Safe Travel Tips for Women Traveling Solo

March 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

safety tips for women travellingTraveling is exciting, but going alone also brings with it some dangers. Women traveling alone need to be aware of several things so that they can stay safe and enjoy where they are. Keep travel fun and exciting by keeping these tips in mind as you go about your journey.

Hotel Safety

When you travel, you will likely stay at a hotel. Stick with hotels that allow you to keep your keys with you so that they are not just hanging up where someone could grab them. You may also want a room near the elevator so that you can easily and quickly get to your room. You should also bring a rubber door stop with you. This can be placed after you shut and lock your door so that no one can push it open.

Arrive During the Day

This helps to reduce some dangers and make the city appear less threatening. If you need to take a cab to your hotel, you will feel better hailing one and driving in one during the day. You will also be able to get to know your surroundings before it gets dark.

Dress Appropriately

If you are dressed in expensive clothing you are a target for robbery. On the other hand, if you are dressed scantily, you are putting yourself at risk for unwanted attention. A T-shirt and shorts or pants is pretty much a safe bet. You also want to be cautious of wearing cultural clothing in a different country because this can also bring unwanted attention. For example, if you are heading to India, just wear your Western clothes and do not try to blend in by wearing their clothing as this could backfire.

Buddy Up

Not all areas of the world are safe for women traveling alone. If you meet some people at your hotel, ask them to tag along if you plan on hitting the town at night. Groups are far less likely to be bothered. You may also spot families and stick close to them. These families can be locals, but since you are close to a larger group, your risk of being bothered is lower.

Play Dumb

If you are being harassed just play dumb. Act like you do not understand what they are saying even if you do. Most people will stop bothering you if you do not react or respond. Looking busy is also helpful, so carry a book or something to write with. This is especially good if you are alone on a train.

Be Confident and Use Common Sense

If you look like you know the area and where you are going, people are less likely to bother you. If you look confused or lost, you make yourself vulnerable. So, plan what you are doing before you even leave your hotel room. Walk with your head held high and with good posture.

In terms of common sense, just use it. Things like walking alone at night, having drinks with complete strangers and isolating yourself are quick ways to invite danger so simply do not do them.

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Losing Weight After Menopause: Quick Tips for Women

February 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

weight management after menopauseLosing weight is no easy task and this is especially true after menopause. The body goes through changes and your weight is one of these. However, you can lose weight after menopause once you know why you are gaining. It will not be as easy as it was in your 20s, but it is possible. In fact, many women achieve their highest level of fitness after going through the change.

Why You Gain Weight

Gaining weight after menopause is actually mostly related to your lifestyle and certain genetic factors. Now, if you do gain weight this is going to show most around your midsection due to hormonal changes. Your thighs and hips will not be nearly as affected as they were in your younger years.

Once a woman goes through menopause, she tends to reduce her exercise and activity level. Then, since you are getting older your muscles will start to diminish naturally. We know that muscle burns more calories than fat and it also gives you that nice toned look. If you are not working to replace the diminishing muscle, your body will begin to be taken over by the fat and you will not burn nearly as many calories. This, of course, can lead to weight gain.

In terms of genetics, look at the women in your family. If your grandmother, mother and older sister all seemed to gain weight after menopause, then your chances of gaining weight are increased.

Why Should I Work to Lose Weight After Menopause?

There are a number of reasons why you do not want to carry around extra weight after going through the change. Having extra weight, especially around your abdomen, increases your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Things like high cholesterol and high blood pressure can also occur, increasing your risk of stroke and heart attack. Other risks include breast and colon-rectal cancer. These are already more prevalent after menopause, but extra weight increases your risk even more.

How Do I Lose Weight After Menopause?

Contrary to the media, there are no magic pills or methods to help you get into shape. You will have to put the work in. Your first priority should be to get a full health physical from your doctor. You want to know what your overall health status is and make sure that exercise is safe for you. Once you get the go-ahead from your doctor, it is time to start moving more. Just walking 30 minutes a day, most days of the week can have a major impact on your health and weight. You also need to strength train. Remember that your muscles are diminishing naturally so you need to get them back and strength training is the only way to do this. Ideally, you will strength train every other day because your muscles do need a rest day in between workouts.

Next, is your diet. You want to eat as healthy as possible. This does not mean that you can never have a piece of birthday cake again, it just means that you cannot have cake every night. You want the majority of your diet to be lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, do not forget about water because dehydration is more common as you get older.

You may want to get together with some of your same-age friends and get a walking group together. This will help you to stay on track. You can also strength train together and exchange healthy recipes. Those that work out with a buddy tend to stick to their plan more than those who go it alone.

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Eat Your Way to Younger Skin

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

eating for younger skinYou are what you eat. You have surely heard this before and it could not be more true. How you feed your body is directly reflected on the outside. The condition of your skin can be helped or harmed depending on your diet. It is important to know which foods from each food group can help you on your way to glowing, youthful skin.

Vegetables

The two top vegetables for your skin are Romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit, but they are also very closely related to vegetables. Romaine lettuce is number one in terms of these two vegetables. Just six leaves gives you 100 percent of your vitamin A every day. Vitamin A is critical for cell turnover and this is necessary to prevent dull, aging skin. It also contains potassium to help with increasing circulation, oxygen and nutrients in the skin.

Tomatoes have an interesting effect on the skin. This red vegetable actually helps to calm redness on your skin. This can help to defend against issues like rosacea and even sunburn (though this is not an excuse to skip the sunscreen). Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants which help to fend off furrows and fine lines.

Fruits

If you love fresh strawberries then you are in luck. Just a single cup of these sweet, red berries has 130 percent of the vitamin C you need each day. This helps to firm and smooth the skin, as well as increase collagen production to help prevent wrinkles and lines. While research is still pretty new, some promise is shown in strawberries helping to reduce your cancer risk, so if you have sun damage this is good news for you.

Apples come in as a close second for skin-protecting fruits. In the peel of an apple lies quercetin which is an antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from burning when you are exposed to the UVB rays responsible for cancer. So, you still need sunscreen, but an apple a day could help to keep skin cancer away.

Proteins

Soy has fallen under scrutiny recently in terms of how it could affect hormones, but its benefits to the skin remain uncontested. This is known to help with skin firmness and fine wrinkles. You only need to get a little bit each day to reap the benefits.

Eggs are another food that is just being widely accepted again because people feared the yolks for so long. However, you want to eat the entire egg so that you can get the zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants are known to aid in preventing skin cancer, fine lines and brown spots by protecting against the UV damage that causes them. An egg a day also tends to lead to firmer, softer and more hydrated skin.

Fats

You are going to love this because dark chocolate is good for your skin. Some spas actually have chocolate face and body facials due to how well this food helps the skin. Just a little dark chocolate every day can increase circulation and improve your overall complexion. Long-term use results in smoother, softer and more hydrated skin.

Extra-virgin olive oil is another good fat for your skin. The essential fatty acids are known to help in protecting you against UV damage. They can also help in keeping skin supple and hold in moisture.

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Top Five Sports and Fitness Injuries Common in Women

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

top sports injuries with womenOver the last decade more and more women are getting involved in sports and regular exercise. This is a really great thing, but unfortunately, this means that more and more women are experiencing injuries related to sports and exercise. You are always at risk for injury, but knowing what these injuries are can help you to take some steps to avoid experiencing one of them.

ACL Injuries

You often hear about ACL injuries if you watch sports or catch the sports report on the news. Well, women are an increased risk up to eight times higher than men to experience this injury. This is a really big difference and the sports that women most often experience this in are sports like soccer and basketball where you need to make sudden changes in the direction that you are running. Why women experience this more is not completely known, but women’s muscle balance is different and this is believed to play a role. The differences in women’s hormonal makeup could also be at play. Being aware of your movements and wearing a knee brace that supports the knees well could help to prevent this injury.

Patellofemoral Pain

This is pain at the front of your knee and you tend to feel the pain more when you are going down the stairs or a hill after you have been resting for a while. Tight muscles in the area and over-pronation are generally what cause this to occur. To prevent it you want to make sure that your muscles are always well-stretched and limber and you can wear arch supporting insoles to prevent over pronation.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are common in women, but occur especially in older women whose bone density tends to be lower. This means that the bones are weakening and are more prone to damage. Stress fractures can occur just about anywhere, but in women, they are most often seen in the bones in the feet, lower legs and spine. The best way to prevent these is to start slow and gradually increase your physical activity. Having well-cushioned shoes and a diet that helps to keep bones healthy and strong are also largely helpful. In terms of diet, you want to make sure that you are getting plenty of vitamin D and calcium. Strength training regularly can also help to increase bone density.

IT Band Syndrome

The Iliotibial band can cause the outside of your knee to hurt if it rubs the lateral epicondyle in the upper leg bone. This is due to repetitive friction. Since women have an increased Q angle and wider hips, they are more prone to experiencing this. You should make sure that the soft tissues associated with your knee are well-stretched and a supportive knee brace can be worn during physical activity to help prevent this.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This is not reserved solely for those who type multiple hours per day. This means that the medial nerve gets compressed and you notice tingling, weakness, pain and burning in the affected hand. Now, this can be a difficult injury to avoid. When you use your wrist repetitively, such as with badminton or tennis, you can fall victim to this. To help to prevent this you should ice, elevate and compress your wrists following any activity where you used your wrists.

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Drink to Shrink: Can Alcohol Help You Lose Weight?

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Drinking and dietingMany people skip going out for drinks when they are trying to shed some pounds. It is true that alcohol has empty calories and when drank in excess can and will cause weight gain. However, some experts are now saying that drinking in moderation could actually help your weight loss efforts.

How Alcohol is Digested in the Body

Alcohol generally contains sugar, ethanol and carbohydrates. Your cocktail goes straight to your stomach after you take a sip and then the lining of the stomach absorbs the alcohol and it gets into the bloodstream. Ethanol makes its way to the liver and then the sugar and carbohydrates are digested as normal. Since the ethanol is being worked on before anything else, it is believed that the sugar and carbs are not taken care of as efficiently, which in turn, leads to weight gain.

Now, this is true when it comes to drinking a lot. If you know someone that tends to hit the bottle hard and frequently, you will eventually notice that he or she is packing on some pounds even if they do not eat much and/or have a healthy diet. Calories are calories.

Losing Weight with Drinking?

If you are someone who enjoys a glass of wine – or even two – every evening to wind down after a long day you could be helping yourself in the weight department. New research that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine is looking at those who have just a standard drink or two each night and how this resulted in less weight gain than those who binge drink on weekends. This is believed to occur because since you have a drink or two daily, your body becomes accustomed to this and has figured out a way to digest it in a way where the metabolism of alcohol is altered. You are torching more calories as you sip that nightly cocktail and the extra calories are not turned into fat.

Now, this does not mean that you can skip wine all week and then have six glasses between Friday and Saturday night. For the results shown in this study to hold true, you need to have at least one drink every night so that your body can make the necessary adjustments.

So, can I Skip Exercise and Diet?

No. Unfortunately, drinking wine does not substitute a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, if you are a healthy woman who eats pretty well and exercises at least three days per week then that evening glass of wine could be a good thing. The key is to drink standard-sized drinks. This means that a 32-ounce draft beer is not a good thing, but a standard four-ounce glass of wine is. You do not want to overdo it because then you are putting yourself at risk for weight gain and other issues associated with drinking too much alcohol. Don’t forget that red wine is also associated with other health benefits, such as boosting your heart health, when consumed in moderation.

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Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Ovarian cancer informationOvarian cancer is something that all women fear due to its notoriously bad remission rates. This is why all women should do whatever is in their power to prevent this cancer. There are things that you can start doing today to lower your risk. Some risk factors are outside of your control, but controlling the controllable ones will go a long way in prevention.

Age

You probably saw this one coming and unfortunately no woman can control how old she is. Women younger than 40 can get this cancer, but it is very rare. It almost always occurs after you have gone through menopause with half of all cases in women older than 63.

Obesity

This is a risk factor that you can control. If your body mass index is at least 30, then it is time to start talking to your doctor about a diet and exercise plan. It is estimated that the heavier you are the higher your risk. In fact, very heavy women are 50 percent more likely to develop this cancer. 50 percent is a really scary number. To add gasoline to the fire, obese women have a higher chance of death related to this cancer than their thinner peers.

How Many Kids You Have Had

If you have never had children then your risk of ovarian cancer is higher than your friends who have some kids. With each pregnancy, your risk of this cancer decreases. If you take birth control pills for over five years your risk is significantly lower. So, if you do not have kids and are not looking to have any, but can still reproduce, it would not hurt to talk to your doctor to see if birth control pills are right for you.

Surgical History

If you have had a gynecological surgery, then your risk of ovarian cancer is lower even when your ovaries are left intact. You cut your risk by one-third when you have a hysterectomy and keep your ovaries, and you lower your risk by as much as 67 percent when you have your tubes tied.

Fertility Drugs

Some women are unable to naturally conceive and opt to use medications to try and get pregnant. Some studies show that using Clomid for longer than a year can increase your risk for experiencing tumors on your ovaries. The risk appears to be higher if you take this drug and it does not end in pregnancy. Now, these tumors are not always malignant, but it is something to think about. More research is being done to look at how different fertility treatments affect your risk of ovarian cancer.

Estrogen Therapy

After menopause some women elect to have estrogen therapy to help reduce the side effects of menopause. If you take only estrogen, it seems like your risk is a bit higher than it is for women taking both estrogen and progesterone. You have to use estrogen therapy for at least five years before this risk starts. If you are taking a combination of progesterone and estrogen, there is still a risk, but it is lower than taking just estrogen alone.

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Dark Under Eye Circles: Causes and Treatments

February 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

correcting dark circles under eyesDark under eye circles are something that every woman has experienced at one point or another. Maybe you partied too late or were up all night with a sick child or work deadline. You can try to cover them up with concealer, but this tends to look cakey and even worse than the dark circles themselves. It is important to know what causes these because then you can treat them correctly because the cause will ultimately determine the treatment.

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

The bad news will come first. Sometimes darkness under the eyes is something inherited and this means that they are going to be a little harder to deal with, but you can still minimize their appearance so don’t give up hope yet. You could have excess pigment, have them due to aging or you chronically do not get good sleep. Remember that good sleep is different than enough sleep. You could be in bed for eight hours, but if you are tossing and turning and waking frequently, then your sleep quality is not good.

What can I do About Dark Circles?

There is makeup, but like was said above you do not want to cake concealer onto them. When you use concealer, be sure to choose one that matches your skin ton exactly. A liquid will work well for mild dark circles, but for more severe darkness, go with a cream. Start at the inner corner of your eye and pat on concealer out to just beyond the outer corner of your eye. Then, you want to use a cosmetic sponge to blend your concealer well so that it does not look like you have makeup on, but your dark circles are not as noticeable. This can take some practice so do not give up if you do not do well the first time.

Caffeine is a good way to awaken the body and the eyes. A day cream for your eyes that contains caffeine can help to constrict the blood vessels under that area of your skin. This can help to slightly lighten up the area under your eyes. You can also wear a night eye cream that is moisturizing to help with dark circles.

Remember that the sun increases pigmentation. Many people do not think about how the sun increases the pigmentation of the area under their eyes. When you choose a daytime eye cream, go for one that not only has caffeine, but also has a minimum of an SPF 30. This will help in preventing the sun from worsening the darkness of your under eye circles.

A few other options include treatments that can be done by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. These are not cheap, but they are often effective. There is a treatment known as intense pulse light therapy, or IPL therapy. This smooths the skin and destroys pigment cells. Without pigment cells, you will not have pigment, therefore, lighting the area under your eyes. Now, you will generally need at least four sessions to see noticeable improvement.

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Hypothyroidism in Women: Do I Really Have It?

February 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Hypothyroidism warningsHypothyroidism is one word that women never want to hear. It can occur at any age, but what is interesting is that this condition only affects a very small portion of the population in the United States, so do not automatically blame your difficulty losing weight on this condition. On average, 10 percent of women have a degree of low thyroid, so as you can see, this is really not that many.

What is Hypothyroidism?

This means that your thyroid is just not providing your body with enough thyroid hormones. In the early stages most people do not even know that they have it because there are rarely symptoms. However, as time goes on you will start to notice things like joint pain and weight gain. There are accurate tests available that can get you diagnosed and treated quickly so this is good news.

Risk Factors and Causes

Hypothyroidism can happen to anyone, but there are some factors that put you at an increased risk. These include:

  • Family history of autoimmune diseases
  • Radiation to the upper chest or neck
  • Pregnancy or delivery in the last six months
  • Having an autoimmune disease
  • Received anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine
  • Thyroid surgery

There are also a number of causes that can result in this condition. These include:

  • Having an autoimmune disease
  • Radiation therapy
  • Certain medications like lithium
  • Pituitary disorder
  • Being treated for hyperthyroidism
  • Iodine deficiency
  • Congenital disease
  • Pregnancy

Symptoms

Like was stated above, in the early stages you likely will not feel different at all. As this condition goes untreated, you will start to experience symptoms that generally get to a point where you will see a doctor to figure out what is going on. Symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • Hoarseness
  • Increase blood cholesterol level
  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
  • Thinning hair
  • Depression
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Dry skin
  • Puffy face
  • Muscle weakness
  • Muscle tenderness, aches and stiffness
  • Irregular or very heavy menstrual periods
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Impaired memory

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is actually quite easy and generally only requires a blood test. You will relay your symptoms to your doctor and he or she will order the test. You only need to give a quick blood sample. With new testing methods, you can be diagnosed even when you are in the early stages where you really do not even have symptoms yet.

Treatment

There is no one dose of thyroid medication so it may take a little bit to get your dose just right for you. You will generally be started on a thyroid medication and then have your thyroid levels checked after two or three months to ensure that your levels are within an acceptable range. After your dose is correct, you will have your TSH levels checked annually to ensure that everything is still within an acceptable range. You will almost always need to take thyroid medication for the rest of your life and continue to always have your TSH levels checked annually for life just in case any dose adjustments are needed over the years.

Once you start treatment, you will notice your symptoms going away, such as you will have more energy, be able to lose the weight and will not be so cold all of the time.

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Three Things You Must Know About Your Breasts, but Don’t

February 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

breast issues with womenYour breasts are something that you look at every day. You also know that you have to take care of them in order to maintain optimal health for both your breasts and your body as a whole. However, there are some things that many women are unaware of when it comes to their breasts. Not knowing these things could have a negative consequence on your health. It is critical to understand your breasts and to know everything that you can to prevent breast cancer and other issues.

Your Breasts are Vulnerable

The other parts of your body can withstand small hormonal changes, but your breasts are hypersensitive to these changes. You are around toxic chemicals daily and these can trigger small hormonal changes that can negatively affect your breasts. There are ways to limit your exposure, however. Estrogen-mimicking chemicals can be found in personal care product containers and certain food packaging. Stick with frozen or fresh foods and avoid canned products. Also, avoid personal care product that contain parfum or fragrance.

Breasts are Getting Bigger than they Ever Have in History

It is not unusual to see breast cup sizes as large as H and KK. This is without plastic surgery interventions. Girls are also starting to develop younger than ever, with some girls as young as nine years old developing. Chemical exposure is thought to be the cause of these issues. Early development and naturally very large breasts are also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Benzene and Breast Cancer

Benzene is a chemical that you can be exposed to every day. It is a widely used chemical and it is created mostly by human activities. It is naturally in gasoline, crude oil and cigarette smoke. It can also get into the environment due to forest fires. The main way it gets into your body is through inhalation. The skin can also absorb it with direct contact.

There is evidence of this chemical having cancer-causing potential. The most evidence is associated with this chemical and acute myeloid leukemia. Whether this causes breast cancer directly is still being studied, but there are links that scientists are further testing. It is important to be aware of benzene and its potentially harmful effects. Experts do agree that this chemical has cancer-causing potential and since the breasts are vulnerable, you should be aware of this chemical. Not smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke are two of the best ways to limit benzene exposure.

Caring for Your Breasts

You want to perform your breast self-exams at least once a month. If you feel anything abnormal, call you doctor right away. When breast cancer is caught early your chances of recovery are generally quite high. When you are doing your self-exam, don’t just feel for lumps, but visually inspect your breasts as well. You want to look for things like changes in the nipples or overall breast color, nipple discharge, dimpling or anything else that would be abnormal.

It is also important to talk to your doctor about breast health. Make sure that your doctor knows your family history, as well as your personal history when it comes to medical issues. Your doctor will also let you know when you need to start having mammograms and how often you will need to have one.

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Four Symptoms Women Often Ignore But Never Should

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

ignoring health warningsAll women have occasional aches and pains, heart burn and other symptoms from time to time. However, there are some symptoms that always warrant a doctor giving you a once over. These are symptoms that women often ignore, but never should. Having these symptoms could mean nothing, but sometimes they point to a serious issue so always have them checked out.

Severe Pain in Your Head

Headaches are not uncommon for women and are often due to eye strain, stress and just not getting enough sleep. However, when the pain is severe you want to give your doctor a call. Up to five percent of people will experience a brain aneurysm. For most people, these never cause an issue, but for the few people that experience a rupture, the effects could quickly be life-threatening. Emergency surgery is necessary to keep the damage as minimal as possible. A good rule of thumb is that if severe head pain comes with visual symptoms, or if there is a history of aneurysm in your family, to go to the emergency room. If you are having severe head pain that does not go away with basic headache home care, such as OTC pain medication and rest, then call your doctor.

Your Side is Killing You

In many cases, bad pain in your side is due to gas or a pulled muscle. Both of these can be treated at home. However, things like a ruptured ovarian cyst or a ruptured appendix could also be the culprit and both of these require immediate surgery. Remember that old adage that pain always indicates that something is wrong. This something wrong could be minor, or it could be very serious.

Passing Chest Pain

Okay, so your chest hurts a bit once in a while. Maybe you ate something wrong like spicy food. Or, maybe you are having a heart attack. When it comes to heart attacks, women generally do not have symptoms as severe as men do. For women, the pain may be in the middle of the back with some heart burn going on. This is why you should never push chest pain to the side. Always have it checked out right away, especially if you are also experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath or pain in your throat. So many women will not go to the ER unless they have an arm hanging off, but quick treatment during a heart attack is critical to give you the best chance at a full recovery.

Gas and Bloating

All women have occasional gas and bloating. Everything from diet choices to hormones during that time of the month can cause these symptoms. However, if you are frequently bloated and gassy then you need to see your doctor. This is really important especially if you have some discomfort in your abdominal or pelvic areas. Bloating is a major sign of early ovarian cancer. Give your OB-GYN a call and get and appointment with her. She can order the necessary tests to see why you are bloating and gassy all of the time.

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