July's Newsletter
Greetings from Arcadia Women’s Wellness
NEWS YOU CAN USE - 25 July 2023
STAYING ACTIVE DESPITE the HEAT
How are you staying active this scalding summer? Me? Whelp, Pepe and I are up at 0500 to walk before it gets too high above 90. Then I try to do a pilates, yoga, or new to me, ballet class. On the days where that is just not possible, having a few sets of hand weights, combined with body weight exercises can get me an easy 30m of activity. That is plenty to reap the benefits for sleep, mental, brain & cardiovascular health.
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Just as a reminder I moved to 105# due to leaks in poor old #100.
Also, telemedicine is ALWAYS an option (except for acupuncture!), the link for first appointments and those that prefer it over phone (for follow-up appointments) is on website and here
Finally, vacation update: 7/25-7/31 & 7/25-8/17. I won’t be completely unable to be reached, but there may be a delay in my response. For pharmacy refills, keep these dates in mind and contact your pharmacy sooner rather than later to ensure no missed doses. AND if you are looking for acupuncture, contact Ellen Ludwig. Thanks for your attention!
Thank you in advance for your understanding & assistance.
COMING in OCTOBER 2023
In an attempt to provide low cost follow-up support for current patients, I will be starting two VIRTUAL psychoeducational medication support groups.
Didi you know peer support groups can help improve care for a variety of medical concerns, including postpartum & perimenopausal issues.
With over 20 years specializing in integrative womens medicine and as a certified perinatal mental health prescriber & certified menopause specialist, I strongly believe to be one’s healthiest requires attention to both physical & psychological care.
This fall I will be introducing a group for postpartum & a group for perimenopause to help extend care for patients all over the state of AZ who are looking for more support in between appointments as well as the opportunity to meet & connect with other women who are experiencing similar issues.
These virtual psychoeducational medication support groups will be for CURRENT patients and will meet monthly, as a low-cost alternative to individual follow up appointments and can be attended monthly or on a drop-in/prn basis.
Participants will receive:
needed medication adjustments and refills,
education on self-care, nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, & medications
can ask questions about medications & other treatments ,
meet others who are currently struggling with similar issues.
If you have questions, suggestions, or would like to discuss further let me know.
YOUR BRAIN on MENOPAUSE
I have been getting a lot of questions about the new study that linked HRT to dementia so what’s the deal? Long story short, don’t worry.
1. The study’s participants were using oral estrogen and a synthetic version of progesterone which is linked with increased cardiovascular disease which is a risk factor for dementia and is not the formulation most use now (transdermal estradiol & natural progesterone).
2. The study was an observational study which is less robust than a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and those that we have show the opposite.
3. HRT was shown in another RCT that HRT therapy may be especially protective for those with the APOE gene, like myself. 4. Currently, I am taking part in a monthly clinical colloquium through the International Menopause Society, and this month’s presentation reiterated that though cognitive changes can occur, they don’t occur in all women and don’t typically last forever and that concomitant hot flashes has been linked with worse cognitive functioning.
Remember HRT has never been shown to PREVENT dementia, but what has been shown to be helpful in this area is to control the modifiable elements of our life that impact brain health:
smoking
healthy nutrition
regular alcohol
exercise
regular use of drugs like cannabis, sleep aids, & benzodiazepines
sleep
In the end, HRT is still a safe and effective way to control many bothersome symptoms of perimenopause for most.
AND LASTLY, A RECIPE
From garden to table: gazpacho for those hot, hot summer days!
I used the NYT Cooking Best Gazpacho recipe as a base, adding some bell peppers, carrots and chard from the garden.
Thanks to the vitamix, this soup come together quickly once all ingredients are gathered, and tastes best topped with some avocado and paired with a crusty bread from local fav, Essence!
Eat & drink well!
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