Archive for women
The Skinnies on Women and Heart Surgery
Posted by: | CommentsResearch suggests that women are not referred for surgery as often as men and that woman who have surgery are more severely ill. One explanation for this could be that, statistically, women with heart disease are older and therefore may have other physical illnesses that might prolong their recovery period, so doctors may be more reluctant to advise surgery. The latest research, however, shows that women do just as well – and in some cases even better -both physically and in reports of improved quality of life and vitality. What these findings underline is the importance for women with heart disease to make sure that they have explored all the options for treatment with their doctor.
Women may find it particularly uncomfortable to wear a bra after surgery and because women’s clothes tend to expose their bodies more than men’s there may be one or two extra issues to consider. Gill recalls the shock at the state of her legs, which were cut open to remove a suitable vein for her bypass. ‘Now they swell up and I can’t stand for long. It is very annoying as I had nice legs and used to like wearing mini skirts. Now I wear trousers most of time and very rarely wear a dress. I can’t wear low-cut things either because of the scar on my chest.’
The Basics of How to Parent Your Boys: Model Respect For Women
Posted by: | CommentsThe best thing a father or father figure can do for the children in his care is to show love and respect for their mother. This reinforces her authority, strengthens the children’s respect for her, and makes them feel secure in themselves and within the family. Crucially, it also models respect for all women.
Boys will do better and do themselves justice if they distance themselves from ‘laddish’ culture, which tends to reject anything vaguely female or associated with women as weak and inferior.
If you are a parent:
* Don’t let your son walk all over you; boys won’t learn to respect women if you don’t respect yourself; taking time for you and maintaining house rules to protect your interests are marks of self-respect
* Earn his respect; if you don’t treat others, including absent parents, with due respect, he may lose his respect for you
* Be careful about the tone and content of your casual remarks when watching films or television; many swear words, for example, imply disrespect for others
If you are a teacher:
* Discuss with your colleague whether you might introduce a sexual harassment policy in your school; girls should, of course, be prepared to treat boys with the same respect they may wish to receive in return
* Gender awareness and equality of respect should apply throughout the whole school and every lesson
If we want to encourage boys to develop a more caring image of masculinity, we must show respect for women, including female teachers, and the particular strengths and qualities that women possess. Verbal or physical abuse and violence towards women, especially a boy’s mother, is often the single most damaging factor to a boy’s self-esteem, mental health and future success in life.
The Basics of Sleep Tips For Women Going Through Perimenopause
Posted by: | CommentsMaybe you’ve never had a night sweat but still suffer from sleep disturbances, (That was true in my case.) These sleep tips can make a big difference in the quality of your nights and days:
- It may sound obvious, but lowering your overall caffeine intake is a starting step toward more restful nights. If you must have caffeine, make sure you don’t have any late in the day, in fact, noon is a good cutoff point. After all, if your hormones are changing the way you produce the brain chemicals that help you sleep, you don’t need caffeine in the mix to keep you even more wide awake.
- Make a list of all medications, prescription and over-the-counter, including vitamins and herbs, that you are taking. In some people, insomnia can be a side effect of certain medications. For example, some allergy medications are high in caffeine. Also, vitamin I6 can interrupt sleep that’s why I always suggest taking it before noon. Talk with your health care provider or with a knowledgeable pharmacist about all the medications you are taking, to be sure that none of them (alone or as part of an interaction with another substance) is keeping you awake.
- One of the many payoffs of regular exercise is better sleep. Exercising late in the day, though, can make you feel so wired that you can’t fall asleep. If that’s true for you, build your exercise into the early part of your day, you’ll still reap the sleep benefit Exercise causes the body to produce endorphins and produces an overall feeling of well-being. One of the residual effects of these endorphins appears to be sounder sleep.
- Along with your body, your mind also needs to be prepared for sleep. That means taking at least a few minutes to wind down before bedtime. Too often, we try to wring every last minute out of the day, working right up until we collapse into bed. But going to bed abruptly after finishing the last task or chore of the day will mean that your mind keeps going full tilt. Reading, drinking a cup of herb tea, listening to quiet music or a relaxation tape, or taking a warm bath or shower can help relax you before bed.
- Is your bedroom the at-home equivalent of a noisy hotel room near the elevator or ice machine? Look around your bedroom and see what you can do to make it more comfortable and restful. I know some women who pile their nightstands with unfinished business: bills, lists, work-related documents, and reports. They even keep their laptop computer next to their bed. My recommendation is to keep those types of things in another part of the house. Even if you don’t have an office or den, keep your “paper trail” on the kitchen or dining room table, or earmark a spot on a closet shelf. Use your bedroom only to rest, and avoid the temptation to make it an office.
- If outside light or noise gets into your room, think about installing heavier curtains or blinds that close more tightly. Some women object to wearing an eye mask or earplugs, if that’s true for you, a portable cassette player with a tape of “white noise” may help lull you to sleep. And I recommend that you look at your bed. Are you sleeping on the same mattress you bought back in the 1970s? Maybe it’s time for a new mattress and pillow.
Do yourself the favor of reviewing your sleep habits: your sleep environment, when you go to bed and get up, and what you do, eat, and drink before going to sleep (or before lying awake, if this is the case for you). This is a simple way to start smoothing out edgy, cranky, or depressed days. Sleep won’t be an antidote for everything, of course, but if you do clean up what sleep researchers call “sleep hygiene” (your sleep habits) and you’re still sleeping poorly, it is a signal that you may need something more.
What might that “something more” be? It may be as simple as taking your calcium supplement (preferably calcium citrate, which is best absorbed) at bedtime. Along with its bone-strengthening properties, calcium seems to have the added benefit of helping women sleep more soundly.
Several herbal preparations may also help you sleep:
- Extract of valerian root acts as a mild sedative (160 mg taken at bedtime).
- Kava, a member of the pepper family, can also enhance sleep. The active ingredient in kava is kavalactones. If you choose to take kava, read the label carefully and select a brand that provides a dose of 180 to 210 mg daily of kavalactones. This amount is recommended to achieve kava’s sedative effects; the preparation is used in smaller amounts (45 to 70 mg daily) to control anxiety.
The Basics of Moving Toward Spirituality During Perimenopause
Posted by: | CommentsMary, who had started walking two days a week with some reluctance, found before too long that her brief strolls were getting longer and that she was actually looking forward to them. “I realized that this is the only time I take for myself,” she said, “when I’m not working, paying attention to what my fiance” wants, or getting chores done. My thoughts are less hectic and jumbled because there’s nothing to distract me.” Angela combines walking and prayer as a meditative form of exercise: “I have a pocket rosary that belonged to my grandmother. It’s very worn, she smoothed the surfaces praying for all of us in her family all her life. My own prayers are very different from hers. She knew every saint and observed all the feast days. I keep my petitions simple, praying for strength, peace, and the ability to do the right thing and appreciate what I have. It helps me to stay calm and focused to do that every morning.”
Yolanda started a women’s African dance group at her church. “We praise and exercise,” she said. “We have women of all ages and sizes, moving and bending and shaking and twisting and leaping.” She gave a broad laugh. “I work off a lot of tension in that basement.” A 47-year-old probation officer who has to work hard not to take home all the trouble she sees every day, she finds release and rejuvenation in dancing with all her heart.