Vitamins For Menopause

There is always the question of whether or not vitamins work for relieving the symptoms of menopause? Because menopause is the transitional period for a woman's body, the fertility system begins to shut down. Along with those changes, come a host of other symptoms.

The most common treatment to menopause is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). A common mistake of treating a woman with this therapy is that many times a physician will forget that these symptoms can be caused by a more common phenomenon, the simple age progression.

Making sure you are prepared before menopause hits is very important. Learning about the different nutrients found in foods help tremendously. Having a good vitamin intake, along with a healthy diet will give your body a chance to go through the change of life known as menopause.

Vitamins for menopause have many benefits. The number one benefit is the role they play in keeping healthy bone structure. Vitamin K is known for its properties of keeping bone density in check. Because estrogen levels drop with menopause, the Vitamin K function in the body drops as well.

Benefits of Vitamins B, C, and E can really help the body during the time of menopause. B vitamin is an active combat against stress and reduced energy levels. Vitamin E has been known to be an effective block against hot flashes, and it aids in vaginal dryness. Vitamin C has always been known for it properties of the immune system in fighting off colds, flu, but it is also know to help with hot flashes, and it gives back the elasticity of the skin. Because it hydrates the skin, it also helps with the problem of vaginal dryness.

By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and getting rid of habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and adding vitamins for menopause early will help your body transition from the child bearing years, to the years of menopause. Since there are so many different vitamins on the market it is important to research which of those vitamins will be absorbed and used by the body. Talking to your physician in the beginning stages of menopause will also help you find the correct vitamins your body needs to transition smoothly.

The Federal Trade Commission advises that while some vitamins are good for the body during menopause, they have also found that there are some that have no significant effect to the body. Make sure that you research the ingredients of the vitamins that you buy, and even those that are recommended by your physician to find out if there are any side effects or dangers in taking them.

Suggestions of use by doctors include: Soy, Wild Yam, Black Cohosh, and Calcium. Other products are on the market and have been widely suggested by physicians. Those include: Estro-balance, Meno-ease, Estroven, Non-GMO Isoflavones, to name a few. Make sure that when you are looking into these products, you are familiar with the ingredients and the effects they have on your body.

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Christian Women's Conferences - A Place For Renewed Hope

Conferences for Christian women have grown in popularity over recent years. Whether it is a conference that features nationally known speakers or a women's conference planned by a local group like a church, women are finding ways to get away, connect with other women, and find renewed hope.

Ohio has many beautiful Christian camps and retreat centers, so there is always a selection of women's conferences to choose from. And a Christian women's conference offers a unique opportunity for women to delve into the issues and challenges of being a woman, as well as time for solitude, enjoying small group discussions, and hearing helpful information from scheduled speakers.

Christian women's conferences can vary in the topics covered, length, size, and format, so it is good to find out as much as you can from the conference sponsor or friends who may have attended something similar in the past. Many conferences will be featured on the sponsor's website or on the website of the camp or conference center that is hosting it, so it's usually easy to find out all the information you need.

Also, you may find that the cost of a Christian women's conference is relatively inexpensive when compared to other professional conferences. Churches and other non-profits usually try to keep the cost of conferences affordable, and many Christian camps and retreat centers are also very affordable. One other point to remember regarding cost is that sometimes there are scholarships available to either partially or fully cover the cost of a conference, so if finances are a concern, find out if there is any assistance available.

It is rare for a woman to get away from hectic schedules and responsibilities, so give yourself a valuable treat and find a Christian women's conference to attend. It has been said that a way to be kind to the ones you love is to also be kind to yourself. So, enjoy the benefits of getting away, being rejuvenated, and having some fun, and you will have more to offer the ones you love the most.

Mark Dubler is the Executive Director of Otyokwah Camp & Retreat Center and a Christian Womens Conference expert. Check out our great discounts for first-time groups at Camp Otyokwah.

Hosting a Shoe Shopping Party in Six Easy Steps

Do you enjoy searching for new and fun ways to entertain? How about hosting a shoe shopping party? Who said that baseball was America's favorite past time? For many women shoe shopping is probably considered a sport or at least an art form. I know that it is for my friends and I. The art, skill, and tenacity it takes to find and score that perfect pair of stilettos or those adorable flats is all that it takes to fill most women with exuberant joy and tears of happiness.

Hosting a shoe shopping can be as simple or complex as you like. Here are some ideas to help you plan your party.

1) Decide Which Stores You Will Visit

If you plan to visit a department store be sure to notify the shoe department manager and inform him/her that you and your friends will be paying them a visit on your chosen day. Nordstrom has a wonderful shoe department and is very accommodating. Don't forget to ask for a dedicated sales person, coupons and or store promotional items. Be sure to include the list of stores you plan to visit in your invitation.

2) Decide on your Itinerary

Once you've decided on the stores that you and guests will be visiting, be sure to include time to dine or to enjoy happy hour. Also consider ending the day with a little pampering from your favorite pedicure spa. Be sure to include your itinerary in your invitation.

3) Determine your mode of transportation

Decide if your guests will carpool or arrive separately. Suggestion: Have everyone chip in and rent a limousine or a van for the day.

4) Determine your Guest List

Send shoe theme invitations to all of your favorite shoe shopping buddies. Once your guests RSVP contact the stores that you've selected and inform each store manager of the number of guests in your party. As I mentioned earlier some department stores are very accommodating and may even rope off a section of the shoe department just for your party.

5) Make Your Restaurant Reservations

6) Contact Nail Salon Regarding Your Pedicures

Coordinate your arrival time with the salon manager or owner. Make sure that you and your guests are serviced at the same time and sitting together. Be sure to have a couple of bottles of chilled bubbly, champagne flutes, and chocolate covered strawberries to be enjoyed during the pampering session.

End the party by passing out shoe related party favors to your guests.

Elle Sinclaire is the proud co-owner of Ekelctic Mix Gifts and Designs.com. A wonderful online boutique dedicated to all things girly. http://www.eklecticmixgiftsanddesigns.com

Host a Fabulous New Year's Party

Over the next few months there will be plenty of holidays where one can celebrate with friends and family, but that doesn't mean you can't start thinking about how you'll be ringing in the new year. Of course, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all fast approaching, as many people are already planning the perfect Christmas feast, but what about New Year's?

Considered one of the most festive holidays, New Year's should be celebrated with an over-the-top spectacle! You don't want to welcome the new year with a whimper - welcome it with a big bang! The best part about New Year's is that you can turn it into any theme you want because there are so many different topics that work. You can be really classy and host a black-tie affair or you can be really casual and have a roller-disco themed shindig.

It is best to begin the planning stages early, especially if you expect a very large gathering. Getting a head start can work in your favor because you'll be able to book a venue or space that works great for hosting over-the-top bashes, and you may even be able to work out a discount because you're booking so early.

Start by creating a guest list of all of your friends and family and send out festive party invitations. With so many options you can personalize the invitations and inject some personality into the traditional paper goods. If having a more formal affair try sending invites that have champagne flutes or tuxedos on them.

When one thinks of New Year's they automatically think of all things shiny and sparkly. Party decor comprised solely of gold and silver is highly encouraged. Gather balloons and streamers, seriously buy out the entire store, and make sure you get some in all shapes and sizes. You want it to feel like a giant ball pit, except with tons of balloons that have stars and shiny images on them. Hang glittering garland around the doorways and windows along with a personalized banner welcoming your guests to the perfect party to say goodbye to 2010.

If you decide to serve food at your event, even if it's buffet-style, make sure to have plenty of paper goods on hand for your guests. Grab paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic table ware in shades of gold, silver or black to compliment your shimmering theme. Set out the food on table that are accented with metallic table runners and party centerpieces.

Don't forget to supply your guests with festive party hats and other crazy accessories they can pile on as midnight approaches. Have some noisemakers on hand to create a ruckus once the countdown has commenced, and pass out confetti to your party-goers for them to throw around once the ball has dropped.

Tyna Lewis is a Birthday Party Decorations and Party Supplies news writer for Windy City Novelties.

Premature Ejaculation Can Be Treated

A study from the University of Koln in Germany shows that premature ejaculation is in the eye of the beholder. Men who came to a urology clinic with a chief complaint of premature ejaculation had the same time to ejaculation as normal men who had no such complaint.

All the men in the study were married for at least two years and made love regularly. They were asked to use a stop watch to measure their time to ejaculation and to keep diaries. The premature ejaculators went from start of intercourse to ejaculation in an average period of 2:32 minutes. The healthy volunteers had an average time of 3:01 minutes. The differences were not statistically significant.

This study shows that premature ejaculation is not defined by how many strokes or how much time it takes to ejaculate. It is defined by whether a person is satisfied with his time to climax. 20 mg of the antidepressant drug Paxil, taken 1 hour before lovemaking, can delay ejaculation to more than 8 minutes, but it still won't help most premature ejaculators because their early finish is not the problem. This study shows that premature ejaculators have a terrible misunderstanding of human physiology. They think that they are inadequate because their female partners do not come to climax with conventional penile-vaginal lovemaking.

The vast majority of women do not climax from conventional lovemaking. Many young girls can climax quickly, but as most women age, they can climax only when their clitoris is stimulated vigorously. On the basis of this study, premature ejaculation should be defined as occurring primarily in men who do not understand female anatomy, and the treatment for most cases of premature ejaculation should be for a woman to explain her own physiology to him and tell how what to do.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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Muscle Building is Not Just for the Young

Older men and women can enlarge and strengthen muscles in the same way that younger people do.

The stimulus to make muscles stronger is to exercise them against increasing resistance. When you push against great resistance, you feel a burning that is a sign of muscle damage. When the muscle heals from that damage, it is stronger than before. You feel sore on the next day and should not exercise that muscle against heavy resistance until the soreness goes away.

Most young people can lift very heavy weights and continue to lift through the soreness, but older people should stop lifting as soon as they feel the soreness during a workout. Younger people recover faster so they can lift heavy weights every second or third days, but older people take longer for the soreness to go away, so they may be able to lift heavy only once every week or two.

A study from Washington University in St. Louis showed that a supervised weightlifting and continuous exercise program can improve function in older people who have difficulty walking and taking care of themselves. Supervised exercise improved older people's ability to feed themselves, take care of bowel habits, and perform their activities better than a low-intensity home exercise program. Exercising vigorously in later life gives older people a far better quality of life, and allows them to be more independent and do most of the things that they could do when they were much younger. It's never too late to get started.

Journal references on this article can be found in the Fitness section of my website, listed below.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com.

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Clothes in the Movie the Women

If you have yet to see the film "The Women," run, don't walk to your local theater or head to get the DVD. The movie released in Fall 2008 and to DVD December 2008 is a remake of the 1939 movie starring Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford as "the other woman." This film has a host of stars including Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith and Bette Midler to name a few.

Like the 1939 version of the film, which was based on a play that was written by Clare Booth Luce, the film centers around one woman, Mary, and her catty friends who, upon discovering her husband is having an affair, are alternately delighted and sympathetic. In the original film, the women were all socialites who routinely met for lunch at Park Avenue restaurants and at the spa. In the 2008 version of "The Women," directed by Diane English, the women are more modern and have careers in fashion - making the film one of the more fashion inspiring films of 2008.

Look for the clothes that are featured in this film to take off in real life. Whether it's the preppy east coast look of Meg Ryan's character, the eye-catching stye of Eva Mendes' character, the edgy brash look of Jada Pinkett Smith's character or the Bohemian style of Debra Messing's character you are sure to find some fashion inspiration in the film The Women.

The costume designer for "The Women" in the 2008 version is John A. Dunn. He has worked on such films such as "I'm Not There," "Fast Track," and others. The premise of both films is pretty much the same and like the 1939 black and white version of "The Women" which had a color sequence featuring a fashion show, the 2008 version features a fashion show as well. Those who enjoyed the 1939 George Cukor film should enjoy the 2008 version as well.

David Vindiola

Mr Vindiola is the President of http://www.ISawItIn.com - an online resource to help consumers find and buy the fashions and products they saw in a film. He spends his time between San Diego and Hollywood, working to find what you saw in a movie.

http://www.ISawItIn.com

A Key Factor to Pleasing Women

Have you ever worked really hard planning an event, making sure to do everything to the best of your ability, only to have a woman come up afterward and point out what you did wrong?

Most planners have, and it can be really disappointing!

If you truly planned and executed the event well, most complaints from women will fall into one category: Unmet Expectations.

Regardless of whether or not a woman's expectations were unreasonable, the fact that they existed is pivotal and this reality must be addressed by event planners.

Here are two illustrations of how this works:

The first one was really difficult for me to watch. It happened to my sister-in-law, Lynnette, who is an amazing woman. She lives in a houseful of giants as the mother of five sons, the shortest of whom is 6'3".

My husband, kids and I travel to visit them for most major holidays. We usually bed down at my dad and mom-in-law's house, but Lynnette hosts most of the all-family meals. She opens her home to her parents and in-laws, any siblings who happen to be in town (including us), her own children and grandchildren, plus whoever else she thinks to invite.

Lynnette has the gift of hospitality and extends it freely. She is not only willing, but she is exceedingly capable.

So, it was with tremendous sadness that I observed the effect of one simple "unmet expectation" as it played out at our Thanksgiving dinner a few years back. For some reason, unlike her usual routine, Lynnette didn't make any gravy.

No big deal, right? I mean, the meal had every other imaginable component, except gravy.

And maybe it wouldn't have been a big deal, except that, as the meal progressed, nearly twenty of the guests, one at a time, approached the hostess (or worse, yelled from an adjoining room), asking for the gravy.

Some of the comments heard above the din included the sentiment, "How can it be Thanksgiving Dinner without gravy!?"

The effect of this comment (x 20) was inevitable. It was as if Lynnette had served us raw potatoes and prune juice: Seemingly ALL of her other preparations appeared lost due to the one missing component.

God, have mercy on every hostess (and event planner)!

Of course, the sign of a true servant is that they serve regardless of the praise (or lack of it) from men. Lynnette is such a woman, and she continues to entertain better than the best of them.

The reality is that people come to Thanksgiving Day Dinners (meetings, events and retreats) with a set of expectations. If you are going to spend all the time, tears, toil and trouble hosting an event, then I have just one desire for you: When it is all over and you fall into bed exhausted, I pray that your attendees will join God in saying to you, "Well done!"

Another illustration occurred as I helped serve a catered meal at an annual sales convention.

As the guests entered the serving area, they were met with a full color display featuring appetizing photos of their Mexican meal options. They could choose a Chicken Combo, a Three Beef Hard Shell Meal, or a Super Beef Soft Shell Meal, among others choices.

The photos were beautiful, the servings were large and the options were excellent. In addition, the entire time we were waiting, non-sales convention employees kept coming into the serving area hoping they, too, could get in on the meal (because the aroma was driving them crazy, it smelled so good).

I was standing right behind the display, serving up the first part of the meal and I was shocked by what I heard over and over and over. As each person came near enough to see the display, they, or someone near them said, "Hey! What happened to my sub?" or "This isn't subs!" or some similar comment of surprised disappointment.

Now, the food was not at all disappointing! We have over two thousand regular customers who swear by our food. (Many are travelers who say that their first stop, when coming into town, is our restaurant. Others have told us that they drive 40 miles out of the way just to eat our Soft Shell Tacos. Many have described our House Pizza as the best they've ever eaten.)

So why would I hear disappointment in nearly every voice?

Unmet expectations.

We later learned that at the beginning of the first session that morning they had been asked to fill out and turn in a sub order. Obviously, nobody heard the part about it being "tomorrow's" lunch.

What was interesting was that each person handled their surprise in their own way. Some just rolled with it and within seconds chose a Mexican substitute (with a high level of excitement). While others, especially the women, needed time to adjust.

I heard some of them discussing how this change would affect them for the rest of the day. "Hmmm, I was going to have roast beef for supper, but (sigh) I think I'd rather have the beef now. Oh, I don't know what to do."

This very small change, from subs to Mexican, required a mental shift that was, for some people, nigh unto painful.

And while the Mexican meal was served without a hitch, their enjoyment of it was greatly inhibited by the sense of confusion and the initial disappointment at not getting what they had ordered.

Again, unmet expectations lead to unnecessary stress for everybody.

The point is this: The next time you set out to please a woman, be sure that you take time to clearly understand her expectations and to help her understand what will and will not be taking place. A little time spent in discovering her expectations can make a huge difference in her (and your) experience.

Marnie Swedberg is a popular media expert who works with thousands of women from six continents as a Leadership Mentor. Check out her many online resources here: http://www.marnie.com

Women's Safety Tips - Dating Nightmares & Gut Feelings - Safe Dating Tips For Women

Dating nightmares and other weird or dangerous situations can be prevented by trusting survival instincts you were born with, your gut feelings. Many women go down Dating Nightmare Boulevard because instead of picking someone to date, they just date whoever picks them. I ignored bad gut feelings prior to dating two men several years apart. One of them raped me and I ended up in a domestic violence relationship with the other one for two and a half years, narrowly escaping with my life. Let me share what I've learned about gut feelings with regard to dating so you can be safer than I was. These tips to avoid dating nightmares are simple but not always easy:

• Healthy Self-Esteem


• Trust Your Gut Feelings


• Personal Boundaries

Part 2 - Trust Your Gut Feelings

You have good or bad gut feelings about every person, place and situation in your life. The terms, "I had a feeling," and "I just couldn't put my finger on it," are all about gut feelings. Housed in our stomach or solar plexus area (hence the term "gut feelings"), our emotional center, they warn us of danger and give us warm, fuzzy feelings if things are safe.

When people cross their arms in front of their chest to look tough, they are actually feeling vulnerable and protecting their emotional center. Next time, they won't look so tough to you, will they? Challenge someone on something and see how long it takes them to cross their arms.

Fine-Tuning Gut Feelings

Who you should and should not date will be extremely clear as you fine-tune your gut feelings. Pay attention to how you feel when you speak with someone, go somewhere, experience something. Notice if your stomach area feels tight, relaxed, tense, upset or warm and fuzzy. You don't necessarily have to follow all of them but when you feel a particularly strong gut feeling, you'll know the importance of taking it seriously. As you acknowledge these feelings, you'll be much better at reading people and knowing if they are a good fit for you while avoiding dating nightmares.

Dating & Gut Feelings

Since most people are on their best behavior on a first date and unsure of how long they can keep it up, first dates are a circus for chaotic feelings. If your gut feelings are fine-tuned (which may only take a few weeks with dedication), you will feel the true sense of who someone is instead of the chaos.

Glossing over gut feelings in the dating world is an epidemic. Because we want to go out or love what the other person brings to the table we tend to ignore negative gut feelings. The more you get to know someone you had an initial bad gut feeling about, the deeper you go into an unhealthy relationship. Remember, injuries to your self-esteem (mental and emotional well-being) are longer lasting than bruises. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

As "Your Personal Safety Trainer," one of my best safety tips for dating women to avoid dating nightmares is trust your gut feelings!

Bonus Safety Tip: Gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with and their job is to keep you alive. And I invite you to be even safer by visiting http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

You will get a FREE Safety Quick Tip and 3 FREE bonuses to help you to be safer. There are audios and documents waiting there for you right now!

From Kelly Rudolph - "Your Personal Safety Trainer"