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5 Ideal Workouts for Women Over 50

By LynetteSh on July 13, 2017 in Aging Gracefully

Sunny Day © lynette sheppard

In this guest post by Perly Rodolfo, she shares tips and ideas for creating an exercise program to keep healthy as we age. It’s simple, not necessarily easy – especially to keep motivated. My pal, Dee Adams, cartoonist creator of Minnie Pauz, started out slowly – just walking every day. She lost weight and gained fitness (and she took some mighty fine photos on her morning walks every day.) And if/when we backslide? No recriminations, just start again.

5 Ideal Workouts for Women Over 50 by Perly Rodolfo

Even if you don’t exercise regularly now, it is important to know that there is still plenty of time for you to initiate your workout program.

And if you are in your 50’s or older, becoming physically active is advantageous for your health. Staying fit as you age is a necessity rather than an option.

Many women suffer from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, joint pain, sleeping disorders. But, did you know that a physically inactive lifestyle can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis? A sedentary lifestyle can also cause emotional problems, even a midlife crisis.

Experts suggest that middle aged women who exercise more have a biological age of 35. This is the reason why you often see celebrities and athletes who are over 50 to be more energetic, fit and healthy.

To reduce your risk of disease and have a healthy life beyond the age of 50, you will want to embark upon a complete fitness program that is ideal to your age.

Without further ado, here are 5 ideal workouts for women over 50:

Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercises are perfect for women over 50 as most of the moves are not stressful, less intense and are common workouts at home. This type of exercise focuses on your large muscles benefiting your cardiovascular health as well as keeping your weight in check.

Some of the best aerobic exercises that you can do are walking, swimming, dancing, jogging, cardio machines as well as many others. If you prefer a more advanced exercise, you can try hiking, Zumba dance classes, boxing or other anaerobic exercises (aerobic exercises that are performed at a level of intensity).

Stretching
Stretching exercises focus on your flexibility to help maintain a healthy range of motion in your joints. Doing stretches before and after your regular workout helps reduce the risk of injuries and muscle soreness. Some of the best stretching exercises for women over 50 are yoga and pilates. These forms of exercise help improve core body strength, increase stability and elevate mental power.

Strength Training
Lifting weights may seem too difficult and dangerous to middle aged women due to the risk of various possible injuries associated with incorrect strength training exercises. But lifting light hand weights can significantly improve your strength and posture, maintains bone strength and reduces your risk of lower back injury.

Above all, lifting weights that give tension on your arms results in a more toned and fit body. This means that lifting weights can burn more fat and in a much faster rate than any other regular exercise. You can start with hand weights that you can comfortably lift for eight repetitions initially. Increases reps until you can do 12 for each routine.

Core and Balance Exercises
Maintaining a strong core and a stable balance will help protect your spine and hips. For these exercises, you need core equipment such as stability balls and half-round balls. You can use this equipment to help improve your abs, glutes and hips.

Abdominal exercises such as crunches and planks require some perseverance and patience especially if you are a beginner. Doing both balance and core workouts will give you optimal results out of your overall workout program.

Respiration and Relaxation
Women over 50 are not the same as young adult women in their 30’s. Your lung capacity begins to decrease during the aging process.

This results in weakening of your bronchioles and alveoli air sacs, lungs, diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
So how can you improve and maintain a healthy respiratory system? Aerobic exercises and the other exercises mentioned above can certainly help. But breathing exercises are the best. Tai chi is one of the most perfect breathing exercise programs for women over 50.

Tai chi basically helps improve overall well-being – mental, physical and emotional state. Plus, this breathing technique is simple and easy with no extra equipment required.

Conclusion
Remember that every bit of movement counts. Doing household chores or just walking your dog can be helpful to your workout program. Take vitamin D to help support your bone and joint health. Above all, follow a healthy and sensible dietary regimen that will support your workout.

Remember, age is just a number and you can prevent many of the signs of aging by just performing simple exercises at home.

Author Bio:
Perly Rodolfo is a health and fitness enthusiast, businesswoman and a mother of two. She spends most of her time with her family and blogging about dietary supplements, healthy lifestyles and online businesses. Learn more about Perly through her website at http://www.populardietpills.net/.

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An Obstetrician’s Transition to Menopause and Survivorship Medicine Part II

By LynetteSh on June 11, 2017 in Menopause

love, sweat, and tears

Last week, I posted Part I of Dr. Pam’s openhearted sharing of her journey from gynecologist to menopause healer. In Part II, she tells us more about her journey and how being a caregiver changed her forever. I am profoundly grateful that she has chosen to be naked and unafraid in order to help others. Be sure and click on the info at the end of the post about her breakout film “Love, Sweat, and Tears.”

An Obstetrician’s Transition to Menopause and Survivorship Medicine Part II

I became a caregiver to my husband when I stopped obstetrics in 2005. He was an OB/GYN himself. Our lives changed immediately after his first surgery and radiation therapy. Our intimate relationship ceased immediately. We tried to remain intimate, and we sought help. We did ask one of his physicians for assistance, and unbelievably, he said, “Well, you are alive, right?” Yes, he was alive, and we appreciated the fact that he was alive. But, we lost a great part of our relationship.

We lost our closeness and our ability to show our love to one another. It was a terrible loss, and we grieved the loss in different ways. I didn’t realize that he continued to try to “fix” things. About 2 weeks before he died, I was getting the laundry together and checking his pockets. I didn’t realize that he was standing behind me when I took a couple of packets out of his pocket. I put some glasses on and saw that it was packets of testosterone. I turned around and saw him there and said the worst thing in the world. I said, “What are you doing? I don’t care about that!” Well, he put his head down, and I know that he was tearful. He said, “I wanted to try.” As he walked away, I realized that he took my words wrong. I meant that it was not a factor in how much I loved him.

I wish that I could have that moment back. The more that I tried to explain my thoughts, the more that I made the situation worse. After he died, I have had years to think about this situation. Here, you had a married couple – both of which are gynecologists – that have not talked for 5 years about the fact that we could not have sexual intercourse. If we can’t talk about it, then I bet lots of people in our situation have absolutely no hope of talking about it. How sad is it that two gynecologists can’t talk to each other about what we could do to help our problem. How sad is it that two physicians went to another physician to ask if there was any way to help us get our intimate lives back, and none of us knew what to do. I mean to change that fact. I understand that one of the hardest things for a physician to say is, “I don’t know what to do.” I mean to change that fact, too. It is terrible to have to accept that a bad or terminal illness means the end of your sexual relationship.

Taking care of another adult is the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life. Medical school, residency, and having twins were a breeze compared to this responsibility. This is something else that I completely missed during the early years of my practice. I didn’t understand what it was like to be a caregiver. I didn’t understand the physical and emotional wear and tear that was required of my body and mind. When a patient came in and told me that she was taking care of a husband or parent, I would immediately go into sympathy mode – and I meant it. I asked who their doctor was, how they were progressing, and the plan of care. I commented on the physician taking care of them and encouraged them to hang in there. I completely missed the fact that they were hurting and overwhelmed.

Whether someone is taking care of a spouse, family member, or a parent, they become the “mother.” It is difficult to take complete care of another adult. The patient is angry about their situation and frequently those that are closest to them take the brunt of the anger. As with so many circumstances, life experience is a brutal and uncompassionate teacher. After being a caretaker, the object of my sympathy reversed – I focused on the caregiver. I asked if they had any help. I asked if they ever got a break from their caregiving. Usually, there is not, but someone who understands their “new” life and their “new normal” is a welcome change. No one can help them, and they know it. However, having someone even acknowledge their responsibility, fear, and stress is comforting.

For almost twenty years, I was a good obstetrician. I thought I had the best job in the world, and at the time, I did. For the last ten years, I have become a (hopefully) great gynecologist, gynechiatrist, intimacy, menopause, and sexual medicine physician, intimacy counselor, and survivorship gynecologist. I have impacted lives in a different way. I know that I helped so many women as an obstetrician; I loved them and I know that they felt the same about me. However, if I am truly honest, my obstetrical career satisfied me. The gynecology career that I ended up with satisfies the reason that I went to medical school: my desire and need to help others.

Pamela Dee Gaudry, MD, NCMP
NAMS Certified Menopause Practioner
Medical Sex Therapist
Survivorship Medicine Physician
(and I’m still an Obstetrician 😉

You can host a screening at a theater near you of Dr. Pam’s film, “Love, Sweat, and Tears” through Gathr – they handle the details, it costs you nothing – you get your friends to go and promote the film. Click here for details.

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An Obstetrician’s Transition to Menopause and Survivorship Medicine

By LynetteSh on June 2, 2017 in Menopause

love, sweat, and tears

When I asked Dr. Pam Gaudry to share her personal story of how she came to create the film for menopausal women “Love, Sweat, and Tears”, I got way more than I bargained for. Her story brought me to tears at times.

Because she shares with such naked honesty her process of progressing from obstetrical physician to menopausal women’s advocate and then goes on to detail the tolls of caregiving, I am posting her poignant piece in two parts. More about “Love, Sweat, and Tears” at the end.

An Obstetrician’s Transition to Menopause and Survivorship Medicine
I fell in love with my job before I even had one. I delivered a baby. I brought life into the world. As a medical student, a wonderful couple let me into one of the most amazing and private events that they would ever have in their lives: the birth of their child. I was honored, thankful, appreciative, and overwhelmed. I could not believe that I could get paid for doing something so beautiful and miraculous. This first time and the last time that I delivered a baby, I was overwhelmed; I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t wait to go to work every day of my life.

Why did your OB/GYN choose obstetrics and gynecology? Because pap smears are fun? Because we want to treat gonorrhea and chlamydia? Because it’s amazing to see a bladder falling out? No. They fell in love with the excitement of bringing a sweet, adorable new life into the world. Think about the fact that every time that an OB/GYN physician walks into an exam room with a pregnant woman, they have two patients in the room. An OB/GYN loves their patients, and they love being part of the family. They thrive on the excitement and thrill of bringing that life into the world. Obstetrics is our first love.

In 2005, I had a bustling obstetrics practice, my husband became ill with an oral cancer, I had 8-year-old twins, I was spending 6-8 nights a month in the hospital, and I was profoundly overwhelmed. Something had to give. Unfortunately, I had to give up the best part of my job – delivering my babies.

I really thought that I would hone my gynecologic surgical skills and become a better surgeon, and to some extent, that did happen. However, I was flabbergasted that women were coming in just to “talk.” I was shocked. The major comment that I got was that they were glad that I now had time to address their gynecologic issues. What? I had always addressed their gynecologic issues. How could they say that? Well, it became apparent that I did not. I especially did not address menopausal and intimacy issues. When I thought about it, I realized that I very superficially discussed menopause and did not touch on the ‘legion’ of problems that peri-menopause and menopause causes.

I was always (very happily) running to Labor and Delivery and (unhappily) trying to rectify being very behind schedule in the office. There is no way to be an obstetrician and, “plan your day” – let alone your schedule. When I had to stop delivering babies, my days changed overnight. When I did obstetrics, a normal day was running from room to room and then to Labor and Delivery and then back to the office where I (usually unsuccessfully) tried to catch up to the schedule. After I stopped doing obstetrics, I found myself entering a room, calmly sitting down, and talking to a patient for 20 minutes or so about menopausal and intimacy issues.

To be honest, I really did not have much training in this area; I went and got some. I decided to become a certified menopause practitioner through the North American Menopause Society. Additionally, I spent a couple of years getting a medical sex therapy certification. There are not many gynecologists that have this kind of training. Patients probably think that it is inherently part of our residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. Unbelievably, it is not. There is no information or training to draw from when treating these patients. An OB/GYN must rely on their own personal experience as well as the experiences that we encounter during years of practice. Surprisingly, in 2017, only 20% of residency programs have training in menopause and sexual medicine. Kind of frightening and sad, isn’t it?

So many women ask me why their OB/GYN had not given them information about the changes that occur in the peri-menopausal transition. My answer? They don’t know what they don’t know.

I had no idea that I was not really paying attention to my menopausal patients, and I’m sure that other OB/GYNs don’t know that either. But, think about it. If a physician rushes into the room, stands up the whole time, asks if you have any new problems or concerns, and you both know that the waiting room is full of pregnant women, crying babies, and strollers, and you know that there are probably two people in labor, it isn’t an atmosphere conducive to a discussion about your vaginal dryness, relationship issues (code word for sexual dysfunction and pain), hot flashes, and rage (pushing you to think about killing people).

When I look back, I feel badly about it; I (unknowingly) blew them off. I probably, and very nicely, told them to try some systemic estrogen – and, oh by the way – it can give you breast cancer and blood clots. After a quick exam, I was out the door. There are sweet wonderful babies to deliver; there are mamas to comfort and reassure. I gotta go.

I do things differently now. I come in the room in a calm fashion, say hello, and sit down – giving my patient my full attention. I spaced my visits out to 30 minutes. I grab their hands and ask how they are handling the changes that their bodies have gone through in the last year. It is not uncommon for someone to burst into tears. I know now. My dear patient, I will take care of these issues with you and for you. If you were my patient in those first 18 years of my practice and I blew off your gynecologic and menopausal issues…I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Pamela Dee Gaudry, MD, NCMP
NAMS Certified Menopause Practioner
Medical Sex Therapist
Survivorship Medicine Physician
(and I’m still an Obstetrician 😉 )

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A Paleo Diet May Help With Menopause

By LynetteSh on February 23, 2017 in Menopause

Ginger Mint Shrimp © lynette sheppard

Guest blogger Allison Thompson shares her experience with the Paleo diet to relieve symptoms and make the menopause transition easier. Enjoy!

Foods I Enjoy That Help Deal With The Menopause

Hi there, my name’s Allison and I have been going through the menopause for almost 4 years now. In fact it came as quite a surprise to find out I was in the peri-menopousal stage. I had a friend who thought I was having problems with my thyroid. So she suggested that I see her doctor. Before he even prescribed anything I had to had several blood tests carried out. Once he had received confirmation he prescribed some natural treatments. Along with iodine that I needed to drink in a glass of water, he also prescribed a natural progesterone cream. This I had to apply each evening before bed.

I decided to do as he suggested for a year. But then I made a decision that I wanted to see if a change to my diet and lifestyle would help me more.

About this time my husband was looking for ways to lose weight. Again my friend came to the rescue by giving us some books relating to the Paleo diet. So I decided to give it a try.

It was difficult at first. I couldn’t find much about Paleo for menopause. Even so I decided to stick with it even though I wasn’t as strict with my diet as some others are. During the past 4 years I have learned more about what to include in my diet. But I don’t rely on food alone I also take some supplements. The ones I take have been suggested to me by reading up about menopause online. The main ones I include in my diet are Red Clover and Magnesium. But what I want to share with you now are the foods I eat on regular basis. These are the ones I include, as I’ve found they help me deal with the menopause effectively.

Broccoli
I actually love eating broccoli. I either boil it for a few minutes or steam it. Occasionally I love to at it in to stir fry’s. The reason I eat so much broccoli is because it contains calcium, that my body can use. Like me, you are probably aware that during the menopause your estrogen levels have gone down. But including foods that contain calcium will help to reduce the risk of bone loss. Of course including dairy in your diet is another great way to get the calcium your body needs.

Flaxseed
I love adding flaxseed into smoothies as well as putting it on top of some fresh fruit with yogurt. Not only am I getting more fiber in my diet I’m also getting a food rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. So it’s helping me to keep my heart and arteries healthy. But one other benefit to be gained from this food is that it contains certain estrogen compounds that our bodies need.

Almonds
As I follow a Paleo lifestyle I like to include almonds along with other nuts into my diet. I tend to use almond flour in place of conventional flour when making baked goods or pancakes. The great thing about almonds is that they contain a type of fat that can help to slow down the aging process. Plus for women going through the menopause, these nuts are rich in magnesium and Vitamin E complex. Both of these help to reduce the symptoms often associated with the menopause. The only problem is that I don’t eat enough of them. To help me further, I take a magnesium supplement each evening. By doing this I find that I sleep much better at night. Okay, I may still wake up occasionally with the night sweats, but not that often. In order to help combat this situation, I take the Red Clover supplement I mentioned earlier.

Eggs
My husband thinks I eat too many eggs, but I don’t agree. Not only do eggs provide me with a good source of protein, they also provide me with a good source of Iron. I include them in my diet as I am still quite active. In fact this morning I started a HIIT class close to where I live and will be doing the same twice a week.

Fish
I love all types of fish. I’m especially fond of salmon, cod and sardines. The great thing is I live in Spain and we have some really wonderful beach bars close to where I live. So we often take time out to visit them and enjoy fresh sardines. These are ones that they cook over hot coals. Eating this fish ensures I am getting sufficient amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids in my diet. Not only is it helping me to keep my skin in shape but it helps to keep my energy levels up.

Liver
I love liver and enjoy cooking it on a regular basis. I tend to opt more for cow or lambs liver as they don’t have such a strong taste. But I also like to use chicken livers to make my own pate. Liver is rich in Iron and also Vitamin C complex. I’ve found including this food in my diet helps to reduce menopause symptoms.

One thing I think I should mention relates to eggs and meat. If you can, try and opt for meat where the animal has been fed on grass. As for eggs, then go organic. If you cannot find grass-fed meat go organic. Also make sure that you choose the leanest cuts you can. All of these will help you to stay in shape and will provide you with essential fats that your body needs.

BIO:
Allison Thompson, a mother of 1 daughter who has been living in Spain for the past 12 years. For the past 4 years, she has been following a Paleo lifestyle that has helped her to deal with the effects that going through the menopause can have on women, without the need to use any kind of medication.

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How to Get the Government to Care About Women’s Health

By LynetteSh on February 15, 2017 in Menopause

Caduceus I © lynette sheppard

Those of you who’ve been reading this blog over the years know that I am endlessly frustrated about the lack of research on women’s health issues, particularly menopause. Cassie, RN and ehealth informer gives us practical steps in this call-to-action guest post. Let’s go for it!

How to Get the Government to Care About Women’s Health

As a woman, you’ve almost certainly experienced gender bias in some form in your lifetime. One place you probably don’t think about experiencing the adverse effects of gender stereotypes is with your health care provider. Unfortunately, gender bias is a real concern that is harming women’s health in definite ways.

The gender bias problem in health care means women often don’t receive the same level of attention and consideration from their medical providers as men. This can lead to women unnecessarily struggling with chronic pain, with enduring needless procedures and being incorrectly diagnosed with anxiety and other mental health disorders. Gender bias also means issues related to women’s health receive less attention and funding than health problems experienced by men.

Since the idea of gender bias in health care was recognized in the 1970s, advocates for women’s health have been documenting and researching the ways women are discriminated against in health care.

By understanding and recognizing gender bias in health care, you can help protect and improve access to nondiscriminatory health care services for yourself and all women.

Speak Up

As women, we are often taught to be deferential to authority figures, such as medical professionals. If a doctor tells you your symptoms are related to anxiety or psychosomatic in nature, it can be tempting to accept the diagnosis and attempt to live with the discomfort as best you can.

Remember, you know your body better than any medical professional. If you’re sure there is something wrong, then stand your ground. Refuse to be put off by a diagnosis that doesn’t relieve your symptoms. Keep asking for tests and referrals to specialists until someone discovers the source of your problems. Don’t allow yourself to be convinced you don’t know your body.

By pushing back against medical professionals who attempt to minimize your symptoms, you will be more likely to get the care you need.

Contact Your Representatives

Though you might not realize it, the government has a lot of influence over medical research. Through the Food and Drug Administration and various grant programs, the government directly influences research across a wide spectrum of the medical industry.

Currently, much medical research skews toward primarily understanding how diseases and medications affect men. As women, though, effects of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease present very differently in women than they do in men. Inequality in research means treatment for serious diseases is focused on what works for men, leaving women to utilize treatments that may be less than effective for our gender.

To help effect change, you can reach out to your congressional representatives and let them know you support legislation requiring government-funded medical research to include gender considerations, such as the Research for All Act. As more women let legislators know we are aware of the problem of gender bias in medicine, and we support fair and equitable research practices, representatives will be more likely to take up the cause. Representatives can draft legislation requiring researchers to give equal consideration to the ways women are affected by medical issues to receive state and federal funding.

Support Women’s Health Organizations

Organizations such as the Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative, the Stanford Center for Health Research on Women and Sex Differences in Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Office on Research on Women’s Health are all working to improve the gender bias in the medical community. Some of the organizations are working with medical schools and nursing programs. Others are working with legislators to change the laws governing approved methods of medical research. NIH has changed the requirements for grant funding to ensure researchers are testing effects on both male and female subjects to ensure the results of any research apply to both genders.

You can support the organizations working to end gender bias in medicine by joining in discussions and events, volunteering your time or contributing money toward their efforts. These organizations are contributing many resources to promoting equality in health care, and they need our support to continue their important work.

Don’t Give Up

If you are fighting a battle against gender bias in your personal health, it might feel as if it’s one you can’t win. Hearing your doctors tell you the symptoms you’re experiencing are “all in your head” can be frustrating and demeaning. The important thing is not to give up. Insist the doctors listen to you and review all of your records. Keep insisting until you find someone to listen.

Organizing all your medical records in one place so your providers can see your complete history, including the results of any tests, the details about your condition and the dates of treatment will provide undeniable proof of your symptoms.

You can get an app such as My Medical or ChartSpan to record everything related to your medical history. If you are concerned about privacy issues when accessing your medical history on a mobile device, consider using a Virtual Private Network to encrypt your network connection and protect your medical records.

In our modern world, there is no reason women’s health care should be subject to the antiquated gender bias that currently exists in our system. We all need to speak up and demand to be heard and treated for our actual symptoms instead of being told we are imagining our illnesses. As human beings, we all deserve quality medical treatment, regardless of our genders.

Author bio: As a woman and a nurse, Cassie loves writing about women’s health and wellness issues. Helping women live healthier, pain-free lives is her dream come true.

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Maniacal – Pause, A Humorous Menopause Poem

By LynetteSh on January 10, 2017 in Menopause

Tropical Toast © lynette sheppard

Happy New Year, everyone. Let’s make 2017 a year we thrive rather than simply survive. And what better way to begin our posts than with a good laugh (we sure need it.) Author Tracey Maguire shares her humorous take on the Change. Enjoy!

MANIACAL-PAUSE
Written by Tracey Maguire (Author of ‘THE WORKER IN ME’)

She’s a hotbed of volcanic blasts
And often has the blues
She’s red and raw and sweaty
And always wants a snooze

Her husband doesn’t know her
There’s a certain kind of pall
It wasn’t always like this
He’s been driven up the wall

It’s a waste, and a futility
To think that there’s a cure
For nature takes the best of us
And steals our whole allure

It’s a time, a place, and milestone
Don’t share it with a crowd
The secret curse of menopause
Just silent suffering allowed.

What’s all the fuzz about?
Why the fluid retaining?
It’s transformation to old age
While tummy weight is gaining

She fights alone her hormone hell
She doesn’t want to boast
No puberty or change of heart
But a slow and steady roast

She buys a fan, nudes up at night
Her husband, he gets chancy
Her heat is high, she’s burning up
Cold showers are her fancy

It’s basted and it’s burning
A bitter pill to taste
When everything is said and done
A mid-life change is faced

Tracey’s book The Worker in Me goes on sale April, 2017. Watch for it.

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New Year’s Intentions

By LynetteSh on December 26, 2016 in Life Changes & Stages

I don’t make resolutions anymore.It’s too freaking stressful to make them and subsequently break them. I do make intentions, however. Intentions for me are large global visions of how I want to live for the next year (and maybe longer.)

I am in the habit of drawing an angel card each morning. The one word on each card serves as a daily focusing, a mantra if you will, for noticing or expressing a certain quality throughout 24 hours.

For example, today, I drew Kindness. Musing on kindness throughout the day allowed me to slow down when my cat was walking all over my keyboard and just pet him for awhile, rather than push him away. Work could wait. And it did. I was nicer to the people I met in town and even to myself, usually last on the list.

Similarly, I’ve found intentions to be helpful for me in focusing on a larger scale, on defining what might be important to me to notice and embody for the coming 365 days. Under each intention are ways in which I might accomplish it, but I am in no way absolutely wedded to them as goals.

That said, here are my intentions for 2017:

Notice and follow Beauty.
Photography
Prose: read and write
Butterflies – follow them.

Artify
Become an Art Activist rather than a politics watcher
App and paint photos
Write

Nourishment
body: exercise, yoga, eat healthy most of the time
mind: Scrabble, reading
spirit: solitude, music, time in Nature

Connection
Spouse: quality time, shared pursuits and adventures
Family: spend time w kids, parents, pets
Good friends: spend time

Celebration
Being on the top side of the dirt (that’s big!)
Each moment
Celebrate What’s Right With The World site

Give Back
Blogs
Healing Images
Art Activism (see above)

I will re-view these throughout the year – maybe find that some are easy to focus on and others need more attention. I use them as a sort of fuzzy logic compass to give my meanders through life a sense of direction and purpose.

I will eventually set goals as I focus more on my intentions – for example, within the intention of music, I want to learn to play ukulele. I’ll need to set a schedule of practice and lessons as well as determine how far I wish to go in this pursuit.

Your intentions may echo some of mine or they may be completely different. I offer mine only as a template and you may find a better way to define your New Year visions. Please share them if you do. That’s how we become Menopause Goddesses – growing and sharing. I wish you all a peace and joy filled New Year.

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Maca Root Superfood Black Friday Sale

By LynetteSh on November 25, 2016 in Menopause

Yellow Hibiscus with Waterfall © lynette sheppard

I know, I know! After yesterday, we may never want to eat again. Except we all know that we will. So a heads up about the Black Friday – Cyber Monday Maca sale starting today!

Maca is a superfood and for menopausal women it is so much more.

From today November 25 – 28, 2016, you can take 40% off all products in their Yellow Gelatinized and Yellow Raw Maca Categories!

Maca Root is a Peruvian plant that boosts strength and energy. It is particularly helpful in hormone balancing and revitalizing lost libido for menopausal women. Available in powder form or elixir, maca root has virtually no side effects (though a small # of women report mild gas with the powder version.) A couple of our original goddesses swear by it. For more info or to order, please visit The Maca Team. They source non-Gmo, organic maca root from Peru.

Also, they have some really great recipes on their site – although, I know – we are never going to eat again. Here’s the link: Maca Team

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

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Black Friday Comes Early This Year

By LynetteSh on November 21, 2016 in Menopause

Slumber Cloud, one of my favorite product websites is having an early Black Friday sale – up to 40% off! Here’s the link – sale lasts from now until Nov. 28. Don’t miss out – we menopausal goddesses NEED a comfortable, restful night’s sleep.

Here’s the link: http://try.slumbercloud.com/black-friday-cyber-monday-sale/

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We are grateful for all of you! Together we will not only survive, we will thrive. (And no, I’m not going to share diet tips or workouts – let’s just enjoy a lovely holiday without guilt. Besides, it is such a wasted and wasting emotion. Say it with me: Gratitude, not guilt. Gratitude, not guilt, Gratitude, not guilt. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

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Creativity Blooms During and After Menopause

By LynetteSh on November 6, 2016 in Menopause

Myriad difficulties and symptoms arise during the menopause transition. And if you are searching for help or remedies, just put your symptom or need into our search box. After almost 15 years of Menopause Goddess Blog posting, you’re sure to find lots of information. Much of it is condensed in our book, Becoming a Menopause Goddess.

Now into Second Adulthood, I am finding so many women also interested in the positive changes. Once we stop flashing every few minutes and our moods stabilize, we ask ourselves “what next?” What next turns out to be a plethora of welcome changes. Who knew?

One of the most exciting of these changes occurs when our creativity gets its own power surge. We tap heretofore unknown wellsprings of creative juice. We overflow with inspiration and we aren’t afraid to fail. The “not afraid to fail” may be the most important piece. After all, the creativity police won’t come and take us away if we suck at something. And I can attest that if you find something you enjoy and stick with it, eventually you won’t suck.

But it really matters not if we are “good” at what we choose as our creative outlet. It’s important that we jump in with both feet, both arms, and a whole heart. We need it because it nourishes us. Right now, I am blessed to be part of a photography seminar here on Moloka`i. And yes, there are a lot of women (and men) celebrating Second Adulthood.

So dance, draw, paint, photograph, knit, write. Don’t wait – the house doesn’t need to be cleaner, dinner can be eggs, and the laundry will rest in the hamper another day. As poet Mary Oliver asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

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