Experts Talk

Is there anything that can prevent wrinkles???  The answer to this is YES! But first, understanding what causes them is important.  There are 3 kinds.

• Wrinkles caused by overactive facial muscles (think frown lines).
• Wrinkles caused by loss of volume  – mostly fat pads in our faces, and our bones (think what happens when you pull your skin up at the ears).
• And lastly, wrinkles caused by damage to the structure of our skin itself primarily the collagen and elastic fibers (think the thinning of the skin). These type of wrinkles are mostly due to sun damage but some to intrinsic aging and hormone changes. [click to continue...]

Can diet and exercise really eliminate belly fat? Recent research has shown that eating fewer calories, no matter what program you sign up for, will contribute to weight loss and thus, a smaller paunch.  But what about exercise?  Will just burning calories help eliminate the “muffin top” that a lot of middle-aged women (and men!) carry around?  Or do we need to target ab muscles with 100 crunches every day to do the trick? [click to continue...]

As if weight gain and belly fat aren’t insulting enough, a loss of estrogen in Menopause can also cause our hair to fall out!  And what’s left often turns thin and brittle, “like hay,” as one friend put it.  Why is this happening? And is there anything we can do about it?

I asked Dr. Diane Berson, a dermatologist in New York City, who explained that there’s a perfect storm of conditions that are conspiring to ruin (my word not hers) our hair as we begin the second half of our lives. [click to continue...]

Last month, while attending the Scripps Conference on Natural Supplements, I met Dr. Tieraona Low Dog,  whose presentation on Botanicals and Women’s Health drew a packed house of medical professionals eager to learn more about complementary and alternative medicine. And who better to learn it from than Dr. Low Dog, who was a highly respected herbalist before receiving her medical degree.  Naturally, I was  interested in what she would recommend for women who want to go through menopause “naturally.” That is – without the use of hormones. I think you’ll be surprised at her response as I was during our one hour conversation: [click to continue...]

 

If TV commercials are an accurate reflection of our lives, then you’d have to conclude that bladder problems are a big concern for women and men.  Since the ads I’ve seen show people who appear to be 50-ish in age, they suggest that incontinence isn’t just a problem of the elderly.  It’s one of the few health conditions still considered too private to discuss openly,  so I wondered just how prevalent it is for women in mid-life and if there’s a connection with Menopause.  For expert information and advice, I contacted Dr. L. Elaine Waetjen, an OB-GYN with a specialty in Urogynecology, as well as a researcher and associate professor at the University of California, Davis. I asked her at what age do women typically notice bladder problems?

Dr. Waetjen: Bladder problems can happen at any point in our lives, but for many women, they seem to begin occurring in mid-life and symptoms, including incontinence, may increase due to the direct effects of aging. For example, as women get older, the bladder capacity can decrease due to changes in the wall of the bladder, making it less elastic.  Older women are more likely to lose strength and/or coordination of their pelvic floor muscles, which can also affect how the bladder functions to store and empty urine. The rise in incontinence may also be related to other factors associated with aging. For example, women tend to gain weight as they get older and weight gain is associated with incontinence. [click to continue...]

There’s an interesting study underway of 3300 women who are being followed as they progress through their menopause transition.  The multi ethnic Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) began in 1996 and is expected to be completed next month when participants have their final annual follow-up visit.  One aspect of the study involves how women cope with mid-life changes.  To date, almost half of the women in the study, aged 42-52 used some kind of complementary or alternative medical (CAM) treatment in the previous year.

Clearly, there is growing use of CAM treatments to ease menopausal symptoms, particularly for hot flashes and insomnia. But there’s still a lot of confusion about what really works. [click to continue...]

No one knows better than Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton just how complex medical problems can be for women in mid-life, even for those who live an exemplary, healthful lifestyle.  In addition to seeing patients in private practice, she is Director of Mid Life Health and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Pinkerton is also the incoming President of the North American Menopause Society, an organization whose mission is “promoting health and quality of life of women through an understanding of menopause.”In a recent conversation, I asked Dr. Pinkerton about the medical problems women in mid-life should be most concerned about and what, if anything, women can do to prevent them from occurring. Here is a transcript of our conversation: Dr. Pinkerton: Physicians usually focus on three main medical problems during this time; heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis/bone health.  However, midlife is a key time for women to take stock and improve their care of themselves. Perimenopausal and menopausal women are often involved in careers or care-taking for teenagers, aging parents or both.For overall health, women should work to limit the weight gain that happens with aging and hormonal changes due to menopause.  Specifically, not smoking, avoiding excess alcohol, regular aerobic exercise and strength training and improving response to stress will all help prevent major diseases. Regular checkups and discussions with providers regarding individual risks and need for preventive testings such as mammograms, bone densities, colonoscopy, lipid panels, pap tests remain important.

I also recommend taking 1000-1500 mg of calcium either through diet or supplements, and 1000 IU of Vitamin D. Additional supplements may be indicated for specific women. If you have a strong family history of heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis or other health issues, there may be more specific recommendations for diagnostic testing, or lifestyle changes or medications to decrease your risks.

It is never too late to work to get excess weight off, lose central abdominal obesity, build more muscle mass, and live a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. And stay active! We need to keep our bodies “humming” to maintain the pitch of our busy lives. [click to continue...]

I’ve heard of personal coaches, business coaches, lifestyle coaches and, of course, athletic team coaches….but never a coach for menopause, until now. What a great idea! After all, a “coach” is defined as an instructor, trainer, a private tutor — someone with expertise, experience and patience.  Isn’t that just what we need as we try to figure out the best, most healthful way to cope with menopause symptoms in an era of 15 minute physician appointments?

Rebecca Hulem is pioneering menopause coaching.  She’s a registered nurse, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and the author of Feelin’ Hot? A Humorous, Informative and Truthful Look at Menopause.  I recently spoke with her to learn more about what a menopause coach does: [click to continue...]

Not only is it fun to find innovative ways to shake up your normal routine, but all the body’s systems need to be surprised with diverse patterns of stress in order to continue to improve.  When I’m out for a run, I automatically look for inclines to run up, stairs to hop down and places to throw in 20 jumping jacks.  One man out for his morning walk said to me in passing recently, “You look like a kid with nothing better to do.”  Little did he suspect I was working on building bone, tuning up my cardiovascular system and burning off extra calories. [click to continue...]