I read The Estrogen Fix : The Breakthrough Guide to Being Healthy, Energized, and Hormonally Balanced - 4 Stars - This book had lots of helpful information. I wish that I had known about it sooner. I’m still in a state of shock and disappointment that the small island that I live on doesn’t even cater to menopause. The basic, extremely basic care that ob-gyns do, is focused primarily on pregnancy. After that, you’re on your own. I shouldn’t be surprised. The overall health care here is appalling. As mentioned in another menopause book review, I highly recommend watching Menopause Taylor’s videos. Her videos need to be watched in order. If you don’t have time to watch them all, she also offers consultations. She has a book as well, which I plan on ordering soon. Here are some of my favorite quotes: The health risks of falling estrogen levels “Falling estrogen levels also increase a woman’s risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cognitive issues, and osteoporosis and resulting bone fractures. These dangerous conditions come with the risk of two unpleasant side effects: lower quality of life and premature death.” “Heart disease—not breast or any other cancer—is the number-one killer of women over age 65 and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45 to 64. Women account for 52 percent of the 80 million Americans who have heart disease and who die from heart disease and heart attacks.” “Estrogen is believed to play a role in keeping calcium deposits from building up in arteries, which may explain why the rate of heart attacks increases in women 10 years after menopause.” “After menopause, especially after early menopause, lowered estrogen levels translate into a lower and less-oxygen-rich blood supply to the brain, and as you can imagine, this can have some pretty serious side effects, including an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Yet you can create an estrogen fix and reduce this risk back to normal by taking supplemental estrogen during your estrogen window.” “Menopausal women have three times the number of falls as men of a comparable age. Taking estrogen decreased the risk of falling by up to 60 percent over a group of women who didn’t take it, according to one study. Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among aging adults. Combine this with lower estrogen levels and its contribution to osteoporosis and you begin to understand why the benefits of estrogen on both balance and reaction time in the brain are so important.” “Without estrogen women tend to have greater muscle loss, larger amounts of fat, thinner bones, and weight gain with aging, it’s clear that unless women eat healthfully, exercise, and possibly use estrogen, the end result is overweight women with sarcopenic obesity. You cannot sit this one out.” The Estrogen Window “In general, the estrogen window is a decade-long time frame between the ages of 50 and 60, or 10 years from the time of menopause.” “It’s not your age but rather how many years since you went through menopause that determines whether estrogen will be protective or harmful. The longer you go without estrogen, the more plaque there will be in your arteries and the greater the risk of heart attack and blood clots. Starting estrogen close to the time of menopause results in fewer deaths from heart disease.” “My findings show that women who take estrogen for at least 5 years within their estrogen window benefit from long-term reduced risk of heart disease and heart failure, with no additional risk of blood clots. It’s important to remember that these excellent results only happen when women take the hormone for an appropriate length of time and during their estrogen window.” “A study found that women who took estrogen within 5 years of menopause (a finding that dovetails neatly with The Estrogen Fix) had a 30 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, women who waited and took estrogen at age 65 or later, once their estrogen window had passed, had a 70 percent greater risk of developing the disease. So once again, timing really is everything when it comes to estrogen replacement and the long-term health of your brain and cognitive functioning.” Options “Bioidentical is not a scientific term. Dr. Wulf Utian, founder of the North American Menopause Society, advocates that the correct term should be compounded hormone therapy (C-HT) if it is provided from a compounded pharmacy and government-approved hormone therapy if it is FDA approved from a traditional pharmacy. C-HT is not FDA approved.” “Transdermal patch: … the transdermal approach has lower risk of blood clots. Bioidentical creams, gels, or pellets can also be used for the same reasons, though they are much less studied. Taking oral conjugated estrogen at dosages of ≤ 0.45 milligram or estradiol at dosages of ≤ 1 milligram may also lower the risk of blood clots.” Estrone and Obesity “Too much estrone is also a major reason why women who are significantly overweight have a higher risk of uterine cancer—three times higher if they are 25 to 50 pounds overweight and nine times higher if they are more than 50 pounds overweight. At the opposite extreme, women who are too thin and who have too little fat on their bodies may stop having periods altogether because their bodies don’t produce enough estrogen. Estradiol is the major estrogen produced by the ovaries before menopause. It is also the most potent—12 times more than estrone and 80 times more than estriol. After menopause, estradiol levels drop by as much as 90 percent because almost all of it comes from the ovaries, and they stop making it. Estrone levels drop by as much as one-third as the ovaries stop making it. But estrone does continue to be made in the body’s fat tissue, and obese women (more than 20 percent over ideal body weight) can make up to 40 percent more estrone than non-obese women. Other organs, including the brain, muscles, lungs, skin, and bone marrow can also convert androgens (male hormones) into estrone.” Bone Density Tests “Some doctors recommend waiting until age 60 to 65 to get a bone density test, but I strongly disagree. By then the horse is out of the gate, and it’s too late to take measures to prevent the problem. I tell most of my patients to get a baseline bone density test at age 50 and then have a second one 1 or 2 years later to see if any more bone has been lost in that amount of time. It takes two dots to make a line and see if it is angled up (bone more dense), down (bone loss), or level (no change). If there is bone loss during those 12 to 24 months, then a density test should be done every year. If there is no bone loss, then bone density tests can typically be done every 5 years. Women who at are high risk of osteoporosis (smokers, those with a family history of fractures and osteoporosis, and those who take steroid, thyroid, and other medications that can contribute to bone loss) should have their first bone density test at age 40 and every year after. If bone thinning is found early, it can be treated and bone fractures can be prevented.” Falling “If you have less core strength, it’s harder to avoid falling. If your arms and legs aren’t as strong as they once were, it’s harder to get up when you do fall. The things that once seemed so easy—lifting children, now grandchildren, or carrying grocery bags—are more difficult and challenging than they were. My friend and colleague Suzanne Andrews, star of the PBS TV show Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews, tells me that an increasing number of women, as they age, are losing their core strength and compromising their ability to remain independent and vibrant. Menopause and estrogen have a lot to do with sarcopenia and the loss of core strength associated with aging. The good news is that it is preventable.” Weight Gain “Not exercising and not taking estrogen cause muscle loss and increase fat, making you weaker and heavier. Exercise alone definitely helps prevent this. EPT alone helps prevent it even more, and combining the two keeps you leaner and stronger for longer. That’s another important estrogen fix. I don’t want you to think you must take estrogen to control your belly fat. You can still make an impact by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.” I also read Lady Rose and Mrs. Menmary - 4 Stars - This book, although quite dated, has a charming fairy-tale quality about it. Someone else mentioned that reading it felt like watching an old black and white movie. That sums it up perfectly. The story takes place in Scotland during the Victorian years. I have always had a place in my heart for Scotland, although I have yet to visit there. The book has been described as a love letter to Scotland. The protagonist, Lady Rose, is a delight. She loves life and all that it has to offer. Although the story has a dreamy, magical quality about it, we soon see the constraints that were placed upon women, especially women of a higher class, during that time. Although I didn’t care too much for some parts of the ending, which I predicted fairly early on, I am so happy that I read it. Finally, I do want to add that my used copy from the 1950’s smells wonderful. I love smelling books, new books, old books, anything really! Here are my favorite quotes: “I’m terrified of children. I never know what to do with them. You can’t scruff them up like puppies and admire their ears and teeth; and if you talk to them like intelligent human beings they only greet you with most disconcerting stares.” “In our day … there was such a thing as noblesse oblige. People had respect for tradition. People of position would rather have died than reveal to the common public that there was anything wrong in their domestic relations. The way that titled people, even those of old families, today are not ashamed to appear in the divorce court is scandalous; it is the end of breeding and nobility. When I was young there were great ladies, today there are none.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

This is so me. I'm milking this pandemic like you wouldn't believe.

I read Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body - 2 Stars - I am not the intended audience for this book. Nonetheless, I felt motivated when I started reading it. Of course, I’d love to be thinner, leaner, and stronger! Once he started going into detail about the diet, and how one must count every single calorie and gram of fat, protein, and whatever, my eyes started to glaze over. Nope, not happening. I also am not suited for workout books. I prefer DVDs and YouTube videos. Don’t get me wrong. The book had some interesting and helpful info which I’m sharing below. It’s not the book. It’s me. “If a woman is overweight and starts weightlifting without addressing her diet and reducing her body fat percentage, what’s going to happen when she adds muscle? Yup—she’ll just look a little bigger.” “The claims that certain forms of strength training will make ‘long, lean’ muscles like a dancer’s while others will result in ‘bulky, ugly’ muscles like a bodybuilder are bogus. Whether you do Pilates, yoga, or weight training to strengthen and build your muscles, their shape will come out the same, with the difference being that weight training will grow your muscles faster than Pilates or yoga.” “Eat as frequently or infrequently as you like, because when you eat has little bearing on your ability to lose fat. Use meal timing as a tool to make your dieting as enjoyable and convenient as possible. This way, you can stick to your diet, which is what matters in the end. Now, if you’re wondering where to start—with more or fewer meals per day—I recommend that you eat several smaller meals per day (four to six meals per day works well).” “Increasing or decreasing meal frequency doesn’t help or hinder weight loss or muscle growth. Eat on a schedule that works best for you.” “… the next time you face a willpower challenge, deliberately slow your breathing down to about 10 to 15 seconds per breath, or four to six breaths per minute. An easy way to do this is to exhale through your mouth slowly and fully with your lips pursed as if you were blowing lightly through a straw.” “A simple rule of thumb for putting this into use is to wait 10 minutes before acting on a craving or other impulsive urge to do something you know you shouldn’t. This not only gives you time to pause and reflect on the matter, but it also takes away the power of immediate gratification and future discounting. By pushing the reward just 10 minutes into the future, you can take away its most effective weapon against your willpower.” The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill - 5 Stars - Lovely little book of some of Churchill’s best quotes and anecdotes. Churchill was an amazing man. He wrote all his own speeches. Here is my favorite anecdote: “At a formal banquet in London, the attending dignitaries asked the question, ‘If you could not be who you are, who would you like to be?’ Naturally everyone was curious as to what Churchill, who was seated next to his beloved Clemmie, would say. Would Churchill say Julius Caesar or Napoleon? When it finally came Churchill’s turn, the old man, who was the dinner’s last respondent to the question, rose and give his answer. ‘If I could not be who I am, I would most like to be …’ and here he paused to take his wife’s hand, ‘Mrs. Churchill’s second husband.’” Here's my review with all my favorite quotes. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Happy to hear this! I wasn't even sure if I should get it or not. Hearing this from you makes me glad that I did.

Kindle book on a sort of a sale today. - politics/humor/cultural

Laurel, wow! That's so interesting! Thank you for sharing. Iran had the largest concentration of U.S. nationals living abroad. I may have mentioned this in my review. I had so much more to say, but Good Reads had a space limit. I spent two years at an international school. Most of my classmates and friends were expats. “The 52,000 Americans living in Iran in 1977 made up the largest concentration of U.S. nationals living abroad. Other expatriate communities in Iran included 8,000 Britons, 8,000 French, 16,000 West Germans, 20,000 Italians, and tens of thousands more Filipinos and Koreans employed as guest workers. ‘Look at them, crowed an Iranian businessman. ‘The flies have come to gather at the honeypot.’” That last sentence, I didn't take it to be insulting or anything. It was a wonderful time of progress and growth. Not just materially, but as far as women's rights, literacy, and just all around. Then they had to throw it all away and go back to the seventh century. Now it's a shameful country with one of the worst human rights records ever.

I read The Fall of Heaven : The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran - 5 Stars - Rather than write my entire review here, which I couldn't even fit entirely into Good Reads, I'll link my review here. This was a fabulous read on all the happenings in Iran and the devastating last days of the Shah. It's a lengthy book, almost 500 pages. I've always been a lover of monarchy, most especially when done right. I sobbed when the Shah left Iran and when he died. My parents had met him a few times. My dad received an award from him for coming first in all of Iran as a high school student. I have a picture of my dad receiving another award from him, but I'm sure that he wouldn't want me to post that online. One of my favorite childhood memories is when I saw Queen Farah and King Hussein of Jordan. I didn't recognize the latter until I was told afterwards. I loved the Queen. Many years later, in 2003, I emailed her after reading her memoir and loving it. She sent me the sweetest email back.

Kindle book on sale today.

Kindle book on sale today - business/communication/psychology

Kindle book on sale today - WWII, memoir

Menopause Taylor's YouTube channel talks about early meno from chemo. I haven't gotten to that video yet. For bone health, I'm going to probably order a weighted vest next time I place an order to be shipped here. I'll use it when doing my indoor walking workouts. I've read that it shouldn't be weigh more than 10% of your body weight max. Thank you for the book recommendation. I'm going to look into it. I don't have a Twitter account, although I probably should. I just haven't had time. 17 years old! Yes, bone health is a reminder to us all. I hear you. Reading about menopause is a pain, but believe it or not, it's becoming more interesting as time goes on. I'm enjoying her videos more and more. At first I thought she was annoying, but she's growing on me. Her content is great and she knows her stuff. You may wish to consider a weighted vest for bone health. I'm looking into all the options.

Autumn is coming and this one's a favorite in our household. We don't have four seasons here, but that doesn't stop us from getting in the mood! PUMPKIN AND CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS Yields: 24 muffins MEASURE ALL INGREDIENTS FIRST!!! 8 ounce(s) cream cheese 3 eggs 2 1/2 cup(s) sugar 2 1/2 cup(s) flour 1/4 cup(s) pecans, roughly chopped 3 tablespoon(s) butter, melted 2 1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda 1 1/4 cup(s) solid-packed pumpkin 1/3 cup(s) vegetable oil (I never use oil when baking. I use melted butter instead). 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside. Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Toss 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl. Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened. Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining batter. Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean -- 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Kindle books on sale. Victorian London: The Life of a City 1840-1870 The Estrogen Fix: The Breakthrough Guide to Being Healthy, Energized, and Hormonally Balanced Strong Women, Strong Bones: Everything You Need to Know to Prevent, Treat, and Beat Osteoporosis

I love Jessica Smith. For the most part, I prefer her You Tube videos over her DVDs. I subscribe to so many channels. When I see a video that appeals to me, I add it to a playlist, actually multiple playlists depending on type of workout, to do later. Here are the ones that I currently follow: Five Parks Yoga - I love Yin Yoga and deep stretching - not all of her videos are Yin, but I add the ones that are. Yoga with Kassandra Sarah Beth Yoga Yoga with Adriene Fitness Blender Blogilates - I enjoy her stretching workouts most of all. Her other workouts are geared more for the younger and fitter crowd. I am no longer either. Pahla B Fitness - I only just heard of her the other day. I thought she was a bit annoying at first, but she has lots of workouts that are perfect for post-menopausal women like me - focusing on balance, and so forth. Lots of walking and indoor running as well. I haven't tried any of her workouts yet. Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone - how could I not love Leslie? Her workouts were the first I ever started on. I do prefer Jessica, however, but Leslie's one that I love also. Barre3 - has some free videos. I think many of them are promos of what they sell. Their free ones look good, although I haven't tried them yet either.

I read The Menopause Book - 3 Stars - This book is a quick and easy read. The more informed we are, the better the quality of our lives as we face the post-menopausal years. I’m in my early 50’s and only just realized that according to the definition, I'm post-menopausal. Once you have no longer had your period for twelve consecutive months, you’re post-menopausal. I'm usually very organized and do my research. I did it before entering puberty and before pregnancy. Menopause has sadly been the exception and I have been ill-prepared for this part of my life. I was happy to remember that I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while. Here are some interesting facts and helpful tips: BONE HEALTH “As you get older, you lose bone in your spine. This process begins about 18 months before your last period. Over the next eight years, your spinal bone density will decrease by more than 10 percent, followed by a slower pace of age-related bone thinning that can go on for the rest of your life. This bone loss can lead to the ‘dowager’s hump’ seen in some elderly women.” “One of the simplest ways to get enough vitamin D is to just walk around in the sunshine. Ultraviolet rays from the sun trigger the skin to make its own vitamin D. But with our heightened consciousness of the dangers of skin cancer, most of us slather on sunscreen to keep out the rays. So consider a sensible compromise. If you have light skin, get about 5 to 15 minutes of sun exposure to your face, arms, hands, or back, at least twice a week (without sunscreen) during warm weather. If you have darker skin, you should add a few more minutes. But don’t overdo it. Watch the time, and when you’ve had enough, slap on sunscreen of at least 15 SPF.” FLAVONOLS “Chocolate contains flavonols, which are also found in apples, onions, and green tea. Flavonols helps to relax blood vessels, improve blood flow, and decrease blood clotting. They have also been shown to reduce inflammation. Researchers think that someday cocoa flavonols may be used to treat diabetes, stroke, and a kind of dementia. Of course, there’s a catch! Flavonol is the reason chocolate is bitter. Not so great for those of us with a serious sweet tooth. Your best bet is to choose a dark chocolate (like a semisweet or bittersweet) that is high in cacao and lower in fat and sugar. … Limit yourself to no more than an ounce a few tunes a week.” Menopause is about far more than just hot flashes and the usual symptoms. Our bodies start aging when we lose estrogen. This book is a good jumping-off point to get started on the research, but I don’t think it’s essential. I’ve just started watching Menopause Taylor on You Tube. She’s a knowledgeable retired ob-gyn and boy, does she know her stuff. The only thing that she asks is that her videos be watched in order. I’ve recently started on those. She also has a book, but I’m not sure if I’ll be getting it any time soon. I highly recommend her channel to all pre- and post-menopausal women. I wish that I’d known about her sooner. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.