Beautiful scenery, a higher calorie burn, and a toned lower body are just a few things to look forward to when you start running outside. But if you don't play it safe, then you can just as easily be looking at a slew of new injuries, frustrations, and unmet expectations. Stay safe and make sure that your first outdoor runs are your best yet with these tips.

No. 1: Pick the Road More Traveled

When starting out, the last thing you want to worry about is getting lost. Before even lacing up your sneakers, do some research: ask friends where they like to run, use online running forums to find popular routes, and check to see if your park has designated trails. The more popular and visible the trail, the better. Popular routes tend to have clearly defined pathways, they are often well-lit, and there's safety in numbers by choosing a trail that's frequented by fellow runners. If you're feeling nervous, then opt to walk the route first, or ask a friend to go running with you. Wherever your run takes you, make sure to follow these basic running tips that will help keep you safe and out of harm's way.

No. 2: Start Slow (and Soft)

Aside from having to deal with what nature throws at you, running without the momentum of a treadmill is also more taxing on the body. The muscles have to work harder to push the body forward, and the joints take more of a beating from running on uneven (and harder) terrain. When you first begin running outdoors, don't expect — or even challenge yourself — to run as fast or as long as you do on a treadmill. Give your body time to adjust by gradually replacing treadmill runs with some that are outdoors, and keep your first handful of runs on the shorter side. You can pick up the pace and add mileage as your body acclimates. To make the transition easier on your joints and avoid injury, start by running on softer surfaces like grass, a track, or a wooded trail.

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No. 3: There's More to It Than Just Running

At its simplest, running is about one foot in front of the other, but your regimen should include more than just runs. Running on a treadmill allows for convenient notifications to warm up and cool down — not something that happens when you're outside. Being away from the gym also means there are fewer visual reminders to stretch and strength train, which are important components of any runner's routine. Prevent injury by always warming up the muscles with a brisk five-minute walk, and remember to cool down by slowly decreasing your pace and following that up with some running-specific stretches. Lastly, don't forget to strength train! Since the body works harder when running outside, the muscles and joints need to be able to handle the challenge to ward off any overuse injuries. Check out these essential strength-training moves for runners.

No. 4: Sometimes You Just Need Support

If you've followed all of the previous advice, but still find yourself struggling with pain or overuse injuries, it doesn't hurt to see a sports doctor, running coach, or physical therapist to have your running gait checked. It wasn't until I saw a PT that I realized I severely overpronate when I run. Since seeing a doctor, I've switched to more stable running shoes and have also learned how to tape up the arches of my foot for longer runs where I need extra support. By having your own gait analyzed, you will be able to figure out what kind of runner you naturally are and learn what tweaks you can make to improve your form and time on the road.

A little bit of exercise really does go a long way. So, even if you can only squeeze in a few minutes here and there, if you do a few intense and effective moves, you'll notice a difference.

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Here's a fun way to ensure those short little workouts happen. Grab a whiteboard and hang it in a place you walk by every day, like your living room or next to the TV. Write down five to 10 basic moves — I did bodyweight moves, but you can also do ones using dumbbells, a kettlebell, a TRX, an exercise ball, or a resistance band. Keep these the same, or change them up every few days to prevent boredom. Put the numbers one through three in front of each exercise — do these in permanent marker to save yourself time later. Every time you complete one set of each, cross off the number.

Complete the moves when you can, but just aim to cross everything off by the time you hop into bed. Maybe you only have time to fit in one set of each of the five moves. So, do them three times a day. Or, you have 15 minutes while your veggies roast for dinner and you want to pick and choose a few sets of each. Or, maybe you want to do them all at once while watching some late-night TV. The goal here is to get moving a little each day — just think of how accomplished you'll feel once everything is crossed off!

Can't seem to make it to the gym these days? Stop with the excuses, and let these 20 lazy-girl-approved tips keep you on track all season long.

1. Keep it short: Always opt for a short and intense workout over a longer one where you don't push yourself. HIIT it, then quit it.
2. Get it out of the way: Start your day with a workout so you don't have a chance to skip it later. This one is great for all the procrastinating lazy ladies out there.
3. Two birds, one stone: Cardio and strength training don't have to happen separately. Combine them in one workout like this 30-minute printable for a killer workout.
4. Hit the floor: Yes, you can lie on the floor and still get an awesome workout. These lazy-girl-approved moves are proof.
5. Double TV time: Your commercial breaks are mini workouts that add up after an hour or two of your favorite shows. Try this three-minute workout the next time you want to binge on the tube.
6. Socialize: Grab friends for your next class. Scheduling a fitness date will make you more likely to stick with the game plan. No one likes to bail on someone they love.
7. Pack up early: Get your gear ready to go the night before your workout. That way you don't have to rush around right before your workout . . . or end up skipping it altogether.
8. Change your commute: Ride your bike or walk for a portion or all of your commute. Makings things active will help you burn calories and keep you off public transportation for as long as possible.
9. Multitask the mundane: You can always sneak in some exercise. Move through calf raises when you're standing in a long line or waiting for the bus, and move through this two-minute workout you can do while brushing your teeth.

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10. Enjoy your snack: The right pre-workout snack can fuel you up for better performance at your next workout. Try one of these and enjoy.
11. Go slow: You don't have to look like the Energizer Bunny during every workout. Turn up the resistance, slow things down, and you'll feel the burn big-time.
12. Drink up: More water helps your body burn more fat, and being properly hydrated improves your workout performance. Sip on H2O all day long.
13. Make it routine: When your workout feels like second nature, you won't be as tempted to skip it. Keep your routine consistent every week, and start feeling results.
14. Lift a little: If you're all cardio and no strength training, you're not going to see the changes you're after. These beginner-friendly dumbbell exercises are a great place to start.
15. Go for 10: Even if you're not going to commit to a full workout, take 10 minutes and work out with one of these videos. Short workouts still count!
16. Stay caffeinated: Too tired to hit the gym? Turn up with a few sips of coffee or green tea. You'll get your energy back on track, and caffeine has been linked to better workout performance.
17. Cruise your feed: Start following fitness stars like Kayla Itsines and Hannah Bronfman, who will fill up your Instagram feed with a ton of motivation. It's hard not to want to work out after looking at these ladies!
18. Hire outside help: Sign up for boutique classes with an awesome instructor, or hire a personal trainer for a handful of sessions at the gym. They'll keep you on track and revitalize your routine.
19. Reward yourself: All work with no reward does not suit the lazy girl. Whether it's a piece of chocolate, new gear, or one hour of pure relaxation, give yourself a gold star after you put in the work.
20. Stay in bed: You need those seven to nine hours every night to keep you energized throughout the day and during your workout — just another good excuse to linger a little longer.

When you find someone who loves you for who you are as a person, no matter what you look like or how much you weigh, hold on tight and never let them go. Lee Jordan learned this lesson over the course of the past 30 years, when he found love again at 450 pounds.

Lee: Before

We had the chance to talk with Lee about love, life, and a stunning 300-pound weight loss. But his health journey was about so much more than the numbers (although the numbers are inspiring). Let's take a look at his transformation, his healthy tips, and his epic, movie-script-status love story with Beth.

Lee's struggle with obesity peaked at 450 pounds around 2007, but his story begins long before that; in fact, it begins in the early '80s with his high school sweetheart, Beth.

They met at their church when they were 15 and 16, and Beth always saw Lee for who he was on the inside: a goodhearted person with a passion for helping others. It probably didn't hurt that in the early '80s he had "flowing golden-blond hair" and was in "great physical condition." The two were so inseparable that Lee followed Beth to college, and they were a couple throughout those years as well.

Nearing senior year, it became evident that the two were headed down different paths. Lee noted that he was into a "recreational party lifestyle" centered around drinking that tore him away from Beth, who had been focused on school and a future career in the FBI. It was that rift in lifestyles and change in direction that caused this meant-to-be couple to split up, in what he called "a clean break."

Lee and Beth: College

Decades went by, and there was a void in Lee's heart. Feeling he had missed his shot with a dream girl, he focused on his career and didn't date, all the while pining for Beth, kicking himself for making such a mistake. "I let partying get in the way," he said. "I lost that love . . . it was earth shattering."

"I don't know how many 5-foot-8, 450-pound people you know, but at that weight, you're a walking prison."

During this time, Lee also turned to food as an emotional comfort. Through yo-yo dieting, Lee dealt with severe weight fluctuations. "I'd gain 100 pounds, lose it, then gain 200 pounds, lose 100, gain another 300 . . . I was at my peak at 450 pounds."

That's when things got bad; Lee was dealing with morbid obesity. "I was on every kind of medication; I had high cholesterol, hypertension, full-blown diabetes, COPD . . . I was a train wreck. I don't know how many 5-foot-8, 450-pound people you know, but at that weight, you're a walking prison."

At the same time Lee was hitting his peak weight and worst health, Beth reached out with a hand-written letter — after 20 years. Through a bit of back and forth via "snail mail," as he called it, Beth told Lee she wanted to see him.

As you can imagine, Lee didn't really want Beth to see him in such a state. "At that weight, you can barely move, you can barely get up a curb, you can't get into most cars . . . just walking, sitting in places, being in places . . . everything is a train wreck." He mentioned that his flowing golden locks were gone, and he was now bald, too. This was not the Lee that Beth would remember from college.

"It's hard to understand unless you've experienced it," he said. "People look at you, and they can't hide it. They look at you with shock and horror, or distaste and disdain, or terrible pity. It was difficult for me to handle emotionally. I wasn't willing to face that." And who could blame him? All these years he was pining for Beth, and finally, two decades later, she was ready to see him, but he wasn't ready to see her. "The last time she had seen me was 1985; I was 165 pounds, with long, flowing blond hair; now I'm 450 pounds, lugging an oxygen machine, and bald." The irony in all this? Beth was in town for a fitness convention.

Lee: After

After a bit of resistance and Lee telling Beth he couldn't see her a couple times, Beth persisted. She wasn't ready to give up. "The turning point was when we met at Starbucks," said Lee. Terrified to see what her expression would be upon seeing him, Lee mustered his courage and headed to coffee with his long-lost love.

"She looked at me, and she just saw Lee Jordan . . there was no pity, there was no shock, there was no horror . . . there was just love and acceptance of me as a human being." (It's OK if you're crying; we are too). "Beth has this unique ability to see people from the inside out, and that's what she did with me."

Lee and Beth: Their Wedding

Lee describes this moment as a turning point thanks to "the transformative power of hope." He told us, "People always say that when you hit rock bottom and when there's enough pain, you change. That's not true."

"Hope is the transformative power that gets you through the door of change. Beth gave me the hope to turn the corner . . . she gave me a reason to live."

It's not true for Lee, because rock bottom did nothing to help him change. "Pain might get you to the door of change . . . I was given two years to live; if pain was going to change me, pain would've changed me the first time I was hospitalized, or when the heart surgeon walked into my hospital room and said, 'You're too big to fit in the machine.' If embarrassment was going to do it, it would've been done. Pain only gets you to the door."

"Hope is the transformative power that gets you through the door of change," he said. "Beth gave me the hope to turn the corner and to move down the path; she gave me a reason to live, something to move toward. Her ability to accept me gave me hope."

Lee had come to find out that Beth had gone through some serious physical hardships, too. A few years prior, she fractured her L5 vertebra in her spine and herniated a disc, leaving her unable to walk. She was told she needed surgery, but the surgery would affect her physical abilities for the rest of her life. Beth refused, and instead turned to an "anti-inflammatory diet" and exercise. Her holistic approach had allowed her to completely rehabilitate herself (unreal!), and as such, it ignited a deep love for health and fitness. She was the perfect person to help Lee get healthy again.

Lee and Beth: Now

Through years of work together, Lee and Beth are in the best shape of their lives. "In the process, Beth and I grew closer, and ultimately became man and wife," Lee told us.

With the help of coaches, Beth, and a whole lot of determination, Lee lost all the weight — starting with the smallest of baby steps. His first form of exercise? Walking down the hall for 30 seconds. "When you're that big, it's an Olympic event to put clothes on," he said. He recalls his first victory: "Walking 0.15 miles down the road to Starbucks from my apartment. It was such a big deal that my close friend drove over an hour to come do it with me."

"I was trapped in a body like that, but because Beth came into my life and looked at me and said 'I just see you, and we can do this,' . . . my life was able to change."

Over the course of three years, he continued to build strength, and now his favorite forms of exercises include "interval bodywork training," TRX, boot camps, and cross training. Today Lee weighs 150 pounds.

"I was trapped in a body like that, but because Beth came into my life and looked at me and said 'I just see you, and we can do this,' . . . my life was able to change. How could I not invest everything I have to helping people?"

After pursuing a degree in behavioral science, Lee decided to take what he learned to help others who were dealing obesity. Now, Lee and Beth are both certified trainers, and in addition to their own individual programs and clients, they run a women's boot camp together in Florida called Beth's Boot Camp, which has been sold out with a waiting list for the past four years.

Lee's advice for your own journey? Forget the "go big or go home" mentality. "You actually accomplish extraordinary things with ordinary actions done daily. It's consistency, not intensity . . . it's frequency that makes the changes happen. I'm sure you've heard go big or go home; we like to say go small or go home." Beth echoed that sentiment, saying, "Consistency is your BFF." All it takes is showing up regularly to your workout and giving it a good, moderate intensity. "I'm a firm believer in just showing up. Just show up every day."

It's hard to sum up how astounding and unreal Lee's journey is, but we think he did a pretty good job of it himself: "I went from morbid obesity, having two years to live, and being connected to oxygen, to being a subject-matter expert with American Council on Exercise, writing a new certification program on weight management, and being a featured industry speaker at Idea World on health coaching."

Don't trash your well-loved fitness tracker just yet! RD Julie Upton, cofounder of Appetite For Health, shares five ways your tracker can actually help with dropping pounds.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that overweight participants in a diet study who wore fitness trackers actually lost less weight, compared to those who followed the same diet and exercise plan, albeit without any wearable monitoring devices.
While the dieters wearing trackers lost 7.7 pounds in two years, those who didn't have fitness monitors lost 13 pounds. Even though previous research has reported that wearable technology can motivate people to help them lose weight, the authors of this study point out that those studies were short-term and had limited participants.

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If you live by the data from your Fitbit, Jawbone, or other device, here are five ways to use it to help you peel off pounds:

Focus on Food First, Exercise Second

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, studies consistently show that diet is more important than exercise. In fact, trying to lose weight through exercise alone is a lousy idea because food packs in so many many calories relative to what you burn off from exercise. And, when it comes to behaviors associated with weight loss, frequent weigh-ins, limiting or avoiding alcohol, and monitoring what you eat are three common keys to success.

Avoid Food Rewards

How many times have you rewarded yourself after noticing how many steps you had or how many calories you burned? Speaking to NPR, the lead researcher of the JAMA study, John Jakicic, PhD, explained: "People would say, 'Oh, I exercised a lot today, now I can eat more.' And they might eat more than they otherwise would have."
According to registered dietitian James Stevens, MS, RD, "Even though trackers easily show you how many calories you've burned, they can't tell you the other side of the energy balance equation — how many calories you've eaten. You need to pay more attention to the 'calories in' portion of the equation to see the scale budge. Just one or two poor food choices can negate all the extra calories burned from exercise." Instead, use non-food "rewards" to celebrate success, like a mani/pedi, reading a chapter in a new book, taking a long bath, downloading new music, or sleeping in!

Be More Mindful

According to Andreas Michaelides, PhD, chief psychology officer at Noom Inc. (a wellness app with a personalized coaching element), trackers alone aren't the best way to help you achieve weight-loss success because they're a passive approach to monitoring, so your brain doesn't fully acknowledge your diet and exercise behaviors. "Being more involved and mindful around eating and exercise is an important part of achieving weight-loss success." To use your tracker in a more meaningful and engaged way, use its web-based interface to download and monitor your activity as well as your daily food intake

Personalize Your Device

For more accurate measures of activity and calories, be sure to enter your age, sex, height, and weight into your tracker when setting it up. These data impact the computations that trackers make to more accurately determine calories burned. Also, as a general rule, wear the device on your non-dominant arm/wrist, because research shows when devices are worn on the dominant hand/arm, they may overestimate activity and calories burned.

It's All Relative

Most monitoring devices — bathroom scales, diet trackers, gym equipment, or wearable fitness trackers — have margins or error. The best way to use data from any device is to consider it relative and compare it to yesterday, last week, last month, or last year. If you see that the scale isn't budging and can tell that your activity has dropped or stalled — you know you need to move more (or eat less or both) to peel off pounds.

The Twenty Four Hour fitness center is like your one stop shop to everything about fitness and your well-being. Imagine it as the Walmart of the fitness industry. Twenty Four Hour fitness centers are located in a number of areas in the state. All of them have equipments which cater to weight training as well as cardio vascular equipments. A variety of fitness gear is also available. Twenty Four Hourfitness centers all have locker rooms and – believe it or not – baby sitting accommodations. Over all, the Twenty Four Hour fitness center is a complete, clean and extremely well maintained facility that especially caters to all your fitness wants, needs and preferences.

Join Us

It is very easy to get started on your path to fitness. Twenty Four Hour fitness centers have over three hundred clubs located in the whole nation and is open for twenty four hours. There is no long term contract to sign up in. You have the option to pay monthly, but you are offered a complete personal training package that suits your body type, body weight and built so you are ensured with a service that is truly personalized.

Which club do you belong in?

Twenty Four Hour fitness center gives you the option to choose the specific type of club that you desire. The active club involves a group exercise as well as free weights and cardio machines to work off that fat. The sport club also includes everything in the active club but with additions such as basketball, heated pools and whirlpool. The super-sport club also includes the amenities found those in the active club and the sport club but with more additions such as massages, a sauna as well as a steam room. The ultra sport club is the works. It includes most of the amenities found in the active, sport and super sport club, plus a day spa, courts for racquetball as well as an executive locker room.

The Path to Performance

It all depends on what you want to achieve. In Twenty Four Hour fitness centers, a uniquely specialized fitness program is available to anyone who simply wants to improve their performance in a specific sport or is seriously training for competition. The program is designed by athletes.

The Performance program includes a menu plan specifically customized for those intense workouts. A resistance training is also available as well as a full cardio workout. After your exercise, a metabolic rate test is conducted.

This program is designed for those who wants to get started as soon as possible but has no clear and specific idea how. This is clearly the best option for them because all the information on nutrition, resistance training is learned through this program. This is the foundation one needs in order to have results that would last your body a lifetime.

The Components of Fitness

A regular exercise, an intense workout is just part and parcel of your path to health, fitness and well-being. There are other factors that should just as well play a part and which Twenty Four Hour fitness center teaches you.

Food intake is one of them. A menu is provided to those who follow the performance path. This details what you should or should not eat, or at least eat less of, if not completely avoid. Cardio is also one as this enhances your endurance to stress and exercise. Vitamins and supplements are a necessity unless you are sure that you are able to receive the proper amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C or D or E in a day. If not, it is best to take them in. Resistance training is a feather in your fitness cap and is a necessary tool for being healthy, wealthy and wise.

Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/17448/the-24-hour-fitness-path/

Just thinking about the title is bringing on a hot flash.  I am mad at menopause and although I am excited about being in the 50 club, I am not enjoying the hormonal changes that my body is experiencing right now.    I will be talking very candidly about my experience with hormone changes and my body in this blog, and this is not meant to offend anyone, but this is a subject that many are afraid to discuss out of embarrassment, fear, and the belief that these things are to be the “kept secret” of women.  I say bullshit to that.  Health involves discussing all things as it relates to the human body and aging, and I for one am all about sharing, learning, and getting feedback from others on the subject.

LIFE SAVER

I have been frantically researching hormone imbalance for a few years now, have tried supplementation, herbals, transdermal creams, and natural moisturizers at an attempt to restore balance in my body.  I am very aware of the foods that help with hormone balance and eat my share of raw pumpkin seeds and watermelon.  Being a trainer and walking the talk of my profession and passion, I exercise consistently which is another way to help with the stresses of hormone imbalance.  Some women may sail right through without a hitch in the get along, but not this girl, and through my research I have discovered I am not alone in a big way with those that are suffering. 

I began experiencing night sweats years ago, which I easily managed with a transdermal OTC progesterone cream, and that seemed to be the biggest drag of my premenopausal time.  However and for a few years now, my periods began to dictate when they would come, or not, and if I would need super plus everything or not.  I do not know from one month to the next if I am in full menopause.   According to my doctor, I am required to not have a cycle for one full year.  Also, I enjoy my gynecologist and have to say she is easy to talk to, and I respect her opinion and am able to share my desire to go through this process as natural as possible.  The thing about most western medicine doctors is non-support of bio-identical hormones, and they are generally not covered by insurance.  So be prepared for such roadblocks, but also do not be afraid to be yourself and cover every concern with your doctor.

Menopause has been a thief of my womanhood, has plagued me with sleepless nights, is cooking me from the inside out, caused frequent UTIs, and the worst part … a broken “ya-ya”.  This may sound funny, but I am at the point of frustration and working very hard at making the best decisions for me and my body.  I am sure that many can relate to what I am sharing and I am hoping for lots of comments so that we can all support and share what has worked or not worked.  This can no longer be a hide behind the door subject, but as women, it is important to be brave, embrace who we are, what we are going through, and create a voice for answers.  I will get off my soap box now and dive right into my journey of being mad at menopause.

The dreaded hot flash comes at all hours of the day and night, and for some reason, I am bothered most at night.  It is so frustrating to not get a full night sleep and that alone can really put me on edge.  I have discovered that I am best under a light sheet with one leg covered and one leg exposed.  I also sleep with the ceiling fan going which seems to help.  Lord help me if I have a glass of wine in the evening as that will trigger a hot flash before I finish the glass and will definitely haunt me during sleep time, so the key is to stay away from the triggers. What has helped, and with my doctor’s recommendation, with many of my symptoms is Maca Root powder, an herbal that I mix in my green shake each day.  Before taking the product, I put in the necessary research of pros and cons, and decided to give it a go.  What I am sharing has worked and not worked for me, and it is important for each of us to be our own health care advocates and not jump into the “try this” without putting in the research time.  Do not take my word as gospel, as my body is different than yours, and what I share is helpful and informative, and hopefully a motivation to start your own journey of research.  

Moving on to other mad at menopause symptoms: decreased sexual sensitivity, increased bladder discomfort and UTIs, and the dreaded “dry vagina” or what I like to call the broken ya-ya.  Talk about the worst of the worst and are you kidding me??  This has got to be the most unfair situation ever as sex is a very important part of a healthy marital relationship, and we as women need to feel confident about our bodies, our abilities, and not feel guarded about the act because our minds get so focused on things like:   “will I orgasm, am I too dry, will it hurt too much, it is too much trouble … and the list can go on and on”.  Personally, I refuse to be a woman on the edge with the inability to get over the fence and I am referring to orgasm here.  I enjoy this part of my life in a very positive way so research focused in this area has been very thorough.  I have discovered a new vaginal suppository with a coconut oil and vitamin E makeup that works better than most of the OTC products out there.  I use ½ a suppository daily and that keeps me naturally moisturized for the day and into the evening.  My goal is to prevent vaginal atrophy and yes this is what occurs during menopause and in laymen terms, we women start drying up like a prune with a sandpaper interior that clearly states “do not enter or else”.  I refuse to allow any such nonsense to happen, and am fighting for my sexual right as a woman and wife.

Decreased sensitivity during sex can also occur as the body no longer carries the blood supply to the vaginal tissue and clitoris.  Research sent me to L-arginine supplementation which is an amino acid naturally occurring in our body, and studies have shown help with blood supply and flow to the sex organs.  Well, this turned out to be a huge waist of my time, and contributed to cold sores which I can be prone and my research lead me to discover that although it may assist with increased blood supply, L-arginine use also stimulates the virus causing cold sores and so that really ticked me off.  I tossed that out and refused to walk around with a mouth full of hurt in order to supply my other lips. Thank goodness I also keep a supply of Lysine, an immunity boosting amino acid which works to prevent cold sores and I increased the dose to counter act the negative side effects of the L-arginine.  L-arginine will not be a part of my program. 

Another unfortunate menopause related problem that occurs with me has been severe bouts of UTI (urinary tract infection) type symptoms that will wake me in the middle of the night, send me to the floor, and in a fetal position.  I have a low-dose antibiotic on standby when these events occur, OTC Cystex, and cranberry supplements.  I found that a heating pad also helps along with OTC pain reliever like Aleve.  Also, I begin a protocol of increased water and additional 100% cranberry juice to flush out my system.  I am very in tune to my body and can feel when this starts coming on so many of the times I do catch it early and am able to not lose too much time or days off work.  The night may suck getting the symptoms calmed down, but once manageable, I can function pretty well at work and in general. 

I have also looked into HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and currently researching bio-identicals which is still HRT, but with hormone closely related to our own body production.  I have decided I will not take any systemic estrogen by mouth because I do not want the hormone to metabolize through my liver and into my bloodstream.  The incidence of cancer is greater with such therapy so this door is forever closed for me.  I am trying a vaginal insert pill of very low dose estrogen which is localized to the vaginal tissues and in an effort to plump up and restore natural vaginal lubrication and reduction of UTI issues.  I even had doubts and fears regarding cancer with the vaginal insert, but after discussion with natural doctors, and those doctors prescribing bio-identical hormone, their first course of treatment is this very thing: vaginal cream, pill, or ring.  My online research also reduced my fears, and I am willing to give it a go for a few months and am hoping for a positive outcome.  I will need to report back with my personal findings.  I do welcome feedback from women, or husbands whose wives are currently using vaginal insert low estrogen and how it has been helpful or not. 

I have had many discussions with women going through the same issues from menopause and that alone is a help that I am not alone.  It can feel like such a desperate and frustrating time not knowing the best course of action to take, and most important not to subject ourselves to cancer or other disease in the process of discovery.  It feels unfair that very little research and clinical studies into women’s dysfunction caused by menopause have not been completed so that we may have more options, and feel more confident in our decision making.  If anything, I hope my personal share on the subject has been helpful, and provides a comfort that you are not alone in your frustration.  Keep up the research and find what works best for you and your body.  We are all on this journey of life and the transitions along the way and all we can do is our best.  Take good care and Stay Healthy!

I dedicate this Blog to my fabulous husband who is always supportive and understanding.  Thanks Don for your patience, and always knowing the right words to say at just the right times.  I love you forever and a day!