Monthly Archives: November 2013

How thinking FAST can save your life

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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Image of heart and stethoscope

Image courtesy of Walter Groesel, stock.xchg

The National Stroke Association’s website is chock-full of statistics about women and strokes. For instance,

  • More than twice as many women die of stroke than breast cancer
  • 425,000 women suffer from stroke each year compared to 55,000 men
  • Only 27 percent of women could name more than two of the six primary stroke symptoms

That second one took me by surprise. I knew women were more likely to have strokes than men, but I had no idea the divide was so large. And, I admit, I’m not sure I can name more than two symptoms of stroke. Two I’m certain of—numbness and tingling and slurred speech—but the others that come to mind are really only guesses.

How can one reduce the risk of stroke?

  • Take up walking. Walking only three hours a week can reduce risk of stroke by 43 percent. This is huge.
  • Make good dietary choices. Diets high in olive oil and potassium-rich foods can lower risk 20 percent. Potassium power foods include bananas, orange juice, potatoes—both white and sweet, white beans, and fat free yogurt.
  • Stop smoking.
  • Keep cholesterol and blood pressure at healthy levels.
  • Lower stress and control anger. These can cause thickening of the neck arteries, which can lead to stroke.

What are the risk factors that are specific to women?

  • Taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy
  • Having a waist size larger than 35.2 inches and a triglyceride level higher than 128 mg/liter
  • Being a migraine sufferer

What are the symptoms we should look for?

Here’s where thinking fast can save you. Use the acronym FAST to help you remember:

F stands for face. Look for numbness or an uneven smile

A is for arms and legs. They can become numb or even paralyzed

S is for speech, which can be slurred or confusing

T stands for time, which you lack if you are having a stroke. Call 911 immediately if you suspect stroke.

Curious about your personal risk for stroke? Measure your score using this National Stroke Association’s scorecard .

Mistakes Middle-Aged Women Make–Part 5

12 Tuesday Nov 2013

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Image of women in heavy make-up

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mistake 9: Using the wrong makeup. “The makeup colors and brands you’ve been wearing for years probably don’t reflect what’s best for your skin anymore.” Unfortunately, the article doesn’t cover how to determine what colors and brands to use. But it does recommend using a magnifying mirror to avoid heavy application of foundations, concealers, and powders, and to replace these products every six to twelve months.

I don’t use these products yet. I’m content with my tinted moisturizer. Between you and me, should I should take a closer look in the mirror? 🙂

Joanna Schlip, celebrity makeup artist for Physician’s Formula, says “I’ve stopped using foundation every day, because it settles into wrinkles and makes them more noticeable. I start with a concealer just where I need it (under-eye area, blemishes, etc.) and follow it with an allover application of tinted moisturizer.”

Oddly, the older I get, the more places I go without makeup. I’ve adopted a who cares attitude about running into people at the grocery store or picking up a child from a friend’s. As long as they see me at my best when I’m someplace I believe I should look my best, I’m okay. Should I be ashamed to admit that?

Mistake 10: Wearing the wrong bra. I’m not surprised by this one. I heard it when I was a teen. And every decade since. I had myself fitted properly a few years ago, but with my dang weight fluctuation, it’s hard to keep up with what size I should be wearing. Or should I say it’s hard to keep them up without regularly re-evaluating the size I should be wearing?

Image of lingerie

Image courtesy of aschaeffer, stock.xchng

Speaking of bras, did you know the average bra size has gone from a 34B to a 34DD in the past twenty years? According to lingerie retailer Intimacy, breast implants and weight gain attribute to some of the increase, but the largest factor has been women learning their correct bra size! (Some lingerie experts, however, don’t believe there is an average bra size because bras vary so much from one model to the next.)

So how do you know if you are wearing the right bra size? You can get measured at a lingerie shop or the lingerie department at a large department store, or you can measure yourself. For a here’s how, check out Real Simple.

Mistake 11: Settling for a boring sex life. “You should have the confidence and freedom to dress and feel as sexy as you want to, and explore your sexual needs as well.” Grufferman thinks that middle-aged women can get more enjoyment from sex because it’s the first time in their lives that they are not doing it for a purpose (to have children).

Hmmm…

I can’t help question Grufferman’s statement because I know too many post-menopausal women who have pain or discomfort during sex.

But should a woman really dress as sexily as she wants? What if she doesn’t know the difference between sexy and slutty?

Image of middle-aged women dressed inappropriately

Image courtesy of adamr, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mistakes Middle-Aged Women Make–Part 4

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Beauty, Health

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Mistake 7: Ignoring your teeth.  Teeth appear yellower as we age? I’m doomed. Maybe I better keep an eye out for a coupon for professional teeth whitening. Having been part of the “Yeah, Mom I Brushed My Teeth When I Really Didn’t Club” as a child (hell, I served as their president for a couple of years), I’ve always had yellow teeth. I wish I could grit my middle-age teeth at my lying child self and tell her this is what her teeth would like if she didn’t brush them. Worked for my kids.

It’s possible that your teeth will become more sensitive as you get older. If this occurs, trade in your toothpaste for one that claims to decrease sensitivity. And if you have big silver fillings in your teeth, they expand over time and there is a chance they will crack your tooth. Check with your dentist about whether it is advisable to replace the silver fillings with other options.

Image of middle-aged woman with long hair

Image courtesy of Alex Dimchev, stock.xchng

Mistake 8: Thinking there are hair rules. I was just having this conversation with coworkers. Many middle-agers were taught that women of a certain age should not wear their hair below their shoulders. Barbara Grufferman, author of The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More, says, “It [hair length] depends on a woman’s height, shape, lifestyle, and the condition of her hair.” They go on to tell the reader that her hair will probably get more gray. It’s probably a little late to break that news.

And your hair thins. I figured that out too. The thinning worries me. I know a few women whose hair is so thin you can see their scalps. Is that why our moms wore those bouffant hairstyles? I know the style made my Mom’s hair look fuller; my sisters and I had to help Mom cover the “bald” spot in back.

(More on thinning hair in a future blog post.)

What do you think about long hair on older women?

Is there anything you health or beauty related habit you had as a child that you are paying the price for now?