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).

These women were girls in the 80’s, when they discovered friendship, loyalty, treason and yes – love. The Brat Pack made their debut back then and brought these then young girls their first taste of silver screen emotional roller coasters. However, you may be surprised by the fact that only two of the top five picks are 1980’s films. Women between 35 and 45 were asked about their favorite all-time movies, and these were their top picks:

1-Titanic (1998)
Why did this not surprise us? Let us see; great period outfits, unbelievable hairdos, a leading actress who doesn’t have a wasp’s waistline and huge chest, a leading actor who looks more dreamy and innocent than your three-year-old, the jerk fiancée, and three-and-a-half hours of syrupy  romance. Boy stows away on ship, boy impresses uppity first class passengers, boy gets girl, ship sinks.

2-The Body Guard (1992)
Ah! To be carried to safety in the arms of a strong, silent type with boyish looks… Whitney lost her mojo after that flick, but we’ll never forget what her sweet and potent voice did to Kevin Costner’s tough guy. The prize was such a confident straight-shooter, with a mysterious and exciting past as a secret service agent to boot! A movie for women who still seek real men…

3-When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The angst! The angst! Meg Ryan actually makes us feel compassion for a dumb blond! It’s all thanks to her honest and lovely portrayal of the single professional woman – tired of trying and still hoping for love true and pure. Billy Crystal is the comedic, unlikely beau – which makes for an even better movie about love triumphant over self-centeredness and social formulas.

4-Pretty in Pink (1986)
A true 1980’s teen movie in the style that Howard Deutch made so famous and successful. The Brat Pack – as the group of young actors came to be known – started their meteoric and – sadly – short careers (ok, there are exceptions) in the movie business back then. It doesn’t matter if you saw this one when you were twelve or twenty-two, you were surely captured by the conflicts faced when Andie must choose between true friendship and popularity… the eternal high school dilemma!

5-Pretty Woman (1990)
This was a surprise to us, as we did not expect a movie about a rich, arrogant loner and a hooker to make the top five. But that’s only the surface of the plot; this is really a classic fairytale. The witty, street-smart , gorgeous and ever-aspirational  sex professional meets a gorgeous man in his forties who appears to have everything but is terribly empty inside. Aside from the oft-times annoying Roberts laugh, the plot is excellent and the outfits – oh my God! How many times did you dream about spending a day walking into every top boutique on Hollywood Boulevard, trying on everything you like and taking it with you? Personally, I think that’s what the women who picked Pretty Woman loved best.

There you have it, the top five movies for women 35 to 45. Agree? Disagree? If any of these make you bawl like a baby, ladies, it doesn’t mean that your bioidentical hormone therapy is not working. These are classics no woman would dare to watch without a handy box of Kleenex nearby.

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).

1. You have the experience to make fewer mistakes.
Of course that some of us never learn, but as you may have, you should make the best use of it. It is a privilege to gain experience and accumulate stories over the years, and now is the moment to use them to your own advantage, as well as for helping others. Younger women will appreciate whatever you can tell them. Even if it doesn’t seem that they’re really listening to you, they will not forget your words.

2. You only worry about important matters.
It is true that we live in a constantly changing world, and at this point in your life you must know that there are things which are not worth worrying about. Take the chance to use this knowlege to free your life from stress. Everybody knows that money is important and that getting it is hard, and it’s not like you shouldn’t care about it. But if you take the time to get closer to your loved ones; you will find out what is really worth fretting about.

3. You can spend more time with yourself.
Letting go of time-stealing activities like working all day or taking care of children gives you plenty of time to do, well, whatever you want to do. It could be reading, learning something, painting or spending a whole day at the hairdresser’s. Do what you please! Take all the spare time to do the things you have been postponing over the years and you will feel absolutely renewed.

4. You are as young as you feel.
Nowadays being 50 does not mean that your life is over at all… Not even close! There is a world of possibilities out there and it is just waiting for you to go discover it. What about an extreme make over? Or even a divorce, if you are not happy? Unlock yourself and do what you never thought you could do. It is never, ever, too late.

5. You are interested in taking care of yourself.
It could be entirely about health, or even about looks. Nobody is going to take better care of you than yourself and, luckily, there are many things that you can do to feel (but most importantly be) better. From bioidentical hormone therapy to ethics therapy, and many, many others. Your mind and body are the most precious things you own and the responsability of keeping them in top condition is only yours. Don’t feel bad when you have real possibilities of feeling great.

6. You appreciate little things.
This detail may seem quite corny but if you make a pause and think about it, you will see that we work all our lives to get big, important things; they may make us happy to some extent but, in fact, the only things that survive through time and make you a better woman, are details. You are in a position of appreciating the details, and this makes your life better everyday.

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 Last Period. Period.
I bet you $1,000 you don’t know what menopause is.

No, really.

You read a lot about menopause and perimenopause, sure; and probably began experiencing symptoms several months ago. And no doubt you talked a lot with other women, and got a hint about a certain bioidentical hormone doctor in Aspen or whatever out there (“a bio what??”). Yet, I still believe you don’t know the meaning of the term menopause and that nobody ever explained to you why your clothes seem to shrink in the wardrobe.

Menopause IS NOT:

•    the stage following your last period
•    a condition after a whole year without menstruation
•    a hormone deficiency
•    a period characterized by hot flashes and mood swings

So, what is menopause? Give up?

From Menarche to “Flasharche”
Menopause is a woman’s last period. Period.

On average, this occurs when a woman celebrates her 51st birthday. However, to determine when the menopause happened, she has to experience no periods during 12 consecutive months. In other words, she realizes she had her menopause a year later.

The word has a Greek origin (menos, month; pausis, cessation) by contrast to the first menstruation, the menarche (also from Greek: arkhe, beginning).

Many changes happen in the body around the crucial day of the last period. Essentially, your body considers that your reproductive days are no longer necessary but fat is welcome.

One or two years before such day, your body enters the perimenopause stage (peri, prefix for about, around or surrounding), also known as the climacteric phase. That’s when hot flashes begin.

Then, a year after the menopause day, you enter the post-menopause phase—those who say there’s no such a state as a post-menopause are, from an etymological viewpoint, wrong—. Since menopause refers to a specific day not a prolonged condition, a post-menopause time obviously follows.

From Flashes to Fat
Fat cells produce and store a hormone, estrone, a form of estrogen. The ovaries produce another variety of estrogen, estradiol. This hormone decreases at a dramatic rate around menopause, because the ovaries ignore another hormone that carries orders to produce estradiol. Hormones serve as mailmen, and affect almost every cell in the body when delivering or failing to deliver the information.

Some organs, however, are more receptive than others to certain hormones, much in the same way as your ears perceive sounds but ignore smells. When the ovaries stop obeying orders, your body cells crave estrogen. And where can they find it? Fat cells, of course! Your belly and hips stored another kind of estrogen, but estrogen at least.

To state it in other words, let’s say that your body needs fat now. Thus, you feel hungry; ergo, you eat. The larger the fat cells, the more estrogen they can produce and store.

To Lose Weight, Eat more often
If you wish to prevent weight gain, eat more often. Yes, more often. Eat small meals and give the body what it needs: milk, cereals, fruits and vegetables. At all costs, avoid dieting or starving; your body will react to protect its fat cells to put a stop to estrogen decreases… storing more fat.

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).

“There’s no woman out there
with a Prozac deficiency.”
—Suzanne Somers

At 60, says former Three’s Company star Suzanne Somers, “you can choose fifty old medicines—if that´s what you want, fine, take all your pharmaceutical drugs and end up in a nursing home— or… you can jump on this fast-moving trend”.

What trend is she talking about? Watch this 10 min Metacafe video featuring her sharing with us how a bio identical hormone therapy relieved her from those awful symptoms, you know what I mean. She has something to say about a crossroad we are witnessing these days, when we can live longer and still enjoy our menopause (and regain sexual drive, too!).

Suzanne Somers Speaks About Bio-Identical Hormones at the 15th A4M Conference in Las Vegas

She addressed that lecture at the 15th American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Annual Congress held in Las Vegas in 2007. (1)
A couple of years before this conference, Somers had released her book “The Sexy Years: Discover the Natural Hormone Connection: The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health and Vitality, for Women and Men”. Two years later, the sequel “Ageless: The Naked Truth about Bioidentical Hormones” followed.

In Ageless, Somers mentions the now famous Women’s Health Initiative Study, an experiment in which doctors expected decreases in cancer in women who were prescribed synthetic hormones. (2) To their surprise, doctors discovered shocking outcomes, such as 26% more breast cancer and 2,100 % more cases of lung blood clots.

“Yes, that is correct”, writes Somers, to assure you it wasn’t a typo. And she adds:
“So much for synthetic hormones! […] Those of us who were on the original birth control pills for any length of time were actually on synthetic hormones. Any wonder why women of our generation are under siege from an epidemic of breast and ovarian cancers? There is a link.”
Somers endured a cancer herself and recovered. Another excerpt from Ageless about her bio identical hormone therapy:

“I approached my cancer through balanced bioidentical hormone replacement and complemented this replacement with Iscador. (3)

“I believe this was the best decision of my life.
“[…] My health has never been better. I have not had so much as a cold during this time; upon my last checkup, my immune system was so high that my doctor was ecstatic. He said he had never seen an immune system this strong in any of his adult patients.”

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).

_________
(1) Note: according to its website, the A4M seeks the dissemination of info “concerning innovative science and research as well as treatment modalities designed to prolong the human lifespan”.
(2) The study included 162,000 women, some of whom where prescribed estrogen or progestin and others a placebo. Estrogen was synthesized from horse urine. The experiment was terminated because of the dangerous side-effects observed in an unexpected number of women, mostly related to blood clots.
(3) Iscador: extract of mistletoe, used to treat certain cancers.