Hormones And Personal Health With Chia Chia Sun from Damiva #AMCoffee

Hormones And You
Reminders That Rule Your World

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Hormones, menopause, perimenopause, chia chia sun, damiva

Hormones are a power that nobody can deny. Our breathing, living, sexual desires are controlled by the chemical substances – hormones – that make us who we are. Made in the pituitary gland, the master factory gland for hormones, hormones become the messengers floating in our blood stream to control and coordinate activities throughout the body. They orchestrate the functioning of our organs and produce behavioral responses. We cannot live without hormones. They are an essential part of our bodies and well-being.

Feeling anxious, down, angry or in pain? Well, these are hormones communicating with the brain that something’s going on in our bodies. Let’s dive into some  things reminding how powerful hormones are in our lives. Chia Chia Sun of Damiva will be leading us in this conversation.

UPDATE:

Here’s what Chia Chia added to our conversation thread about different hormones. I would like this comment to be visible to all.

Low progesterone – irritability, trouble falling asleep (or even falling asleep at your usual bedtime), breast pain, acne, feeling “not really like yourself,” can start in mid 30s to 40s.

Low estrogen – this is usually a bigger problem in our late 40s and 50s, vaginal dryness, dry skin, dry eyes, joint pain, changes in breast tissue, abdominal fat building, energy loss.

Estrogen fluctuation (spiking of estrogen up and down) – fogginess (no, you’re not losing your memory), breast pain, mood swings.

Keep in mind that all these symptoms are normal changes in our body as we age. We do have to compensate as much as we can with a great diet, exercise, supplements and awareness, including making our loved ones aware too.

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Today’s AM Coffee is Sponsored by Damiva

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Damiva’s CEO Chia Chia Sun has a powerful way to empower women across the world. She reaches out to us with her knowledge and personal empowerment to support every woman on her unique journey through her own life.

Chia Chia [pronounced chah-chah] freely shared information and helpful tips that give us ideas and answers many questions about woman’s body and healthy. She is an expert on peri- and menopause issues and has created some unique and helpful products to support different body types.

Check out our AM Coffee conversations on a huge topic called MENOPAUSE Here. Glance through the talking points, refresh your memory. Frequently, it is the second and third time we review information that really makes a difference in our actions.

Damiva products for women personal hygiene, menopause peri-menopause

For Damiva products, check out our overview: MAE by Damiva; and CLEO by Damiva.

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Comments

  1. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    AM COFFEE – Sign In! HELLO, Everyone!

    We are blessed to have guests like Chia Chia Sun from Damiva. She is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to women’s health issues – perimenopause and menopause. These are very important, as the symptoms of menopause can start to manifest themselves as early as our 30’s.

    That is why it is vital we know information and educate ourselves on the regular basis, as technology and knowledge move at a fast speed these days.

    So happy to see you today here! Come over when you can. AM Coffee is for early birds and not-so, too! It is open all-day-long, as we do have different schedules we live with.

    Stay with us every morning, win prizes, but mostly, learn something new and make awesome friends!

    Subscribe HERE to AMCoffe Daily.

    sign in am coffee

    • Thanks Laura, glad to be back!

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Chia Chia,
        This peri- and menopause conversation has created a bit of of riot in a positive sense.
        I keep getting personal and group messages about the “side-effects” that this nature-induced condition causes.
        The more information is out there, and the more products to support the issues that come along with this stage of woman’s life are offered – the healthier population of women we are going to get!
        Thank you for hosting these issues for this huge community of women.
        These posts are consumed well, especially, at night, when most of women get a chance to do something for themselves.

    • Good morning, I am very interested in this subject. Thank you

    • My personal needs and interests to learn about when it comes to hormones are the duration of fluctuation. How individually it will affect me as I know in general what is told it will be.

      • Every woman is different but on average, our hormone fluctuations last from our early 40s to early 50s, after which time they will stabilize relatively. However, a lot of women in our 50s will also experience hormone flux.

        Yes, it’s 10 YEARS! That’s why we need to prepare for it and understand what’s happening.

        On a monthly basis, for women in our 40s, typically the “worst” days will be about 5 days before our period onset because our hormones are in decline at that time. For me, however, maybe because I recognize the hormone decline, I find I am at my moodiest about 1 to 3 days after my period ends – this is when my hormones are surging and going up.

    • joann tompkinswinborn says

      My personal needs and interests are in how I can better help others understand what they are going through based on my experience with menopause over the last 30+ years, Best advice I can offer is to go with the flow and be easy on yourself.

      • Joann – awesome advice!

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Joann,
        I find a very interesting, yet persisting trend – people usually do not do what is EASY AND FREE. Due to our cultural training and other factors, a higher value is placed on things that we need to PAY FOR!
        Sometimes, the immediacy and results are lost or postponed unnecessarily due to this one small-BIG issue!

        • joann tompkinswinborn says

          We have to be our own self advocates when it comes to our health issues, I lost 8 years of my life by following the doctor’s recommendations without doing my homework Many doctors are too quick to treat symptoms rather than finding the root of the issue.

    • wendi watson says

      everything about me is a mess right now and we are trying to find the reason for the ups and downs and the all around fatigue and interest in nothing

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Wendi,
        Mini EDU sessions like AM Coffee does show a way, i.e., we need to be learners during the entire life.
        Read up online from reputable sources, then bring up issues in our community – I will go and find EXPERTS on the subject you need to know more and bring theM over to AM Coffee for ALL TO BENEFIT.

      • Wendi – it does sound like the hormone loss we are all experiencing. I have the same symptoms as you do. My only advice is to find something that really you just want to jump out of bed for.

        My children are practically grown now, so the reason I bolt out of bed in the morning is for a career that I love – which includes talking to wonderful people like you, Laura and the others on this coffee chat.

    • wendi watson says

      Happy To have you again!! Laura has the greatest friends!!

    • I wish my hormones were the same as they were when I was I my 20’s. How can I get that back?! LOL

      • Well, in some ways you do have it back in your 40s but in the reverse direction. Our hormones fluctuate up until about 25, then decline after 35.

        We do lose the energy and the ability to super power through everything that we had in our 20s; I think we get to balance that through better knowledge of ourselves and others. I’m a better mother, business woman and partner than I have ever been because I spend a lot more time on myself and don’t feel guilty (as much).

    • wendi watson says

      this was FABULOUS TO READ TODAY!! Thank you so much!! Laura you are amazing!! and Chia Chia thanks for the info and the time you gave to us!! We as women need to think about us once in a while and not feel guilty for taking our time for our personal time… I think moms go very unappreciated cause its EXPECTED of us to be THE ONE to always be there etc…. we need out time to recoup and reenergize as a person and not feel guilty…

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      Good morning all. This is awesome information about hormones and personal health that all woman need to know.

    • Kelly Connors says

      Hello everyone this is a great topic

    • Katrina Angele says

      Hello. I have questions as to what to expect in my upcoming years. I’m 33. I have always had weird periods. After I gave birth 5 years ago my body seemed to totally go out of wack. I’m nervous what the future will hold.

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Katrina,
        What is important is to Educate yourself on the subject, know the symptoms, know what the modern science has to say.
        You will be better prepped and equipped when the time comes. But because you know, you will be able to ID early signs of things that start happening in your body.

      • Hi Katrina,

        Usually women have fairly stable periods between the ages of 25 and 35 (or some other 10 to 12 year period; it can vary a lot between women). It sounds like your cycle has been disrupted by childbirth, which is completely normal. If possible, you may want to ask your mother and/or sisters about their periods and hormonal cycles. Often, what you experienced as a teenager can give some indication of what you will experience in peri-menopause. Also, the age at which your mother went into menopause is a good indicator of when you will as well. If you subtract 10 years from the age that she went into menopause, then that’s when you will likely start to have peri-menopausal symptoms. Peri-menopause is more difficult than menopause because it’s when our hormones are fluctuating up and down. Once we go into menopause, our hormones don’t fluctuate but they stay down for the rest of our lives.

        Hope that’s helpful!

        • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

          Chia Chia,
          What an excellent follow-up with tips and real answers what to look for!
          I was reading it last night and “asking” you to answer it!
          My wish came true – THANK YOU, our wonderful supporter!

    • Amanda Alvarado says

      Wow there’s lots here to read today but it’s late and I have another early morning! I’m going to have to come back tomorrow after my training and read through it all because I’m sure there’s a lot of good info I need! I am sure I will be hitting menopause in the next 5-10 years and I know it will be here before I know it. I need to know what I can do NOW to make it easier in the future!

    • I also have these personal needs and interests. How do I convey to those outside my personal realm as to the complexity of my feelings during this time? Especially if I am professionally working with a majority of those who are not aware?

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Lisa,
        From my personal experience, we do make a difference to the outside world and people around us by how we behave and reflect life back to them.
        Many will notice it. Many won’t.
        What we can control is HOW we feel and give as an output to the Universe.

  2. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    amcoffee

    What are hormones and how does our body make them?

    We typically think of “sex hormones” when we think of hormones. Our body makes other hormones, including melatonin (for sleep), insulin (for sugar metabolism) and cortisol (for stress).

    Hormones control most of our major bodily functions and are produced in the endocrine glands. In women, our ovaries make most of our sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. In men, testosterone is produced in the testes.

    Check out some information snippets on leptin, ss

    hormones, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva

    • joann tompkinswinborn says

      I had a hysterectomy in my 30’s which kicked my body into early menopause, It’s been a roller coaster ride ever since but for the most part I still think it’s the best surgery I ever had.

    • Perfect subject today, Lack of sleep and stress really does take a toll on the body, especially at my age.

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Barbara,
        I am going to invite a sleep expert to educate us all on a deeper level what stress really does.
        Basically, our bodies do not regenerate and get older at a lightening speed. Brrr…

      • As women we often put our bodies through a lot more than men with surgeries, childbirth, and then perimenopause and menopause. So we have to take care of ourselves and start thinking about this in our 30s.

        Sleep hygiene is very important for sleep. Some women use melatonin supplements in our 30s and 40s, which helps to fall asleep but doesn’t help us in our 50s and beyond to stay asleep.

        Melatonin has a double edged sword. The reason melatonin doesn’t work very well for some women is that the oral supplement version is processed in our livers within an hour, so we may get the immediate benefit of falling asleep but it doesn’t help us stay asleep. We have trouble staying asleep as we age because we have lower levels of melatonin as we age.

        • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

          Chia Chia,
          I love that you touched upon LIVER and its immediacy to eliminate and clean our bodies.
          That should be a separate conversation that will give us a deeper and more intimate understanding what takes place in our LIVER, and how those processes affect everything we do and eat.

          • Laura, totally agreed. It’s why I will not drink alcohol (sigh) when I feel like I’m in hormone flux because the alcohol interferes with the processing of hormones in my liver. I do love a glass of red wine at night :).

        • My concern with Melatonin is , it putting me in a deep sleep and me not hearing the kids if they need me.

          • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

            Barb,
            This is what you get if you need a deep sleep.

          • That’s a valid concern but another concern is that if you’re not getting enough sleep, or sleeping lightly, over time this will take a toll on you and your functioning. There are many factors – the ages of your children, whether they need you at night, whether they have colds (I find this the toughest, when I basically have to stay up all night with a snuffly child), etc. etc. I am a huge nurturer but I am having to retrain everyone as I age because I have to take care of myself so I can take care of them.

            • interesting and great information well i guess i have a little sleep issue but i get up several times to go to the bathroom and they hot flashed kick my but

              • Karen, you may want to see a pelvic health physiotherapist for the bathroom issues. I have suggested this to several people and it’s amazing how a good physiotherapist can provide you with tremendous relief in just one visit. She can help relax tight muscles that are causing urges to urinate, as well as teach breathing exercises to cause the pelvic floor to act the way it should.

                My observation is that about half of women (myself included) breathe the wrong way and that leads to a tightening of the pelvic floor and eventually incontinence.

        • joann tompkinswinborn says

          Sleep is a double edged sword for me because I suffer from agoraphobia during my waking hours.
          In my dreams I am healthy and enjoying all the things I used to participate in but can no longer be a part of in my “real” life.
          Even when sleeping my brain is so busy that I wake up tired every day. Tried Melatonin but that didn’t seem to help. The 5-HTP puts me to sleep however it doesn’t stop the dreams,

    • wendi watson says

      I’m for sure lacking in cortisol stress controls me a lot!! My sleeping is usually not an issue cause the stress wears me out

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Wendi,
        You need to look deeper in yourself and ask, as Chia Chia, says, to find out WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU GO WOW.
        Keeping your mind open gives you that state of being receptive of new ideas and possibilities.
        We are here to back you up!

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      This is awesome information about hormones. If one of our hormones is off it seems it can through the others off too.

    • Kelly Connors says

      i feel that if one of our glands are off that makes the other ones off. i must be lacking in one of them cause ever since i had my tubes tied my body has had trouble sleeping. i now have to take a sleeping med to help me even then i still do not sleep through the night

    • Katrina Angele says

      I just bought some melatonin for sleep aid. It only seems to make me drowsy the next day so I do not know how my body is processing it.

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Katrina,
        If you read through all the threads, you will see that Chia Chia said the following:
        – Dosage for the meds out there is based on MEN, not women!
        This is how clinical studies have been organized – targeting men as subjects, not women.
        Women usually need a lower dosage to get the effectiveness from taking the meds.
        – Melatonin helps to fall asleep, but not necessarily keeps a person asleep.

        We need to figure out our own path to a good sleep: Evaluate habits, foods, irritants, stress level and those factors that go into a sleep equation.

    • Amanda Alvarado says

      SO i got through this one before calling it a night (see my problem with sleep now! LOL) I have no problem falling asleep because I am usually exhausted by the end of the day – my problem is getting to bed early enough to get enough sleep! When I sleep though I sleep the sleep of the dead! It takes a lot to wake me up. I am curious of what some of the signs are for low estrogen and progesterone levels. Maybe I’ll find the answer in the next posts…but not tonight! 🙂

      • Low progesterone – irritability, trouble falling asleep (or even falling asleep at your usual bedtime), breast pain, acne, feeling “not really like yourself,” can start in mid 30s to 40s

        Low estrogen – this is usually a bigger problem in our late 40s and 50s, vaginal dryness, dry skin, dry eyes, joint pain, changes in breast tissue, abdominal fat building, energy loss

        Estrogen fluctuation (spiking of estrogen up and down) – fogginess (no, you’re not losing your memory), breast pain, mood swings

        Keep in mind that all these symptoms are normal changes in our body as we age. We do have to compensate as much as we can with a great diet, exercise, supplements and awareness, including making our loved ones aware too.

  3. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    am coffee

    How do hormones affect our mental health?

    Women in our 40s and 50s make up the group that is prescribed the most anti-depressants in America. In our 40s, our hormone balance starts to change and our hormones are in great fluctuation because our ovaries are trying to push out eggs. That fluctuation causes “spiking” and “decline” so that our hormones are no longer in equilibrium.

    We start to lose sleep because we can’t fall asleep or we wake up earlier than usual so we’re fatigued. Our hormone flux makes us feel alternately down and quick to act. We’re fatigued and unhappy.

    It’s easy to attribute our mental health to external conditions but especially in our 40s and 50s, we really need to examine our own hormonal and bodily changes and understand that this is the most EXTREME time of physiological change and that our hormones are contributing – often adversely – to our mental health.

    hormones, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva

    • I just spoke with my mom about this. She said that she needed medicine from her doctor. That I should speak with mine. I am handling sweating and I can tell mood changes.

      • Hi Lisa! I really think a lot of us are in the same boat. I’m not supposed to get as many hot flashes because Asians don’t as much but I know I am getting them. I think there may be a cultural difference in intensity, recognizing them, etc. And definitely mood changes – I don’t think anyone is immune from these. The question is: how do we deal with them?

      • I am in the boat, Sometimes you just want to sit down and cry.

        • We all need to sit down and cry, and we should allow ourselves a really good and big cry as often as we need to. The reasons don’t matter – it could be due to stress or just watching a cute puppy video.

          • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

            Chia Chia,
            I LOVE THIS WAY TO THINKING!
            It just gives us permission to be emotional and express it, too, without delay.

    • I do believe you are talking about me. Can not go to sleep until midnight, up at 7 am. Then around 4 I am so sleepy I can’t keep my eyes open. Can’t go to sleep because i have 3 kids.

      • A lot of women I have spoken to about sleep in our late 30s and 40s is because of children. They go to bed late, they wake up early, they have colds or nightmares. Our minds are racing at night, worrying about their school trip or their lunches.

        I do believe we need to discipline ourselves to get an extra hour or two of sleep a night in these situations as well as to possibly retrain children – especially if they are toddlers who are not sleeping fully through the night. It’s a matter of necessity for us. I’m a wreck myself when I lose a couple of hours of sleep a night.

        The tough part is calming our night-time thoughts and stressors so we can fall asleep. This is where meditation can come into play in a big way.

    • joann tompkinswinborn says

      I have other chemical imbalance issues and my brain does not process serotonin properly, so at 64 yrs of age, I never quite know which issue is causing which symptoms. I have learned to adapt as best as possible and try to do the best I can with what I have to work with on a daily basis,
      Baby steps and self forgiveness have become very pertinent to my survival.

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Joann,
        You are a dynamite of a woman, I really mean it.
        With all that life has put you through, you step into the category of FIGHTERS and GO-GETTERS. So much admire your spirit!
        Thank you for sharing your personal information with us all.
        It does make a difference for our community of women.

        • well i find that now i love to get a nap in even 20 min and now i can do this Jack will play his game and let grandma take a nap let me tell you this is the best gift to be able to do this then i feel so much better and get back to my day thats for all the good questions and answers

          • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

            KAREN,
            Let me chime in with you – I discovered MINI NAPS, like 10-15 minute ones, when I was in my 20’s.
            I was so overworked and stressed that I HAD to take them when I would come back home from work.
            They changed my life, and I actually became more energized and needed those naps less frequently after some time.
            I am in love with these POWER NAPS, I call them!

    • wendi watson says

      if allowed I would sleep all day!! I would not have any problems doing that…I fight my depression on a daily so i get it and it can go from the highest of the high to ready to cry in a snap of a finger

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      This is so true with the mood swings. I am going to be 49 in Nov. and just this past year I have noticed a big change in how fast my moods change. My mother went through the same thing as I am going through but she was younger than me now.

    • Kelly Connors says

      omg i really enjoyed this one it made so much sense to me cause i am very moody and unhappy with myself that i actually called a counselor.

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Kelly,
        The more you educate yourself on different subjects, the more POWERFUL you become.
        Your decision-making does depend on your savvy and what you DO NOT KNOW as well!

  4. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says
  5. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    amcoffee

    Are anti-depressants the answer?

    About a quarter of women in our 40s and 50s are on anti-depressants. And women are 2.5 X more likely to be taking an anti-depressant than men, especially anti-anxiety drugs. The numbers have increased 400% since 1998.

    We need to recognize the bias here in prescribing drugs to women. These drugs are powerful signallers, similar to hormones, and can help women who are clinically depressed, however, I believe that depression is often misdiagnosed especially in the years in which women are experiencing hormone flux (ages 40 to 60).

    Check out this article by Peter Wehrwein at Harvard Health about the rate at which antidepressants are used in this country.

    hormones, antidepressants, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva

    • Yes, I think anti-depressants are giving to women at this stage as a lot of doctors look to drugs as a cure all first.

      • I believe in drugs but not drugs first. I’ve been able to control my mood swings by recognizing them as hormonal. I tell myself that they will go away in a few hours, which they often do. And if they don’t go away in a few hours, I tell myself they will go away in a few days.

        The key is identifying whether there are any external stressors that have changed – illness or death in the family, work situations, etc. If there are no dramatic stressors, then it’s likely your hormones.

        • I am able to control mine also without drugs. Not saying those who need them is wrong. Each situation is different. But, with talking to people such as you about these changes. Being open and knowing we will have mood swings. Educating those around us is key.

          • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

            Lisa,
            I am so in agreement with your statement – SHARE FREELY & THIS WILL, SHALL, WOULD EDUCATE and give personal insights to those who need it.
            In addition, when a person we talk to trusts us, the information is taken more seriously and with more confidence, they are eager to check it out, if not to follow.

    • I agree , doctors do over subscribe anti depressants. They only talk to you for maybe 10 minutes in a visit. Where do the draw the line between normal every day stress and excessive amount of stress that calls for meds.

      • Many people – men and women – will need meds for clinical depression. I believe in drugs – what I object to is automatically putting women in our 40s and 50s on drugs when we are obviously going through a lot of hormonal changes that can mask as depression.

        I was talking about hormone changes masking as depression at a business meeting and I told the group that I was likely depressed that day due to my low hormones. But they didn’t believe me because I didn’t act depressed. So I took a depression survey on-line and it said I needed meds. That’s pretty dangerous because I knew I wasn’t depressed – yes, I was having a down day due to hormones but I felt confident it would go away, which it did. Also, as I didn’t have a history of depression and my environment was pretty much the same from the day before, I knew for myself I wasn’t depressed, despite what the survey was telling me.

        • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

          Chia Chia,
          What kind of a movement can we have in this modern society that would PREVENT such surveys to be a DETERMINANT AND “INDICATOR” FOR DEPRESSION?
          It is so dangerous for those who do not have self-education going on in their lives and drive straight to the doctor’s to get their meds RX.

          • Laura – I agree, it’s irresponsible to have surveys on-line that give a diagnosis. And they are very easy to find. Hopefully, people will take them with a big grain of salt.

    • joann tompkinswinborn says

      while anti-depressants can help some people if they are taking the Proper medications.
      In my case they made me worse.
      Had DNA testing done only to learn the doctors had me on all the Wrong Meds according to my genetic makeup.
      Found a Natural Supplement called 5-HTP that keeps me from going to that very deep dark state and now I tell others about it as often as possible.
      Would highly recommend DNA testing if at all possible before allowing your doctor to put you on any pysch meds,

      • Joann – great advice! I’m a geneticist by training so I believe in DNA testing. For women who are considering any type of chronic drug therapy (e.g. hormones, anti-depressants) and don’t have access to DNA testing, I would suggest starting with the lowest dosages first. I’ve spent my career in the pharmaceutical industry and know that the testing that is done is often skewed towards men. Women typically need lower dosages of drugs than men and our side effects are often worse.

        5 HTP is great. I do recommend that if you’re on multiple supplements and also drugs, that you consult either a physician or naturopath about drug-drug interactions.

        • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

          Chia Chia,
          These days it is LUCK to get a great doctor who understands and is on the cusp of what’s going on in the health industry and in her/his patients.
          I do recommend DNA testing as well. Doing it for my entire family now. Waiting on the results and plus ordered more kits for other stuff to find out.
          As the majority cannot afford thousands of dollars of Mayo Clinic analysis of the state of their health, we need to educate ourselves on many little things, like what we are doing today with you.
          THANK YOU FOR THIS!

    • wendi watson says

      since i was in my early 20’s i have had anxiety attacks and to this day they are chronic, I did and was so fortunate to have a dr that cared! we tried everything from breathing classes, workouts, meditation etc and I have to say that today I am on Celexa and it really does keep me to a minimum of my anxiety attacks i only take that nothing else! I have xanax for the days when i cant control it to keep me from the hospital and having a breakdown! I must say though having my Himalayan lamp I feel has helped a lot!! I’m not sure why but wow if i turn it on and hang out for a few it really helps … and depression is silent!

      • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

        Wendi,
        We are here for you.
        What you share with all of us DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
        It shows we are not ALONE in our suffering, and that we can support each other and exchange information and what works for us.

        The HIMALAYAN lamp that works for you is an awesome addition to work on your personal well-being! So happy to hear it does what it does. The lamp exudes NEGATIVE ions that bind with different particles in the air pushing them down – that’s how the air is cleaned from dust and microorganisms.

        What it probably does is clearing air outside first, then you inhale it with negative ions from Himalayan salt and it helps to “clear” the lung capacity as well. I have such lamp in my kid’s room and do this Himalayan lamp routine during evenings. More power to using it!

      • Kelly Connors says

        Wendi Watson you are not alone when it comes to anxiety and depression i myself suffer the same since i was 19 once i had my first child the doctors have been working on what meds work with my anxiety and nothing really has so what you just shared with us and what you do to help is very interesting to me so if you don’ t mind i am gonna look into some of it so thankyou so much for sharing

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      It is a shame that the doctors give so many antidepressants when they shouldn’t . We can sometimes control our hormones with our diet and exercise.

    • Kelly Connors says

      a lot of doctors believe that medicine is the answer which is a shame cause a lot of doctors do not really listen to the patient they would rather right a script and send them on their way.

    • Amanda Alvarado says

      This is a touchy one for me because I think doctors over medicated way too much and I think part of it is because of pharmaceutical companies. It’s not just depression but everything from antibiotics to pain killers. Prescription drugs are mainly to blame for the heroin epidemic we are facing. Gonna stop before I go on a rant! LOL

  6. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    amcoffee

    What are the mental health issues women are facing?

    It’s difficult to distinguish our own personal narratives from our hormones. It takes a lot of monitoring of our period cycles. For women who are no longer having periods, you are still having hormone fluctuations because your ovaries are still trying to work.

    A personal narrative goes something like this, “I’m evaluating my life and I find there’s a lot wanting; I wanted to travel more and get married but I haven’t accomplished either. So I’m feeling really down about this and it makes me want to go back to bed. I just had a fight with my fiancé and I’m not sure he’s the right guy for me. And on top of that, I’m super tired and work seems to get more stressful every day.”

    OR You Can Choose this Narrative –>

    A hormonal narrative can go like this, “I’m mid-way through my life and there are some very exciting times ahead for me, so I need to plan for them. One of my goals is to travel more and another is to marry my long-term partner. I need to make plans for both with my partner. I’m feeling more tired than usual today so I will adjust my schedule and make sure I observe sleep hygiene when going to bed. I’m getting close to my period and this is when my hormones are down, so I need to rest more and wait for those planning conversations when I have more mental and physical energy.

    I need to recognize that my adrenal glands are on over-drive because my ovaries are declining in function so work will be more stressful and I need to do more yoga to compensate or take supplements such as ashwaganda.”

    As you can see, the hormonal narrative is complicated, takes longer and is more work. However, it’s a much healthier story.

    We have a very personal and deep need to get ourselves involved in the de-stressing activities that help our HORMONAL BALANCE. It’s been shown clinically many times that physical exercise as little as walking, quiet time for yourself DO reduce stress and bring our hormonal levels in check where we are in control.

    Check our AM Coffee on WAYS TO DE-STRESS and You May Learn Something New HERE.

    hormones, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva

    • As women we tend to think we need to be the nurturer all the time. But we have to think the one at this time, well other times too but speaking of this. We need, we must know the one to nurture is ourselves.

      • I think you hit the nail on the head. One of the reason we find it harder to nurture others is that we start to lose the nurturing hormone, progesterone. It’s actually the first hormone we start to lose in our late 30s and early 40s.

        So out of necessity, we have to start retraining people around us – and telling them we love them but we also need time for ourselves. If we don’t retrain people they expect the same level of nurturing, which we often just can’t deliver due to energy levels and hormones. We need to exercise, eat even better, and sleep well – that takes a lot more work in our 40s and 50s than it did in our 20s and 30s.

        • I agree, so this summer I have been making more time for myself by hiking and walking everyday. I do try to involve the family in my activities.

        • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

          Chia Chia,
          Mother Nature does things knowingly, and we need to learn how to deal with such changes.
          But I love these little information snippets that actually EXPLAIN to us WHY we do what we do.
          Truly helps to regain control when we offer an explanation that is real.

        • Kelly Connors says

          Chia Chia you seem to know a lot about what to do to help our hormones. i find myself clinging to my other half and then telling him i don’t need him and then crying a lot. what do you think i could to do to try to control it?

          • Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

            Kelly,
            First, we need to recognize that moodiness and feeling down do happen due to HORMONAL fluctuations.
            Second, you need to take active steps to pull yourself up and out of this black hole, knowing that you do not want to get out of it.
            DO cry to release stress!
            DO do little things that make you feel good!
            DO find a WOW thing that gets you going and adds self-esteem and, thus, gets feeling-good hormones to be released into your blood stream to balance your well-being. You need to search and pinpoint what it is that makes you going. NOBODY, BUT YOU can do it for you. Don’t get upset if you don’t have that WOW thing figured out. Just do it every day, keep calm and at peace, and you will get your WOW moment.
            It comes from my personal experience because I DID IT.

    • joann tompkinswinborn says

      Insight is everything when we as women are dealing with hormonal and other chemical imbalances. Grateful for informative articles like this one that help with our discernment of what is happening in our brains and bodies as we age. xoxo

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      Once we recognize it is just our hormones being off and causing us to think in a bad way, we can change how we think or see things. We also need to take action for distressing.

    • Kelly Connors says

      i find myself doing the me me all the time and i have to take a step back and think about how im acting and how it is making my other half feel. i feel like im driving him crazy and he hates me sometimes

      • Hi Kelly! What you’re describing is very very common. I do the same things as you do 🙂 and it has the same effect on my partner :(. I’m going to try and make this simple even though it’s a very complicated time of life.

        #1. Your hormones are indeed up and down – pretty much most of your hormones. So you will feel up and down. You need to communicate this to your partner. Tell him you love as much, more than ever, but your hormones are controlling you in a way you can’t help.

        #2. You need to make this time about yourself because it’s not an easy time. But maybe less vocalization and more meditation.

        #3. Expanding your social network to women who are going through the same things. You are not alone. You just happen to be one of the few willing to vocalize this and share – that’s awesome in my view.

        #4. If you’re having periods, be mindful that your moods will swing more 3 to 5 days before your period starts and up to 2 to 3 days after it ends. If you’re not having periods, this is more unpredictable but can generally follow the same duration as your period cycle would be.

        #5. When you feel like you want to reject your partner – this is due to steep drops in progesterone, the loving & nurturing hormone. And often right before your period. Just explain the situation, why you may want to be alone and go do something special for yourself. Loving yourself is your # priority, then loving others.

        Hope this helps!! Remember, it is all about you first.

  7. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    amcoffee

    What are some solutions?

    Supplements that help balance hormones (maca, the adaptogen ashwaganda), as well as a base of magnesium, vitamin D drops, and calcium through our diet – these are all important in our late 30s, 40s and going into our 60s. Recognizing that mental health is a function of sleep, nutrition, exercise and especially hormones, can help any woman. Going to a naturopath to help with supplements or a menopause practitioner (even in your 30s) to understand hormone therapy are all important aspects of aging as women.

    In 2017, women have a lot more external stressors than 40 or 70 years ago and then we add our internal stressors of polycystic ovary disease, childbirth, peri-menopause and menopause, and mental health becomes an even more important factor in our overall health.

    Personally, I use MACA in powder form for my cooking! I add it to SMOOTHIES, PASTA, SALADS, FISH recipes. It does not take a lot to start benefiting. Plus, it feels so natural to cook with it – I use it like my other herbs to add to foods.

    Use ORGANIC Maca. Check out many options and different product sizes for powders and supplemental form as well HERE.

    Also as a reminder, check out the all-natural and fine-tuned DAO supplements that we just featured recently on our AM Coffee.Excellent addition to your daily routine.

    Check natural de-stressors HERE one time more for your mind to glance over and reflect what works for YOU.

    hormones, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva, stress, destress

  8. Laura, Celebrate Woman Today says

    Enter to Win Prizes by Damiva by Entering the Form in the Post, Scroll Up to the post itself!

    hormones, health, amcoffee, am coffee, damiva

    • Rebecca Swenor says

      The Damiva products are amazing and have helped so many women. Chia Chia Sun Thank you for sharing these awesome products and sharing your knowledge with all of us.

  9. joann tompkinswinborn says

    thanks for the opportunity – but thanks even more for sharing the information in today’s #AMCoffee!

  10. Kelly Connors says

    thank you so much for adding me to this group i am understanding a lot more and it is making so much more sense to me

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