Menopause, Bloating, Hair Loss, Friends and Cellulite

Greetings – remember me??

I write that because it’s been a long while since I’ve posted here – and that old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” scares me a bit. I hate to lose whatever momentum I’ve gained since starting this blog back in 2012 (has it really been that long??). So, thanks for sticking with me!

As I write this post, I realize I’ve been a bit, well…absent lately.

Short explanation: As a writer, it sometimes is tough to keep the so-called momentum and ideas churning.

Long explanation: I hate excuses and I don’t want pity so I’m not going there.

But I have been doing a lot of writing – just not here. Alas, sometimes the cobbler’s children do not have shoes. (One more) short explanation: We get so tied up in doing things for other people that we have no time to do those very things for ourselves.

So, here you go: Proof that I haven’t been totally slacking, here are some things I’ve been writing about since we last “spoke.” Hope you learn and enjoy!

Menopause

My feature article will appear in the February 2017 print edition of Family Circle Magazine. I interviewed a slew of women’s health experts and conducted countless hours of research.

Interrupted sleep, vaginal dryness, emotional rollercoasters, personal thermostat maladjustments, weight gain, heart palpitations? You’re not crazy; you’re in menopause.

And the symptoms will eventually subside. (Think of the tradeoff. No more periods! No more birth control! No more money spent on tampons!) In the meantime, hormone therapy, acupuncture, hypnosis and low-dose antidepressants are some popular remedies among the menopausal crowd. Have a talk with your doc, preferably one who is well-versed in midlife transition.

For more info on menopause and anxiety: This post,written in 2011 for HealthyWomen.org., is still getting comments..to date, a whopping 373 women have commiserated. No wonder.

Hair Loss & Genetics

 EmpowHer will be featuring a series of articles on female hair loss. In one, I write about the leading cause for female hair loss: genetics. If your mother, sister or aunt has it, chances are you do, too (or will, in the future). Sadly, hair loss in women is not celebrated the same way it is for men…is there a female equivalent of “sexy bald men?”

I think not.

What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight?

Who isn’t trying to lose weight – if not now, at some point in the past (or future)? And who doesn’t want to know the very best way to do it? I interviewed top obesity experts. The answer is revealed in this article for Beachbody.com.

Oh, That Bloat

 Aside from dieting, I’ll bet there are times most of you, at some point, has been faced with one or more of the following humiliations: Unbuttoning your jeans mid-or-post-meal…Trying to wrest (or maybe cut?) a ring off your very swollen finger…Shoving your puffy feet into your shoes…Wondering if that number on the scale means it’s really broken this time.

If the scale is tipping in the wrong direction – and you know it’s water weight – you’ll want to read this piece, where I uncover ten possible causes of bloating and what you can do about it.

 Cellulite

 Another womanly scourge. And if you don’t remember the last time you saw a man with dimpled thighs, there’s a reason: Cellulite is much more common among us females. Yeah, we’re lucky that way. You can read about it here .

Friendship

 Who is your BFF –  your husband, your sister, your mom? Curious about how your friendships stack up? I teamed up with my friend and colleague Irene Levine, and surveyed 1,000 women. You can read about our findings in this Family Circle article, which originally appeared in their print edition.

If you’re eager to read more, click here for a complete list of my musings on everything from healthcare options to senior skydiving.