Well Being Dublin

21/11/2025

Susan’s book on menopause is fantastic. Love her fresh and honest take on women’s health 💕

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Menopause Hormone Therapies

When I first wrote "Menopausal Years, the Wise Woman Way,"
In 1992,
Everyone — I mean everyone (except me) — promoted the idea
That menopausal problems are only for those too stupid to take hormones.

Menopausal hormones were pushed from all directions.
Estrogen
Progesterone
Alone
Together
Prescribed
Natural
Bio-identical

Every women aged 50 and above
Required hormones.
So they claimed.

They would:
> Keep you young
> Protect your bones
> Reduce risk of heart attack
> End vaginal dryness
> Eliminate hot flashes
> Make you sleep better

Not necessarily all lies.
But not the whole truth.

Ten years later, in 2002, I revised that book,
Adding 30% more material,
Including new studies that had proved,
What I suspected,
That hormones taken during menopause could hurt your health.

> Side effects of hormonal treatment of menopause:
"Side effects of HRT can be similar to menopause symptoms, so it might not be your HRT that's causing it." (That's the best alibi ever.)
Hair loss
Headaches
Acne, dryer skin
Erratic spotting, vaginal bleeding
(Which makes it difficult to spot endometrial or uterine cancer)
Sore, tender, lumpy breasts
(And an increase in breast cancer)
Heart disease, stroke
Depression, mood swings
Leg cramps
Nausea

I thought the fight was done.
I won.
Menopausal hormones are bad for your health.
Proven.

But now, nearly 25 years later, in 2025
The hormone pushers are at it again
With increased fervor.
So much so,
That the warning has now been removed from these drugs.

Removing the warning does not reduce the risks of supplemental hormones.
Removing the warning does not make these hormones safer.
Removing the warning does not alert you to the problems to come.

Sigh.
I understand.
I need to revise New Menopausal Years.
New New Menopausal Years.
I have a growing list of topics to include.

But mostly, I need to reaffirm that
> Menopause is not the total loss of estrogen
> Hormone supplementation is not necessary for vigor, ease, or health
> Hormones are not good for you unless your body makes them.

Hormones are complicated.
Their levels fluctuate
They change hourly,
Weekly, monthly, yearly.
Never the same.
Supplements are always the same.
As though you were a robot,
Not a living, changing woman.

Hormones are complicated.
They influence each other.
Like waves merging and surging.
Supplements are static,
Unresponsive to your environment or situation.

No supplement can do what your body does.

More than a million women have bought
"New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way,"
And most of them have successfully gone through menopause
(And beyond)
Healthy, happy, and juicy
Without supplemental hormones.

I'm 80 in two months.
The surgeons removed my uterus
and the endometrial cancer therein
in 2020,
but, as I insisted, left my ovaries.

I have never taken any supplemental hormones.
(I did take birth control pills in 1965, for a five months. Then again, after the failure of my IUD, from 1970 until 1977; until I discovered the healthiest, most dependable, and least-expensive birth control: Lesbianism.)

Today, at 80,
Without hormone supplementation,
I am:
Or****ic.
Energetic.
Strong-boned.
Flexible.
Free of headaches, leg cramps, acne, breast pain.
Smooth-skinned with vibrant hair.
Clear-thinking.
Engaged.

It's actually easier than going to a doctor for hormones.
You can do it too.
To be continued.

In beauty.
As a giveaway.
Breathing with the plants.
Hearts beating as one with the earth's heartbeat.
Surrounded by green blessings.
Filled with gratitude.
Sparkling with joy.

21/11/2025

Menopause & Estrogen

Estrogen is not one thing.
Estrogen receptors are not fussy.
They accept many forms of estrogen.
Because women make many kinds of estrogen.

Menopause is the cessation of only one of the estrogens we make.
It is not "the end of estrogen."
It does not cause problems with your bones or heart.
Supplemental hormones don't give you strong bones or a healthy heart.
Lifestyle choices do that.

Estrogenic chemicals in our environment are known to cause cancer.
How can we believe that taking supplemental estrogen
For any reason
Will be healthy?
It isn't.

Supplemental hormones are dangerous.
Removing the warning label doesn't remove the danger.

Menopause is a time of changing hormones.
Estradiol is on the way out.
But women make other estrogens
From tissues other than their ovaries.
Women can make plenty of estrogen after menopause.
Even after surgical menopause.

Millions of women lead long, active, healthy lives without hormone supplements
Even if they no longer have their ovaries.

Busy women with lots of responsibilities
Still have a responsibility to their own health.
That's one of the gifts of menopause.

There is no habit that pays off more than making
And drinking
A daily quart of nourishing herbal infusion.

Make your next day's nourishing herbal infusion
While you brush your teeth.
Weigh herb into jar.
Put water up to boil.
Brush teeth.
Pour boiling water into jar; add lid.
Turn off the stove and go to sleep.
Next morning, infusion is ready.
Take with you to work.
Or put it in the fridge.
Strain as you use it.
So easy.

I rotate through five herbs.
I do not mix them together.

These five herbs are superfoods.
They are adaptogens.
They are safe and useful for everyone
At every age
In every condition.

Comfrey builds the world's strongest bones.
Keeps you flexible.
Worried about comfrey?
Check out The Comfrey Conference
www.wisewomanschool.com/p/the-comfrey-conference
🌿
And put your mind at ease.

Oatstraw restores libido
Keeps you juicy, calm, ready to deal with life.
Green oat tops does it too.
Said to "extend healthy years of life."

Nettle builds your energy from the roots to the flowers.
Makes your hair shine,
Your skin glow,
And restores youthful activity to the cardiovascular system.

Red clover is really not very hormonal at all.
Check out The Red Clover Conference
www.wisewomanschool.com/p/red-clover-con
🌿
For David Hoffmann's take on the misinformation
About comfrey and estrogen.
Red clover is a big hug from the earth to you.
Full of love.
Full of minerals.

Linden is the world's best anti-inflammatory.
Rebrew for even more lubricating mucilage.
(Comfrey rebrews too, but not the others.)
The Linden Conference will amaze you.
www.wisewomanschool.com/p/soothing-linden-conference
🌿

There is a huge community of women who trust their bodies
Who know menopause is puberty prime
And who have completed their passage to power without drugs.
Are you with us?
Will you join us?
Do you dare to claim your full power?

It is in beauty.
It is a giveaway dance.
We breathe with the plants.
Our hearts beat as one with the heartbeat of the earth.
We are surrounded by green blessings.
Gratitude
Gratitude
Gratitude
Joy

19/11/2025

The traditional Chinese medicine diet 👇I teach an individualised version of the healing diet to all my clients, in my Dublin clinic. 🥘

To book in, see the details above or direct message me !:)

17/11/2025

👇A client, who received their herbs recently, referencing just some of the dietary, health tea & superfood suggestions they received above.

It’s a pleasure to collaborate closely with people for their goals, especially when they’re told their “fine / normal” on tests, but know, things are NOT right.

To find out more about naturopathy and herbal medicine in Dublin, contact me today at
Annehughes@live.ie

Or phone 087 624 9555 for a no-obligation inquiry, or to make a booking.

Live links with my bio or DM me.

I’m happy to answer any questions
on working together to get solutions for your health and wellbeing needs.

https://well-being-dublin.com/contact/

🌺

10/11/2025

💕 “I have gone to Anne for a number of different issues over the years and I can't recommend her enough.

A hugely informative and holistic approach is always taken and I really felt completely looked after by Anne while also gaining results within a day after treatment.

I recommend her to all my friends and I would go to Anne before any other health practitioner.

Anne has a wealth of knowledge and her experience shows with each visit.

She is also very kind, warm and friendly and you will be put at ease within minutes.

One issue I highly recommend Anne for is for mothers with breastfeeding supply issues, I had problems with supply and energy for a long time.

After her visit everything was completely fine within a day with the right herbs.

She will also take time with you and you never feel rushed which I really appreciate and you won't find with a lot of doctors.

Highly recommend!”
com

Thanks to Michelle for her lovely recommendation on Google 🌺

To see more client Independant reviews on receiving Acupuncture, Herbs & naturopathy with me at Well Being Dublin see below 👇

https://well-being-dublin.com/testimonials/

02/11/2025

Autumn and winter sees a jump in people with respiratory congestion and sinus issues, arriving to my clinic.

And it’s an issue I love working with. A very common problem on this cold damp rock in the Atlantic !:)

As an acupuncturist, herbalist and naturopath I can help clients in these 3 different ways combined, to support people in getting better fast.

To find out more or to make a booking, ring 087 624 9555 or email me at Annehughes@live.ie - live links:

https://well-being-dublin.com/contact/

02/11/2025

In TCM, protecting your body from cold and drafts is pivotol, especially zones associated with the “kidney meridian”, including ears, feet, lower back and knees.

This helps to preserve your body's "Yang" energy, which is vital during winter.

Wear cozy layers to protect your core temperature and ensure your lower back stays warm.

Hot water bottles are inexpensive and easy winter supplemental.

Use scarves to shield your neck from cold winds, as the back of the neck is considered a vulnerable point.

Finally, cold feet can deplete your energy reserves, so keep your feet warm and dry with thick socks and insulated shoes.

If safe and easy to carry out, foot baths with warming diluted essential oils or infused water herbs can be excellent to provide deep inner warmth.

In clinic I can advise exactly which herbs and oils are a perfect fit for you, in line with your constitutional energies and issues you’d like to adress.

https://well-being-dublin.com

26/09/2025

16/09/2025

Come by for an Acu chat if you’re at the National Ploughing Championships.

Find out if acupuncture can help you via a free chat with the fully trained, insured and experienced volunteering acupuncturists at the stand.

Find the Acupuncture Ireland stand here:

The Dome- Dunamaise &Nore-
Block 4 Row 25 st 486

Located @ UNIT No:30

30/08/2025

A new study links drinking green tea with having fewer white matter lesions (WML) in the brains of Japanese seniors, potentially providing a level of protection against dementia. WML are abnormalities in the brain’s white matter (the part of the brain that contains nerve fibres responsible for communication between different brain regions) seen as hyperintense (bright) areas on MRI scans. They generally indicate chronic small vessel (microvascular) disease and are a relatively common finding in an older brain.

Researchers from institutions across Japan teamed up to analyse data on 8,766 volunteers over the age of 65, collected as part of a survey conducted between 2016 and 2018. Self-reported green tea and coffee consumption was cross-referenced against magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, which measured overall brain volume and features of five different brain regions.

The scientists claimed: “This cross-sectional study found a significant association between lower cerebral white matter lesions and higher green tea consumption, but not coffee consumption, in older adults without dementia, even after adjusting for confounding factors”.

The observed effects were not large. Averaged out, those who had three cups of green tea per day had 3 percent fewer WML compared with those drinking one cup per day. Those who drank seven to eight cups per day had 6 percent fewer lesions, compared to those drinking one cup a day. One cup of tea was equivalent to approximately 200 mL.

WML, indicative of cerebral small vessel disease, are associated with vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD). Larger WML were associated with more severe brain atrophy in patients with AD. Recently, a longitudinal study also identified WML as an independent risk factor for cognitive decline, even after accounting for traditional AD risk factors.

Given previous investigations linking green tea with lower blood pressure, and other studies associating lower blood pressure with a reduced risk of dementia, at least one mechanism responsible for the results could be cardiovascular. Interestingly, the scientists observed a significant relationship between increased green tea intake and decreased white matter lesions in individuals without the ApoE ε4 allele, but not in individuals with the ApoE ε4 allele (p for trend = 0.008 and 0.491, respectively).

I have maintained for some time now that my microcirculation phytonutrient diet will help to protect against brain WML. Now there is clear proof of this for green tea (a key element of the diet). The relatively small protection seen for green tea highlights that, as per the basis of the diet, one single intervention might not be enough on its own.

For more information see: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/green-tea-drinkers-have-fewer-brain-lesions-linked-to-dementia

and

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39774601/

23/08/2025

13/08/2025

For over seven years, I have had the honor of guiding women through their healing journeys – navigating the pain of severe menstrual cramps, the heartache of fertility challenges, the sorrow of miscarriage, the complexities of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, the upheaval of perimenopause, and t...