Posts made in July, 2008

Matted

Posted by Liz on Jul 14, 2008 in hot flash, Meditation/mindfulness therapy, nightsweats, stress | 3 comments

Ladies – get your mats ready!

Research suggests that yoga is actually superior to physical exercise for relieving vasomotor symptoms (e.g.  hot flashes and sleep disturbances) perceived stress and neuroticism in perimenopausal women.

The new study, published in the journal Menopause, compared the effects of 8 weeks of simple, trainer-supervised physical exercise to integrated yoga (sun salutation with 12 postures, breathing practices and cyclic meditation) in 120 perimenopausal women.

Positive, significant benefits were seen in all measures among women who were part of the yoga versus the physical exercise group.

Yoga appears to be a wonderful way to relieve some of the more troublesome menopausal symptoms without medication. I wouldn’t give up any physical exercise that you engage in but adding a yoga component to your routine may be provide some additional benefits.

Yoga classes are offered throughout the country in local gyms, specialized centers and often through the local YMCA or YWCA. If you’ve never participated in a class, you can learn more about the practice of yoga at  the following sites:

• The American Yoga Association offers a great introduction to yoga
• The Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States also has some well-written content on their website, and oversees instructor certification. They may be a good resource for finding an instructor
• Yogajournal.com is a great resource for videos, teachers, community, blogs, etc. and a wonderful place to get started

Finally, I just want to mention that that is not me in the photo. If I were ever able to get into that position, it might take me months to get out of it!

A bit of wisdom goes a long way

Posted by Liz on Jul 13, 2008 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

I went up to Philly to visit an old friend this weekend. She turned me on to this book, a pretty amazing overview of menopause. What I like most about it is that its author, Dr. Christine Northrup, is an MD who isn’t afraid of holistic and Chinese medicine. Personally, I’m fortunate because my gyno is open to alternative medicine and in fact, recommended topical progesterone before my acupuncturist did. But not every MD is well-versed in East meets West and as a result, many patients are short-changed on strategies that might help them.

If you are looking for an alternative path, check out the book. It’s definitely a must-see.

Tropical Vacation

Posted by Liz on Jul 11, 2008 in hot flash | 2 comments

My friend Sissy sent me this awesome tea towel a few months ago.

This weekend I’m leaving town. Thought I’d bring along litte umbrellas for my drinks just in case I end up in tropical paradise.

p.s. Wendy got me this towel (see comments). I guess that my memory is starting to go. Sorry Wen!!!!

Burn Baby Burn

Posted by Liz on Jul 8, 2008 in women's health | 27 comments

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMSMViyCVNI]

In my last post, I mentioned that menopause has been linked to altered sensitivity in the roof of the mouth and a decreased ability to detect sweet taste. Interestingly, I heard from a friend that she recently started experiencing a burning sensation in her mouth and that her doctors have been attributing it to menopause. Say what?!

Seems that the Queen Bee of Menopause, the Sister of Love and Destruction, the Lady of Light and Dark, estrogen herself, is wreaking havoc on more than the tastebuds.

I was intrigued so I did a search. I found over 500 articles in the National Library of Medicine Database, PubMed, and also located this article in the journal American Family Physician.

Although burning mouth syndrome primarily appears to primarily affect women after menopause, some 10% to 40% of women in menopause can suffer from its effects. These may may include burning in the tongue or oral mucus membranes, dry mouth and taste alterations.

The causes of burning mouth syndrome range from depression and anxiety to underlying illness, high glucose levels and of course, hormones. Researchers have also identified alterations in the cranial sacral nerves that serve taste and pain sensations as possible culprits.

Currently, unproven treatments include benzodiazapines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and capsaicin. However, I’m wondering whether or not craniosacral therapy might offer an alternative to women who don’t want to go the drug route. Mind you, there are lots of naysayers out there who claim that CST is quakery but having used it successfully for pain, I am a huge fan.

A fellow blogger also directed me to this extensive site on burning mouth syndrome. I can’t vouch for its content but it is definitely worth checking out for backgrounding purposes. Do you suffer from Burning Mouth Syndrome? What are you doing to treat your symptoms? Inquiring minds want to know!

How Sweet it Is/’nt

Posted by Liz on Jul 7, 2008 in weight | 0 comments

Have you heard people age, they may experience changes in how they perceive things taste? Research suggests that menopause is also accompanied by changes in how taste buds function.

A small study published in the British Dental Journal shows a significant decline specifically in the ways that postmenopausal women perceive sugar and also, the sensitivity of the roof of the mouth to foods. This may be associated with an increased desire for sweeter foods and consequently, a higher risk for weight gain after menopause.

If you guessed that the primary culprit behind these changes is estrogen, you guessed correctly! Turns out estrogen affects many oral tissues, including salivary glands, the temporomandibular joint, the lining of the mouth, and the jawbones. This translates into directly into an increased risk for osteoporosis of the jaws, cavities and gum disease.

So how do you trick your tastebuds and protect your bones and teetch while still eating healthy foods? Yikes! Any suggestions?