For years we’ve heard the same old conventional wisdom: eat less and exercise more to lose weight. Americans have spent billions on diet programs which offer them less food with less nutrition.
New studies suggest the key to weight loss and maintenance is eating a diet that keeps our insulin levels low. Insulin helps your body store fat, and makes sure it stays put. This means that if you control insulin, you control fat. It’s that simple.
Eating too much sugar (in ANY FORM!) makes you fat, by triggering insulin. It’s also linked to aging, cancer and a compromised immune system. If you would immediately cut your sugar intake down to 10-15 grams per day (a couple teaspoons), you would greatly reduce your risk for illness, diabetes and cancer. Cutting down on your body’s production of insulin is key to reducing fat production. One apple equals 12 grams of sugar.
It is also important to increase the fiber in your diet. Fiber promotes belly fat loss by creating optimum digestive health. When you do consume sugar, if you eat it with a good amount of fiber, like an apple, you ease the amount of sugar going directly into your system. Artichokes, oats, beans and whole grain products are excellent sources of fiber. Also add a morning dose of acidophilus to your diet to promote intestinal health!
Exercise to strengthen and tone your muscles and to relieve stress, not to look better.
Take it from me. I cut out all sugar, alcohol, antibiotics, most dairy and artificial sweeteners (EXCEPT STEVIA) from my diet this past April, because of an overwhelmingly bad case of Candida overgrowth. I limited my diet to meat and vegetables and then added in a few apples and blueberries gradually. I now bake my own breads and desserts so I can make them with Stevia instead of sugar. And I feel 1000% better, lost 20 pounds and inches from my waist and thighs! The weight comes off slowly, but it does come off.
A friend of mine had terrible headaches and sinus infections for a year until she cut the sugar and aspartame (Diet Coke) out completely. Now she’s feeling so much better!
Learn to choose healthier snacks. Popcorn (my personal favorite!) reigns supreme among whole grain snack foods, with the highest level of antioxidants. Focus on looking for whole grain snacks (the first ingredient in the list!), which are rich in antioxidants!
In the popular 1966 book “Feminine Forever,” Dr. Robert A. Wilson, a gynecologist, used disparaging descriptions of aging women (“flabby,” “shrunken,” “dull-minded,” “desexed”) to upend the prevailing idea of menopause as a normal stage of life. Women and their physicians, Dr. Wilson wrote, should regard menopause as a degenerative disease that could be prevented or cured with the use of hormone drugs.
“No woman can be sure of escaping the horror of this living decay,” Dr. Wilson wrote. “There is no need for either valor or pretense. The need is for hormones.”
I don’t think this is a very good time in history for women to grow old. We’re surrounded by media messages saying you can have great sex after menopause, into your 60s, your 70s, your 80s! (The mag articles almost always features an older woman with ‘my much-younger lover’.)
So they’re holding out this enticement about having great sex, but the older I get, the less able I am to find romantic partners. The men I meet are either married, or want to be with someone younger.
Assuming I do find a partner, sex is actually difficult b/c i’m going thru menopause. I’m bleeding all the time. And when mnps is done, sex without RX creams will be problematic, and just not as fun anymore.
And yet we’re surrounded by those damn media messages about how great it can be!
It’s like being lactose-intolerant and living in a Baskin Robbins.
I wish our culture would just say it’s ok to go with the natural flow of things and not want sex anymore, and quit trying so hard.
And don’t even get me started on the artificially extended sex lives of men, with Viagra.
In general, after 50 years of hormone contraception since we were students, with more than a hundred million women now on low-dose hormone contraception, such synthetics – a progestin with or without ethinylestradiol EE2 – are considered pretty safe in current low dose compared to unplanned pregnancy or physical contraceptive methods, provided contra-indications are respected; with almost 50% reduction in future endometrial and ovarian cancer; and no change in mortality from breast cancer.
Does that make such massively profitable contraceptive hormones that were designed in fierce competition for fertility (and ovarian) suppression in healthy young women both safe and effective for the ageing no-longer-healthy fattening (post)menopausal women? Parenteral physiological balanced HRT does not cause the fattening and muscle loss that OHT does.
Now young Janey asks an important question: “I am 56 yrs old and very happy with Yaz (ethinyl estradiol EE2 plus drospirenone). I do menstruate while on the placebo. I would like to find a doctor who will let me stay on Yaz, which I like a lot, or if absolutely necessary try the Testosterone, Bi-estrogen, Progesterone combo. I worry about weight gain that occurs in almost all cases of oral HRT. I need the bone protection and hair, skin and vagina health benefits that have been wonderful on Yaz. “
CANCER RISK OF ORAL XENOHORMONE THERAPY:
In July this column last visited ovarian cancer as a relatively rare disease but with high mortality, hence far more to be feared than other womens’ cancers eg breast, endometrial or ovary.
So it is worth revisiting the major Danish observational study spanning 10 years published last July ; which documented almost a million women for 8 years. The crude primary ovarian cancer OvCa incidence rate in never-users (5 million women-years) was only 0.04%, vs 0.052% in current HT users (1.4million women-years) ie overall, hormone therapy HT increased the risk by 1.3, or 30%. That study concluded: “Combined therapy with norethisterone was associated with an increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.36-1.76), which was not significantly different from the RRs associated with medroxyprogesterone, levo- norgestrel, or cyproterone acetate”.
The only regime in that series which was not statistically significantly associated with increase in OvCa was in the 23 women who developed OvCa on solo transdermal E2TD ie hormone replacement HRT (out of a total of 64000 women-years on E2TD), where OvCa relative risk increased by 13% but the 95% confidence interval spanned unity (0.74 – 1.71) ie p was > 0.05. By contrast, oral estrogen HT for some 287 000women years increased OvCa risk significantly by 34%; and any progestin added to estrogen ie in some 847 000 women years increased OvCa risk above no HT by 47% to 68%.
This neutral effect on OvCa only of unopposed EzTD is most reassuring for women. All the synthetic progestins they compared were associated with significantly more OvCa (let alone BRCA).
The nub of the matter is that gynecological cancers generally do not apparently proliferate without the influence of female cyclical hormone levels- FSH, LH, estrogen – and especially oral estrogens and progestins. In the main study of cancer with Turner syndrome, in 3425 women in UK followed for some 17years ie 58000 patient-years, breast cancer was 70% less common than average women, while the only gynecolological cancers that appeared to increase were endometrial cancer 8fold at age 15-44years, and gonadoblastoma of the ovary by 8% by age 25years- and gonadoblastoma is over 90% associated with the ‘male’ chromosome Y . These statistics are reassuring considering that most such women were treated with oral estrogen therapy, and that uterine cancer is avoidable if estrogen therapy is appropriately opposed with some progestin, with periodic withdrawal bleeding allowed.
Unbalanced anabolics eg vitamins or sex hormones merely promote dormant malignant cells already present, they do not cause cancer de novo; and adult cancers take an average of 20 years to present clinically.
There is no report on Pubmed of testicular cancer developing on testosterone TT replacement let alone abuse; nor of increased ovarian or breast or uterine or colonic cancer in long term female testosterone users – if anything long term testosterone replacement in women appears to diminish breast proliferation in rodents, monkeys and humans, as this column has regularly reviewed..
It is common cause from clinical menopause practice and trials that pharmacological ie unphysiological oral estrogen – progestin therapy – while improving bone density- increases body fat and if anything decreases lean ie muscle mass and collagen -hence the increasing postmenopausal fatness frailty and urinary incontinence of elderly women on oral HT.
DROSPIRENONE
The new combinations with drospirenone for contraception ( Yaz/Yasmin- drospirenone DSP -ethinylestradiol EE2 in fertile women), and post menopause (Angeliq – DSP -estradiol E2) certainly seems to reduce fluid retention and thus weight and hypertension problems, and to have anti-androgenic benefits when required. There is apparently no published longterm data on DSP to judge it’s influence on cancer and mortality.
This column has regularly detailed reasons for postmenopausal women PMW to avoid oral transhepatic sexhormone therapy with the high doses of oral estrogen needed to control menopause symptoms, and the multiple adverse effects of transhepatic xenohormones like EE2, premarin and progestins. But 50 years of experience including the under 60’s cohort of the WHI, and the Oulu trial (Heikkinen ea ) certainly showed overwhelming benefit of oral estradiol/conjugated estrogen-progestin combination when started appropriately in well young PMW for up to 10 years. It has been well known for three decades that continuing such OHT well beyond 10 years gradually increases the incidence of BRCA above non-users.
However, as we have repeatedly discussed, why should Kitty subject herself to the longterm risks of eg breast cancer from such oral use of any designer hormones like orohepatic estrogens and progestins? when evidence is that physiological human HRT with non-oral, or oral micronized (see Dr Lee Vliet’s books) sexhormones, has no risks, only benefits – especially when human E2+- estriol E3 are balanced by progesterone P4 and testosterone TT as by creams, or implants, or tiny subcutaneous self-injection, all easily available by prescription in US.
And when oral EE2 ethinylestradiol for contraception is associated with low but real thrombosis and biliary risks; and when it is enormously potent compared to human estradiol; and when it’s successor competitor diethylstilbestrol DES is still causing horrendous problems in women and their children and grandchildren after it was recklessly prescribed from the 1940s to the 1970 without there ever being evidence of benefit let alone safety.
Lowdose EE2 has certainly proved it’s relative safety when used as birth control in young healthy non-overweight women. But just as oral prempro has proved that it causes problems and little benefit when started after the age of 60years in overweight women ie those already with atheromatous disease, why take potent synthetic oral EE2 post menopause? Using a potent synthetic is neither prudent, physiological nor replacement.
Recently a Brazilian trial confirms equal benefit of “nonoral HRT (nasal spray- estradiol -micronized vaginal progesterone) ; or oral HT (low-dose estradiol-drospirenone ) for 2 years on metabolic, vascular and body fat risks in early postmenopause;” but once again that “Triglycerides and von Willebrand factor levels decreased significantly only with nonoral treatment”- ie the nonoral- parenteral- route is better protection against atheroma and thrombogenesis.
DSP combined with oral E2 is certainly theoretically advantageous HT for those PMW with hypertension and fluid retention. But since no longterm trials or studies of DSP use are available yet, it is too early to judge if DSP+E2 is as safe as physiological HRT with appropriate combination of E2/ estriol E3/ P4/ TT.
But as we have repeatedly pointed out, the evidence from both evolution, and 60 years of experience, and trials, is that physiological parenteral human hormones ie not by the orohepatic route have distinct safety and physiological benefits, as comprehensively detailed by l’Hermite, Genazzani ea on behalf of the International Menopause Society recently , as well as all the data this column has previously reviewed on the importance of balance non-oral testosterone as part of the HRT regime.
So the answer for KJaney is: be a volunteer guinea-pig if you like, try Taz -or, better, the natural estradiol -containing Angeliq – in low dose; but preferably enroll yourself in a longterm randomized comparative trial of the new oral Angeliq) versus the ancient (balanced human sex hormones) . Why risk the new but long-term unproven when the evidence for the old (as long as human evolution with balanced non-oral human estrogen +P4+TT) is so strong.
And while you may find out the best by your trial and error without longterm adverse effect, none of us may learn better by your self-experimentation?
You could be losing one percent of bone from your spine every year during this decade. That’s why you need to be especially diligent.
Diet/Fitness In addition to keeping up the calcium (still 1,000 mg), you should add weight training to your workouts, to help strengthen muscles around your bones.
Doctor visit If you experience early menopause, get a bone-density test; you’re greater risk for osteoporosis than if you go through menopause at the average age (51).
Your 50s and beyond
Bone loss accelerates at menopause; you can lose up to 20 percent of bone density in the first 5 to 7 years.
Diet/Fitness Your calcium requirements go up to 1,200 mg; add another serving of calcium-rich foods or an additional supplement. If you didn’t start weight training earlier, now’s the time. Lifting even light weights will make you stronger and protected you against falls, a serious threat as you get older and sustain fractures more easily.
Doctor visit Find out where you stand. Ask about a bone-density test; if your mineral stores are low, your doctor may suggest hormone-replacement therapy (estrogen) or raloxifene (brand name: Evista). These can cut the risk of a fracture by 39 to 50 percent. Other drugs that can help: alendronate sodium (Fosamax) and risedronate sodium (Actonel), which help build new bone. – Sally Katigbak
HORSETAIL Equisetum arvense
Horsetail is said to be one of the oldest recorded plants on earth, discovered approximately 600 million years ago. It is rich in the trace element silica which aids in the absorption of calcium, and is a basic element in the growth and repair of bone and tissue (strengthening bones, hair, nails and teeth). Herbalists claim it is useful in the repair and regeneration of the damaged connective tissue disorders. Another long standing use of horsetail has been as mild treatment in the prevention and treatment of kidney stone formation, bacterial and inflammatory disorders of the lower urinary tract, and as a diuretic. Horsetail has been a traditional treatment for allergies, pulmonary tuberculosis, cystitis, kidney stones, water retention, fevers, eye diseases, gout and rheumatism.
IRISH MOSS Chondrus crispus
Harvested from the water off the European coast, Irish moss is actually a seaweed. Rich in proteins, iodine and other substances, many herbalists also considers it is excellent “nutritive tonic”, and traditionally it has been prescribed for ulcers, dysentery (infectious diarrhea) and the other gastrointestinal disorders. Contemporary herbalists consider it a valuable soothing agent (demulcent) for dry coughs, bronchitis, tuberculosis and other upper respiratory tract ailments. It is also thought to help in the treatment and alleviation of peptic and duodenal ulcers. Considered to have anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, blood-pressure lowering, and other potentially beneficial properties, Irish moss is also thought to have healing properties beneficial in treating ulcers and other problems relating to the digestive system.
LAVENDER Lavandula angustifolia
In an age of extremes lavender is essentially able to produce a balancing and harmonizing effect, by having a pronounced regulating effect on the nervous system. Stress has long been known to deplete the immune system, and can be the cause, or the precipitating agent, for all types of illness and disease. With this in mind, lavender is thought to have a restorative effect in cases of a weakened nervous system and have a calming effect on those prone to be stressed or agitated. For years herbalists have used the calming effects of lavender to treat nervousness, anxiety, worry and depression. Lavender is used as a symptomatic treatment of stress-related conditions. It has been used for insomnia, headaches, and immune as well as digestive problems.
LICORICE Glycyrrhiza glabra
Long ago, in China, licorice acquired the name of “The Great Detoxifier”. They believed that continuous consumption of licorice root would help to rid the body of poisons and could contribute to the body’s blood building efforts. It has since been used in many Chinese prescriptions treating dry coughs and lung disorders, asthma, sore throats, laryngitis, ulcers, as well as inflammation of the urinary and intestinal tracts. It is sad that licorice root increases vital energy, and that it is able to strengthen digestive and metabolic function. It is believed that licorice root “harmonizes” the ingredients in an herbal formulation and eliminates any harshness, thus promoting smooth activity of the herbs. Licorice is useful in the treatment of peptic ulcers, abdominal colic, stomach inflammation, colitis, and has been used as an expectorant in cases of bronchitis.
KOREAN GINSENG Panax ginseng
People have long used ginseng in their health practices, claiming it has the power to balance one’s energy. It appears to have the quality to help regulate and strengthen body functions, improving metabolism, increasing both immune system resistance and respiratory performance. Extracts from this herb have been used to provide a mental stimulant, thought to improve memory and cognitive power, and many claim that with regular use it can often reverse mental deterioration. It can also lessen the effects of menopause. Among its many uses, Panax ginseng is beneficial in treating fatigue, providing increased physical energy, increasing metabolism, fastening recovery from illness and surgery, and empowering its users with an increased alertness and power of concentration, as well as instilling a general sense of well-being and vitality.
PASSIONFLOWER Passiflora incarnate Passionflower has found worldwide acclaim in the reduction of nervous tension, alleviating irritability and anxiety, and lowering blood pressure. It is also used to promote restful sleep. As an antispasmodic it has also been successfully used in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Passionflower has an overall soothing and calming effect over the entire body, offering relief from stress and stress-related headaches and pain. It has been employed in the treatment of muscle cramps, premenstrual tension, and disturbances often associated with menopause.
RED CLOVER Trifolium pratense
Red clover is rich in isoflavones, including genistein and biochanin A (an antioxidant which protects against cells aging). Used as an antibiotic, it has been used in fighting bacterial infections and dealing with kidney and liver diseases. Over the years it has been tried with some success as a tumor and cancer remedy (for breast and prostate cancer in particular). Red clover has also been used as a treatment for skin disorders, such as eczema and psoriasis, as it claims to cleanse the blood. Herbalists also recommend red clover for reducing uncomfortable menopausal symptoms, and improving overall health, including its use as an expectorant to clear chest congestion caused by coughs, colds, asthma and bronchitis.
Throughout our lives, it’s inherent in our nature to question our purpose in life. It’s natural for us to wonder whether or not we’re taking the right steps towards achieving that in which we view as success. As years fold into decades, it seems harder and harder to wash away our worries and concerns. It seems that our fears and apprehensions have precipitated into our daily lives, making it more difficult to complete day-to-day tasks. We reach a certain age where death becomes an imminent reality - our hopes become eclipsed by the shadows of mortality. We don’t feel like ourselves anymore. We feel as if there’s something missing in our lives, we feel incomplete. As we age, our bodies begin to change, and as our bodies change, so do our values, our goals and our idea of success. We’re constantly changing who we are, improving who we are and shaping the person who we want to be.
A Mid-Career Crisis:
Career menopause is a term used to describe the frustration and restlessness experienced by men and women in their careers. Although our careers are an integral part of what we do, we can’t use our careers to define who we are. The only thing we fear more than change is permanence. We’re afraid that our careers will eventually plateau – we fear that all the joy and pleasure that we used to get out of our career has been sucked dry.
What You Can Do:
So what’s to blame for career menopause? Be it a mid-life crisis or a mid-career plateau, the anxiety, heart palpitations, night sweats and mood swings are all a direct result of hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalances affect millions of men and women each year, many unknowingly. The good news is hormonal balance is not a disease and it can be corrected with proper attention and specialized treatments. One of the most natural and effective ways to treat underlying hormonal imbalances is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). BHRT uses bioidentical hormones to replace the hormones that your body no longer produces, using hormones that are molecularly identical to the hormones your body would produce naturally. Unfortunately, chances are it’s not the job, it’s you. The good news is you can do something about it! You don’t have drudge on throughout the workday anymore, now you can regain your passion and rekindle the joy and pleasure that you used to get out of your career. Rediscover you!
Many women going through menopause have to make a difficult choice, deal with hot flashes and night sweats, or risk cancer with HRT. However, today there is another choice; natural supplements and herbs. Since 2002, when a federal study found that HRT increased the risk of cancer in women, millions of women have tried natural alternatives with varying levels of success.
Dong Quai Root
Very few of these natural treatment options have been proven to work, but, despite that fact,women are flocking to these alternatives. Another reason that natural alternatives are gaining popularity is the fact that the treatment plans are customizable to the individual needs of the woman. Not everyone goes through menopause the same so it is only logical to treat for the symptoms that you have.
There is a dark side to natural alternative because of the fact that most of them have not been tested and fully researched. The long term side effects of many of these supplements are unknown, which can be scarier thought than hot flashes. Many of the natural products claim that they have compounds that are “bioidentical” to the estrogen that women make normally. The term “bioidentical” is, in fact, a marketing term that has no medical meaning or substance. Prescription drugs have been utilizing hormones that chemically match estrogen for some time.
However, there is a shining light when it comes to natural alternatives. Feminestra, a natural menopause relief supplement, has been clinically proven to work. They, in fact, advertise all the ingredients in their supplement on their website and advertise that they do not use any artificial hormones or chemicals. Feminestra was found effective in alleviating the symptoms of menopause in 90% of women. This clinical study showed that Feminestra has proved effective in significantly reducing the symptoms of menopause, as compared to 8% of those taking the placebo.
When choosing a natural alternative to HRT for menopausal symptoms, make sure to research each of the products you are thinking about taking and consult with a pharmacist or doctor. What might work for some may not work for you and it is important to know how different things will affect you. To learn more about different types of natural supplements Natural Menopause Relief.
[Credit: Special thanks to artist Darryl Willison of whimsicalwest.com. Please visit his site and support his work!]
Because October starts tomorrow, I’m replacing this week’s Wednesday Bubble with the monthly Roundup. Here’s an overview of September’s post in case you missed one or want to revisit it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday Bubble: Big dietary changes one small step at a time. A guest post by Miz Fit - Carrying around a “freshwoman forty” (or ten)? Fitness expert and author Carla Birnberg shares some tips on how to change your habits, and your body.
Cougar 101: Pimp your hide -The Cougar Convention hits the West Coast with a roarrrrr. See what a bit of botox, plumped lips and a nip and tuck yield.
Sinking your teeth into…osteoporosis - Time to bone up on osteoporosis as researchers now link the disease with tooth loss.
Wednesday Bubble: Turmeric… too good to be true? – Is this Indian spice hiding some important benefits beneath its yellow facade?
Overworked, overextended, overstressed and underserved – A global survey reveals that women are not only busier than ever, but they are also shouldering a burden of extreme proportions. What can we do to change this burgeoning problem?
A is for adiposity, F is for falls, M is for muscle weakness. Together they spell “D” – Research shows the Vitamin D is more important than ever for postmenopausal women: what you need to know.
Wednesday Bubble: the best medicine – A laugh a day keeps disease at bay. No kidding.
Calcium conundrum: which supplement should I choose? -When it comes to preventing bone loss, calcium supplements are all the same. Or are they?
More on breast cancer and HRT – Time to take this killer off the market. More bad news for women who use HRT.
Wednesday Bubble: Blame it on - Hormones. Women are suicidal and more unhappy than thirty years ago. The reason? Must be menopause.
Keep it greasy – with Zestra® – Feeling a bit hot below the belt? Despite all the hype, this sensual oil is unlikely to improve your sex life. Or your aroma.
The other night we felt like slumming it and went to pick up Dominos in Didcot, where we saw the typical weekend chav-rabble cluttering the pavement outside, queuing up for pizzas and fish and chips. Obese. Smoking. Pregnant.
And I wanted to say, excuse me, it appears as if you’ve chosen not to use your god-given bodies for anything but destruction. Mind if we trade? You may as well take this one; it’s trashed with cancer anyway.
–
Anecdote: one of my hospital roommates (of whom more tales to come) was in for a hernia operation. From the other side of the curtain, I heard the surgeon explain to her that they had had to pull her stomach out of her chest.
Pull her STOMACH out of her CHEST.
“Uggh,” she said several times that day. “I feel like I’ve been pulled backwards through a hedge.”
The figurative language, I found, was insubstantial. Surely in such an instance it is more striking to speak literally: I feel like I’ve had my stomach pulled out of my chest.
So this is what I mean now when I say I dread the question “How do you feel?” There is no metaphor for how I feel. The only adequate answer is: I feel like I’ve had a piece of muscle the size of my Riverside cut out of my back, pulled through an incision in my armpit and sewn into my chest where my breast was cut off. Do you know what that’s like?
I’m grateful to have a readership of other BRCA/breast cancer bloggers who can, with some certainty, say yes to that question.
–
It was the same with chemotherapy. How do you explain chemotherapy to someone who’s never had it? Is it like a bad hangover? someone said. Yeah, sort of. And sort of not at all. Unless you’ve ever had a poison hangover.
What IS it “like?” I don’t know. On the FEC I felt like maggots ate my brain. Or like my head had been pressed inside a mammogram machine. On the Taxotere I felt like the someone had sneaked in with steel-toed shoes and kicked me in every joint and muscle while I slept. But mostly, it’s like: you realize what you’re submitting to might be saving your life, but it makes you want to die.
–
I’m tired of feeling awful — of this terrible awareness of my body and everything that’s wrong in it.
And I resent being told by people who have never had cancer that things will go back to “normal.” It’s as if they can feel better by convincing themselves it isn’t so bad for me, or won’t be. They want you to be normal. When you have cancer, people love to say, “your hair will grow back.” As if you hadn’t realized that, or as if that really mattered.
Hair seems to mean so damn much to everyone. I suppose because it is the “external show.” Like if you can’t see the illness, it doesn’t exist. But can’t we transcend Piaget’s sensorimotor stage for just a moment, and imagine things that aren’t immediately visible? I grant you, the hair will grow back; that’s one thing. But you can’t have cancer and then return to “default.”
But my breast won’t grow back, for a start. Neither will the muscle in my back.
Then there’s the five years of Tamoxifen, and the menopause which may or may not be permanent. My menstrual cycle won’t go back to “normal.” Or my sex drive. Or my metabolism.
Or my genetic makeup.
To me, to return to “default” would be to not constantly be wondering whether cancer cells are quietly metastasizing inside me, constantly worrying whether and when it will become visible again.
Because as “normal” as you wish you could make it, there is no cure for cancer.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
How beautiful are your dreams?
Come learn how to vision your best future 9-11 AM on Saturday, October 24th at the Northern Colorado Writers Studio in south Fort Collins. Life Transformation Specialist Laura Lee Carter will present this interactive “fun” shop, not a workshop!
Did you know your unconscious only “thinks” in images, not in words? That is why we need to first imagine our best future in pictures before we can even begin to make it come true.
Come have the Midlife Crisis Queen guide you through the process of visioning a new life for yourself. Get comfortable with the changes you know you need to make to move on, and then watch them come to life before your very eyes, by creating your very own vision board!
Laura Lee has been through a phenomenal amount of personal change in the past decade. As the writer and moderator of the popular blog: MidlifeCrisisQueen.com, she constantly assists others as they navigate the vicissitudes of midlife change.
With an extensive background as a scholar/researcher, plenty of real life experience, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology, Laura is well qualified to act as your guide to personal change!
The cost for this workshop is $40, and includes free copies of Laura Lee’s new book, Midlife Magic: Becoming The Person You Are Inside and her Midlife Change Workbook: Tools for Transformation.
Go see her blog and website: www.LauraLeeCarter.com and then send Laura Lee an e-mail with your questions. Or reserve yourself and your friends a place at this fun and exciting life changing event!
Seating is limited. Please send Laura Lee an e-mail at MidlifeCrisisQueen@gmail.com to reserve your place!
I was struck by the following story that appeared two weeks ago on the BBC:
“Woman’s Death Blamed on Menopause.”
“A woman who refused to take hormone replacement therapy died while suffering a menopausal episode, an inquest had heard. Margaret Drew…was killed when she walked out of her family home on to a nearby railway line and was hit by a train…There is no trigger to this at all, except hormones making her do things that she normally wouldn’t do, Dr. Carlyon [Cornwall Coroner) concluded…”
Menopause. The silent killer. Oh really? Drew’s husband claims that his wife was “delightful, lovely and friendly” 99% of the time; the other 1% she’d become “totally irrational.” Yet, she refused to try HRT, he says. On the day of her suicide, he said that his wife was “clearly angry about something.”
Something.
Obviously, the conclusion is that that the “something” is hormones. This reminds me of vintage advertising copy that conveys the simple message that a pill a day can cure all that ails, wipe away the tears, mood swings and instability so that women can “transition without tears” (or better yet, without killing themselves).
Notably, a search in the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database turned up only one recent study specifically dealing with suicide ideation across reproductive stages. In it, researchers compared data in 8,794 women, and found an increased risk of thinking about suicide among women during perimenopause, not before or after entering menopause. These findings remained after controlling for risk factors such as anxiety and mood disorders. HOWEVER, the researchers noted that the study design did not allow them to form any definitive conclusions about the specific reasons for thinking about suicide.
Another search yielded information that the risk for a major depression increases during perimenopause, primarily as the direct result of vasomotor symptoms. The same does not hold true for women before menopause begins or once they enter menopause. Note that while major depression is a risk factor for suicide, not everyone who is depressed will actually kill themselves.
So, are hormonal fluctuations the sole cause of such deep unhappiness that women want to kill themselves?
Interestingly, just a week after the menopause/train suicide story hit the interwebz, a rather controversial set of data also emerged: since 1972, women’s overall level of happiness has dropped. These findings held true regardless of child status, marital status and age. Researcher Marcus Buckingham, writing in the Huffington Post, said that women are not more unhappy than men because of gender stereotyping and related attitudes, due to working longer hours or because of the inequality of housework/responsibilities at home, but rather, the hormonal fluctuations of menopause may be to blame. What’s more, he leaves us hanging so we’ll tune in for part two of the piece to learn the true cause of our declining happiness or better yet, read his book (which evidently guides women through the process of finding the true role that they were meant to play in life).
Importantly, reactions to this study (and various pundits’ assessment of it) have been mixed. One of the most poignant comments I’ve read asks the question “how is happiness measured? What does it mean?”
I have no idea what caused Mrs. Drew to walk into a train two weeks ago and kill herself. Perhaps she was depressed. Clearly she was suicidal.
I have no idea why research shows that women are less happier than they were three decades ago.
However, is menopause the cause? Don’t these conclusions only serve to perpetuate societal myths that menopause is a disease that requires treatment? That as women, our attitudes, belief systems and actions are hormonally-based and driven? That we are hysterical beings who need guidance on how to find our way and fulfill our dreams, realize our paths, but only if we calm down?
Feeling angry? Blame it on menopause. Unhappy? Blame it on menopause. Not realizing your dreams? Blame it on menopause. Overworked, overstressed, undervalued? Blame it on menopause.
Blame it on menopause.
I don’t know about you but I’m tired, tired of hearing that menopause is not the symptom but the disease.
There’s no time like the present to burst this bubble.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-buckingham/whats-happening-to-womens_b_289511.html
I’d seen some of these before, but not the stuff on flossing or the dangers of nonprescription sleep pills (their effects on cognitive abilities in the long term). Interesting. I want the Rubix Cube!
Especially after age 30y, even with good diet & health, we need, but run out of, most essential micronutrients
– some ~15 minerals esp CalMag,Zn,Se, Bo,Cr, I, Mn (Iron in kids & young women).
~15 vitamins esp C,D,B, K, bcarotene, E;
~25 of our own manufactured Biological – FISH OIL; hormones (melatonin, 5HTP;HRT); enzymes, MSM, CoQ10, arginine, carnitine, ribose, cartilage, glycine, glutamine, lipoic/malic acids, flavinoids, cysteine, proline etc; &
AND Dozens of other biologicals-herbs/plants eg garlic; buchu; nettle; ginger,cinnamon, guai, galega, coleus, gymnema, stevia, milk thistle, cat’s claw huperzine A; borrie, aloe, sutherlandia, – both to improve learning & concentration- FISH OMEGA3 – at all ages- and to improve all systems,
and thus to help fight stress, pain- fatigue, pollution, toxins eg smoking/ sugar, heavy metals; infections, arthritis, anaemia, allergy, asthma, cancer, infertility, fattening, obesity- diabetes, memory loss, dermatitis, eczema, depression,colitis; anxiety, insomnia, hypertension, varicose-veins-piles, ulcers
and diseases of all organs- immune, heart-lung, liver, kidney, thyroid, bones, nerves,brain, etc.
Most patent prescription medicine/drugs are based on these listed evidence-based micronutritionals- but are often more risky, less effective. No patent designer drug does what these natural supplements do- lower all-cause mortality and diseases of aging by 36% to 50%, new diabetes by up to 80%.
Wonder what I’m talking about yet? A newly published study in the advanced online edition of the journal menopause suggests that Vitamin D is a critical element for maintaining physical fitness during the postmenopause years.
In this study, researchers evaluated the following factors in 242 postmenopausal women that could account for overall physical fitness:
age
years since menopause
weight
blood levels of vitamin D
daily energy expenditure
calcium intake
overall body composition
waist and hip fat
The findings? Although there were many factors contributing to overall physical fitness, vitamin D was a common variable, contributing to fat mass, lean mass, balance, and handgrip strength. Hence, obtaining and maintaining adequate vitamin D appears to be important to staying lean, decreasing the risk of falls due to balance and maintaining muscle strength.
The Institute of Medicine currently recommends that women under the age of 50 obtain at least 200 IUs Vitamin D daily, and women over the age of 50, at least 400 IUs. Although a consensus has yet to be reached, many experts say that the majority of people can obtain adequate levels of vitamin D through about 5-30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back — preferably without sunscreen. Of course, this goes against common sense and skin cancer warnings and people who are especially prone to or have a skin cancer risk might want to consider obtaining their Vitamin D through daily supplements.
Regardless, it’s interesting to learn that researchers have unveiled yet another essential role for Vitamin D in our lives. Fitness is important to many aspects of aging — not just to maintain physical health — but also to promote healthier emotional well-being.
Be sure that you are paying attention to D. When it comes to postmenopause, D is for definite.
The Los Angeles Times (9/9, Roan) “Booster Shots” blog reported that, according to a study published in the Journal of Women’s Health, gabapentin, “a medication that is used for a variety of conditions, mostly seizures, may help women whose sleep is disrupted by menopausal hot flashes.” Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center “gave 59 postmenopausal women either 300 milligrams of gabapentin three times a day or a placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, the study showed significant improvement in overall sleep quality for the women receiving gabapentin compared with those receiving the placebo.” While the investigators “aren’t sure why” gabapentin “improves sleep in women with hot flashes,” they theorized that it “reduces hot flashes, stabilizes sleep, or decreases the amount of time to transition from wakefulness to sleep.”
The other night at work, I was humming. Yes, humming. To entertain my self while I was vacuuming. Yes, vacuuming. And no, I’m not a cleaning woman, although it sure does feel like it sometimes. I’m not vacuuming toenail clippings off of some cheap hotel carpet, y’all. I vacuum soot. And no, not the soot that comes out of your fireplace, the kind of soot I’m talking about is white and chalky and it gets all over everything.
Like my new black suede MBT shoes that I bought at the expensive shoe boutique for 230 bucks on sale because I heard they would make my feet stop hurting. And like my hair, which I carefully spike up before work every day, and yet by the end of the day I look like I’ve just climbed out of a vat of powdered sugar. And all over my pants, my clean coat and my safety glasses.
Anyway, back to the humming. Vacuuming, as y’all all know, is a pretty boring and solitary job, so to pass the time I usually hum whatever tune pops into my head. A lot of time I get short little spiritual ditties, called “choruses” floating around in there. In my former life, before I backslid and got divorced, I played the piano for a Pentecostal type church.
For twelve years, y’all. That’s a whole lot of little spiritual “choruses.”
So the other night, the tune I had stuck in there was one of our major choruses. Only about four lines long, we would frequently sing it to start the services off with. “Our God is a _____ God.”
That’s right. A _____God. Now looky here, y’all, I could not, for the life of me, remember the words. So I’m thinking to myself, “Now, Ginger, think. What in the Sam Hill kind of God is He, anyway?”
I came up with several possibilities.
I wanted to claim it was Thankful. But no, Our God is a Thankful God didn’t seem quite right. We should be thankful, not Him.
I ran through everything I could think of….I knew it was two syllables. Mighty? No. Loving? No. Truthful? No. Jealous? No. Frightful? Clearly, no.
As y’all can tell, it was really buggin’ me. I started to wonder how on earth I could have forgotten this. Was I that far gone into Backslidingdom that I couldn’t remember what kind of God we have? Or was menopause, or lack of sleep, or my love of mojitos to blame?
I walked around in a memory fogged daze for a while, cleaning soot out of my machine and starting it back up, all the while trying my best to remember.
Our God is a _____ God? I just couldn’t fill in the blank.
Finally, after who knows how long, I decided to go down the alphabet. Sadly, I find myself using this trick more and more to recall things like this. Like, peoples’ names. When you know you know the name, but you just can’t quite grasp it. Amanda, Betty, Carmen, Donna, etc.
Yeah. Getting old sucks.
So, I started doing the alphabet game. I was going to go down the alphabet and think of a two syllable word for every letter that describes God.
I’m happy to report it worked. A. My first word was Awesome. AWESOME! YES! OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!
Now I’m humming. Now for the rest of the song!! Our God is an Awesome God, He reigns…..uh…..blankblankblank on High. Huh?
Oh well, at least I got the title. At least I still remember that God is awesome.
I’ll work on remembering the rest of the song later.
But if y’all ever hear me say I’ve forgotten the words to Amazing Grace? Well, just shoot me.
For years we’ve heard the same old conventional wisdom: eat less and exercise more to lose weight. Americans have spent billions on diet programs which offer them less food with less nutrition.