Hot Flash Havoc Newsletter

Volume 3, Issue 8

October 2013

www.hotflashhavoc.com 

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 Favorite Quote of the Month                    

"A very important women's health documentary, not to be missed!  Hot Flash Havoc will surprise!"

Goldie Hawn

Dear Flashers,

 

Hot Flash Havoc celebrates Menopause Awareness yippee

 

While we know every woman is aware of menopause we used to wonder why everyone was afraid to talk about it. We even have a section about "What your Mother Never Told You." We made our movie HOT FLASH HAVOC specifically to inform, educate and open up that conversation. So we made sure that it was entertaining, funny & profound.  We are pleased that our hard work has paid off.  We have been part of the process that is bringing attention to menopause - in a positive way around the world.  On October 18th, we will celebrate World Menopause Day 2013.  Women all over the world, if they live long enough, experience menopause. Hot News

 

Why not celebrate it?  It is our time to make the change, not only to ourselves, but to change the world, help people we know with the wisdom we have obtained and share information to educate.  We are lucky that we are in already over 15 countries with this information and our movie helped get the US Government to finally release the WHI data (12 years late) which has always backed up the information in this movie.  It has been a lot of hard work but well worth it to help women get real information so they can make their own choices about their health.

 

We gave a presentation at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, Arizona.  We titled the presentation "The Natural Science of Women".  That's what menopause is ... our bodies taking their natural course. Remember, all women will go through menopause and will be in postmenopause for the rest of their lives.

 

What is not natural is due to Science we are out living menopause by 40 to 50 years.  Take care of your health & focus on preventing chronic diseases because the last thing you want to have happen is to end up in the healthcare system.  Thank you for allowing us to be an important part of your lives and help you chart your course.

 

Best Regards,  Heidi

 

Heidi HoustonHeidi Houston 

Executive Producer Hot Flash Havoc
PO Box 1188
Aspen, CO 81612
970-920-4848 office
970-920-2260 fax

The 5 Best Ways to Get Your Memory Back

by Ellen Dolgen on September 11, 2013 in Menopause Mondays

  

Reach Ellen Dolgen at http://www.shmirshky.com/

 

Ellen is the founder and president of Shmirshky Universal and is a principal of Dolgen Ventures along with her husband, David. She lives in Coronado, California, and has two adult children, Sarah and Jack.

 

Ellen has appeared on the "TODAY Show," "NBC Nightly News", the "Rachael Ray Show," "The Doctors," Oprah Radio, Playboy Radio, NPR's "Tell Me More," Doctor Radio, and dozens of regional and national media outlets. In 2011 she appeared in a sold-out, San Diego production of "The Vagina Monologues." Ellen was one of the first regular contributors to debut on The Huffington Post's, Huff/Post50, which targets 116 million Americans over the age of 50.
 
It's not in your head: Menopausal brain fog is real.
Many menopausal women have trouble with working memory, as well as keeping themselves focused, according to a recent study from the University of Rochester Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago. (Watch Ellen on the TODAY Show discussing the research!) After reviewing perimenopausal and menopausal women completing a variety of cognitive tests, researchers found that many women had trouble taking in new information and manipulating it in their heads. That translates to problems with even some of the most basic real-life tasks, like calculating a tip after a restaurant meal or adjusting an itinerary after unexpected flight changes.
 
"If a woman approaching menopause feels she is having memory problems, no one should brush it off or attribute it to a jam-packed schedule. She can find comfort in knowing that there are new research findings that support her experience. She can view her experience as normal," lead researcher Miriam Weber, Ph.D., said in a statement. Between one-third and two-thirds of women report forgetfulness and other memory difficulties during perimenopause and menopause, according to Weber.
 

Knowing that your symptoms are "normal" can be a huge relief. After all, the only thing worse than feeling like you are losing your mind is feeling like you are the only one going through the situation. Still, "normal" doesn't always mean "good."Here are five natural ways to help overcome some of these issues and have a sharp mind during menopause: 
 

1. Access Your Memory
"Those who understand the memory process are more likely to employ strategies to improve their memory," says Ruth Curran, creator of Cranium Crunches brain-training games. Knowledge about memory, called "metamemory," requires really examining your memory and embracing your strengths and weaknesses. "Sometimes 'thinking inside the box'-seeing and recognizing our 'failings'-helps us embrace the way we function right now and make something great out of what we might otherwise see as 'deficits.' We need to give ourselves permission to embrace the way we are and maximize our potential," Curran says. Is your problem focus? Picking out the most important part of someone's story? Pay attention to what mental tasks are challenging for you. Once you know them you can work by yourself or with a cognitive therapist so that you can best use your unique brain, she says.
 

2. Play Games
Memory games aren't just for kids. "There is growing evidence (based on functional MRI studies) that mental exercise helps rebalance and rewire the brain," says Curran. For example, Cranium Crunches, which she developed in response to the cognitive decline she observed in her parents as a result of chemotherapy and Parkinsonian-dementia, uses cognitive puzzles that mimic everyday life to hone your day-to-day attention and processing skills, make new brain connections, and generally up your brainpower. Other websites including Luminosity, Posit Science, Happy Neuron, and CogniFit also offer fun brainteasers for cognitive health.
 

3. Break a Sweat
Exercise is good for both your body and brain! Physical exercise influences the delivery of neurochemicals throughout the brain that regulate memory (and are directly affected by hormone levels), Curran says. In fact, a recent study in Neuroscience found that running increases levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports neurological health and encourages the growth of new brain cells. Meanwhile, weight training increases levels of insulin-like growth factor, another protein in the brain that promotes cell division, growth, and health. It's your move: Combine both cardiovascular and strength training into your schedule.
 

4. Eat Right
Your brain runs on food. Feed it right. Research from Oregon Health and Science University shows that people with diets high in vitamins B, C, D, and E and in omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to suffer from brain shrinkage and other abnormalities associated with Alzheimer's disease, while people who consume diets high in trans fats-often found in fast, frozen, and processed foods-are more likely to have low scores on thinking and memory tests. Check out the best foods for menopausal health.
 

5. Meditate
No, seriously, it can work! A recent study from the University of California, Santa Barbara found that meditation-aka mindfulness training-improves working memory and mind wandering-the two biggest brain problems women experience during perimenopause and menopause. In the study, subjects completed a two-week mindfulness course that involved daily meditation exercises (think: focusing on sensory experiences such as the feeling of breathing, the taste of a piece of fruit, or the sound of an audio recording). Meditation can help restore a healthy chemical and electrical balance in the brain, Curran says. Try these three easy meditation tips.
 

True self care is about more than your body. It's about your mind, which is the control center for everything you think, do, and are. Clear cognitive health allows you to be your healthiest, happiest self. Sure, it's easy to dismiss brain fog with late nights, busy schedules, and to-do lists worthy of a personal assistant, but you owe it to yourself to stop making excuses and to get to the real cause. Remember, just because your challenges are "normal" doesn't mean you can't ease them. Be your own best friend-take good care of yourself!
 

Reaching out is IN! Suffering in silence is OUT! 

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Click on the poster above to watch the trailer, rent the film, or buy the DVD.


Upcoming HotFlashHavoc Events:

 

 

October: Surrey, BC, Canadahfh-poster-border
Details will be sent out on Twitter & Face Book & be on our website www.hotflashhavoc.com

October: St. Paul, MN
Menopause Center of Minnesota
 
October: Oslo, Norway
Details will be sent out on Twitter & Face Book & be on our website www.hotflashhavoc.com
 
November: West Vancouver, BC

Details will be sent out on Twitter & Face Book & be on our website www.hotflashhavoc.com

 


Buy Your DVD Now:Buy the DVD

 

DVDGet yours ordered today! In case you can't get to one of the Hot Flash Havoc screenings, you can order the DVD online at: www.hotflashhavoc.com.
 
Special Offer! Just $14.99 plus S&H.
 
We will ship it out to you in a FLASH!.....

What your mother never told you!

     A Continuing Series of Articles by the Experts    

 

What's Good About Menopause? September 24, 2013  By Ronna Benjamin
Ronna Benjamin
Managing Editor/Partner www.betterafter50.com

 

Not only is this woman hilarious but she has a long history with us...
26 years ago one of our experts, Dr. Alan Altman, delivered her first baby.
Small world!
 

Night sweats. Mood swings. Vaginal dryness.  September is Menopause Awareness Month.   If you knew that already, you are lucky enough to have retained some of your memory and cognitive functioning (more on that later, I'm having trouble following more than one train of thought.)  But we don't need a catchy calendar title to remind us about the physical changes associated with menopause, do we?
 

Just listen to any conversation among boomer women at any given moment: "I can't remember shit," one will complain.  "A three-inch hair grew out of my chin last night," another will grumble. "I haven't slept well in a year," a third (me) will whine.  For some, menopausal symptoms are simply annoying, for others, it can be a living hell.

 

But could it be that we're just not looking at menopause the right way? Inspired by the lessons from the founders of Life is Good, my rabbi told us the other day about reframing how we think about our every day lives in order to feel more grateful.  He suggested turning the "I have to's" of our lives into "I get to's".  He gave us some examples of how we might do that: I don't have to go to work, I get to go to work, if I am lucky enough to have a job. I don't have to go grocery shopping, I get to go grocery shopping, if I am lucky enough to have the resources to shop for groceries. I don't have to make dinner for my family, I get to make dinner for my family, if I am lucky enough to have a family.

 

Lately, because of this well received sermon, I have been overhearing the pre-menopausal young mothers I know (yup, I still know a few) saying that they GET to drive the carpool across town at 10pm after their kid's dance class ended.  No complaints, and it's so refreshing to hear. But that got me thinking (which is sometimes dangerous these days) that we need to reframe menopause in the same way.

 

We don't HAVE to go through menopause; we GET to go through menopause!   And we GET to go through menopause, if we are lucky enough not to be dead. I feel better already.

 

Reframing menopause isn't all that hard.  Let's try another.   We GET to go through menopause, because we save money on tampons, pads, pain relievers and birth control pills, and can spend our money instead on a great pair of Jimmy Choos.  Just the thought of this is making me happier. 

 

I think I'm on a roll....

* We GET to pack on the pounds at midlife, because skinny, shriveled up old women look absolutely horrific! 

* more productive hours in our days to worry about stuff.
* We GET to be filled with anxiety, because we can suck down dark chocolate and red wine to calm ourselves down.
* We GET to have a loss of libido, because we are lucky enough to have a credit card and the internet where we can experiment with all sorts of fun things to fix that.
* We GET to have dry Va-Jay-Jays, because that is just the price that we happily pay not to worry about getting pregnant, ruining our pretty new underwear, or having PMS.
* We GET to have crushing fatigue, because we now have an excuse to say no to things we really don't want to do.
* We GET to have those disturbing memory lapses, because now we have a really good use for all those Post It Notes we have laying around.
* We GET to have hair loss, because we never really liked waxing down there anyway.
* We GET to have newly acquired facial hair, because we always wanted to know if we really looked like our dads.
* We GET to have mood swings and sudden tears about our empty nest, because we also get martinis and ice cream for dinner.
* We GET to have osteoporosis, because those chocolate calcium chewy things are awesome and we can now soak up that sun for a bit of much needed Vitamin D.
* We GET to change our underwear after we sneeze because... because....hell, I had an answer for this one, but I forgot what it was.

 

Here's hoping that you are now done complaining, and can truly see the good in menopause. Go buy a pair of shoes, and feel grateful you're not dead.

 

Learn How To Become An Affiliate!        

       
There are no restrictions on who can become an affiliate for HOT FLASH HAVOC, but we are especially interested in connecting with affiliates who reach online communities targeting women, women's relationships, women's products, women's health, and women's well being. Communities can be any and all types of social media - there are no limitations! 
 
There are approximately 70 million women in the United States alone that are undergoing the menopausal transition at this moment, and over 1.7 billion worldwide... yet most of these women are completely undereducated about what's going on with their bodies, and what to do about it. We at HOT FLASH HAVOC look forward to you helping us improve the quality of women's lives by getting this vital information out to women around the world.
 
Click below for more information and to Sign up today!


 
If you don't wish to become an affiliate, you can still support our film and this important information by spreading the word and sharing this link to our website: www.hotflashhavoc.com
 
Also, like us on Facebook:
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and follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/hotflashhavoc
 
Thank you,
The HOT FLASH HAVOC Team   

  

What is a Hot Flash?

    
Rebecca Hulem | 08/21/2012
http://www.themenopauseexpert.com/
 

Rebecca Hulem, professional speaker and educator on menopause, brings extensive knowledge to the topic of women's health and wellness.
 

Widely known as "The Menopause Expert", for her book "Feelin' Hot? A Humorous and Informative Guide to Menopause," Rebecca's expertise extends far beyond menopause into many women's health topics.

 

So Just What is a Hot Flash
Just about every woman has heard of the dreaded hot flash, the most common symptom while transitioning through menopause. But what is a hot flash? What is going on inside the body that causes the hot flash? Does every woman in menopause get them? Can they be dangerous? Is there something that can be done to minimize them, stop them in their tracks when they occur, or keep them from happening at all?

 

Let's explore the mysterious hot flash. With knowledge comes power and what woman among us doesn't want to feel powerful and in control.

 

Description of a Hot Flash

A hot flash as it pertains to menopause is simply this: an intense feeling of heat that usually starts at the waist and moves quickly up towards the face. It can take 30 to 60 seconds to reach the face where it finally dissipates. During the hot flash episode you may feel yourself perspiring, ok sometimes sweating; and along with the sweating you may notice that your heart rate has increased. Very rarely would a hot flash cause nausea or dizziness. But you may find yourself with an overwhelming desire to rip your clothes off! This is the kind of hot flash that will get your attention. And although at times you may feel if the hot flash doesn't stop soon you're going to die, hot flashes do not kill. The danger comes in feeling so frustrated and out of control; you could kill others if they don't get out of your way.

 

Not all hot flashes are considered equal. They are like fireworks. Some are big, beautiful explosions of intense heat and color while others fizzle out quickly. You never know when they begin which kind they'll be. The frequency is also unpredictable. Eventually all women who experience menopause hot flashes realize they're in the "change" but it doesn't mean you have to like them, or not want to stop them from happening.  And even though we would like to expect all our friends will be suffering along with us, some women are the lucky ones. They may have one hot flash and wonder what the rest of us are talking about. That's when we'll probably stop inviting them over to our house for dinner.

 

Physiology of a Hot Flash

Hot flashes during the menopause transition are caused from a sudden drop in estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone responsible for regulating body temperature. Body temperature is managed by a process of keeping the vessels in the body open with blood flowing easily through them. This is called vasodilatation. When you are having a hot flash the vessels are temporarily constricted. This is not a dangerous process, just annoying.

 

Reclaiming Your Power

There are many choices when it comes to managing hot flashes. If hot flashes are greatly impacting your day to day life, talking with your doctor is the first place to start. If however you're annoyed by the hot flashes but not desperate, managing the frequency of hot flashes with life style adjustments may work better for you. Remember every woman is unique and what may work for your best friend could be totally wrong for you.

 

Choices to Managing Hot Flashes fall in three categories:

* Life style changes - the simplest and non-invasive
* Complementary and alternative therapy
* Hormone therapy
 

Life Style Changes: I'm sure you've heard the usual advice; dress in layers, decrease caffeine and alcohol intake, no smoking and manage your stress.  The use of cooling products: hand held fans or the new roll on cooling gel and cooling wipes (now available from Poise) are great choices. An added step would be:

Aerobic Exercise: 4-5 times weekly (improves circulation which decreases frequency and intensity of hot flashes)

 

Daily Intake of Plant-based Proteins: (soy, legumes, lentils, beans) - increase intake of omega three fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna) at least three times a week

 

Adequate Rest: This can be hard if you're not sleeping well due to night sweats however, when you're well-rested coping with hot flashes is much easier
 

Complementary and Alternative therapy: This approach has quickly gained popularity in managing hot flashes, especially since hormones have fallen out of favor as the first approach due to long term risk and side effects. CAM therapy has no reported long term risk and can be stopped at any time without side effects. Examples would be:

* Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, and therapeutic massage
* Acupuncture
* Aromatherapy
 

Herbs and Supplements: Try soy isoflavones, black Cohosh and/or omega three fatty acids

Hormone Therapy: This was the gold standard for over fifty years in managing hot flashes. Remember a decrease in estrogen during the menopause transition is the cause for hot flashes. So it makes sense if you replace the estrogen the body is no longer producing, you would stop the hot flashes. Most women know by now with the release of the infamous WHI study back in 2002, that replacing estrogen during menopause may come with a big price. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss in depth the pros and cons of hormone therapy. Suffice it to say however: most women won't need it, some women will, there is no size that fits all. We're all unique. Be sure to discuss your options with your doctor.

 

Putting It All Together

As you can see there is no "normal" when it comes to hot flashes; how many hot flashes you'll have in a given day, the intensity, or even how long you'll have them. Everyone has a unique "health print". There are many variables from women to women. Although some women report continuing to have hot flashes long after the menopause transition is completed, for most a two to ten year period is the average. There are many choices to managing hot flashes. You don't have to suffer. Be open to exploring your options, talk to your friends, keep an open mind and always remember - this too will pass.

 


HOT FLASH HAVOC

Now go and have a
Spell-ta-cular Halloween!
 
Hot Flash Havoc