From the Blog
OMG!!! Does Menopause Hell EVER End???
So. Your official menopause date has passed. (That’s a year after your last period, in case you’re unsure). But Hilda Hot Flash and her evil stepsisters haven’t gotten the message. The fun rages on long after the date has come and gone. What’s up with that?? The ability to cruise through menopause without the need [...]
Wait, I’m too Young for This!!
She’s sneaky. She’s subtle some days, but other days her subtlety is like that of a 2×4 to the side of your head. SHE is perimenopause (or premenopause)…and she is the mistress of disguise. Signs of perimenopause can start as early as your mid-late 30’s. While you’re in the thick of raising kids (or considering [...]
XenoWHAT? 8 Simple Steps to Avoid X-cess Estrogen in Your Environment
Excess estrogen can cause all kinds of unpleasant symptoms in women….bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, irritability, insomnia and crying spells for no reason. Estrogen is balanced by progesterone, but in perimenopause, progesterone production slows and estradiol production increases as ovaries age. The hormone symphony gets way off key. Other less commonly thought of sources of [...]
10 Health Habits They Don’t Teach In Medical School
As a health-conscious person, you’re already in the loop about the importance of eating your veggies, skipping the booze, cigarettes, and fake foods, daily exercise, plenty of zzzzz’s, and regular check-ups. But as a physician fascinated by why some health nuts still suffer from chronic illness, I dug deep into the medical literature to study [...]
Got Moai?
Moai is a type of community I first read about in Dan Buettner’s book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest . In Okinawa, people form social cooperatives called moai . These informal groups offer emotional, social or even financial assistance to one another. While moai are often practical in their collaborative [...]
8 Ways to Banish the Mindless Munchies
Have you ever finished a candy bar and wished you had just one more bite? Are you surprised when your hand hits the bottom of the popcorn bucket at the movies? Do you ever feel completely stuffed and miserable after you eat? These are all symptoms of mindless or unconscious eating. In the land of [...]
Breathe, Just Breathe
I get asked lots of questions about what works to help with hot flashes. The truth is, the data is sparse and inconsistent. A whole lot of things have been tried (herbs, antidepressants, acupuncture) with varying degrees of success depending on the study design. However, one technique called paced respiration has been shown to reduce [...]
The Fourth Agreement: Always Do Your Best
“You can only be you when you do your best. When you don’t do your best, you are denying yourself the right to be you.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz Practicing the Fourth Agreement, always do your best, cements the first three agreements into a way of life. If you are impeccable with your word, don’t [...]
The Third Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions
“The whole world of control between humans is about making assumptions and taking things personally. Our whole dream of hell is based on that. … Because we are afraid to ask for clarification, we make assumptions, and believe we are right about the assumptions; then we defend our assumptions and try to make someone else [...]
The Second Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally
“As you make a habit of not taking anything personally, you won’t need to place your trust in what others do or say. You will only need to trust yourself to make responsible choices. You are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz Why is it so [...]
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