Something’s fishy
A small study in the online edition of the journal Menopause suggests that a supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women.
Canadian researchers evaluated the influence of omega-3 supplementation in 120 women (between the ages of 40 and 55) experiencing hot flashes who took either a real pill containing oeicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or dummy pill for 8 weeks. At the start, study participants had an average of 2.8 hot flashes daily.
At the study’s end, women taking omega-3 fatty acids had 1.5 times fewer hot flashes daily compared to women taking dummy pills, whose hot flash frequency decline by 50%. Hot flash severity, however, remained similar between the groups and the use of omega-3s did not impact mood or other quality of life factors.
Although the researchers caution that more study is needed, it’s important to note that earlier data do suggest that omega-3s may be useful in reducing hot flashes. Regardless, the benefits of incorporating omega-3s in midlife, which include potential protection against heart disease and osteroporosis, should not be overlooked.
Read MoreAwake again…naturally
[Pablo Picasso, Sleeping Woman]
When was the last time you slept through the night? Depending who you are, the stage of menopause you’re in and well, your symptoms, the answer to that question can vary. Add stress to the mix and it adds up to a lot of lost zzzs for some of us.
Experts continue to be challenged by the “s” word when it comes to the transition, with numerous recommendations ranging from yoga to hormone therapy to black cohosh to exercise to deep breathing. But again, whether or not these steps work depends on you.
I decided to delve a bit deeper into this issue and what I’m finding are many studies that don’t necessarily jive with each other. One of the latest bits of research comes from Brazil and is published in the November issue of Maturitas.
In this 6-month study, researchers examined two postmenopausal women with insomnia. Each woman participated in indivdiual therapy programs involving 1.5 hours/biweekly sessions comprising stretching, strengthening, massage and relaxation.
One woman experienced significant increases in REM and total time spent asleep, while the other had a reduction in the time it took to fall asleep and enter the initial stages of sleep (non-REM).
Both woman reported overall improvements in their insomnia.
Now mind you, I know a few women who have suffered insomnia most of their adult lives. So, I’m not certain whether or not exercise and/or relaxation truly improves overall sleep patterns when hormones and symptoms are wreaking havoc. At the same time, however, I continue to see studies extolling the benefits of exercise and relaxation on sleep patterns, with very few reporting negative findings.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and what works or doesn’t work for you.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: Rebranding Menopause – Guest Post
Today’s Wednesday’s Bubble is written by my BBFF, Amy, blogger extraordinaire and author of ‘I could cry but I don’t have time,‘ ‘Leaving the zipcode,’ and a Wednesday blogger at ’50-something Moms.’
Honestly, if you haven’t checked out Amy’s work, you’re missing out. So I am very happy and honored that Amy agreed to burst the bubble about Menopause, the brand. You’re in for a real treat!
Let’s face it, there is nothing cool, glamorous or fun about menopause. Oh sure, there are some who think so, and they would be the creators of the ever ridiculous Menopauseland website. (you do have to love the music on this site, though)
Pre, peri, post… it all rings of irrational women aging not-so-gracefully.
This idea of rebranding started when speaking to a dear (male) friend that I have known for many years. We were at a big party and it seemed more than one woman asked to have the AC turned up. Which always seems to turn the conversation to menopause. My friend said he thought that the name was the problem, bad branding if you will. Let us dissect it for a moment. Men (bad start) O (extraneous letter) Pause… hmmm what does that MEAN?
Being the wiseass that I am, I asked “What should we call it then? Irrational bitches that sweat too much?” His answer was charming, “A better name would be – I will see you next Tuesday.” Cute, right?
What name would better describe menopause with more dignity?
Let’s think about this. Is the problem really in the branding? Or is the assumption that, not unlike when women are younger and everything is blamed on ‘being on the rag’, that a woman of ‘a certain age’ is always in the hot seat (no pun) when her behavior is erratic because she is doing ‘The Menopause Thang!’ (was this a James Brown song?)
Let us get back to the rebranding idea. I once worked on a pitch for an erectile dysfunction drug. A pharma co. spent a million dollars on a focus group exploring the idea of renaming erectile dysfunction. What these geniuses came up with was that it was not, in fact, the name that was the problem, but more the condition itself. DUH!
So, my friends, I think it is safe to say that renaming anything that basically sucks does not change its level of suckage.
Now you will have to excuse me, I need to go and turn the AC to the temp of a meat locker so I can sleep tonight.
Relax…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyl5DlrsU90]
The mind is a powerful thing when it comes to….sex during menopause.
Dr. Christian Northrup suggests that the mind plays as much a role in the ability or inability to experience pleasurable sex during the transition as estrogen and other hormones.
Indeed, a study recently published in Menopause Journal supports this supposition.
Researchers asked 200 Brazilian women between the ages of 40 and 65 to fill out a questionnaire on social/demographic factors, symptoms, behavior, reproduction and partner-related factors with the goal of determining things that influence painful intercourse (dyspareunia).
Overall, almost 40% of women surveyed experienced pain during intercourse, with study findings demonstrating that this was much more common in women who reported nervousness or depression. Conversely, factors that offered some protection against painful intercourse included the frequency of sexual activity.
The findings support Dr. Northrup’s contention that more is, well, more — that it is essential to incorporate healthy, sexual thoughts into our lives and engage in self- and partner-exploration often. Most importantly, we need to do things that keep us in touch with our life force, and cultivate inner pleasure in exchange for stress and emotions that accompany it.
Clearly, our minds and bodies are well connected. Take good care of both and that should help take are of any pain.
Read MoreSexual healing
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-bvgv3g__Y]
I’ve written several posts about the use of testosterone for sexual dysfunction in menopausal women and its less than pleasant side effects, such as unwanted hair growth and development of the metabolic syndrome.
Fortunately, Dr. Christiane Northrup has a different and much healthier perspective about sexual dysfunction during the transition.
One of the first things she writes, in her newly published “The Secret Pleasures of Menopause,” is that an important key to achieving health and healthy sex during and after the menopause is to boost one’s nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide, she explains, is a free radical produced in the lining of blood vessels, by lung and white blood cells, and nerve cells in the brain, that “resets your power grid and reboots your body, a secret weapon for optimal health.”
In order to produce more nitric oxide, you need to engage your mind, body an spirit in positive activities, such as:
- associating with positive people
- eating healthily and exercising
- being kind/taking pride in yourself
- realizing you are what you believe
- letting go of the past and embracing the present
- understanding that health and sex go hand-in-hand
Dr. Northrup suggests that we become “ardent explorers” of our own pleasure, in essence, become our own partners in sex. Turn ourselves on and tell ourselves often that a turned on woman is irresistible. Recognize and release anger as much as we can. Commit to regularly exploring our pleasure potential and live our lives in ways that “excite, motivate, and turns on” other people in our lives.
A few additional tidbits:
- Think heartwarming, sexy, uplifting, kind, loving and positive thoughts about yourself and others EVERY DAY
- Strive for commitment, trust and vulnerability with your partner
- Do things that keep you in touch with your life force…cultivate your inner pleasure and exchange it for stress, and decide that this half of your life is really the best
- Get out of your head and into your body….regularly
Desire pleasure, know that you deserve it, believe you can bring it into your life, overcome your resistance to accepting it, and embrace it.
Honestly, I’m not usually into this touchy feely stuff. But I encourage you to read Dr. Northup’s book and start to practice some of these positive, life affirming, love affirming steps. Pleasure truly starts within by changing our mindsets about our limitations, we can fine tune our bodies in ways that make us and others feel great.
As Dr. Northrup says, our bodies were made to experience unlimited pleasure.
And of course, pleasure begets pleasure….
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