Good morning everyone! Damp and dreary here in NC today with a few snow showers in the air (ugh), so a good day to share a story about Vitamin D with you!
This article from USAToday.com came across my news feed a couple days ago. Researchers tested a number of different brands of Vitamin D pills from grocery stores (55 bottles from 12 different manufacturers ). The pills contained a huge variation in the amount of Vitamin D that was claimed on the bottle, from 52% to 146% of the dose stated on the bottle.
I often get asked where I purchase my Vitamins and supplements and if I use Vitamins from "big box" stores. No except for melatonin, and that I do buy at whatever store I happen to be in (Walmart of Target usually). For all my other vitamins, I use the brands recommended by Dr. Carr, and most of my supplements are the Ortho Molecular brand. One time I ran out of the OM Vitamin D (it was backordered and after 30 days they just cancelled the order) and picked up a bottle of Vitamin D from a store. At my next blood work results, my Vitamin D level had dropped by nearly 10 points, and I learned a lot from that! I order enough Vitamin D ahead so that I NEVER run out. I also like Ortho Molecular because they carry Vitamin D in 5000IU capsules. In the summer I take 5000 IUs (I'm out in the sun almost every day in the swimming pool for water exercise) and in the winter I take 10000 IUs (I just got blood work done yesterday and will get my results next week, so I may be adjusting that dose). Most of the Vitamin D you get in the stores comes in a maximum dose of 2000 IUs, which means taking a lot of extra pills.
I also use Integrative Therapeutics brand supplements for a few vitamins/supplements I take that Ortho Molecular doesn't make. Integrative Therapeutics makes a great supplement called Cortisol Manager to help with cortisol (stress hormone) levels. I take two every night, and I order it as a subscription from Amazon (that way I know I absolutely never run out of it!). As always, check with your practitioner before making any changes to your regeime of supplements/vitamins, but I'm a big fan of Cortisol Manager, it has reduced my cortisol level by about 30%.
One other thing---------the article says the Institute of Medicine says most people get enough Vitamin D from foods and sun exposure. Their idea of "enough exposure" is to get an adult's Vitamin D level to about 30 ng/ml. If mine got that low, Dr. Carr would have a fit. He (and a lot of other progressive practitioners) know there is a big difference between "normal" and "optimal", and that the optimal range is between 70-100 ng/ml.
I am off to see the national touring company in Les Miserables today down in Charlotte, I'm so excited! Have a great weekend!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Menopause Blues: Is Depression Getting The Best Of You?
This article from The Huffington Post spoke to me this morning. The author of the article also wrote the book "End Your Menopause Misery", and I have not read the book (full disclosure). I am, however, intrigued enough by her article to go look the book up on Amazon.com.
I was particularly caught by the third paragraph of the article, where it talks about personal and professional relationships that enhance or impede your life. My life in the last couple years has had some major shifts of who has been and not been in my life. Several years ago I got into a women's social group, and shortly after that, started attending a knitting group that met weekly at a local restaurant. I already had a number of friends from other circles in my life, both locally and from when I lived in NY, and my life was very busy and very active. It seemed like I was always doing something or going somewhere.
The social group after a while became more of a chore than a pleasure. I'm grateful to have been part of it because I made a very good friend from it; she is still an important part of my life and we have a great time together. However, outside of that, the women in the group were all older than me, and it became apparent that we had not a great deal in common. Out of nearly 20 women, only about 4 were taking any initiative to plan any outings (isn't that always the way?), and the group leader was, to put it mildly, a passive aggressive fusspot. I finally sent an email to the group politely saying that the group dynamics no longer worked for me, wishing them all the best, and that was that.
I had invited several women from the social group to come to the knitting group I was attending. I also invited a few other women from other areas of my life to come to the knitting group, women that didn't have a lot of other friends and I thought would enjoy the socialization and getting out of the house. That turned out to be a bigger disaster. The woman who started the knitting group (and who I befriended only out of compassion for her life's circumstances) turned out to be a power hungry bully. She kicked me out of the knitting group for no reason other than to be cruel, and the rest of the women (with two exceptions) in the group went right along with her and simply turned away from me, some I am sure because they were afraid if they didn't go along with her they would be kicked out too. One of her friends, who I met through the social group and introduced to her, then proceeded to kick me out of a Sunday lunch and movie group that I had started with another woman. At the time, I was devastated..........I had considered some of these women to truly be friends. I went out of my way to be a good friend, driving people to doctor's appointments, taking some of the older women (who are afraid to drive) shopping, planning days out, and so on. Turns out I had been being used for nearly three years, and I couldn't stop beating myself up at my stupidity. I stopped going to any knitting group because it was just too painful; and the one time I visited one of my old groups one woman got up and walked out. Really. For a while, my interest in knitting (which many of you know about from hearing me talk about it on the blog) waned considerably. My confidence was deeply rattled, the whole incident shook me to the core. Even rereading and editing this post, the story sounds incredulous that I knew people like this, but I did.
It's been a year and a half since then, and to say it has all been a learning experience would be an understatement. Reading the above referenced article made me think about what I had learned from that experience:
Take some time to "inventory" the people in your life. Are they there because it's convenient, or because they add joy to your life? We all have people in our lives that we may have to interact with, but interaction and truly being in someones life are two different things. The term "life's too short" starts to mean something when we get to this stage of our lives. I spend time now with people I truly like and respect; and while I try to be polite to (almost) everyone, I don't know that I would ever join a social group again after my experiences over the last couple years.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
I was particularly caught by the third paragraph of the article, where it talks about personal and professional relationships that enhance or impede your life. My life in the last couple years has had some major shifts of who has been and not been in my life. Several years ago I got into a women's social group, and shortly after that, started attending a knitting group that met weekly at a local restaurant. I already had a number of friends from other circles in my life, both locally and from when I lived in NY, and my life was very busy and very active. It seemed like I was always doing something or going somewhere.
The social group after a while became more of a chore than a pleasure. I'm grateful to have been part of it because I made a very good friend from it; she is still an important part of my life and we have a great time together. However, outside of that, the women in the group were all older than me, and it became apparent that we had not a great deal in common. Out of nearly 20 women, only about 4 were taking any initiative to plan any outings (isn't that always the way?), and the group leader was, to put it mildly, a passive aggressive fusspot. I finally sent an email to the group politely saying that the group dynamics no longer worked for me, wishing them all the best, and that was that.
I had invited several women from the social group to come to the knitting group I was attending. I also invited a few other women from other areas of my life to come to the knitting group, women that didn't have a lot of other friends and I thought would enjoy the socialization and getting out of the house. That turned out to be a bigger disaster. The woman who started the knitting group (and who I befriended only out of compassion for her life's circumstances) turned out to be a power hungry bully. She kicked me out of the knitting group for no reason other than to be cruel, and the rest of the women (with two exceptions) in the group went right along with her and simply turned away from me, some I am sure because they were afraid if they didn't go along with her they would be kicked out too. One of her friends, who I met through the social group and introduced to her, then proceeded to kick me out of a Sunday lunch and movie group that I had started with another woman. At the time, I was devastated..........I had considered some of these women to truly be friends. I went out of my way to be a good friend, driving people to doctor's appointments, taking some of the older women (who are afraid to drive) shopping, planning days out, and so on. Turns out I had been being used for nearly three years, and I couldn't stop beating myself up at my stupidity. I stopped going to any knitting group because it was just too painful; and the one time I visited one of my old groups one woman got up and walked out. Really. For a while, my interest in knitting (which many of you know about from hearing me talk about it on the blog) waned considerably. My confidence was deeply rattled, the whole incident shook me to the core. Even rereading and editing this post, the story sounds incredulous that I knew people like this, but I did.
It's been a year and a half since then, and to say it has all been a learning experience would be an understatement. Reading the above referenced article made me think about what I had learned from that experience:
- I am deeply blessed to have great people in my life who truly are friends. I wish the same for all of my readers, and I hope you all will do the life work necessary to develop the kinds of friendships worthy of your time and energy.
- There is a big difference between a friend and an acquaintance.
- Compassion and kindness are sometimes a wasted effort, but if they turn out to be, don't beat yourself up for it. You did the best you could at the time, and beating yourself up is even more of a wasted effort.
- I'm all for an active social life, but also take time for yourself. During those few years I was involved with those women, I felt guilty if I planned an outing/day trip and didn't invite other people to go along with me; it felt selfish. In the last year, I have relearned that I am very good company. Just me. Some of my happiest day trips in the last year have been when I take a spur of the moment trip to someplace fun (my current favourite is Black Mountain, NC, great little village full of shops and restaurants, lovely scenery) and I go by myself. I'm worth it!
- When you meet people who don't have any/many friends, be careful. There is likely a reason they don't have any/many friends.
- There are some really awful people in the world. Fortunately, there are a lot more great people in the world!
- Women can be absolute bitches. It's true.
Take some time to "inventory" the people in your life. Are they there because it's convenient, or because they add joy to your life? We all have people in our lives that we may have to interact with, but interaction and truly being in someones life are two different things. The term "life's too short" starts to mean something when we get to this stage of our lives. I spend time now with people I truly like and respect; and while I try to be polite to (almost) everyone, I don't know that I would ever join a social group again after my experiences over the last couple years.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Fitness in 40s, 50s Tied to Later Dementia Risk
If you need another reason to exercise in your mid life years, here's a good one. According to MedPageToday.com, an observational study shows that in a study of nearly 20,000 participants, the group that scored in the top one fifth in scores of cardiorespiratory fitness at about 50 years of age had a 36% less likelyhood of developing dementia in later life. That's enough to keep me in the gym! I also have a history of heart disease in my family; my father died of congestive heart failure at the age of 59.
What do you like to do as far as exercise for cardio fitness? I like to fitness walk (I'm slowly building my distance back up after a bout with Achilles tendonosis), and I also do water aerobics a few days a week. I know a lot of people enjoy the elliptical machine, but for some reason, that sets off really nasty neuropathic pain my right leg if I do it for more than a few minutes.
I'm thinking of all you in the Northeast right now, I know the blizzard has really affected a lot of people. I understand 650,000 people are (or at least were yesterday) without power, and that can be life threatening. If it helps, the first day of spring is in 37 days (although I lived up north long enough to know that doesn't always mean much!) Whatever you do, however you spend the rest of the weekend, I hope you are able to stay safe and warm.
What do you like to do as far as exercise for cardio fitness? I like to fitness walk (I'm slowly building my distance back up after a bout with Achilles tendonosis), and I also do water aerobics a few days a week. I know a lot of people enjoy the elliptical machine, but for some reason, that sets off really nasty neuropathic pain my right leg if I do it for more than a few minutes.
I'm thinking of all you in the Northeast right now, I know the blizzard has really affected a lot of people. I understand 650,000 people are (or at least were yesterday) without power, and that can be life threatening. If it helps, the first day of spring is in 37 days (although I lived up north long enough to know that doesn't always mean much!) Whatever you do, however you spend the rest of the weekend, I hope you are able to stay safe and warm.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Don't forget!
It's also Superbowl weekend, and quite honestly, you should be astonished I even know that (not particularly a sports fan). I do know that the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49er's are the two teams involved (but I had to look it up on the NFL website to double check), so if you have an allegiance to either of those teams, I hope it's a great weekend for you! I will probably have the game on for a while to watch the commercials (although I know a number of them are already online), but will be switching over to PBS at 8 pm to rewatch an episode from Call the Midwife, then a new episode of Downton Abbey (hooked on that show). However you spend Sunday, make it happy (which is always heart healthy!)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
And the answer is:
This is called a Kubotan! I took a self defense course on Saturday (and I HIGHLY recommend everyone find a course in their area and take it) and we learned about Kubotans. It attaches to your key ring, and you carry your keys in your hand using it when you are walking to or from a parking lot. If you are attacked, you can use it to hit your attacker in the neck or face, or really, any part of the body and it will cause enough pain to someone that you can get away. I purchased mine at the class for about $11, but Amazon.com carries them for about $6.
Here's another version of a kubotan, this one is called Safety Cat:
The advantage to this style is that it is much smaller and lighter (about 3 x 2 inches, and very lightweight). You attach to your key ring, and then slip your fingers through the cat's eyes. I'm ordering a bunch of these for gifts.
Have a great day, everyone! I worked out early this morning, so I need to rest my back for a bit, I will watch the Inauguration and feel blessed that I live in a country where we can elect a President peacefully and gather to celebrate on a beautiful winter day. We are very blessed to live in America.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
10 Things I’ve Learned From Living With Chronic Illness
I debated about this post because nothing makes me crazier than people who constantly complain and whine about a chronic health condition. I know it has shaped the way I deal with chronic back and hip pain from a long ago car accident, I have spoken about it before here on the blog (especially as it relates to how I burn through my hormones faster than a lot of people because my body is under constant physical stress.) There are only a few people (both Dr. Carr and my pain management doctor, as well as a couple other important people in my life) who know the full impact the accident injuries have on my day to day living. I've struggled (and continue to do so) to accept my physical limitations, I've come a long way, but still, 21 years post accident, sometimes get very angry and frustrated when I can't do something (or do it as well or as fast) as I want or need to.
I ran across this article from Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy from a Facebook post (one of my FB friends is a regular subscriber, I hadn't heard of him until today because I do not have RA). It's a list of 10 things to be learned from living with a chronic illness (or injury). Number five in particular can apply to those of you who are still struggling with menopausal symptoms and are seeking bioidentical hormone care. The rest are ideas that in one way or another, we can all apply to our daily lives. Enjoy, get out there and move, and have a great Sunday!
I ran across this article from Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy from a Facebook post (one of my FB friends is a regular subscriber, I hadn't heard of him until today because I do not have RA). It's a list of 10 things to be learned from living with a chronic illness (or injury). Number five in particular can apply to those of you who are still struggling with menopausal symptoms and are seeking bioidentical hormone care. The rest are ideas that in one way or another, we can all apply to our daily lives. Enjoy, get out there and move, and have a great Sunday!
Drug Agency Recommends Lower Doses of Sleep Aids for Women
I suspect a lot of people reading this blog either right now have trouble sleeping, or have at one time had trouble sleeping. I know that before I got my hormones balanced, I had a horrible time with insomnia, and I have at one time or another taken Ambien, Lunesta, and a host of other sleep medications. To my knowledge, I never drove impaired, but it scares me to think I might have on occasion.
The news about lower recommended doses of Ambien hit the news last week, and this article from the NYTimes.com is important reading. Apparently, the active ingredient in Ambien and some other sleep medications (zolpidem) is staying in the body longer than previously thought, and especially in women, and it is thought to contribute to excessive morning sleepiness. That sleepiness is thought to have contributed to a number of accidents. Since this story broke, I have had a heightened awareness about impaired drivers when I hit the gym early in the morning.
I haven't taken any prescription sleep medications since about a month after I started on the bioidentical hormone protocol. I now take melatonin to sleep, along with Cortisol Manager (it's a supplement that helps with high cortisol levels----it's reduced mine by about 30%!) I also knit in the evenings to help me relax. I have also used Benedryl (over the counter, it's an old allergy medication) when I really can't drop off to sleep.
Hope everyone is having a good start to 2013! We had four days of gloom and rain here last week; I was SO happy to see the sun on Friday! It's been sunny ever since, but by Tuesday and Wednesday the highs will only be about 40 degrees------brrrrr (well, brrrr for NC!) I'm heading out for a walk this afternoon to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
The news about lower recommended doses of Ambien hit the news last week, and this article from the NYTimes.com is important reading. Apparently, the active ingredient in Ambien and some other sleep medications (zolpidem) is staying in the body longer than previously thought, and especially in women, and it is thought to contribute to excessive morning sleepiness. That sleepiness is thought to have contributed to a number of accidents. Since this story broke, I have had a heightened awareness about impaired drivers when I hit the gym early in the morning.
I haven't taken any prescription sleep medications since about a month after I started on the bioidentical hormone protocol. I now take melatonin to sleep, along with Cortisol Manager (it's a supplement that helps with high cortisol levels----it's reduced mine by about 30%!) I also knit in the evenings to help me relax. I have also used Benedryl (over the counter, it's an old allergy medication) when I really can't drop off to sleep.
Hope everyone is having a good start to 2013! We had four days of gloom and rain here last week; I was SO happy to see the sun on Friday! It's been sunny ever since, but by Tuesday and Wednesday the highs will only be about 40 degrees------brrrrr (well, brrrr for NC!) I'm heading out for a walk this afternoon to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?
It's funny, every time I share an article here on the blog on Vitamin D, I automatically look out the window to see if it's sunny or cloudy (today it's sunny in NC.) I hope to go out and get in my walk this morning before I meet with my Saturday peeps for lunch ----- I firmly believe maintaining friendships and social relationships is just as important as bioidentical hormones for quality of life.
But I digress. I carp on Vitamin D levels constantly, because it's an important prohormone and far too many people have not had their levels tested. A substantial number of people who are in the post menopausal years are dealing with chronic pain issues, and this article from CBSNews.com is important reading. A Mayo Clinic study suggests that people with inadequate levels of Vitamin D take more narcotics for pain management than those with adequate Vitamin D levels. It's worth looking into if you or someone you care for is taking narcotics for pain management.
When the discussion comes up about Vitamin D, I am frequently asked how much I take. This time of year (October to about March), I take 5000 IUs every other day, and 10000 IUs on the alternate days. Come springtime, when the sun is stronger and I am outdoors for longer periods of time, I am usually fine with 5000 IUs daily. Come summer here in NC, I am in the outdoor pool in our subdivision at least 4-5 days a week, even so, I still take my daily Vitamin D dose. Dr. Carr likes his patients to be in the 70-100 ng/ml range, we consider it a victory when my level gets to about 70.
Time for me to inject my weekly doses of testosterone and estrogen (I've already taken my first dose of progesterone for the day), climb into my workout clothes, and head outside to walk. Oh, warm up a bit first with some stretches ---- particularly calf and Achilles tendon stretches. Have a great weekend, everyone!
But I digress. I carp on Vitamin D levels constantly, because it's an important prohormone and far too many people have not had their levels tested. A substantial number of people who are in the post menopausal years are dealing with chronic pain issues, and this article from CBSNews.com is important reading. A Mayo Clinic study suggests that people with inadequate levels of Vitamin D take more narcotics for pain management than those with adequate Vitamin D levels. It's worth looking into if you or someone you care for is taking narcotics for pain management.
When the discussion comes up about Vitamin D, I am frequently asked how much I take. This time of year (October to about March), I take 5000 IUs every other day, and 10000 IUs on the alternate days. Come springtime, when the sun is stronger and I am outdoors for longer periods of time, I am usually fine with 5000 IUs daily. Come summer here in NC, I am in the outdoor pool in our subdivision at least 4-5 days a week, even so, I still take my daily Vitamin D dose. Dr. Carr likes his patients to be in the 70-100 ng/ml range, we consider it a victory when my level gets to about 70.
Time for me to inject my weekly doses of testosterone and estrogen (I've already taken my first dose of progesterone for the day), climb into my workout clothes, and head outside to walk. Oh, warm up a bit first with some stretches ---- particularly calf and Achilles tendon stretches. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Your beer gut may lead to a broken hip
Osteoporosis is (mistakenly) thought to be a disease of women, when in fact, by the age of 65, men are just as at risk for hip fractures as women. However, very little is said or written about men and osteoporosis.
I found this article from NBC News.com pretty interesting, and it's very concerning that men in their 30's are already showing signs of weakening bones. I asked my own hormone physician, Dr. Carr, about the article (he's a great teacher when I have questions about stuff I read in the media), and he explained to me that excess fat tends to lower testosterone levels in men, and that lower testosterone levels tend to promote fat gain. Both ways, the bones suffer, and that's not a good thing. I don't know if it's just because more people have been out in the stores lately because of the holiday season, but over the last 5-6 weeks, I've noticed several men in their late 60's-early 70's (estimate) who have what it known as a dowager's hump, their spinal columns are very bent and they are hunched over. A clear indication of osteoporosis of the spine.
I know it seems I carp about bone health a lot ---- and one of the things that I am most proud of is that with weight training exercise, testosterone optimization, and Vitamin D optimization, Dr. Carr and I were able to reverse my osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis) and now my bones are comfortably in the normal range for density. My mother had severe osteoporosis, in fact, she lost 4 1/2 inches in height over the course of about 15 years. She lost her balance and fell on carpeting at home in 1996, she broke her upper arm bone and was hospitalized for nearly 3 weeks. She became very frightened to walk, and was essentially an invalid for the last two years of her life. It was miserable for her, and a nightmare for me trying to take care of her. I am absolutely determined to not go through that as I age, and I have the added incentive to keep my bones strong in that I occasionally fall from accident injuries. I have landed hard several times and never (so far, knock wood) done anything more serious than scrape up my hands and/or knees (and ruin a couple pair of slacks, sigh). I hate doing weight exercises, but I do them to stress my bones and keep them strong.
I found this article from NBC News.com pretty interesting, and it's very concerning that men in their 30's are already showing signs of weakening bones. I asked my own hormone physician, Dr. Carr, about the article (he's a great teacher when I have questions about stuff I read in the media), and he explained to me that excess fat tends to lower testosterone levels in men, and that lower testosterone levels tend to promote fat gain. Both ways, the bones suffer, and that's not a good thing. I don't know if it's just because more people have been out in the stores lately because of the holiday season, but over the last 5-6 weeks, I've noticed several men in their late 60's-early 70's (estimate) who have what it known as a dowager's hump, their spinal columns are very bent and they are hunched over. A clear indication of osteoporosis of the spine.
I know it seems I carp about bone health a lot ---- and one of the things that I am most proud of is that with weight training exercise, testosterone optimization, and Vitamin D optimization, Dr. Carr and I were able to reverse my osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis) and now my bones are comfortably in the normal range for density. My mother had severe osteoporosis, in fact, she lost 4 1/2 inches in height over the course of about 15 years. She lost her balance and fell on carpeting at home in 1996, she broke her upper arm bone and was hospitalized for nearly 3 weeks. She became very frightened to walk, and was essentially an invalid for the last two years of her life. It was miserable for her, and a nightmare for me trying to take care of her. I am absolutely determined to not go through that as I age, and I have the added incentive to keep my bones strong in that I occasionally fall from accident injuries. I have landed hard several times and never (so far, knock wood) done anything more serious than scrape up my hands and/or knees (and ruin a couple pair of slacks, sigh). I hate doing weight exercises, but I do them to stress my bones and keep them strong.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago
This article from News-Medical.net and several like it hit the news about two weeks before the holidays, but I thought it was better to share it now when possibly more people are reading the blog (I know the holidays get crazy for most people and catching up on blogs is way, way down on the list of things to do!)
Studies are suggesting that the human papillomavirus (HPV) may reactivate in women of the baby boomer generation. Women in that age group came of age during the sexual revolution, and the increased use and availability in birth control may have increased the likelihood for women in their 50's and 60's to have had multiple sex partners. The virus can lay dormant for years, but many women, as they age, have a decrease in the immune system, which can lead to reactivation of the virus. Although the problem is not rampant, it is worth discussing with your healthcare provider at your next visit, particularly if you feel you might be at risk.
Happy New Year to all-----wishing you good health, hormonal balance, and an abundance of laughter and great times in the coming year!
Studies are suggesting that the human papillomavirus (HPV) may reactivate in women of the baby boomer generation. Women in that age group came of age during the sexual revolution, and the increased use and availability in birth control may have increased the likelihood for women in their 50's and 60's to have had multiple sex partners. The virus can lay dormant for years, but many women, as they age, have a decrease in the immune system, which can lead to reactivation of the virus. Although the problem is not rampant, it is worth discussing with your healthcare provider at your next visit, particularly if you feel you might be at risk.
Happy New Year to all-----wishing you good health, hormonal balance, and an abundance of laughter and great times in the coming year!
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