Just the definition makes me sit up straight! When’s the last time you felt any of that? If you’re unsure of where you stand on the Mojo scale, check out her blogpost, “20 signs that you’ve lost your mojo.”  If you identify with more than three, you should probably check in with one of the Mojo Mentors on her website for help in reclaiming your Girlytude! (see the Pinktionary for an explanation).  If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, you could also attend one of her “Pink Workshops,” including the one called “Owning Menopause.”

The latest issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter hit my doorstep this week and there’s an interesting article, “Rooting for Fruit,” about using our fruit bowls as a medicine chest. Of particular interest to me was the explanation for why cranberries can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs)  if consumed regularly. (more…)

After writing about the possible connection between hormones and heartburn (or gastric reflux) earlier this week, I discovered another research report, involving nearly 40,000 patients, that concluded that even short-term use of popular acid-reducing drugs such as Prevacid, Zantac and Tagament may raise the risk of hip fractures. The increased risks appeared two years after patients started taking prescription or over-the-counter anti-reflux medications. Other brands in this category of drugs include; Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix and Aciphex. (more…)

Your claims of brain fog, senior moments, or whatever you want to call the small but frequent memory lapses you experience during the menopause transition are real, according to the findings of a new study just published in Neurology journal.

Researchers spent four years investigating the effects of the menopause transition and hormone use on three areas of cognitive function; processing speed, verbal memory and working memory.  They concluded that mid-life women, particularly those in the late-perimenopause stage (they haven’t have a period in three to 11 months) were not able to learn as well as they had during pre-menopause.  The good news is that their test scores eventually improved and rebounded to pre-menopause levels once they hit post-menopause (no period for 12 months), indicating that “menopause related cognitive difficulties may be time-limited.” (more…)

“Our results indicate that improved quality of life can be added to the list of exercise benefits and that these improvements are dose dependent and independent of weight loss, at least among people similar to this study’s sample,” Corby K. Martin, PhD, from Louisiana State University System, in Baton Rouge, and colleagues write.

The study was published in Archives of Internal Medicine, a bi-weekly, international peer-reviewed journal.

She’s specifically looking for women whose main menopause symptom(s) are:
•  hot flashes/night sweats
•  trouble sleeping
•  low libido
•  difficulty concentrating/poor memory

If you are interested in being profiled in the article, please email elumiere@nyc.rr.com directly with your name, age, hometown, and a brief description of your main hormonal complaint.

Please note that you  must live in or close to New York City (nearby NJ or CT is okay) and be willing to let the magazine publish your name, age, and photo. Candidates also might be asked to appear in a photo shoot in NYC at the end of their hormonal health makeover.

Not too long ago, I wrote about a recent study that concluded that simply consuming less calories is more important than the type of diet you choose when trying to lose weight.  Portion control is a key factor in any weight loss program, but it can be tricky. Dietitians recommend portions the size of our palm, or a hockey puck. But whose palm? (Your husband’s if you’re real hungry) And just how big is a hockey puck anyway?

So you might be interested in a new weight management tool that I found online.  It’s called the Northstar Portion System, a series of 11 containers with lids in various sizes that will help you measure healthy portion sizes for everything you eat and drink.  The System also includes eight laminated cards for comparison of hard to measure foods such as a muffin, burger or baked good. There’s a helpful guidebook and a daily guide to keep track of how many portions you eat from each food group. It costs $34.95. (more…)

I searched the internet to find more details about the report and lo and behold I found that tart cherries also may lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin and fasting glucose levels after 90 days.

But that’s not all.  According to the report, “cherry-fed groups had lower levels of a plasma marker of oxidative damage and increased blood antioxidant capacity - not surprising since cherries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants.  Additionally, the cherry-enriched diets reduced “fatty liver” or the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver.”

Can you guess who funded this study? The Cherry Marketing Institute, of course, and their public relations firm, not the research facility, is the contact for information.

This is yet another example of a research study reaching a conclusion that the funder is seeking.