Between Us Girls

Mid-Life Women Contracting HIV: The Hidden Epidemic

You try to look at the bright side at mid-life, to find the silver lining.  Okay, you say, so I occasionally sweat profusely for no apparent reason, I'm moodier than ever and I can't seem to remember s _ _ _ , but at least I don't have to worry about those damned condoms anymore!   Get out the Kama Sutra and squeeze into some lingerie, it's party time!  Heck,  menopause hasn't given you much to smile about besides worry free sex, so make the most of it, right?  Sexual freedom at last!  No chance of getting pregnant, no worries? 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but while unintended pregnancy may not be an issue anymore, there's a new kid in town and it's called HIV.  Old news, you say?  Not a problem for middle-aged, monogamists like yourself?  If you really believe that, do yourself a favor and keep reading.  Also, you might want to dig that box of condoms back out of the garbage, you're gonna need them. 

According to an article in the April 2009 issue of More Magazine, one in three women who are newly infected with HIV are women over forty.  And, it's not just the divorcees having a fling with the pool-boy who are getting infected.  In putting themselves back on the market, the newly single may be at risk, but married women may actually be at even greater risk.  Single women, who don't have a long-standing relationship built of trust, are more likely to use condoms.  But married women tend to trust their spouses and, as long as the threat of pregnancy is removed, think that they have nothing else to worry about.  In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Syndrome W: What Your Weight and Your Waist May Be Trying to Tell You

Mid-life comes with so many wonderful surprises:  irregular periods, hot-flashes,  mood swings and, oh yes let's not forget, that gradually increasing waistline.

We write it off as just another side-effect of changing hormone levels and, as we struggle to zip up our jeans, we shake our heads and sigh.  It's just what we women have to put up with . .  . or is it?

It turns out that our increasing girth despite exercise and healthy eating may be a sign of an underlying problem called Syndrome W.  Now if you've become a couch potato and your loading up on the chips and salsa or ice cream sandwiches after the kids go to bed, Syndrome W is probably not your problem.  But, if you have kept yourself in shape, exercised regularly and ate right and you have still, mysteriously, seen your weight increasing, your waist-line growing and your energy level bottoming out, then this is something you might need to look into.

Harriette Mogul, the director of research of adult endocrinology at New York Medical College, discovered that many normally slim and fit women were coming to her and presenting with slightly elevated blood pressure, unexplained weight gain and fatigue.  Thinking that their shifting hormone levels were to blame, they were looking for hormone supplementation.  All of these women had normal blood sugar levels, but Dr. Mogul thought to look where others had not.

  Glucose tests are very common and once the results come up normal, the idea of blood sugar issues is often disregarded, but Dr. Mogul decided that insulin levels also deserved a look.  What she found is that many of these women had normal glucose levels but elevated insulin levels.

From Hot-Flashes to Hope: Hormones and Our Mid-Life Desire for Change

Waking at 3 a.m. with sweat-soaked pajamas, snapping at our husbands or co-workers, sleeping fitfully, cringing from headache pain, forgetting where we put our keys or where we were going in the first place, cringing from embarrassment as yet another shirt-soaking hot-flash overtakes us; women who are approaching mid-life know all-too-well the havoc that fluctuating hormone levels can wreak. 

From hot-flashes to heart palpitations, these delightful harbingers of "the change" can torment us for several months to several years before we actually stop having periods.  Perhaps that's why most women who are post-menopausal, rather than feeling old or sad, find themselves feeling more joyful and optimistic than ever.  Ahhhhh . . . sweet relief!

Our hormones have so much to say, but not just about how we feel physically.  These natural chemicals effect how we feel emotionally as well.  In fact, they might just have a lot more to say about who we are and what we want at any given point in our lives than we ever realized.

Mind and Body Blogs

There are so many blogs these days that it's sometimes hard to know where to start when you're looking for information.  Those of you who are interested in personal growth and development might want to check out the "100 Best Blogs for Mind, Body and Soul" compiled by the National Massage Certification website.  Happy reading!

Old Age: A Preview

It is often said that with age comes wisdom. And while I do believe that's true, I'm also becoming quite well aware of the fact that wisdom, like age, does not come alone. Wrinkles, moles, achy joints, a little sag here and a little bag there; these are all midlife harbingers of things to come.

Take cataracts for instance. Why? Well what could possibly scream “old” louder than cataracts? Not much, I can assure you.

Sitting in the waiting room at the eye surgery center, my husband surveyed the room and said “You're way too young to be here.” “Tell me about it,” I responded with a sigh. While some of my hair color does come from a bottle, I do still have a lot of my own natural color mixed in. I couldn't say the same for the rest of the room. Gray hair, white hair, bald heads, canes. What the hell?

At 46, I am young to have cataracts. Why I have them is anybody's guess . . .it's either a side effect from my year-round allergy medication use or just luck I suppose. But, whatever the cause, I have a cataract in my left eye that has grown very rapidly and is robbing me of my sight in that eye. I also have very early signs of a cataract in my right eye. So, there I sat, with my gray-haired comrades, waiting for the doctor to disintegrate the lens of my left eye with ultrasound, suck it out with a little vacuum and

Wow, I Guess Cell Phones Really Do Cause Brain Damage

As a society, we are fascinated by gadgets of all kinds. Laptop computers, digital cameras, iPods, BlackBerries are our new best friends.  We take them with us wherever we go, we gaze at them lovingly, we we share our deepest secrets with them. Even those of us who are technological dinosaurs, tend to at least be hip enough to have a cell phone. But, like any new drug, our high-tech toys come with potentially serious side effects.

Most of you have heard that studies have linked cell phone usage with brain damage and tumors, especially in children. But that's not exactly the kind of brain damage I'm referring to. I'm talking about behavioral rather than anatomical and physiological brain damage. You know – the kind of damage that, despite healthy neurological tissue, leaves us acting like social morons.  What ever became of manners, discretion, common courtesy?   Are social skills, like eight-track tapes and mullets, simply destined to become a thing of the past?  And why exactly am I going on and on about this?

Well, I was recently reminded of how our love affair with electronic gadgetry can turn us into blubbering idiots.  Let me share with you a tale of electronic be-witchery and human frailty.......a cautionary tale if you will.

I was in Sears the other day, walking from the shoe department to the children's department with my two kids in tow. As we passed the registers (centrally located for no one's convenience) a young woman came out of the children's department walking toward us, chatting away loudly on her cell phone. The sales clerks, my two eight-year-olds and I were treated to her end of the conversation which went like this:

Where to Find Health Information for Women

     To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded!  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

     I keep this quote in my mind when I feel unproductive, unsuccessful or lacking in purpose.  The last bit, "to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.", is, to me, the most meaningful.  My original intention when I decided to set up this blog was to create a way of sharing information that we, as

The Cost of Materialism

This is the second post in a three part series on the dangers of materialism. For an introduction to the subject, please read “The Scourge of Materialism.”

Our society has centered itself around materialistic pursuits. We place a high value on financial success, social status and the many symbols that represent both. Quite often, we push the people and activities that we love onto the back burner as we pursue the better job, the bigger house, the shinier car.

But these symbols of success have a price and we're not just talking about money. The costs of materialism are far broader than that. Their impact extends well beyond our bank accounts to our personal

The Scourge of Materialism

It seems that there is a plague in our midst. It threatens to steal away our health, our happiness and perhaps our future. Celebrity carriers like Paris Hilton and Donald Trump may be it's poster-children but they have a lot of not-so-famous company. Look around...it's likely that many around you have already been infected. In fact, chances are good that it's gotten most of your loved ones and quite possibly.......you.

Materialism, consumerism, commercialism...call it what you will. It permeates our culture. Buying, spending, accumulating...these are the building blocks of our society. Our values reflect it and our government encourages it. Feeling good about ourselves comes not from what we do, but what we have. Social status is based on wealth and possessions. Legislation is designed, not to protect the common good but, to protect corporate profits and shareholder interests and to preserve the link between money and power.

Research (not to mention common logic) has demonstrated that the more people value materialistic goals, the less happy they are and the more likely they are to act in socially and ecologically damaging ways. It is becoming more and more clear that when we choose to define success in materialistic terms, we pay a very high price. Here in the United States, we are reaping what our capitalistic society has sown and most of us are disappointed with the harvest.

Huge fuel costs (despite record fuel industry

The Wisdom of Illness

      Everything that happens to us in life has value.  Each experience, good or bad, offers us a learning opportunity. 

     Sometimes, when something wonderful happens, we learn that life is fun or that hard work really does pay off.  But when something bad happens?  Well, the lesson might not be so readily apparent but it's there...that pearl of wisdom exists.

     Take the stomach virus I just recently survived for example.  Please...take it...no, no really...I'm done with it...it's all yours.  Seriously though, take my recent bout with this virus as an example.

    On the surface, there seems to be nothing good that can come of so much pain and unpleasantness.  But delve a little deeper and you find that this type of illness - the drop whatever you're doing...you're coming with me...you will do nothing but what I say for the next day or two type of illness - has a very important lesson to convey.

     Being totally debilitated gives one time to think.  In between bathroom runs and prayers for death, I found myself becoming quite philosophical.  I realized, (Read more...)

Racing Towards Midlife - Dangerous Curves Ahead

     Mid-life comes with it's challenges.  Standing face-to-face with our own mortality leads some of us to panic.  You know, the kind of panic that puts men in red convertibles, racing down the highways, comb-overs flapping in the breeze?

     Sorry for putting that image into your minds, but I had to do it.  It's my way of trying to scare you straight. 

    I know as well as anyone that mid-life can be a scary time, but please ladies, let's try to keep our dignity intact.  Let's not fall prey to the scatter-brained, desperate attempts at clinging to our youth that our menfolk do. 

     The male mid-life crisis has long had an affair with sports cars, usually convertibles, often brightly colored.  Cars that scream, "Look at me...while I've still got it."  Women at midlife often suffer from the same fears of mortality, feelings of despair over goals not met, regrets for mountains not climbed but we have, at least until now, handled our crises with poise and grace.  We re-evaluate and redesign our lives at best...at worst, we might go in for a little nip or tuck.  Either way, we deal with our crises discreetly, (Read more...)

Universal Health Care in America - It's Time for the Truth

     It seems that the time for Universal Health Care in America has come...or has it?  Other nations have been providing quality health care to their citizens for decades, yet the very mention of the idea here in the States gives rise to claims of Socialist agendas, vitriolic accusations of laziness, and other hateful, ignorant and nonsensical rhetoric.

     Why does the idea of Universal Health Care seem to bring out the worst in so many people?  As a person who likes to believe that people are inherently good, I find it difficult to maintain that perspective when I hear people claim that they work harder than others and deserve to keep what they have worked so hard for...or that they don't understand why their hard work should help provide for " those slackers" who just want to live off of everyone else.  Excuse me...am I hearing right?

     So many people in this country work hard everyday, often at more than one job, just to keep food on the table.  Many have no health care coverage or inadequate coverage.  Even those who think they have good insurance often find that their insurers refuse to pay for much of their care.  It's a little thing called record profits in the insurance industry through claim denial.   Sure, there are a few lazy people out there who just want to work the system, but they are the minority.  Most of our less fortunate people are hard-working individuals...people who chose social work over law school or to help support their families instead (Read more...)

Why Getting Back to Nature May Prove to be the Best Therapy

      Despite the technological and medical advancements of recent history, modern life is fraught with difficulties.  It seems that the more we attempt to simplify life, the more complicated it becomes.  Our preoccupation with more, bigger, and faster is taking us further and further away from the natural rhythms that once governed human life.

     Stress, obesity and mental illnesses seem to be on the rise not just among adults, but among our children as well.  A CDC study of US children found that 2 out of 10 children are obese and that there is a direct link between the number of hours spent in front of the t.v. or computer and the amount of body fat.

     Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has become so common that every child has at least a few classmates that suffer from it.  A whopping 90% of children diagnosed with the disorder are prescribed drugs - drugs that interfere with sleep, often cause depression and can retard physical growth by as much as 1/2" per year.  (For more on medicating children with mental disorders see my earlier post: Psychiatric Disorders in Children)

     There was a time when we rose with the sun, spent our days living and working in the natural world and rested when night fell.  In an extremely short period of time (when you consider the entire history of man) we have completely changed our way of living from  (Read more...)

Doctor as Detective? - Why Patients May Need to Get a Clue

     I have always viewed doctors as medical detectives.  Patients bring them clues in the form of symptoms and the doctors examine these clues, combine them with what they know, research what they don't know and come up with a diagnosis.  Aha!  Mystery solved.

    Well, we all have our misconceptions, don't we?  Turns out that doctors are more like factory workers.  They take a quick look, use whatever information they already possess, and deftly sort patients into various, common, diagnostic baskets.  If the patient doesn't fit easily into a standard basket, they get tossed aside into the reject bin to be dealt with later  (Read more...)

Psychiatric Disorders in Children - Is Medication the Best Answer?

     Emotional and behavioral issues in children are nothing new.  Kids have problems too and we shouldn't be surprised that they are sometimes overwhelmed and need help.  But over the last decade, psychiatric diagnoses in children have increased at an alarming rate. 

     Children are being diagnosed at earlier and earlier ages with more serious psychiatric disorders than ever before.  Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses have led to an unprecedented number of children being medicated, some of them as early as preschool.  But children are also being labeled with more serious diagnoses such as Bipolar Disorder (not usually seen in young children) and being medicated with drugs never tested for use with children.

     What is going on here?  What's behind this increase in psychiatric diagnoses in youth?  (Read more...)

Yes Virginia - There is a Perimenopause

      Although the men in your life may look at you cross-eyed and some doctors will try to convince you that it's all in your head, perimenopause is real.  True, some women will sail through those premenopausal years with nary a worry, but they generally keep their mouths shut about it...if they know what's good for them.

     The rest of us look none-too-kindly on their beautiful complexions, their restful nights and their cool, dry skin.  We really don't care to hear about their happy little worlds as we drag our bloated, tired bodies through our days, and alternately sweat and pee our way through our nights.  No, it's not pretty, but it is a reality for many of us.

     I recently spoke with a woman (age 51) who has had a terrible time sleeping for several years.  For her the issue is hot flashes (also called night sweats).  She might be freezing one moment only to wake up with the sweat dripping off of her the next. 

     Jesse (not her real name) lives in a foggy sleep-deprived land and yet her husband is convinced that it is all in her head.  The sleep problems and the sweating...she's just imagining it all.  He sleeps right next to her...he can feel the heat radiating off of (Read more...)

Do You Really Need a Hysterectomy?

Hysterectomy is a very common, relatively safe procedure as surgeries go.  According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 547,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. alone each year and 31 % of women between the ages of 45 and 49 will have one. (For more detail see gynfo.com)  Is all of this surgery really necessary or is there a better way?

    Hysterectomies are performed for a variety of reasons including cervical or uterine cancers, fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease.  The surgery involves removal of the entire uterus.  With the uterus gone, so are the symptoms that led to the surgery in the first place (pain, excessive bleeding etc.)

     No one argues that hysterectomies aren't effective and sometimes necessary, but no matter how common they may have become, no surgery is without risk...or pain...or a significant amount of recovery time.  For some women, a total hysterectomy is the only answer, but experts are beginning to think that (Read more...)

The Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Decline

   Many things change as we age and our minds are no exception.  Forgetting where we put our keys or parked our cars is just the beginning.  For some, it can get much worse as we get older.  So we ask ourselves, "Is there anything I can do to stop this?"  Well, it turns out that there is something you can do, but it might not be what you think.  Cognitive exercises will prevent cognitive decline, right?  Well...exercises yes...cognitive exercises, maybe not as much.  Surprised?  So was I.  But research is beginning to show that physical exercise may be our best defense.

     What happens to our brains when we age?  According to Dr. Arthur F. Kramer of the University of Illinois "(o)lder adults show a real decline in brain density in white and gray areas."  Furthermore, he suggested that "...fitness actually slows this decline." (Click here for more on Dr. Kramer's study as reported at the News Bureau of the University of Illinois)  In his study of 55 people aged 55 and up, he found actual anatomical differences in the brains of those individuals who were physically fit and of those who were not.  The physically fit showed less decline in brain density which translates into less cognitive decline. 

          Dr. Yaakov Stern leads the Cognitive Neuroscience Division at Columbia University in New York.  According to a recent post at www.sharpbrains.com, Dr. Stern is a proponent of the "Cognitive Reserve Theory" which posits that those of us who have better cognitive reserves (meaning higher brain weights and more neurons) can better withstand progressive brain pathologies.  This implies that, although many of us may develop some brain pathologies (such as alzheimer's disease) as we age, those of us who have better cognitive reserves will display fewer symptoms of these pathologies (click here to read the interview with Dr. Stern)  In fact, Dr. Stern has been designing studies to see what kinds of exercise might stave off cognitive decline as we age and the results have been surprising.  As in Dr. Kramer's study, there is some evidence to suggest that physical exercise may actually be of the most benefit over time.

   In a MORE magazine (More) article called "Jogging Your Memory" (March 2008), Dr. Stern attributes the benefits of aerobic exercise to a brain chemical called "Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor" (BDNF) that helps with learning.  It seems that physical exercise, aerobic exercise in particular, produces significant amounts of this chemical.  Aging affects the frontal lobes of the brain, the area that helps us to multi-task.  Over time, fewer and fewer brain cells are produced in this area to replace the ones that are dying off.  This leads to cognitive decline.  BDNF, which is produced when we engage in aerobic exercise, supports the survival of the cells in our frontal lobes and that helps us to multi-task and think more clearly.  The end result?  More confirmation that exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, may be one of the best ways to significantly slow down the mental decline that comes with age. 

     Now there has been a lot of publicity lately around the use of mental exercises to improve the functioning of the aging brain.  People are using everything from crossword puzzles to hand-held computer games to specially-designed computer software to exercise their brains and improve their memories.  Is it all for naught?  No, this type of mental activity does have some benefit.  Many of these tools do improve memory, but according to a study called "Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly" also highlighted in the MORE Magazine article, such tools often only improve memory that is specific to the objects or events used in the training.  The cognitive training did not slow the rate of general memory loss.  Is it still worth pursuing?  Perhaps, but research is pointing in another direction for those of us who want to prevent the general memory loss and cognitive decline that comes with age.  Change may be inevitable as we get older, but there are things that we can do to improve the quality of our lives.  Playing memory games, reading, learning new things and social interaction all have a part to play in our efforts to stay mentally sharp.  But if you want to stay mentally fit, becoming physically fit may be the best answer.

     Yes indeed...one more good reason to exercise.  As if you didn't have enough already.  For those of you who are already incorporating exercise into your lives, keep up the good work!  As for the rest of you, well, maybe it's time.  If you need help and inspiration in your efforts to get started with an exercise program, check out my earlier post "Exercise - An Idea Whose Time Has Come."  You might also want to check out the fitness carnival at www.fitbuff.com/total-mind-and-body-fitness-blog-carnival-38/ for articles on exercise and fitness by this author and others.  As always, feel free to post any questions or comments.

Help For Managing Weight and Achieving Your Fitness Goals

     Many of us have difficulty managing or maintaining our weight at one point or another.  For some, it is a life-long battle, while for others, it creeps up on us around the time we're approaching mid-life.  Whenever weight issues pop up, we are often loathe to deal with them because there are rarely quick fixes or magic pills. 

     Maintaining our weight can take considerable effort and require significant change in diet and exercise habits.  Some of you responded to my recent post on exercise and shared just how difficult incorporating exercise into your life can be.  Well, there is help out there if you know where to look.  Luckily, there are folks out there who search out the information you need and post it all in one place.  At http://weight-master.blogspot.com/ , they make it their business to provide the help you need.  They recently held a blog carnival and collected links to blogs that have hints and suggestions to help you meet your weight management and fitness goals.  Go to http://weight-master.blogspot.com/2008/02/weight-management-and-fitness-forum_16.html to find out more.  And let us all know if you find something worthwhile by posting a comment below.  Best of luck!

Exercise - An Idea Whose Time Has Come

     Some people are born exercisers.  Exercise isn't something they have to think about or plan for; exercise in one form or another is just a normal part of the routine.  After all, what would these people do with all of their extra energy and athletic talent if they weren't running at 5 a.m. or playing racquetball at lunch or heading to the gym after work.  It's easy for them, these high-octane freaks, a no-brainer.  They'd run in circles before they would think of sitting down.  And then...well, then there are the rest of us.  We have to be dragged off of the sofa, whining and kicking and clawing at the armrests.

    We're too tired...need to run a few errands...have a pain in our little toe...or some other excuse.  Trust me, when it comes to exercise, excuses abound.  I know this to be a fact because I have used most of them at one time or another.  I never did have a natural affinity for exercise, even as a child.  My girlhood hobbies were things like reading and drawing.  When my eyes or hands got too tired, well, then I could always take a nap.

    As an adult, the idea of exercise was no more palatable.  Periodically, I would try joining a gym, choosing the shortest membership term available and then never sticking with it long enough to get my money's worth.  But I knew, as most of us know, that regular exercise would do me good.  In fact, with a family health history that seemed out to get me, I knew that exercise would become a necessity. 

     When I was in my mid-twenties and working in New York City, I tried again.  I hated my job, spent almost two hours commuting (sitting on trains for most of it) to this 9 - 5 torture chamber across the river.  I was tired and out of shape and feeling miserable.  So I took the Hoboken train one day, instead of the Journal Square train heading for home, and stopped by the Hoboken Health Club.  It was the closest gym to where I was living and it was also close to the train station.  That was good...after all, I didn't want to strain myself just getting there.

     I took the tour, asked about prices and, after being quoted a price for a one-year membership, inquired as to whether or not they might have a shorter term available -- something more like three months maybe?  My tour guide paused and turned slowly to look at me.  Then she said something that has had a lasting impact, "So, you've already decided that you're not going to stick with it.  You want to get in shape?  Take the one-year membership and make the commitment to stick with it.  Pack your exercise clothes in the morning, take them with you and after work -- don't even think about it -- just get on that Hoboken train and come right here."  I was only mildly offended.  As I stood there trying to think up an excuse for not signing up for a full year, I got more and more uncomfortable and just said "Oh, okay."

    That was about twenty years ago and I have been exercising regularly ever since.  I credit that woman with giving me some of the best advice I have ever gotten.  The most important part was "Don't even think about it."  The thinking about whether you have the time, whether you feel like it today, whether there isn't something more pressing that needs doing...this is the window of opportunity for those favorite old excuses to come barging in.  Have I found a way to love exercise?  Not really, but I have made my peace with it and in turn, it has provided me with some surprising benefits.

     Although I still have to force myself to do it, I find that exercise makes me feel so much better when I am done.  I am more energetic for at least a few hours afterward, I feel more calm and less stressed, my stamina and strength have improved, and my heart and lungs are healthier.  Exercise is important for so many reasons, both emotional and physical, that I have stuck with it for about twenty years now.  Over time, my routine has changed.  I've substituted step and floor aerobics for the treadmill and dumbbells at home for weights at the gym.  Yoga is included now and again as well (see my earlier post on yoga).  But what has remained constant is my commitment to exercise in some form or another despite the many other things I have to do and the people clamoring for my attention.  Why is that?  It's because I have made it a priority.  It hasn't always made me popular, carving this chunk of time out of each day, but it is worth it in the end.

     Each one of us can find some way of fitting some kind of exercise into our days more often than not.  There is no magic here.  Do you think that exercise might help you relieve some stress?  Do you wish you were in better shape?  Are you worried about heart disease, diabetes, arthritis?  Do you simply refuse to go up one more pant-size?  If you answered yes to any of these, the time for incorporating exercise in your life may be now.  And there are a myriad of ways to do it.  Here's how to get started:

1. Decide that you are going to exercise and commit yourself to it.  Exercise must be a priority or you will never stick with it.
2. Choose the time of day that will best work for you.  Can you work out in the company gym at lunch time?  Can you get up 45 minutes earlier and jog or do an exercise tape?  Can you play volleyball in the community league two days a week in the evening?  Choose an activity that you might have a chance of finding enjoyable and a time of day and week that works for your schedule.  Then schedule it in, without fail, unless you are seriously ill or someone dies.
3. Vary your workouts.  Variety is the spice of life.  Interspersing weight workouts with aerobic activities and perhaps yoga, pilates or a stretching routine will keep you from getting too bored and will produce better results as well.
4. Once you have your plan in place, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!!  I cannot emphasize this enough.  If you think about it you are doomed.  This is one area of your life where not using your head can be an advantage.  To use an already overused phrase; just do it!

     Once you start a routine, stay with it for a while to give it a chance and then change it if you need or want to.  You might find that you are simply too uncoordinated for aerobics classes, but that kick-boxing tapes work for you.  You might need to have a walking or jogging buddy or to engage in group sports activities to keep you motivated.  Whoever you are and whatever you're like, there is a type of exercise and a schedule to suit you.

     Not sure what you're going to like?  Here are some ideas to get you started.  Make a visit to your local gym.  Take a tour, peek in on some classes.  See if any of it appeals to you.  Like sports better?  Call your municipal or township building, public schools or community colleges.  They often have community activities (swim times, adult education classes, community softball, volleyball, basketball and other leagues).  Rather workout alone, in private, at your own pace?  There are huge numbers of exercise videos on the market; everything from walking tapes to yoga, weight training, step aerobics...you get the idea.  One of the best places I have found to look for exercise videos is www.collagevideo.com .

    If you haven't exercised for years, start off easy with Leslie Sansone's walking tapes.  If you're ready to try aerobics, Fat Burning For Dummies with Gay Gasper is the best introductory tape out there.  Gay is a fantastic instructor and makes learning the steps easy for even the klutziest of us.  Collage Video has a large collection of videos and dvd's that you can preview on-line and wonderful customer service.  There are also some short e-books if you would rather read up on easy-to-do exercise ideas for home or office. For easy to do, seated exercises check out Get Fit While You Sit.  For weights at home try Weights For Absolute Beginners.  For information on getting the most from your workouts using interval training, you might want to look at The Great Cardio Myth.  Whatever you choose to do, make a commitment to sticking with it. 

     Looking for more information on exercise?  Check out the mind and body fitness carnival at www.fitbuff.com/total-mind-and-body-fitness-blog-carnival-38/ for helpful articles by this author and many others. 

     Do you have any questions, ideas, suggestions or inspiring words to offer?  Please post a comment and share your thoughts with us.  Thanks!

 

    

    

Migraine Pain - What's a Girl to Do?

     I've had people tell me that they have never had a headache or to pause and ponder it for a moment and then recall that they think they remember having a headache once.  Incredulous I say "Seriously?  Once?"  For someone like me who has had few headache-free weeks, it seems inconceivable.  But it is true that not everyone has headaches like I do.  I've had them since I was a child and they have become more frequent and more severe and more resistant to pain medications as I have gotten older.

    I hate to complain too much because there are worse problems in the world.  I haven't had a stroke, or lost a limb or been diagnosed with cancer.  But migraine headaches are there own kind of curse.  It isn't just the intense and often debilitating pain of the headache itself, it is the fear and dread of the next one that begins to take over a migraineur's life.  I am one of the lucky ones.  Imitrex (a prescription medicine for migraines, see info at http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-11571-Imitrex+Oral.aspx?drugid=11571&drugname=Imitrex+Oral ) works for me most of the time and I never leave home without it.  But the worries of how I'm going to make it through the next migraine that my Imitrex fails to stop and the concerns over the potential side effects of taking so much Imitrex still plague me.  What is a girl to do?

     Lots of people have headaches and most of them are not migraines.  For regular headaches, acetaminophen or ibuprofen usually does the trick.  Migraines though, usually don't respond well to over the counter meds.  Not sure if your headaches are regular tensions or sinus headaches or if they are migraines?  You are not alone.  For all of the people that know they suffer with migraines, there are many who have bad headaches and don't realize that they are migraines.  While there is no cure, there is help to be had so a proper diagnosis is important.  Not all doctors recognize the signs and symptoms though so migraines are often misdiagnosed.  How can you know?

      A migraine is usually one-sided head pain, focusing at the base of the skull and/or in the temple area.  The pain might feel like it is in or behind your eye.  You may find that you are more sensitive to light, to noise and that you are having difficulty concentrating.  You may be irritable.  You might also feel nauseous and begin vomiting or having diarrhea.  The headaches will probably not respond to over-the-counter pain meds.  You may or may not have an aura that precedes the headaches.  An aura is a visual disturbance that usually looks like flashing bits of bright light in your field of vision (similar to looking at the light reflecting off of the flat edges of a piece of cut crystal).

     Many things can trigger migraines including stress, weather changes, hormonal shifts, certain foods etc.  If you think that you might have this type of headache, see your doctor.  There is also great information on line.  Go to the National Headache Foundation  http://www.headaches.org/, the American Council for Headache Education at http://www.achenet.org/ or the National Migraine Association (MAGNUM) at http://www.migraines.org/  . 

     There is no cure for this problem.  Researchers believe that migraines happen in people who are genetically predisposed to them.  It is believed that our brains may be hypersensitive to a variety of irritating stimuli including external things like weather changes and internal disturbances like the shift in hormone levels that occur around menstruation or ovulation.  Each person has different triggers for migraine pain and they can sometimes be discovered by keeping a detailed account of headaches, foods eaten, quality of sleep, weather, hormone levels etc.  If you're lucky, you can eliminate your headaches by removing a particular food from your diet or by getting into a more regular sleep pattern.  If you are less fortunate and your headaches are caused by things that are not within your control like hormone levels or weather, there are medications that you can try.

    Imitrex is what is called a "triptan" and this class of medicines can be very helpful in stopping a migraine in its tracks.  There are many other medications that also work for some people to stop headaches.  Most of the sites listed above include loads of information on the various medications (and other alternative therapies) used to treat migraine pain and medicines that are useful for some people in preventing migraines.  If you have migraine attacks frequently as I do (nine or ten per month), your doctor will likely want to try you on a variety of preventative medications.  It's best to find a neurologist who is knowledgeable about migraine treatment and even then, prepare yourself to feel like a guinea pig.  Most preventative medicines are medications for other problems that have had the happy accident of reducing the frequency or severity of migraines in some people.  The only way to find something that works is to keep trying....and trying....and trying.

     My own experience with migraine prevention has been frustrating.  Too many side effects, not much relief.  Thankfully, the Imitrex works for me most of the time.  It has become my best friend and my constant companion.  It is what allows me to lead a semi-normal life.  Without it, I would be in intense pain and non-functional about a third of the time.  But too much Imitrex is not good.  It is a vasoconstrictor, which means that it stops migraine pain by forcing blood vessels to constrict or clamp down.  Some people have had serious, sometimes fatal "cardiac events" as a result.

    Over-dependence on rescue medications can also lead to rebound headaches.  It's a double-edged sword, this medication - "can't live with it, can't live without it."  But the search for anything that prevents migraines has proved futile so far for me.  So I keep plugging along, hoping that something better comes down the pike.  Researchers are working on a medication that works to abort migraines without the vasoconstrictor action (and therefore without the cardiac risks) of the triptans.  Since my headaches are triggered by uncontrollable events like weather and hormone shifts, this is my best hope.  So far the preventive meds haven't worked.  But research efforts are bound to increase, so I am crossing my fingers.

     The one positive that I have noticed is that more doctors are recognizing the migraine problem as something significant that needs to be addressed (although there are still plenty of them out there that have no clue and may treat you as if you are just neurotic and if you would calm down you wouldn't have these problems).  Statistic show that migraines are a real problem for many people and a huge contributor to lost productivity at work.  Perhaps that will translate into newer and better treatment options down the road. 

     If you have debilitating headaches and you suspect they may be migraines, read up on it and find a doctor who will listen.  There is help out there if you know where to look and there is no need to suffer if you don't have to.  If thereare any of you who have migraines and would like to share your experiences or recommend resources, please feel free to post comments.  What you know may help someone else.  Thanks.

Link Love

For some additional interesting reading, check out the migraine and friendships blog carnival at http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/123/21352/march-blog/

Yoga and Stress

     I ordered a new yoga dvd the other day and I was so excited to try it out.  I exercise a lot, but usually stick to aerobics, stepping, weights and the like.  I do it partly to keep myself healthy (I have many genetic predispositions that make exercise a must) and partly to stay sane.  I find that, no matter how much I don't feel like exercising, I feel better when I do, both mentally and physically.  I also occasionally slip in a yoga workout when I have time.  Yoga can be very relaxing.  It encourages me to focus on my breathing, the alignment of not just my body, but my body, mind and spirit and it improves circulation and flexibility.  It also seems to help me to stay in the present moment rather than thinking of all of the things I haven't done, still have to do, wished I didn't have to do, yada, yada, yada.  It really is almost impossible to think about all of that stuff when you are busy trying to twist your body into a shape that looks more like a snack food than anything human.

    So anyway, while I know little about yoga, I do enjoy the dvd's I already have and figured it was about time for a new one.  This new dvd is a vinyasa-style yoga workout.  Vinyasa, hatha, power yoga, whatever - it sounded good to me.  Well, it turns out that there is a lot to know about yoga and I know even less than I thought.  Not really sure what the heck was going on in this vinyasa-style dvd (it looked more like a combination of modern and pole dancing than it did yoga), I decided perhaps I'd better look into this yoga thing.  There is a wealth of information on-line of course, and through it I learned that there are many branches of yoga, just one of which focuses on the combination of breathing and asanas (physical postures).  Within this one branch of yoga that focuses on the physical postures there are many variations.  What I was familiar with was hatha yoga - a form that stresses breathing combined with physical postures that are moved into slowly and held for a period of time.  Vinyasa yoga involves almost constant movement, flowing from one pose into another.  Within the vinyasa-style yoga category there are several varieties as well.  The one I had chosen was designed to keep the body moving slowly and gracefully in a manner akin to waves - ocean waves, sound waves, etc.  Ahhhhhhhhhh........sounds relaxing doesn't it?  Well, it wasn't what I was expecting.  I am trying to keep an open mind though and to give the dvd another shot or two before I package it back up and return it.  If I get the hang of it, it might prove to be useful.  It just doesn't look promising so far.  All those rippling, curving and arching movements don't come naturally to my stiff, middle-aged spine.  But it never hurts to try right?  Well honestly, it does hurt a bit, but I'm hoping it will get easier.

     Well, what have I learned from this?  The practice of yoga can be a powerful way of improving strength, flexibility and the ability to relax.  It can help us to build a better mind-body awareness also.  But there are as many types of yoga as there are people and to really get anything out of it, I may need to learn more.  If you're interested in learning more also there are many good yoga books to check out.  There are also yoga magazines with Yoga Journal being the most familiar.  See the sidebar under RESOURCES for a list of helpful websites too.

    

The "C" Word

     Years ago, people wouldn't speak it above a whisper.  But today, things have changed.  The word cancer is spoken loud and clear.  We know how common it is, which cancers are easily cured and which are not, how to detect it and who's got it.  But we still have an uncomfortable relationship with it.  Like most things that are painful or traumatic, we live in denial and believe that somehow these things only happen to other people.  Breast cancer is no different.  Thanks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation it may be one of the most talked about cancers but, until it invades our personal space, we are still pretty much in the dark as to the real scope of the problem. 

     For people like me, who have never had breast cancer nor had a close relative with breast cancer, it seems to be only one of many distant, vague problems whose fund-raising campaigns we might support with a donation now and then.  But at some point, you reach a certain age or fall in with a new group of people and, what was once a distant concern, suddenly becomes up close and personal.  Diseases, traumas and tragedies take on a whole new meaning when they affect people you know and love.  For me, it all started with new neighbors.

     Last winter, a charming and outgoing couple in their thirties with two small children moved in.  As we began to form a fledgling friendship, the information that was shared became more personal.  I learned that my lovely new neighbor had recently battled a rare form of breast cancer that had resulted in a double mastectomy and a recommendation for a hysterectomy as well.  A few months later another new friend, met through a women's spiritual fellowship group I had joined, announced that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.  One of the other young women in the group mentioned that she too had recently battled breast cancer.  I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing!  I went from being relatively unacquainted with breast cancer to being surrounded by it.  Talk about a wake-up call!  Let's face it, we can't worry about every potential threat to our health and well-being that exists in this world or we would be more neurotic than many of us are already.  But there is something to be said for recognizing a serious threat when we see it and taking action to protect ourselves.  Breast cancer is far too common to be ignored.  There is plenty of information out there.  Isn't it about time we started paying attention? 

     For more information, check for recommended reading and helpful links.