What Is Menopause?
A woman enters menopause when her period is absent for twelve consecutive months. The six- to ten-year time before this is perimenopause, when symptoms generally begin. Perimenopause generally begins between the ages of 38 and 48, and marks the beginning of the reduction of estrogen and progesterone produced by the ovaries.
Though menopause has a taboo looming overhead, it is not a disease or a body malfunction. Rather, it is a natural process that all women face at some point in their lives-the natural path the body takes as life goes on. Because the menopause journey is different for every woman, experiences vary. Some women have it very easy, others have complications, and others still have an average, symptom-laden adventure. All women should find a doctor that specializes in Peri menopause and menopause and track her symptoms so she can more easily find her way to hormone happiness.
Some women encounter menopause at a younger-than-average age. This is called primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). For more on POI, listen to this radio broadcast on Sirius XM Radio (Ch. 107) with Dr. Lawrence Nelson of the National Institutes of Health. Though POI can be debilitating, these women, too, can find hormonal peace.
The more women learn about menopause before they start experiencing the symptoms, the easier the transition will be into perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. If women understand that they can expect to possibly experience hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, weight gain, vaginal dryness, and unexplainable mood swings or irritation, they will be able to better deal with these hormone changes, and their loved ones will have a better grasp on what their mother/sister/wife/friend is going through, too.
As the symptoms and their intensities vary for everyone, women look for remedies in several places. Some women prefer bio identical hormone replacement therapy, or HRT (here is a great list of questions to ask your doctor if that's the route you want to take), and some look to all-natural alternatives such as soy products, yoga, or simply better hydration. Soy products are difficult to prove perfectly effective, but many women will attest to their helpful aspects. For more on soy, read this Q&A with Dr. Gordon Saxe, MD, of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Health.
A common misconception people have is that menopause is only a woman's issue. On the contrary, men experience a form of male menopause, or and ropause, too. Men experience a gradual decrease in the production of testosterone, causing symptoms like muscle loss, weight gain, fatigue, a decreased libido, depression, memory loss, hair loss, erectile dysfunction, urinary problems, and irritability. Many of these symptoms overlap between men and women. Men, too, can take measures to find hormonal balance. More men have been turning to bio identical HRT to treat their symptoms as well as rejuvenate their health and confidence.
Whatever your symptoms, remember that with the right approach, you can take control, conquer your menopause, and live a happy and healthy life functioning at 100%.
Shmirshky is the first book on menopause of its kind - it's easy, funny, and full of love! Rest assured, this is not your mother's menopause resource book. Shmirshky the pursuit of hormone happiness comes with a Daily menopause Symptoms Chart, which will help you communicate your symptoms to your doctor. Remember, reaching out is IN. Suffering in silence is OUT!
Worried About a Friend's Health
My mom said something at our last family gathering. She said she was so worried about a good friend, who she had seen recently.
"He scares me; he is just not doing very well at all."(I wanted to say "Duh, ya think?" but that would not have been appropriate to mouth off to my mother like that.)
When did we decide that we do not have any responsibility in the way we treat our bodies? It's like, "Hello, I'm abusing myself, and I do not have any responsibility for this abuse, and I better feel better soon, because this is a pain to deal with." And we keep expecting our body to just take the abuse and keep functioning, properly. We take better care of our cars and phones than ourselves. That's just so wrong!
Let's just pack on the pounds, eating whatever we please.
Anything "that sounds good", snacking all day and drinking tons diet pop.
Oh, and I am looked at as kind of a fanatic because I do take time to work out, and walk. I hear things like, "you are going a little overboard, aren't you, and exercising really doesn't fit into my life.
Seriously, do you not understand that if you do not work in time to take care of your body, in the long run if won't be able to take care of you??
Why is our mindset such that we feel we do not have to do anything what so ever to maintain this miracle that is us? We just think in seconds, or minutes. A world of texting and fast food.
No wonder mom's friend "scared her". He was 200 pounds overweight. He could no longer sit, his back hurt so much. He had to stand or lay down. And he slept in the easy chair, with a C-Pap mask, to keep him breathing at night. Did he change his routine, no, not at all?
Have we finally just given into the idea to eat ourselves to death? Or not eat anything much at all, and smoke and drink ourselves to death? Do we really think that medicine for high blood pressure and diabetes is just the norm? At the age of 30??
You are at a milestone in your life. Fifty can be the start of a new life for you. I know you are ready to make changes. I know you are stronger than you think you are.
Fifty is a great age to start taking care of you and your body. Take control, at a time when you feel you are totally out of control, because of your menopause. Go ahead and buck the system, you'll love yourself for doing it.
Corby Campbell Shields
Co-Author Menopause Master Plan
http://www.menopausemasterplan.com/
Women's Aging and Menopause
Menopause is a common condition that women experience as they age. Menopause, the change of life, is a normal part of a women's life that can be different for each woman going through it. Greater than 50% of women will experience some form of menopause, slight or severe, during their lifetime. A few of the symptoms can be a dry vaginal, pain, hot flashes, depression, sleepless night and urinary infections. Not all women will have to experience menopause symptoms, and those that do can be treated with medications and supplements designed to be of help with this condition.
The female body is born with a specific number of eggs that are stored in the ovaries where estrogen and progesterone hormones are produced. Hormones are a natural substance that functions as messengers for the body. They travel throughout the body where they adhere to special cells and cause a chain of events. These hormones regulate menstruation and ovulation. Menopause occurs when the eggs are no longer released every month and menstruation stops.
As a woman ages, the body begins to lose its ability to produce estrogen, bringing on menopause. The loss of estrogen can also cause other conditions in the woman's body, like osteoporosis and heart disease. Estrogen helps in the building of new bone and the loss of it can hamper its rebuilding ability.
Menopause is considered a normal part of aging when it occurs after age 40. The average age of a woman having her last period, menopause, is 51. Some women experience menopause early due to surgery, such as hysterectomy, or damage from chemotherapy. Premature menopause can occur before the age of 40 and research has shown that smoking can be a factor in causing an early onset. The symptoms of menopause can last from a few months to several years and can result in discomfort, pain and confusion. Once menopause starts, the female body cannot get pregnant
Menopause occurs it three gradual stages; pre menopause, menopause and post menopause. On approaching menopause or postmenopausal, most women will experience hot flashes, a feeling of sudden warmth that spreads over the upper body (face, neck or chest) and is often accompanied by blushing and some sweating. The duration of hot flashes can last from less than a minute to longer than six minutes and can occur every hour or just occasionally. They can also cause the body to sweat. Half of the women experiencing menopause will have moderate to severe hot flashes during the first few years of the condition.
It will be a help if a record is kept of your periods, charting them as they become irregular. You might suspect the approach of menopause on your own, or your doctor can tell you based on your tests and recorded symptoms. It is important to discuss and understand the effects of the changes the body goes through during this time with your health care provider.
Help with the discomforts of menopause can be obtained through the use of ProEASE. ProEASE is a wild jam cream that is being used by women around the world in addressing PMS and other hormone related issues. This cream has been specifically formulated for younger women that are experiencing lighter PMS symptoms and are pre-menopausal. Users have experienced less PMS symptoms, reduced stress and increased vitality. It has been designed to work with the body to help achieve natural balance and assist in easing symptoms of fluctuating changes experienced throughout a woman's life.
Hormones are substances in our bodies that act like messengers. They travel throughout the body and can bind to specialized areas of cells known as receptor sites, where they then initiate a specific chain of events. The first half of the menstrual cycle is dominated by estrogen, whose role is to build the lining of the uterus in preparation for a potential pregnancy. At approximately day 14 of the cycle, or two weeks prior to menstruation, an egg is released from the ovaries. This is referred to as ovulation. Hormones are substances in our bodies that act like messengers. They travel throughout the body and can bind to specialized areas of cells known as receptor sites, where they then initiate a specific chain of events. The first half of the menstrual cycle is dominated by estrogen, whose role is to build the lining of the uterus in preparation for a potential pregnancy. At approximately day 14 of the cycle, or two weeks prior to menstruation, an egg is released from the ovaries. This is referred to as ovulation.
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ProEASE
With Your Diet for Menopause, Let's Think Magnesium
Yes, mom was right to say "eat your vegetables". Magnesium is one reason why we should have had the dinner salad, instead of the Big Mac. Those dark green leafy vegetables do us a world of good because they are full of our friend, Magnesium.
Who cares, you say? Well 80% of us are not getting enough of this major power house. And, raise your hand here, if the answer is yes, you drink coffee, or have an adult beverage on a semi regular basis? Both coffee and alcohol reduces the amount of Magnesium that can be absorbed. Our body can not even utilise what we are minimally, putting in it. Our typical diet is pretty lacking in veggies these days. How about helping ourselves out here, and consider adding healthy food options like vegetables. Let's start with a dark green salad, or a handful of sunflower seeds or almonds.
Magnesium is the most prolific mineral in the body. It is responsible for over 400 biochemical functions though out our day. Starting with:
1. This mineral is essential to our energy, as well as balancing our hormone health. While we have a drop of estrogen and progesterone, it works to the best of his ability to help us feel "normal" by assisting other hormones do their job.
2. Magnesium allows the absorption of calcium, and then helps transport and places that calcium where it is needed. With Magnesium's help, and building, our bones remain strong, and flexible.
3. This mineral also helps maintain a normal electrical flow of nerve impulses to the heart.
4. Magnesium helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. It also uses the other hormones, like cortisone, and testosterone to give us energy.
5. This mineral is also essential for the activation of B vitamins. These are the ones we spoke of earlier, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
6. And magnesium is essential for kidney and liver function. That is why, when we have a glass of wine, or a cocktail, we hinder the work that magnesium is doing.
7. This mineral also assists in the production of key brain chemicals.
So, what did we learn? I think it is pretty obvious that the 80% statistic is very telling, and we are not eating enough salads and vegetables. And we would probably feel much better if we kept that in mind. Help yourself, and your magnesium today, hear that little voice in your head that says, "Eat your veggies."
Corby Campbell Shields
Co-Author Menopause Master Plan
http://www.menopausemasterplan.com/
What Women Need to Combat Menopause
Revive and Replenish
Ladies, if you have reached your fortieth birthday, there are a few things you should start thinking about now. You have been taking care of and nourishing everyone around you. If you have children you have also become a chauffeur, nurse, chef, janitor and much much more. If you have also had a full time job on top of all that you are more than likely at the bottom of your things to take care of. Well that needs to change as you head toward menopause. The sooner you start to take care of yourself, the better you will be able to combat menopause.
Begin with your diet and exercise. These a both very important as you get older, your body starts to change, eating healthy and being active are both great weapons to holding back the hands of time. Start eating more live foods, such as fruits and vegetables, cut back on carbs and animal products. As you start to reduce your menstrual cycle, you will need less calories to maintain you current weight. The fat cells also harbor estrogen, where it can build up and cause problems.
This is also a good time to have your hormone levels checked so you know what your normal levels are. By the time you have reached menopause your hormones could be way out of balance. You and your doctor can then have a much better idea of where to balance your levels. You also need to be asking your doctor if they can prescribe bio-identical hormones. If they don't, I would start checking around for a doctor that is very familiar with them. You can call your local pharmacy and ask if they carry these products and what doctors are prescribing them. The pharmacies that carry these products are usually very knowledgeable concerning their products and can guide you through many of your questions.
If you do not currently have an exercise program, it will be a great benefit to you to start putting one in place. You can start by walking for 20 minutes, three times a week. There a plenty of great products that you can do at home without a large out of pocket expense. You can also find something you love to do that requires movement. Try new things and see what you enjoy, find fellow comrades to join and start challenging the aging process. You will be glad you did after about three months your body will be addicted and except you to keep up this great lifestyle.
Exercise also helps relieve stress, which is one of the most destructive emotions we will have to deal with as we approach menopause. Start slowing down just a little, leave yourself more time to get things done. Rushing causes more stress, this can be detrimental, one way we can relieve this issue is to slow down and be more aware of of how we are handling our day. Take a deep breath and enjoy your family and loved ones. Your health will be a great gift to them, all will reap the rewards of your progress, but you will gain the best perk of all. Your health.
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What Ladies Can Do to Deal With Menopause Properly
Contrary to what many people think, men are also affected when their female companions-single or married but sexually active-undergo the menopausal stage. Menopause can negatively affect relationships and even considerably modify the dynamics of lovemaking because of the psychological and physiological shifts it brings about. It might even spark a breakdown in relationships or the termination of any kind of physical intimacy.
When a natural bodily function ceases, it may be a traumatic experience if not handled properly. The women can be prone to regular mood shifts at the beginning of, throughout, and even after menopause. This could make family life challenging not only for the woman, but also for other family members. As other family members might not fully understand the matter, the emotional pressure may cause many disputes.
A woman goes through menopause when her ovaries cease producing eggs, rendering her unable to have children. It also puts an end to a woman's reproductive years, causing a sudden change in her hormonal levels. The end of a woman's menstrual period normally happens between the ages of 47 and 53, but can also come earlier or later based on several factors, which are sometimes genetic.
There's a widespread misconception that the younger generation might be more active in sex than their more mature counterparts due to the "newness" of the experience. However, research in several countries has shown the opposite-men can be more active in sex as they get older, while middle-aged women have improved sex lives. The latter seems to bedue to women's doubts concerning the outcomes of menopause.
Middle-aged women may try to maximize their time before the beginning of menopause and take part in more intimate activities. Although menopause can reduce a woman's intimate desires, she can still look for help to mitigate its consequences through bio identical hormone replacement therapy. This treatment can help women who have undergone menopause and give comfort to their lovemaking anxieties.
Sex can be quite excruciating for women that are in menopause. Nonetheless, despite their decreased sex drive, some women refuse to give up to please their partners. A bioidentical hormone replacement procedure can help the woman and her spouse meet their sexual requirements. It can also alleviate the vaginal symptoms of menopause such as burning, dryness, itching, and some other kinds of discomfort.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can mitigate hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, anxiety attacks and other negative effects of menopause. It may also provide some defense against heart disease, colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis. Menopause may be inescapable for women, but it should not put a stop to intimacy with their spouses. You may visit the following website to find out more: www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/264088-overview.
For more details, search bio identical hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormone replacement in Google.
You, Menopause and the Exercise Pill
Wow, seriously! More than 60% of American women of all ages do not do the recommended amount of exercise as prescribed by the U.S. Surgeon General. And 25-40 % of women in America, as well as up to 56% of Canadian women, between the ages of 45-65, are doing nothing, absolutely nothing, at all. I bet there is a lot of other unhealthy news though out the rest of the globe; I am just not that familiar with those statistics.
No wonder menopausal women are sick and tired of being sick and tired. How are our unused and abused bodies going to function and keep us healthy and going for the next 30-50 years, if we don't do a thing to help our poor bodies out?
It's like owning a car; and you never change the oil, always give it crappy gas and never get a tune up. And then you expect that car to just run, well, with no problems, for miles and miles.
We need to treat our bodies like the best friend that it truly is...with love respect, and care. You might be saying, "Not that, I am exhausted, and I can't try and deal with this demand on my time, too". What if exercise was the pill that could make you feel better?
Think exercise won't help with anything you are going though...I bet it will and can:
- Exercise gives you more energy
- Exercise helps you to sleep
- Exercise helps counter anxiety and depression
- Exercise helps you to relax
- Exercise helps you cope with stress
- Exercise improves your self-image
- Exercise gives you an opportunity to socialize and meet new friends
Did you notice anything in that list that might sound like how you feel?? Your body is crying out for a little help here. Stronger muscles aid that 'Bestie" body in a lot of ways.
When bone is stressed though weight bearing exercise, it increases bone mass and reduces bone loss. So it helps with osteoporosis.
When you increase in your muscle mass, that reduces the amount of fat you carry, and your body does a better job of burning calories.
When you add strength and flexibility exercises to your life, it helps decrease your risk of falls, it also increases your stability. Less injuries and less chronic pain is a good thing.
Stronger muscles protect us from injury during normal daily activities. Everything from gardening, lifting, or vacuuming becomes easier.
Core exercises strengthen the muscles in your abdomen and back, helping to prevent low back pain. These exercises also help to improve your posture.
My back used to hurt all the time, why? Because the muscles in my back and stomach were so out of shape, they were doing nothing to support my frame and my bones. So one wrong twist or lift, and I was down flat and out of commission for a number of days.
Once I decided to strengthen all those core muscles, wallah, my back doesn't hurt anymore. My knee was truly wacked too, same deal, out of shape, no muscle strength, and now it works better than it has in years.
Sure, it's hard to get motivated to get out there.. But I bet once you get going, you are really going to be glad you did. And you will feel so much better, mentally and physically because you did something.
Seriously, this is really good for you.....THERAPY.
Grab a girlfriend,, take off and dish your heart out, while you walk around the park.
Join an exercise dance class and go 3 times a week after work. This is a great way to blow off steam, and work on your sexy.
How about water aerobics...if its 100 degrees or 10, you can still be in the heated water moving that body. (Sweating and hot flashes don't have much effect on you in this exercise...nice!)
I do some of my best thinking when I am out on a hike. Something about that time alone, thinking, gives me another way to look at a problem, and usually, find a solution.
I am asking you to do something for YOU, pretty please?
If your best friend asked for help, you would be there in a heart beat, right? Guess what, your heartbeat needs you to be there, for it, and the rest of you.
Corby Campbell Shields
Co-Author Menopause Master Plan
http:///www.menopausemasterplan.com