by Wendy on May 13, 2010
Uterine fibroids are solid muscle tissue growths in the uterus that often cause distressing problems such as prolonged periods, abdominal swelling, bloating and pelvic pain. They are the number one reason that American women have hysterectomies. While not normal, they occur so frequently in women over forty that they’re considered a “normal irregularity.” But they disappear after menopause. So does that suggest that estrogens promote their growth? And, if that’s the case, are menopausal women on hormone therapy at greater risk for developing fibroids?
That’s one question I hope is addressed in a Webinar this Saturday, May 15th at 10 am PDT. It’s sponsored and led by the Los Angeles-based Fibroid Treatment Collective, which is described on their website as “a medical group of fibroid experts dedicated to curing fibroids with minimally invasive therapy.” That means that you’ll hear a lot about embolization.
Even if you’re unable to listen-in, you’ll find helpful information about fibroids on the FTC website including types, symptoms, and treatment options.
by Wendy on May 10, 2010
Sometimes the most helpful information about health and wellness shows up in the most unexpected places. Jeanne P. sent me a link to her blog at the website for Physical Therapy Assistant Schools where she has compiled a list of “50 Nutritionists You Should Follow on Twitter.” I was curious to see what one could possibly learn from 140 words or less, and was pleasantly surprised. Here are some examples of what you’ll find:
@Vicky Laney tweets on whole nutrition for improved immune function and natural healing of chronic disease.
@FitMenu promotes healthy eating at restaurants.
@womenshealth is from the Federal government’s resource for women’s health information.
@thpeppermntleaf is written by someone with a degree in biochemistry. She tweets about vegan, pilates and bagpipes!
@dancinginlife has lots of information about Gluten-free nutrition
If you scroll down the page, you’ll also see some other nifty articles such as “”Top 50 Yoga Blogs for a Healthy Mind and Body,” “Fifty Simple Fitness Tests to See Where You Stack Up,” and “10 Healthy and Delicious Foods that are Illegal in the U.S.”
It’s great when someone else does all the research for you! Thanks Jeanne.
by Wendy on May 4, 2010
If you’ve arrived at this Blog, chances are you’ve experienced a hot flash or two. Or you know (or have seen) a woman who has. For some, they’re quite debilitating and sometimes embarrassing if it occurs during an important meeting, or worse, a date! All we know about them is that we get very hot, very suddenly. But did you ever wonder what’s happening physiologically to make your internal thermostat go haywire? More Magazine offers a good explanation of what happens with our internal wiring in an online article, “The Anatomy of a Hot Flash,” by Sharon Kay.
by Wendy on April 26, 2010
Woman who suffer from menopausal symptoms – like hot flashes, insomnia and weight gain — know that it can take months of trial and error before you find the right supplements or HRT regimen to put you back on an even keel. Well, what if you these symptoms clobbered you suddenly just months before your wedding day? That’s what happened to Staness Jonekos. At 47, she felt miserable and moody when she should have been joyful at having found the love her of life after years of dating in Los Angeles. So using her wedding planner book as a template, she created a twelve-week plan of her own to “regain control of her health and beauty” before her wedding day. She used it to track her symptoms, diet and exercise regimen and keep her focused on her goals (including fitting into her wedding gown) and imminent deadline. You know how the story ends, of course: she feels like new, fits into her dress, marries her prince charming and…. turns her 12 week plan into a makeover book for the rest of us.
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by Wendy on April 19, 2010
In case you missed, it, there was an excellent article, “The Estrogen Dilemma, in the New York Times Magazine this weekend. The author, Cynthia Gorney, recounted the emotional roller-coaster she experienced as a result of mid-life hormonal changes, but questioned the safety and long-term consequences of the hormone replacement therapy that seemed to put her back on an even keel. In her own quest to find the answers, she interviewed the leading researchers and medical experts and learned the “inside story” of the Women’s Health Initiative Study, which caused thousands of women to abruptly stop taking Estrogen. This is a “must-read” article for anyone considering whether or when to take estrogen replacement. Here are a few of my own take-aways: [click to continue...]
by Wendy on April 12, 2010
When you consider how many health and beauty products you use daily – from toothpaste to deodorant, it’s easy to understand the importance of reading labels and using only the highest quality, chemical free products. After all, whatever you put ON your body ends up IN your body, and according to the Environmental Working Group’s Shoppers Guide to Safe Cosmetics, cosmetic companies are not required to do any safety testing, so they can use almost any chemical they want. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on March 29, 2010
by Wendy on March 24, 2010
At least an hour a day of moderate to intense exercise, such as brisk walking, bicycling or swimming, is necessary for women to prevent weight gain as they age. That’s the conclusion of a new study that was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed 34,000 middle-aged women for 13 years: they were not dieting and were at a normal weight (their body mass index did not exceed 25) when they began the study. On average, these women gained about six pounds during the course of the study. But those who reported that they exercised 60 minutes daily were able to maintain their normal weight throughout the study. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on March 22, 2010
Midlife women who exercise a lot, say three hours a week of jogging or walking briskly for five hours a week, are most likely to experience “exceptional” health, free of chronic illnesses, later in life. That’s according to a recently published study of more than 13,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study. And if you’re wondering what type of exercise will yield the most benefit, another trial of women over the age of 60, conducted at the University of British Columbia, concluded that resistance training with free weights and machines, along with squats and lunges, once or twice a week for a year improved muscle strength and cognitive skills far better than a regimen of toning and balance exercises also done twice a week. [click to continue...]
by Wendy on March 10, 2010
Add broken bones to the list of possible side effects of the popular Osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, which millions of women take to prevent bone fractures and bone loss associated with menopause. There have already been warnings that bisphosphonate drugs, including Actonel, Reclast and Boniva, can cause severe musculoskeletal pain and a serious bone-related jaw disease called osteonecrosis. There were even concerns in 2008 about related heart problems.
ABC News reported earlier this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been aware of reports of spontaneous fractures, but did not inform the public or doctors who prescribe bisphosphonates of the possible side effect. An FDA spokesman explained to ABC News that they didn’t think it was necessary at this time. However, today, the FDA announced that it will indeed investigate the possibility of a link between long-term use of osteoporosis drugs and thigh bone fractures though, “at this point, the data that FDA has reviewed have not shown a clear connection between bisphosphonate use and a risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures,” the statement said. [click to continue...]
Uterine fibroids are solid muscle tissue growths in the uterus that often cause distressing problems such as prolonged periods, abdominal swelling, bloating and pelvic pain. They are the number one reason that American women have hysterectomies. While not normal, they occur so frequently in women over forty that they’re considered a “normal irregularity.” But they disappear after menopause. So does that suggest that estrogens promote their growth? And, if that’s the case, are menopausal women on hormone therapy at greater risk for developing fibroids?
