Category — Menopause Relief & Treatment

One of our Menopause Goddess readers (thanks, Dale) shared a useful article on bone health she found posted on womentowomen.com authored by Dr. Susan E. Brown. (link at bottom.) Of course, Women to Women pitches their own supplements and products, but their information is clear, detailed, and right on.

Advertising on blogsites and info disseminating websites tends to make me a little nervous. (That is no reflection on women to women or any other website, just a personal character trait. Some might call it a flaw.) But hey, good information is good information regardless of the source. And the more we educate ourselves, the more we are likely to make good choices for our health for the second half of our lives.

The Goddess’s Skinny on Bone Health
Menopausal women lose bone density – some more than others. It’s a good idea to get a bone scan to find out how your bones are doing. Even before you get a bone scan, there are some proactive things you can do to maintain strong, healthy bones.

Exercise
Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi. All of these can help and should be done at least three times a week. Personally, I’ll put walking as the overall best exercise I know and it doesn’t require instructors or training, just a good pair of shoes.

Weight Training
Before you groan as I always did, we aren’t talking about strain and muscle bound body building here. Using light weights can build your bones as well or better than all that heavy lifting. Use 2 pound free weights and do a number of repetitions. If you want more of a workout, go slower. That’s right, the slower you go, it seems the better the weight training. And when you first start, think less is more. You likely will find the light weights easy and be tempted to do more. But the burn has a time lag and will be felt the next day or two rather than right away.

Supplements
Calcium alone is not sufficient for bone health. Vitamin D3 is also important. Since we all started using ginormous number SPF sunscreen, guess what has happened to most Americans as an unintended consequence? We are deficient in Vitamin D, an essential nutrient for making and keeping our bones. Yep, sunshine converts cholesterol in skin to Vitamin D. (Proves once and for all, moderation in all things is a good way to live.) Light skinned people may create enough Vitamin D with 30 minutes of sun exposure a day. Those with more melanin need longer. Or we need supplementation. How much supplementation? Depends. Have your Vitamin D level tested and work with your trusted health care practitioner/partner to determine what is best for you.

Diet
More fruits and vegetables, less meat in diet has been shown to aid bone health. Even more important might be weight loss. For some reason, weight loss is associated with a decrease in bone density. Yet some (read most) of us feel a need to diet thanks to the weight gain that accompanies the Big M. A good idea is to lose weight slowly and exercise as an integral part of any weight loss program you undertake.

Hormones
There is so much contradictory information about estrogen building bones, estrogen being unimportant in bone health, progesterone being the real bone health hormone, progesterone being unimportant and unnecessary. If they are indeed beneficial, there may be very real risks to HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Studies are being done, but the jury is still out.

It seems to make intuitive sense that bioidentical hormones might be less risky and more usable by the body. (Actually, it seems like a freaking no-brainer to me, which is why I use a very low dose Estradiol patch and use natural progesterone cream.) That’s natural progesterone cream, not wild yam cream. Wild yam cream is not in a usable form for our bodies. Check out emerita.com for Pro-Gest cream or prodnature.com for Natural Woman cream.

This is where you can work with your trusted healthcare advisor to find the best solution for yourself. If you are considering hormone replacement, have your hormones tested first to determine your baseline. Saliva testing worked much better for me than blood testing – perhaps both will give a fuller picture.

Stress Reduction
Last, and certainly NOT least, stress level has been shown to adversely affect bone health. While it may seem that the Big M is nothing but stress sometimes (gee, could that be the main mechanism for osteoporosis?), take care of yourself. Curl up with a good book, take a bubble bath, sit quietly under a tree. Don’t wait until everything is done (because hello, it never is done. Ever.) Don’t put it off and don’t put anything ahead of your "me" time. One of our Venuses calls it "exercising my me muscle". And if anyone asks you what you are doing? Tell them you are boning up on health and wellness. Don’t wait until you get your bone scan to start exercise and relaxation. Do it now. Goddesses’ orders.

http://www.womentowomen.com/bonehealth/bones-menopause.aspx

Among other things, I’m the Menopause Health Maven for a wonderful health website called Wellsphere. If you haven’t checked it out before, do so now – just click on my Wellsphere badge on the right hand side of this page. It’s sort of a cross between Web MD and Facebook – with experts and real people sharing advice, experiences, and health networks. As a Maven, I get a number of questions in the Menopause Community. Recently, I was asked about menopausal weight gain. Because this is such a universal and recurring problem, I’ll post my answer for all the menopause goddesses out there who are concerned about those extra curves and voluptuousness.

Weight gain post-menopause affects most women to varying degrees. I can tell you that our community of menopause goddesses has struggled with this symptom again and again. We lose, gain, and lose again.

Our metabolic rate has slowed to a crawl. You would think that this slowdown would be more than offset by calories burned through our hot flashes. Literally. And those goddesses who suffer 30 hot flashes per day should be wasting away, regardless of caloric intake. But in seeming defiance of all natural law, the scale tells us we are getting heavier. We look at our favorite fatty, sweet, carbo-loaded treats and we gain weight. We eat "healthy" food and we gain weight. We don’t change our eating habits at all and we gain weight. Some of us starve ourselves and we gain weight. We diet fiercely, trying to shed extra poundage. South Beach, Medifast, Ornish, Atkins. Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems., Weight Watchers. Among the Venuses, we have collectively tried ALL of these at one time or another with varying (read not permanent) success. And each year, it gets harder to fit into our skinny clothes.

The only diet that really works over time is simple: less calories in – more calories out. Eat less and exercise more. But weighing food and counting calories just causes us to obsess about food, to think about it all the time. Which makes us feel deprived and hungry. Theresa Venus and I finally hit upon the Girlfriend Guilt Diet. We eat normally except for one important difference. We eat half. We make or order food as usual, but only eat half of what’s on our plate.

We also drink our 8 glasses of water (64 oz) each day and we walk a minimum of 2 miles. And here’s the kicker: we have to report to each other at the end of each day via phone or email whether it was yes on food (only ate half), yes on exercise, and yes on water. For some reason, we just can’t stand to call one another and say that we failed. Sure, once in a while, one gets skipped, but its rare. I can bail on myself, but not on my girlfriend. We support each other in slowly losing weight. Losing it fast means it won’t stay off in many cases. We have found ourselves losing weight effortlessly, (or at least painlessly) and since we don’t obsess about food all the time, we don’t binge. The best tip we have is to find a girlfriend to work together on your health regimen (sounds so much better than diet!)

The other thing I want to mention is to find what your new optimal weight might be. I kept trying to reach my 30 year old weight – 125 lbs. And it just isn’t right for me anymore. 135 seems just right in terms of feeling strong and healthy. For more on this, check out my Jan. 22 blog entry A Nude Awakening For A Menopausal Goddess.

As for multivitamins? I’ve taken Centrum over 50 as well as One-A-Day Women’s. Noticed little difference, but I also take a calcium with Vit D supplement and extra Vitamin E.

One last consideration: be sure and have your thyroid checked (blood TSH level, not just T3, T4). So many women develop hypothyroidism with menopause and that can greatly contribute to weight gain. (I’ll be writing a detailed blog on this soon.)

Most of all we know how you feel – it’s like you aren’t YOU anymore. And in a sense, you aren’t. But I promise that it will get better.

A year or so ago, I blogged about Menopausal Goddesses freeing themselves from constrictive clothing. More recently, I raved about the wicking sleepwear for us "hotties" as a godsend for flashes and night sweats. As a bona fide comfort convert, I realize that I’ve become downright evangelistic about wearing clothes that work. And okay, a bit of a gadfly about those that don’t. We’re the baby boomers ( and more), there are a LOT of us. So why is it so hard to find clothes built for the mature, ripe and wonderful bodies we now inhabit? Here are a couple of brief rants I just need to vent.

Rant # 1
Bras are yucky. The material composition of the average brassiere is often the stuff of hot flash nightmares; synthetic, stretchy, heat-inducing, moisture retaining, constricting, and just plain UNCOMFORTABLE for a menopausal woman. I’ve found some cotton ones that are stiff or scratchy unless you launder them a kabillion times, whereupon they are good for about two wearings before they fall apart in the washing machine.

I like to wear the "bra shelf" camisoles or tank tops as an under layer whenever possible. But wearing a dress or skirt and blouse demands a bra. (Two reasons: propriety demands that nipples not show and some of us need a titch more support than we used to. Which leaves out the option of "NO BRA" – my personal favorite.) Theresa and I were bemoaning this problem one day as we adjusted and complained about our respective chestwear. And here’s what we decided we’d like to see, purchase, wear, and praise from the rooftops. Remember your first training bra? If you were anything like us, you wore a flattish, ultrasoft piece of cotton that stretched across your chest with a little rose or pink bow for decoration attached to the front center. (If you were one of those girls we envied because you had real breasts by bra-buying age, you skipped this stage and went right to the main event. However, I can tell you that you missed a wonderful piece of clothing.) At any rate, Theresa-Venus and I are on the hunt for a "training bra" for Menopausal women. She and I don’t need a lot of support so it can be designed just a little bigger than the ones we wore so many years ago. And if more support is needed, perhaps an underwire and a little larger sizing. We think we are really on to something here. We’ve not found one yet, so please if you come across something that might work, email us ASAP. And if you are a clothing designer, please get to work – this could make you a fortune. There are a great many of us and we are desperate for comfort. We give you our idea freely – we don’t want anything except to be able to BUY them!

Rant # 2
Pants that ride low on the hips, just above the butt crack (if you’re lucky), now what’s that about? What sadistic fashion designer came up with the idea that these would be either attractive or comfortable? We’ve been waiting for YEARS for this trend to reverse itself and for jeans, pants, slacks that actually button at the WAIST to come back… Hello, the narrow part of the body is at the WAIST, even for us menopausal goddesses who may have noticed a little expansion there. Hip huggers were a crappy idea in the 70′s and they are worse now. Even the sweet young things don’t look good in these pants, but if they want to wear them, that’s just great. Just please, offer some higher waisted pants for the rest of us.

I’m actually on an adventure trip right now (to the Galapagos Islands with three of the Venuses, woo hoo) and this blog entry is being posted by my wonderful webmaster. Why is this relevant? Because I went to buy those lightweight zip-off leg, quick dry pants that are so great. My old ones (where the pant waist came to my actual waistline) were too small; a consequence of menopausal weight shift. I ordered a couple pair online – they were so low that I believe you would have seen my crack! They were returned. (Also, when did everyone get so tall that my pants have a FOOT of drag fabric at the bottom?!)

I finally bought a couple pair on sale at REI that came up marginally higher. I look like I’m wearing my daughter’s pants – and I don’t look nearly as good in them as she would. Which brings me to my friend Saskia’s latest, greatest recommendation for all us menopausal women: "Not Your Daughter’s Jeans". Apparently, someone HAS taken pity on us and designed jeans to fit WOMEN. I believe they are available in many stores – I’ve yet to go looking for them as I’ve been too busy buying lightweight pants that don’t fit! But as soon as I get home, I’m going on a jean hunt. Let me know if you’ve had a chance to try these as well. Maybe we can get to the manufacturer and get them to design other styles……….. or even training bras.

"The Big M", the long awaited chronicle of the real-life adventures, musings, wit, and wisdom of the Venus group of Menopause Goddesses is available now. Check out our girlfriend’s special: buy one at regular price and get the second for HALF PRICE. Click here to buy or for free download of Chapter One The Big M

In Lake Tahoe, residents are mandated to implement what are called BMP’s – Best Management Practices. These practices are what each of us living in the Tahoe basin needs to do to improve and protect the health and clarity of the lake. We menopausal goddesses feel that our personal health and clarity deserve the same attention and with that in mind we shared our BMP’s for this time of life when we gathered together two weeks ago.

In no particular order or emphasis, we offer our Best Management Practices to our sister goddesses.

Happiness – it’s not as elusive as we’ve been led to believe. So many of the goddesses say that happiness IS truly attainable, once we become happy with ourselves. That doesn’t necessarily mean complacency – we are actively creating our lives. While doing so, we are taking time for appreciation and enjoyment of each moment. We’re finding that security is not just financial; but more a state of mind and being.

And speaking of appreciation, gratitude was a Best Practice for many of us – what one Venus refers to as the GRattitude. Turns out the more we PRACTICE or notice being grateful, the more there is to be grateful for. Gratitude is a choice, it seems and a self-perpetuating one at that.

TIME and how we allocate it was a major focus of our BMP’s. Prioritizing and planning ahead helped us be sure to set aside time for what we find most important. Four time compartments we feel are necessary to our lives at this juncture are:
1. Time For ME – time for pursuits, exploration, new ventures and old pleasures. Dancing, reading, vegging – you name it. We need it!

Time for friends: time for our women friends is especially critical for our well-being. Doesn’t matter what we do together: shop, eat, make art, or go off to a spa together. Or simply have coffee. This time fills us up and makes the journey so much richer.

Time for relationships: Time for intimate relationship may actually have to be scheduled and made inviolate. Conscious effort to connect is important when we are developing new interests that take us away from our loved ones, however supportive. (See blog entry of Oct. 24: Good Goddess, It Was A Celebration for more on this.)

Time Alone – Quiet time, time to meditate, silence. All of these are like food to us (and in case we haven’t mentioned it, we all like food.) Even 15 minutes can rejuvenate us – because we are still working on the most important of our relationships – that with ourselves. It helps us to slow down to check in with our feelings and desires, to know where next to proceed on this unmapped journey. We won’t "forget" to take alone time any longer. We can’t afford to.

Exercise and good health habits are important to us. As are wine and chocolate, which we consider to be good medicine. Stress reduction through alone time (see above) and exercise are paramount.

Courtney-Venus says one of her BMP’s is to motivate others and to be motivated by them. She offered us a view of mentoring as a reciprocal relationship – now there’s a Best Management Practice for you.

Other BMP’s? Play more, schedule joy, express ourselves creatively, and simplify our lives (a topic we’ll talk about in greater depth soon because it NEEDS a whole blog entry to itself.)

And we’d love to hear about your Best Management Practices, so please drop us an email or comment. The way we get through this transition is together – sharing our tears, laughter, and BMP’s.

For more BMP’s and insights, pick up a copy of "The Big M", the chronicle of the Venuses’ travels and travails, shared wit and wisdom – all the synergy of our successive meetings. Click here to purchase or to download the first chapter FREE: The Big M

"I will play for gumbo," sings Jimmy Buffett. Theresa-Venus and I can relate to this sentiment. We will beg, plead, and just generally make fools of ourselves over gumbo. And grits, fried green tomatoes, fresh grouper, etouffee, jambalaya, biscuits with red-eye gravy, beignets……..I could go on and on.

Which is why it was a unique challenge to the Girlfriend Guilt diet and exercise program when we went to visit the Gulf Coast and New Orleans last week. I’m happy to say we did extremely well.

We ate EVERYTHING Southern, Creole, and Cajun that our little hearts desired. And we only ate – say it with me – HALF! Yep, heavenly fried green tomatoes and blackened fresh grouper at Tug’s Wharf in Gulfport, Mississippi. (Thank you to the owner and staff, and thank you iPhone for finding us this great place so we didn’t have to eat freeway fast food!)

We sampled Royal Red shrimp in Gulf Shores, Alabama and Pecan-crusted Snapper in Orange Beach, AL artfully prepared by my baby brother. We gratified ourselves with my Mom’s home cooking – she worked out the portion control so that it was truly guilt-free. Gumbo, pecan pie, Paul Prudhomme’s magical lima beans (yep, lima beans as good as the pie – hard to explain unless you’ve eaten them.) When we finally were over the top with spice and roux, we treated ourselves to a Cheeseburger in Paradise at the Margaritaville Cafe. (That’s Theresa hiding behind the menu in the photo.)

We faithfully drank our water and we walked miles of the scenic coastline and the French Quarter. And when we got home, we weighed ourselves and voila – no gain! Except culinary memories that we won’t soon forget.

So the moral of this little story is: we can eat anything we want on the Girlfriend Guilt diet. Just make sure you’re actually vacationing WITH your girlfriend – that way you can keep each other honest. On second thought, it’s really the mutual support that makes this work. Just like Menopause. We may just have to change the name of our Food-Fun-Fitness program to "The Big Easy".

One last message from the menopausal goddesses we talked with in New Orleans: "We are not underwater – we are open and ready for business and can’t wait to see you all here in N’awlins!"

(For more great menopause and midlife tips, info, and commiseration from the Venuses, buy our book "The Big M". Right now, we have a girlfriend’s special going on – buy one at regular price, get the second one for half price to give to a girlfriend! Just click on the book cover on the right of the page or click on the link below.)

Menopause and weight gain – they go together like ham and eggs, like biscuits and gravy, like pecan and pie, like…well you get the drift. As mentioned in a previous blog entry, the Venuses collectively have tried almost every diet publicized, seen on TV, created and passed on through word of mouth. They all worked – for a little while. And then our midlife bodies, in their infinite wisdom, figure out how to conserve calories in ingenious new ways.

I think I mentioned that most of us menopausal goddesses have at least two wardrobes, separated not into winter and summer, but into thin and fat. And we’d alternate between them as needed. Just lately though, Theresa-Venus and I noticed a disturbing new trend – our "fat" clothing was tightening. Alarmed at this development, we had a confab (over pie or some such dessert, of course) and settled on a new diet/workout plan.

We would follow that most useful weight loss advice of less calories in – more calories out. We would report to each other via email at the end of each day on three parameters that created and supported our net caloric decrease: food intake, daily exercise, and water intake.

We settled on a minimum of exercise – a two mile walk each day. If we did more than that, great. But two miles was the absolute least we had to log. Sixty four ounces of water was the minimum we could consume – coffee, tea, or sodas didn’t count, although we could add a little juice or lemonade for flavor. Lastly food. No food item was verboten, although we were primed to avoid desserts and sweets. Our goal was to eat HALF. Whatever we would normally eat – we would eat exactly half. If we went out to a restaurant, no problem. Eat half and take the rest home. This sounded like a pretty good plan. How did it work? Like gangbusters!

As it turns out, we didn’t realize the "Girlfriend Guilt" factor would be so strong. As the end of each day neared, we would find ourselves gulping water to make up any deficit. And exercise? We couldn’t bear emailing one another that we didn’t make our minimum, so we’d drag our weary, middle-aged carcasses out for our walk. The food turned out to be the easiest part of the plan. Not having to stress about carbs vs fat vs food-combining made mealtime easy. At no time did we feel deprived, since no foods were actually off our list.

Are we thin yet? Well, no. Still in our fat clothes, but they are fitting more loosely. The weight is coming off SLOWLY, just the way it so insidiously appeared. We are more toned and fit – and that’s a very good thing.

So join us, goddesses! Try the Girlfriend Guilt Diet and Exercise Program! It’s free! All you need is a willing friend with whom make the mutual commitment – the guilt part just comes naturally.

And for more great menopause and midlife tips, info, and commiseration from the Venuses, buy our book "The Big M". Right now, we have a girlfriend’s special going on – buy one at regular price, get the second one for half price to give to a girlfriend! Just click on the book cover on the right of the page or click on the link below:

Night sweats, a particularly demonic variation on the theme of hot flashes, can cause bedclothes, sheets, and even bed partners to become soaked in our perspiration. Some Venuses experience this phenomenon more than once per night. Already plagued by insomnia and night terrors, having to get up and change your nightgown or the sheets can literally put a menopausal goddess over the edge.

I don’t suffer from night sweats any more, but I have had my share of garden variety hot flashes, especially after getting up in the middle of the night to pee. Why that should precipitate a mini-meltdown I have no idea. Just another in a series of weird phenomena that accompany the Change! At any rate, I would perspire ever so lightly during my small flashfire, still it would be enough to make my jammies uncomfortably moist.

First I’d find myself in the middle of my own personal global warming crisis. Second, an ice age would commence as wet, clammy nightwear sucked the warmth from the core of my body. I’d shiver my way to full wakefulness. Hot, cold, hot, cold. Endless climactic dramas throughout the midnight hours.

Imagine my delight in discovering Drydreams, fantastic pajamas that wick away moisture from night sweats and nocturnal flashes. Creator Anne Best designed this terrific sleep apparel after she underwent breast cancer surgery along with abrupt menopause. Her night sweats were so debilitating that she was getting little rest. Her professional athlete husband suggested she try wearing some of his moisture-wicking athletic clothing, and voila. Sleep! Those of us who’ve suffered from the long nights know just how delicious a commodity sleep can be. A dry, comfortable night’s rest might make it possible for us to deal with all the myriad physical, mental, and emotional changes afflicting us.

I have been dry and cool at night, ever since I started wearing these wonderful pajamas and nightgowns. One of Anne’s customers calls them the "magic pajamas" and I have to agree with her. An added little bonus came when my husband remarked "Wow. Those are really pretty." I’m getting rid of all my other jammies – don’t need ‘em, can’t use ‘em.

And here’s the kicker. All profits are donated to cancer research. Wow. I can be cool, comfortable, and doing good works all at the same time. Now there’s something we can all sleep on. Check out the Drydreams Night Sweats Sleepwear for yourself – just click on the link below.

http://www.menopausegoddessblog.com/2008/09/12/drydreams-mois…icking-pajamas

Okay, menopausal goddesses, here’s a call to action from our friends at the nonprofit Women in Balance – you can visit their website at www.womeninbalance.org. Their email is as follows:

"The estriol battle continues and we need your support.
Here’s how you can help:
If you know who your Representatives and Senators are,
Dial 1-202-225-3121 and the receptionist will direct you to your Congressional Offical’s office.

If you are unsure of your Representatives or Senators, you can find out who they are by entering your zip code at Congress.org Home Page

Once on the call, you may share the following points:

1. Encourage your official to support Resolution Senate Concurrent Resolution 88 or House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 342
2. This resolution calls upon the FDA to stop their new policy of restricting women’s access to prescriptions containing Estriol. This drug has been available in the United States for half a century and is chemically the same as natural estriol made in a woman’s body
3. Protect women’s access and preserve the choices women have for hormone therapy. Allow the continued availability of compounded bio-identical hormones like estriol that women need for quality of life.
4. Request that congress support this resolution and restore the rights of physicians and health choices of millions of American women.
5. Don’t forget to add your personal experience.

Here’s the background

In 2005, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals issued a Citizen’s Petition to FDA urging them to stop compounding pharmacies from preparing bioidentical hormone replacement therapies (BHRT). In early 2008, FDA finally responded to the Wyeth petition about compounded hormone medicines with a set of new policies. Most critically, FDA announced that it will "halt" compounding of hormone treatments that contain estriol.

What is estriol?

Estriol is a common component of many compounded hormone treatments prescribed by doctors. Estriol is one of three estrogen hormones produced by a woman’s body, and has been used in Europe and Asia for decades.

What are the Congressional resolutions calling on FDA to reverse its policy on estriol?

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each have resolutions-H. Con. Res. 342 and S. Con Res. 88, respectively-calling for FDA to reverse its policy on estriol. The resolutions also call on the need for FDA to "respect the physician-patient relationship" and recognize that doctors, not FDA, are in the best position to "determine which medications are appropriate for their patients." They also point out that "FDA has acknowledged that it is unaware of any adverse events" associated with the use of estriol over the past three decades.

These Congressional resolutions are a key tactic to send FDA a message that its estriol policy is not in the best interest of women’s health. However, not all Senators and Representatives are aware of FDA’s new policy and the effect it will have on women’s health. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the BHRT National Congressional Call-In Day will flood Capitol Hill with phone calls from concerned constituents who will urge their elected members of Congress to sign on to their respective Congressional resolution. We appreciate your support on this important women’s health issue."

Join the Venuses along with hundreds of concerned women and physicians this week. Make your voices heard on Wednesday, Sept. 10. For more background on this issue, see previous blog entries "Help Protect Access To Bioidentical Hormones" dated June 14, 2008 and "Bioidentical Hormone Access Threatened – Act Now" dated Feb. 7, 2008. The stakes are high – the time is now.

You’d be surprised how many men read our blog. Some seriously want to understand what’s happening with their wives, some are just curious, and some actually have help to offer.

When Doug Pick contacted me after reading our blogs on menopause and insomnia, he wanted to introduce menopausal goddesses to his "For Women Only" earplugs and sleep mask. "Hey," I wrote back to him. "I’ve been using your earplugs for years."

I consider myself somewhat of an earplug aficionado. Bizarre but true. I’ve tried them all over the years! And the Sleep Pretty In Pink plugs are quite simply the best! I can’t stand those waxy ones or the ones that are shaped like a beige cylinder (hello, ear canals get smaller as you go in – they’re not the same size as the opening. So a cylinder shape doesn’t fit, no matter how much you try to squish it down or force it in.) And the decibel reduction has to be over 30 or you might as well put cotton balls in your ears.

Doug had a new product I’d never heard of: Sleep Pretty in Pink gelcaps. Basically, they contain l-tryptophan, the natural ingredient that is purported to make you drowsy when you eat turkey. I know, some say that whole premise is hogwash and the full Thanksgiving stomach is what really makes you sleepy while l-tryptophan has no real effect, but I like to check things out for myself. On myself. Which is the only way to find out what works for each individual.

I’ve not had insomnia for awhile, knock on anything handy. But I knew we’d be going to France and any time zone changes completely disrupt my sleep patterns. I’d be able to perform an acid test on Sleep Pretty in Pink gelcaps.

All I can say is: amazing! I found myself wide awake at midnight Paris time, but dutifully put on my nightgown, sleep mask, and pink earplugs after popping 2 gelcaps. I lay down and woke up refreshed the next morning at 730 am. No residual grogginess (someday I’ll tell you my story of taking melatonin on an earlier trip to Europe. Suffice it to say, GROGGY was the name of my game.) I repeated my pink scenario the next several nights until my body adjusted completely.

I generally don’t need the gelcaps at home, but they are a mainstay of my travel kit. I have to pack a few extras for my husband who, jealous of my ease in sleeping, finally tried them for himself. He was understandably wary after the melatonin debacle, but is now a true believer.

Doug was kind enough to send us some samples, so for the first 10 menopausal goddesses who contact me (click on the Contact Us button at the top) with their address, I’ll send out a package of 30 gelcaps with a set of Sleep Pretty in Pink earplugs. For the next 10 goddesses, I’ll send out 4 pair of Sleep Pretty in Pink ear plugs.

And let us know how they work for you. This is how we get our real information about remedies and helps for menopause and midlife: from one another. You have probably noticed that we do not have ads on this website. We don’t take money from advertisers because we want to recommend only those things that we have actually tried and found helpful.

I’ve included a link below to the website for those who’d like to purchase the pink sleep products. Or you can visit your local Walgreens, Rite Aid, Longs Drug, Wal-Mart, Raleys, or Target. And there are online saving coupons for the gelcaps (Walgreens, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart and Longs Drugs) and the sleep mask (Wal-Mart only). Pink Dreams!

http://sleepinpink.com

My intuition coupled with informal interviews of menopausal women has led me to believe that our immune system goes on holiday when the Big M and its baby sister perimenopause come to call. Would that we could do the same!

As promised in my last blog entry, I contacted the Nurse’s Health Study about my suspicions, requesting they look into it further. As I’d expect from such a wonderful group of investigators, they responded right away. Researcher Elizabeth Karlson allowed as they had not studied menopause and immunity per se but they had looked into rheumatoid arthritis and menopausal women. She attached the study and concluded:

"We have studied reproductive and hormonal risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis in the Nurses’ Health Study. There is a slight increase in the frequency of new onset of rheumatoid arthritis among women in their early 50′s, around the time of menopause. We did not find any association between hormone use and rheumatoid arthritis."

My feeling is that when we look at each serious disease entity one at a time (which is actually how most studies will be conducted), we’ll find only slight increases for menopausal women over premenopausal women. However, if we were to look at serious illness onset around the age of hormonal decrease, we’d find that menopausal women would be significantly high as compared to the general population.

The research may or may not be done anytime soon, regardless how loud or adamant our voices. And perhaps it isn’t even necessary. As we’ve said before, we learn the most from one another, from the sharings of real women who have gone through and are in the midst of this life transition. Here’s my sharing for whatever it’s worth.

Let’s assume that it is true that our immune system is affected adversely when menopause strikes. Some of you have suggested sleep deprivation as a potential cause and that surely plays a role. Yet some of us who sleep like babies most of the time still suffer immunity problems. What can we do about this?

Clearly, we need to plump up our immunity prior to perimenopause. For most of us, that means paying very close attention to diet, exercise, and stress reduction as we reach our mid-forties. Adequate sleep and self care, vitamins (esp. C and B complex).

Regular massage should be a health care necessity for women rather than a spa-day luxury. Too expensive? Buy a $12.95 how-to book on massage and trade bodywork with your girlfriends. Technically speaking, massage promotes lymph drainage, which is where all the gunk gets stuck in your body that can make you sick. You can’t afford not to do it. I believe that if I’d understood how important this is, I might not have contracted that cardiac virus.

Oh and speaking of girlfriends? Probably the #1 best immune stimulant I know of is the company of good women friends. I can’t prove this, but I know it to be true. Laughter and tears release all kinds of good chemicals in the body while getting rid of built up toxins. We have to make time for one another. It’s not only good for our mental health; it may be a key to keeping our immune system healthy and vital.