NOWW - Northern Ontario Women's Wellness

01/15/2023

Headaches and Hormones:

Changing hormone levels can influence headache patterns, for example, the drop in estrogen levels right before your period may bring on a headache especially if you are prone to migraines. Hormonal contraception such as the birth control pill can worsen or can improve your headaches. It is generally advised however that women who have migraines with aura avoid the birth control pill. High levels of estrogen during pregnancy may help with migraines but tension headaches won’t improve. During perimenopause and menopause migraines can become more frequent and severe because hormone levels fluctuate unevenly. Hormone therapy may help to improve your headaches.

Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise. Stay hydrated, limit stress and keep a diary to track your headaches. Biofeedback, acupuncture and over the counter medications such as NSAID’s can help deal with headaches. Your health care provider can also prescribe medications such as Triptans or other pain meds to help treat your headaches.

Northern Ontario Women’s Wellness provides leading women's health expertise and is Northern Ontari

01/01/2023

Season's Greetings and Happy New Year. Wishing you and yours a healthy and prosperous new year. From all of us at NOWW

12/18/2022

It's Time To Address The Elephant in the Room

Check out our article on prolapse in the Winter edition of 50+ Lifestyle Magazine.

https://www.gosheniteservices.com/50plusmagazine/issues/

Northern Ontario Women’s Wellness provides leading women's health expertise and is Northern Ontari

12/04/2022

Caffeine and Menopause

News flash (or hot flash!) There may be a link between caffeine and the most common menopausal symptom – the dreaded hot flash.

According to the Mayo Clinic, research has shown there may be a link between caffeine consumption and vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes). Researchers have found that postmenopausal women who drank caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or soda regularly experienced more hot flashes than those who didn’t. This did not happen to premenopausal or perimenopausal women.

So if you drink caffeinated products and are bothered by troublesome hot flashes, consider cutting back to see if this makes a difference.

11/20/2022

Long acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)

IUD’s and Implants are the most effective reversible contraceptive methods. Recently in Canada a new implant has become available called NEXPLANON. It is a small, flexible plastic rod which is inserted into the inside of the upper arm by your health care provider and releases a steady dose of a progestational hormone. This hormone suppresses ovulation, thickens cervical mucus and thins the lining of the uterus. It is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy and is good for three years. The device is inserted in the office using local freezing and measures 4cm in length and 1/8 inch in diameter. It is easily removed as well. If you’re interested in NEXPLANON, you can contact your health care provider for a referral to a trained practitioner in your area.

11/06/2022

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has released their 2022 position statement on hormone therapy in menopause. Check out our article in the 50+ Lifestyle Magazine for a brief summary: https://www.gosheniteservices.com/50plusmagazine/issues/

For more detailed information visit the NAMS website:
https://www.menopause.org/

10/09/2022

09/25/2022

Monday September 26 is World Contraception Day

In 1994, delegates at the International Conference on Population and Development affirmed the Programme of Action which recognized reproductive health and rights, including voluntary family planning, as “foundational to development” and that “women’s empowerment and gender equality are necessary for societies to advance.” Women who plan their families have more opportunities to realize their potential. Yet millions of women around the world are not using safe, modern methods of contraception. The UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Their mission statement is “to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. For more information please see www.unfpa.org

08/28/2022

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for bone health, insulin production and immune function. Vitamin D is produced in the skin through absorption of UVB radiation from sunlight. How much time required in sunlight depends on time of day, geographical location, amount of skin exposed, skin colour and wearing sunscreen. According to the Vitamin D Council, 15 minutes of sun exposure per day for a person with light skin or a couple of hours for a person with dark skin will supply the body with it’s daily Vitamin D requirements. Certain foods can also supply Vitamin D such as Fatty fish (salmon, sardines), fortified milk, yogurt or orange juice, eggs. The Canadian guideline for daily recommended intake of Vitamin D for children, adults up to 70 and during pregnancy and breast feeding is 600 IU. Adults over 71 should have 800 IU. These levels have been set at values to ensure that sun exposure is not necessary in order to obtain enough Vitamin D. If you’re concerned about whether you’re getting enough Vitamin D, talk to your health care provider about whether a supplement might be right for you.

08/14/2022

Nutrition Tips for Breastfeeding Moms:

If you’re breastfeeding, you may have questions about how your diet affects your breast milk. You don’t have to go on a special diet to breastfeed. Concentrate on making healthy choices. The food you eat affects the flavor of breast milk and this might help your baby accept solid foods down the road. However, certain foods or drink can cause your baby to become fussy or develop a rash or diarrhea. If you suspect something you eat might be affecting your baby, avoid that food for a week and see if it makes a difference.

Limit alcohol. It takes 2-3 hours for 12 ounces of 5% beer (or 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 40% liquor) to clear your system. Avoid drinking more than 2-3 cups of caffeinated drinks a day as caffeine may agitate your baby or affect your baby’s sleep. Avoid fish high in mercury like swordfish and king mackerel. Limit sugary drinks and juices.

Choose foods rich in iron, protein and calcium. You might need to eat a little more – an additional 300 calories a day. Consider a multivitamin and mineral supplement.

07/31/2022

Check out our article in the 50+Lifestyle Magazine Summer edition: "Exercising for Women over 59 - What to do and what to avoid"
https://www.gosheniteservices.com/50plusmagazine/issues/

07/17/2022

Nutrition for Women Over 50

These tips from the Mayo Clinic can help ensure that you’re getting the nutrients you need to help combat the most common changes caused by aging.

1. Calcium for bone health. Women over 50 need 1200mg of Calcium daily. This includes supplements and diet.
2. Protein for muscle mass due to the natural aging process that causes loss of muscle. Experts recommend 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of your weight.
3. Vitamin B12 which is essential for red blood cell production and brain function. Women over 50 should take in 2.4 micrograms of B12 a day.

Make whole foods the major part of your diet and drink plenty of water for a healthy, happy life.