Healthy Aging for Women

HealthForWomenOver40 is getting a new home! Please check out Healthy Aging for Women! Right now, we are still working on it (hmmm, isn't that perpetual?) and look forward to your comments.

Why move? The biggest reason that I am moving several of my blogs is that on a WordPress platform there are so many more options.

For instance, this blog has been in existence for almost a year and has many posts. Unless you scroll all the way back, there is no option for searching (that I am aware of). On the new blog, I can tag posts into categories making it easy for you to see everything written on say...diabetes. There is also a search function and an improved feed function so if you'd like to subscribe to the feed you can (I'll also be adding a "subscribe me" function that will allow you to receive notices of new posts via email).

Overall, I think you will find it easier to access, find information you are looking for, and interact with other women on health issues.

Does that mean that Health for Women Over 40 will no longer exists? No...I'll still post here, but most of the action will take place at Healthy Aging For Women.

We'll see you there!

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
www.OlderWiserWomen.com

Women in midlife list health as top priority

According to a survey done in New Zealand, 91% of women ages 45-65 who were surveyed said health was their top priority.

You can read about it here:
Women in midlife list health as top priority

What about you? What is your top priority? Where does health come in for you? Feel free to leave your comments below.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP

Study: Low-calorie diet keeps heart young

There has been talk for years that lower caloric intake increases logevity. Recently, the results of the first study done on people who have consummered 1400-2000 calories per day have showning this may be true.

For many people today, eating less than 2000 calories seems like it's a starvation diet, however, it seems to me that it's more than enough.

You can read the article in: Study: Low-calorie diet keeps heart young

Women Healthcare Providers

I recently started practicing in a primary care office where the other two providers are men. Several times now over the past two days, I've heard women exclaim their excitement in having a woman as a health care provider. For many, there is comfort in knowing that another woman would be doing their exams...especially those pelvic exams.

It made me think back to when I first was exposed to have a female provider. For me, it may all the difference in the world...I've rarely had a male provider since - and never again for gyn exams.

On the other hand, I remember a few years ago, I had a woman tell me she would never let another woman do her exam...for her it just did not feel right.

What about you...do you have a preference in the gender of your health care provider?

Feel free to click the comment link below and leave your thoughts.

Namaste,

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Just in time for cough and cold season ~ Evidence Based Medicine

The American College of Chest Physicians has released new evidence based guidlines regarding how providers should treat coughs.

Evidence based medicine (EBM) has become the new standard of practice - this means that what we use to treat something with, should actually be proven to work in most cases. Below is the Wikipedia definition...

Evidence-based medicine is a medical movement based upon the application of the scientific method to medical practice, including long-established existing medical traditions not yet subjected to adequate scientific scrutiny. According to the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, "Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_based_medicine

So, just what do these guidelines tell us? Over-the-counter cough suppresants don't treat cough effectively. Just what I've been hearing from my patient's for years....

Click the link to read the ACCP press release.
January 2006 Press Release

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Baby-Boomer Style...Growing Older

Everyone is talking about Baby Boomers getting older, especially since some of us are turning 60 this year. This particular article is actully quite good, addressing the question...will we STAY healhy?

See what you think.

Growing Old, Baby-Boomer Style

Healthy diets win

This data that was pulled from the Women's Health Initiative, again points to the fact that we are all better off eating a well balanced, lower fat diet, eating a moderate amount of GOOD carbs.

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HYATTTSVILLE, Md., Jan. 3 - Postmenopausal women who ate a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains didn't gain weight over an average of nearly eight years, reported researchers from the NIH's Women's Health Initiative.

In a clinical trial to see whether a low-fat, fiber rich diet could prevent cardiovascular disease or breast or colorectal cancer in more than 48,000 post-menopausal women, those on the diet lost about 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs) in the first year, and managed to keep the weight off better than women who ate what they wanted.

You can read the full article here

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™
ActingYourAge!

Need another reason to walk?

In case you need another reason to take that walk.....

Walking Program Slows Decline in Peripheral Artery Disease -

"CHICAGO, Jan. 3 - Ninety minutes of walking a week, made up of three or more therapeutic walks, may slow the progress of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, according to researchers here.

Compared with PAD patients who walked fewer than three times a week, the regular walkers were able to walk longer and faster on annual six-minute walking tests, Mary McGrae McDermott, M.D., of Northwestern and colleagues reported in the Jan. 3 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine."

The complete article can be found here .