<< Ardeith writes:
And what is wrong with "normal aging"??? >>

Nothing. Nothing at all is wrong with NORMAL aging. (And please, let's not
squabble now over the definition of "normal".) The problem arises when, for
whatever reason, a person's aging is not normal. I doubt there are many, if
any at all, among us, who have been Paleo our whole lives. Therefore there
are some who are suffering the consequences of a previous, deleterious
lifestyle. Often problems completely disappear upon adopting this kind of
lifestyle, but frequently there are problems, although lessened, may still
need some kind of medical attention, be it allopathic or natural. MS and Type
I Diabetes are two conditions that come to mind.

Menopause is something that everyone reacts to differently. I do not agree
with stuffing traditional HRT down every woman's throat at the age of 50, but
to state across the board as some have done, that this is a normal part of
aging and needs no treatment at all is just as sweeping a generalization as
to say that everyone should be treated with HRT. There are those who sail
through this time in life comfortably and shouldn't be pressured into taking
HRT. But, there are those whose quality of life is so diminished as to
seriously affect their productivity and happiness as functioning members of
their families and society as a whole. There are numerous natural options
available if one chooses not to take traditional HRT. But to those who state
categorically, "I will never take HRT"- may you only be so fortunate as to
not need it. I find it very arrogant to think you can know ahead of time just
how menopause might affect you. It reminds me of a friend of mine whose
childbirth experiences were about as easy as, well, insert your own
comparison here! She barely made it to the hospital each time before the baby
just about fell out with little warning or pain. She thought it was like that
for everyone, and could never understand what all the fuss was about. Well. .
.

Just because something is a natural/normal process doesn't mean there aren't
going to be infinite variations in how it occurs. Personally, I believe the
best use of allopathic medicine is in the field of trauma, but that doesn't
mean that there is no place for all kinds of alternative healing practices
and interventions when one's body strays from "normal". The Paleo diet itself
is an alternative treatment (or lifestyle), depending on what you wish to
call it.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY