Category Archives: Uncategorized

Belly Fat, The Cause & The Cure

Note from Wendy:  As I approach the fourth anniversary of this blog, I looked back to see what was the most popular post, as measured by the number of comments left.  It should come as no surprise that it was about belly fat – the scourge of mid-life women. And plenty of you weighed in (so to speak) on the topic. So, here it is again — three years later: one doctor’s explanation for what causes women to gain 10-30 pounds around your middle during the menopause years along with his advice on how to lose it for good.  If you have followed his plan, did it work for you? Let me know.

We’ve created clever euphemisms to describe it – like muffin top, mid-life bulge, and a thickening waist. But however you want to refer to belly fat, it’s an unfortunate fact of life for most women in mid-life and getting rid of it is, as a friend of mine put it, like chiseling cement. … [Read more]

RX For a Urinary Tract Infection: Cranberries or Antibiotics?

Most women have at one time or another experienced the discomfort of a urinary tract infection (UTI).  If you’re one of the lucky ones who have reached menopause unscathed, don’t think you’re home free yet.  The likelihood of a UTI increases with age, as Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a New York City-based urologist, explained in an earlier article here. Declining estrogen causes the bladder to become less elastic and this in turn causes “an inability to empty the bladder completely, creating a breeding ground for bacteria to multiply.” … [Read more]

Free Webinar Next Week: How To Maintain Good Memory (As You Age)

If you’re experiencing brain fog, lack of focus or memory lapses (who isn’t?) then you’ll want to tune into a webinar next week featuring Dr. Bruce Price, associate professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He’ll talk about how “supplements and lifestyle changes can help keep your brain working smarter at any age.”  Dr. Price is on the Integrative Health Advisory Board of Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, the sponsor of this webinar.  It’s scheduled on Wednesday, July 27th* at 2pm EDT/11a PDT. When you register, you’ll have an opportunity to submit your brain health question.( Everyone who attends will receive $10 toward future shopping purchases in stores and online.)

Magnesium Deficiency Could Be the Cause of All Those Muscle Cramps or Heart Palpitations

Dr. Marsha Nunley’s comment on my previous blogpost (“Three Supplements That Can Help Banish Belly Fat”- see below) motivated me to write about my own experience taking magnesium. As she points out, magnesium is essential for more than 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies. Among them muscle and nerve function and cardiovascular stability.  That explains why my taking 500 mg twice daily (one at bedtime) has reduced the frequency of irregular heart beats and muscle spasms in my feet and legs that I was experiencing at night.  I think it has also helped me sleep better too. … [Read more]

More Dental Visits Might Be Required for Post Menopausal Women

Here’s another problem to watch out for during the menopause transition. As reported in the current issue of The Woman’s Health Advisor Newsletter, a publication of the Weill Cornell Medical Center, a study of postmenopausal women revealed an increase in dental plaque levels among all of the study’s participants, despite frequent brushing, flossing and regular dental check-ups.  Dental plaque, left untreated, can lead to periodontitis, an inflammatory gum disease that can erode the bone sockets in the jaw that keep teeth in place and, well, you get the picture.  It’s not pretty. So if you want to keep your smile as you age gracefully, it might be wise to step up your dental visits to four times a year.

Recommended Reading: Trustworthy Guidance on Menopause from Three Nurses

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. … [Read more]

A Prescription for Aging Well

Earlier this year I wrote about what we can do for ourselves now, in mid-life, for exceptional health later. The answer was, of course, exercise and more exercise.  That’s the topic of Jane Brody’s “Personal Health” column in today’s New York Times, “What to Do Now to Feel Better at 100.”  I hope you take the time to read it.  The most important take-away is expressed in this quote from Gerontologist Dr. Mark Lachs, author of  Treat Me, Not My Age: A Doctor’s Guide to Getting the Best Care as You or a Loved One Gets Older.

Lifestyle choices made in midlife can have a major impact on your functional ability late in life.  If you begin a daily walking program at age 45, you could delay immobility to 90 and beyond… Even the smallest interventions can produce substantial benefits and significantly delay your date with disability. It’s never too late for a coarse correction.”

I’m off to the gym… how about you?

A Five Point Exercise Plan for Osteoporosis

Note from Wendy:  Joan Pagano is a personal fitness trainer in New York City and has worked with hundreds of mid-life women to  strengthen, tone and shape their bodies.  Joan advocates a well-rounded exercise program to fight osteoporosis and to help women age well.  In this guest blogpost, she offers guidelines that can help protect and strengthen your bones.

My mother’s skeleton crumbled when she was in her 80′s.  I have a mental picture of a collapsing infrastructure that can no longer support the body around it.  In the space of five years, she had joint replacements in both hips (one required two surgeries) and both knees (deteriorated by advanced arthritis which eventually can destroy the bone).

Now at the age of 92, we feel fortunate that she had the surgeries which have allowed her to stay mobile.  She loves to exercise, and there are many safe and effective exercises for osteoporosis, but you need to bone up on the guidelines.  The Five-Point Exercise Plan offers you a well-rounded fitness training program, including exercises to protect and strengthen the weakened bones, improve posture and core stability and prevent falls. … [Read more]

Talking About Mid-Life Sexual Mojo

Lately,  there seem to be a lot of discussion about mid-life sexual dysfunction – specifically women’s sexual dysfunction, which I naturally find far more interesting than talk about ED and the ubiquitous print and broadcast advertising campaign behind Cialis and Viagra.  An article that appeared yesterday in the New York Times, about a (futile) effort to promote a female-aphrodisiac in TV advertisements capped them all.  Apparently, some research has concluded that  Zestra Essential Arousal Oils has proven to help some women who, shall we say… have lost their sexual mojo.  The makers of this product have produced a two-minute TV commercial for Zestra, in which 40- and 50-something women use racy words like  sex and arousal in expressing their desire for the sex life they once enjoyed in their younger days.  Watch it here because, unfortunately, it will likely never see the light of day due to the squeamish (male?) executives at the TV networks, cable stations, radio stations and even Facebook and WebMD. … [Read more]

Foods That Can Fight the Aging Process

It’s blueberry season and that means an abundant source of yummy, anti-aging nutrients at my local farmers market.  Besides the fact that they’re sweet and delicious, blueberries are loaded with compounds that fight oxidation and inflammation, which are associated with age-related deficits such as memory and motor function. Specifically, they contain a special compound called polyphenols, which help brain cells talk to each other.

As nutritionist and author Dr. Johnny Bowden explains in his latest book (see review below), the blueberry is just one example of  a “superstar” food that has scored high on the ORAC test, which measures a food’s oxygen radical absorbance capacity. This test, conducted by scientists at the USDA, reveals a food’s true age-fighting potential.  Here’s a list of the top performing, high antioxidant (high-ORAC) foods that Bowden says “will help protect us from a virtual encyclopedia of syndromes and diseases associated with aging:

• Prunes
• Raisins
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Kale
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Rasberries
• Yellow squash
• Brussel Sprouts

Bowden offers this nutritional advice for anti-aging:  ”Shop so your grocery basket looks colorful.  You’ll automatically be eating a ton of high-antioxidant (high-ORAC) foods.”

The information summarized here was taken from Johnny Bowden’s latest book, “The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Do to Prevent Disease, Feel Great, and Have Optimum Health and Longevity.  A more detailed review can be found in last week’s blogpost below.

If you have a favorite recipe using any of these foods, I’d love to hear from you. You can copy and paste the recipe in the comment box below.