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Have you ever gotten a new job and felt”¦ uncertain? Unskilled? Unfamiliar?

Perhaps similar feelings are emerging right now as we come to terms with living and working from home (as much as possible) during this COVID-19 crisis?

Self-care for optimal good health is on deck for all of us as we do our parts to help flatten the curve of exposure and minimize the risk of this coronavirus spreading.

 

What is self-care, specifically?

Self-care can look different for each and every person. It’s not all bubble baths and manicures, (though a soak, trim, and paint do sound nice sometimes). The term gets tossed about everywhere, so before we do anything else, let’s clarify. 

 

According to Oxford, self-care is: 

“The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.”

 

And it’s also defined as”¦

“The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”

Sounds reasonable, yes?

Especially now? Heck, yes.

 

What does science say about self-care? 

This research study followed participants for a 4-month period: 2 months as a “control” period, and the following 2 months participants entered a physical exercise routine. The findings during the 2 months where participants exercised regularly were that “During the regulatory exercise phase, participants also reported significant decreases in perceived stress, emotional distress, smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption, and an increase in healthy eating, emotional control, maintenance of household chores, attendance to commitments, monitoring of spending, and an improvement in study habits.”

So, exercise can help equip us to manage stress and other self-regulating behaviors better, per this study. Based on the decreased stress and emotional distress noted, an improved outlook seems like it would figure in too. Sign us up!

 

But what about you?

How are you feeling about your self-care routine now that we’re a few weeks in?

Is it different every day? It might feel like your capacity is different every day. 

We’d like to affirm that is this reasonable, especially right now. No one has ever been here or done this before. 

We are all learning as we go.

And of course, all this is doubled if you’re experiencing new symptoms of perimenopause or menopause. 

It’s time to slow down, even when you don’t want to, or don’t feel skilled at slowing down.

We do have several suggestions for self-care that don’t take a lot of time but really fuel you and can help to ease symptoms like increased hot flashes, anxiety, sleeplessness, and headache.

 

It’s time for more support, not less. Gennev is your online, women’s health clinic. Learn more.

 

Self-care practices

Getting familiar and feeling confident in new skills takes practice, even around some of what might be considered as the basic self-care activities. Self-care is made up of myriad practices! Break them down and learn them, take your time and give yourself the grace to feel unfamiliar”¦ you won’t feel this way forever. 

In fact, with care and attention, you’ll likely feel better. 

You ready? Take a look and try these out:

 

Water, for the win

Dehydration happens when water is not replenished in the body. We need water for every cell in our body so systems, tissues, and organs can do the body’s work of”¦ well, functioning. Continual replenishment of good clean water definitely counts as excellent care.

 

Move it, move it

Made for motion, our bodies and minds thrive with regular stretching, muscle-building, and exertion to the point of increased heartbeat and even some sweat”¦ cardio, anyone? A little extra or a little different movement can spark momentum and endorphins for better feelings and an improved sense of well being.

 

Spice up your current movement strategy or exercise plan with a new stretch, or a new component to your regular routine. Jump rope, sketch a chalk hopscotch outline and play, pick up the pace on your run with a few sprints, or tackle a new hill on your walk. Variety can give your body and mind more to work with during your workout or even a gentle stroll.

 

Afternoon naps for everyone!

What do we mean by, “nap”? Quiet time. Rest. Heck, even sleep, if that comes naturally. What if a daily rest period were a part of your regular routine? Only you can say for how long. And the length of the quiet time, or nap, may be something that changes and flexes day-to-day.

 

For a few minutes? Yes, this qualifies. 

For an hour? Sure, if it makes sense, is needed, and doesn’t disrupt you or your household’s current sleep schedule. 

 

Sleep is not “required” (though it could happen!); quiet and restful time is the intention. Meditation could feel restful if you’re up for practicing. A few stretches at the beginning and at the end might feel really good and help to transition both in and out of this quiet time. 

 

Ease up

A reminder: this is a highly stressful, unprecedented time. Sleep planning, hygiene, and relaxation are part of balance and self-care. You may need a little practice in order to acclimate and begin to feel skilled in this. Who knows, a gentle, flexible resting time during the day may help with your nighttime sleep routine as well. 

 

What have you got to lose in trying more conscious elements of self-care? 

Test drive one or all and see how you feel. We’re hoping that “better” is part of your results.

Join the community and ongoing conversations about menopause, midlife, self-care, and balance: Gennev Community Forums. You’re always invited.

 

If you think about it, nearly a third of your life is spent at work as at least during the week.

So let’s talk about your work space: is it harming you?

As we age, our bodies are less flexible. Joints hurt and muscles grumble sooner and louder than they used to, and bad habits we could shake off before may now be causing incremental but lasting damage.

So this month, DPTs Dr. Meagan Peeters-Gebler and Dr. Brianna Droessler-Aschliman gave me some tips to share on ergonomics and how to make your work space comfortable, functional, and body friendly.

Make your chair work-friendly

Optimize your chair for the many hours you’ll spend in it and the work you’ll be doing from it. According to Meagan, you should be able to sit so your feet are flat on the floor. Your hips should be slightly higher than your knees and tucked firmly against the back of your chair (no sitting on just the front half or the edge of your seat, no matter how exciting your job may be). A lumbar roll to fill in the gap between the small of your back and your chair is great for support.

Adjust monitor height and distance

Brianna also recommends correcting for monitor placement. If, like most of us, you spend the majority of your day staring at a monitor, you should really be sure it’s at the right height to protect your neck and eyes. So: adjust your monitor so you’re looking ahead and slightly down. If your monitor is too low and not “adjustable,” well, phone books need something to do these days.

If you have two monitors, put the most-used monitor in the center, with the other one slightly off to the side of your dominant eye. To determine which eye is dominant, form a triangle by crossing your hands. Center some object in the middle of the triangle, then close each eye in turn. Whichever eye still sees the object is “dominant.”

Don’t let vanity determine health. Go ahead and bump up the font size on your monitor if it reduces eye strain. Consider an anti-glare screen as well. Your screen should optimally be arms’ length away or about 20″. Get computer glasses if you need “˜em.

Get an adjustable desk

As we have all heard, sitting too much really isn’t great for our bodies. We get tight hip flexors, weak butt muscles, and a whole list of issues up and down the chain from there. Even those who exercise daily may not be able to compensate for the sit.

So, adjustable desks! As Bri says, this does not mean “get a standing desk” or “get an adjustable desk and don’t adjust it.” Standing all day probably isn’t the best either, as most of us will shift our weight from one foot to the other, from one hip to the other, potentially resulting in lumbar and pelvic issues.

An adjustable desk means you sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, just like the old cheer (minus the “fight, fight, fight”) to even out the stressors on your body.

If you find your joints hurt a lot more often now,
talk to one of our docs about inflammation, diet, exercise, and all things menopause
via Gennev’s telemed services.

Make sure your desk is at the right height

We have this unfortunate notion that desks are “one size fits all,” when in fact, not so much. The right desk should allow you to sit with your arms at a 90° bend at the elbow. If your desk is too high, to get the right angle, you have to ratchet up the chair, so now your feet are no longer on the floor.

If you can, work with your HR department to get a desk (and chair!) that’s appropriately sized. If you can’t change desks, a stool for your feet will help.

Go for a neutral wrist

One way to reduce your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion issues is to avoid repeating motions.   One way to do that, if you type a lot, is to try to keep your wrists still and in a neutral position. Meagan suggests you find a way to support the meaty base of your hand and let your fingers do the work, not your wrists.

A detached keyboard will help you keep your wrists and arms in the proper position without sacrificing your neck by having to look down at your laptop monitor.

Move a little

OK, now that we’ve got you nicely aligned and perfectly comfortable, you may want to stay that way. Yeah, don’t do that either. Meagan warns that holding too still for too long can mean you develop trigger points in muscles and joints that aren’t moving enough. Set yourself a reminder to move for 30 or 60 seconds every 10 minutes or so. Roll your head to stretch your shoulders and neck. Stand up and walk around the office (or better, the block).

Fill your water bottle from the water dispenser that’s a floor (and a staircase) away; use the bathroom that you have to hike to, not the one just around the corner. It sounds silly, but these little bits of motion add up to a healthier you.

If you stand, mat

For those folks who stand a lot, if you stand in one spot, a good mat. Carpet over concrete isn’t enough, Bri says. You need a thicker pad that relieves the strain.

If you move a lot (nurse, teacher), get the good shoes. They may be more expensive, but if you can afford the outlay, they’ll probably save you money. They last longer than cheaper alternatives and can help you prevent costly pain and injury down the road. Keenes, Merrells, Dansko as all provide good support for long days on your feet, Meagan says.

Look up

If you take a bus to work, look up from this article and count how many folks are looking down at a device or book or magazine in their lap. Probably most of them (including you), right?

We spend a lot of time with our heads tilted down, which isn’t particularly healthy. As Meagan says, the danger is that you’re asking the natural curve of your spine to stay prolonged in the exact opposite position (forward, down) from where it’s supposed to be (up, looking ahead).

You’re overusing certain segments and under-utilizing the whole chain of your vertebrae. You end up with extra wear and tear at the top and bottom of the chain, which can accelerate degeneration, irritate the discs, pinch nerves, and put extra tension on the muscles, decreasing blood flow to the area. And Bri says, it contributes to a lot of the tension headaches that bring her patients to her door.

If you must look down, vary your head position: tuck your chin in sometimes; extend your neck at others. It’s not ideal, but it does spread the burden out a bit.

Those tension headaches may be caused by a tightening of the muscles between your neck and head. Roll a tennis ball in there to gently release those muscles.

Also, if you spend a lot of time on the phone, get a headset. Squeezing a phone between ear and shoulder as really not good for your body. And considering how slippery most cell phones are, probably not good for your phone either.

Is this really necessary?

Headaches, neck strain, back issues, carpal tunnel, hip and glute problems, eye strain, and probably much more can be avoided or reduced by optimizing your work space to fit your body. When we’re comfortable, we’re more productive and have a more positive attitude, we may require less of our insurance plan, and we’re likely to need fewer sick days. 

Talk to your HR department about bringing in an expert to assess work areas but also to teach teams how to work in the healthiest possible ways. Yes, an adjustable desk can really help, but so can knowing how to hydrate, how to stretch, when to move, and how to sit.

Has your employer done something amazing to accommodate employees? We love to hear the good news, so please share about your new adjustable desks, or a quiet room for women dealing with menopause symptoms, or thicker mats or easier flextime. What would you like to see your employer do? What about steps you’ve taken personally to make your space more body friendly? Hit us up with some ideas in the community forums, share with us on Gennev’s Facebook page, join Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group. 

Have you exercised today?

We get it. Women’s fitness motivation is hard. Between getting yourself and your family ready for the day, making breakfast and lunches, walking the dog, checking traffic and weather for your commute, synchronizing schedules, and all the other Workday Wonders, you probably haven’t had time. Yet.

Or maybe you have a health condition that makes standard exercise choices difficult or impossible. Or you live in an area or climate that’s not outdoor-exercise friendly. The gym might be far away or just plain intimidating.

Yes, exercise (both cardio and strength training), helps us maintain our bones, stay strong or get stronger, it improves balance and endurance, helps us maintain our weight, promotes greater heart, brain, and emotional health, and reduces the risk of many diseases”¦ but “¦ it’s hard.

What if”¦ and we know we’re reaching here “¦ what if it weren’t so hard? Why is finding women’s fitness motivation so tough?

Need help staying motivated? A menopause-certified health coach can be helpful. Book 30 minutes for your personal consultation with a health coach.

Women’s Fitness Motivation: How can we make exercise easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable?

Exercising regularly is not just a matter of better scheduling or more willpower. It’s accessibility, privacy, convenience, affordability, and a host of other concerns that just make it feel impossible.

One woman who is really lowering the barriers is Michele Mehl of Excy. She’s created a full-body cycling device that is so convenient and effective, the only resistance you’ll feel is coming from the machine.

We asked Michele to explain why fitness is so important, and how she’s helping women achieve their best selves.

Why is fitness so critical for women in midlife?

According to Michele, “The scientific benefits of exerciseasslower aging, better mood, less chronic pain, preventing diseaseasare real, measurable and almost immediate.” She’s right. When it comes to midlife, studies have shown that midlife fitness may be associated with the compression of morbidity in older age. Translation: motion is lotion for the joint pains in midlife and is instrumental in helping us live with less disease, less pain, and fewer illnesses.

In fact, research shows that regular exercise helps with chronic disease prevention and management, Michele says, even when someone is going through cancer treatment and living with other conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis.

“With just over 100 million people having multiple chronic conditions, and 54 million of  them being women, we must start talking more about the science of exercise and how it helps the heart, muscles, lungs, bones, and brain.”

[Check out video of Michele and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo exercising together as part of the Founders Fight Cancer campaign for breast cancer awareness month!]

Why is Excy such a good fitness solution for women?

Excy eliminates common fitness barriers of time and space by making quality, full-body cardio, strength training, and rehabilitation exercises safely available to anyone, anywhere, Michele tells us. “Within seconds, Excy can be easily converted into a gym-quality recumbent exercise bike, upper body ergometer, full-body resistance-based gym, desk cycle, or even a peddler to exercise in bed.”

Exercise in bed? Does it get any better? In fact, it does.

“Excy is optimized for efficient cardio and strength training without impacting joints. Millions of women struggle with mobility limitations that make walking, running frequently, climbing stairs, cycling, or getting enough exercise challenging. We open up a world of exercise for them at home, work, or on the go.”

Plus, Excy weighs only 14 pounds and folds up, so you can take your fitness gym and regime with you, wherever you go, and use it in a limited space as like a hotel room. Excy also offers free mobile coaching applications for guided training, including videos from physical therapists.

Where did the Excy inspiration come from?

Like so many innovations, Excy is a product of its creator’s own personal woes that led to a broader desire to help others in similar situations.

“A busy schedule and family history of heart disease got me thinking about a better, more convenient way to exercise for a healthier quality of life. I recruited my co-founder Mike Rector to begin prototyping a portable stationary exercise bike, one that promoted the same quality of exercises offered at a gym or a spin class, but portable enough to use anywhere.

“Just as we were in that phase, I broke my leg. Emergency surgery led to a rod, 10 screws, and a plate to hold it all together, as well as a blood clot. Two additional surgeries followed, leaving me in a boot for five months. To say my morale was low would be an understatement.

“Yet during these non-weight-bearing months, Mike and I both embraced the injury to rapidly innovate our design. I worked with my physical therapist in the clinic to recover, and at home I was able to keep my upper body strong and burn over 450 calories using Excy’s ergometer features. When my insurance would no longer pay for PT, I continued to manage my leg’s rehab with Excy recumbent bike movements at home. I had an entire rehab facility at my disposal!

“After months of physical therapy and relying on caretakers, I got just a small glimpse into the plight of those living with injury, disability, and disease. It was an eye-opening experience that led to a new dialog with potential customers. That inspired us to help those who fall outside of the traditional fitness mold gain unprecedented access to a new way of staying healthy and strong.”

How did you know how to build Excy?

Excy is built on a strong cycling and high-tech foundation. Michele spent more than 20 years working for technology startups innovating around consumer experiences and products. Partner Mike has more than 30 years at the forefront of tech, part of prototyping teams responsible for tablets, simulators, and robotics.

Says Michele, “Mike brings tremendous manufacturing, operations, and product development knowledge to Excy and a lifelong passion for cycling. I’ve had the blessing of leveraging my collegiate athletic background, injuries, and marketing to inform how the machine is built but also how we let women know about it.”

Learn more about Excy at their website.

“Everyone deserves easy access to consistently and safely enjoy the health benefits of strength training and cardio exercise,” Michele says. “We need to start treating exercise like the miracle drug it is. It really is that important. But it’s not good enough to just tell someone they need to exercise more. That’s like handing someone with high blood pressure a bottle of pills for Parkinson’s disease. Not everyone needs the same prescription. You need to find the thing you’ll do and do it.”

How do you keep yourself fit? We’d love to hear about your exercise challenges and triumphs, so please feel free to comment here, or start a thread in our community forums. You can also reach out to us on Gennev’s public Facebook page or in our closed Facebook group.

When you’re worried about your health, your heart is probably not at the top of your list””but it should be! More women die from heart disease and stroke than all cancers combined. It’s the leading killer of women, and your risk of heart disease spikes in midlife and menopause. But the good news is that it’s highly preventable, and you can significantly reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. But don’t wait.

“If you ask the average 40-year-old woman what her biggest health concern is, she’s likely to say breast cancer,” says Sarah Speck, M.D., one of Seattle’s leading cardiologists and co-founder of POTENTRx, a medical fitness facility that combines medicine, exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching. “Yes, you should get your annual mammograms and Pap tests, but you also need to be aware of the risk factors for heart disease because it’s more likely to kill you.”

Why heart disease increases with menopause

Heart disease occurs when the lining of blood vessels becomes inflamed. Once inflammation starts, the environment is set for cholesterol-related plaque to form in blood vessels. Heart disease isn’t much of a concern during the first half of your life thanks to estrogen. The anti-inflammatory properties of estrogen help to keep women’s blood vessels flexible, reduce plaque, increase good HDL cholesterol, and keep bad LDL cholesterol in check.

A lack of estrogen is one of the reasons that men are nearly twice as likely to have heart disease as women early in life. At age 45, one in five men has heart disease compared to only one in nine women. As estrogen levels fall during perimenopause and into menopause, women lose estrogen’s heart protective benefits, and by age 65, their risk for heart disease is similar to men’s risk””one in three.

But you don’t have to become one of those statistics. “There’s an incredible window there””20 years””where you can do something if you realize that you’re at risk,” says Dr. Speck. Think of your hot flashes and other perimenopause symptoms like warning lights on your car. You wouldn’t ignore them and keep driving, would you? Probably not. More likely, you’d check your owner’s manual to find out what they mean. Consider this guide to be your owner’s manual for heart disease. If you take the time to discover what warning lights (or risk factors) you may have, you can take steps to reverse them and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

What’s your risk for heart disease?

The first step to protecting your heart is to know what your personal risk of developing heart disease is as you get older. Some risk factors are uncontrollable, such as age and family history, but knowing if you have any of these uncontrollable risk factors will help you customize your healthy heart plan. While it may seem scary to have uncontrollable risk factors, there are many more risk factors that you have control over and managing those will provide significant protection.

Uncontrollable risk factors of heart disease

The more uncontrollable risk factors you have, the earlier you should start implementing the preventative strategies below.

Controllable risk factors of heart disease

Now that you know the factors that can increase your risk for heart disease, it’s time to take action.

Heart Health Checklist for Midlife and Menopause

These steps will help reduce your heart disease risk no matter which risk factors you have. In addition, they’ll help to ease many menopause symptoms, improve your mental health, and lower your risk for other health problems such as diabetes, depression, and cancer. 

1. Partner with a health professional you trust. You want someone who listens to you, understands what you’re going through, and will work with you to address your unique needs. A menopause-certified doctor is specially trained to help you manage symptoms during perimenopause and address long-term health risks like heart disease. They will know what types of screenings you need and create personalized health plans to reduce your individual risk for various conditions, including heart disease.

2. Know and follow your numbers. They include weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, triglycerides. If your numbers are healthy based on the “controllable risk factors” above, you should talk to your doctor about specific steps you can take to improve them. In addition, it is even more critical that you make the healthy lifestyle changes that follow.

3. Get tested. If you’re over the age of 40 and don’t know your numbers listed in #1, find them out now. You’ll need to get a script from your doctor for the cholesterol and blood sugar tests, but the others you can do on your own. You’ll want to start tracking these numbers even earlier if you have any of the uncontrollable risk factors listed above. You should consult with your doctor about the best timing for you. If you don’t have any other risk factors, and these numbers are normal, repeat the blood tests every three to five years. Track your weight, waist measurement, and blood pressure at least annually.

At menopause, or earlier, if you have certain risk factors, there are three additional tests you should get:

4. Avoid all tobacco. This includes e-cigarettes and second-hand smoke. Smoking causes inflammation that contributes to heart diseases. If you smoke, do everything you can to quit. Nicotine gum or patches may help and do not contribute to heart disease.

5. Manage stress and address depression. Just like stress comes from a variety of sources””your job, your family, the news, traffic””the negative impact it has on your heart occurs in a variety of ways. The hormone cortisol is released when you’re stressed, and it can increase cholesterol, triglyceride, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. It may also contribute to plaque in arteries, impair blood flow to the heart, and make blood stickier and more likely to clot.

In addition, when you’re stressed, it’s harder to practice other healthy behaviors like eating healthy, exercising, and getting to bed early. That’s why it’s so important to find a stress management technique that you can practice consistently. And like there are numerous sources of stress, there are multiple ways to relax, such as walking, meditating, listening to music, taking deep breaths, practicing yoga, and petting your dog or cat. If you still can’t get your stress under control, seek help from your primary care provider, or therapist.

If you’re feeling depressed, get help. Women are two to four times more likely to experience depression during the menopause transition, and being depressed increases your risk for heart trouble.

6. Eat healthy. Based on research, the Mediterranean diet appears to be the best choice for keeping not only your heart healthy, but also your brain. It may also help with hot flashes, prevent breast cancer, boost your mood, and help you live longer. The diet focuses on limiting animal protein to chicken, turkey, and fish, eating two servings of fish a week, eating five servings each of fruits and veggies daily, eating whole grains instead of refined sugars and starches, and consuming heart-healthy olive oil and nuts instead of other fats.

This eating style appears to protect your heart on two fronts. Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet lowers risk for heart disease and heart attacks by up to 30 percent and risk for stroke by up to 17 percent. The diet also influences other risk factors that contribute to heart disease, such as improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels and lowering the risk for diabetes.

7. Move every day. “You don’t have to sweat. You just have to move,” says Dr. Speck. “There’s a 40 percent decrease in cardiovascular risk by just walking three to five hours a week. That is the same reduction in cardiovascular disease risk as taking medication.” You should aim to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking, cycling, swimming, or dancing a week. Aerobic, physical activity will also help to boost your mood, keep you mentally sharp, make weight control easier, and reduce your risk for diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases.

Strength training, such as lifting weights, using resistance bands, or doing bodyweight exercises like pushups, provides additional benefits such as keeping you strong, protecting your bones, and easing joint pain. Aim to strength train twice a week.

8. Consider a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D plays a role in many areas of the body, including bone health, immunity, and mood. It may also help protect your heart by reducing your chances of developing hypertension and diabetes, both risk factors for heart disease. Talk to your doctor about checking your vitamin D levels to see if you might benefit from a supplement. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 to 1,000 IUs (international units) a day in the form of vitamin D3. Food sources include fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and trout; cremini and portabella mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight; fortified foods like milk, tofu, yogurt, orange juice, and cereals; and eggs.

9. Familiarize yourself with symptoms of a heart attack and stroke. More women die of heart attacks than men. One reason may be due to women having more subtle signs instead of the classic crushing chest pain or pressure associated with a heart attack. Here are additional symptoms you should pay attention to:

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately. Delaying action may be one of the reasons women are less likely to survive heart attacks. Seconds count, and even subtle symptoms can be deadly.

This advice applies to strokes, too. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death for women and a cause of serious, long-term disability. A quick way to remember signs of a stroke is to think F-A-S-T:

But like a heart attack, stroke symptoms for women may also be atypical or vague, such as fatigue, confusion, or general weakness instead of weakness on just one side. Pay attention to any sudden changes like a severe headache or loss of function like difficulty walking. Treatment for stroke is time-sensitive, so call 9-1-1 immediately. The ambulance crew can alert the hospital to get you treatment faster.

What about HRT and heart health?

When it comes to HRT and heart health, it’s complicated. That’s why hormone replacement therapy isn’t a part of our Heart Health Checklist. While natural estrogen protects your heart, synthetic estrogen can be both helpful and harmful. It all depends on the timing and your personal health history. When HRT is prescribed before or within five years of menopause, usually for symptom management, it may reduce your risk for heart disease and improve other risk factors such as cholesterol. So, if you need symptom relief, it is safe to use HRT during this time frame. However, once you are eight to 10 years past menopause, the one-year mark after your last period, taking estrogen replacement may increase your risk for a stroke or heart attack. HRT is also not an option if you’ve already had a heart attack or stroke.

The complexity of HRT is a good example of why it’s essential to work with a menopause-trained doctor. Other decisions like taking supplements and the timing of screening tests can have similar pros and cons based on your symptoms, risk factors, and lifestyle. Menopause specialists are aware of the latest research in areas affecting women in midlife and menopause, can apply those findings to your personal circumstances, and support you in making lifestyle changes to improve your health.

 

The information on the Gennev site is never meant to replace the care of a qualified medical professional.  Hormonal shifts throughout menopause can prompt a lot of changes in your body, and simply assuming something is “just menopause” can leave you vulnerable to other possible causes. Always consult with your physician or schedule an appointment with one of Gennev’s telemedicine doctors before beginning any new treatment or therapy.

 

Women are on the cover of People magazine!

OK, we get that ordinarily, that’s not exactly stop-the-presses news, but there’s something special about their People of the Year cover.

First, there are actually four People of the Year covers for 2019. Second, three of them feature women 50 and older: Jennifer Aniston (50), Jennifer Lopez (50), and Michelle Obama (55). (The fourth is Taylor Swift, who is a bit young for this discussion, but we cannot WAIT to see her at 50!)

When People magazine, a publication known for the many youthful faces gracing its covers over the years, recognizes the power, strength, influence, and beauty of women over 50, you know that midlife has truly arrived.

Ageism “” we’re over it

“You don’t have the power anymore”¦.”‰We are doing this my way.” Voiced by Jennifer Aniston’s character to a roomful of men in The Morning Show, this could be women’s motto for 2019. Women are taking on the attitudes that have held them back, stepping into their power, and proving that gender, age, or a combination of both are sources of strength as not limitations on it.

Once, women over a “certain age” couldn’t get cast in shows; now they’re owning the screens, large and small. From daytime talk shows (Kelly Rippa turns 50 next year; Behar and Goldberg on The View are 77 and 64, respectively; Ellen DeGeneres is 61) to big-screen blockbusters, with 53-year-old Robin Wright’s fierce Antiope in Wonder Woman to extremely popular series such as The Morning Show, featuring Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy.

They’re beating back middle-aged-woman stereotypes in other realms as well: Michelle Obama’s book Becoming is on track to be the biggest-selling memoir in history. Jennifer Lopez’s new film Hustlers earned $33.2M at opening and she appears to be on her way to an Oscar nomination.

Turning 50 hasn’t slowed Gwen Stefani, who continues to tour and draw huge, fanatic audiences of all ages.

It’s not just entertainment where midlife women are thriving. Though she’s perhaps not as well known as Obama or Stefani, Mary Winston‘s accomplishments are no less impressive: at 57, she’s taken over the reins as Interim CEO at Bed Bath & Beyond. One of the first African American women to lead a Fortune 500 company, she brings a resume chock-full of experience and accomplishment.

Menopause doesn’t have to be a limiting factor

What’s more, a larger-than-ever percentage of those women who are crushing it in life are doing it while contending with menopause. Hot flashes, irritability that can tip over into rage, interrupted sleep, brain fog; confidence-crushers like hair loss, weight gain or redistribution, acne, and wrinkles; unpredictable and often extremely heavy periods in the perimenopausal years leading up to menopause; depression and anxiety, and so much more.

Despite all those things, women are clearly still thriving in the second chapter of life. Imagine what they could do with the right support and with safe, effective solutions to help them manage the challenges of menopause.

Why the People covers matter to midlife women

Great, you say. Women are doing better. I guess we’re done here.

Uh”¦ no.

Despite women’s many accomplishments, there’s a long way to go. Women are still far more likely to be judged on their appearance. They receive far less investment capital when starting a business (a measly 2.3% of venture capital finds its way to women-led start-ups). Women’s “likeability” still matters much too much in elections and promotions.

Ageism hits women particularly hard: a woman’s earning potential tops out at age 40 (and has been trailing behind her male colleagues’ all along, particularly if the woman is of color), where a man’s will likely continue to rise until he hits 49. And women at 65 earn 25% less than men on average, potentially drastically limiting their retirement options and security.

The People magazine covers matter because representation matters: Women in this age group just haven’t traditionally been represented accurately as or at all.

Look for images of mature women (as I do, writing frequent articles about women in midlife), for example. There are a nearly infinite number of pictures of young women, doing all sorts of awesome things, and that’s terrific. Look for images of a woman 45+, and you’ll get a few women fanning themselves. That doesn’t represent me. It doesn’t represent the vital, active, ambitious, intelligent women I know and work with and see all around me. In midlife, women disappear and don’t return until they are “interesting again” as seniors.

This lack of representation repeats, rather more importantly, in a lack of research into mature women’s health issues, a huge gap in access to health care professionals who are versed in mature women’s challenges, a terrible dearth of information women can access to understand what they’re going through and solutions to manage it.

Seeing older women, acknowledging their existence, hearing their voices, learning about their triumphs and their struggles matters because what stays secret rarely gets solved.

Granted, Aniston, Lopez, and Obama may not be truly representative of the “average” woman, but I’d say they’re closer to us than we’ve been allowed to believe in the past.

Women over 50 are natural leaders. They have built up a lifetime of experience and insight. They are, often, less willing to brook the bulls**t of others. Women have spending power: 27% of consumer spending, or $15 trillion is in the hands of older women in the US. And mature women in power are bringing other women along. When there’s at least one female senior executive, women are three times more likely to be promoted to the same rank than when all the positions are held by men.

Menopause, despite its numerous and often-serious challenges, doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. Gennev exists to support women through midlife hormonal challenges because women have so much to do and so much to offer, and with just a little appropriate support, could have even richer, fuller, more vibrant lives.

How are you dominating midlife? We’d love to hear about your amazing accomplishments despite menopause symptoms, ageism, sexism, and so on. Share your triumphs and challenges in our community forums! And if you’re ready to start conquering the world, get your plan in order with a Gennev Health Coach.

Perimenopause and menopause can be challenging for many women, thoroughly unpleasant for some, and harrowing for a few.

For a woman with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), perimenopause can reopen old wounds she thought were healed long ago.

If you have battled with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or another mood disorder like anxiety or depression in the past, and are now entering perimenopause or menopause, there may be additional risks and challenges you should be aware of.*

What is PTSD?

We tend to associate PTSD with soldiers who have been in combat, and while it certainly does affect that population, PTSD can arise out of any trauma. Car accidents, assault, natural disasters as events that threaten our lives or well-being can cause PTSD, and while women are more likely to develop the disorder after a trauma, all genders are vulnerable to PTSD.

Most people will, unfortunately, suffer trauma in their lives and will have an emotional response. But according to the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs National Center for PTSD, most of us will recover in a few weeks. If symptoms continue for many months, are severe and impactful, and keep you from living your life, you might have PTSD.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

According to the National Center for PTSD, there are four symptoms, which can vary from person to person:

  1. Reliving the event. This includes memories, nightmares, even flashbacks where you feel like you’re reliving the events of the trauma.
  2. Avoidance. Staying away from situations or people that you worry might trigger memories. Not talking or thinking about the trauma for fear of bringing back bad memories.
  3. Negative beliefs or feelings. The National Center for PTSD lists guilt, shame, disinterest in activities you used to enjoy, insecurity, mistrust, numbness, and an inability to feel happy.
  4. Hyperarousal. Some also call this “hypervigilance,” and it means to be always on high alert for danger. This is a very difficult l way to live, and many people have trouble sleeping or focusing for long. Others may turn to drugs or alcohol for relief.

Why can PTSD be worse in perimenopause?

In PTSD, emotions run out of control as fight or flight responses are set to 11, as they say. Mood swings in perimenopause can feel very like the emotional chaos of PTSD. Whether or not the hormone fluctuations of perimenopause can actually trigger a recurrence is unknown, but to the woman who’s suffering, the familiar lack of emotional control can cause anxiety and hypervigilance and utterly disrupt her life.

To learn more about the intersection of PTSD and midlife hormone changes, we talked to two doctors who specialize in women’s mental and reproductive health: Dr. Carly Snyder, Director of Women’s Health for Family Health Associates and attending physician at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and at New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Dr. Gauri Khurana, psychiatrist and specialist in women and mood disorders.

 

First, both doctors stressed that entering perimenopause is not a guarantee that PTSD symptoms will return, so even if you’ve suffered PTSD in the past, it may not come back.

PTSD and its correlations with hormone levels are imperfectly understood and, at this point, not well researched or documented, so the science on this intersection is pretty thin. But both doctors agreed on several aspects that all women as not just those with a history of PTSD as should bear in mind.

Estrogen fluctuations impact mood.

It’s not “all in your head.” It’s real: hormone shifts at menopause can make moods chaotic and unpredictable. According to Dr. Snyder, for some women, hormonal fluctuations as not reduced hormone levels as trigger mood symptoms, which is why mood can be worse in perimenopause. Hormones ride a proverbial roller coaster through the perimenopausal years, and some women feel as if their mood takes a dive as a result. Emotions often level out once the body establishes a “new normal” post-menopause.

Having your experiences belittled or dismissed can make the problem worse.

It’s a sorry truth that women’s emotional responses are not always treated with the seriousness they deserve. Worse, being ignored or condescended to may remind women of poor treatment they received when reporting the initial trauma. As Dr. Khurana told me, “So often when women report trauma like sexual assault, they aren’t believed, maybe they’re belittled or demeaned, they’re not taken seriously. So if those symptoms and severity return in menopause, and they get the same dismissiveness from doctors that they got from law enforcement, many women simply go quiet and suffer in silence.”

Mood disorders are very difficult to conquer alone.

When a mood disorder as severe as PTSD is diagnosed, recovery can be extremely difficult without professional help. “PTSD is a steam roller,” says Dr. Snyder. “Once a woman starts to experience flashbacks or nightmares, it gets harder and harder to control. Rather than waiting until you’re too far into the vortex, if you know the feelings and you know you’ve been here before, get help. Get help so you can move forward rather than looking back.”

 

“Women are needed.”

 

There are interventions and solutions that work.

Both doctors were very adamant about this: you can get better, and not just by “hanging in there” until hormone levels stabilize. For some women, an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication may work great; for others, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can smooth out hormonal fluctuations. Dr. Khurana suggests finding a therapist who is possibly an older woman herself and therefore more likely to understand the issues, or joining a support group. As she says, many people who have dealt with PTSD know the effectiveness of talking with others with the same problem as there’s a level of trust and understanding built in from the start.

Intervention sooner rather than later may make healing easier and bring relief faster. As Dr. Snyder says, “Help is effective. Every woman deserves to enjoy her life. There’s no point to being in unnecessary physical or emotional pain. There’s no shame in experiencing symptoms, and there’s no shame in asking for help.”

Ultimately, the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to get the help you need. “Women are needed,” says Dr. Snyder. “We’re needed as mothers and grandmothers and partners and colleagues and friends, we’re needed for ourselves. But we can’t be there for others if we’re too far down the rabbit hole.”

If you’ve experienced PTSD symptoms in perimenopause or menopause, we’d love to hear how you dealt or are dealing with it. What interventions are working for you? How long did the problem last? If you’re willing to share your story so others can learn more, please let us know at info@gennev.com.

*The information in this article is not intended to replace expert care by a professional. If you feel you’re experiencing symptoms of PTSD or other mood disorders, please seek medical attention right away.

 

In the winter, everything feels drier. And we mean everything. From our hair to our skin to our lips and eyes, the winter air seems to suck the moisture out of our entire body. And that can be even worse in perimenopause and menopause.

Luckily, winter skincare and eye care don’t have to drastically change your regular routine. Find out how to keep your body hydrated all winter long “” and what to do if you miss a day or two of winter self-care.

Why so dry in winter?

Why do we need to pay attention to our eyes and skin more in the winter? While it’s not winter per se, that can wreak havoc on your skin, your dermis and corneas can be negatively affected by extreme temperatures and dry air.

Dry air can cause a large variety of health issues, ranging from respiratory problems to sore throat and itchy eyes.

All water… well, mostly

We humans are made mostly of water. This means all of our interconnected systems rely on water to function properly. When it’s cold out, our bodies need to work harder to perform the same tasks they would in warmer temperatures.

Depending on where in the world you live, you might need to deal with extreme temperatures, dry air, and other adverse conditions in the winter months.

When air is dry, your body’s moisture and hydration are used faster and need more frequent replenishing. In short: you need to take in more water and retain as much moisture as you can.

Fortunately, accommodating for the effects of dry winter air isn’t too difficult to do. 

Why you need winter-specific skincare in menopause

There’s less moisture in the air in the winter. This means that the air naturally sucks the moisture out of your body, and that moisture evaporates. Since your skin is made up of 64 percent water, you can imagine the impact that dry, winter air has on your skin.

Some of the symptoms of dry, winter skin include:

Tips to prevent dry skin

Skip the hot shower

It’s easy to want to take extra-long hot showers in cold weather. Yet, you’ll want to limit your shower time. Hot showers can actually dry skin out even further. In fact, hot showers are one of the top causes of dry, itchy skin.

Instead of a hot shower, try a warm or lukewarm one. 

Drink plenty of water

Yes, drinking water is an important way to stay hydrated “” especially in cold weather. 

In the summertime, it’s easy to get dehydrated since our bodies lose so much water when we sweat. But we usually drink more to compensate, because we’re thirsty and hot. Similarly in the winter, we still sweat, though we might not notice it as much. So you’ll want to track your intake to make sure you’re getting enough, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Staying hydrated in the winter is one of the easiest ways to help your skin retain moisture.

Use a humidifier

While you can’t always control what happens to your skin outside your home, you can control the climate inside. Since the air is so dry, cranking up the heat won’t help your skin “” in fact, it will probably make things worse.

Using a humidifier is your best bet to adding moisture back into the air. 

Humidifiers range in price from about $20 to over $100. Simply fill the humidifier with water and turn it on. Just remember to clean it regularly so you don’t pump bacteria into the air “” in addition to water.

Use gentle skin products

Your skin goes through so much additional stress in the winter; you want to make sure you’re treating it right all year long, so come January, the added dryness doesn’t send you over the edge.

Use gentle products with few chemicals “” especially synthetic scents, which can dry your skin out even further. Harsh chemicals can also dry and redden your skin even further. Gentle soaps and body washes are best.

Make friends with moisturizers, including vaginal skincare moisturizers. Vaginal tissue is thin and delicate, and for those in perimenopause or menopause, we know it can get desert-dry too. Consider making a plan to keep all of your skin’s tissues plump and hydrated. Thank us later, but get some relief now. 

Why you need winter eye care

Your eyes, just like the rest of your skin, are comprised of mostly water. And the tissue around your eyes is much thinner and more delicate. This means that come winter, they’re one of the first body parts to be a target for dry air. 

The most glaring symptoms of dry eyes (pun intended) are itchy eyes and red corneas. 

Dry air, indoor heating, and higher wind speeds in the winter can dry your eyes out in a hurry.

Tips to prevent dry eyes

To prevent dry eyes, follow some of the same tips you would to prevent dry skin: avoid harsh chemicals, use a humidifier, and drink plenty of water. And while hot showers might not affect your eyes too much, you will want to add a few additional tips to your repertoire in the winter to help your eyes retain their moisture.

Winter healthy eye and skincare dos and don’ts

Do use a humidifier to help pump moisture back into the air.

Don’t go crazy with the humidifier, as doing so might lead to other problems (such as mold).

Do take measures to prevent dry skin and eyes, as doing so will be easier than remedying the situation.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the winter “” even though you may not feel as thirsty as in the summertime.

Do take warm or lukewarm showers to combat dry and itchy skin in menopause.

Don’t turn the water heater up too high (even though a hot shower in the winter feels great!).

Do wear sunglasses to avoid windburn and damaging winter UV rays.

Don’t wear your contacts too often, as they tend to dry out eyes.

Advanced level winter eye care and skincare

If you’re already in the thick of winter and prevention just won’t cut the mustard, add a few of these tips to your repertoire to return your eyes and skin to their natural pH balance:

If these sound like they’d take too much time, or you’d like to be able to do something right now for your skin and eyes, these quick tips will fit the bill: 

These are small ways to support your skin and your eyes during the winter season. Enjoy!

If you have more suggestions, questions, or can simply relate to this topic and want to weigh in, we welcome you. Click and join the Gennev Community forums and chime in.

 

Our nutrition coach and regular blogger Michelle Cartmel knows breaking up is hard to do, especially in the month of love. But sometimes we have to say good-bye “¦ especially when our “sweetie” is sugar.

Hey Ladies,

Question for you in this month of love: If you had to choose a long-term mate, which of these options has the qualities that would be most desirable to you, A or B?

A) Wild Like a Roller Coaster Ride, Addictive, Delicious but Dangerous, Sweet but Seldom Satiating
B) Consistent, Grounded in Goodness, Uplifting, Full of Good Taste

Clearly most of us would not choose A to describe our ideal long term partner, but funnily enough, a lot of us make that choice when it comes to our diet.

I’m talking about sugar.

You know, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. After the first bite, you just can’t get enough, and then before you know it, you fall into a post-sugar slump. What happened to my buzz, that warm fuzz that makes my heart beat fast and ignites my spirit?

For many of us, sugar is a lifelong partner that we discovered in our youth, and because we’ve been together for so long, it’s next to impossible to shake the sugar habit. Breaking up can be hard to do, especially after a long term relationship, but I’ve got three reasons why saying goodbye to this sweetie can benefit you in the long run.

One. Sugar acts like a drug.

According to Dr. David Samadi, when we eat foods high in sugar, the reward centers of the brain are activated, and a large amount of dopamine is released which is what makes eating sugar feel so good.

When we eat high-sugar foods often, we develop a tolerance which in turn requires us to eat more sugar to get that same level of reward. Over time and with an over-stimulation of those reward centers, we develop an addiction to sugar because it simply makes us feel good when we eat it. Due to the powerful effects sugar has on the brain, it can be thought of like a drug in that it functions similarly to actual drugs like heroin and cocaine.

Two. Excess sugar consumption puts you on a fast track to weight gain.

According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of added sugars a woman should eat in a day is 25 grams/6 teaspoons, or 100 calories. So, let’s say you have a Starbucks Tall Non-Fat Vanilla Latte for breakfast. This single coffee contains 27 grams of sugar!

Imagine what other sugar calories are sneaking into your lunch, dinner and snacks throughout the day. Sugar is hidden in so many of the foods we eat, including the “healthy” ones, like yogurts, bars, salad dressings and “enriched” food products like pastas and breads. It’s easy to see how the sugar calories can add up to extra LBS when you aren’t paying close attention to what you are putting in your tank!

Three. Overindulging in sweets can have life-threatening effects.

A steady diet of too much sugar can lead to a litany of health problems, from high blood pressure to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, liver disease and Alzheimer’s. Sure this sounds dramatic, and it should. If influencers like Michelle Obama and former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg are taking the time to advocate for sugar reduction in our diets, we need to take notice and understand that sugar is the underlying cause of our national health crisis and obesity epidemic.

One of my food heroes is nutrition guru Dr. Mark Hyman, author of the recently released book, Food, What the Heck Should I Eat? Dr. Hyman describes sugar as “toxic and addictive” and prescribes a diet rich in veggies, good fats, and lean proteins.

Dr. Hyman recently said on one of his Instagram posts that, “Food is the road to your fully expressed life,” and I couldn’t agree more. The only way to maximize that expression is with real, whole foods that optimize your health, not sugar-filled, manufactured products that are bereft of nutrients and deplete your livelihood.

So when looking for a long-term (food) partner, choose the one that has the characteristics of “B” to enjoy a fully expressed life. And if you are inclined to cheat on a “B” with an “A” every now and again, this kind of cheating is OK as long as it’s in moderation.

Cheers to your health,

Michelle

Get more great nutrition information from Michelle by checking out her other blogs on making friends with healthy fats, how to shop the Farmer’s Market, combating cancer with healthy foods, and more.

Have you given up sugar yet? Or tried to? It’s tough, no doubt about it, so we’d love to hear what worked and didn’t, so we can use your information for ourselves.  Share with the community in the comments below, or hit us up on Gennev’s Facebook page or Midlife & Menopause Solutions, Gennev’s closed Facebook group.

 

Transitioning into parenthood: what to expect from a first time pregnancy

“All of a sudden, all these medical professionals are like, “˜Have fun with your baby, see ya!’ And the hospital door shuts behind you, and you have no idea what to do.”

This may sound familiar to a lot of first-time parents. The risks are so high, yet many new moms and dads feel like they’re missing vital information that would make adjusting to parenthood easier.

Chris and Josh Gourley had their little girl Michaela 15 months ago. Says Chris, “Having a child””especially a first child””is opening the door to a whole new world where this tiny person hands you grubby things to eat”¦.and you eat them because you want your kid to know it’s good to share. Who knew that was going to happen?!”

“Being a parent is a huge adjustment, especially for women: If you’re a dad, your whole life just changed. If you’re a mom, yep, your life changed, but so did your body, so did your hormones. That has a huge impact. But we don’t talk about it. We talk about pregnancy and the time up to the childbirth, and we talk about going through the birth of the child, but we don’t talk about what comes after. No one prepares you for what’s coming.”

So we asked Chris what she learned that might help others in the transition to parenthood:

  1. Buy the biggest maxi-pads you can find, and buy them in bulk. You’re about to have the worst period of your life. “It makes sense, really; the placenta is, like, 10″ in diameter, so you have this big wound in your uterus that’s going to bleed and slough for a while. You don’t want to wear tampons because you want everything to come out, and a menstrual cup won’t fit because your cervix is all wonky. Be prepared. When they send you home with those funky, one-size-fits-all stretchy panties, that’s why.”
  2. Vaginal dryness is a real thing. You can fix it. “After that six-week period from hell was finally over, all of a sudden it was like sandpaper between my legs. You’re walking around like, oh my god, what’s happening, because you have to figure out what’s going on. I know what a runny nose feels like, or a cold, or when I cut myself, but this”¦I didn’t know vaginal dryness was going to happen and that it was going to be so severe! Just sitting on the couch or stretching hurt. For the first time in my life, I used a vaginal lubricant just for personal reasons, and it made a huge difference. You hear that after a baby sex will be “˜different’ because of your hormones, but the difference is really significant.”
  3. Breastfeeding is hard, but it can be easier than the alternatives. “Apparently, it takes a day or two for the milk to come in, and you feel like you’re starving your baby. No one tells you that’s normal, so you just feel like a failure. Oh, and then when it does start, there’s a period known as the “˜let down’ when the milk comes extremely hard and fast. Suddenly my baby was choking and gurgling, and she cried and cried, and I didn’t know what was wrong. Now I know it’s normal and you can solve it by catching the initial flow in a rag, but you have to know what’s happening to know what to do next. I’ve never known a woman who breastfed who didn’t go through it, but no one told me it was going to happen.”Breastfeeding may be challenging, but there’s one big benefit no one really talks about: “It’s super convenient,” Chris says. “I don’t have to boil anything or prepare anything, it’s milk on-demand! A lot of women tell me they don’t breastfeed or they stopped breastfeeding because it’s so hard. And it is, but there are ways of making it easier on yourself. You can use formula during the day and nurse at bedtime, for example. You have choices, but no one tells you that. I had to just keep asking questions until I had all the information I needed.”
  4. Be prepared for wonky hormones. “Everyone warns you about postpartum depression, which is a real thing that really happens. But it happens differently to different women. For me, it was about four months after Michaela was born. It was pretty mild, but I went to a counselor because it helped to talk about it. For my friend, postpartum depression came out as rage. One day her husband asked, “˜Do you want me to make you some tea?’ and she screamed, “˜Of course you should make me a cup of tea, why wouldn’t I want a cup of tea, but I don’t want peppermint, I want cinnamon!’ Because I was a few months ahead of her, I had told her about my experience and the four-month mark, so she was a little more prepared. And she said she was more willing to go to a counselor because I’d told her how it helped me. That’s why talking about this stuff is so important.”
  5. External support matters. “I’m in a breastfeeding support group, and that’s really helpful. We share breastfeeding stuff, like how your supply can drop when you have your period or if you start back on birth control, and how you might not have that postpartum period until you stop breastfeeding, but then break out the stretchy panties! These are things you might not hear from your doctor. But other new moms will fill you in. Friends and family are great, and you’ll need them, but I also really needed people going through what I was going through.”
  6. Adjustment happens. “When you have a baby, everything is all out of whack for a while. Your hormones show no semblance of normalcy, maybe not until after you stop breastfeeding, but even if you don’t nurse, your body can take weeks to level out. There’s a lot going on in there, and it’ll take time to bounce back. You may never be the person you were before, and that’s OK.”
  7. The most important lesson she learned? Change happens daily. “The best advice I got came from my pediatrician: “˜Don’t get used to anything because tomorrow it’ll change.’ Michaela may sleep tonight, but she might not sleep tomorrow. Today she doesn’t want to eat; tomorrow she will. You just never know. But that’s what makes it fun.”

Many thanks to Chris for sharing her experience and learnings from her Adventures in Motherhood. What did you have to learn when you became a parent for the first (or second or third) time? Share your expertise with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

 

“Every woman that reaches middle age will experience some level of menopause symptoms. Left untreated, these symptoms can lead to a significant reduction in quality of life,” says Gennev Chief Medical Officer, OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su.

And because none of the 1.3 million American women who enter menopause each year will have exactly the same experience as another “” and because two women can have vastly different experiences “” there’s never been a real attempt to chart the journey through the transition.

Until now.

Recently we crossed a major milestone here at Gennev: 50,000 women have taken our Menopause Assessment! Created in 2017 by Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, the comprehensive Gennev Menopause Assessment asks women for information about their age, menstrual cycles, symptoms, and history.

Based on women’s responses and Dr. Dunsmoor-Su’s 20+ years of expertise as an OB/GYN with special expertise in menopause, we identified five distinct menopause types. From there, Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, along with our CEO Jill Angelo, created the first-of-its-kind Menopause Journey Map.

Why the map for menopause stages matters

Why is the map a big deal? According to Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, “We’re excited to deliver the Menopause Journey Map to help set expectations for women and offer predictive solutions for symptom relief, something that’s never been done before.”

If you’re a Type 1 (periods becoming irregular, occasional hot flashes), it might be very helpful to know what probably lies ahead in Type 2 (skipping periods, heavy periods, some hot flashes, poor sleep). You can start making lifestyle changes now to combat symptoms, and perhaps the first time you experience normal, harmless, hormonal heart palpitations, you’ll know how to distinguish them from something more serious.

Perimenopause is an opportunity to start practicing some serious self-care in terms of diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, and more. But many women miss a lot of this window, not knowing the symptoms they’re experiencing are hormonal. And if your primary physician isn’t well-educated on menopause (as many aren’t), they may not know either.

Too many women spend years being misdiagnosed, or worse, ignored, before getting the answers they need. But because our health in perimenopause can affect our longer-term, post-menopausal health (think brain, bones, and heart), it’s important that we know when we’re in it.

And no, your getting hormone levels tested probably won’t tell you.

Hear more about the map from the creator of the Menopause Assessment, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

What are the Menopause Types?

Our Menopause Map breaks menopause into 5 types. (A detailed overview of Menopause Types is available here):

Knowing your symptoms and cycles is the best way of pinpointing your place in the journey, but to truly understand your body, it helps to discuss your experience with a menopause expert.

Know where you are in the journey

Cliché or not, knowledge truly is power as the power to take control: To manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms now, and to make good choices to preserve your health, independence, and quality of life for the many decades that come after menopause.

“For too long, women’s health 40+ has been treated as shameful, but with GenX women aging into midlife, demands for menopause information, community, and solutions are on the rise,” says Jill Angelo, co-founder and CEO of Gennev. “The healthcare industry has been stubborn to evolve, but now we have the data, software, diagnostics, products, and services that allow us to tackle menopause symptoms head on. We have the ability to create the What to Expect When You’re Expecting for menopause.”

If you’re ready to find out your Menopause Type and start charting your path on the Menopause Journey Map, the first step is to take the Gennev Menopause Assessment. This free and confidential questionnaire takes less than 10 minutes.

Once your Assessment is complete, you’ll be directed to create a free account on Gennev. From your personal, confidential dashboard, you can learn all about your menopause type, get product recommendations specific to your symptoms, find educational materials tailored for you, and connect with a Health Coach or OB/GYN. Then, with your Gennev menopause team, you can build the plan that’s right for you.

The definition of menopause is actually really simple: it’s just one day. Menopause is the one-year anniversary of your last period. This is perhaps the only thing about menopause that’s “simple.” But menopause doesn’t have to be unpleasant or something to dread. With knowledge and a Menopause Plan, you can survive and thrive through the transition and for many many years beyond.

 

Menopause Journey Map

 

From the wellness expert who brought you “sleep hacks: herbs for sleeplessness and anxiety“ comes another video packed to the eyeballs with healthy herbal goodness.

This time, Jovanka is taking on another common menopausal symptom: digestive disruption.

“Your digestion is at the cornerstone of your health.
Without a healthy gut, everything else will start to fall apart eventually.”

As estrogen levels fall in midlife, cortisol levels rise, bumping up both your blood pressure and your blood sugar levels. The hormonal imbalance can slow digestion, causing gas, bloating, constipation, pain, and indigestion.

There are lifestyle changes you can make to help control the problem: eat slowly, drink plenty of water with your food, choose foods in menopause that help with digestion (are high in fiber), get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. But for many women, lifestyle changes don’t provide sufficient relief, and digestive symptoms as and the risk of embarrassment as really cramp their social and professional lives along with their stomachs.

So if bumping up your intake of leafy greens isn’t enough, Jovanka has some great suggestions of herbs that can help regulate your digestion and get your gut back on track. 

 Want more herbal relief? Check out Jovanka’s ebook, 12 Libido-Enhancing Herbs, for even more support of your healthy, fabulous life.

Jovanka is a featured expert at People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Whole Foods, Veria Living, Fox News LA, NPR and CBS Radio. She’s also a regular contributor in Spanish-language media outlets like Telemundo and is a contributing guest expert at The Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, BlogHer and PositivelyPositive. Jovanka gave her first TEDx talk on “Rethinking Failure” in November 2013. Want more Jovanka (and who doesn’t, frankly)? Check out her creation: the Wellness Smackdown , an online wellness & learning community for healthy living, which was featured on the first season of ABC’s “My Diet Is Better Than Yours.” Jovanka also offers lectures, workshops and wellness coaching in both English and Spanish.

 

Inflammation, food allergies, and food reactivity are on the rise, making optimal health harder to achieve. We wanted to know why there are so many issues with foods these days, and what people can do to feel better.

Jill sat down with holistic health coach Amanda Giralmo of WellthieLife to talk about food, chronic inflammation, and how we can make better food choices to support our health. Here’s what she learned:

1:11
Discovering our life’s true path often starts with fixing a problem within ourselves. For Amanda Giralmo, founder of Wellthie Life, bringing herself back to health and wholeness after a difficult divorce helped her uncover her passion for leading others to their best selves. She tells us how she found the strength to take that journey.

3:24
Did she feel she needed permission to take that journey, considering it meant taking time off and focusing on herself? We asked her how she came to that very necessary decision.

4:39
The experience brought her to where she is now, helping others as a certified holistic health coach focused on lowering inflammation. So, we asked her, what is inflammation, what causes it, and why is it so bad for us when it becomes “chronic”? Amanda explains the importance of the gut microbiome and how long-term inflammation damages the good bacteria we depend on for optimal health. (Ever heard the expression “leaky gut”?) What are the long-term consequences of inflammation?

9:22
Chronic inflammation caused by eating the wrong foods can be constant, if you consider how often we eat. Fifty million people as at least as suffer an autoimmune disease in the US. Knowing the right foods to eat for our bodies can help us avoid that fate, Amanda says.

10:26
So what are the symptoms? So many people have chronic inflammation due to eating foods they’re sensitive to, so clearly we’re not all as in-tune with our bodies as we should be. How can we know we need to change?

11:49
How does this condition start? Amanda tells us that formation of a healthy gut goes all the way back to how we’re born and our very first food. She also tells us what we do as adults that can cause inflammation besides eating the wrong foods.

14:25
As Amanda knows from her own personal story, stress is a major cause of inflammation. She talks about how stress affects us and what happens when we’re not able to “rest and digest.”

15:25
OK, so we’re chronically inflamed. If that inflammation isn’t reduced or eliminated, what can happen? The consequences can be pretty dire, Amanda warns us. Hear why you want to reduce that inflammation, like, yesterday.

16:17
What’s the difference between a food allergy and a reactivity or sensitivity? Both are signs of chronic inflammation, Amanda tells us, but allergies may be easier to detect. Because sensitivities can be slow and sneaky, we tend to just live with the discomfort for years. Amanda gives us the simple diagnostic.

17:34
Does aging have anything to do with inflammation? Yes, says Amanda, particularly in women, the lack of reproductive hormones makes chronic inflammation more apparent in women in midlife. She tells us the thinking around the intersection between inflammation and menopause.

18:34
Amanda has developed a three-phase program to help her clients eliminate harmful foods from their diet. Through the program, clients heal their bodies by identifying what causes the reactivity and learning to avoid or manage those triggers as with Amanda providing resources, guidance, and support throughout.

20:57
The program takes time to work through: Amanda gives us an idea of how long it typically takes to begin healing the chronic inflammation. And you don’t get to cheat, she warns us: eating a trigger food will set your body back to start.

21:55
It’s not an easy process, but the results can be well worth the effort. Amanda shares with us a client’s experience of losing weight, regaining energy, and generally feeling like embracing life again.

24:40
The role of “coach” gets interesting when the goals are so intensely personal. Amanda tells us about keep clients honest and their need to confess and apologize when they cheat or backslide. “I’m just here to play support and accountability,” Amanda says, “It’s all about what they need to do for themselves.”

25:09
If you need Amanda, how do you find her? The quickest way is by going to her website: wellthielife.com. (It’s a great place to find a whole lot of information, incidentally.) The initial, 50-minute consultation with Amanda is complimentary. It’s important to find a coach who’s a good “fit,” Amanda tells us, so choose your coach carefully.

Many thanks to Amanda for sharing her expertise with us. Also, be sure to check out her Guided Meditation for Beginners, a six-minute start to a better day. You can find her meditation in the sidebar of gennev.com.

Want to learn more about how to eat for optimal health? Check out our podcasts with nutritionist and Food Peace advocate Julie Duffy Dillon: Making Peace with Food and Accepting Your Midlife Body. And don’t miss Michelle Cartmel’s blog on How to Shop the Bulk Aisle to access all the nutrition and remedies for women in midlife and menopause.

If you’ve done a “detox” or otherwise taken on chronic inflammation, we’d love to know what you did and how it worked for you. Tell us about your experience in the comments below, on the Gennev Facebook page, or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group.