Facts about Menopause

Natural Menopause can start anywhere from early 40’s to late 50’s, the average american starts at about age 50 and it lasts 4 years.

The variations we experience in menopause are great.  Nearly 50% of women report only mild symptoms.

Most frequent symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and vaginal dryness.

Less frequent in menopause are infections of  the urinary tract and sleeping problems.

Menopause has NO association with depression, anxiety or other psychological problems.

Depression, weight gain, joint problems like arthritis and fatigue are often problems for both men and women as they age.  These are caused by the aging process and are not a part of menopause.

Soy products may reduce symptoms of menopause as they contain substances similar in structure to female hormones.

Having a positive attitude actually decreases menopausal symptoms. 

Hormone replacement therapy carries small risks and should be used by women who have significant symptoms during menopause.

During menopause, the body odors can change as the breakdown products of our skin change. 

Sleeping Beauty doesn't text before bed

It's important to have good quality sleep every night for anti-aging benefits.

One of the tips for good sleep is:

DO NOT USE CELL PHONES BEFORE SLEEP!!! This wakes up your nerves and excites you too much.

Checking your email or using your cell phone right before bed equates to 2 cups of espressoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Japanese Women in their 40's

Let me introduce some Japanese women in their 40's. Their lifestyle includes many choices that eliminate UV exposure. It is said that 90% of skin aging comes from UV exposure! Eating anti-oxidants and using an umbrella is a must.

Bath Time is good for you! (Increasing your circulation)

I know that you have probably heard that showering is healthier for women than bathing.

However, there are many benefits for women to soak in the tub.  Bathing is very important for warming your body. By warming body, your immune system gets stronger and blood circulation increases!
Especially if your lifestyle depends on the use of air conditioners too much, try to take bathes for deep warming.

In Japan, bath tub time is called beauty time. Lot's of women spend hours in there.  While bathing they also do many things other tasks. For example: massage, hair removal, esthetic therapy, facial and body scrubs, reading books, watching TV, talking on the phone, and EVEN EATING!!

Cute Bento (Healthy lunch options for kids)

Japanese love making CUTE bento boxes for kids! Bento is a healthy meal for kids, because it is nutritionally balanced and has no preservatives, unlike processed food or other junk food.

Menopause is not disease!

Ever since the women’s health initiative study in 2002 started getting data about women who were randomly selected to either take or not take hormone replacement therapy, our ideas on menopause have changed.  Menopause was treated like a disease until the study showed that in fact it is a stage of life.   Modern health professionals know that life style can be a significant aid as women pass though this stage of life.

Menopause occurs when a woman’s body changes from trying to prepare to accept and carry a pregnancy (a body that is growing or building) to a body that no longer needs to provide a procreative function (and has begun to start the process of decay).   Prior to menopause our hormones help protect us against things like heart disease and bone loss.  After menopause, the rates of bone loss in women doubles and we soon catch up to men who have already started experiencing heart disease.  

As our bodies go through this transition, it experiences symptoms.  More than half of women have hot flashes and mood swings.  When our blood vessels dilate,  warm blood comes to the surface of the body and we experience flushing and redness of the skin.  As part of that, sweating often increases and scientists at Shisedo cosmetic company discovered that a particular substance, noneal is produced which gives a characteristic odor when it is present.   Persimmon tannin has been shown to eliminate that substance and reduce the oror.

Sun block umbrella for men

In Japan, even men have started using umbrella for UV block!

SATC in Japan!

The fabulous 4 from The Sex And The City visited Tokyo for the movie opening! We Japanese also love them so much!! They are really good role models for women.