10 gifts to give yourself this holiday
Fine-tune your healthy lifestyle with a help from these innovative products
After 40, general diet and lifestyle advice doesn’t cut it. Us midlife women need more assistance fine-tuning our healthy lifestyle due to aging pause.
In other words, It's important to focus on details we haven't considered before.
I’ve talked about various products before and thought this was a good time to list them. Plus, this time of year, many of us are thinking about how we can enhance our health and well-being in the New Year.
So here are 10 gifts to give to yourself or someone else you care about.
1. REMastered Sleep
When we think of exercise, we think of strengthening our muscles and the cardiovascular system. But also benefit from exercising our airway muscles, which include the mouth and throat. Because they, too, become weaker with aging pause.
As our airway muscles weaken, they are more likely to collapse when we sleep. For instance, the tongue falls back into the throat, limiting breathing and/or causing a vibration (snoring).
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) occurs when the upper airway experiences increased resistance to airflow, leading to snoring or heightened breathing. This can lead to decreased airflow or a temporary blockage, resulting in a pause in breathing. Sleep apnea is when we have 5 or more of these episodes. Regardless, any blockage of airflow can cause blood oxygen to drop, which increases oxidative stress and inflammation.
A company called REMastered Sleep created a unique nozzle that attaches to a straw. Every time you sip, you strengthen the muscles in the mouth and throat (called oropharyngeal exercises).
In study with the product, 93% of people had a reduction in snoring and 34% felt more awake during the day. The company received an NIH grant to use this device with people diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Honestly, this makes a great stocking stuffer, although you risk the person getting offended. Either way, as we age, it’s important to keep our airways muscles strong, like how we work out our body.
Not sure you snore because you sleep alone? Try the app snorelab. And if you suspect sleep apnea, the sleep doctor offers an at-home sleep apnea test. I'm a fan of its ability to monitor your breathing patterns and oxygen levels while you sleep.
I’m going to be talking a lot about sleep next year!
2. The Exercise Coach
By now, we all know building strength is important in midlife. But not everyone enjoys the atmosphere of a typical gym with blaring music and intense workouts.
When I was looking to change gyms, I found The Exercise Coach. They are a franchise that uses hydraulic machines to improve strength and a coach to help you through it. And the workouts are only 20 minutes.
According to their website:
Exercise Coach® guided workouts utilize a unique Exerbotics® testing process to analyze the baseline muscle condition of every customer. Then, the Exerbotics Intelligence Platform generates ideal personal strength recommendations for the coach and client to follow.
The machines store your data so you can see how you gradually use more resistance. Workouts target major muscles and get you to fatigue fast. There is another similar workout called The Perfect Workout.
The only downside is the cost. But for someone who may already be considering personal training but wants a no-nonsense strength workout in a non-gym atmosphere, it’s a great option. It’s perfect for those intimidated by gyms but wanting to gain strength.
Want something extra convenient? Right here on Substack Athletic Aging posts workouts every Monday.
3. Aptitude testing at the Johnson O'Connor Foundation
Meaning is important for our emotional health as we age. Many midlife women re-examine their careers or consider joining the workforce if they’ve stayed home.
Although some of us can figure it out on our own, there’s a test you can take to determine your aptitudes. Aptitudes differ from interests and research shows that stay stable from age 14 onward.
Now this test from the Johnson O'Connor Foundation is not cheap ($850), and it takes time, but it might interest you. Especially if you want to move in a new direction but aren’t sure which way to go.
And if you have teens or young adults unsure about what they want to do or major in at college, this type of testing can be invaluable.
Shanti Landon was a stay-at-home mom and blogger and after taking the test, she ran for public office. Here’s what she said:
Thank you for helping me discover my aptitudes and planting a seed of encouragement in me to jump in and do something I would never have imagined doing. You opened up my world in so many ways, and now I get the honor of doing something that challenges me, fulfills me, and is something I truly believe I was made for.
4. Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training device
Did you know lung function declines by 30% at menopause?
According to a 2020 study in Cureus, transdiaphragmatic pressure decreases by 20-41% in older adults, with a decline in the overall strength of 30%. Midlife is the ideal time to nip this one in the bud.
Inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) is training that uses the diaphragm and accessory respiratory muscles to repeatedly inhale against resistance. It's like weightlifting for your respiratory muscles.
It wasn't until I read a 2021 study in the Journal of the American heart Association that I really began to take notice. This double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial to investigate how 6 weeks of IMST (30 breaths/day for 6 days/week) affected blood pressure, endothelial function, inflammation, and arterial stiffness in midlife/older adults (50-79) at 75% (high) resistance.
Thirty-six subjects with above normal blood pressure were involved, and the results showed a significant decrease in blood pressure (as much as meds), oxidative stress, and CRP (inflammatory marker) and an increase in nitric oxide availability and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) by 45%. Most importantly, post-menopausal women who fail to see benefits to endothelial function from exercise have demonstrated even better results than males do .
Another study came out last month showing that IMST increases nitric oxide in the brain, increasing memory in the midlife and older subjects (se below). And they are doing yet another study comparing IMST to aerobic exercise in postmenopausal women. I'm so excited to see the outcome of this!
Did you know aerobic exercise doesn't improve endothelial health after menopause? Compared to aged-matched men, postmenopausal women don’t get the same boost to their vascular system after exercise as men as described in the aforementioned study:
Along with SBP-lowering effects, aerobic exercise also improves vascular endothelial function in midlife/older men but does not consistently induce the same benefits in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women (i.e., women not taking hormone therapy) a group that makes up over 90% of the postmenopausal women in the United States. This is due to the inability of aerobic exercise to reduce oxidative stress in women deplete of estrogen.
It would not surprise me that in 20 years, everyone has one of these devices. The product used in the study was the PowerBreathe K-series which is pricey. I’ve been using the Expand a Lung which is cheaper (but no direct research except on athletes) and a reasonable place to start.
5. Revitin
Revitin is a dentist made prebiotic toothpaste aimed at increasing good bacteria in the mouth. I switched my toothpaste to Revitin a few years ago. The oral microbiome is a growing area of health and I thought, why not?
To be honest, I didn’t notice much. My dental visit was the same a few months later. Then I ran out of it and started using the regular toothpaste again.
My sleep became fragmented after a few days and I kept thinking, “could this be the toothpaste?” One thing I’ve noticed after working on increasing my nitric oxide is that it helps me sleep. When I looked it up, I found there is indeed a relationship between nitric oxide production and sleep.
You see, we need nitrate-reducing bacteria to turn the nitrates we eat into nitric oxide. This is why mouthwash is not recommended as it kills both good and bad bacteria.
When I switched back to Revitin, my sleep went back to normal. I can’t say for sure that it’s the toothpaste, but I just wanted to share because there’s so much we don’t know about these links.
I think in the future, testing the oral microbiome will become the norm. Companies like Bristle currently offer this.
6. Feel Amazing vaginal moisturizer
There’s something I call the vagina problem at midlife and that is the fact that 65% of menopausal women have the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (vaginal atrophy or atrophic vaginitis) and that number jumps to 84% six years after menopause. Unlike hot flashes that typically go away, the vagina problem doesn’t.
The major culprit is declining estrogen levels that decrease lubrication, increase the ph, and alter the microbiome of the vagina. But also levels of hyaluronic acid decline with age, which also affects moisture.
In 2014, they changed the name from vaginal atrophy to genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) to better describe the symptoms that include the entire female genitourinary tract, including the vagina, labia, urethra, and bladder.
Symptoms can range from dryness, burning, and irritation; urinary symptoms and conditions of dysuria, urgency, and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs); and sexual symptoms of pain and dryness. There is a diverse range of physical changes and signs.
In addition, the repeated UTIs and bladder complications can have a detrimental effect on health and quality of life. It's important to note that we should check any symptoms out with a medical professional as other, more rare conditions can cause them. Never assume it’s just hormones.
Getting in the habit of moisturizing your vagina is a great start. I interviewed Shirley Weir from Menopause Chicks on this subject, and she has a great product called Feel Amazing which contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. Most products have all these different ingredients but this one is clean.
Reveree is another excellent product
7. Sunnyside App
Everywhere you turn midlife, women talk about quitting alcohol. I wrote a big review on the subject, showing that those of us who decide we want to drink can do it in a health-supporting way.
And we all should know about the beer-hot flash connection (it can be alcohol free). Yes,Yes, beer contains a strong phytoestrogen called that has shown to decrease hot flashes.s might be why I still haven’t had a hot flash.
The Sunnyside App helps people drink more mindfully and cut back. I’m a big fan of these strategies because it allows flexibility and sometimes good old fashion moderation can work.
8. The Color Guru
Last year I discovered I’m a Twilight Autumn, when I got my colors done at the Color Guru. All these colors were all in the ballpark of what I’m doing, but with some surprises. And I was relieved that a few shades of my fave color purple were in there (whew!)
My primary motivation was that I wanted to change my makeup, which I haven’t done in over 20 years!
So, my first step was to take the makeup colors and get new products. I just made an appointment at a department store and had someone help me. I picked a handful of products - foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner, lipstick -- and then went to the drugstore for the rest.
Now I wear green eyeliner and eyeshadow instead of my familiar brown. I also wear a lot more green overall, which is one of my colors. I still love purple but green is getting up there.
9. Omega-Quant
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m a big fan of testing biomarkers, especially nutrition ones.
I love how we can get our own tests done now that companies like Omega-Quant offer them for reasonable prices. Plus, they mail a kit to your home. You can get your omega-3 index, methylonic acid (marker for vitamin B12) and vitamin D!
I always recommend getting as many tests as possible at doctor visits that insurance covers. But But when insurance doesn't cover it, you don't have to despair. There’s also Walk in Lab which works directly with both LabCorp and Quest.
And Inside Tracker, which offers packages, but they may not have everything you want tested.
10. Igennus Pure and Essential multivitamin
I’m not a big fan of all-in-one vitamins sold to midlife women. Meaning, “just take this and your set.” For instance, you might need more omega-3 or vitamin D than they have in their bundle.
But as you know, I do recommend a multivitamin every day or every other day. This isn’t as a stand-alone, but to ensure B vitamins and other key micronutrients.
I really love the Igennus Pure and Essential multivitamin for women. If you don’t want one with iron, they have one for men that is almost identical but has no iron.
It’s got the perk of higher (but not super high) B vitamins, vitamin C, selenium and it contains active methyl forms of folate and B12. Yet any formulation for women over 50 fits the bill.
I take this multivitamin every other day. On the days I don’t take the multi, I take Mary’s iodine drops to ensure I’m meeting my iodine needs.
For more of my supplement recs, go here.
Getting help to fine tune
As we work to meet our unique needs at midlife, these products and services can help. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
What is a product or service that has helped you?