Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life

April 4, 2011
In her first full-length effort, Welch offers women a comprehensive overview of Oriental Medicine. She suggests that the root of problems faced by modern women can be found in an imbalance between sex hormones and stress hormones that results in women "of all ages" experiencing problems ranging from "painful periods, mood swings, fatigue, and insomnia to...uterine fibroids, hot flashes, heart disease and osteoporosis." Welch, a licensed massage therapist who holds a certificate from the state of New Mexico to practice Oriental Medicine and a national certificate to practice acupuncture, wisely offers a disclaimer: "this book should not be taken or construed as medical diagnosis or treatment." She breaks down hormones (the "ambassadors of Yin and Yang"), discusses serious health issues, from breast risks to dementia, and offers methods for restoring hormonal balance. While these primarily include a diet based in organic whole grains, beans, green vegetables, and soy, meditation and exercise, and the reduction of stress inducers (some of her advice will strike readers as familiar), when taken as a whole, the advice is sound. A welcome eastern addition to the women's health discussion.