Why Some Women Can Have Problems Falling Asleep

Although this article by Dr. Michael Breus deals with sleep issues in all women, not just those in menopause, I thought it was worth sharing with you. It appears is this morning's edition of the HuffingtonPost.com. Be sure and check out the tips he shares at the bottom of the article---I found out a while ago that my best exercise time is in the morning. I was doing some fitness walking in the mid to late afternoon back about a year ago, and found that while I thought it would help "wear me out" to sleep that night, it actually wound me up a bit and contributed to my sleep issues.

Dr. Carr's Video on Bioidentical Hormones

Mother Nature!

Thank you to those of you who have emailed and asked me about Hurricane Irene---which is predicted to hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina this weekend. I live far inland from that area, about 400 miles, and the most we are likely to get out of this is possibly a breeze of about 15 - 20 mph on Saturday. We've had enough excitement here this week with the earthquake, the weekend is going to be much calmer. Enjoy the rest of your week, and again, thank you for your concern!

Earthquake!

We felt the quake here at 1:50 pm ----- the condo shook, but no damage. Hope everyone is safe!

Lack Of Sleep Could Lower Men's Sex Drives

I have not shared an article on testosterone lately----I just noticed this one on the HuffingtonPost.com site. Granted, the number of participants in this study, conducted by The University of Chicago, is very small, but I was fascinated by how much of a decrease there was in the participants' testosterone levels over an 11 night period. Testosterone levels do not just affect libido, but also muscle and bone strength (we don't think of men as dealing with osteoporosis, but by the time they reach the age of 65, the incidence is nearly as high as it is in women). Share this with the guy in your life----but if he's sleeping, wait until he wakes up, he needs his rest (don't we all!)

A Plum By Any Other Name

This topic was screaming at me from my newsfeed yesterday-----check out this article from Women's Day Magazine (yes, that's me commenting at the end of the article). A small study was done that shows women who eat 10 prunes a day for a year had a higher bone density than the control group who ate 10 dried apples every day for the same year. I'm getting a little queasy just thinking about eating 10 prunes a day (or as they are now called, dried plums). I would far rather be bioidentically hormonally balanced, take my daily Vitamin D (I take 5000 IUs daily, as always, check with your doctor on this), and do regular weight training exercise. On a side note, all that weight exercise I am doing is starting to pay off, my arms are far from beautiful, but there is a wee bit of muscle definition----I'm very proud!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Ranting---venting!

I just got back from a presentation by one of the local hospitals on the mind/body/spirit connection. I love going to health seminars, I usually learn something and I enjoy the day out and the interaction with others. Today's presentation was substandard, and that is putting it politely. I will list a few of the points on the (boring) Powerpoint presentation, with my own snarky little comments in RED:

"Chemicals and hormones release by Neurons affects your body" I copied this word for word---the grammar is atrocious. What is more atrocious is that the presenter read this off the computer screen and then didn't give any explanation. At all.

"Damage to discrete areas within the brain can thus produce a variety of disorders of the mind." Again, absolutely no explanation.

"Mindful Awareness: Recognize what is happening us in the moment it occurs. Accept the experience without any judgement or emotional reaction." A laudable goal; however, much harder to put into practice without some guidance. I am a big fan of mindfulness, and although none of us practice it as often as we should, while you are reading this-----stop for a moment. Right now, what are you experiencing? What colour is on the screen you are reading? How does your chair feel beneath you? I'm right now feeling the carpet under my bare foot, and I am feeling the push of my laptop edge on my right wrist. The air conditioner just kicked on, and I can hear a loose shingle outside my condo.

"Conditions that may affect Mindfulness: Being laid off from your job, dealing with the death of a loved one, experiencing money problems....." Yes, it is true that these very stressful life events can affect your ability to be mindful and/or focus on the present moment, but good grief, what about the events that we deal with every single day? For some of us, chronic pain, menopausal sypmptoms (I was particularly sad that she didn't discuss this, as most of the ladies in the room were over 40), the barrage of information in this day and age, social media distractions, and the list is enormous!

"Exercise (screen title) A very effective stress buster, improves quality of life". If you don't know this, you really need more intensive help than a health seminar. There were so many other benefits that the presenter could have touched on: bone health, flexibility, balance so that falls are less likely as we age, cardio, the importance of weight training and cardio, finding an exercise that works for you, and so on. A new study just came out that as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can be helpful in reducing coronary and cancer risks (however, more exercise per week, a minimum of 150 minutes, is preferable).

"Meditation (screen title): Awareness exercise and concentration". The presenter gave no resources on different ways to meditate, books/DVDs and Smartphone applications available.

"The Relaxation Response: Take time off to relax. Treat and own your body." And honest, that's all she said about it. Not about finding ways to get a little time to yourself, and nothing about hobbies, girls time together, enjoyable pursuits, and the myriad of other ways to take care of yourself.

I could go on but that's enough for today. Thank you for letting me rant----see, it relieved my stress and I feel better already. I am going to work on getting a list of resources together for you about stress management, mind/body/spirit connection, etc. and as soon as I have it completed, I will post it for you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

New targets for treating pain in women possibly found

Very interesting article today from HealthJockey.com ----- a research study done at SUNY (State University of NY----my alma mater) Downstate indicates that hormone levels are likely to affect the efficacy and effect of some pain medications. Some of the article is a little technical, but the take home message is that in post menopausal women (who are depleted of hormones) may not get the full benefit of some pain medications. This is something to talk to your doctor about (I plan on taking this article in to my pain managment doctor next month for a further explanation----he's a great patient educator). Another important point-----make sure EVERY doctor treating you knows exactly what medications, HORMONES, and supplements you are taking-----I get almost hysterical when a woman tells me that she is getting her hormones (bioidentically) balanced, but she isn't planning to tell her gynocologist and/or primary care provider that she's taking them because she doesn't "want the hassle". Nuh, uh---not acceptable, and possibly dangerous.

New Research Explains How Estrogen Could Help Protect Women From Cardiovascular Disease

It's long been known that estrogen helps protect women from heart disease (the rate of cardiovascular problems in women shoots up after menopause), but little was known about why. Check out this article from RedOrbit.com about research into the relationship between estrogen and heart disease.

Exercise: Just 15 minutes a day has benefits

I went to a health seminar a couple years ago and Dr. Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz) was the speaker, and one of the things he said really stuck with me: "If you can't find 20 minutes a day to exercise, you need to seriously look at your life." I do exercise at least 30 minutes (usually more) daily, for me it's not just about the health benefits of fat burning, weight management, etc, but also bone health (I will NEVER take the osteoporosis drugs), and keeping my back in the best shape I can.

Interesting article popped up on the newsfeed today; even 15 minutes of exercise daily has health benefits. Read more in this article from the LATimes.

Yes, I know, I haven't posted in a few days-----

Playing "hookey" now and again is good for the soul-----and helps to keep my stress hormones in check. I know I haven't posted any articles in a few days, but I have a good reason (and I can blame it on someone)----my wonderful friend Karen went away for a few days, and is allowing me to "babysit" her die cut/embossing machine. I didn't want it to feel neglected, so I have been on a card making marathon since Wednesday (the machine goes home this Wednesday). As you can see by the pictures below, I am utilizing the machine to its fullest (and my printer is exhausted!). Some of these cards are for my own use, and some are for gifts. This is only a sampling of what I have done......as I write this on Sunday night, I have done about 19 different designs in two different sizes, and I estimate I have printed, cut and embossed nearly 180 cards. I'm putting the pieces for each card into separate zip lock bags to be put together over the next few weeks. Enjoy the pictures, and I will be back on Monday or Tuesday!

Soy Doesn't Stop Bone Loss Or Ease Menopause Symptoms: Study

OK, for the 10th time ------ we have a HORMONE deficiency as we approach peri/menopause or andropause, not a soy deficiency (or an antidepressant deficiency, or black cohash deficiency). This study, outlined in this article from HuffingtonPost.com is all over the Internet this week (and I have posted a response on at least a half dozen websites----probably annoying a whole bunch of people in the process). Down off my soapbox for now-----thanks for listening!

Healthy diet heavier on the pocket: Study

Medical-News.net presents an article about a study done recently that indicates eating "healthier" costs an average of $380 more per year per person. A couple of points to note:

**Eating inexpensive/filling/less healthy foods may seem cheaper in the short term, but the overall effect on health will be a lot more expensive in the long run ---- obesity is a major contributing factor in serious (read that expensive) diseases like diabetes, stroke, heart health, and the list goes on.

**Check out the fourth paragraph of the article: "they did not factor in costs for food bought outside grocery stores, such as fast food - which would likely increase the food cost for each person. " I know a lot of people, especially those with children, use fast food restaurants frequently because of busy schedules, time constraints, convenience, and other reasons----but I wonder if they stop and calculate the costs over the course of a year. They would be astonished.

Hot Flash Havoc?

Have any of my readers seen this documentary yet? I just noticed that it is available through Amazon.com ----I'm wondering if it's worth purchasing. I know it has been shown at movie theaters in selected cities (Charlotte was not one of those cities, sadly). If you have seen the documentary, and would like to do a "guest post" review of it here on the blog, contact me through my holyhormones@gmail.com address and we can set it up!

Adrenal Fatigue: Are We Burning Ourselves Out?

I just picked up Marcelle Pick's new book Are you Tired or Wired? a couple weeks ago, but haven't had time to read it yet (and if I don't have time, maybe I need to reprioritize my schedule!). Check out this excellent article on adrenal fatigue in this morning's HuffingtonPost.com ----- now I am off to go put her book at the top of my reading list!

Does aging increase creativity?

A little off topic today, but I thought this article from PsychologyToday.com was worth sharing with you. This intrigued me because: a) I am very creative (and glad to know I will become more so with advancing years), b) I'm ADD, and very often ADD people are creative, and c) my maternal grandmother, who was very crafty, took up painting in her late 60's. I wonder what creative endeavor I will get into at that age?????

Big Pharma looks to capitalize on success of vitamin D by turning it into a 'drug' for kidney disease

This nonsense with the drug companies makes me sick. First they try to patent bioidentical progesterone shots (used in preventing preterm labour in high risk pregnancies). Now they want to turn Vitamin D3, which in fact is not even a vitamin (it's a prohormone) into a drug----that I am sure will cost way, way more than over the counter Vitamin D3. Check out this article from International Business Times.

No good articles on menopause to share with you today-----

But I love this quote:

"Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is an intense effort applied toward a meaningful end."

- Dr. Thomas Dooley