Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause or The Asthma Sourcebook

Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause: A Guide to Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Health at Midlife and Beyond

Author: Suza Francina

Hormone Treatment Is Called Harmful-Washington Post, 7/10/02
Estrogen Use Linked to Higher Cancer Risk-Boston Globe, 7/17/02

31. 2 million women facing menopause in America are concerned by these headlines. Most women today will live over one-third of their lives post-menopausal, but what about the age-old solution of hormone replacement therapy? In 2002 the U. S. government halted a major study of hormone therapy because it increased the risk of invasive breast cancer. Now, millions of women are left wondering whether they should approach menopause without hormones, suffering from hot flashes and low sex drive or take hormones and live in fear of being another statistic. Suza Francina has a simpler solution: Yoga.

In this practical book, Francina, a leading yogi and author of The New Yoga for People Over 50, shows how yoga can be a powerful tool to help women turn menopause into a positive and empowering experience, both physically and spiritually. Included are easy-to-follow, indexed photos of yoga poses that alleviate key menopausal problems including: hormonal changes; hot flashes; irregular bleeding; fibroids; stress and anxiety, mood swings, depression and fatigue; bone loss; heart disease and cancer.

Francina delivers a timely and truly heartening message to women: you don't have to get weaker or depressed when facing menopause, it can truly be an empowering, restorative time.

Library Journal

Francina (The New Yoga for People over 50) is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor and a registered yoga therapist with 30 years' experience in the field of yoga and exercise therapy. In her excellent guide for menopausal women, she explains how yoga can support one's health and spiritual awakening during the midlife transition. Her theme of yoga's accompanying sense of well-being is woven throughout the text, as she discusses such topics as Hormone Replacement Therapy, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and the workings of women's bodies. The yoga poses suggested to relieve the side effects of menopause are clearly described and illustrated with photographs. Many of the recommended poses are restorative, with the emphasis on yoga's nurturing aspects. Most exercises are accessible to beginners, although the author does recommend finding a good yoga teacher. Francina also includes a vast amount of useful information in her "Resources and References" section: listings (with e-mail addresses) of yoga teachers featured in her book; tips on how to find yoga props, videos, and specific programs dealing with heart disease, cancer, and menopause; and a bibliography of books and periodical articles dealing with women's health, spirituality, and psychology (as well as yoga). Suitable for most women's health and yoga collections in public and academic libraries.-Dede Fellrath, East Lake Community Lib., Tampa, FL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Go to: Ein Kurzes Öffentliches Sprechen-Handbuch

The Asthma Sourcebook

Author: Francis V Adams

"Authoritative, comprehensive."
--Library Journal

"Logical and straightforward."
--Harvard Women’s Health Watch

"[Dr. Adams] succeeds admirably."
--Consumer Health Information Sourcebook

Written by an award-winning pulmonary specialist and one of New York magazine’s “Best Doctors in New York,” The Asthma Sourcebook explores the latest therapies, medications, diet and nutrition guidelines, and provides you with advice on living with this chronic disorder. This trusted source also examines the challenges of raising children with asthma; debunks commonly held beliefs about food, travel, and exercise; and pinpoints real asthma-causing allergens and how you can avoid them.

Table of Contents:

Preface     xi
Introduction     xiii
What Is Asthma?     1
The Normal Lung     1
The Nervous System and the Lung     3
Definition of Asthma     5
What Causes Asthma?     7
Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic Asthma     11
How Is the Diagnosis of Asthma Made?     12
The Next Step     18
Laboratory Evaluation of Asthma     19
Blood Tests     19
X-Rays     19
Sputum Exam     20
Analysis of Exhaled Air for Nitric Oxide     20
Pulmonary Function Testing     21
Allergy Evaluation: Is It Necessary?     27
After the Diagnosis Is Made     29
The Asthmatic Attack     31
Symptoms and Signs of an Attack     32
How Should I Interpret Changes in My Peak Flow?     37
Having a Treatment Plan     39
What If Avoidance Doesn't Work?     41
The Asthma Medications     43
Bronchodilator Drugs: Beta-Agonists     43
How Should the B-Adrenergic Agonist Be Given?     50
Bronchodilator Drugs: Theophylline     64
Bronchodilator Drugs: Anticholinergic Drugs     68
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Inhaled Corticosteroids     70
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Systemic Corticosteroids     78
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Anti-Leukotrienes     84
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Cromolyn Sodium     87
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Nedocromil Sodium     89
Omalizumab     90
Other Asthma Medications     93
Are Asthma Medications Addictive?     96
Are There Delayed Effects of Asthma Medications?     97
How Should Asthma Drugs Be Used?     98
Strategy for Medication Treatment     99
Adult Asthma: Mild, Moderate, and Severe     99
The Peak Flow Meter and the Acute Attack     103
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program     105
Childhood Asthma     107
Managing Asthma in the Elderly     111
Putting Your Strategy to Work     116
How to Participate in Managing Your Asthma     117
Self-Monitoring and Education     117
Choosing Your Asthma Physician     119
Reducing Allergens at Home and Work     120
Reducing Indoor Pollution     127
Outdoor Allergens and Irritants     131
How to Avoid Severe or Fatal Asthma Attacks      133
Support Systems     136
Stress and Asthma     137
The Asthma Diet     138
Do I Have to Change My Job?     140
Do I Have to Move?     141
Achieving Your Asthma Goals     142
Asthma and Pregnancy     143
Rationale for Treatment     143
Treating Asthma During Pregnancy     145
Treating Related Conditions During Pregnancy     150
Labor and Delivery     152
After Delivery     153
Avoiding Complications During Pregnancy     153
Occupational Asthma     155
What Is Occupational Asthma?     155
Some Examples of Occupational Asthma     156
When Should I Suspect I May Have Occupational Asthma?     158
Treating Occupational Asthma     160
A Growing Problem     160
Exercise and Asthma     163
Exercise-Induced Asthma     163
Making the Diagnosis     164
How Should Exercise-Induced Asthma Be Treated?     165
Approved Medications for Athletes     167
Guidelines for Preventing Exercised-Induced Asthma     167
How Does Conditioning Affect Asthma?     168
What Type of Exercise Should I Do?      169
Achieving Your Goal of an Active Lifestyle     170
Asthma and Related Illnesses     171
What Are the Sinuses?     171
What Is Rhinitis?     175
What Are Nasal Polyps?     176
Asthma and the Stomach     177
Conclusion: Look for Related Illnesses     180
Asthma and Special Considerations     181
Asthma and Surgery     181
Aspirin-Induced Asthma     184
Nocturnal Asthma     187
Antidepressant Medication and B-Agonists     190
Sedatives and Asthma     190
Oxygen Use in Asthma     191
Premenstrual Asthma     192
Menopause and Asthma     192
Sex and Asthma     192
Asthma and Work Disability     193
Asthma and Pneumonia     194
Asthma and Alternative Medicine     195
What Are the Alternatives?     196
Why Alternative Therapies May Appear to Work     199
Future Considerations     201
New Medications     201
Future Uses of Omalizumab     204
New Devices     204
The Next Generation     205
The Environment      206
Forming a Partnership Against Asthma     207
How to Get More Help     209
Glossary     233
Bibliography     241
Index     247