Review - A Vibrant Nation Health Guide

Vibrant Nation is a wonderful on line community that extols the virtues and vibrancy of 50+ women. I am pleased to be a member and blogger with Vibrant Nation. Several published products are available on line from Vibrant Nation and I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the following:

Recognizing and Treating Menopause Symptoms: A 50+ woman’s guide to managing hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, depression, vaginal dryness, night sweats and other menopause symptoms

Description: Imagine your life without the hot flashes, irritability and stress. Are you overwhelmed by all the conflicting information from the media about recognizing and treating menopause symptoms? Get the facts about menopause from a source you can trust — www.vibrantnation.com. About the author: As director of the Center for Specialized Women’s Health at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Holly L. Thacker is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost experts in the world on menopause. Colleagues and patients alike recognize her as the quintessential physician-advocate for women and their health. She wrote Recognizing and Treating Menopause Symptoms in plain, easy-to-understand English specifically for Vibrant Nation members who're experiencing this new phase of life that’s often startling and unsettling.

REVIEW by Linda J. Pedley:

Getting the facts about any condition or concern is important to everyone but exploring all the known and little known facts about menopause is invaluable to all women approaching or in the throws of this stage of life. It is equally important to have this information in an easy to read and understandable format and that is what I discovered with the publication offered by Vibrant Nation on menopause. Dr. Holly L. Thacker, director of the Center for Specialized Women's Health, approaches this topic with a fresh and simple to follow process. The comprehensive guide, Recognizing and Treating Menopause Symptoms, is not only informative but it confirms support of me, as a woman now in menopause. It not only made me realize that I am not alone in this process but I am also an individual who cannot be lumped into the diagnoses of all women at this stage of life. My experience may be totally different from those around me or it may encompass all the known symptoms of this time of life. Dr. Thacker's renowned experience and ability to work one-on-one with patients allows her precious insight into the myriad of symptoms associated with this phase of life process.

Personally, I don't have a family point of reference to compare myself to for many reasons. Questions I may have had, came up long past the lives of my great-grandmother and grandmother; my mother had a hysterectomy when I was only in high school; recently, my sister's breast cancer diagnosis and hormone suppressing treatment put her unnaturally and immediately into menopause and she is three years younger than I am. At 53, I am lucky to report that I have no severe or annoying obvious symptoms and have been menopausal now for two years.

The Guide is a wealth of practical and right-to-the point information that will answer and address concerns for all women with questions on menopause. The most important confirmation for me was the fact that despite it being "something everyone goes through" I am still an individual and with the right guidance (information, doctor's advice, and lifestyle practices) I can still be a "vibrant and happy" woman.

To purchase a copy of the Guide or to get your free associated report, click on the links below:

Product Link: http://www.vibrantnation.com/store/recognizing-and-treating-menopause-symptoms-guide-to-managing-menopause-symptoms-from-vibrant-nation/

Associated Free Report: Top 5 Treatments for Vaginal Dryness and Dyspareunia (Sexual Intercourse Pain)
Free Report Link: http://www.vibrantnation.com/freemiums/top-5-treatments-for-vaginal-dryness-and-dyspareunia-sexual-intercourse-pain/

Weekend Report

So. I stressed all the way to the west end for this echocardiogram, thinking it might be a treadmill test of some kind vowing to accept failure if they needed me to run - no running with this body, it would kill my knees - anyway, traffic was crazy and I was trying to find a building I've never been to before all the while thinking "damn, don't make me run... I'm going to fail..." In reality, if I had read my test requisition thoroughly I would have realized it was under "ultrasound" and therefore does not require standing, let alone walking and running. Whew! Good thing they weren't taking my blood pressure.

IT was a bit uncomfortable lying there - hold that, lean this way, put your arm up there - then, I'm laughing to myself thinking "my god, there's something about everything, isn't there?" It could have been worse and it wasn't so bad. Tired me out, though, running about here and there. Went home none the worse for wear and had a nap. I will have to wait until the doc gets the results because they (the clinic) are not at liberty to say anything about people's tests - I don't expect to hear anything, really, I hope...

Ankles and feet seem to be doing much better although the swelling has not completely disappeared. At least I can slip my shoes off and on without employing a pry bar and a vice....... Water consumption - check. Awareness of food and eating habits - check. Realization that foods containing golden brown coating or color are bad for me and must be ousted from the diet. Checking. Realization that all my bad lifestyle habits were passed down to my daughter during the processes I used as a single parent with no time and money - and now we both try to make changes. Check out. Realization that changes must come from action - not speaking. Check, please.

I don't think that in the grand scheme of things there has been any gain (ooops, don't say that word) in monetary values although health values may increase - buying groceries that must consist of healthy foods costs money. We have in relation to that (or the other way around, rather) reduced our trips to fast food joints and therefore put that money to better things - like healthier foods from the grocery story. Let's face it, buying good bread, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fresh vs. canned... it's more expensive than indulging in the time saving burgers and fries. In the long run, of course, it's a trade off that is better for you but in the meantime $200 grocery bills are new to me.

The upside is, my horoscope for 2010 reads that " a renewed commitment to diet and health shows instant results this fall." Can't wait for that pile of fat at my feet in September! What can I trade for a pound of flesh these days?