Many middle-aged women struggle with keeping a physical exercise routine due to many reasons, including hormone imbalance. Bioidentical hormone replacement will help you find relief from the most uncomfortable symptoms, but everyone knows that the best way to lose weight is through exercise. However, some women who have exercised begin to experience fatigue and injury more and more often, which makes them think about quitting altogether. In addition to this, the aesthetic benefits of exercise become more difficult to attain as women get older, barely keeping their bodies in shape but not really improving as quickly as they would wish. This reduces motivation.

In spite of exercise becoming more difficult and its apparent benefits less evident, it is important for middle-aged women to continue to remain physically active. Most of the benefits that come from exercise are not visible: bowels work properly, the heart and circulatory system are kept in good shape, diabetes, blood pressure abnormalities, and even cancer can be prevented – not to mention that feeling of accomplishment we all get at the end of a workout.

There are several strategies that can be used to remain active and, at the same time, beat the stress injury and fatigue that come along after years of exercising. Here are some tips to restore your motivation and continue to pursue an active life:

1-Try variety.
If you have been doing aerobics for years, then it’s not surprising that fatigue has set in. There comes a day when you’ve tried every kind of aerobics with every kind of music, with or without the kickboxing, indoors and outdoors. You should try picking up bicycling, power walking, hiking. Some women come to realize they enjoy learning a new sport such as tennis, basketball, kickball, or soccer. Depending on your level of fitness and your specific likings, you can surely find two or three physical activities you enjoy and can alternate them during the week to prevent boredom or fatigue.

2-Seek a partner or group.
Having another person or a group one is committed to exercise with is of great help. Usually the partner or group will experience some of the same injuries or fatigue symptoms that one experiences, and they can be a support group. It is also easier to come up with ideas and motivate each other on how to vary routines to accommodate any injuries or discomforts.

3-Watch your diet.
As active women age, they sometimes don’t watch the fact that their eating habits and activity levels remain pretty much the same, while their bodies require a change to adjust to the aging process. Middle-aged women require supplements to remain adequately prepared for physical activity.  You should make sure you eat at least three times a day, avoid processed foods, eat protein in every meal, eat carbohydrates in good balance with non-starchy vegetables, and drink enough water to keep your system hydrated. You should also avoid alcohol, caffeine, processed sugars, and engineered fats and fat blockers you see in the market. Young bodies can take a lot of abuse. Middle-aged bodies need to be nourished with more care to perform well.

The most important decision to make is to remain active. Injuries, fatigue, and the lack of motivation that comes from not being able to see physical improvements as quickly as in our younger times is what makes us want to quit.  This should be put outside our minds and in perspective. The above tips will help put you back in charge of your body.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).

Skin care and anti-aging products have been around forever. Age is revealed most by skin appearance, thus the effort to prevent the passage of time from reducing the youthful appearance of our skin. Bio identical hormone replacement therapy could aid in fighting unpleasant menopause symptoms, like acne and dry skin, but you may need a more specific route to tackle skin-care issues. There are many products available in the market today that claim to be (each of them independently) the one ingredient to achieve the objective.  This text is meant as a short and sweet description of available products and their functions.

The first group of ingredients is humectants. Humectants are substances used to retain moisture. Their chemical name is hygroscopic. This term simply means that a substance is able to absorb ambient water. The most common humectants added to creams, lotions and such other skin care products is glycerin (sometimes also called glycerol). Glycerin can be synthetic, in other words, made by man – mostly from petroleum derived raw materials; and glycerin can also be natural. It can be obtained from both vegetable and animal fats.

There are other common humectants, such as mineral oil. This product occurs in many cosmetics, but it can build up under the skin and cause it not to be able to absorb nutrients. Therefore, mineral oil has been gradually but surely retired from skin care products.

Humectants are important because they absorb water and can actually bring it into the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). Humidity helps reduce degrading of skin cells.

The next type of ingredients is occlusives. The function of occlusives is basically to prevent water from leaving the skin by evaporation. Evaporation is the process through which liquid water turns to its gaseous phase and is released onto the atmosphere.  Castor oil, beeswax, and lanolin are some examples of occlusives. The disadvantage of occlusives is that they are often greasy and can leave an undesirable coat on the skin that can cause pore clogging. Keep in mind that occlusives are best applied to damp skin.

Emollients are meant to reside on the outermost layer of skin and lubricate. Lubrication is needed to maintain pliability and smoothness. Sunflower oil and soy bean oil are examples of emollients.  These substances are supposed to “fill in” gaps between skin cells that are in the process of being shed and those still in good condition.

There are other ingredients present in skin care products, but the above three are the basic ones. You can make more educated choices by determining what you are after and reading the ingredients disclosed on product labels. Some products such as coenzyme Q10, vitamin E and other antioxidants are added to skin care products due to their acclaimed restoration properties.

No one product is all-effective and human kind has yet to discover a true anti-aging ingredient, but the above are helpful in maintaining a healthier and more resilient skin.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, according to the most recent information available (from 2005), breast cancer is the number one cause of death in Hispanic women and the second most common in every other racial group. For 2008, The American Cancer Society estimated 184,450 new cases of breast cancer in both sexes. Because of the important threat that this condition poses as a cause for death, it is advised that women practice a simple, tactile examination of their breasts at home in order to find any lumps or inconsistencies in their breasts. Any physician or OB-GYN can quickly train a woman on how best to conduct this test. If you are currently undergoing a hormone replacement therapy, you should seriously consider consulting bioidentical hormones doctors; experts have found there is a higher risk of breast cancer among women who take synthetic hormones. Bioidentical hormones pose no such threat.

In addition to screening and examinations, other ways to defend against breast cancer are diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

In general, antioxidants are considered beneficial in the fight against cancer or any other degenerative disease. There are, however, other beneficial nutrients that every woman – and certainly every woman diagnosed with breast cancer – should include in her diet.

If you are or have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you should be more assertive in including certain ingredients. The following is a summary of these. The ones marked with an asterisk are considered more important and beneficial for someone at high risk of breast cancer.

• ANTIOXIDANTS *

Flax seed oil, preferably cold-pressed, is a very good source of antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids

• LYCOPENE

This substance is contained in tomatoes, grapefruit, and guavas, among other produce. Its cancer-fighting reputation has been known for some time

• FATTY ACIDS*

Fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon, contain omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids

• ANTHOCYANINS (Antioxidant flavonoids)*

You can get these from blackberries, raspberries, and the like. Eggplant is also an excellent source

• GO NUTS*

Nuts contain selenium, vitamin E, and fiber. All very beneficial in cancer prevention and fighting

• DARK VEGGIES*

Spinach is a good example, so is broccoli. Brussels sprouts are also a great source of beta-carotenes, calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin K.

• CITRUS FRUITS

Of course, here we’re looking for vitamin C and fiber.

• WHOLE GRAINS*

Eat only whole grain cereal, bread, crackers, etc. Your intake of soluble fiber (fiber that is soluble in water) should increase markedly.

• LOW FAT DAIRY

Certain nutrients in dairy have been found to help in cancer fighting and prevention. In particular conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

• MISCELLANEOUS

Shiitake mushrooms, green tea, beans, and chickpeas should form a part of your diet.

In general, the rule is you should take a lot of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).

The stereotypical image of a yoga master is that of a slender, nimble, strong-featured person with a tiny waist line. Therefore it’s no surprise to find out that the practice of yoga is an excellent fat buster.

A recent National Cancer Institute study found that people from 45 to 55 years old gain about a pound per year. However, within the study sample, those people who practiced yoga gained three pounds less in that same ten year period. Even better: the study found that people who were overweight had a bigger benefit, at five pounds less weight gain in the ten year period.

The reasons for the above remain unclear, although one can assume that any kind of physical activity helps with weight loss. Some experts theorize that correctly assuming yoga poses (called asanas) require the development of a body-awareness that gradually brings about a heightened desire to take care of the body. Others explain that the physical effort in yoga comes about when a position has to be held, for a certain amount of time, against a mild discomfort.  This discomfort of course lessens with practice, and more difficult asanas are then tried. The adaptation to tolerate discomfort brings about a tolerance for other discomforts or urges, such as the urge to overeat, drink alcohol and other stimulants, or slouch in front of the television with some comfort food. It can also help you combat the discomfort caused by menopause symptoms, such as leg cramps or aching, sore joints; it is an excellent complement to bioidentical hormone treatment.

Whatever the reason, yoga students report weight loss, increased flexibility and strength and, more importantly, a newfound inner peace that allows them to lead a healthier life. These are benefits that no one can underestimate.

Middle-aged people need a low-impact, high-effectiveness physical activity to keep them from gaining too much weight and to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Both anecdotal and study related data seem to indicate that this activity meets the requirements.

There are several styles of yoga, nine of which come from India. Some are tougher than others, and the instructor’s style plays a big part in defining the overall yoga experience. If you are considering starting yoga training, consider the following:

• Working smart, not hard, is the rule in middle age. You want to preserve your joints.
• A yoga instructor is not a coach. He or she is not meant to push you, but to guide you.
• Yoga is more about long-term gain than short-term effects.
• The style of yoga you choose to practice should fit your lifestyle.

Above everything, look forward to both the physical and emotional benefits that come from this ancient practice.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).