Women Over 35: Overcoming Five Common Concerns, Part I

Aging has been the subject of discussions and science journals and self-help guides for, well, ages. And through it all, there is a consensus about one thing in particular: Your health changes as you age, and not for the better.

The good news is that health changes don’t have to be written in stone, and they don’t have to fall heavily into the negative column. When it comes to health issues, knowledge is the key to understanding, taking charge, and making smart health choices. Action, not merely acceptance, can put you on the path to living your best life at every age, in every stage.

These are some of the most common health issues that women over 35 encounter, and how to successfully manage those issues.

Controlling High Blood Pressure

The American Heart Association reports that nearly 85.7 million Americans have high blood pressure. More men than women end up having hypertension before menopause. After menopause, the risk for women surpasses men. High blood pressure can lead to congestive heart failure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

Some of the actions you can take to change the course on this include:

• Make recommended dietary and lifestyle changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting salt and fat intake, decreasing alcohol consumption, and eating or drinking low-fat dairy.

• Assess sources of inflammation, including toxins and parasites

• Lose weight, or at the very least, increase your physical activity

Realizing It’s Perimenopause

Perimenopause, which means “around menopause,” occurs when a woman’s body prepares  for the onset of menopause. Generally, women experience menopause in their 40s; if you’ve gone one year without having a period, you’re considered to be in menopause.
Because estrogen levels can vary greatly during perimenopause, you can experience any or all of the following symptoms:

• Irregular periods | In these instances, intervals between periods may become longer or shorter, flow may be light to heavy, and some periods may be skipped entirely.

• Cholesterol levels | LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) may increase and HDL (“good” cholesterol) may decrease, which can contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.

• Changes in mood | Mood changes can occur as the result of hormonal changes or other factors such as sleep disruption caused by hot flashes.

• Decreasing fertility | Irregular ovulation decreases your ability to conceive, but as long as you continue to have periods you could still become pregnant.

• Sleep problems/hot flashes | Hot flashes and sleep problems can vary in duration and intensity throughout perimenopause.

• Sexual function changes | Sexual desire and arousal can change during perimenopause, but sexual intimacy can be maintained throughout perimenopause, menopause, and after.

• Bladder/vaginal problems | Vaginal tissues may lose elasticity and lubrication, which could make sexual activity painful. Low estrogen levels may lead to an increase in vaginal or urinary infections and urinary incontinence.

• Bone loss | Bone loss can occur more quickly, leading to an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Here are some of the steps you can take:

Consider adding some or all of these herbal ingredients to help better manage perimenopause symptoms: Vitamin D (which strengthens bones and prevents bone loss), soy products (which have been known to ease hot flashes) such as soy milk, soybeans, tofu, and edamame, ginseng (which can improve sleep that is disrupted by hot flashes), and black cohosh.

Acknowledging Anxiety And Depression

Anxiety and depression can be brought on by any number of things, not the least of which is declining estrogen levels. Untreated anxiety and depression can interfere with carrying out daily tasks, managing work, overseeing family life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Signs of anxiety and depression include, but are not limited to, sleep difficulties, a sense of hopelessness, irritability, fatigue, and a sense of being overwhelmed.

You can address anxiety and depression by doing a number of things, such as seeking professional help, practicing mindfulness, doing yoga and meditation, and getting creative.

A mental health professional can provide you with insights and ideas about coping with anxiety. By practicing mindfulness, you can be fully present in the moment, allowing you to focus on all of your senses. Calming the nervous system and muscles by relaxing the body and mind through yoga can alleviate depressive thoughts. By focusing on your breath and the present moment during meditation, you can lower anxiety and depression as well as blood pressure. Finding a creative outlet in which to channel your energy can help reduce depressive episodes.

Managing Osteoporosis

It’s a fact: Estrogen drops significantly after menopause, which can lead to bone loss. Research has shown that approximately one out of every two women past the age of 50 will experience a bone break because of osteoarthritis. But good preventive care and healthy lifestyle habits can help to minimize bone loss.

Here are some of the actions you can take to help with this: quitting smoking, increasing minerals, getting more exercise, increase phytonutrients by eating more bright-colored vegetables and fruits, increasing Vitamin D and calcium.

Decreased Libido

A woman’s sexual drive can ebb and flow over the years, owing to a number of different factors. Some of the most common causes of low sex drive include:
• Hormonal changes
• Anxiety/fatigue
• Psychosocial factors
• Medications
• Alcohol use
• Poor body image
• Chronic medical conditions/surgeries
• Parasites

Here are some of the actions you can take:

Incorporating some of these natural options into your life and daily routine may help to increase libido: Individual therapy, stress therapy, exercise, a healthy diet, stabilized blood sugar, weight loss, improved sleep, and parasite detox.