40 MIDLIFE MANNESS
Wedding Vow(el)s Consonants
Today’s relationship advice brought to you by the letters ‘A’ and ‘H’. 42 {www.finallyat40.com.au}
Finally at 40 | Life Begins
40 HEALTH
WILD ABOUT
A
S I SIT AND WRITE THIS ARTICLE, I AM REMEMBERING MY GRANDMOTHER. SHE ALWAYS HAD PRUNES IN HER HOME AND PASSED HER LOVE OF THE SWEET, HEALTHY FRUIT ON TO MY MOTHER, WHO STILL HAS A HANDFUL OF PRUNES EACH DAY. MUM WORSHIPS PRUNES – SHE IS THOROUGHLY CONVINCED THEY HAVE KEPT HER WELL THROUGHOUT HER LIFETIME. Prunes are dried European plums. The great thing about dried fruit is that it is available all year round. As a child, I simply liked the taste of prunes and ate them whenever my grandmother did. It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I realized how nutritionally potent these little gems are. Since then, I have continued to buy and eat them regularly. We all know that prunes are great if you are constipated but did you know that prunes are also: t )JHI JO 7JUBNJO " #FUB $BSPUFOF t 3JDI JO .BHOFTJVN 1PUBTTJVN t 3JDI JO $PQQFS .BOHBOFTF
12 {www.finallyat40.com.au}
t " TPVSDF PG TPMVCMF BOE JOTPMVCMF mCSF t " IJHI TPVSDF PG JSPO t " HSFBU XBZ UP SFEVDF XBUFS SFUFOUJPO t (SFBU GPS JNQSPWJOH TLJO CBMBODF t " OBUVSBM XBZ UP BTTJTU XJUI haemorrhoids t (SFBU GPS NBJOUBJOJOH IFBMUIZ FZFTJHIU
by Susan Gianevsky Susan is an award winning homeopath and Ambassador in Women’s Health for Martin and Pleasance. She is passionate about Women’s Health and health in general. www.martinandpleasance.com www.befreenow.com.au
The mighty prune is also excellent in assisting with weight loss. Because prunes are a rich source of potassium and magnesium, they help to reduce sugar cravings, making them the ideal snack food. The fact that they are also rich in dietary fibre means they leave you feeling nice and full so you don’t overeat. The insoluble dietary fibre in prunes also contributes to the growth of certain useful bacteria, creating a natural probiotic in the intestines, while the manganese promotes a number of enzymatic actions in your digestive tract, assisting your overall health and wellbeing. So, next time you need to kick start your health, don’t go past eating a couple of prunes each day. We owe so much to this amazing fruit... Enjoy! f40
Finally at 40 | Life Begins
40 HEALTH IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT URINE TESTING ALSO PROVIDES EXCELLENT HORMONE ASSESSMENT. HOWEVER DUE TO CHALLENGES WITH 24-HOUR COLLECTION AND COST, SALIVARY TESTING TENDS TO BE THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR MOST INTEGRATIVE PRACTITIONERS.
O
My Hormones have gone Haywire…
Help!
Is the saliva test or a blood test best in measuring hormone levels? Should you be taking a swab at home, or having a jab in the lab? And if you do go for the jab, is this going to give your doctor reliable information to diagnose and treat your hormone deficiencies? Leading women’s health naturopath, herbalist, registered nurse and integrative medicine practitioner, Lisa Bennett, answers these questions and more… 14 {www.finallyat40.com.au}
ften the brunt of many jokes by both sexes, hormones are the resident ‘friend’ or ‘foe’ depending on whether they are in check or if they are running rampant. So if we are at that stage of life when hormone imbalances are more common, what should we expect in the diagnosis process? During the lives of most women, a trip to the doctors for a blood hormone test is not uncommon. With the hope of answering a series of unexplained symptoms, most women will accept this test as a final interpretation of their presenting case. Believed to be ‘gold standard’, most conventional practitioners will rely totally upon this to aide in a diagnosis or to guide them with treatments. However, this practice may lead to both an incorrect diagnosis and treatment plan, so it pays for women to better understand how it all works. Hormone imbalances can inconveniently show up in a number of symptoms and health conditions. Often a sign of poor health, they need to be fully assessed and properly diagnosed to avoid unnecessary suffering, and prevent degenerative diseases. Unfortunately, for many hormone deficiencies, blood tests alone are inadequate. Most give only partial information about what is actually happening at the cellular level. They do give you an idea of the amount of hormones found in your blood, and possibly how much of it is available for uptake by the targeted cells, but this information may or may not reflect what is truly important. To date, hormone testing in blood is the standard medical technique for determining levels. However, it has Finally at 40 | Life Begins
40 STYLE
12
things you should know by now... AS WE WELCOME WINTER, WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BY THIS STAGE OF YOUR LIFE. HERE IS YOUR CHECKLIST:
1.
Your most flattering hairstyle. This doesn’t sound like a tough one but, trust me - not all hair stylists know what they’re doing. If your stylist doesn’t know you, your work and your lifestyle they will be below average on the scale. Your hair stylist is a major image-maker. They have to create a style that suits you as an individual but that also reflects how you earn your income. You can’t afford to get this wrong.
2.
Transform a business outfit from work to cocktail/dinner/drinks in
36 {www.finallyat40.com.au}
three simple steps. You are too busy to think about a complete change of clothing. You know that! But, never mind - your business suit will serve you well. The minute you change your earrings to add a little sparkle (diamonds or zircons that drop and dangle are perfect) you’ll be dressed for cocktails. Next, change your top to a simple silk cami. The sheen will transform your outfit into evening dress. Forget the cleavage, though - you are still in a work environment! Add a little depth to your lipstick, and you’re done.
Finally at 40 | Life Begins
While men need to learn that most important relationship skill - active listening women need to recognise that men are not as fast at talking and answering as we are.
society. For generations, growing boys have been discouraged from expressing their feelings. It can be a daunting learning task for men to embrace and express their emotions. Herein lies the key to so much miscommunication, frustration and hurt. But the good news is that we are not stuck. Both the male and female brains have the same capacity to learn. While men need to learn that most important relationship skill - active listening - women need to recognise that men are not as fast at talking and answering as we are. We need to learn to step back and give our partners time. We need to learn to own and control our emotions, and communicate them factually, quietly and assertively. This requires a lot of skill, particularly when we are feeling emotional. But we need to remember it is not enough to hint - we have to speak up clearly. Learning the art of solving our differences with skill and love will reward us all – both men and women - greatly. Our sex lives will flourish and make us feel connected, happy, and give us a sense of belonging together. In short - as we merge the yin and yang, we create a harmony of the spheres. f40
by Heidi McConkey Heidi McConkey is a registered professional counsellor and clinical sex therapist who is down to earth, witty and easy to talk to, with specialisations in a broad range of sex related subjects. www.affirmotive.com www.sexaddictionaustralia.com.au
Finally at 40 | Life Begins
{www.finallyat40.com.au} 39