Are Health Issues Getting In Your Way?

2014 June 17

This blog post is sponsored by MSD Consumer Care, Inc., the makers of Oxytrol® For Women.

According to a MORE magazine reader panel of 1,857 women 50 and over, 97% of women say that in a perfect world, they would reinvent themselves in the near future.

Are you one of them?

If you are, make sure health issues aren’t stopping you. Overactive bladder, for instance, affects 20 million women in the U.S., and may also affect a woman’s ability to open a new door in her life.

OAB is characterized by a number of symptoms that can be physically burdensome and emotionally draining, including a strong urge to urinate right away and the need to urinate more often than usual (eight or more times a day), with or without leakage.

(more…)

from →  ,

How Cocoa Flavanols Can Help Support Healthy Circulation

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 June 9

It’s important to keep our blood flow fab as we age, which is why we need to pay more attention to circulatory health post-fifty. You may not have thought about this before, but your circulation affects your body from head to toe.

“As we age, our vascular systems stiffen, our blood vessels become less flexible, and blood doesn’t flow as easily as it once did. All of which can really compromise us in many different ways, from cold hands and feet to low exercise performance,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, registered dietician and best-selling author.

There are easy ways to keep your circulation in tip-top shape. Cocoa flavanols, for example, help support healthy circulation and it’s simple to incorporate these powerful plant-based nutrients into your daily routine. Decades of scientific research demonstrate the power of cocoa flavanols to positively impact blood vessel flexibility.

That’s why Frances has partnered with CocoaVia®, a daily cocoa extra supplement that provides a guaranteed, concentrated dose of cocoa flavanols. You can take 2 to 4 capsules a day, or mix a flavored stick pack into one of your favorite drinks, smoothies, or shakes.

(more…)

The Handbag Essential That Could Save Your Life

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 May 12

This post is a sponsored post on behalf of Bayer Healthcare, the makers of Bayer® Aspirin.

Our hearts need lots of things, like love and exercise. But they need something else that’s small enough to slip into our handbags: Aspirin.

Nearly 300,000 women in the U.S. suffer heart attacks every year,1 but most of us are woefully ill prepared for a sudden assault to this precious organ. Taking aspirin during a suspected heart attack and 30 days thereafter as directed by a doctor can help reduce our risk of death and lessen the damaging effects to our heart muscle.2 We should never leave home without it, yet most of us do. What’s worse, the majority of us wouldn’t even know if we were having an attack!

That’s why Bayer Healthcare, the makers of Bayer® Aspirin and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, have launched year 2 of Handbags & Hearts, a national campaign that urges us to carry aspirin in our handbags, and to learn about the different signs and symptoms of women’s heart attacks.

Bet you didn’t know that women experience symptoms such as nausea and cold sweats during attacks.3 Make sure to learn more here.

Why You Should Visit HandbagsAndHearts.com

Throughout the month of May, Bayer Healthcare will donate to WomenHeart. “Like” a post on HandbagsAndHearts.com and Bayer® will donate $1. “Share” a post and Bayer® will give $2 and $1 for coupon redemption—up to $50,000.

You can also enter to win 1 of 31 luxe designer handbags during the month. Start talking and enter to win.

Suspect You’re
Having A Heart Attack?

Call 911 the moment you suspect a heart attack and take your Bayer® Aspirin, as directed by a doctor. Remember, this simple and swift act could help save your life.

A Word From A Doctor

“As a cardiologist, I see women everyday who are unclear of the steps to take when they suspect a heart attack,” said Tracy Stevens, M.D., FACC, Medical Director of the Saint Luke’s Mid American Heart Institute’s Muriel L. Kauffman Women’s Heart Center, Kansas City, and member of the WomenHeart Scientific Advisory Council. “I feel compelled to spread the word, as there are actions we can take to better prepare ourselves and ultimately save lives,” said Dr. Stevens.

If heart attack preparedness is important to you (not to mention handbags), it’s time to visit this important site.

1 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2014 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association — Table 18-1 http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/12/18/01.cir.0000441139.02102.80
2 The ISIS-2 collaborative group. Randomized trial of intravenous streptokinase, oral aspirin, both, or neither among 17,187 cases of suspected acute myocardial infarction: ISIS-2. Lancet 1988; ii: 349–60.
3 Bayer Aspirin Survey: Conducted by Wakefield Research. Demographic Report, 1,000 U.S. Women Ages 40+. April (2013).ISI-2, ASA Professional Label and AHA MI Guidelines

from →  ,

{Giveaway} Wicked Sheets

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 May 5

Win a set of Wicked Sheets bedding (Value: $129.95-$184.95)!

“Get them while you’re hot!”

…says Alli Truttman, inventor of Wicked Sheets, a company whose luxurious feeling bedding is designed for women who suffer from night sweats.

Made of the same silkweight poly-blend fabric found in athletic apparel, the sheets have special pores, just like our skin, that absorb sweat and keep us comfortable and cool throughout the night. They feel as good as sheets with thread counts of 600 to 700, are wrinkle free, come in white and breezy beige, and fit twin to California king mattresses.

(more…)

from →  , , ,

6 Tips To Protect Yourself This Summer

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 April 9

Most of us will probably dance in the streets once the sun comes out, and stays out, this summer.

Who isn’t ready to shed their heavy coats and cumbersome boots after this brutal winter across much of the country? Before you perform your sun dance, however, heed these six crucial ways to keep your eyes, skin, and hair healthy this summer.

Eyes

  • Rock a pair of shades. We all want to look cool in sunglasses, but lens size is one of the most important facts to consider when you’re making your selection. Over time, UV exposure can damage the cornea and lens of the eye, so double check your fab new frames to make sure they’re adequately protecting you! Oversized glasses provide the best coverage from the sun. Period! They also should feature UV400 protection and dark lenses to lessen the intensity of the light hitting your eye and reduce potential eye damage.

  • Invest in eye cream. Even in darker-skinned people, exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer months, can cause a higher-than-normal level of skin pigmentation (melanin) under the eyes, where the skin is quite thin. A tan makes us look terrific, but the raccoon look should be limited to raccoons. Apply a thick eye cream with SPF under the eyes, to reinforce and protect the skin. Use it every day.

Skin

  • Protect against bruising. Once we shed our bulky winter clothes, we want our newly exposed skin to look its absolute best in our warm weather outfits and swimsuits! However, more outdoor activity brings with it more opportunities to bump, trip, fall—and bruise our thinning skin. A smart way to help strengthen your skin’s natural barrier, and to help protect it against bruising, is to apply DerMend Moisturizing Bruise Formula, twice a day. If you do develop a bruise, use DerMend to help fade its appearance.

  • Say “yes” to sun screen. While sun damage can occur year round, your skin is most prone to damage during the summer months, when UV indexes are high. Make sure that your sunscreen has at least SPF 15, is water resistant, and has broad-spectrum protection. You should apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, and if you’re sweating or swimming, remember to reapply it frequently!

Hair

  • Hats on! Light rays can seriously dry out your hair, but wearing a wide-brimmed hat will help keep it glossy, as well as provide up to 100 percent protection for your scalp from UV damage. Many other clothes are specially made to block the sun’s strong rays. Look for a label that says Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF), which should indicate how much of the sun’s rays are absorbed by the fabric.

  • Treat your locks lovingly. More and more hair products are including UV protection. Keep your hair radiant all year long with a UV-protectant spray or a higher-end salon product.

This post is sponsored by Ferndale Healthcare. Thanks for supporting FabOverFifty!

Help Manage Your Overactive Bladder Symptoms!

2014 March 31

This is a blog post created by FabOverFifty.com which has been sponsored by
MSD Consumer Care, Inc. the makers of OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Wow, I sure use the bathroom more than I used to!” or “Why do I keep having accidents?” You may be one of the more than 20 million women suffering from overactive bladder (OAB) in the U.S. if you have 2 of the 3 symptoms such as a strong need to urinate right away, frequent urination or experiencing “accidents” for at least 3 months.

“The exact cause of OAB is unknown, but it does increase in prevalence with age. However, women should know that OAB is not a normal part of aging and it can be treated, by providing symptom relief, improving quality of life,” says Dr. Eman Elkadry, Clinical Instructor Harvard Medical School; Boston Urogynecology Associates at Mount Auburn Hospital and spokesperson for the makers of OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN. We’re delighted to let you know that OAB is treatable over-the-counter as a result of the availability of OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN.

Is OAB the same thing as stress urinary incontinence (SUI)?

No. “OAB occurs due to contractions of the bladder muscle, leading to bladder emptying before it is full. This may cause urinary frequency (more than is perceived to be normal by a woman), urgency (a sudden urge to go to the bathroom that cannot be put off), and/or accidents,” Dr. Elkadry explains. “On the other hand, a woman with SUI has weakening of the pelvic floor muscles and other muscles responsible for preventing urine leakage. Thus, increased pressure on the abdomen (like laughing, coughing, sneezing, exercising), the bladder then ‘leaks’ a little because the muscles are weak.”

If you’re interested in trying OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN, it’s a simple patch application to your abdomen, hip or buttock. Pretty easy, right?

“The OXYTROL® FOR WOMEN patch delivers oxybutynin for four days and nights to help relax the bladder muscle that is overactive. With a four-day patch, women don’t have to remember to take a daily pill,” says Dr. Elkadry.

You will have greater success on the patch if you use consistently and also modify your lifestyle—try to increase the time between bathroom visits to help re-train your bladder. You may also want to limit your intake of certain foods and drinks like coffee, citrus fruits and spicy foods—they can all make OAB worse.

The solution is in the feminine care aisle— now let’s all take a sigh of relief.

Visit OxytrolForWomen.com to learn more.

If you’ve had a positive experience using OXYTROL ® FOR WOMEN, as directed,
and would be interested in sharing your story with the media please contact: OxytrolForWomen@mahercomm.com. You can also submit your success story on OxytrolForWomen.com to share your testimonial with other women like you.

Start Eating Like A Woman

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 March 27

David, the man with whom I live, eats some type of pastry every single day, acting as if it’s the last day he’ll ever be able to consume cake again. He doesn’t gain an ounce. If I ate pastries every single day, I would look like the Goodyear blimp after about a month. No joke. I would.

If this scenario rings a bell, it should. We can eat exactly the same foods as our male friends and lovers (at exactly the same times), and exercise precisely the same way as they do, but our bodies, and our minds, will react quite differently.

I am sick and tired of reading about new diets that promise to change everything, from the size and shape of our bodies to the length of our lives to the level of our happiness. If I see Dr. Oz one more time on my Facebook newsfeed, hawking yet another revolutionary diet or supplement, I will scream. Most of it is pure baloney. You know it. I know it. Even Dr. Oz knows it, I suspect.

So, what’s a woman to do?

Here’s what: Order a new book, immediately, called Eat Like A Woman (and never diet again), by health advocate, Staness Jonekos, and women’s health expert, Dr. Marjorie Jenkins.

Eat Like A Woman (and never diet again) is based on scientific studies that confirm, at last, that what we eat and how we maintain our health and fitness should reflect our physiological, psychological and biochemical constitution, which is completely different from a man’s.

As the subtitle indicates, this is absolutely not a diet book. Like no other book that concerns eating, it teaches women what to eat, why we should eat it and when we should eat it!

(more…)

from →  , , , ,

{FOF Woman of The Week} Staness Jonekos

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 March 27

I’ve known Staness Jonekos for four years and I’ve never met a woman quite like her.

She’s (really) smart. (Really) beautiful. (Really) real. Giving. Honest. Forthright. Determined. And she has a generous spirit. Since most of you won’t have the privilege to meet her in person, meet her here. Her new book, Eat Like A Woman (and never diet again), is as smart as she is.

Staness wants every single girl and woman to benefit from the scientific knowledge she’s amassed over the years about nutrition, health and fitness. She’s a true women’s health advocate and her biggest reward is our happiness and well being.

(more…)

Step Up To The Bar(s)

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 March 27

You will not have to study the list of ingredients, and their nutritional value, in these Eat Like A Woman energy bars.

That’s because they’re the first and only bars prepared especially for us, that can provide lasting energy for women-on-the-go who want delicious guilt-free nutrition. Staness Jonekos, health advocate and author, personally selected every single ingredient (from organic peanut and almond butter to gluten-free rice cereal) with our needs in mind, because we metabolize food and lose weight very differently than men, and really shouldn’t be eating the same bars as they do.

(more…)

The Layer That Protects You The Most

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 March 7

How thick is your skin? As we age, our skin’s underlying elastin and collagen fibers start to break down, which causes it to lose its firmness and elasticity. While genetics and other factors play a role in this process, our skin invariably becomes thinner. Making matters worse, thin skin is more susceptible to developing unsightly bruises. Sometimes, bruising can occur when you don’t even remember bumping into anything.

Applying DerMend Moisturizing Bruise Formula, twice a day, helps build the skin’s barrier, making it thicker and less susceptible to bruising. Among DerMend’s ingredients are six effective elements that help improve the appearance of existing bruises:

  • Retinol helps to smooth lines and improve the skin’s texture
  • Alpha hydroxy acid exfoliates and helps encourage new skin growth
  • Arnica oil restores suppleness in the skin

  • Ceramides help the skin retain moisture
  • Niacinamide and phytonadione help improve the appearance of skin

We don’t think twice about layering our outfits, to protect us against the elements, so don’t forget the most important layer—DerMend Moisturizing Bruise Formula. It will help protect your skin a lot more than a jacket.

This post is sponsored by Ferndale Healthcare. Thanks for supporting FabOverFifty!