Self magazine, a popular health and fitness publication for women, ran an article titled "When Weight Gain is a Warning" in their current issue.

If, after you've ruled out the more likely causes -- a hiatus from the gym, a few too many pina coladas, etc. -- the cause of the weight gain remains a mystery, certain health problems may be to blame. The article highlights a few that may be cause for pause.

A 5-POUND GAIN MAY MEAN...

Sleep Apnea. If you're also snoring excessively at night, have been experiencing headaches and feel tired all the time, sleep apnea may be the culprit. How it links to the five pound weight gain is as follows: sleep apnea greatly disrupts sleep, which in turn causes a rise in cortisol levels and the subsequent accumulation of fat. And, if you're not getting much sleep, you're obviously not going to exactly be an animal in the gym (well, maybe a sloth).

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I have yet to meet a women who doesn't complain about her period. Goodness knows I have. We worry about it's arrival each month (admit it -- you've counted days on a calendar worrying about whether "it" will come during prom or your wedding or your beach vacation). But when it doesn't arrive like clockwork, that's worrisome in a whole other way. For women with irregular periods the question is usually "why?"

Researchers from four universities surveyed women and found that only 28% had perfectly regular cycles. The reasons for irregular periods vary. Here are just some of the possibilities:

• Late periods. If you're over 45 and your periods are stretching out for longer periods of time you might be perimenopausal. If you're under 45, talk to your doctor -- you may have a hormone imbalance.

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I don't know what to make of this: US researchers found during a comprehensive study that women who eat more full-fat dairy products, including ice cream, improve their chances of pregnancy. It seems almost too good to be true: eat ice cream to increase fertility. That sound you here is thousands of women clamoring for their freezer, finally given permission to eat their favorite guilty pleasure...without the guilt.

Low and no fat dairy products have a whey protein added to them that may have male hormone effects in women, suppressing ovulation. Full fat dairy products have higher levels of estrogen, a female hormone, which may increase the chances of ovulation. Full fat dairy has been getting more press lately, and with the addition of this study, whole milk may officially be not just for toddlers anymore.

On the other hand, thousands of women who are overweight are told to lose weight to increase their chances of ovulating, and women who have PCOS are told to avoid sugary treats due to insulin resistance. So if you decide to add full fat dairy back into your diet, make sure you make the necessary adjustments, because you'll be adding calories and saturated fat, as well as sugar if you decide to go for the ice cream. Adding in fat and calories mean you'll have to reduce them elsewhere to avoid gaining weight. Mmmm...ice cream!

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Could spearmint tea be the answer to excess hair growth in women? Turkish researchers have reason to believe that could be the case, after a recent study done there. Hirsutism -- or abnormal hair growth in women -- occurs when women have too much of the male hormone testosterone circulating in their blood. The condition sometimes has an underlying medical disorder, such as poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, but sometimes it happens for no apparent reason for all. A small study involving 21 women -- 12 of whom had hirsutism -- found that when women drank two cups of spearmint tea a day, the level of free testosterone in their blood was reduced and an increase in several different female hormones was also detected.

Hirsutism is normally treated with birth control pills or other drugs that regulate male and female hormones. Women suffering from the condition still need to see their doctor and have a complete work up to try and discover the cause of their excessive hair growth, but this study may be what health experts need to find a more natural cure for this common condition.

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