Pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles, three layers in fact, that support your uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.  They also play a critical role in pregnancy. As women age and/or bear children, these muscles can weaken.  Weak pelvic floor muscles put you at risk for things like bladder leaking or incontinence, passing gas at inopportune times, unable to regulate bowel movements, organ prolapse and can even affect orgasms. 

These groups of muscles are so important that we now have physical therapists who specialize in helping people strengthen their pelvic floor.  Social media is littered with influencers touting their hack to improve these muscles as well.  

Let’s start with the basics, they are pretty simple. Kegels are all about contracting and releasing the pelvic floor.  Finding the right muscles is easy to do when you go to the bathroom.  As you begin to urinate, see if you can stop the flow for a few seconds.  Doing this means you have tapped into the right set of muscles.  In fact, anytime you go to the bathroom is a great time to do a few Kegels.  

It’s a good idea to practice this at other times as well.  They can be done while sitting at your desk, standing in line, or in the car running errands.  10-15 repetitions is ideal, at least 3 times a day.  It takes some patience and focus at first, since it is not a set of exercises we usually work.

In some cases, doing Kegel exercises is not enough to strengthen the muscles but there are other options. Vaginal cones are inserted into the vagina and you use muscle contractions to keep the cone in place. Biofeedback is another tool used by physicians. A pressure sensor is placed in the vagina or rectum and contraction of the muscles is monitored. This helps you see what muscles are being worked and to what degree. Sometimes, the problem is having the muscles fully relax. This monitoring will help you see what treatment is needed.

If you are still experiencing difficulty with incontinence, leaking or other issues related to the pelvic floor muscles, make sure you seek out help from your provider at Madison Women’s Clinic. There are medications that can be used and in some cases, surgery is necessary. Making Kegels and habit now, can prevent unwanted issues in the future.

Except…the stomach flu is circulating wildly through your family, your Paypal got hacked and the 6 year old mistook the sugar bowl for confetti, and it’s only January 1.  Already, the fantasy of a new year, new you is out the window with a good hard slap of reality you didn’t see coming.  

When life throws us a curve ball, it is easy to throw the baby out with the bath water and assume that one bad day is a week, a month or a year in ruins.  

Maybe this year, instead of lofty goals or inspiring theme words for the year, we try to be more precise in our language, and set our intentions and expectations to more reasonable levels. 

Of course, a worthy goal is to become a healthier but if you approach it with an all or nothing intention, it just can’t be sustained, you’ll be snoozing that alarm by day 8 faster than you can say, “not today.” What can be sustainable?  Well, start over every day.  Hear me out… 

Every day is a new day.  Just like January 1^st is the new year.  

Don’t worry if yesterday wasn’t the best day, today is another chance to make some micro changes. Focus on the effort, not the reward. 

Are you trying to slim down? How many of us set that goal to lose a few pounds, make a list of rules and activities that ‘must’ be done and then build in a reward if we do it, such as a cheat meal or a cheat day.  The whole week is spent in drudgery, trying to be worthy of the reward. 

A growth mindset is more about making an effort, an end goal of striving. 

How does this look in reality? 

Let’s take our goal to slim down. What are your breakfast choices? You can choose a processed blueberry muffin or you can opt for a spinach omelet.  Big goals and major transformations begin with an effort of tiny choices and micro changes.  Over time, each better and best choice you make, will see you through to bigger changes; sustainable change.  The effort is what begins to count, not the cheat meal.  Cheating our way to different quality or standard of life and living never amounts to real change.  

This little brain hack works for just about every change or good habit you are hoping to see in your life.  Another important part to this equation is how we speak about our shortcomings.  Try to avoid words that catastrophize where you are at with your goals.  Statements like, ‘I’m a total failure’, ‘What a disaster’, ‘I knew this would be impossible.’   Using harsh words that invoke defeat will do just that to our effort- defeat it.   

How will you use this little hack to make 2023 one of growth and personal success? 

It seems cliché to set reflect back and set goals for a better you, but there is something about taking inventory at this time of the year.

Perhaps, instead of treating the new year as a time to point out all the ways you missed your mark last year, it’s time to acknowledge the challenges you faced and the ways you were able to overcome each challenge, because, we have all survived all of our bad days! That by itself is a reason to celebrate!

What are your tried and true ways to start the year out on a positive note?

Here are some little thoughts you can borrow to get you started on the journey of 2022…

• Thoughtfully choose your ‘word’ for the year. Let it be a word that sinks deep in your soul with meaning. Let it be a word that will inspire you to alter your day to day systems to bring more of the good things to your life.
• Resolve to change the connections in your life that allow you to be yourself. It’s easy to ‘fit’ in but it’s not productive and in fact, adds stress to our life. Surround yourself with the people who accept you for who you are.
• Be yourself. It’s so easy to see the perfect, shiny side of people around us because of social media. Don’t forget that it is human nature to only share the best. That is the rule for us and others see it that way too, so don’t forget that. Be yourself and allow others the same privilege and don’t judge others by anything you see on the world wide web…of deception!
• Let go of the past. Seriously, let it go. Let this year be the clean slate, a chance give yourself a little break.
• Take stock of things that don’t work for you and determine a new system or a new way of creating goodness in your life. Systems often work better than goal setting along.
• Look for happiness in each moment. We often think of happiness as something we go searching for and if we are lucky, we find it in a single event. Despite the things life throws at us, we can find happiness in each and every moment. Often it just requires us to slow and still our mind to be able to see the good. In that discovery of goodness, we find happiness.
• Instead of being consumed with the bright side of life, be content with the possibilities of life. Being able to see possibility allows for ease of problem solving.

There are so many different ways to approach this unique time of the year. Take a moment to breathe deeply and think about the possibility of now. Happy New Year.

Perimenopause. How do you know if you are experiencing that? Here’s a short list of symptoms that may seem familiar to you if you are in your forties.

1. Your periods become more irregular or they may become heavier or lighter than normal.
2. Unpredictable hot flashes and often night sweats which can severely interrupt a good night’s sleep
3. Mood swings, irritability, depression and anxiety increases or perhaps these are new symptoms for you.
4. Bladder problems, even some incontinence.
5. Your chances of conceiving diminish but…you can still get pregnant.
6. Loss of bone strength, especially as your estrogen diminishes.
7. Higher cholesterol which puts you at risk for heart disease.

These are just a few of the more common symptoms you may notice. There are some other changes that can disrupt your day to day experience. Anxiety, forgetfulness and weight gain, just to name a few.

When we experience a hot flash due to fluctuating hormones, our heart rate speeds up by nearly 16 beats per minute. This sudden change in temperature and heart rate can give us intense feelings of anxiety. Next time you feel a wave of anxiety, pay attention to your body, do you feel your heart racing or other indicators, not associated with an event?

More often than not, the only hormone we ever hear about during this period of life is estrogen. So many hormones play a role in the changes that occur leading up to menopause, not just estrogen. Testosterone, progesterone, cortisol and even insulin can fluctuate and create intense changes in our mind and body. Forgetfulness is part of this process. As some of these brain protecting hormones drop, our brain power slows down unless we are exercising it just as we would the other muscles in our body. During this stage of life, make sure you are creating strong connections with others and moving and learning each day. If you haven’t figured out the importance of managing stress before now…don’t worry, you will soon be forced to learn that lesson!

Stress just seems to grow as we age. Nothing wreaks havoc more on hormones than stress. With added stress in our lives, our adrenals just can’t keep up. With the added work that is required to balance the slower function of the ovaries, the adrenals get tired too. When this happens, welcome to your new and expanding waist line. Weight gain is one of the more common symptoms of perimenopause. It can seem that no matter what you do, there is no way to stop it. Balancing and supporting hormones, regular exercise and managing stress are vital if you want to maintain your good health through this phase of transition.

The fun of perimenopause never ends with thinning hair on our heads but increased hair growth on our face. Achy joints, dry eyes and brittle nails. All of this can be and often is attributed to the shift in hormones.

So, what’s a girl to do? It seems like the answer is always a healthy lifestyle and diet. That’s because it is. Our processed, American diet leaves little nutrients to support hormones and good gut health. Ideally, you will want your nutrients from food but supplementation may be necessary. As usual, you’ll want to consult your healthcare provider to be sure your supplements are not interfering with any prescription meds you take. There is hope when going through perimenopause and good ways to manage the symptoms and balance hormones.

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics has identified over 100 nutrients in breast milk? None of these nutrients can be fully duplicated in formula.  By comparison, the FDA only requires a minimum of 29 nutrients in formula.  Part of the nutritional benefits of breast milk are the antibodies that help bolster a healthy immune system in infants.   These antibodies prevent against viral and bacterial infections.  Colostrum, the first milk, has special proteins which coat the intestinal tract which allows a barrier of protection against harmful bacteria.

Another interesting fact about breast milk is that it is always changing as your baby grows and has different nutritional needs.  Because of this, your baby is always getting the perfect ratio of fat, protein and minerals.   Your breast milk can change not only from week to week but even hour to hour.  This helps protect your baby against obesity as well.  Oftentimes, a formula fed baby can get excess calories that sets them up for obesity, later in life.   Even the taste of the milk changes depending on the foods mom is eating.  This allows your baby to experience several different tastes which may help eliminate food pickiness down the road.

These are some benefits for baby…but what about mom?

Breastfeeding burns 500-600 calories a day for mom.  That is why it is important to keep up on your own healthy eating habits.  Hormones are released when your milk is let down that helps with anxiety and stress and allows you to bond more effectively with your baby.

Breastfeeding is good for mom’s health too.  It lowers your risk for future breast and ovarian cancer and protects against heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and even helps to protect you against postpartum depression.

Breastfeeding is efficient and saves time and money.  For some moms, this is a lifesaver.  Choosing breast milk for your baby doesn’t mean you have to breastfeed.  Some moms pump exclusively and offer the breast milk in a bottle or use it as a form of supplementation to formula.  

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that you need to weigh the pros and cons to breastfeeding versus formula feeding and do what is best for you and your baby.  Breastfeeding isn’t compatible with every woman and that is not something to feel bad about.  What matters is the love and care you offer your baby. 

Who doesn’t love a silky, smooth piece of chocolate?

We hear all the time about the many health benefits to consuming chocolate, unfortunately, some people make the mistake of thinking a Hershey’s bar is healthy! Sadly, I must be the bearer of bad news, not all chocolate is created equal. As much as we wish that hot fudge sundae would do us some good, that is only wishful thinking.

Cacao, cocoa, and chocolate…what’s the difference? It can be confusing to sort it all out, but there is a big difference in the way each form of chocolate is processed and produced.

Cacao comes from the whole cacao bean. It can take on the look of cocoa or even chocolate chips but it is very bitter. Cacao has very little processing to it and that is what makes this the healthiest form of chocolate. It’s full of natural anti-inflammatory properties, and antioxidants that help remove toxins from our body. It’s full of magnesium which is good for our bones, blood pressure and heart health. Cacao powder comes from the unroasted beans. In the process, the fat is removed but the enzymes remain intact. You can still count on some healthy fat from cacao powder, along with some fiber and protein!

Cocoa is a processed powder from the cacao bean after the bean has been roasted and the butter has been removed. It is processed at very temperatures which lowers all the great nutritional value we gain from the raw cacao bean. Buying cocoa powder from the grocery store means you are getting extra added sugar and fats. There are some health benefits from cocoa powder but the quality is reduced.

Chocolate is derived from cacao or cocoa. Milk chocolate contains more fat and sugar than it’s bittersweet cousin, dark chocolate. For obvious reasons, dark chocolate is your better choice, and the higher the cocoa content, the better it is for you.

One more thing…white chocolate; it’s not even really chocolate so don’t even waste your time. The only benefit from white chocolate is the sugar rush and insulin spike you’ll feel in the short term.

So, how do we get more healthy chocolate in our diet?

The easiest way is to eat a little dark chocolate every day. Make sure the cocoa content is above 70%. The higher the better.

Add cacao nibs to trail mix or sprinkle on your morning oatmeal or in your green smoothie for a little added crunch.

Use a coffee press to brew your cacao powder as a great substitute to your morning joe. You can kick the coffee habit and get some valuable health benefits too.

Use cacao powder in your baking. You don’t get the same health benefits but every little bit helps.

Make your own hot chocolate by adding a tablespoon of raw cacao powder to a dairy free milk. Sweeten with a little natural sweetener and vanilla.

Blend a little cacao powder into your daily smoothie, for a rich added treat.

Whatever else you do today, indulge in a little dark chocolate to celebrate a healthier you! Who knew you could do that with a little piece of chocolate?

Well, it may not exactly be a crisis, but it does involve a great deal of change and reflection. It can be a lonely time, feeling like everything is falling apart.  It can surface feelings of emptiness, boredom, lack of purpose and regret for unfulfilled dreams.  It can bring more health issues than we like, often forcing us to give up activities we once loved.  

For some women, the changes are welcomed and new hopes and dreams can take hold as family responsibilities lighten up.  Regardless, it’s a time of change and even complexity.  Even good things can stir up uncomfortable emotions. 

How can we best navigate these times?

Make sure you are in the best physical shape possible.  Get your yearly exams and work on any health problems that you can change through diet and exercise.  Your health care provider at Madison Women’s Clinic can help you with your changing body and hormone fluctuations that comes with menopause. There is no better time to invest in yourself than now.   Food was once used as medicine and getting back to that principle can go a long way in eliminating the day to day discomforts.  Part of this focus can be changing some habits that no longer serve us well.  Remember that your  health is a process, for good or for bad, and turning things around, can take a season or two.  Be patient with yourself on this new midlife journey. 

It’s important to acknowledge that life is changing and making that transition is hard.  What about shifting your thinking from using the term, ‘crisis’ to ‘change’ or ‘journey’?  A crisis sounds down right depressing and anxiety producing.   Of course, we can experience moments that resemble a crisis, but breaking it down to facets of change can help us sort out the complexities and feel more empowered; because, let’s be honest, there is much we can do if we believe in ourselves. 

Check yourself when it comes to guilt.  There are endless hours we can spend in shoulding and wishing upon things that never happened or did happen that we regret.  The past is long since gone. It serves no purpose to dwell on what was.  Instead focus on being better today, than you were yesterday.  That’s where we really make a difference…in our own life of comparing you to you.  Any other comparison only escalates feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness. 

Set new goals, hopes, wishes  and dreams.  Determine new traditions that are established in your changing world.   Take some time to create a personal inventory of the good, the bad and the ugly you face.  If you can’t do anything to change the negative things you face, then let them be.  Place your focus and intention on the power you do have to create positive change in your life.  

A crisis can make us feel small and out of control but midlife can be anything but that!  Of course, there is opposition in all things and we need the challenges to keep us growing and learning but midlife can be amazing and wonderful and lead us down paths that show us a whole new world of deeper love and appreciation for the life we have been given.  

Start today… Start small…How will the second half of your life look?