Healthy Monday

The Impact of Estrogen On The Brain

The Impact of Estrogen on the Brain According to the Alzheimer’s Association, women comprise two-thirds of the population suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. It is important to note that women live longer, and age is the single biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers think hormonal changes play a big role in this gender disparity.  The big question is, what does the main female hormone, estrogen, have to do with brain function??? It turns out a lot!...

Cautiously Courageous: Reflections On Life Expanding Decisions

I recently went on a women’s empowerment cruise, invited by my daughter who was one of the featured speakers. Sitting in that audience, I wondered if I were their age today whether everything out-of-the-box would still seem as scary. Then I realized most of these women had a safety net my friends and I didn’t have… us as parents encouraging them to have goals that trumped being safe and secure. We instilled in them the knowledge that although making brave choices generates anxiety, it’s survivable and so worth the risk. My parents’ fears of the uncertain were contagious; hopefully our confidence in our daughters’ resilience is too. ...
nude woman holding rose

The Power of The Shrinking Vagina

In my mid-40s I was talking to a group of mom friends and the topic of vaginal rejuvenation surgery came up. None of us knew exactly what it was, but we all agreed on one thing: the name was really funny. First off, I love how the word “rejuvenation” is sandwiched between “vaginal” and “surgery”. Only a marketing professional could think of that. Plus, “rejuvenation” is an amusingly transparent attempt to cancel out images of a surgical knife or laser tools hovering near or in one’s crotch. Most women, however, are too savvy to be marketing-manipulated about the most private parts of their bodies. So the title just ends up making us laugh. That said, if you’re committed to positively marketing vagina-based surgery, “rejuvenation” is a fine choice. It makes the vaginal procedure sound like an all-around enhancement for any woman who’s feeling a little depleted and run down, crotch-wise or otherwise. (Italicized)--> Just hop into the office--walk-ins welcome--for a bit o’ vaggie surgery and you’ll feel like yourself again in no time! Several years after that mom’s night, I met with my gynecologist. We discussed perimenopausal symptoms and the upcoming Big M. She told me that after menopause the vagina starts “shrinking” and gets “harder.”...