Health During Midlife Archives - Page 13 of 14

Midlife: What Goes Down Must Come Up

by Vivian Diller

When Obama turned 50 in August, warring political parties and world leaders paused to congratulate him. Thousands of fundraisers in his hometown of Chicago sung “Happy Birthday,” and his two daughters left summer camp for Camp David for a more intimate celebration. But among the outpouring of well wishes were warnings too. Turning the big 5-0, he was told, meant that things would go downhill from there — as if he didn’t have bigger downturns to worry about! […]

Sweet Dreams at Daylight Savings Time

by Peg O'Neill, M.D.

Sleep is a hot topic in my world.

As a pediatrician, I spend a good part of my time talking to people about it; whether I am helping parents of newborns hang in there during those early sleep-deprived days, or talking to teenagers about why it’s so important to get as much shuteye as possible, whether it’s a well visit or a sick visit, the subject of sleep is usually lurking somewhere in the conversation about staying physically and emotionally healthy. The importance of good sleep is a constant across all age categories. The more you sleep the better. The less you sleep, the more likely you are to feel crummy, whether you are a sleep-deprived fussy infant or a cranky toddler who needs a nap, or an ornery, stressed adolescent who doesn’t get to bed early enough. If you are sleep deprived, whether you are a kid or a parent, you are more likely to be crabby. If you are sleep deprived, you are more vulnerable to illness. There are studies which back this up. The less you sleep, the lousier you feel, in general. And the more you sleep, the better you feel. […]

A Call to Duty (In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month)

by Jane Samuel

Sometime in the fall I missed my call to duty. The reminder letter came reminding me that I was due for my annual mammogram. But I thought, or maybe hoped, that I wasn’t due for another six months. Seriously, it seemed like just a few months ago I had been there. So I put the letter aside with plans to call and confirm it was indeed time. But time got away from me and before I knew it Spring was knocking on the door and my doctor was asking me why I hadn’t had my mammogram in the fall. Ooops. […]

Midlife Maintenance – Year 56!

by Karen Hug-Nagy

The phone call sounded something like this, ” Hello, Karen, I have your blood test results, but first I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, ” said the nurse. “So here’s the news, you are officially in menopause!” Yikes, here I am in front of the local grocery store listening to the news, while people are walking by pushing grocery carts. I felt relieved in some ways, and ready to get on with the next stage of my life. […]

Yoga: A Boon for the Midlife Mother

by Patricia Gottlieb Shapiro

The first time I did yoga, I was 49 years old – not a midlife mother, but clearly mid-life. I walked into a small studio bathed in white. Something about the atmosphere made me feel relaxed and calm—even before I did any postures. It was a difficult time in my life. I needed peace and a respite from a set of family problems. I walked in feeling uptight and edgy; I walked out after class in another place. I knew the problems were still there but they felt more distant and I was less emotional about them. […]

Parallel Play

by Valerie Gillies

“The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.” Jacqueline Schiff

Despite consuming mountains of flax and exercising daily, power surges and hormonal swings punctuate my days and nights, leaving me less kind and understanding than I’d like. Christiane Northrup, in her book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, inspires by reframing this stage of life as an opportunity, and my nasty and selfish feelings as a means of coming to terms with my inner voice and needs. Such lovely ideals—and I want them! […]

Infertility Myths

By Alice Domar, PhD

In honor of National Infertility Week April 24 – 30, 2011

Myth: If you just relax, you will get pregnant.

Truth: If only it were that easy! The fact is, the vast majority of individuals who have infertility have a medical reason, not a stress-related one. Upwards of 90% of all infertility cases are caused by physical problems. In the female partner, the major causes of infertility are absent or irregular ovulation, blocked fallopian tubes, abnormalities in the uterus, and endometriosis (a chronic painful condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus migrates into the pelvis and attaches to the reproductive organs). The male partner can have issues with sperm production which can lead to too few sperm, sperm which can’t swim correctly, and abnormally shaped sperm. […]

The Changing Body

by Peg O'Neill

Like many women of various ages, I have an old pair of jeans in my closet that no longer fits. Why I haven’t donated them to some anonymous, younger, lithe woman who shops at the Goodwill store is complicated, and not entirely clear even to myself. But I think it has something to do with a belief, or hope, that I’ll be able to fit into them again, no problem, with just a subtle tweaking of my activity level and eating habits. […]

Centering in the Midst of Chaos

by Valerie Gillies

“CENTERING: that act which precedes all others on the potter’s wheel. The bringing of the clay into a spinning, unwobbling pivot, which will then be free to take innumerable shapes as potter and clay press against each other. The firm, tender, sensitive pressure which yields as much as it asserts. It is like a handclasp between two living hands, receiving the greeting at the very moment that they give it…” – from “Centering – In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person” by M.C. Richard. […]

Balance and Therapeutic Parenting

by Julie Beem

The word I use to keep myself on the most optimal therapeutic parenting tract is: BALANCE. After reading, listening, talking, listening, attending countless workshops for the last 12+ years, I have to say that at the crux of all therapeutic parenting theories (whether you call them old school or new age) is balance. Our kids need high nurture; high structure – both in MEGA doses. And I believe that if you look at any of those “experts” offering therapeutic parenting advise to us that high structure/high nurture is espoused in their approach, but called a variety of things. […]