Reversing the X chromosome curse: learn more about the chronic diseases that target women, and discover new approaches to their treatment.

Ok. So we're not talking about a curse like the one "placed" upon the Red Sox after they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. But, have you noticed that you and your group of life-long female friends have been given many diagnoses of chronic problems throughout the years, often even the same diagnoses? You can rest assured you're not imagining things. Women do tend to experience more chronic degenerative illnesses than men, including diagnoses of arthritis, autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis and even Alzheimer's.

According to Deborah Love, a holistic RN with HealthFlow in Asheville, NC, there are many reasons for this tendency. "Women are wired differently than men in the brain and hormones. We have more pain perception, increased empathy, and store memory--like emotional trauma--differently." But there are also reasons for these diseases' stronghold on women apart from genetic makeup. "Since the industrial revolution began, after World War II, we have had many changes in our environment, such as the introduction of petro-chemicals (commercial farming and processed foods) and plastics into all aspects of daily life; these chemicals are hormone disruptors, immune system depressants and are toxic to our planet and our bodies," Deborah explains. Additionally, a shift in gender roles, with more women working outside of the home, as well as an increased demand on this generation to care for family (including elderly parents, children and grandchildren), raises women's stress levels, which can have an impact on overall health.

But, there is hope. In general, Deborah advises becoming aware of the toxins in your personal environment, such as cosmetics, cleaners, plastics and styrofoam, and removing unnecessary ones along with unnecessary stressors. To go more into specifics, we've asked area experts to write "mini-articles" with their take on a few of the chronic-diseases rampantly affecting women today, offering further explanation for their target of the X chromosome and innovative approaches for their management and treatment. Here's an in-depth look at some of the biggies:

Redefining Osteoporosis with Dr. Janine Romaner, ND of Atlanta, Georgia

What is Osteoporosis? "Osteo" means bone, and "porosis" denotes porosity. So, the word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." With osteoporosis, bone density is low and the bones are thin and can be prone to fracture. This is visible under a high-powered microscope.

Why women? Medical textbooks indicate that an individual's peak bone mass is present between the ages of 25 and 30. At this point, the bones are strongest and densest. In the latter 30's, most people (not all) begin to lose bone mass. For example, studies in the U.S. reveal that over a lifetime, a woman might lose 38 percent of her total peak bone mass and a man 23 percent of his. In women, this process can accelerate around menopause, when she can lose two to four percent of her bone mass per year in the first two to five years after onset. By the mid- or late-fifties, the bone loss rate returns to less than one percent per year or ceases entirely. In men, accelerated bone loss is said to begin in the late sixties. This acceleration is not an error of nature! Cross-cultural studies show that throughout the world, most individuals lose bone mass with aging. The remaining bone, however, is designed to be healthy and capable of constant self-repair. With osteoporosis, bone loss goes beyond that of normal aging.

How can I prevent or treat osteoporosis? Women in the Western World have a higher rate of both osteoporosis and menopause symptoms than elsewhere. In many countries where processed foods are not present, women view menopause as a sacred and natural passage into wisdom or elderhood. As we approach these elder, wise years, it is important to continue to honor our bodies. One way to do this is to support key glands such as the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, ovaries, kidneys, pancreas and liver. While there are specific nutrients to nourish and support each gland, overall it may be helpful to simply provide good nutrients to our system by consuming minimal amounts of sugar, processed foods, caffeine and chocolate, as well as to avoid smoking. Also, work to reduce your stress, enjoy regular exercise, drink plenty of pure water and maintain a positive attitude to add to organ and gland vitality.

There are eighteen nutrients key for healthy bones. Most Americans are consuming too much non-food, which leads to substandard nutrient ingestion. For optimal bone health, monitor your intake of the following nutrients: minerals, including calcium (99 percent of the body's calcium is stored in the bones), phosphorus (85 percent stored in bones), magnesium (60 percent), manganese (60 percent), zinc, copper, boron, silica and fluoride; vitamins, including D, C, A, [B.sup.6], [B.sup.12], K, and folic acid; essential fatty acids; and protein (organic whenever possible).

What are some resources I can turn to? Better Bones, Better Body by Susan E. Brown, Ph.D., www.susanbrownphd.com; www.drlark.com.

Janine Romaner, ND, CHT, is a naturopathic doctor in private practice in North Atlanta, GA. She and the clinic staff regularly assist patients in reclaiming their health with dignity and knowledge by evoking healing from inside out. For more information, visit www.naturallyhealthy.ws or phone [phone].

A Healing Paradigm for Autoimmune Disorders with Jann Allyn Jennelle, PT, LMT of Roswell, Georgia

What is an autoimmune disorder? The immune system of our body protects us from disease and infection. But, sometimes the immune system develops an aberrant response harmfully aimed against its own cells, causing destruction of tissue. This occurs when the immune system falls to identify its own intrinsic parts as "self" down to a sub-molecular level. Any disease that arises from this faulty response is classified as an autoimmune disease.

According to the National Women's Health Information Center, there are more than eighty types of autoimmune diseases, including lupus (SLE), multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus type I (IDDM), rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease and celiac disease. Allopathic medicine views these diseases as usually appearing without warning, the cause remaining obscure. Additionally, many of these diseases share common symptoms, especially fatigue, which can make them difficult to definitively diagnose. They can negatively impact many of the body's systems, interfering with the natural form and function of tissue and organs and the nervous system, as well as musculoskeletal, lymphatic, digestive and hormonal systems.

Why women? An estimated fifty million Americans suffer from symptoms related to autoimmune disorders, nearly 79 percent being women. The onset often occurs during the childbearing years, as early as puberty. Both classically considered environmental triggers, such as toxins, pollutants, chemicals and nutritional sensitivities, as well as genetic tendencies influence onset. So, healthy living becomes essential. Managing stress, eating well, eliminating allergens and the use of harmful substances, detoxifying the tissues, engaging in daily exercise and taking dietary supplements are "material level" health-enhancing strategies.

How can I prevent or treat these disorders? Pharmacological treatment has offered non-specific therapies such as steroids and certain chemotherapy-like drugs that act on unselected cell types, but they have significant adverse side effects. Recently, however, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have uncovered a mechanism for which drugs could be developed for specific action on identified enzymatic targets to stabilize immune regulatory cells to treat autoimmune disorders. Although natural medicine doesn't encourage use of pharmaceuticals, this treatment would allow for much smaller doses than normal.

There are other approaches as well. Candace Pert, PhD, an internationally renowned pharmacologist, author of Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, and contributor to the emergence of the field of psychoneuroimmunology asks, "Are your illnesses really the result of external factors such as viruses, bacteria, or environmental contaminants invading your body? Or, is it your soul's way of letting you know that what you are thinking, doing or saying is compromising who you truly are?"

Which brings us back to our original definition of autoimmune disorders as diseases that arise when the immune system misperceives its own "self" as an invader. Perhaps we can begin to look at autoimmune disorders as a psychospiritual dilemma that has manifested on the "material level" as a call for a true understanding and perception of self. An approach to healing, like the approach outlined in Alaya Chikly's Heart Centered Therapy, then becomes a process of discovering a hidden inner world, leading us to wholeness. When false beliefs of self are released, divine interpretation of self can be discovered, reclaimed and supported in authentic expression. This, in turn, can create a new, healthy reality with a sense of self-love, honor, true empowerment and vitality.

What are some resources I can turn to? Heart Centered Therapy Level 1 Workshop Manual by Alaya Chikly; The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles by Bruce Lipton; Attacking Autoimmunity: Penn Researchers Discover New Molecular Path to Fight Autoimmune Diseases at www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar07/autoimmune-gene-mutation. html; Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert; www.WomensHealth.gov; Autoimmune Diseases: An Overview at www.4woman.gov/faq/autoimmune.htm#1.

Jann Allyn Jennelle, PT, LMT is the owner of Guided Motion, LLC Therapy and Wellness Services in Roswell, GA. Her practice specializes in the provision of Heart Centered Therapy (HCT), a loving approach to spiritual-emotional healing that entrusts the voice of the heart to guide personal process to wholeness. She integrates HCT with hands-on manual therapies and also offers remote sessions by phone to clients around the world. Jann can be reached at 678-431-7096 or by visiting www.guidedmotion.com.

Holding off Heart Disease with Mimi Middleton, MS of Asheville, NC

What is cardiovascular, or heart, disease? Emerging evidence now indicates that many factors in addition to high LDL cholesterol contribute to heart disease. One of these factors seems to be inflammation. One of the most prevalent fire starters is the spark of the free radical. Free radicals can be thought of as little pinballs that bounce around the blood vessels and cause nicks and lesions (inflammations) to the vessels' interiors. Like spackle, cholesterol is attracted to these lesions and settles there to grow rancid and plaque-like until the vessel becomes hard and narrow, thus obstructing the passage of blood flow. This can lead to blood clotting in the area, and death of the surrounding tissue can occur from lack of oxygenated blood flow. This pinball game can end with a heart attack or stroke.

Why women? According to the National Women's Health Information Center, heart disease is the most common cause of death for women, accounting for one in three deaths. In 2003, almost twice as many women died of heart disease (and stroke) than from all cancers combined.

Women tend to be very heart-centered emotionally, and at rimes it seems nothing inflames the heart of a woman more than anger, loneliness and stress.

In fact, stress induces an enormous amount of free radicals, and loneliness has been linked to interleukin 6 an inflammatory mediator implicated in cardiovascular disease.

How can I nourish and support the heart? A preventive lifestyle might focus on ways to minimize sources of free radicals. Soul-nourishing activities like prayer and meditation, yoga and Tai Chi, and massage and deep breathing can all result in heart-healthy effects.

Herbs can be relaxing and grounding, too. Consider Motherwort tea (Leonurus cardiaca) for heart-soothing support. Seventeenth century botanist and physician Nicholas Culpepper hailed Motherwort's virtues, "Venus owns this herb and it is under Leo. There is no better herb to drive melancholy vapors from the heart, to strengthen it and make the mind cheerful, blithe and merry."

Speaking of Mother ... If she ever told you to watch your figure, she was on to something. Women with an apple-shaped figure are more at risk for heart disease than those with a pear-shaped figure, because it indicates a pre-diabetic condition known as Metabolic Syndrome X, or a condition characterized by the presence of a group of disorders that together create a high-risk for the disease. Along with Metabolic Syndrome, obesity and diabetes may fuel the inflamed heart of the woman with the free radicals they induce, and are thus also associated with a greater chance of heart disease. Sensible diets such as the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains, fish oils, olive oils, garlic, and fresh aromatic herbs known for their antioxidant potentials, may have beneficial effects in the prevention of heart disease.

The woman drinking from the fountain of heart's youthfulness shall content herself in the succulence of berries, pomegranates, dark chocolates and red wine! Much to the feminine delight, all these have been found to have beneficial effects in the prevention of heart disease. Foods of color are rich in antioxidants known to protect us against the effects of free radicals. Nature's given us a bounty of foods and herbs rich in the antioxidant potential necessary to cool down our heart's inflammation. Herbs and spices such as green tea, hawthorne, and turmeric are also considered to have heart-protective and antioxidant effects.

What are some resources I can turn to? Healthy Heart: Strengthen Your Cardiovascular System Naturally by David Hoffman; Syndrome X by Jack Challem, Burton Berkson and Melissa Diane Smith; Inflammation Nation by Floyd H. Chilton and Laura Tucker; For a slide show chronicling the progression of arteriosclerosis, visit www.strokecenter.org/education/ ais_pathogenesis/02_arterial_wall_injury.htm.

Mimi Middleton, MS is the president of the North Carolina Herb Association and the director of the Mountain Spirit School of Herbalism in Asheville, NC. Mimi has a Master of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Tai Sophia Institute, where her research focused on natural support for cardiovascular inflammation. More info about Mimi's classes and consultations can be found at www.ncsnh.com, or contact [e-mail].