You can be 54 and still be an attractive woman and feel full of energy. What may surprise you is that for some, menopause feels like a haze has been lifted and you see in a way that you haven’t been able to see before.
Until menopause, hormones, physical touch, emotions and the synapses to care, fix and help others have programmed a woman’s brain. But, in later years the brain circuits that have provided the foundations for these impulses are no longer being fueled.
Menopause is characteristically the moment 12 months after a woman’s last period and 12 months after the ovaries have stopped producing hormones that have boosted communication circuits, emotion circuits, the drive to tend and care, and the urge to avoid conflict at all costs.
All the main brain circuits to run the course are present, but the fuel for running a highly efficient engine for tracking the emotions of others has begun to run dry. As estrogen decreases through menopause, so does the calming affect of oxytocin. Even the rush of dopamine from enjoying life has diminished.
This biological truth is one of the greatest mysteries to women at this age – and to the men around them – as how the changes in hormones affect thoughts, feelings and brain functions.
Perimenopause Reward
Starting at about age 43, a woman’s brain becomes less sensitive to estrogen, accompanied by a variety of symptoms for months to years, including hot flashes, joint pain, anxiety and even depression. The rocket fuel that feeds the sex drive (testosterone) also drops and estrogen withdrawal symptoms start with the shortening of the menstrual cycles by a day or two. The brain’s response to glucose changes dramatically too, giving energy surges and drops, as well as cravings for sweet and carbs.
Since estrogen affects the brain’s levels of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine other neurotransmitters that control mood and memory, it is no surprise...
Please sign in at the right or subscribe to read the rest of this article...
Hollywood, magazines and fashion models seem to make a statement — and standard — that being skinny is beautiful. Many young girls who want to look attractive seem to think being underweight is healthy and becoming skinny as models will make them more beautiful. However, one of the many side effects of being underweight, besides a lower immune system and low blood pressure, is osteoporosis.
Mud baths date back to the dawn of time. The ancient Romans valued mud baths as a preventative and curative measure where members of the entire population – male and female, young and old, ill and healthy – would gather to immerse themselves in the mud. In Egypt, Cleopatra used clay to preserve her complexion.
Chocolate can help fibromyalgia sufferers by reducing inflammation, increasing energy and promoting alertness.
There is a powerhouse of women ruling the world. If you check the Forbes List of ”The 100 Most Powerful Women,” you would see that more than 60% of them are past 60 years young and still keep the sizzle! Mature women are in positions of power and leadership. But, does that include ruling the bedroom?
If you tend to scatter your sheets and blankets, if your legs want to dance at exactly the time you want to settle down, and especially if your legs go “jumping” at night and wake you up, then you probably have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).
The shingles virus is also known as the Herpes Zoster virus (not at all associated with other herpes viruses), which translates as belt or girdle from Latin and French origins. The Herpes Zoster skin rash erupts around the trunk of the body – like a girdle! I’m so glad I never had to wear one, but if wearing a girdle isn’t pleasant, not so much more is having shingles. It can take away your breath with pain, bind up the back with lesions and squeezes the life out of you!
As the American population ages, more and more people each year will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Already, there are more than 5 million Americans suffering with Alzheimer’s. The care of these aging individuals falls mostly on the shoulders of their family, and some friends, through the winding maze of this disease, sometimes without ever finding the exit out. Eleven million people are providing unpaid care to support Alzheimer’s patients; care that takes an emotional, physical, and financial toll on family caregivers.
A friend of mind, Ginger Klein, has agreed to share her experience of suffering from Celiac disease. Her diagnosis is not uncommon, but she shares her gluten free diet tricks she has learned over the years, as well as what do when eating out, how to cope with holidays and making favorite recipes at home. Her personal story and success will inspire anyone with gluten problems and help the rest of us understand more about those this debilitating disease.
