Posts Tagged ‘womens health’
Perimenopause as Initiation: From “Make Baby” to “Make Wisdom”
If you believe in cultural conditioning, you may think of major hormonal transitions in a woman’s life – perimenopause and menopause – as an inconvenience to get through, burdensome, a problem to solve. You might be in the thick of perimenopause and wonder why you sometimes feel moody, bitchy, overwhelmed, irritable, fatigued, anxious, or one…
Read MoreWomen and Constipation: Why Is It More Common? (Part 1)
Many of my female patients suffer from constipation, but it is rarely the reason a woman visits her doctor. Yet research indicates constipation is approximately twice more common in women than in men. Constipation is like that one friend who takes forever to text back—frustrating, unpredictable, and way more common in women than men. In…
Read MoreMapping the Health Hazards of Being Female
The female body has been left behind by modern medicine. No wonder we are struggling from over-caring, over-giving, and over-functioning. Women are more stressed than ever before. Take a look at the telling statistics. While the root causes in part relate to biological differences in hormone levels, the X chromosome, and physiological states that men…
Read MoreOpioid Use and Misuse in Pregnancy: Clinical Issues, Alternatives, and Best Practices
Refill request. Refill request for opioids. When I practiced as a mainstream obstetrician/gynecologist, my heart would sink every time the opioid refill arrived in my inbox. I’d look up the electronic health record of the patient requesting the opioid, and if I saw “pregnancy” in her chart, my heart would sink further. Why? Because I…
Read MorePostpartum Anxiety: A Unique Problem Faced by Women
You’re thinking about the birth or just had a baby. You’re not ill, you’re thrilled about having a baby. You’re not depressed, but you’re on edge and worried about having so much responsibility for this beautiful, helpless baby. If you’re experiencing some of these feelings, you are not alone. In my 25 years of taking…
Read MoreA Woman's Natural Hormone Rhythm Explained
The female body definitely has a daily, monthly, seasonal hormonal rhythm–and problems arise when those natural rhythms are ignored, neglected, silenced, overpowered, or disconnected from environmental cues. A good example is the environmental cue of the light/dark cycle of each day. When you are disconnected from bright natural light in the morning, your sleep hormone…
Read MoreDoctor/Author: How I Landed in the Writer’s Seat
I am grateful for my career as a physician, treating patients in person and working with coaching clients online. My patients and clients inspire me to stretch in my understanding of the human body, to do more, and even share more. Now after the release of my third New York Times best-selling book, some of my tribe have…
Read MoreWhat Stress Does to Your Hormones, Plus 3 PROVEN Stress Management Strategies
Nothing wrecks your hormones faster than unmanaged stress. However, stress in and of itself is not a bad thing. A healthy dose of stress can motivate you to high levels of productivity and performance. The key is to manage your stress so that it doesn’t spiral out of control, and cause all sorts of health…
Read MoreDr. Sara's Top 3 Questions: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
When it comes to female hormonal conditions, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is probably one you’ve heard of. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women of childbearing age have PCOS. That means someone in your female tribe – sister, friend, co-worker –…
Read MoreHormone Questions? Ask Your Doctor These 6 Things
In a world where doctor visits are usually too short and overly expensive, there’s nothing more empowering than being in charge of your own health. If you read my blog or follow my work, you know that my mission is to help women weed through the myths and mysteries to uncover the truth: how to…
Read More