A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Her Hormones (ARA)

The brain releases many different hormones which can cause internal and external changes to your body, mood and appearance, particularly during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. While each phase presents itself with unique side effects, there are some that are surprisingly common to all three. Here’s a guide to understanding and coping with these times of change.

Puberty: During puberty a girl develops biologically, psychologically, socially and cognitively. Her brain releases hormones to stimulate ovarian production of estrogen and progesterone, which cause the body to mature and enable menstruation and pregnancy. During her period, hormones and prostaglandins (hormone-like substances) may cause menstrual cramps, water retention, food cravings and irritability. There are simple ways to alleviate some of these symptoms. For cramping, try over-the-counter pain medications, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Eat a balanced diet with whole grains and vitamin B6 to reduce irritability and cravings, and avoid caffeine and salty foods to reduce water retention. Understandably, puberty is a challenging time, so sites like CoolNurse.com and the podcast, STR8 UP-Health Talk for Teens (available on iTunes) are great resources to ease the transition.

Pregnancy: Hormones change dramatically during pregnancy. The hormone HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) stimulates the ovaries to produce higher levels of estrogen and progesterone to prepare the womb for pregnancy. The body also releases more of the hormone prolactin to enable lactation. Unfortunately, all these hormones also contribute to morning sickness, weight gain, increased appetite and exhaustion. Eating frequent, but smaller, sensible meals can alleviate morning sickness and satisfy an increased appetite. Low impact exercises, like walking or yoga, help to maintain a healthy body weight, increase energy levels and reduce morning sickness. The site PregnancyToday.com offers a week-by-week pregnancy guide as well as message boards for support networks.

Menopause: A woman typically begins menopause when she’s between 45 and 55. During this time, the ovaries produce dramatically less estrogen and eventually menstruation stops. Estrogen is so vital to a woman’s body that its results in many unwanted side effects, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and increased risk of osteoporosis. For some, fresh air and cold liquids will alleviate hot flashes, and increased calcium intake and exercise can combat osteoporosis. For others, the side effects of menopause are more significant and may call for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Courtesy of ARA Content

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(ARA) - A recent study indicating that 60 percent of medical schools in the United States are not meeting minimum recommendations for their students’ nutrition education offers more reasons for consumers to seek food and nutrition advice from the experts: registered dietitians.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concludes that “the amount of nutrition education in medical schools remains inadequate” 20 years after a report from the National Academy of Sciences found nutrition education programs in medical schools were “largely inadequate to meet the present and future demands of the medical profession.” The findings do not come as a surprise to Christine Gerbstadt, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association who is both a registered dietitian and a physician. “People turn to their doctor for food, nutrition and diet advice when many physicians clearly are undereducated in this specialty,” Gerbstadt says. “With so many health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and kidney disease, being related to what we eat, physicians should refer their patients to a registered dietitian for the comprehensive advice and services people need to achieve their best possible diet and health outcomes.”

A registered dietitian can assist with eating disorders; work with your health-care team by helping you change your eating plan pre- or post-surgery; and help you set goals for athletic performance – whether you're running a marathon or jogging with your dog.

After or during their education, RDs must perform a supervised internship. To become “registered,” they must pass an extensive examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, and earn professional education credits throughout their careers to maintain registration. With approximately 65,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Chicago-based ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org. Courtesy of ARA Content.

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The Importance of Ergonomics in the Office Results Can Mean More Comfort, Higher Productivity and Even Less Stress (ARA) - According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, American workers lose nearly 650,000 workdays annually due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These lost workdays cost employers between $15 and $20 billion in workers’ compensation costs.

Ergonomics 101
Ergonomics is a science focused on the study of human fit; which in the workplace translates to good product design can mean decreased fatigue and discomfort.

Ergonomics 201
Once you know what ergonomics is, you need to know how to make ergonomics work for you.
* Your chair should support your body (back, arms and seat) with even pressure
* Your chair should allow you to move easily as you sit, and even promote movement without shifting your weight
* Your chair should allow you to keep your eyes on your work while moving, without needing to adjust the seat or monitor position
* Your keyboard should be at a comfortable height so your wrists and forearm are in a straight line (wrists that are flexed or extended – bent in either direction -- can cause musculoskeletal disorders over time)
* The work surface or keyboard tray may be used to accomplish good wrist posture, depending on individual preferences
* Your computer monitor should be about arm’s length away from you
* Lighting should not cause glare on the monitor, as this causes eye strain For more information regarding ergonomic options for the office.

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" Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence."

- Erma Bombeck

Dear Flabby,
Once upon a time I weighed 210lbs and now I'm 180. Sounds good, right, but it's hell on earth keeping that weight down. I love to eat, and I miss it so much.

Big Bobby S . - Fairfield

Dear Bob,
Keeping the weight down is a struggle for everyone. Just keep on nibbling, forgo the binge that you crave. Tell you what, every second friday night go binge crazy, that oughta release some pressure.

( send your question to Dear Flabby: info@prosnack.com )

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