Monthly Archives: September 2009

Joan Borysenko on Developing Resilience

One of my favorite books on creating wellness is Minding the Body, Mending the Mind by Joan Borysenko, who more than two decades ago, first pioneered the mind-body connection despite wide skepticism in the medical community. The book was recommended to me 10 years ago by my physician at the time and the yellow highlighted, dog-eared pages are testament to how relevant and informative it has remained all these years.

Borysenko has just come out with a new book, It’s Not the End of the World, Developing Resilience in Times of Changeabout practicing and mastering resilience in times of crisis (she seems to have timed the publication of this book just right!) and living life with vision and purpose.  She’s also hosting a free, five-part online series on Hay House Radio, to offer “the steps you need to develop more strength and happiness.”  Her sessions include interviews with “the most influential leaders in the field of mind-body wellness about resilience and overcoming stress.” … [Read more]

Best Blogs for Boomer Health

If you’d like some help finding a blog that’s informative and relevant to your interests, check out this list of 100 Best Blogs on Boomer Health.   It’s always nice when someone does all of this research for you and even provides links, so be sure to bookmark it for future reference.The list is organized into 15 different categories and the section on blogs about women’s health includes this one on menopause (#35) and several that I follow and have included on my blogroll, including Aging Fabulous, and Our Bodies our Blog.

One blog that I’ve recently discovered that isn’t on this list is The Perimenopause Blog.  Women just beginning the mid-life transition will find this site particularly helpful, so if you know any 40-something women who are complaining about insomnia, weight gain and other unexpected changes to their bodies, send them to this blog for help.

Do you have a favorite blog that’s helped you on your mid-life journey?

Do You Have an Attitude About Exercise?

I often write about the findings of research studies of interest to women in mid-life. However, I’ve recently learned about an opportunity to actually participate in one and I’m passing this information to you so you can sign up too.

It’s an internet study that is being funded by the NIH to explore ethnic differences in midlife women’s attitudes towards physical activity.  The goal is to “reduce health disparities in physical activity programs that serve ethnic minority women through the internet.”

The researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are seeking a total of 500 participants, 125 for each ethnic category (White, Hispanic, Black, Asian). To participate, visit their website  to learn more and see if you qualify. If you are eligible, you’ll receive a gift certificate of $10 per internet survey and an additional gift certificate of $50 for participating in an online forum for six months.

Banish Belly Fat With The Right Kind of Diet & Exercise

Among the top complaints about the menopause transition – besides sleep deprivation… and hot flashes… and foggy brain –  is weight gain and belly fat (aka “muffin top”).  But it seems to be a concern shared by women of all ages, if magazine covers and book sales are any indication.  Thirteen of the top 16 best-selling women’s health books on Amazon are about how to lose belly fat including the Flat Belly! Diet series of books which have claimed the top three spots on the list. … [Read more]