why is it that more bodybuilders have backaches when compared to their non gym going colleagues?

Aren't those people who lift weights are supposed to have stronger back muscles to support their musculature and should be less prone to backaches? I think you are getting the drift. Many bodybuilders suffer from common weightlifting injuries that they don't even know it.

Many people actually think that if they do not suffer any pain when they are lifting weights, they are not injured. I want to debunk this bodybuilding myth right now. You see, many weight lifting injuries are very often sustained over a period of time.

It is because of the wrong weightlifting form being repeated over and over through many training sessions that cause the wear and tear of joints, tendons, cartilages and muscles. Many injuries do not just occur immediately or overnight like the weights dropping on your toes or painful muscle tear during your lifts.

Midajah O'Hearn Fitness Model, Personal Trainer