The changes women experience during menopause don’t just affect their insides. Skin and hair also go through a transition. If you’re seeing noticeable changes in the health, texture and appearance of your hair and skin, chances are you can blame declining levels of the hormone estrogen. These unwanted and often unexpected changes can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to protect your skin and hair throughout the menopause transition.
Since estrogen is linked to hair growth, density and fullness, as hormone levels decrease, head hair can become dryer, more brittle, and thinner. And due to a greater proportion of androgens (male hormones), you may begin to notice some hair on your face that’s more like male facial hair, particularly on the jaw line. You may also notice a decrease in body hair, including the pubic area.
Declining estrogen also means skin gets thinner and less elastic due to a decrease in collagen. Without their usual supply of estrogen, our bodies produce less of the oil that both softens skin and helps it retain moisture. Menopausal skin loses elasticity and hydration and becomes thinner, dryer, and loose. Many women find they have acne again for the first time since puberty. Skin becomes more prone to rashes and bruising and may heal more slowly during this time.
There are many causes for changes in hair and skin as you age. It’s best to visit with a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment, as well as to rule out any underlying conditions that may be attributed to what you are experiencing.
If you are dealing with unwanted facial hair in menopause, there are a few options to consider, although they can come with some downside:
The signs of hair loss in women may include an increase in hair falling out each day, noticing patches of thinner or missing hair, a widening part at the top of your head, or even noticeably smaller ponytails.
Before pursuing hair loss treatment, it’s important to talk with your doctor or dermatologist to learn the cause of your hair loss, as well as treatment options that are right for you . Your healthcare provider will do a thorough history as well as order relevant tests to help diagnose your hair loss:
If it’s thinning head hair you are experiencing, unfortunately, there are few solutions. The good news is, the loss generally slows as hormones level out.
Before you do anything to aid your age-related skin changes, we recommend locating a dermatologist who has experience with women in menopause, as all skin is different and should be treated with real care. Note that some procedures work best on skin that’s aged from sunlight rather from estrogen loss. Some options include:
Probably the best thing you can do for your skin and hair, no matter what your age, is protect what you have.
When it comes to skin, we strongly advise getting to know your skin very well. Checking your skin every month for changes can perhaps mean catching a potentially serious problem like skin cancer while still in its early and more treatable stages.
For unwanted facial hair, sugaring, tweezing, waxing, and threading may be slow and tedious, but they can be less expensive, less potentially damaging to skin, and reasonably effective, if a bit painful.
To preserve head hair, use gentle styling techniques that require less heat and pulling. Shampoo with zinc or selenium might help with a dry and itchy scalp. A shorter hair style might help make hair appear fuller.
Some say eating estrogenic foods such as soy, dried fruits, and flaxseed can help, though there’s no research to back that up. Others take collagen supplements, though currently there’s little evidence to prove the impact on menopausal hair and skin.
The effect of changing hormones on your hair and skin may seem out of your control, but when you prioritize your wellness during this stage of life, you will support your body and your beauty from the inside out. Keep feeling and looking your best in menopause and beyond by maximizing your nutrition with a healthy and balanced diet, staying hydrated as well as exercising each day. And please visit with your doctor or a dermatologist when it comes to concerning hair and skin changes, no matter what your age.
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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.
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Gennev Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su was recently interviewed by David Stewart, host of the SuperAge podcast. The podcast episode “HRT, Estrogen and Menopause, New Scientific Findings with Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su” is packed with valuable information on HRT and women’s long-term health.
In part one of five transcripts from the session, Dr. Rebecca provides a thorough view of a woman’s hormonal journey, and offers insight on why hormone testing is not always necessary. Please listen to the full podcast by visiting SuperAge.com.
David: Take me through a woman’s hormonal journey.
Dr.Rebecca: Well, I think, it’s good to frame how we talk about women’s hormones with a background of what are they for. So, this is nota value judgment but our hormonal journey is based on reproduction. We are after all biological animals. So, the transitions that the ovary goes through is all based on reproduction and reproductive potential. When you are born, you’re born with all the eggs you will ever have. In fact, they start to die off immediately. So, in utero, there are millions of eggs. By the time you’re born, they’re hundreds of thousands of eggs. By the time, you get to puberty, they’re about 10,000 viable eggs. At puberty, you start to cycle and release those eggs one by one, and a woman will release approximately three to 500 eggs over her lifetime before they’re all gone, and she starts to go through menopause.
How do hormones play into that? As you start to go through puberty, the brain starts to pulsate with pre-hormones that signal the ovary to develop eggs. Those pulsations tell the ovary to make estrogen, which makes an egg grow and mature, and then, mid-cycle when that egg is matured, and it starts to put out hormones of its own. Then the brain has a pulse of what we call luteinizing hormone, which tells you to release that egg and then, progesterone spikes. So, throughout a woman’s cycling years, she’s getting in the first half of her cycle or the first approximate two weeks getting a sort of a buildup of estrogen, and then, the second two weeks, a build of progesterone, and if she does not fertilize that egg and implant it then, everything drops off at the end, and we get a bleed. So, the drop of estrogen, progesterone at the end of the cycle causes a woman to menstruate.
For the first 20 years or so that a woman is cycling, those eggs are good, they’re viable, they respond to the brain, the hormones are nice, and even for most women, there are conditions where they aren’t. But in general, that’s a nice even cycle. Then, we get to generally, woman’s 40s. This can happen earlier in some women and later in others. The eggs that are being recruited just aren’t discrete, as we like to say. They’re a little older. They don’t listen as well. So, the brain has to pulsate more.The hormone spikes have to be higher to get that egg out. What we often see int his time, which we call perimenopause is that, women are still cycling and having bleeding, but it might not happen exactly right on time. Or, she might have a lot more symptoms surrounding it because the hormone spikes are so much. bigger. And then, as we run out of eggs, once there are no more viable eggs to respond to that brain signaling, then, our hormone stopped being produced by the ovary, progesterone and estrogen that is, and our periods stop. And that’s called menopause.
It’d be nice if that all just happened very smoothly. Of course, it doesn’t. The last couple of years of perimenopause can be very erratic. In terms of bleeding, women can have periods every three to six months, they can be very heavy because of these huge spikes of hormone, and then we label it menopause or the end of cycling when you’ve been 12 months without a period or 12 months without those hormones. What I typically tell my patients is that while your estrogen and progesterone go down with menopause and you’re no longer making those from the ovary, you do continue to make testosterone at the same rate. That does not go down with menopause. Both for women and for men, our testosterone slowly decreases over the course of our lifetime from a peak in our 20s until our 80s. But there’s no sudden change in testosterone at menopause. If anything in fact, we see a little bit more of it as women. That’s why we start to get chin hairs and acne. In the menopausal transition, we’re seeing a little more of our testosterone and that’s because one of the things that having circulating estrogen does is, it makes a molecule in our blood called sex hormone binding globulin go up, and that holds estrogen and testosterone bound in our blood so we can’t read it. When the estrogen goes down, so does the sex hormone binding globulin, but the testosterone doesn’t. So, we actually see more of our testosterone.
David: Okay, and then going forward, these levels stay the same in post menopause for the duration of one’s life?
Dr.Rebecca: Yes. After menopause, basically, there’s a little bit of estrogen floating around because there are other things besides the ovary that make a little bit. So, our fat cells make a little estrogen and our adrenal glands make a little estrogen. We basically have no progesterone after the menopause because there’s no use for it. The whole role of progesterone in a cycling woman is to stabilize the uterine lining to inflate the pregnancy. So, that’s not happening anymore. And then, like I said, the ovaries and the adrenal glands continue to make testosterone at a low level through our menopause.
David: Why would someone go into something like hormone replacement theory? Actually, let’s start with what is HRT?
Dr.Rebecca: Hormone replacement therapy is the replacing of the endocrine factors, the estrogen and progesterone that have gone missing from a woman’s body. What I tell all my patients is that there’s a lot of chatter around hormone replacement therapy. A lot of fear mongering, a lot of only I can do this for you the right way. In reality, hormone replacement therapy can be done very safely for most women with your physician, and it should always involve FDA regulated products because that way we know exactly what dose we’re giving you and can adjust appropriately.
David: Well, let’s talk about dosing. So, are you doing like hormone levels and like somewhere you want to match? How do you do this?
Dr.Rebecca: The answer is no. When a woman comes to me in menopause and she’s symptomatic, I don’t need to do a hormone level test because I know what it is. It’s very, very low. There’s nothing that a blood test is going to tell me that her symptoms don’t tell me. A thorough history and exam is much more cost effective than a whole bunch of lab draws that aren’t going to tell me anything different. So, we treat based on symptoms. We don’t titrate hormone levels to a particular lab draw because for example, in a normally cycling woman who’s pre-menopausal, the normal range of estrogen is between about 12 and 200.
David: Whoa.
Dr.Rebecca: I don’t know where to aim in their replacement. I don’t know when she’s going to feel better. Some women feel better at estrogen of 20 and some people it takes to 100. So, doing a level doesn’t tell me if she’s better. She tells me if she’s better. And that’s how we adjust hormone therapy.
David: Let’s say, for instance, I was a woman and you did a hormone draw on me at 30, and then, I come to you at 48, I’m symptomatic and would having this dot in this data point saying like, “Here, everything was happy at this level,” would that be something you’d aim for?
Dr.Rebecca: No. So, here’s the nifty thing because you’re saying, I got a blood drawn you at 30. But did I get it in the first week of your cycle- –the second week of your cycle, the third week of your cycle, and the fourth week of your cycle? All of which have different hormone levels for women. All of those are different estrogen levels. So, we feel fine throughout it. So, women feel fine in it within a huge range of estrogen.
David: If I have a low vitamin D, I mean, I know like what my vitamin D level is, I know what it should be, and I know how to change it. I got a data point,I got a target, I know what to do. How do you do this?
Dr.Rebecca: I talk to women. I talk to them and ask them how they’re feeling and we treat their symptoms. Because that’s really the only marker of when we’ve gotten to the point where a woman feels better – the marker of us using enough estrogen.
It’s never too soon or too late to be informed about menopause symptoms and treatments. And finding a physician who specializes in menopause can help you find relief as well as identify strategies to protect your bones, brain, heart, and body.
Continue to part 2, and learn about the benefits of estrogen, and if HRT is right for you.
Listen to the full podcast episode at SuperAge.com.
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If you thought yeast infections were for vaginas only, get ready for your mind to be blown wide open.
Chances are good that you’ve heard of vaginal yeast infections, and perhaps you’ve experienced them firsthand? You wouldn’t be alone as the Centers for Disease Control shared that 75 percent of adult women will experience Vaginal Candidiasis at some point in their lives.
It’s a fungal infection and can occur in places on the body where skin rubs together or touches (also known as intertriginous areas, for the vocabulary, biology, and crossword puzzle fans). Yeast infections aren’t just for adult women, either. Men, kids, even infants can get these funky fungal skin infections.
The strain of fungus is called Candida and more than 150 species exist.
No need for alarm at the word “fungus” though; a small amount of yeast is a normal thing on your skin and in your digestive system. It’s the overgrowth or an imbalance of yeast in or on the body that causes infections and the irritating symptoms that go with them.
The easy answer is commonly where areas of skin touch or rub against another area of skin. So, where does skin touch on the body? At the armpits, in the mouth and at the corners of the mouth, inside or around the navel, between digits, on finger or toenails, and certainly around the groin. Skin folds are another spot where an overgrowth of yeast can happen, such as in the abdominal area as well as underneath pendulous breasts.
Here’s another tip: candida skin infections are called by different names in different places on the body. So, you may have heard of oral thrush or diaper rash without knowing that those are types of candida skin infections. Other common types of candida, or yeast, infections are jock itch, athlete’s foot, and nail fungus.
Talk to a medical menopause practitioner. Book your appointment now.
Warm, moist environments encourage more yeast production, so if you’re living in a warm, humid climate, wear restrictive clothing, or get lax about your hygiene, you may be prompting more risk for this annoying skin infection.
You may have a higher risk of developing a yeast infection if you’re pregnant; work outdoors in wet, warm weather; have diabetes, douche or use vaginal sprays; have a weakened immune system due to certain conditions or medications; or are using hormonal contraceptives, such as birth control pills.
We checked in with Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su to see if hormone replacement therapy (HRT) contributed to the overgrowth of yeast. She said, “HRT is actually preventative as it tends to keep vaginal pH correct and prevent yeast overgrowth.” Regarding oral contraceptives, “…(they) are a plus minus, depending on the levels of estrogen and progesterone.” Definitely a few good talking points for your next exam or appointment.
Note: Treatments do vary for each area of the skin, and preparations should only be used as intended where symptoms appear. For instance, a spray may be really convenient for athlete’s foot, but using it for a case of thrush (in your mouth) isn’t a great idea.
Best bet is to
1. Get the right diagnosis with your doctor
2. Take the right medication, as directed.
The most common symptom is a rash or irritated, red skin: it can develop under an abdominal fold of skin, between toes, inside or around a navel, beneath breasts, or on the underside of a penis. Once diagnosed, anti-fungal creams and ointments will generally clear up this symptom, if it is, indeed, a yeast infection. Symptoms won’t improve if the real issue is bacterial instead of fungal”¦ see below for more on that.
Other common symptoms:
Thrush is actually a type of yeast infection that develops in the mouth. It appears as red or white patches of skin, and a medicated mouthwash is often suggested or prescribed to clear it up. Keep an eye on the inside of your mouth as you age, as risks of developing thrush increase with age. Risk increases even more if you wear dentures. Keep brushing and flossing twice daily, plus swishing with mouthwash (as needed) daily for best prevention.
If you’re taking antibiotics for a bacterial infection, you may develop a yeast infection. For women, the balance of the body’s natural production of vaginal yeast can get thrown way off when antibiotics are used to fight off bacteria. Talk with your doctor about replenishing your digestive system’s good gut flora if they prescribe a course of antibiotics.
For vaginal yeast infections, symptoms may include:
If you’re unsure about whether or not you’ve got a yeast infection, make an appointment with your doctor and get it checked out. Usually, a skin sample (such as a swab or a bit of a gentle tissue scraping) and completed test can illuminate what’s going on with your skin.
Feeling alone in your menopause journey? Work with a Menopause Health Coach. Learn more.
Your best health is worth your time and effort. Experience excellent health, not to mention some good, healthy pride and satisfaction in caring for someone really important”¦ YOU!
Yeast infections are a topic worthy of open conversation and one safe place to talk about it is in the Gennev Community Forums. Join the conversation today.
February 4 is World Cancer Day
The C-word is scary. We picture hospitals, hair loss, debilitating treatments, and the worst-case scenario.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of mortality in the United States. The odds are good that someone in your family or someone you know has fought cancer. While there is a hereditary component to some cancers “ as our practitioner Dr. Lisa Savage says, “choose your parents wisely ;)” “ your genes don’t always have the final say.
You can’t change your family tree, but you can make lifestyle decisions that can improve your chances of staying healthy. Here are the best tips from our in-house medical experts:
This is a biggie. Tobacco kills 8 million people worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization, and is the leading cause of preventable death in the US.
The chemicals in cigarette smoke cause all forms of cancer, not just lung cancer. Seriously: avoid all tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke.
Need tips to quit smoking during menopause? We have you covered.
Did you know there’s a link between quality of sleep and cancer? Waking more than twice a night ups your breast cancer risk by 21%. Poor sleep quality can lead to weight gain and diabetes, which itself is a cancer risk.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for adults in midlife. To maximize shut-eye:
And beware: too much sleep may be associated with some types of cancer as well!
Nearly 70% of Americans are considered overweight (having a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 to 29.9) or obese (a BMI of 30 to 39.9).
You’re gorgeous at any size, but being overweight is linked to a number of different types of cancer. Researchers theorize that obesity causes inflammation, excess estrogen in fat tissue, or the body’s ability to regulate insulin, all of which can lead to increased cancer risk.
Maintaining an ideal body weight is easier said than done but can be an important step in prevention. If you’re stuck, try the mindful approach to weight management at menopause.
The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends a diet high in vegetables, fruit, and grains and low in sugar. A plant-based diet full of anti-inflammatory foods, low glycemic starches, and healthy fats is even better. Try the Clean Plate Club 2.0.
Intermittent fasting (consuming all of your daily calories in a specific 8-10 hour window) is another option to reduce your cancer risk.
Alcohol is woven into the fabric of our society but regular consumption increases your risk of cancer. The more you drink over time, the more likely you are to develop an alcohol-related cancer, like liver, esophageal, head, mouth, breast, or colorectal cancer.
Our Dr. Savage advises drinking seven drinks a week or less (though not in one sitting: binge drinking is also dangerous!) Read: how to stop smart and about other foods to avoid in menopause.
Support for self-care during menopause is here.
We all know that the sun is damaging to our skin but may not realize that our risk of skin cancer increases in menopause.
To keep your skin safe, stay in the shade, wear hats, keep your arms and legs covered, apply sunscreen that is at least SPF 15 or higher and protects against UVA and UVB rays, wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays, and avoid tanning.
A note on sunscreen: applying two SPF 15 products will not add up to a single SPF 30. And, yes, you can burn through a car window.
If you have new spots or growths, your dermatologist should run tests for you to rule out cancer and remove anything risky. Talk to your doctor about how often you should come for screening.
The American Association for Cancer Research suggests that the combination of exercise and preventing weight gain is important for preventing cancer and increasing overall survival after a diagnosis.
We know it’s hard to drag yourself to the gym after a long day or fit a workout into everything else you have going on, but make fitness a priority for your health.
Read: How to really get fit in midlife.
“In women’s health care, our biggest concern is cervical cancer,” Dr. Connie Mao, director of Harborview Women’s Dysplasia Clinic in Seattle, told us in an interview.
HPV (human papilloma virus) most commonly causes cervical cancer but can also lead to cancers of the vulva, anus, and mouth. More than 12,000 people in the US were diagnosed with cancer of the cervix in 2016.
The vaccine can kill 80-85% of these viruses. While the prime target for the vaccine is boys and ages 9-12, all sexually active adults should consider it, though the more sexual partners you have had in your life, the more likely you are to have been exposed already.
Hepatitis is another virus with a link to cancer. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer in the US, while people with chronic hepatitis B have a 25% to 40% risk of developing liver cancer in their lifetime. While there’s currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, more than half of all cases of liver cancer can be prevented with the hepatitis B vaccine.
Talk to your doctor if you haven’t been vaccinated and want to schedule your shots.
You can still get pregnant until your periods stop, but the good news is that The Pill can help in preventing both unintended pregnancies and certain forms of cancer. “Most people don’t know birth control prevents cancer,” says Gennev telemedicine physician Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi.
While birth control pills with estrogen and progesterone may raise the risk of breast and cervical cancers, people who have ever used oral contraceptives lower their ovarian cancer risk by 30% to 50%, endometrial cancer risk by at least 30%, and colorectal cancer risk by 15-20%. Talk to your doctor, or one of ours, to determine if this is right for you.
Understand where are you in your menopause journey by taking the Gennev Menopause Assessment now.
Screening won’t prevent cancer, but it can catch it early and improve your outcome.
Many cancers are preventable, and the prognosis can be improved by knowing what to look out for.
A wealth of experience is available on the Gennev Community Forums. You are always invited to join, ready, gain insights, and yes, share.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!]
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.*
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.
According to the National Center for PTSD, there are four symptoms, which can vary from person to person:
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.”
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 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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Is your snoring keeping even the dog awake? Snoring, that unwelcome symphony of sleep, may not be just for our male partners any more. If you’ve ever awakened feeling like you were choking, or if your partner (or dog) reports that you’re snoring, you may be suffering from sleep apnea, or interrupted breathing during sleep. Menopause and sleeping too much are often synonymous, but if you experience these symptoms there is a realistic possibility that you may have sleep apnea.
If you are worried about the health risks of sleep apnea, a Gennev menopause-certified gynecologist can give you a trusted opinion, and determine what treatment is right for you. Book an appointment with a doctor here.
As estrogen and progesterone levels drop, the muscle tone in the body’s airway decreases, allowing it to partially collapse in sleep, says Brandon Peters, MD. This is called “obstructive sleep apnea” (OSA), and it can cause pauses in breathing or shallow breathing, sometimes severe enough to wake you up. Even if you never entirely awaken, sleep apnea denies you the deep slumber that rejuvenates your body and mind.
Sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed in post-menopausal women because many of its symptoms look like typical menopause complaints”snoring and menopause are commonly associated. However, assuming these symptoms are “just menopause” is a particularly bad idea because untreated sleep apnea can be very dangerous to your health.
These may sound familiar “¦
Show of hands? Anyone? While very often these are due to menopause and not sleep apnea, if they’re accompanied with reports of snoring or breaks in breathing, or if you wake up gasping or choking or you often awaken with a headache, it’s time to talk with a doc or a sleep specialist.
While an increase in snoring might feel like sweet revenge for the chainsaw you’ve been (not) sleeping next to for years, you really need to get it checked out. Including the list of symptoms above, OSA has been connected to a long list of serious health concerns, including:
There’s no blood test for sleep apnea; it generally has to be witnessed to be diagnosed. Your doc may recommend a sleep test called a polysomnography. There are at-home versions, though many choose to spend a night at a sleep disorder center.
Once diagnosed, there are options for treatment, depending on the severity of the OSA: the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is a very common treatment. A CPAP machine pumps air through a nose mask to keep your airway open. Oral appliances can open your throat or bring your jaw forward to relieve obstruction. In severe cases, tissue removal or jaw surgery may be called for.
If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor right away. Some medications can worsen this condition, so it’s really important to know if you’ve developed OSA when adding new treatments.
(apnea not the problem but still need better sleep? check out our post on why you need good sleep and how to get it)
If you have mild sleep apnea (and you don’t get to diagnose this yourself, btw), there are lifestyle changes that can minimize symptoms and help you sleep better.
If you’re snoring up a storm, you’re risking more than just an angry bed mate. Talk with a doctor or sleep specialist and see if you’re a candidate for a sleepover at a sleep disorders clinic. Menopause is challenging enough as eliminating the additional irritations of sleep apnea may make a whole lot of life easier.
(if your sleeplessness is anxiety based, try some herb remedies to help you get your zzzzzs)
*If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, please consult a health care professional. The information in this blog is for educational purposes only and should never be considered a replacement for expert advice.
Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea? How did you deal with it, and is it working for you? Go on, share with your community, so we can all benefit from your greater wisdom and experience. Give us all the deets in the comments or on Gennev’s Facebook page or Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group.
What if there were a way to protect your daughters against 80-85% of the viruses that cause cervical cancers? And, bonus, to protect all your kids against the risk of contracting genital warts?
Gennev is happy to announce, there is. Thanks to research by Dr. Mao and others, there’s a highly effective, low-risk vaccine that targets HPV”the cause of cervical cancer and genital warts, among other diseases. Allergic reactions are rare, and the most common side effects are sore arms and grumpy pre-teens.
Nearly 12,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013. We wanted to learn more about the vaccine that is already reducing that number and has the capacity to do even more for women’s health, so we went to the expert.
Dr. Connie is the director of Harborview Women’s Dysplasia Clinic in Seattle, Washington, where she focuses on HPV-related disease including cervical, vulvar, and vaginal dysplasia and genital warts. She’s an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, and she has spent the last 19 years doing research related to HPV infections and prevention of cervical cancer.
Click the play button to hear our interview. You can also read the transcript of our conversation about Dr. Connie’s work and the HPV vaccine.
1:50 as Can you explain what exactly HPV is and what it stands for? What diseases does it cause?
2:21 as How is HPV transmitted?
2:54 as How does HPV work inside our bodies? Once contracted, is it always there?
3:36 as What are the specific health issues HPV can cause in extreme cases?
6:14 as Are there concerns people should have around the vaccine?
7:30 as Is there a prime age for the vaccine?
9:24 as Why do boys also need the vaccine?
12:11 as Are there any preventative things to HPV that a person can do to limit themselves to exposure beyond sexual activity?
14:52 as If a patient wants the HPV screen only, and to forego a Pap exam, what do you recommend?
18:29 as Are there any downsides to the vaccine? What are the rates of allergic reaction?
22:38 as What are the symptoms of an HPV infection?
23:24 as How often should we get screened?
25:25 as What excites you most about where we’re going in women’s health?
We’re very grateful to Dr. Connie for sharing her information and expertise, and for being such a passionate advocate for women’s health.
Learn more about Dr. Connie Mao by visiting the Obstetrics and Gynecology page for the University of Washington’s School of Medicine.