“Compared with persons who watch no television, those that spent a lifetime average of six hours a day watching TV can expect to live five years less”

How are you doing with your new year’s resolutions? I’m betting that one of them included a commitment to exercise on a regular basis. It’s only four weeks into the year, but if the thinning crowd at the gym is any indication, this is the time when you see who’s serious about their fitness and who isn’t. If you’re in the latter camp, you MUST watch this engaging 10 minute video that explains why exercise is the single best thing you can do for your health. If this doesn’t motivate you to get with the program, nothing will.

If you do watch the video by Dr. Mike Evans, an Assoc. Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, you’ll learn that even a half hour of daily exercise can be meaningful. Consider these recent research findings that he explained more fully in his talk:

• Just one hour a week of activity reduced the incidence of heart disease by almost half in one study.
• For every increase of 10-minutes in your walk to work, there’s a 12 percent reduction in your likelihood of getting high blood pressure.
• Compared with persons who watch no television, those who spent a lifetime average of six hours a day watching TV can expect to live five years less.

If exercising at least 30 minutes a day seems out of the question, given home and work responsibilities, take a look at Joan Pagano’s exercise books. Joan specializes in full-body strength training that can be done with minimal equipment at home, in the gym or on the road. They’re illustrated with step-by-step photos and clear instructions so you do each exercise properly. But most important, these books are designed for women who want to work exercise into their daily lives but just don’t have much time to devote to it. But everyone can find 15 minutes, right?

Joan’s 15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD) combines cardio with resistance training and stretching. And she keeps it fresh with 4 unique programs: Step-touch, Beach Ball, Hop, Jig and Jump, and Lunge Around the Clock.

A second book, 15 Minute Abs Workout (+DVD),  is designed to to strengthen and firm your torso, flatten your belly, trim your wast and stretch out your muscles. Again, she offers four routines: Crunch, Beach Ball, Core Basics, and Core Challenge.

These easy to follow workout programs are included in a third book, Best Health Home Workout: Pilates Yoga Abs Body Toning with DVD that offers even more options for 15-minute workouts at home.

And a fourth book, a long-time favorite of mine, is Strength Training for Women.  It’s perfect for women who want to incorporate weights for shaping, toning and bone-building. I’ve never met Joan in person, but with this book, she’s been my personal trainer at home and at the gym for many years!

This year, I’m going to be giving away books and products that I think you’ll find helpful and worth your consideration.  I’ll start this week with a set of these four books, which Joan has graciously offered and signed.

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment in the box below saying how many minutes a week you exercise.  If you have time and want to share details of your workout, even better.  All comments must be posted by midnight PST on Sunday, January 29th. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and I’ll announce it on February 1st. 

Would you describe yourself as a positive person? One who finds positive meaning in day to day circumstances more frequently than negativity? If you’re sleep deprived and experiencing hot flashes all the time, you probably think this question is a joke. After all, when you feel lousy all the time, your default mode is more like cranky. But after reading Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s book, Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3 to 1 Ratio That Will Change Your Life,  I wondered if women whose default mode is positivity have an easier time with the menopause transition (and other challenges) than negative types.

Dr. Fredrickson (pictured above) is a leading scholar in the field of social and postive psychology. Her work has given “scientific legs” to the field of positive emotions, so her book isn’t a shallow, “don’t worry be happy” type of self-help guide. Rather, she has concluded, based on twenty years of research, that maintaining a 3:1 ratio of positive thoughts to negative emotions creates a tipping point between languishing and flourishing.  As she explains in her book:

“Most people have a 2:1 positivity ratio, which makes life ordinary. You get by, but you’re hardly growing. You’re languishing. As you raise your ratio above 3 to 1, a transformation occurs. You feel more alive, creative and resilient. You’ve stepped up to a whole new level of life.”  Dr. Fredrickson further makes the case that a 3:1 positivity ratio;

• Broadens your mind – “you’ll gain elbow room for greater flexibility and seeing the big picture.”
• Builds Resources – “moments of positivity accumulate and compound over time to build lasting resources for life,” and
• Fuels Resilience –  ”it’s a secret active ingredient that makes you resilient.”

You can listen to Dr. Fredrickson explain the positivity ratio and her advice on how to achieve it in this video.

If you’re wondering what your own positivity score is, begin by taking a two-minute self test that she has created on her website. Then use the available online tools to view your results and record positive milestones if you want to work on improving your score. You can take this test on a daily or weekly basis and compare your ratios to see if you’re making progress. In addition, Dr. Fredrickson offers a toolkit in her book to help readers raise their positivity score by decreasing negativity and increasing positivity. An example of this is “dispute negative thinking,” an exercise that’s rooted in cognitive behavior therapy that teaches non-negative thinking.

In addition to just feeling better, I can imagine that experiencing life’s challenges and occasional disappointments from a foundation of positivity can shift our reactions and improve the quality of our lives and relationships, even during the menopause years.

]]> http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2011/11/09/whats-your-positivity-ratio-and-why-it-matters/feed/ 0 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2011/06/09/three-supplements-that-can-help-banish-belly-fat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=three-supplements-that-can-help-banish-belly-fat http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2011/06/09/three-supplements-that-can-help-banish-belly-fat/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:00:30 +0000 Wendy http://www.menopausetheblog.com/?p=2761 Continue Reading]]> In her excellent book about the connection between stress and Belly Fat, Mastering Cortisol: Stop Your Body’s Stress Hormone from Making You Fat Around the Middle, Marilyn Glenville PhD, a leading nutritional expert in Britain, suggests a number of supplements — vitamins, minerals and herbs — that can help women lose “that bulge,” as she puts it.  Two of the three listed below offer the added benefit of promoting calmness, which can help us sleep better too. Here, taken from her book, are her recommendations. (But, please, consider this good information to review with your own physician to make sure they’re beneficial for you):

Chromium - This mineral is at the top of her list of “mighty minerals.”  ”It’s vital to keep blood sugar in balance, but it is not present in refined foods,” she writes. “It plays a major role in weight control because it helps to control cravings and reduces hunger. It has also been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”

Magnesium - Known as “nature’s tranquilizer,” it calms the adrenal glands and helps to balance blood sugar by contributing to the production and action of insulin. “It’s also important for its involvement in energy production, bone health, blood clotting, muscle relaxation and regulating heart rhythm,” she explains. Dr. Glenville suggests taking magnesium citrate rather than the cheaper magnesium oxide because it’s easier to absorb.

Green Tea Extract - Green tea contains many compounds including catechins, which Dr. Glenville writes has been shown to help burn off fat and also inhibit growth of cancer cells.  Green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine that has a relaxing effect on the brain and body.

The spiritual theme of my book is this: the realization that while an addictive impulse can trump your better knowing and conscious will, the power of God will trump your addiction. While we often intellectually understand this principle, it can be difficult to actually apply to our lives. And that is why I wrote this book. It provides simple lessons in restoring your mind to its highest, most loving functioning. And in the presence of that love, all dysfunction disappears.

In addition to the publication of her book, Williamson is also hosting “A Course in Weight Loss” retreats in San Diego in February and upstate New York in April. And beginning Tuesday, Jan 4th, she will be anchoring a free, six lesson, online course  called What Have You Got to Lose?” that also features well known weight loss and fitness experts including Bill Phillips, author of Transformation: The Mindset You Need. The Body You Want. The Life You Deserve and Jorge Cruise, who wrote The Belly Fat Cure: Discover the New Carb Swap System and Lose 4 to 9 lbs. Every Week. All participants receive an on demand stream of all six lessons that you can listen to anytime within seven days.  For instructions on how to participate, visit the Hay House Radio website.

Marianne Williamson is also the author of The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife and The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life.

]]> http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2010/12/30/advice-on-weight-loss-from-marianne-williamson/feed/ 2 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2010/12/22/recommended-reading-trustworthy-guidance-on-menopause-from-three-nurses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=recommended-reading-trustworthy-guidance-on-menopause-from-three-nurses http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2010/12/22/recommended-reading-trustworthy-guidance-on-menopause-from-three-nurses/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:37:05 +0000 Wendy http://www.menopausetheblog.com/?p=1881 Continue Reading]]> Women often arrive at the Menopause years not knowing a whole lot about what to expect, only to find that their doctors are too busy to explain it to them in a satisfactory way.  That’s where a caring, well-educated nurse can help. If your doctor doesn’t employ a nurse practitioner in her office who can take the time to answer your questions, I highly recommend reading one of these three books that are authored by registered nurses with years of specialized experience in women’s health. They provide in-depth information and advice on a wide range of topics making them reliable reference books for years to come.

The Everything Health Guide to Menopause, is written by Kate Bracy Kalb RN, a women’s health care practitioner, with a technical review by a gynecologist, Kathryn Arendt, MD. The book is packed with information from the basic facts of menopause (including perimenopause) and hormone therapy to managing physical changes that often occur such as heart palpitations, weight gain and even involuntary urine release.  The authors also explain the cognitive and neurological changes that occur in midlife including insomnia, headaches, low libido, mood swings and depression.   Additional chapters are devoted to the changes that occur to our vision and  brain as we age, with advice on how to keep both as sharp as possible.
What Nurses Know …About Menopause is written by Karen Roush, RN, the former editorial director of the American Journal of Nursing. She begins with “just the facts,” an explanation of what’s happening to our body and why. Then she devotes chapters to some of the most common complaints of the menopause transition (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats, bone health) and explains what they mean and how to treat them.   She concludes each chapter with a list of websites for further research on your own. Karen does a particularly good  job covering hormone therapy starting with an overview of research studies including the Women’s Health Initiative and current recommendations about HRT. For those who are considering HRT, and are weighing the risks vs. benefits, she provides a list of factors that you should think about and review with your physician. And for those who are thoroughly confused about what bio-identical hormones really are, you’ll find a comprehensive explanation without bias, which is rare these days.

Finally, Mia Lunden, a registered nurse and the founder/director of the Center for Hormonal and Nutritional Balance in Santa Barbara, CA, has authored, “Female Brain Gone Insane: An Emergency Guide For Women Who Feel Like They Are Falling Apart,” which focuses on the emotional symptoms associated with hormone imbalances such as mood swings, depression, irritability, and lack of motivation. This is an area of our health that is often overlooked if not totally ignored by medical professionals. Her interest in this area of mid-life health stems from her own experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her second child.  You’ll find a thorough explanation of the hormone-brain connection and bio-identical hormone therapy, which she advocates in this book.

In her view, the middle-aged mind is vastly under-estimated and memory function is actually “humming along nicely” at this stage of life.  What does get a little dicey though is Episodic Memory, or our ability to recollect a recent event such the title of a book we’ve finished just days ago or a breakfast we ate hours earlier. (Sound familiar?) The problem is one of retrieval, not storage, she explains. “The piece of information is there, but it’s like trying to find the right book in a well-stocked library.”  Often, the information we were trying to recall finally emerges out of nowhere – a phenomenon that neuroscientists refer to as “pop-ups,” which occur more frequently with age.

Distraction is another consequence of changes in the middle-aged brain.  If you’re constantly looking for your keys or cell phone, or forget why you went into the kitchen with such purpose, then you understand the problem.  Strauch explains that as we age, the crucial frontal lobe region, the area of the brain that we use to concentrate, takes a back seat to the lower area of the brain called the “default mode,” which we use for daydreaming:  Our ability to switch off the default mode starts to wane  and thus, our ability to tune out irrelevant material is reduced.

Strauch offers a brief section on estrogen’s effects quoting Roberta Diaz Brinton Ph.D, a neuropharmacologist at the Unviersity of Southern California.”There’s a spectrum of responses that probably depends on how estrogen-dependent a a woman is. Some women get confused  and unfocused and are generally miserable until brain chemicals stabilize. Others say: ‘Hey, what’s the big deal?’

If you’re experiencing brain fog, forgetfulness, and occasional memory lapses and wondering (or worrying) if it’s just you, then this book is for you.  You’ll rest easier understanding what’s happening to our brains as we age and what to expect in the future.

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.”

Downloads of the first two sessions are now available on demand on the Hay House Radio website where you can register for these three remaining sessions:

• How to Let Go and Move On – Oct. 14th
• Train your Brain for Success – Nov. 11th
• Living with Vision & Purpose- Dec. 9th

Borysenko is the author of more than a dozen books  (see her page on Amazon)- and many are available as audiobooks.   I highly recommend her as a source of guidance and inspiration.

Despite my own quest for a slim torso, I haven’t read this book. But I have read and recommend the one that comes in at # 10 on Amazon’s list, The Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Belly and Firm Up Your Body for Life.  Like the Flat Belly! series, this book has its own franchise of books, DVDs and  handbooks by the author, David Zinczenko, editor in chief of Men’s Health.

What I like about this book is his explanation and guidance for a high-protein diet of six small meals each day (3 main meals with 3 balanced snacks) and a workout program that aims to “burn fat day and night.” This is accomplished, he says, by emphasizing weight and resistance training over cardio exercise,  though that is important too for weight maintenance and wellness as we age.  He just sees more value and better outcomes from circuit training in the gym over an hour on the treadmill and he includes pictures of core-strengthening and toning exercises that you can do in the gym or at home.

The Abs Diet approach is not unlike the one promoted a decade earlier by Bill Phillips in his excellent book, Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength.  An updated edition for women,  Body-for-LIFE for Women: A Woman’s Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation, was written by Dr. Pamela Peeke, and published this year.

Finally, another book I recommend is From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life — the Medically Proven Way to Reset Your Metabolism and Reshape Your Body. It is co-written by Genie James and Dr. C.W. Randolph, a physician who specializes in hormone balancing.

What diet or exercise books have you found to be particularly helpful for fighting menopausal weight gain?