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Wednesday Bubble: chase the midlife blues away with a cup of java?

Posted by Liz on Sep 28, 2011 in aging, depression, emotions, menopause | 8 comments

Coffee. The morning elixir that oh, so many of us rely on. Did you know that caffeine is the world’s most frequently ingested psychoactive substance?!

We’ve heard a lot about the blues and depression during midlife and menopause, with some experts saying that the two are connected and others, that they are not. However, regardless of whether or not menopause increases the risk for depression, it is clear that depression affects twice as many women as men, and at least 20% of all US women at some point during their lifetime. Hence, if there is an easy way to boost the success of antidepressants or behavioral or other strategies, I’m all for it. And it appears that coffee may be the part of the solution.

Coffee? Really?

In a newly published study in the esteemed Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers say that they followed over 50,000 women and examined their food intake including how often they drank caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks and and ate chocolate. During the 10 years of the study, researchers identified slightly over 2,000 cases of depression. However, it appeared that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily reduced the risk of developing depression by 15% compared to drinking one cup a day or less. Women who drank four or more cups a day had a decreased risk of 20%. And decaffeinated beverages? No dice.

In so far as this study goes, it’s not conclusive and it could be possible that mildly depressed women drink less coffee. And keep in mind that  too much of a good thing is well, too much. Studies have shown that long-term consumption of caffeine can lead to tolerance, meaning that you need greater amounts to achieve the effects that many of us crave.  Nevertheless, so far, the results show that  coffee may very well be mildly protective against depression.

English playwright and theatre director John Van Druten once  said, “I think if I were a woman I’d wear coffee as a perfume.” I think I’d rather just drink it than wear it!

Calcium, vitamin D and heart disease. What’s the 4-11?

Posted by Liz on May 2, 2011 in bone health, heart disease | 5 comments

“Calcium supplements cause heart attacks in postmenopausal women.”

Whoa! What?!

If you saw the headlines last week, you may be wondering what’s up with calcium supplementation. Afterall, don’t medical professionals advise the use of supplements to stave off bone loss associated with osteoporosis? And as a result, the Centers for Disease Control reports that over 50% of adults currently use calcium supplements and more than 60% of women over age 60.

It’s important to get away from the sensational headline and take a closer look at what the research shows and what you need to know.

Previous studies have suggested that there may be a link between use of calcium supplements (without vitamin D) and heart attack; in fact, as Reuters‘ reported last year, calcium supplements were shown to increase the risk of heart attack by as much as 31%, possibly as a result of plaque formation in blood vessels. However, is the risk the same if calcium is used alone versus if it is used in conjunction with vitamin D?  In the Women’s Health Initiative study, the use of calcium and vitamin D did not appear to influence heart disease risk at all.

However, researchers decided to take another look at the data because they say that in this trial, more than half of participants were taking ‘personal calcium’ (i.e. not regulated or standardized to all trial participants) and almost half were also adding Vitamin D.

In this reanalysis, published just last week in the British Medical Journal, the researchers discounted the women who were characterized as personal users of calcium supplements and instead, limited their evaluation to a group of women who were not using personal calcium supplements at the study’s start and previously unpublished data from the trial. The findings? The use of calcium with or without vitamin D appeared to cause a 25% to 30% increase in the risk for heart attack and a 15% to 20% increased risk for stroke. However, the researchers say that even small increases in the incidence in heart disease may manifest substantially, especially in the elderly. They add that if you take a look at the risk-benefit ratio, it is unfavourable, meaning that taking calcium with or without vitamin D for five years would cause twice as many heart attacks or strokes than then numbers of fractures that would be prevented.  Additionally, the data analysis suggests that dosing is not a factor, and that the total amount of calcium taken daily is less important than the abrupt changes in blood calcium levels immediately following supplementation.

Although this research answers a few questions about potential risks about calcium supplementation, it also leaves a key question unanswered:  how does the addition of magnesium and vitamin K, which are often included in commercially-available calcium supplements, affect these findings? Data suggest that these minerals and vitamins are added to keep calcium in the bones where it belongs and out the arteries where it does not.

The best guideline, as always, is to visit a physician to assess your bone health and come up with a plan that works specifically for you. Although calcium supplementation appears to be risky, more data are needed before leading organizations start to change their tune about calcium and bone health. Meanwhile, stay ahead of the headlines and try to focus on increasing the amount of calcium-rich foods in your diet:

* DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents among products within the context of a total daily diet. The DV for calcium is 1,000 mg for adults and children aged 4 years and older. Foods providing 20% of more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient, but foods providing lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database Web site lists the nutrient content of many foods. It also provides a comprehensive list of foods containing calcium.
** Calcium content varies slightly by fat content; the more fat, the less calcium the food contains.
*** Calcium content is for tofu processed with a calcium salt. Tofu processed with other salts does not provide significant amounts of calcium.

Wednesday Bubble: Becoming Bendy. A guest post by Patti Digh

Posted by Liz on Feb 9, 2011 in Inspiration, women's health | 2 comments

Are you a resolutionist, you know, one of those people who make a pact to change [fill in the blank] every New Year’s only to find that you’re slacking about three weeks later and by week four, you’ve already forgotten  your promise to yourself ?

Been there, done that. Yes, we all have. However, sooner or later, we all end up facing our demons and excuses and backtracks and are forced to a long hard look and truly acknowledge that we don’t like everything we see. Sometimes, it’s that constant nagging that just won’t go away, and others, it’s a health scare or the loss of someone close that kicks our butt one last night and propels us into real action. My friend Patti Digh, who’s previously graced the Flashfree pages, recently agreed to let me share the hard look she’s taken at herself and her quest to ‘become bendy.’ Welcome back Patti!

I had a revelation this past year. Two of them, actually. Okay, three. Or twelve.

One: My husband, John, created a video for our oldest daughter’s graduation from high school, one documenting Emma’s life since birth to that moment of leaving home, going to college, walking into the world on her own. As I watched this beautiful progression of her life, it became so, so clear to me that I have spent the last 18 years trying to hide behind other people in photographs, buying and wearing clothing I didn’t love but that fit over my hips. Eighteen years. And probably, yes, longer even than that. Not walking in the world in jeans, a simple t-shirt and flip flops, but in every outfit covered by a big overshirt. Not wearing a bathing suit, never wearing shorts. Hiding. I watched it a few times, each time realizing that I knew exactly how I felt about my body at that point in time. “Oh, that’s baby weight,” I said until Emma was 10, for example. Every pound a witness to a heartbreak, a change, a fear, a celebration.

Two: I’ve spent the past year being tested for things. Ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and repeat. The morning they first tested for ovarian cancer, I sat in the parking lot sobbing, and then drove to the Chocolate Fetish and bought a nine-pack of chocolate covered caramels with sea salt and ate them all in the car. When I found out that test was negative two weeks later, I drove back to the Chocolate Fetish, bought another nine-pack of chocolate covered caramels with sea salt and ate them all in the car. I told Michael Scholtz, a brilliant wellness coach and personal trainer. “So,” I said jokingly, “do you think this means I’m an emotional eater?” He smiled a quiet smile. “Well, Patti,” he said, “if you had only eaten them when you thought you were dying, maybe not.” He paused. “But the fact that you ate them when you found out you would live… yeah, maybe.” We laughed. Yes.

Three: In November, I ended up in the emergency room with what I thought was a heart attack. It wasn’t. But my blood pressure was very high: 188/144. I typically have very low blood pressure. And I am now on medication to bring it down. I am not fond of taking medication and want to find other less intrusive ways to lower my blood pressure. “I want you to sweat six days a week,” my doctor said when giving me the prescription. I knew what he meant: lose weight.

There was an article in Wired Magazine a few years ago called “Change or Die.” It reported, among other things, that 90% of heart patients, when told they had to change their diet and exercise or they would die, did not change anything. Not even the threat of death got them to change their Krispy Kreme couch potato habits. Not even death.

I will change. Yes, I surely will.

As I start 2011, I no longer have in front of me the “lose 50 pounds” mantra. It is gone, irrelevant. While I do know that my natural, happy, comfortable weight is less than where I am right now, but I am no longer measuring happiness–or the lack of it–by a number. I am not concerned with a size, but a measure of wellness.

I am measuring wellness from now on by how bendy I am.

What is bendy?

Bendy is flexible, strong, able to run when it wants to. Bendy feels connected to body, stretched, confident, able. Bendy is a body not in competition with other bodies, and not even in competition with itself. It just is. Stretched and tall and aware of its Self. Bendy is a body to go along with a head; it is learning from the neck down. It is embodied learning. Embodied living. Embodied mindfulness.

I’m spending 2011 becoming bendy. Again.

I’m documenting that journey here for myself, and for others who might find it helpful.

About the author:

Patti Digh is the author of Life is a Verb, Creative is a Verb, What I Wish For You and Four Word Self Help. She has also written two business books on global leadership and diversity, one named a Fortune magazine “best business book for 2000.”  Patti’s comments have appeared on PBS, and in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, the New York Times, USAToday, the Washington Post, and London Financial Times, among other national and international publications. She speaks around the world on diversity, global business, and living intentionally.

Patti is also co-founder of The Circle Project, a consulting and training firm that partners with organizations and the people in them to help them work more effectively and authentically together across difference.

She lives in Ashville, NC with her husband, two daughters and various animals. She also likes Black & White cookies although they are now off the list during her ‘Becoming Bendy’ stage.

Wednesday Bubble: protein, weight and bones – keep it in balance

Posted by Liz on Aug 4, 2010 in bone health, diet | 1 comment

Weight loss improves health, right? Well, yes, and no. Because it turns out that weight loss also increases the rate that the bone loses density, so in midlife and menopause, weight loss can be a double-edged sword.

In two recent studies published in the online edition of the Journal of Gerontology, researchers are reporting that women already at risk for osteoporosis due to their age and menopausal status may want to pay attention to what they eat when they try to lose weight. In fact, consuming large amounts of protein derived primarily from animal sources, e.g. lean meats like pork, beef and chicken, may negatively impact bone density and in turn, further increase osteoporosis risk.

Here’w what you need to know:

• In the first study, women between the ages of 43 and 80 reduced their daily caloric intake by 750 calories. Over three months, about half of the women ate meat-free diets that derived about 18% of their daily protein from vegetarian, dairy and egg sources and other half, ate diets comprised of about 30% protein derived from lean pork.

• In the second study, women between the same ages consumed about 1,250 calories a day in five meals over nine weeks. While the bulk of these calories were from a vegetarian diet, women were asked to eat either 250 calories of carbs daily (shortbread cookies, sugar coated chocolates), chicken (plus 10 grams of butter) or the equivalent in fat/saturated fat but as beef.

• Although women in the first study lost about the same amount of weight (~19 lbs), those eating animal protein has a 1.4% greater loss of bone mass. Likewise, in the second study, all the women lost weight but those women eating animal protein sources lost significantly more bone mass compared to women eating carbs.

• Women in both of these studies were considered overweight or obese based on their body-mass indices (BMI).

Importantly, many of the today’s popular diets for weight loss (e.g. South Beach, Atkins) emphasize increased intake of protein over carbohydrates (although the former also emphasizes good versus bad (i.e. glycemic index) carbs. What this means is that while you are cutting back, you may also be losing more bone mass than you normally would with weight loss.

Consequently, one of best approaches for women who are going through menopause and trying to keep the weight off may be to increase the daily  amount of so-called “good fats,” which as my friend Mollie Katzen, suggests should include nuts, avocados and fatty fish like salmon. Many of these foods are also good sources of protein and while not necessarily working to build bone, may stave off bone mass loss while you are trying to lose a few pounds or maintain your current weight.

At the end of the day, it’s all about balancing the good, the bad and the ugly. Our skeleton is fragile and it’s critical that we do all we can to keep it in one piece.

Want to learn more? I’ve dedicated several posts to osteoporosis, bone loss and bone health.

Wednesday Bubble: new year, new you!

Posted by Liz on May 20, 2009 in Uncategorized | 13 comments

I’m not going to burst any bubbles or shatter any misconceptions this week. Rather, I’ve decided to serve a few slices of inspiration that resonate with me and perhaps will do so with you as well.

Tomorrow, I turn 48; my mother turns 78. Yes, I was born on my mother’s birthday. So I would like to dedicate this post to my mom. Because I find myself looking in the mirror a bit too much lately.

The past year has resonated with me deeply. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve enjoyed my 40s immensely and I will still have an opportunity to enjoy them for another two years. But a lot has happened over the past 364 days and it’s made me realize that my baggage is getting a bit too heavy for comfort. So I’d like to take this year to dump a few mistakes, undo a few regrets, renverser les faux pas and start anew.

As my friend Sissy once said: ” new year; new you!”

Following are the top 20 tidbits that midlife has taught me so far:

1. Try to make a point to laugh each day. And then laugh some more.

2. Take some time every day to simply “be.”

3. Listen. And then react. Not the other way around.

4. Do one kind thing for someone you know, and someone you don’t at least a few times a week, if not everyday.

5. Nobody’s perfect. Including you.

6. Let those who love you, love you. Just because.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And take it.

8. Underneath the grease paint there’s someone special. Take the time to get to know them.

9. Don’t just say “I love you;” show why.

10. Be vulnerable; it’s okay.

11. Try not to internalize things so much; it’s not always about you.

12. Don’t be afraid to fail or better yet, succeed.

13. Believe in yourself as much as you believe in the people you love and nourish.

14. Just because someone says something hurtful, it doesn’t mean that you have to believe them.

15. Sometimes things are gray, not black and white.

16. Relationships will ebb and flow. Being in sync is great. Being out of sync is a perfect time for self-discovery and reality checks.

17. Strength comes in many forms.

18. You’re only as old as you feel. And sometimes you will feel older or younger depending on your mood, hormone levels, day of the week or weather.

19. Good lighting and a well-placed mirror can do wonders for your soul.

20. Chocolate, red wine and candy are your friends. In moderation. And sometimes, in excess.

And one to grow on, of course…

48? The new 30, easily.

Happy Birthday Mom! Happyto be 48 and “middle-aged” me!