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That’s what I’m doing this week “” hanging out with 1,200 menopause doctors “” and I’m loving it!

Some of the Gennev menopause team and I are attending the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting.

It’s a time of the year when certified menopause practitioners gather for continuing education on how to better help women like you through menopause.

You can read more about Gennev’s involvement in NAMS here.

I’m not a doctor, so I basically hang out in the exhibition hall for companies like Gennev, but nonetheless, I’m getting to hear what practitioners are hearing from their patients. I’m hearing what their needs are. I’m seeing the products and solutions pushed at the docs, just like they’re pushed at women”¦and like women, doctors just want clear answers, no BS.

Why are we at a conference for physicians?

We built Gennev for women. That’s always been our goal.

But we also built Gennev as a companion-solution for doctors. We’re here for them as a trusted platform. We can provide menopause health and wellness education when they don’t have enough time with patients as or they can’t get to all the email requests for questions they may receive from their patients.

Our own Chief Medical Officer, Dr Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, says, “I don’t get to spend as much time with each of my patients as I’d like to, so Gennev is a trusted resource I can send them to without worrying they’re going to hear something I don’t agree with.”

And guess what, other doctors agree. In our first day at the conference, we’ve given away hundreds of referral cards and scanned hundreds of badges. Just as women are hungry for trusted health and wellness information and products, physicians are too.

So, that’s why we’re here. We’re promoting Gennev to ob/gyns, nurse practitioners and internal medicine doctors who attend conferences like NAMS.

If you think Gennev would be beneficial for your doctor, send them our way. They can email us at info@gennev.com and request Gennev informational materials to place in their office as an added extension of the services they offer to their patients.

It takes a village to address menopause, and our village is starting to come together.

Having the best ob/gyn is important, no matter what stage of life you’re in, but with all the changes and weirdness of midlife likeperimenopause rage and menopause hot flashes, a good gynecologist can be the difference between barely surviving and thriving.

And gynecologists of any kind are getting harder to find. “By 2020, there will be a shortage of OB-GYNs of up to 8,800, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. And by 2050, the shortage may grow to 22,000.”

That doesn’t mean you should settle for anything less than the right doctorfor you.

To help you decide if the doc you’ve got is the right OG/GYN for you, we asked the doc who’s perfect for us: Gennev Director of Health and ob/gyn Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su.

If you are looking for a great OB/GYN, a Gennev menopause-certified gynecologist can give you a trusted opinion, determine if medication is right for you, and they can provide prescription support. Book an appointment with a doctor here.

How do you know when you’ve found the best OG/GYN for you?

According to Dr. Rebecca, the key to finding a beneficial therapeutic relationship is finding the right balance of some key ingredients:

  1. Comfort and relatability as are you able to communicate well together?
  2. Their knowledge, experience, and credentials as do they have any special training or interest in menopause?
  3. Their ability to treat you appropriately as are they open to all the possibilities?

So, says Dr. Rebecca, since they’ll spend plenty of time assessing you, it’s worth your time to take a moment to assess them.

One: Have a “talking” appointment with the doctor

“Go for an appointment and talk with them about your concerns and issues. If you’re in the US, often they’ll only have 15 as 30 minutes to spend with you (thank you, American medical system), but that may be all you need to decide if you relate to them and them to you. Do their explanations make sense and feel genuine?”

Even if a doctor or specialist for menopause is terrific, he or she may not be right for you. If their style is to be abrupt and you prefer someone a bit more nurturing, then it may not be the best connection. You really want someone you can communicate openly with, about some of the most intimate topics in your life, so keep looking until you find a connection that encourages open and frank discussion.

On a side note, says Dr. Rebecca, “Don’t discount a physician just because they’re telling you something you don’t want to hear. Listen to what they’re saying. Sometimes they’ll have an important warning for you, and you need to hear it.”

Two: Check out their ob/gyn credentials

Are they Board Certified and have they maintained that certification? In the US, you can check that your physician is certified on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology website. Do they belong to national and local ob/gyn societies? “There are good medical school and residency programs all over the country,” Dr. Rebecca says, “but that not the only thing you should judge them on. You want a doctor who keeps up with current research and does her or his due diligence. You can also look for a practitioner who is a member of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) or who has taken their certified menopause practitioner exam.”

(Here’s a handy list of definitions of credentials, from NAMS.)

Do they have a practice focus on women in midlife and menopause? Ob/gyns tend to “age into” a more menopause-focused practice, Dr. Rebecca says. “As ob/gyns start in practice, they tend to do a lot of obstetrics, as that is how women often come into our care. As we age and our patients age with us, we do more and more midlife and menopause care.” That’s not to say that age (or lack of) is an indicator of ability (or lack of), of course.

Three: ask about menopause treatment options

Menopause has a whole range of symptoms and challenges, and a single therapy may not entirely resolve all the discomforts. You want a doc with both a broad range of information and also an open mind about options for menopause treatment.

“Ask them how they evaluate alternative and complementary therapies and how you should navigate them. Most MD practitioners will not prescribe them, but they should be familiar and able to talk about safe and unsafe options. They should definitely know about possible interactions. If you’re already taking any alternative therapies, never hide them, as they impact your traditional medical care. Even if you’re taking “˜natural’ and “˜harmless’ herbs, they can interact with medications.”

Plus, if you don’t feel you can openly discuss all your treatments with your doctor, that may be a red flag that this isn’t the doctor for you.

Ask the doc about his or her approach to hormone therapy (HRT) and the alternatives. There’s a lot of confusion among women as and some among docs as  about the efficacy and safety of hormones. Understand this doctor’s position and how they use hormone therapies, says Dr. Rebecca. “Do they use hormones in everyone? In no one? Do they customize treatment to each individual patient?”

Four: assess the doctor’s office

“How do they run their group?” Dr. Rebecca asks. “Will you be seen mostly by the same doctor? If you need a quick appointment, how easy is it to get in? What call system do they have for emergencies? Do they have mid-level providers like nurse practitioners, midwives, or Physician Assistants who help get urgent visits in, and if so, how are they supervised?” You want a clinic or office that is sufficiently staffed, organized, and clean, so don’t be afraid to extend a few questions to the nurses or other staff.

Finally, Dr. Rebecca says, “Approach your visit with an open mind. Just as you don’t feel happy if you’re not heard by your doctor or other practitioner, we also get frustrated when a patient comes in not able to hear what we have to say. In the end, if it’s not a good match, we won’t be hurt if you go elsewhere.”

“But,” Dr. Rebecca adds, “be introspective. Think about what these practitioners are telling you, even if they are telling you something you don’t want to hear. You can always find someone who will give you what you want without question, but please listen to those who question or warn you as they may be providing important, even life-saving information.”

Tell us about your awesome ob/gyn! How did you find him, how long have you been seeing her, what makes them so amazing? 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.

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. You wear pink, self-check, and get your annual mammogram, but none of these actions actually protect your breasts.

We know there are foods to protect against cancer… but what about not eating? Early research suggests that intermittent fasting (sometimes referred to as interval fasting, or IF), a cycle between periods of eating and fasting, might help  and possibly even prevent it from coming back if you’ve already been treated. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of IF, but it’s an interesting subject for further study.

However, we want to start by saying that caution is advised: please talk with your doctor or nutritionist to determine if intermittent fasting is safe for you.

If you have safety concerns, a Gennev menopause-certified gynecologist can give you a trusted opinion, and determine if fasting is right for you. Book an appointment with a doctor here.

The facts on fasting and cancer

Fasting, abstaining from food, is nothing new for many of us.

Maybe you’ve fasted for religious reasons. Whether you’re Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or another faith, most religions embrace fasting as a way to spiritually cleanse and purify.

Or perhaps you’ve fasted for a medical procedure, like that colonoscopy you’ve been putting off.

We’ve written about intermittent fasting during menopause on the Gennev blog before, and it may be easier than you think””without the stress of holidays or gut-clearing laxatives.

Why is breast cancer a big concern for menopausal women?

According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 8 U.S. women will be diagnosed with a form of breast cancer at some point in their lives. Breast cancer in women represents 15.2% of all new cancer diagnoses, period.

Aging increases cancer risk overall. Your likelihood of breast cancer goes up sharply in your early 40s and into menopause, with peak risk during your 60s and 70s. Black women see even higher breast cancer occurrences than white women once they enter their late 50s.

 

Can intermittent fasting for cancer prevention work?

More research needs to be done to determine if fasting works to reduce risk, but at this point, it appears it may have to do with blood sugar and circadian rhythm.

Researchers followed the eating habits of more than 2400 women with early-stage invasive breast cancer over a 12-year period; the study did not include women with diabetes.

Women who fasted for fewer than 13 hours each night were 36% more likely to have their cancer return than the women who fasted more than 13 hours, though mortality rates remained the same for both groups.

The longer the women fasted overnight, the more benefits they saw.

Regardless of the duration of fast, eating after 8 p.m. was associated with a significant increase in BMI and inflammation, both risk factors for cancer.

For many women, fasting decreases the overall calories consumed, which improves weight and inflammation.

However, even people who do not decrease calorie consumption through fasting see a difference in glucose metabolism: fasting causes an increase in insulin sensitivity.

Insulin is tied to breast health.

The drop in estrogen in our bodies during menopause leads to a decrease in insulin effectiveness.

When you eat, your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your blood.

Your cells need insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, to bring in glucose from the bloodstream to use as energy. Whatever glucose isn’t used is stored as fat.

Between meals, insulin levels drop and your body releases sugar stored in fat cells as energy. When fasting, your body is able to sustain low levels of insulin and blood sugar long enough to burn fat.

If your insulin isn’t working the way it should, your cells can’t bring in glucose, so this glucose turns into fat or stays in your bloodstream. For example, people with type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but their bodies can’t utilize it properly.

Women who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a 23% higher incidence of breast cancer compared to women without diabetes, and scientists are starting to understand why: there may be a link between breast cancer and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and insulin resistance (ineffective use of insulin).

Intermittent fasting may help you get around the increase in insulin resistance (and thus increased blood sugar) that comes with aging to protect your breasts.

Nighttime fasting synchronizes also with our body’s natural circadian rhythm, our 24-hour internal clock.

Night shift workers may have an increased incidence of breast cancer because their activities are out of sync with their circadian rhythm. If you’ve ever worked nights, you know how difficult it can be to eat or go to work when your body is sending signals for sleep.

Nighttime eating has long been associated with obesity and diabetes, and it may be about more than just insulin: eating late at night can give you insomnia or disrupt your sleep, too.

Did you know there’s a link between quality of sleep and breast cancer?

By avoiding food after 8 p.m. you send your body the right signals.

Fasting starves cancer cells.

Finally, fasting ramps up our body into protection mode, which may have benefits for women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Even better, scientists theorize that fasting does not have the same protective impact on cancer cells, which makes them more vulnerable to treatment.

Again, it hasn’t been definitively proven that intermittent fasting is effective, so especially if you’re undergoing treatment, check with your doctor before changing your diet.

Ways to fast

More research still needs to be done on the long-term benefits of fasting but following a healthy intermittent fasting schedule won’t hurt you.

While there are all sorts of trendy fasts out there for weight loss, doctors at UCSF recommend two methods for cancer prevention.

Eat during a specific window. Known as restricted nighttime feeding, 16:8 fasting, or the Leangains protocol, limiting your food intake to a specific 8- to 12-hour window during the day and fasting overnight is the most approachable type of intermittent fast for most people. Aim for at least 13 hours of fasting.

This can be as easy as eating dinner before 8 p.m. and skipping breakfast. You’re allowed to drink black coffee, tea, water, and other non-caloric beverages during the fasting period.

Alternate day fasting. This is exactly what it sounds like: you eat normally every other day and fast on the alternate. Most sources recommend consuming around 25% of your usual calories on the fasting day. The drawback: eating every other day is unsustainable long-term for most of us.

Tips for intermittent fasting cancer prevention

No matter which fasting plan you explore, the following tips can help keep you satiated””and sane:

Who shouldn’t fast

Intermittent fasting is not for everyone, and if you fall into one of the following groups, you should avoid fasting or approach it with caution and medical oversight.

Other things to do for breast health in midlife

More research still needs to be done on the benefits of intermittent fasting, but these breast best practices (say that ten times fast) will always help.

Have you tried intermittent fasting? We want to hear from you! Share your experience or tips in the comments below or join the conversation in the Gennev community forums.

 

Helen Pitlick

A seasoned communicator with a master’s degree in digital media to back it all up, Helen Pitlick loves to create content that helps women feel more confident at all stages of their lives. When she’s not in front of her laptop, Helen enjoys pottery, pretending to play soccer, and hanging out with her dog.

 

Many women get to midlife and experience a whole lot of change: kids are grown and gone or nearly there, financial situation may be different, work may be different, relationships with parents, partners, friends, colleagues are different, certainly bodies are changing. No wonder women often face midlife and menopause with fear and trepidation.

Like Gennev, Amy Schmidt is on a mission to change the narrative around midlife and the way women feel about it. Midlife is not a crisis, she says; it’s an opportunity! 

Ready to feel better in midlife and menopause so you can embrace all this time has to offer? Make an appointment with a Health Coach today! 

When we talked with Amy Schmidt of Fearlessly Facing Fifty about confidence and creativity in midlife, we knew we had to ask her back. Her enthusiasm is irresistible. And her new book Cannonball is already inspiring women. Even prior to release, it was #1 in its category on Amazon.

Enjoy this energetic, fun, inspiring conversation with Amy and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo as they talk about the many wonderful opportunities that await in midlife and beyond.

 

TRANSCRIPT COMING SOON

If you’re post-menopausal or approaching it, how did/do you feel about midlife, menopause, aging, etc.? Does it feel like a time of endings, middlings, or even beginnings? We’d love to hear your thoughts on how we approach middle age now and how (and if!) that should change. Join our Community Forums to join the conversation!

 

Heart disease, including heart attack, coronary artery disease, and related conditions, is the number one killer of women in the US, especially in the South. More than one in three women have some form of cardiovascular issue.

Women can have a heart attack at any point in our lives, and the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack goes up in midlife and beyond.

Menopause itself does not cause heart disease, but decreases in estrogen can make blood vessels less flexible and able to adjust to blood flow. (Despite the role estrogen plays in heart health, the American Heart Association does not recommend hormone replacement therapy.)

Stress literally kills

You can’t control your age, race, sex at birth, family history, estrogen levels or other predisposed heart attack risk factors, but there are certain controllable risk factors.

Stress is a biggie when it comes to your ticker.

In theory, the human body’s reaction to stress is a good thing: it’s our fight or flight mechanism. Homo sapiens evolved an elevated heart rate, raised blood pressure, and faster breathing in times of danger to outrun whatever tiger was chasing us at the moment. However, for all our evolutionary advantages, the subconscious human brain isn’t great at distinguishing between immediate danger (tiger!) and the subtleties of daily existence (money, bills, deadlines, and so on).

Compared to our male peers, stress and mental health disorders in midlife have more of an impact on women’s hearts. Women under 50 are twice as likely as men of the same age to have reduced blood flow to the heart after a stressful emotional event.

A little motivating pressure before a deadline isn’t always a bad thing, but watch out for chronic stress or stress triggered by an emotional event. 

In addition, the menopause blues or depression and anxiety that women are more prone to can make it harder to exercise and eat healthy meals, which in turn increases heart disease risk.

 

Working ourselves to death

Whether your boss is making you miserable or your work is truly life or death, anyone who has worked in a stressful professional setting can attest to the impact a job can have on your mental and physical health. 

A landmark 2010 study showed that women with stressful jobs have a 40% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and surgery) than peers in lower stress positions. For the purposes of the study, “job strain” was determined by both pace, workload, and difficulty of the job and amount of control over professional decisions or creative direction.

Women who worry about being fired or laid off also see increased cardiovascular risk.

Another study, among nurses in Denmark, showed that the greater the professional stress, the greater the risk of heart disease in women 51 and younger. 

A third study, of white-collar workers in China, showed that job strain in women (but not men) is associated with thickening of the carotid artery wall, an indicator of heart disease. 

It’s important to note that job-related stress doesn’t just apply to professional settings; many women in midlife juggle parenting, taking care of their own parents, work, and household duties, all of which can accumulate dangerous levels of stress.

PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an unfortunate reality for many women. 

Women are more than twice as likely as men to develop PTSD after trauma (10% compared to 4%); one theory is that sexual assault is more likely to cause PTSD than other events and women experience sexual assault at a higher rate than men. Another is that women with PTSD are more likely to blame themselves for the experience.

Regardless, there’s a correlation between PTSD and heart disease. A study of more than 1,000 civilian women showed that women with PTSD were three times as likely as women without PTSD to develop coronary heart disease.

Broken-heart syndrome

Do you remember the Wallflowers’ (Bob Dylan’s son Jakob) “˜90s hit “One Headlight”? It turns out, you can actually die of “a broken-heart disease”: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or broken-heart syndrome). 

The symptoms of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy are identical to a heart attack and are brought on by a sudden stressor, like the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, an accident, or receiving bad news. In fact, up to 5% of heart attacks in women may actually be Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Death from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is rare, but around 20% of patients experience heart failure.

Talk to a menopause practitioner. Book your Telemedicine appointment today.

Relax (just do it)

You can’t always just quit, find a new job, or reduce your panic-inducing responsibilities, but there is hope for your heart if your stress levels are off the charts. Harvard Medical School recommends the following methods to reduce stress:

  1. Develop and lean on a support network of friends, family, and trusted colleagues.
  2. Exercise! Not only is physical activity already good for your heart, you’ll feel better and sleep better too.
  3. Maintain a solid work-life balance; reduce professional activities (yes, even email) outside of work. 
  4. Meditate, practice deep breathing, or explore other relaxation techniques.
  5. Get help from a mental health professional.

Other ways to reduce your risk:

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends following a healthy lifestyle to further reduce your risk of heart disease:

Recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack

Call emergency services (9-1-1) and get to the hospital immediately if you or another woman are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  1. Discomfort, pressure, pain, fullness, or squeezing in the middle of your chest that lasts more than a couple of minutes or disappears and then returns.
  2. Pain or discomfort in either or both arms, back, jaw, neck, or abdomen.
  3. Feeling short of breath, with or without pain in your chest.
  4. Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea/vomiting or lightheadedness.

The most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain, but women are more likely than men to experience pain in the back or jaw, nausea and vomiting, and shortness of breath.

Seconds count. Women are all-too-often conditioned to put others before ourselves or don’t want to be a bother. You may wonder if your symptoms are serious enough to warrant concern.  But you only get one heart: don’t take any chances. 

If you are worried about stress and heart disease in your transition, a Gennev menopause-certified gynecologist can give you a trusted opinion, determine if medication is right for you, and they can provide prescription support. Book an appointment with a doctor here.

Have you dealt with heart disease or are you concerned about your heart health? Join the conversation in the Gennev community forums and share your story!

 

If you’re 40+ and starting to experience some mysterious changes in your body, try a menopause test for diagnosis. They could be just some of the symptoms women experience when they go through menopause.

Menopause typically happens to women between the age of 44 and 55 when their menstrual cycle comes to an end. When women go through menopause, their ovaries stop releasing mature eggs, and their natural levels of estrogen drop. When this happens, they’ll experience a lot of unpleasant symptoms like irregular periods, mood swings, hot flashes, and brain fog.

While their intentions are good, many doctors fail to diagnose menopause properly and prescribe remedies to lessen the symptoms of menopause. A lot of doctors just tell women to get more sleep and keep their windows open to cool down when they get hot flashes.

One of the best ways to determine if you are going through menopause and to determine what stage you are in, is to take our free menopause assessment. Quickly discover where you are in the menopause journey.

How Do I Know When I Am In Menopause?

When you haven’t had a menstrual period, ovulation, or menstruation for 12 consecutive months, you can confirm menopause. This means the ovaries have fully stopped releasing mature eggs and you can’t get pregnant any longer.

Before that, there is a transition period called perimenopause, where several signs and symptoms we mentioned above become present. The easy way to accurately diagnose menopause is to examine your symptoms.

Perimenopause Symptoms

Most women start to notice perimenopausal symptoms in their 40s. Perimenopause can usually be self-diagnosed, by carefully examining the signs. It can last anywhere between 6 months to several years and affect women differently. Some women have perimenopause rather symptom-free and tolerate it, while others have to deal with severe symptoms, interfering with their daily life.

If you’re experiencing any of them, you’ll definitely know:

These symptoms can be reduced by proper treatment, diet supplements, lifestyle adjustments, to improve your energy, sleep, hot flashes, mood, and sex. Learn more about the 34 symptoms of menopause here.

Premature Menopause

Around 1% of women experience premature menopause, meaning that menopause starts before the age of 40. Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can start menopause earlier. 

Early menopause can also be hereditary so if you have family members who went through it at an early age, you could potentially reach menopause prematurely as well. If you suspect to have gone into menopause before the age of 45, consult your close relatives and your doctor. 

Menopause Testing Options

Women’s health experts say menopause is typically diagnosed based on multiple factors like age and symptoms. Doctors will normally order other tests to rule out ovarian failure or a thyroid condition which can have similar symptoms of menopause.

In most cases, menopause can be self-diagnosed. The three most used ways to diagnose menopause are saliva tests, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) tests, and symptom assessments.

Other serious illnesses mimic perimenopause with similar symptoms, such as thyroid disease or hypothyroidism. Accurately testing menopause will help you rule out these diseases or catch them before they develop. It should be known that laboratory test results by themselves cannot diagnose menopause.

Saliva Tests

Although saliva hormone tests are heavily advertised, the North American Menopause Society say they are quite expensive and their accuracy is questionable. These tests work by measuring hormones such as estrogen in your saliva. Be careful with the results because the measurements are not always accurate when your hormone levels are still fluctuating. 

FSH Tests

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland. 

Each month, FSH levels increase temporarily in your body to stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs. As you get older, you enter menopause and your ovaries stop working. As the level of estrogen (estradiol) and progesterone declines, the body reacts to it by producing follicle-stimulating hormone. This causes your FSH levels to increase.

Doctors and off-the-shelf tests measure FSH levels using urine or blood test to confirm menopause. Although there are over-the-counter home test kits to check urine FSH levels, there’s a catch. 

During perimenopause, when periods happen irregularly, the FSH levels can vary from day to day which may make FSH tests unreliable. Also, levels of FSH in the blood correlate poorly with menopausal symptoms. 

The FDA says that home tests can measure follicle-stimulating hormone 9 times out of 10 very accurately. However, the results from the FSH test cannot confirm whether a person is in perimenopause or menopause.

This is why some doctors don’t even test for FSH at all. Instead, they diagnose menopause by asking questions and assessing the symptoms. FSH tests work in combination with the assessment of symptoms to determine if you have entered menopause.

Symptom assessment

Sometimes, the best way to determine if you’re going into menopause is to evaluate the symptoms and check your medical history. This is what most doctors will do as well as our online assessment. If you plan on consulting a doctor, prepare a list of your medication, medical history, track irregularities in periods, and keep track of any symptoms that relate to menopause. This will help your doctor or OB-GYN accurately diagnose you.

I asked the Gennev Director of Health, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, MD, Ob/Gyn as who has worked with women in menopause for the past 20 years as to help us build the Gennev Menopause Assessment.

Our Assessment results in a unique, truly personal Menopause Profile. The profile starts with a summary of where you’re at in the perimenopause and menopause transition. Based on that, it provides personalized resources for what you’re experiencing and gives you exclusive access to monthly, free, live webinars with our team of physicians and health providers.

Dr. Rebecca has seen it all as all the physical and emotional changes women experience. Her response? It’s a phase, and it’s an opportunity. There’s so much we can do now to mitigate the irritating, painful, and emotional changes we’re going through while planning for our health in the long-term.

She’s been my rock, and now you can learn from her too.

So take the 5-minute Gennev Menopause Assessment now, and in 2-3 days, you’ll experience the start to a highly valuable source for personalized care.

When should you see a doctor? 

You should definitely see a doctor, gynecologists, or an OB-GYN if you start to notice menopause symptoms. A doctor can determine if it’s menopause, rule out the possibility of disease by asking questions about your symptoms and taking a few tests.

Proper doctors can help you alleviate the symptoms and discomfort you experience going through menopause. Some women experience mild symptoms and tolerate them. If your symptoms interfere with your life and well-being, get in touch with a menopause clinic to find out how these symptoms can be reduced, so you can thrive with a renewed sense of energy!

Here’s a little snippet of how we help women to a better life after menopause:

If you need some support with the transition, a Gennev menopause-certified gynecologist can give you a trusted opinion, determine if medication is right for you, and they can provide prescription help. Book an appointment with a doctor here.

Why seeing a doctor matters

If you haven’t been doing routine checkups, taking good care of your health and well-being, menopause is an important opportunity to change that.

When entering menopause, women have a higher risk of developing age-related illnesses, as well as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Regular check-ups, healthier lifestyles prevent the development of these diseases and help you catch them early on.

When you understand what your body is going through, you can start taking measures to reduce symptoms and continue thriving with a renewed sense of well-being.

If you’re well into the perimenopause or menopause change, you probably have a few questions.

As a woman who is maturing into the best years of my life, I too have countless questions about “the change” as whether or not I’m in it, how I should be managing the symptoms, and how it’s impacting my long-term health?

Another question for me has been: who do I talk to? My friends are awesome on a cathartic level, but who’s the right health provider or professional that I can trust through this perimenopause transition?

At Gennev, it’s our mission to help women live a better life with menopause. Our clinic specializes in the healthcare treatment of menopause symptoms, so you can improve your energy, sleep, mood, sex, reduce hot flashes and thrive.

Get useful, helpful, and relevant health wellness information by checking out our solutions.

 

One of the benefits of menopause (yes, there are some!) is less underarm and leg hair. If you remember, hair growth in these areas started in puberty because of hormones. As those hormones decline, hair growth slows, well, sort of. Unfortunately, this is also the time when coarse, dark hairs may start popping up on your upper lip, chin, or jaw line. For some women, this may feel like a final blow to their femininity and create a lot of anxiety and embarrassment, which is completely understandable. If these unwelcome follicles are making you feel self-conscious, there are a variety of ways to deal with them.

Facial hair in menopause: What’s happening?

There are two kinds of facial hair. Vellus hair is that short, soft, nearly not-there hair that children and women have. Terminal hair is longer, darker, thicker, and generally found on men’s faces.

Estrogen keeps hair finer, softer, and lighter. Coarser, darker, thicker hair is the result of testosterone. In perimenopause and menopause, estrogen diminishes, but women’s testosterone levels may not. The higher ratio of testosterone to estrogen can cause these annoying outcroppings of male-like hairs to sprout.

What to do about facial hair

“Nothing” is a totally legitimate choice here. There’s nothing dangerous about a few extra chin hairs. But if they bother you, there are ways to get rid of menopausal facial hair, or at least minimize its appearance so you feel more comfortable and confident with your appearance. 

Ditch the magnifying mirror. Most of the time, the facial hair that seems so obvious to you isn’t to others. If you’re using a magnifying mirror to apply makeup or get our contact lenses in, it may be making the hairs look worse to you. Use a regular mirror and honestly assess the situation. You might even want to ask a trustworthy friend for her opinion. This can help you decide how much time, effort, and money you want to invest in a remedy. 

Pull “˜em out. If you only have a few, grab a tweezer and pull them out. For more hair, waxing or threading may be more practical solutions. Threading uses thin, doubled thread pulled tight and rolled over the face to remove hairs. Both options should be done by an expert to prevent ingrown hairs. And contrary to any tales you may have heard, tweezing via any method will not cause hair to grow back darker or coarser.

Shave it off. You may balk a little at the idea of shaving your face, but it’s a cheap, effective remedy. Plan on shaving in or just after a shower when hair is softer and use a sharp razor to prevent rashes or ingrown hairs. While hair will grow back more quickly than when you tweeze it, it won’t grow back darker or coarser.

Try creams. Depilatory creams have come a long way from the “Who wears short, short?” days. While they are gentler and smell better, some women are sensitive to the chemicals that break down the hair. Always do a small patch test somewhere else on your body to check for any reaction. Prescription topical treatments like Vaniqa may also help.

Laser them away. The beams of light overheat the follicle, damaging it so hair can no longer grow. The results are permanent, but it is expensive (several hundred dollars per session depending on where you live and the amount you want done), and it may require multiple sessions. Also, it doesn’t work on fine or light-colored hair

Zap it. Like using tweezers, electrolysis targets hairs one at a time. A thin probe goes directly into the hair follicle, and a low-level electrical current heats the follicle to the point of destruction. The zap can hurt or even scar a little. Because it’s a one-at-a-time deal, it can take up to 18 months of treatments to get the results you want. It is permanent, though, and it can work on any color hair.

When to see a doctor about facial hair

Facial hair growth by itself isn’t a danger, however in some cases, it can signal a more serious problem like polycystic ovary syndrome or adrenal gland issues. If hair is growing on other areas of the body where it normally only grows on men, or it is excessive, you should check with your doctor.  

We can help you manage facial hair

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. 

 

I’m back after taking a week off for the July 4th holiday here in the U.S. I quietly didn’t post anything and hoped nobody noticed. Instead, I was hanging out on the lake with family and friends and I hope you were doing something awesomely brainless too.

Now for a light topic: menopause at work.

If you need assistance taking care of symptoms during work, a menopause-certified health coach can be helpful. Book 30 minutes for your personal consultation with a health coach.

Managing Menopause At Work

At the risk of boring those of you who do not work outside the home, I want to caveat this post that menopause as at work or at home as can be equally as tough, but in this post, I want to address how we’re doing in the workplace.

How many of you work outside the home?

And how many of you have missed a day of work because of a menopause symptom-related issue, including heavy and painful periods, foggy brain, extreme fatigue or anxiety?

Or, should I ask, how many of you have masked one of those symptoms at work, because a) you were embarrassed and/or b) you don’t want others to think your performance is challenged?

My guess is that there are more than a few of you. In the U.S., 20% of our workforce are women of menopause age. That same percentage holds true in other countries too. We’re a powerful group, and I’d like to see us contributing at the top-notch level we know we’re capable of.

Managing Menopause Symptoms At Work

There has been great progress in workplace benefits for pregnancy, post-partum health, and fertility. But we have yet to see any support for women in perimenopause and post menopause in the workplace”¦let alone health and wellness benefits coverage for services (e.g. acupuncture, pelvic-floor therapy, sex therapy, vaginal pain treatment, menopause telehealth) effective for menopause-induced symptoms.

Beyond the benefits, it starts with managers and supervisors in the workplace. Menopause is a mum topic, so it’s likely that your manager as especially if male or a younger woman as will not understand what you’re dealing with on a regular basis.

And, it’s not up to women in the workplace to be the educators as because that doesn’t set you up for success.

So what does a “menopause optimized” workplace look like? We recorded a podcast with workplace and executive coach Lauren Chiren who has advised companies in the UK, Europe and the U.S. on how to support women in perimenopause and post menopause in the workplace.

Recently, I was listening to a webinar for workplace benefits leaders on women’s health and wellness. The focus of the presentation was on fertility, pregnancy, post-partum care and depression. When a question was asked about supporting women in menopause in the workplace, the response narrowly broached the topic with a simple response, “at that point, it’s all about women’s bone and cardiovascular health.”

That’s not enough.

While Gennev is focused on helping all women wherever they’re at, we are keenly aware of the gap in care in the workplace and in employer-provided benefits.

If you have ideas for how you’d like to be supported in your workplace wellness and benefits, please send me an email. jill@gennev.com.

 

 

We’re guessing you’re doing Mother’s Day a little differently this year.

For those who celebrate this day “” whether you have a mom, are a mom, or both “” Sunday, May 10 may be a little short on in-person hugs and kisses.

But the reasons we celebrate mom and give her a day of her own have never been more clear. As the world continues to deal with COVID 19, we’re seeing so many moms on the front lines.

They’re health care workers, risking their own health to care for others. According to the US Census Bureau, “Women account for three-quarters of full-time, year-round health care workers today.” They’re grocery store workers, postal employees, caregivers for the elderly. They’re delivering packages to your door, and struggling to find ways to educate children “” even those who don’t have access to technology. They’re home with bored, impatient kids, finding ways to keep the kids occupied and on track while still doing all the other things they need to do.

Moms are amazing. And we want to celebrate them all!

This Mother’s Day, we want to make sure every mom and every woman making it work in these tough times is taken care of too.

Taking care of mom

Midlife and the menopause transition are wake-up calls to start taking the very best care of yourself. Good, healthy practices ease menopause symptoms, set you up for better health for the rest of your life, and can improve your immunity in the time of COVID 19.

We have some really good ideas for you to honor mom as and the mom in you:

  1. With a HealthFix subscription, mom has unlimited access to a Health Coach who can help her design her personal wellness plan. With her coach, she’ll work out the right nutrition and the right exercise, get help with sleep, stress, menopause symptoms, and more. Our Coaches will help keep mom accountable so she’ll be healthier now and for the many years to come. With HealthFix Premium, she gets unlimited access to our telemedicine physicians.
  2. Smart supplements. This May we are launching our amazing new Vitality Pack of supplements, carefully designed and made for menopausal and post-menopausal women. Created by Naturopathic Physician Dr. Wendy Ellis, our supplements are the highest quality, perfectly balanced to complement one another, and sized to deliver the optimum dosage. It can be hard to get everything you need “” don’t miss out. Learn more about savvy supplementation from the designer of our Vitality Pack.
  3. Healthy products. We get it. There are some things you’re just not quite ready to buy for your mom. Fortunately, Gennev has lots of great choices! For example, our Ultra-Gentle Body Wash is great for skin that needs a little extra love (and not much else “extra” like perfumes). Our magnesium glycinate can help mom sleep better and have less joint pain.

And bonus! Right now, to celebrate both mom and the launch of our new supplements, we’re giving away a free month of our Vitality Pack to every new HealthFix subscriber.

Give Mom the gift of health with a HealthFix subscription “” now with a free carton of Gennev Vitality premium dietary supplements!

Why HealthFix?

HealthFix is a leap into better health. Mom can work with a coach to identify her problem areas and her goals. Together, they’ll create a personalized, sustainable plan that helps her shift behaviors “” at her pace “” to optimize health and enjoy life to the fullest.

With HealthFix, she’ll learn ways to control menopause symptoms now and to reduce her risk of heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, and more in the years ahead.

Other ideas for mom

What does mom say when you ask her what she wants for Mother’s Day? We’re guessing, “More time with you” is a frequent answer from years past. But this year, that might not be possible. If you can’t spend time with mom in person, here are some other ways to still be connected.

Skype/Zoom calls. If your mom has a smart phone or laptop, help her get on Skype for face-to-face time with loved ones. This is a great way to connect with grandkids. We know loneliness and isolation are not at all good for us, especially as we get older, so keep mom in touch!

Charitable giving. There are lots of great causes out there, and no doubt you can find one near and dear to mom’s heart. Just be sure to do your research so you know the charity you’re giving to is legit!

Buy local. Small, local businesses have it especially tough during these times, so think about a restaurant that could deliver an awesome Mother’s Day meal to mom’s house or get a gift certificate from a local shop that she can spend online or in-person when it’s safe.

Meal services. We love (and our Health Coaches recommend!) Sun Basket, Thistle, and Purple Carrot. These can be customized to mom’s likes and health needs and importantly right now, can reduce the number of trips she makes to the grocery store.

Music and podcasts. Chances are your mom has a smart phone, but she may not be aware of apps that can make her life better. Help her set up and load up her iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, or other platforms so she can listen as she walks, cleans, does chores as all the things we use headphones for! (Maybe remind mom to wear just one earbud when walking as there are still a few cars out and about and she needs to be able to hear.)

Online games. Would mom enjoy Animal Crossing? There are games out there that may help with cognitive resilience, and since many games are played with others, it’s a great opportunity for social interactions.

Hobby and craft materials. Lots of us are discovering or rediscovering a passion for knitting or baking or sewing (masks) or gardening, so providing her with materials to fuel the new interest is great.  

Nothing matches having you there to celebrate her day, but there are plenty of ways to make her Mom’s Day festive and fun.

Give mom the gift of health

All of our ideas for Mother’s Day gifts have her health in mind””physical, mental, emotional, and social health. The good news is so much of our health is truly in our control, once we have the tools and knowledge we need. What better way to tell mom you love her than to make sure she sticks around for a good, long time to come!

 If you’ve got more great ideas for the Mother’s Day gift you’d love to give or receive, we’re ready to hear them. Come on over to the Gennev Community Forums and share your thoughts!

 

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and menopause can be severe enough to disrupt work, daily life, and relationships. Emotional, bloated, quick to anger, insatiable appetite for sugar or carbs “¦ the signs of premenstrual syndrome or PMS are probably pretty familiar to most of us. 90 percent of us may deal with the monthly roller coaster of PMS, and most of us are able to ride it out with ibuprofen and some quality alone time.

However, around 5 percent of women have a much rougher time with a more aggressive form of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD.  

What’s PMDD and what does it do to my body?

After ovulation, hormone levels decline. This week or two before the period are known as the “luteal” phase. This decline of hormones can trigger the physical and emotional symptoms that are the hallmark of PMS and PMDD.

Vitality

During this phase, women may experience menopausal fatigue, irritability, sadness, anxiety, mood swings, poor concentration, sleep issues, and food cravings. Physical symptoms can include getting bloated, cramps, sore breasts or tenderness, hormonal acne, and headaches.

Usually the onset of menstruation signals the end of PMS or PMDD for now, and the cycle begins again.

How are PMS and PMDD different?

PMS and PMDD are very similar in the symptoms women can experience. What differentiates them is a matter of degree.

For most women, PMS is uncomfortable and unwelcome, but it’s manageable. Over-the-counter medications like Midol plus a hot water bottle and some patience are often enough to ride it out.

PMDD is characterized by the severity of symptoms and the disruption it causes in a woman’s life. Women suffering from PMDD are far more likely to need to miss work due to symptoms or to have difficulty in their relationships.

While the exact mechanism of PMDD isn’t really known, it’s thought that a small percentage of women are more sensitive to the hormonal changes going on in their bodies.  

If you know someone with PMDD symptoms

Thank you for taking the time to seek out information. PMDD sufferers are often dealt a double blow: heightened hormone sensitivity and dismissal from friends, family, even doctors. It’s important that you listen carefully to what this woman in your life is telling you. 

You may feel helpless every month, but you’re not.

  1. Be empathetic. Try to imagine going through this yourself and what you’d want from your partner or friend.
  2. Try not to draw extra attention to her symptoms. Definitely don’t do this in front of others, but probably avoid it even if it’s just the two of you. Though it shouldn’t, PMDD can make women feel humiliated and ashamed. If she’s eating odd foods, dealing with bursts of anger or sadness, feeling overwhelmed and unsocial, you can be sure she knows it and doesn’t need it pointed out. Depending on the woman, making jokes may or may not help, so let her take the lead and follower her example.
  3. Gently offer help. If you think she may not be aware of PMDD, it could be really helpful for her to get a diagnosis. If she has PMDD now, her perimenopause and menopause could be worsened, so awareness and treatment now could be even more critical later. Email her this article or better yet, suggest she connect with a menopause-specialist OB/GYN to help her understand her options (lifestyle and/or medication) that can really help alleviate her symptoms. 

How is PMDD diagnosed?

There aren’t really tests that tell a woman she’s experiencing PMDD; generally it’s diagnosed by the presence of symptoms and whether or not those symptoms occur regularly and at particular points in her cycle.

If a woman experiences at least five of the following symptoms, during “most” menstrual cycles, for one year, she is suffering from PMDD. [quoted from HopkinsMedicine.org]

Additionally, symptoms interfere with a woman’s social, home, or work life and are not caused by or worsened by another medical condition, such as thyroid disease.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that PMDD is real and it is biological as well as psychological. Women with PMDD may have an issue with neurotransmission during parts of their cycle. Feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin appears to be compromised in women with PMDD, and other brain chemicals are also suspected to play a role in the development of PMDD.

Is it really worse in perimenopause?

Both PMS and PMDD can worsen during the years of perimenopause. The symptoms may be more severe, and as periods become increasingly irregular, symptoms can be more frequent and certainly much less predictable, making PMDD harder to manage.

Fortunately, PMS and PMDD generally resolve in menopause, when hormones finally level out and the body adjusts to its new normal. However, that doesn’t mean women have to suffer with disruptive symptoms for years, waiting for the end of periods.

How to treat PMDD

There are lifestyle changes that help women with PMDD symptoms, and they’re the usual line-up: good sleep, no smoking, exercise (this is particularly important), and reducing alcohol, coffee, sugar and salt. Women are also encouraged to track their PMDD symptoms against their cycles, though in perimenopause, that may not be as useful as it is for women whose periods are still regular.

According to the MGH Center, adding supplements of calcium, Vitamin B6, magnesium, and Vitamin E may help ease symptoms. For those looking for herbal remedies, chasteberry seems to be the most useful.

For medications, the first option may be SSRI antidepressant, which can be effective against physical and psychological symptoms, even in low doses.

Alternatively, many women find relief with oral contraceptives like the Pill. As a last resort in very extreme cases, a doctor may recommend a hysterectomy with an “add-back” of the hormone estrogen.

If you’re experiencing new or worsening symptoms, and they’re impacting your quality of life, talk with a doctor. PMS and PMDD are very real medical conditions, and PMDD really should be diagnosed properly by a menopause specialist so you can determine a course of treatment.

Talk to your doctor or make an appointment to consult with one of Gennev’s physicians via our telemedicine service.

We can help you manage PMDD

 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.

Hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, acne, painful sex: Those times when you feel you have the least to be grateful for “¦ well, there’s a reason they call it “practicing” gratitude.

But could a practice of gratitude actually help you feel better during the toughest of times?

Yes. Thank goodness! (ha ha)

Like exercise, it can take a monumental effort of will to get started when “being grateful” is very nearly the last thing you feel like doing. But there is some science to support the idea that putting a positive spin on events in your life can stop the spiral of negativity.

It’s a weird kind of “fake it till you make it,” but studies bear it out: Being grateful, even if you have to force it, will make you feel like there’s more to be grateful for.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is not just remembering to say “thank you” for favors rendered. Gratitude is literally a sort of state of grace, an openness to goodness and a willingness to see the goodness in events, even when it’s not immediately obvious. It’s a posture of being thankful for what you receive, and using that sense of gratitude to connect with the world outside the self.

Dr. Robert Emmons of UC Davis is considered the leading scientific expert on gratitude, and he defines it this way: “A felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life.”

I remember a gal I knew in college who told a story about banging her head that morning while getting out of her car. “Thank goodness I didn’t have my tongue between my teeth!” was her biggest takeaway. Now that’s a spirit of gratitude and grace.

Gratitude is easier for some, like the gal from school; some of us may simply have a genetic predisposition toward gratitude. The rest of us, well, there’s that word “practice” again”¦.

Why is gratitude good?

Feeling gratitude makes us happier. Acting happy, even when we’re not, improves our mood, tricks our brains into seeing the world more positively. The behavior of gratitude actually affects brain function, lowering perception of stress and increasing pleasure.

People who are grateful as whether naturally or intentionally as experience higher rates of satisfaction with life, better connections with partners and others, and may be physically healthier. Gratitude could, some studies suggest, be good for heart, digestion, sleep, even your skin! The jury is still out on much of this, but we figure, it costs nothing, so maybe each of us can be a study of one?

Is gratitude good for menopause symptoms?

While there’s little or no research on “gratitude and menopause” exactly, the findings of other studies certainly could apply to menopause.

Stress. We know many menopause symptoms worsen when a woman is feeling under a lot of stress. And stress has enormous impacts on our bodies, brains, hearts“¦every part of us functions better when stress is kept to a healthy level. Gratitude helps relieve sensations of stress, putting whatever’s freaking us out back into perspective.

Sleep. Good sleep can be so hard to come by during perimenopause and menopause. An attitude of gratefulness may help you sleep easier. And the trickle-down effects of a good night’s sleep are almost incalculable.

Hot flashes. OK, “solving hot flashes” may be asking a bit much of gratitude, but a positive mental attitude can make it easier to weather the heat, letting it flow through rather than resisting. And that can make having them more tolerable.

Mood. Anxiety, depression, and mood swings may all be improved with a practice of gratitude. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at UC Riverside, says in her talk on gratitude and happiness that “gratitude neutralizes negative emotions.” Unfortunately, negative thoughts can increase in peri/menopause, so anything that moderates that negativity is a real boon to our mental and emotional health.

Rage. Rage is such a common and troubling issue for women in menopause, it gets a paragraph all to itself. Gratitude reduces aggression. Gratitude makes us more compassionate and empathetic. It helps us remember there’s a real person on the receiving end of our anger and rein in the fury.

How can I get in on this?

Keep a gratitude journal. Professor Lyubomirksy talks about a study in which participants were asked to write up to five things they were grateful for, either once or three times a week. Those who wrote once a week showed significant increases in both gratitude and happiness. But it’s important, she says, to find the right “fit” as maybe once a week is perfect for you; maybe daily feels good. But remembering to experience gratitude in a mindful way is important.

Appreciate the little things. Even if life is a bit short on tropical vacations or financial windfalls, there are still plenty of things to be thankful for: a soft shirt. An open cashier’s line at the grocery store. Really good coffee. A warm bath and a great book. Gratitude doesn’t have to be big. Taking a moment to enjoy sunlight on your face or a really good tomato can reset your mood in a more positive direction.

See the everyday through new eyes. Humans are very adaptable, which is good, but it can also mean we stop appreciating things quickly. What’s something you now take for granted that makes your life easier or better, that once you felt real gratitude for? For example, I ride my bike to work when I can, and it’s great on a nice day. Instead of seeing it as an optional means of transportation, I can choose to see it as a chance to enjoy the scenery without fear of rear-ending the car ahead of me. (I can also appreciate motorized options when it’s dark, rainy, and I have a bunch of stuff to carry!)

Send thank-you notes. Writing a few lines of appreciation to someone who matters to you is a great way to remind you to be thankful, but it’s also a real gift to the person on the other end. This doesn’t have to be a thank you for dinner or anything specific as just a sincere appreciation for the role they play in your life. Many of us don’t do this for fear of embarrassing ourselves or the recipient, but in fact, you may just make someone’s day.

Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it. Keeping a grin on your face for a few seconds can actually trick your brain into thinking you’re happy and decrease your stress levels. You can, by the way, do this alone, since it might seem a little odd to others. Or go out and smile at strangers! You might both end up happier for it.

Humans are good at gratitude. We knock it out of the park during the holidays, for example. The trick is to try to practice gratitude all the time, to keep at it until it becomes your default. You could, quite possibly, live longer as a result of feeling gratitude as and enjoy that extra time to the fullest.

We’ve decided to be even more purposeful about gratitude here at Gennev HQ, and we’d love for you to join us. What are you grateful for today? Share your list of five in the comments below, join our community forums, or join the conversations on our Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group. 

 

Avoid stress eating in the holidays with these three strategies

Here we are again””it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Or is it?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, but as I’ve gotten older and now have a family, the stress of the festive season sometimes threatens to completely outweigh the joy. As women, we always seem to bear the heaviest burden of the holiday to-to lists. Here are a few things that I’m stressing over; do these sound familiar?

So far, I’ve managed to complete ONE of these. Guess which one?

With these long holiday to-do lists and our existing professional and personal commitments, it’s easy to slip into a nutrition rut! You know the deal. It starts with that co-worker who brings your favorite sugar cookies into the office one day. You have a few because you have so much to do, there’s no time for lunch, and what the hell? One bad day of eating won’t kill me! One day of bad eating at the office turns into grabbing a handful of red and green M&M’s from your kiddos’ candy jar. The next day you’re at the mall for five hours, you’re ravenous, and there’s nothing more appealing than the smell of that Cinnabon.

Before you know it, this impetuous eating turns into a few unwanted pounds around your waistline and your energy starts to go flat.

But wait! I’m here to tell you that stress eating does not need to coincide with the holidays. In fact, stress eating doesn’t need to occur during the rest of the year either, if you use these three strategies:

Strategies to Healthy Holiday Eating

  1. Change your internal dialogue from “I’m a holiday stress eater” to, “Sure, that treat looks good, but it won’t make me feel good!” Make this your annual holiday mantra for positive thinking, chant it to yourself morning, noon, and night, especially when you’re in tempting situations. Our thoughts become reality, so if you’re constantly telling yourself you’re a stress eater, then most likely you’ll continue to be one! Whereas if you focus on maintaining a positive internal dialogue, it will become easier and more habitual to make wise food choices, even when you’re stressed.
  2. Stock up on healthy grab-and-go foods. Set yourself up for success by having healthy go-to’s in all of the touch points of your day: in your kitchen/pantry, at the office, in your car and your handbag. Set a beautiful bowl of apples on your desk or kitchen counter. When you have healthy options in your line of sight, it’s much easier to make smart choices.
  3. Prior to the holidays, choose a few treats you know you can’t live without, and enjoy them at a time when you can eat slowly and savor what you’re eating. Maybe it’s your Mom’s garlic mashed potatoes or a slice of pecan pie with whipped cream at your family holiday dinner. Whatever it is, make a plan to enjoy these things and remind yourself of it when you’re tempted by other “stress foods” along the way. By being deliberate about your food choices in advance, you’ll eat less and walk away from the holidays feeling like a success.

The bottom line is that holiday eating doesn’t have to translate into extra pounds on your frame if you are thoughtful about your choices. Start using these strategies now, and you’ll feel confident and poised to continue making healthy decisions in January and throughout 2017.

If you like this article from Michelle, you’ll also love her post on Feeding the beast: Hormone-savvy nutrition for better health. And check out our “nutrition” section for recipes that support your best health.