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The Roundup: September News and Tidbits

Posted by Liz on Sep 30, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

[Credit: Special thanks to artist Darryl Willison of whimsicalwest.com. Please visit his site and support his work!]

Because October starts tomorrow, I’m replacing this week’s Wednesday Bubble with the monthly Roundup. Here’s an overview of September’s post in case you missed one or want to revisit it.

Enjoy!

• Wednesday Bubble: Big dietary changes one small step at a time. A guest post by Miz Fit – Carrying around a “freshwoman forty” (or ten)? Fitness expert and author Carla Birnberg shares some tips on how to change your habits, and your body.
• Cougar 101: Pimp your hide -The Cougar Convention hits the West Coast with a roarrrrr. See what a bit of botox, plumped lips and a nip and tuck yield.
• Sinking your teeth into…osteoporosis – Time to bone up on osteoporosis as researchers now link the disease with tooth loss.
• Wednesday Bubble:  Turmeric… too good to be true? – Is this Indian spice hiding some important benefits beneath its yellow facade?
• Overworked, overextended, overstressed and underserved – A global survey reveals that women are not only busier than ever, but they are also shouldering a burden of extreme proportions. What can we do to change this burgeoning problem?
• A is for adiposity, F is for falls, M is for muscle weakness. Together they spell “D” – Research shows the Vitamin D is more important than ever for postmenopausal women: what you need to know.
• Wednesday Bubble: the best medicine – A laugh a day keeps disease at bay. No kidding.
• Calcium conundrum: which supplement should I choose? -When it comes to preventing bone loss, calcium supplements are all the same. Or are they?
• More on breast cancer and HRT – Time to take this killer off the market. More bad news for women who use HRT.
• Wednesday Bubble: Blame it on – Hormones. Women are suicidal and more unhappy than thirty years ago. The reason? Must be menopause.
• Keep it greasy – with Zestra® – Feeling a bit hot below the belt? Despite all the hype, this sensual oil is unlikely to improve your sex life. Or your aroma.

Overworked, overextended, overstressed and underserved

Posted by Liz on Sep 11, 2009 in Uncategorized | 22 comments

Sound familiar? Results of a global survey (conducted by the Boston Consulting Group) suggest that women are more overworked, overextended, overstressed and underserved than ever. In fact, time demands are the number one challenge that women face in their lives.

Key findings include:

• Women are responsible for a large percentage of global income, owning 40% of all U.S. business and controlling over $12 trillion dollars in consumer spending (globally).
• In the U.S., almost 71% of women in the workforce are mothers, and over half have children under the age of one. Yet, they do most of the work at home as well (88% – grocery shopping; 85% – meal preparation; 84% laundry and cleaning; and 77%, household administration).
• 48% of women say that managing household finances is a major source of stress in their lives, while 81% are concerned about not having enough money for retirement.
• 47% say that time demands represent the “big stress in their lives,” with 45% expressing that they don’t have enough time for themselves.

One of the most disturbing finding deals with women’s expectations of themselves. In fact 44% say that they rarely or never feel powerful. Hmmm, why is this?  Why is it that we feel powerless when we control such a significant portion of the global economy and virtually run our world, both inside and outside the home? And where is the true source of a woman’s power?

Survey results suggest that the source of happiness in women’s lives mostly relates to love, health, honesty and emotional well-being. From this, one might surmise that the source of women’s power lies within their connections, candor and honesty, as well as the opportunity to pursue these things freely. Indeed, when asked what they wanted most, respondents said:

1. More love and connections, both intimate and with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors.
2. Freedom to pursue the path which will allow them to become fulfilled, happy and satisfied.
3. More balance in their lives.
4. Enough money to remove financial pressure.

We live in a world where time is a commodity and where the individual is always being pulled in a zillion directions. Self-image, especially as we age, can be tough, especially when societal messages abound that we are no longer “as beautiful as…”  In fact, in this survey, at least a quarter of women said that they rarely or never felt beautiful.

What gives? We are powerful, we are in control and regardless of age or shape, we, as women, have an inner beauty that when realized, reflects outward and resonates endlessly.

Life is stressful and it appears that as women, we are shouldering a burden of extreme proportions. Not only should we be asking what we are doing to create this paradigm but more importantly, what can we do to change it.

What do you think?

Cougar 101: pimp your hide

Posted by Liz on Sep 4, 2009 in Uncategorized | 9 comments

[Photo Credit: Daniel C. Britt, with permission]

Need a class on how to be a better ‘Cougar?’ Want to learn how to teach young men about desire and how to please a woman? It’s as simple as…the Single Cougars Convention!

The Bay Area hosted the First Annual Single Cougars Convention last month, an extravaganza of botoxed, boob-jobbed, eyebrow-shaped 40+ somethings (and their younger ‘Puma’ peers) who attended presentations, mingled at a bass-booming cougar ball and celebrated the crowning of the first Miss Cougar America.

Yikes! Horny or not, if I were a young male thang, I’d go running for cover… fast.

This Convention and all that it represents absolutely makes me ill. There is no logical reason why the Cougar narrative needs to be rubberstamped; in fact, endorsing the image of an older woman so desperate to attract attention that she virtually “pimps her hide” only serves to perpetuate the Cougar myth.

These ladies may be in it for a good time and believe that they have every right to behave in this fashion. They do; it’s a free country. But think about it; as women, we are consistently complaining about how we are portrayed in the media and within society, especially as we age. If this is the case, why are we spending thousands of dollars to literally sculpt ourselves into charactertures of our better selves?

Want to attract a partner? Be real, be interesting and be interested. Have self-respect and feel good about yourself. Take care of yourself and your soul.

At any and every age, that’s more attractive than inches of foundation, a lip plumper and a few nips and tucks.

And, if you’ve got to flaunt ‘it,” well, then you probably don’t have ‘it.” You may get laid but that young stud is out for one thing and it ain’t respecting you.

Truly… before you start pimping your hides, take a long look in the mirror and an even deeper look into your souls. There’s nothing wrong with dating a younger man (or woman); just keep the predator at bay where she belongs.

[Want to see more Convention Cougars? Check out photog Daniel C. Britt’s photo and video streams on Flickr.]

The roundup: August news and tidbits

Posted by Liz on Aug 31, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

[Credit: Special thanks to artist Darryl Willison of whimsicalwest.com. Please visit his site and support his work!]

One of my dad’s favorite sayings (in response to the question, “what’s going on,”) is “there’s a lot going on.” And in August, there was!

For your perusal, the highlights:

• Solitude – It takes courage to allow oneself to be deeply loved….a brief (and highly personal) exploration of the difference between solitude and isolation.
• Reaching the gentler sex: why marketing to women requires a holistic approach. Guest post by Andrea Learned – A glimpse into why we need to act holistically in our lives and our careers; as women, it’s an essential part of our fabric.
• Better living through chemistry – your aging skin – Dermatologists at the American Academy of Dermatology weigh in on why HRT is not your best bet for improving your appearance.
• Buyer beware: on snake oil, menopause and Michael Jackson – What a trifecta! A treatise on snake oil treatments for menopause and why you might want to avoid the big tent at all costs.
• Midlife metamorphosis – Midlife is not a four-letter word, even when it comes to men….a glimpse into the male psyche, and the challenges our partners face as they age.
• Cheers! (Please don’t let me burst this one!) – One of my favorite Wednesday Bubbles – can red wine increase sexual desire?
• Giving voice – Damn those hormones! Data suggest that our voices may be subject to change, along with the rest of us.
• Transition without tears – Once again, advertisers show why Big Pharma doesn’t get it!
• Maca What? – Peruvian Maca looks promising for menopausal symptoms, or does it?
• Beer boosts bones – An alliterative glance at beer and how it might provide support of bones, in moderation of course.
• What’s your chill factor? – No more fighting over that remote, at least when it comes to hot flashes. Wirelessly chill your sleep.
• Cool like dat – Drink your menopause away…once daily! Seriously?
• Battle of the bulge – Researchers reveal the culprit behind the extra 5 lbs you’re carrying.

Read More

Battle of the bulge

Posted by Liz on Aug 28, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

You know that donut that’s forming around your midsection? The one that doesn’t seem to budge even though you’ve boosted your exercise regimen and take a restrained approach to eating whenever possible? The one that some experts say has nothing to do with hormones and others say it does?

New data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, which I’ve referenced previously in many posts, suggest that testosterone might be the culprit here. In this particular analysis, researchers examined the potential relationship between testosterone and visceral (belly) fat in 359 middle-aged women who were in various stages of the menopause. Visceral fat was measured via CT scans, and blood was drawn to assess sex hormone (i.e. estrogen and testosterone) levels.

Study findings, which were published in the online edition of Obesity,  showed  that levels of active testosterone were the strongest predictors of the development of the middle-aged bulge, even more so than estrogen. What’s more, this association remained even after the researchers made adjustments for total body fat, age, race and other risk factors.

Besides appearance, abdominal fat is linked with an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors that in concert, promote coronary heart disease. What’s more, circulating levels of testosterone may increase one’s risk for developing the metabolic syndrome.

It’s challenging. We’re told to exercise more, restrain our eating, limit alcohol intake and yet, there’s still no magic bullet to kill the middle -age bulge, especially since the battle may ultimately lie with hormonal balance. But don’t lose hope; I suspect that before many of us are through the worst of it, researchers may finally identify a viable, effective strategy.

In the meantime, don’t give up. I’m not sure that all is lost. At least, I hope not!

Wednesday Bubble: Maca what?

Posted by Liz on Aug 19, 2009 in herbal medicine, Uncategorized | 0 comments

I love it when I run across an item that’s perfect for a Wednesday bubble; whether or not this one is “burstable” remains to be seen. There are accumulating data supporting the use of a Peruvian herb known as “Maca,” which reportedly balances hormones and consequently, alleviates certain perimenopausal symptoms.

In scientific communities, Maca is better known as Lepedium Meyenii (or more recently, Lepedium peruvianum Chacon ) and is a plant in the mustard family. In Norway, Maca is considered a medicinal substance and requires a prescription.

There have been a lot of claims about the aphrodisiac and energizing properties of Maca. For this reason alone, I am quite skeptical about whether or not the science behind the plant’s use in menopause is sound. Nevertheless, I did find several evidence-based, published studies examining Maca in peri- and post-menopausal women:

In two of the largest studies, a standardized, concentrated Lepedium peruvianum formulation (Maca-GO®) was compared to placebo tablet in 168 women who were in early post-menopause; treatment was provided for up to four months. Significant, beneficial changes were seen in balancing and normalizing hormones (estradiol, progesterone, follicular stimulating hormone and lutinizing hormone) and reducing menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats.

In a much smaller, four-month study among perimenopausal women, all participants received Maca-GO® for two months and then a placebo tablet for two months. Two months of the active tablet resulted in anywhere from a 74% to 87% reduction in frequency of hot flashes and night sweats, as well as improvements in sleep interruption, nervousness, depression and heart palpitations. The authors, while acknowledging what is known as a placebo effect (i.e., “I want to believe it works so it does”) suggest that Maca-GO acts a hormonal toner. In this study, as in the one mentioned above, a balancing of hormonal levels was observed.

There is a new supplement called Femmenessence™ with two product lines – MacaPause for postmenopausal women and MacaLife for perimenopausal women. Like many other supplements, both claim to support the body’s ability to balance hormone and by default, address the many troublesome symptoms associated with menopause. Recommended dosage is twice-daily 500 mg capsules for the first four months with a one week break every two to three months. The manufacturer also recommends that women first speak to a healthcare practitioner before using Femmenessence.

As I’ve written time and again, the one-size fits all’ framework doesn’t work too well when it comes to hormones, let alone any other disease. Nevertheless, I am curious about Maca. What about you? Have you heard of or tried Maca? What were the results?