GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS

Learning from YOU to empower ME !

NaBloPoMo #9 – My Favorite Hour of the Day Is…….

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NaBloPoMo November 2013Women Having Coffee

I really don’t have a favorite hour of the day but I do have a favorite timeframe of the day.      The time period 2 to 5 hours after I wake in the morning is the best timeframe of the day for me.   If I am following my healthy routine, I have more energy and clarity during this period of my day.

The most important step of my healthy routine is to get at least 7 hours of sleep the night before.    I am a person that requires an adequate amount of sleep.   I understand from my mother that as a child she never had to tell me to take a nap because I would just climb in the bed whenever I felt tired.   This is still my process now to listen to my body’s needs.

After waking from a good night’s sleep, I like to do a 30-50 minute cardio exercise workout before breakfast.    This usually includes a combination of working out in my home gym on my treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical and Leslie Sansone’s Walk-at-Home DVDs.  Normally, I break the workout up into three to five 10 minute segments on different exercise equipment because I get really bored doing the entire workout on one machine.   I use a Polar Heart Rate monitor to make sure that I am working out in the fat-burning zone and don’t over-exert myself.  (Also, I want every one of those exercise minutes to count!)  After the workout, I take a hot shower, prepare and eat my breakfast with my favorite flavored decaf coffee.

Now, I have entered the best timeframe of my day.

Women of A Certain Age – Vulvovaginal Atrophy

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When you really take some moments and think about it – a woman’s hormonal journey is just not fair!   In the early years, we deal with PMS, menstrual cycles, acne, birth control,  pregnancy, post-partum and then, later,  it becomes perimenopause, menopause, acne (again), hot flashes, Hormone Replacement Therapy……the list goes on.

Even though some of us no longer have inhibitions about discussing our sexuality, we still have subjects we avoid discussing with our spouses/partners, our closest girlfriends and even acknowledging to ourselves.   Vulvovaginal Atrophy, commonly known as Vaginal Dryness, is one of those subjects.

No one wants to admit they are experiencing this condition but the truth is 30 million women who are postmenopausal (or have had their uterus and/or both ovaries removed) are suffering the discomforts of this condition which include inflammation, persistent itching, redness, burning, and pain during sexual intercourse.  Typically, the decline in estrogen production causes vulvovaginal atrophy (thinning and inflammation of the vaginal walls) but it can also occur during breast feeding.  Also, it is reported that smoking and never giving birth vaginally are contributing risk factors for vaginal atrophy.

It is estimated that half of the women who suffer vaginal atrophy never seek help and just resign themselves to the symptoms because of embarrassment.  If you or someone you know are experiencing this condition, please seek help from your doctor.

Currently, there is research occurring on a new medication for this condition.  It is called the Venus Study.   You can get more information about it at the following link  www.venusstudy.com

Although this condition is common in menopausal women it has been determined that not all menopausal women suffer from it.   It seems that regular sexual activity helps you maintain healthy vaginal tissue.

So, ladies,  here is an easy tip for a  preventative measure.

Get busy and have more sex!

QUESTIONS

1.    Do you find it difficult to discuss your sexual health with your spouse/partner, your best girlfriends, and your doctor?

2.   Do you think a decline in sexual desire is a natural progression of aging?