She may be working full time and/or she may be taking classes to continue her education.  You know her.  She can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and all the while, she continues to make everything look absolutely perfect. She tells me that she is stressed, tired, and often times feels that she has way too much on her plate, and she does! Oh, did I mention she is also dealing with symptoms of menopause?

If you are able to recognize yourself in any or all of the above scenarios, I have a few tips that you may find helpful.Three concepts I try to reinforce with my patients; Strive for balance, Keep it simple, and most importantly, Be reasonable.

It is important to remember to look for balance in your life. Although work is important, you need to find time for fun, relaxation, and quiet time.

What ever you define as work, whether you are actually going to a place of business for 30, 40 or 50 hours a week or whether you are a homemaker, each individual needs to be able to strive for balance between what we define as “work” and what we do with the rest of our day. We all know that we need to be active, so try to find some fun ways to stay active. Walking is a great form of exercise and it may only cost you the price of a decent pair of walking shoes. Some helpful hints, now that the weather is nice, set a goal of walking at least 30 minutes a day, three to five days a week. It‘s a great place to start, and if you’re already there, increase it a little. Keep it simple, you do not have to join a gym, to walk. If the weather isn’t to your liking, walk the mall. If you get bored with a treadmill or walking around the neighborhood, grab a friend and visit any of our Michigan metro parks. A one-day pass is only $5.00 and an annual pass to all of the Michigan metro parks is $50.00. They have great walking and bike trails and they are open all year long. A winter walk can also be fun, just remember to wear a good pair of warm boots and layer your clothing in order to adjust to the temperature. Along with bike and walking trails, some of the metro parks also have cross-country ski trails, for those of you who are a little more daring. Another fun way to increase your walking is to wear a pedometer and challenge yourself to 10,000 steps a day; you might be surprised at how easy that can be. So lace up your sneakers, set goals, track your progress and put a star on your calendar when you have accomplished your goal. Be reasonable; exercise does not have to be expensive and setting reasonable goals will help you to be successful.

Rest and Relaxation is also important. Take time to do something that you enjoy. Perhaps it is reading a good book, watching a movie, taking a warm bath, or working on puzzles or projects. Get outside in the fresh air, take advantage of the great summer weekend art fairs, visit the zoo, reconnect with an old friend, or join a book club.  Whatever it is, make time for it, because you deserve it. Everyone needs a little down time.

Call it meditation, call it quiet time, call it prayer, what ever you call it, try to find some time to engage in it. Turn the TV, radio, blackberry, pager, cell phone off and just listen to the quiet. From the time our alarm clock goes off in the morning, until we go to bed again at night, our brains are bombarded by noise and distraction.  No wonder we feel so stressed. Give yourself a “time-out”. Make some quiet time every day to reflect and regroup. Experts agree that as little as 15 minutes per day can decrease stress, increase our energy and regenerate our spirit.

One of the simplest ways to keep ourselves healthy is by maintaining our weight. Many of my patients are being treated for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. I often remind my patients that losing as little as 10% of their weight may be enough to reverse the effects of those chronic conditions. Again, set reasonable goals. With exercise and a healthy diet, you should see a slow and steady weight loss, which in the long run will be easier to maintain.

As we age, a decrease in blood estrogen prompts the body to store more fat, which results in a reduction in muscle tissue and in muscle strength. A reduction in muscle strength contributes to fractures. Therefore, lifestyle changes including increasing physical exercise, eating a healthy diet and smoking cessation cannot be overemphasized. Healthy lifestyle changes will increase circulation, strengthen bone and increase overall function. Optimal health and wellness will increase your ability to meet those challenges and stressors that we encounter every day. Remember to celebrate healthy lifestyle changes; you deserve to look and feel your very best.

Although the issue of caretaking for parents is not a new one it is now getting much needed attention at the government level. The following was excerpted from a post on the White house web site.  It was written earlier this year by Terrell McSweeny who is Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President. 

“The Middle Class Task Force unveiled a series of initiatives in the President’s FY 11 budget that are aimed at helping families with soaring child care costs, balancing work with caring for elderly relatives or people with disabilities, paying for college, and saving for retirement. These are costs that – along with health care – have risen dramatically for families at a time when their incomes haven’t. Some people call this “squeeze” because of the pressure these costs put on family budgets. But for many families it just seems like it is impossible to get ahead. This is particularly true for the so-called “sandwich generation” – people who are caring for children (or grandchildren or adult children who are struggling financially) and their parents. The Vice President often speaks very personally about his experience caring for his parents and in-laws. And almost all of us know someone who has juggled caring for a parent or relative who can’t get along completely on their own. Millions of Americans provide unpaid care to aging relatives – including approximately 23 million caregivers with jobs and 12 million who are also caring for their own children. That’s why the Middle Class Task Force’s “squeeze” initiative includes help for family caregivers. These caregivers play a vital role in helping seniors stay in their communities or at home. But too often they don’t have the support they need to balance caregiving with work and family responsibilities.  Approximately 65 million Americans provide care to a loved one, giving more than $375 billion worth of unpaid care each year—often at their own financial and emotional expense.   The caregiver initiative won’t magically alleviate all the strain on caregivers and their families – but it is an important first step toward providing more support for families and caregivers and the vital services they are performing.”

The group meeting this month really helped me understand what an important issue this is for women who are also coping with the changes and personal health issues of menopause.  The planning team has already started to discuss how we can help meet your needs for information on this subject and likely will repeat the stress and depressed topic and caregiving  as a fall event.  Your imput is welcome either by comment or contact via email through this blog.  Thanks.

 I know you teach a Yoga for Wellness class now and have offered a Yoga for Menopause class in the past.  What prompted your interest in yoga and specifically yoga for menopause?

When I began my first yoga classes in 1995, I truly had little understanding of yoga.  I was recovering from a dance injury and thought yoga would be a good way to stay in shape while I was recovering.  I quickly recognized that yoga was as much about the body as it was about the mind.  In short order I began to notice the many benefits from practicing yoga.  I was inspired from my earliest classes to become a yoga teacher, guiding others to discover the benefits. The overall benefits of yoga, which include stress reduction, improved focus, mood regulation, improved sleep as well as strength, balance and flexibility have served me well as I have made the transition through menopause.  

 Yoga is well known for its benefits in managing stress.  How is it specifically helpful for menopausal symptoms?

 What  are the other health benefits of Yoga for women as they age ?

Is Yoga safe for everyone?  Are there any precautions women need to be aware of?

How would you recommend someone get started with Yoga?  Do you have any good resources you can share?

Paced respiration

With regular paced respiration, women reportedly achieve a noticeable drop in the number of hot flashes they have, as well as a lower average skin temperature (used to measure hot flashes).

Paced respiration takes practice. Try to do paced respiration twice daily, for 15 minutes at a time. Also, when you first feel a hot flash coming on, stop what you are doing, find a quiet place, and practice paced respiration until you are feeling comfortable again.

• Sit in a comfortable, quiet place.
• As you breathe, keep your rib cage still. You will be lowering and raising your diaphragm to fill and empty your lungs.
• Inhale for 5 seconds, pushing your stomach muscles out.
• Exhale for 5 seconds, pulling your stomach muscles in and up.
• Repeat this cycle of breathing until you feel calm and relaxed or your time is up.

To reduce stress, you can also use paced respiration for 1 to 2 minutes in the middle of a busy day.

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Elizabeth Edwards brings her message of finding hope and inspiration in life’s challenges to the Troy Hilton, at 5500 Crooks Road. The Henry Ford Health System, Ford Motor Company and Metro Parent Magazine are proud to present this unique opportunity, entitled “An Evening with Elizabeth Edwards.”

The event is rescheduled from its original Wednesday, Oct. 15 date, which was cancelled due to Mrs. Edwards mother’s illness.

The country has gotten to know Elizabeth Edwards as she campaigned across the country during her husband’s political campaigns. The day after the general election in 2004, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mrs. Edwards was in remission until March 2007 when she discovered her cancer had returned. Her courageous battle with breast cancer has served as an inspiration to women across the country, which she shares in her memoir “Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers.” A passionate supporter of children and families, as well as an accomplished attorney, she has been an advocate for many important causes.

One that is dearest to her heart is the Wade Edwards Foundation. The foundation, which helps finance educational and enrichment programs for young people, is named after Mrs. Edwards’ eldest child, Wade, who tragically died in a car accident in 1996 at the age of 16. Mrs. Edwards is the proud mother of three other children: Catharine, Emma Claire and Jack.

Despite a battle with breast cancer, the loss of a son and the pressures of living a life in the public eye, Mrs. Edwards has remained determined to live what she calls “an inspired life.” Mrs. Edwards will share her story of how she’s persevered through tough times. “An Evening with Elizabeth Edwards” is sure to be an uplifting and inspiring event for anyone who is or has experienced difficulty in their lives, especially those affected by breast cancer.

“An Evening with Elizabeth Edwards,” will be held at the Troy Hilton in Troy, Mich. General admission tickets cost $25.

The event is presented by Henry Ford Health System, Ford Motor Company and Metro Parent Magazine. It is sponsored by the Michigan Education Savings Plan (MESP), Magic 105.1 and Inforum.

To purchase tickets or for additional information, visit MetroParentEvents.com or call 248-398-3400, ext. 128.

SOURCE Metro Parent Magazine

MetroParentEvents.com

During our last support group meeting on November 12th we discussed the stresses of the holidays.  In preparation for the meeting I anticipated that shopping, decorating, cooking and time management issues would be big stresses.  But for those attending, loneliness, concern about ailing parents and  the sadness of lost traditions were prominent concerns.  These wise women had, for the most part, solved the problems of doing too much during the holidays.  They have trimmed their card and gift lists, let other family members lighten the load of entertaining and simplified decorations.   The emotional issues that come with getting older are the concerns that dim the joy known from past holiday seasons.  Below are some ideas shared among the group.

• Consider adopting new traditions which better suit family members changing interests or abilities.  New traditions can be  adapted to honor the old ones.  For example, if Grandma can no longer host the holiday then maybe some of her recipes can be prepared by younger members of the clan.
• Rather than spending money on gifts, plan a family event by going to a concert or musical to celebrate.
• Call friends or family and plan occasions ahead of time to avoid being alone.  If inviting people over and on a budget think about a dessert gathering or potluck.
• Consider volunteering to be with other people, make friends and avoid loneliness.
• Investigate community resources to assist with caring for ailing relatives.  Churches, hospitals, public health departments and private Alzheimer groups often have low cost options for respite care.

Nothing could be much more stressful during the holiday than becoming a victim of crime.   Unfortunately, during economic downturns crime increases.  Don’t  make yourself an easy target.  A member of the HFHS security staff stopped by Wednesday to share some holiday safety tips.

• Keep windows and doors locked even when you are at home.
• Do not leave gifts visible through windows.
• Be very cautious answering the door.  Criminals may pose as couriers delivering gifts or solicit for non-existing charities. Always ask for ID whenever anyone requests entry, even if dressed as utility worker or police officer.
• Shop during daylight hours or do not shop alone.
• Do not wear expensive jewelry and avoid carrying a purse.
• Do not overload yourself with packages but avoid dropping packages off at car and then return to store.  Criminals watch for this and can break into car and be off with purchases within minutes.

What stresses you out about the holidays?  What helpful tips have you acquired over the years to help ease the strain of this time of year?