"Hit Play Not Pause," is the name of Selene Yeagar's podcast, and we think it's perfect.

While middle age and menopause mean changes in our bodies, aging doesn't mean physical activity — even at a competitive level — is behind us.

In this episode, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talks with Selene about how post-menopausal women can continue to perform at a high level — or just be fit and feel good in their bodies, if that's the goal. 

Selene Yeager manages content for Feisty Menopause. She is also a top-selling professional health and fitness writer who lives what she writes as an NASM certified personal trainer, USA Cycling licensed coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, pro licensed off-road racer, and former All-American Ironman triathlete. 

Learn more about Selene and hear the podcast at FeistyMenopause.com.

Remember getting out of bed when you were 30? Nothing hurt, everything moved in the right direction, nothing was stuck or rusty or sore.

You can be that way again, says Dr. Vonda Wright, double-boarded orthopedic sports surgeon, internationally recognized authority on active aging and mobility, and an innovator focused on optimizing personal and professional performance at every age. 

Menopause and achy joints don't have to stop you from doing activities you love. You may need to approach activity differently, and (please don't shoot the messenger) cut back on sugar, but 50 and menopause don't mean your active life is over.

Have a listen to Jill Angelo, Gennev CEO, and Dr. Wright as they talk about movement, joint pain, and how to FACE the future.

Find Dr. Wright at DrVondaWright.com, check out her podcast Hot For Your Health, and be sure to find her books!

Ada Calhoun's Book Why Can't We Sleep? was an instant New York Times bestseller. 

Gen X women are finding it hauntingly and painfully and upliftingly familiar. 

Gen X women are ... unhappy. Not all of them, not all of the time, but certainly there is more of a cloud over this generation than others. Sandwiched eternally between the much larger, much louder Boomer and Millennial cohorts, Gen X has been overlooked and ignored like the latchkey kids we so essentially are.

And that's doubly true of the women of Gen X, who are now aging into "invisibility" - those supposedly unsexy years after 40. 

Ada Calhoun wanted to know why we're such a miserable bunch, so she started asking. Two hundred interviews with Gen X women later, she's got answers, and she shared them in this fabulous podcast with Gen Xer (and what an irony that my computer's spellcheck doesn't recognize "Xer"), Gennev CEO Jill Angelo.

Hear their conversation about the price of trying to have it all, what it's like to be the first generation not to do better than our parents did, and why perimenopause and menopause are making it even harder on the women of the forgotten generation.

Spoiler: it's not all bad news. But there is some. 

According to the United Nations, “International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.”

Globally, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a pretty big deal. Many countries observe the day with special traditions and celebrations, some even declaring it a national holiday.

However, in the US, observance of International Women’s Day has been quite modest. While most consider the US fairly progressive in terms of women’s rights and equality, the truth is gender equity is actually losing ground in the States, and there’s more reason than ever for the US to recognize IWD and its mission.

Two Washington women are working to make IWD a much bigger deal in Seattle: in 2016, they convened a gathering of about 80 women; this year, International Women’s Day Seattle has already outgrown one home, and the event is still a week away.

Team genneve is planning to attend (and volunteer, so look for us!), and we hope you’ll join us. We’re even more excited about the event after having the chance to sit down with organizers Kate Isler and Nickie Smith and talk about why International Women’s Day is important and why the work of feminists and feminism isn’t done.  

Event details: Facebook event page

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 8, 4.30 – 9 PM

Location: Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave

Tickets: available from Eventbrite.

We had the pleasure of talking with Lynette Sheppard, author of Becoming a Menopause Goddess and “scribe” and moderator of the Menopause Goddess website and blog. Lynette and her goddesses are tackling the lack of knowledge and awareness women have when approaching the “Big M.” Lynette spent more than 10 years as a  Nurse-Manager and head of Intensive Care and Coronary Care units in Santa Rosa, California. She knows her way around healing and the human body and is a terrific translator of medical-speak.

“Was what was happening to me normal?
My entire life was turned upside down.”

For more details and to see the transcript of the interview, visit us at genneve.com. 

In this podcast, genneve CEO Jill had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Angela Jones, award-winning ob/gyn, media professional, and author. She’s delivered thousands of babies and answered hundreds of thousands of questions on every aspect of her profession. From menses (first period) to menopause and beyond, Dr. Angela has the answers, so we jumped on the chance to ask “Menopause 101” questions we have and have heard from you.

If you’re not always entirely sure what’s going on with your body, if you’re concerned what you’re going through isn’t “normal,” or if you want to be ready for what might lie ahead, Dr. Angela has guidance, reassurance, and answers for all.

2:04

One question we hear a lot is, what exactly is the difference between “perimenopause” and “menopause”? Dr. Angela gives us the lowdown on the definitions, what women might experience during these phases, and how to get a ballpark idea of how long the process might take for you.

4:06

So what exactly is going on in our bodies during these phases? Dr. Angela filled us in on the science of what’s going on in there.

5:10

Because the experience of menopause is still such a taboo subject, women don’t always know if what’s happening to them is “normal.” We asked Dr. Angela what we should know to take care of ourselves correctly.

6:26

Dr. Angela speaks specifically to the question of thyroid disorders, the symptoms of which can be mistaken for symptoms of perimenopause.

7:04

As we age, we may need to do a little more “maintenance” to stay healthy and vibrant. Dr. Angela talks us through some of the tests we should do or do more often as we get older to ensure we’re in the best of health.

8:30

Dr. Angela gives her recommendations on “lifestyle modifications” and why these can act as preventative medicine. As she says, the right diet and exercise will take you a long way.

12:08

When we hit our 40s, is it time to change up our birth control? First things first: “If you don’t want to get pregnant, you need to be doing something!” But you do need to be sure your birth control is right for you, and Dr. Angela gives some tips on how to move forward.

15:20

But low-dose hormonal birth control can have other benefits for the over 40s in addition to avoiding pregnancy, and Dr. Angela fills us in on how birth control can help alleviate or moderate perimenopausal symptoms.

17:20

We asked Dr. Angela to “coach” us on how to talk to our doctors, what information we need to have ready when we walk into our appointments, and what questions we should ask. Because women are often embarrassed to talk about their bodies, even with their ob/gyn, Dr. Angela has some best practices for getting the information you need.

21:40

Why is there so much shame and embarrassment about this completely normal phase of life? “I have no idea!” Dr. Angela says, but she offers some ways we might move forward to celebrate this time of our lives rather than dread it.

25:12

How does Dr. Angela feel about using supplements or other methods to manage menopause symptoms? While our doc adheres pretty firmly to ACOG (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) standards, she says, “Go for it!” to patients who want to try acupuncture, black cohosh, or other alternative treatments. However, Dr. Angela does want anyone trying something new to follow important guidelines, which she outlined for us.

28:10

Need to find a new ob/gyn? Dr. Angela gives her insights on how to find a doc who’s current, certified, and reliable.

30:15

Dr. Angela offers her concluding thoughts about how to thrive during menopause. As she told us, “Aging doesn’t scare me, and it shouldn’t scare women. Women should be embracing the aging process.” Like a bottle of fine wine, Dr. Angela says, we’re just getting better.  

Learn more from Dr. Angela by checking out her “SAY WHAT” blog and podcasts at askdrangela.com.

What happens at the intersection of hormones, mental health, and sexuality? 

“You’re supposed to enjoy sex, and if you aren’t, why not?” 

Dr. Lucy Puryear is an Associate Professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also Co-Director of The Menopause Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

Dr. Lucy works with patients to treat psychiatric conditions during pregnancy and postpartum, perimenopause, infertility and reproductive loss. Because our hormones can have profound impacts on women's physical and emotional health, we invited Dr. Lucy to share her expertise with gennevers.

00:48:06 
"Woman's advocate" Dr Lucy explains the services she provides for women, specifically women with mood/anxiety/emotional issues tied to reproductive events and hormonal changes.

02:30:00 
Women’s hormonal health—and particularly how it relates to their psychological health—wasn’t given much attention in the US until the early 90s. Dr. Lucy explains how her own experience helped her discover her passion. As a young woman seeking relief from PMS symptoms, she says, "I remember feeling very patronized" by male physicians. "That was probably a pivotal moment in my life.”

07:03:00
Why are women’s issues still so taboo? According to Dr. Lucy, the answer is threefold: hear how cultural stigmas against women generally, mental health, and female sexuality all combine to make women’s hormonal health one of our biggest and most resistant taboos.

09:48:00
How are women’s sex lives and libidos affected by their hormonal changes? Even physicians will shy away from talking with women about their sexuality, says Dr. Lucy. “Women just don’t get asked.” Hear why she makes it a point to ask her patients, why it’s so critical to have these open and frank conversations, and how she’s helped women and couples get their sex lives back.

13:07:00
“Sex is going to happen every Saturday at 2 when the kids are in bed.” So much of what women suffer through during hormonal change is truly “normal,” says Dr. Lucy, so there’s no reason to feel shame or fear. Once women understand vaginal dryness or drop in libido are natural and common, they can drop the shame and focus on the fix. Hear Dr. Lucy’s strategies (like planning sex or “hotel” sex) for bringing intimacy back into relationships.

16:43:00
Including partners in the conversation. Because coupling usually requires, well, a couple (at least!), Dr. Lucy does sometimes talk to her patients’ partners. She explains how bringing in intimate partners often results in better solutions.

19:20:00
Is there a generational difference in how we talk about sexuality? Are younger women more open to the conversation? Hear Dr. Lucy’s thoughts on the differences—and similarities—among generations of women.

20:20:30
Was it good for you? Are women demanding (and getting) great sex? Or are we there out of obligation and to preserve a relationship? Dr. Lucy shares her thoughts on women, sex, and expectations of pleasure. “You’re supposed to enjoy it, and if you don’t, why not?” says Dr. Lucy. “There are things you can do to make that better.”

22:55:00
What are the biggest obstacles in her work with women? Stigma. Mental health issues are still seen as a weakness and our cultural discomfort stops women from getting help. Hear how lack of trained medical professionals and adequate health care coverage are making it even harder to find relief. 

26:35:00
What do women need to know? What’s out there, what’s coming up? Hear Dr. Lucy’s thoughts about a female Viagra, genital plastic surgery, and why we need to be careful that women’s health advances are truly “advances.”

30:50:00
What’s one final piece of advice you’d give to our women listeners? Hear from Dr. Lucy what she wants women to understand about their health, what she wants women to expect from their healthcare professionals, and how they can empower themselves to feel their best.

genneve is committed to helping women feel fabulous in their bodies as they age. Join us at thegspot for great information and women-to-women stories!

 

 

Dr. Connie Mao is director of Harborview Women’s Dysplasia Clinic here in Seattle, Washington, where she focuses on HPV-related disease including cervical, vulvar, and vaginal dysplasia and genital warts. She’s an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, and she has spent the last 19 years doing research related to HPV infections and prevention of cervical cancer.

Jill Angelo, genneve CEO and host of the genneve podcasts, talked with Dr. Mao about HPV, the HPV vaccine, why the US lags behinds other countries in rates of vaccination, and why every parent should have their children--boys and girls--vaccinated against this ubiquitous virus.

Read a transcript of our interview with Dr. Connie here. 

According to Anne’s research, 20% of the workforce is dealing with menopause at any given time. Twenty percent are dealing with symptoms like headaches, hot flashes, dizziness, dry eyes, general achiness, and exhaustion.  

There are simple things a business can do to accommodate their menopausal workforce, yet it’s the rare organization that even acknowledges it happens.

Anne talks with genneve CEO Jill Angelo about menopause and ageism and how great leadership can make our workplaces more comfortable....for everyone.

 

Music:

"A Wee Tipple" by Scott Holmes
facebook.com/ScottHolmesMusic

Jeannie Ralston has, literally, done pretty much everything and been pretty much everywhere.

From hiking the Great Wall to introducing her kids to the Arab Spring to hanging out in Morocco with famous people (and not really enjoying it much), she's been there, written about that.

At 60, not only does she show no signs of slowing down, she's not really sure why anyone would expect her to. She's as vibrant, energetic, and curious as ever, and she's sharing that energy and optimism with women globally.

"We can be very proud of being women and of being women this age," she says, and we are very proud to know her.

Have a listen to this fantastic conversation between Gennev CEO Jill Angelo and Next Tribe founder Jeannie Ralston, then come find your Next Tribe for your awesome next chapter of life. 

Also, if you're interested in participating in the writing workshop she spoke of in the podcast, learn more: https://nexttribe.com/book-publishing-workshop/

About Jeannie

Jeannie Ralston is the co-founder and CEO of NextTribe, the digital magazine and community for smart, engaged women over 45.

NextTribe’s mission is to inform, promote, and connect women who are determined to “Age Boldly” (NextTribe’s tagline).

Ralston’s work as a journalist has been published in National Geographic, Life, The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Allure, and many other magazines. Her years growing lavender in rural Texas was the subject of her memoir, The Unlikely Lavender Queen, published by Broadway Books; her e-book, The Mother of All Field Trips, was about the three years she and her husband homeschooled and traveled with their sons.

She lives in Austin, Texas.

What's the link between your gut health and your emotions?

It's a tighter combination than most of us realize, meaning perhaps more of our mental and emotional health is in our control than we previously thought.

We know that our emotions can have a direct physical result: stress, depression, anxiety — all of these can show up in our bodies and in our guts. Upset stomach, loss of (or increase in) appetite, body aches and pains can all result from emotional distress.

But the impact travels both directions: the health of our microbiome can also dictate a great deal of how we feel, physically and emotionally.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with metabolic surgeon, gut-health expert, and owner of LaVellaYourGuts.com, Dr. Erika La Vella, about the intersection of nutrition, emotion, gut, brain, and menopause.

 

There's long been a gap in the quality of care men and women receive. Women's bodies are less understood, their health issues less researched, their solutions have frequently been "treat women as small men," their pain poorly treated or ignored, and on and on and on.

That discrepancy in care is exponentially worse if the woman is Black or a woman of color; worse if she's poor, worse if she's a transgender woman; worse if she's past reproductive age.

There are women, men, and organizations out there that feel like part of our family — the family that's working to improve health care for women. Denise Pines is one of that family. 

She is is the co-visionary and head task master for Tea Botanics, a company that makes tea for hot flashes, among others. An award-winning marketer and serial entrepreneur, Denise has participated in 10 startups. She is founder of WisePause, a pro-aging health and education platform and FemAging 2020, a report that introduces a new industry sector, FemAging Tech.

Denise cofounded Women in the Room Productions who produced the award-winning film PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in School. Denise is the current President of the Medical Board of California.

In this conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, Denise and Jill talk about the discrepancies in care and how many in the medical community are starting to recognize and close the gap.

The largest organ in the human body isn’t actually in the human body – it’s on the outside. To be even more accurate, it is the outside.

It’s our skin. And it does more than keep the rain out and our insides in.

Our skin is a pretty good barrier against much of the outside world, but it isn’t perfect. Sun damage happens. And the products we use on our skin may be doing us more harm than good.

Kari Gran and Lisa Strain started the Kari Gran company based, as it often is for women, on a need that no one was meeting.

Kari herself was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in her late twenties. That diagnosis, after years of not feeling well, led her to consider the impact on her insides of the products she used on her outside: creams, lotions, soaps, makeup, etc.

We know what we put on our skin can affect us systemically — it's the way nicotine patches work, after all. So we need to be thoughtful about the products we use on our skin, especially as we get older.

Kari, who describes herself as a "diehard beauty junkie," made healthy alternatives in her kitchen to give to friends as gifts. Lisa pushed her to turn her amazing formulations into a business, and there's been no looking back.

Guaranteed free from endocrine-disrupting parabens and other harmful ingredients, the rich, lush, cleansing, hydrating, restorative serums, soaps, oils and more are protective and nourishing.

Learn more about skin care and Kari Gran — the company and the woman it's named for — in this podcast with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo. 

"Fatigue" does not equal "tired." Fatigue is something else, and it can be exponentially worse. It isn't solved with "just get more sleep," and day after day of it can really wear you down.

Fatigue — real fatigue — is a common symptom of menopause. It makes work hard, exercise impossible, even thinking straight can feel like it takes all your resources.

The kind of fatigue we're talking about can be a result of less estrogen to "feed" your brain. If you have some brain fog, forgetfulness, are easily distracted and occasionally confused, it's all part of the same process: your brain is trying to adapt to less estrogen.

While this part of perimenopause and menopause is temporary, it can last a year or two or longer. And if you don't know what's happening, it can be frightening. We hear from women all the time that they were terrified they were developing early onset dementia or that they'd been to a round of doctors to deal with "chronic fatigue." Finding out it's likely a (temporary) result of menopause is a huge relief.

Even worse than the symptom itself is that often, no one even mentions the culprit could be diminishing hormones, leading women to get expensive tests, waste time on incorrect diagnoses, and live in fear over a totally normal process.

There are things you can do to fight the fatigue: the right nutrition and exercise are powerful tools, and there are medications that can help while your brain and body adjust to the new normal. 

In this podcast, we hear from Gennev Director of Health Coaching, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Exercise Physiologist Stasi Kasianchuk and Naturopathic Physician Dr. Wendy Ellis on how to handle menopause fatigue. 

When Team Gennev went looking for the right face to put on our website, we had a good idea what we were looking for: a face that showed the strength, resilience, beauty, and energy of a woman in midlife and menopause.

It can be hard to find images of mature women doing anything besides fanning themselves and looking annoyed.

Happily, we finally found lots of incredible choices on the Ageist website: active women over 50 living their best lives, overcoming challenges, and full of the "zest" Margaret Mead was talking about.

We went a little crazy with the credit card, purchasing the rights to use these wonderful images of real women. 

As Ageist founder David Stewart said in his podcast with Gennev's Jill Angelo, we just don't see ourselves in the typical, commercial images of people our age. So when you come across a treasure trove of representative images, you take advantage.

One of the images we loved was that of Aliza Sherman — we loved it so much, she graces Gennev's home page with her wide-open smile. You can just feel the hum of energy and life flowing through her. 

Not long ago, @AlizaSherman tweeted, "Yes, that’s me. Apparently I’m the happy face of menopause." Team Gennev had been wanting to reach out and ask her to do a podcast; this was the nudge we needed. What follows is that conversation.

Learn more about Gennev and how we help women thrive through menopause and beyond at Gennev.com.

I think we can safely say that 2020 has been an above-average year for just about everyone — in terms of stress, anyway.

For women dealing with perimenopause and menopause symptoms on top of everything else, the stress can seem unmanageable. And because 2020 has been harder on women, it's no surprise many women are looking for relief from stress.

One relatively new avenue for many is CBD, the non-hallucinogenic compound found in hemp. While research is still underway, many women have found CBD helps relieve stress and joint pain and promote sleep.

In this conversation, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with naturopathic doctor Aimée Shunney about the potential of CBD and how to choose a CBD supplement that's high-quality, safe, and contains what it claims on the label.

Take a listen, then check out Gennev's high-quality CBD supplements, tincture, and Sleep System. 

With Halloween just behind us and Thanksgiving straight ahead, it's official: we've entered the Season of Sugar. 

And it's not just sugar, of course: it's salt and saturated fat and stress and alcohol and stress and parties and not enough sleep and stress.

If you think your head aches after a night of too much indulgence, just imagine what your poor gut biome is going through. 

And as we get older, our gut biome changes, loses diversity, isn't as able to handle the demands we put on those poor friendly bacteria, especially over the holidays.

Fortunately, there are experts like metabolic surgeon and founder of LaVellaYourGuts.com, Dr. Erika La Vella.

In this conversation with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, Dr. La Vella talks about how to preserve your gut through the holiday season and stay healthier all year 'round. 

Culturally, we have this idea that life slows at 50. Children are grown and gone, we're looking into retirement, our days of doing new things and surprising ourselves are over. Life past 50, if you look at the marketing for this age group, is mostly about fear: fear over health, fear over finances, fear of the future.

Nothing could be further from the truth, says David Stewart of the AGEIST. People in the 50-plus age group are doing all sorts of amazing things. Women especially are "figuring out life 2.0," says David.

AGEIST's message is that culture and brands really misunderstand this age group — it's not a time of fear, and messaging to the 50+ that way won't resonate with a lot of the over-50s. Many in this cohort feel "at the peak of their powers," David says, and if you want to reach them, you need to understand that.

David Harry Stewart is the founder and face of the AGEIST and the host of the SuperAge podcast. He is a passionate champion and leading authority on the modern 50+ lifestyle, and the mindset and aspirations that drive this influential demographic. Prior to launching AGEIST, Stewart enjoyed an award-winning career as a photographer whose advertising work included Nike, Google, American Express and others, and his magazine work includes Esquire, GQ, Interview, RedBull, Time, and many others. 

Hear his conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, and check out both Gennev and AGEIST for much much more. 

 

Gennev's #IAmThe Change campaign is a call to arms for women to speak up about how they’re transforming during their time of menopause. No more shushing women into isolation, I am the Change is meant to help us all feel a little more normal, a little more in control of this miraculous and sometimes challenging transition we’re in, and a little less lonely when the stress, sleeplessness, or relationship strain gets heavy.

We didn’t quite know where the women’s stories would take us, but we knew that it takes voices coming together to create change. The kind of change that materially changes how women will experience this menopause transition so many of us manage on a daily basis. Join us!

With so many symptoms, and some of them pretty unpleasant, menopause can seem like the end of your world. Or at least your world as you knew it.

Amanda Thebe was a lifelong athlete and fitness enthusiast, but when she hit perimenopause at 43, things went ... awry. Fatigue set in, and she found her previously boundless reserves of energy were drying up. And, like so many of us, she didn't realize right away that the issues she was having were hormonal.

And like many women, she ran a gamut of doctors who never even suggested perimenopause. Nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue led to dozens of tests (even the emergency room!) over nearly two years.

Fortunately, at a standard well-woman check up with an OB/GYN, the doc was able to diagnose perimenopause after about five minutes of conversation.  A few minutes more, and she had some next steps to start feeling like herself again. 

Her book Menopocalypse is Amanda's way of bringing attention to the fact that women need information and, once they have it, can actually thrive through this change.  

Listen to the conversation. Buy and read the book. Join us at Gennev to learn more from experts in menopause and menopause care.

Is there a connection between estrogen and breast cancer? Maybe, but it may not be what you think. Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talks with Dr. Avrum Bluming, Dr. Joanne Weidhaas, and Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su on hormones, cancer risk, and the WHI study that changed everything.

Listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information.

Science is starting to uncover the many ways our gut flora affect our health. While many of us still believe the beneficial bacteria is good for digestion (and it is), it does a whole lot more. 

In this podcast, metabolic surgeon and gut expert Dr. Erika La Vella talks with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about the bi-directional relationship between your gut and your brain.

The "Gut-Brain Axis" affects your perception, cognition, your nervous system, your mood, pretty much everything. Given that, and how cattywampus everything is during menopause anyway, doesn't it make sense to be sure your gut is getting exactly what it needs?

Have a listen, then find Dr. La Vella at LavellaYourGuts.com and make an appointment to work with Coach Stasi or one of our other amazing coaches at Gennev.com. 

When you look your best, it's easier to feel confident. Unfortunately, midlife seems to conspire against us, at least by today's cultural standards of "best," with thicker waistlines, more wrinkled skin, and flyaway hair.

One of the first things we notice when we see someone for the first time is their hair — and this is especially true of women. If our previously shiny, glossy, thick hair is now dry, thinner, and frizzy, we feel we're not making our best first impression. That can undermine confidence before we even open our mouths.

To help women feel better about their hair, whether it's to make a better first impression or just happier moments in front of the mirror, Sonsoles Gonzalez founded Better Not Younger, a haircare brand focused on the changes many women experience as they age.

Better Not Younger isn't just dedicated to healthier hair, though; it's also changing the conversation around women and aging. 

As an executive in the haircare industry, Sonsoles noticed that products were always geared toward the "18-44 year old women" market. What happens when a woman turns 45, she asked?

Apparently, as far as the large brands go, 45-year-old women and older pretty much cease to exist. But at 52 or 53, Sonsoles, says, she still felt youthful and attractive — not ready for invisibility!

So she started her own company that researched the needs of women in this demographic and began providing products that work. 

In this podcast, Better Not Younger CEO Sonsoles Gonzalez and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talk about providing products for women in midlife and how our culture is slowly shifting to recognize the unique value and beauty of women 40 and over.

Take a moment to listen, then learn more about Gennev and Better Not Younger at Gennev.com. 

 

How do you discuss a “taboo” topic like menopause on a public forum like a podcast? With humor, insight, wisdom, and patience!

Meet Colleen Ricci Rosenblum and Bridgett Biagi Garratt, the forces behind the hit podcast for midlife women: Hot Flashes & Cool Topics.

A year and 60-or-so episodes out from their launch, and Colleen and Bridgett have a genuine hit on their hands.

They've talked about the things you might imagine, given their title: peri/menopause, being empty nesters and relationships with adult children, etc. 

But they've taken on some tougher topics as well, including Colleen's daughter's history with an eating disorder, difficult pregnancies, divorce, and suicide.

Initially, they reached out to Gennev to feature Gennev CEO Jill Angelo on a podcast; they were so delightful and informed and fun, we asked them to return the favor.

What follows is a great conversation about midlife, menopause, the (glacially slow) changing attitudes towards women's health, and what it's like to go in the public eye and share intimate information. 

Do you feel comfortable in your own skin?

Many women don't, and that's more to do with the expectations we've been taught than any real problem with our health or wellness.

Emphasis on women's outsides has far surpassed focus on a woman's insides, resulting in a system that has many more solutions for "weight loss" than it does for managing menopause symptoms. 

At Gennev, we know the bodily changes that come with aging and hormone declines are natural, normal, and beautiful—they just may not all be comfortable.

So we want to help women embrace a body that may be a little heavier, a little softer, a body that has silver hair and laugh lines to show she's had a life. We want to help her be comfortable in that body, both by embracing change but also by managing hot flashes and interrupted sleep.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talked with Erica Mouch, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who also has a BA in psychology.

Erica advocates and practices from a Health At Every Size® lens in order to support people from all shapes and sizes in healing their relationship with food and their bodies. Erica is also a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

Listen to their conversation, then join us at Gennev.com for more information on having a happier, healthier menopause transition. 

The physical and emotional changes that come with menopause can complicate intimacy. 

Sexual intercourse can become painful due to the thinning and drying of intimate tissue; libido may wane as hormones decrease and menopause symptoms increase.

But because sexuality, and in particular women's sexuality, is such a taboo subject in American culture, we don't talk about it. And what doesn't get discussed, generally doesn't get solved.

But times and attitudes are changing: there are more platforms now for women to get information and solutions and engage in conversation about the very real, very natural changes happening in their bodies.

Two companies helping women regain sexual health in menopause are Gennev and MiddlesexMD.

In this conversation, the CEOs of each company, and a menopause-specialist OB/GYN, talk about the importance of open conversation around women's sexuality and health, the challenges of starting a business in a stigmatized niche, and the ways their companies are helping women enjoy the second half of their lives.

Continuing our conversation with Dr. Erika La Vella, in this month's Microbiome Series, we're asking the doc about how food affects our microbiome for good or ill, how we can eat to protect beneficial gut flora, and substances that may impact our gut.

The gut microbiome is sometimes referred to as "the second brain." Why? Because what happens in the gut does NOT stay in the gut. As science explores gut flora, we're discovering more and more how  microbiome health impacts so many other systems and organs of the body.

That means taking care of the gut is pretty critical to feeling good and being healthy. And like every other organism, beneficial bacteria rely on the right food sources for optimal health.

So what do they eat? They eat what we eat, for better or worse. Fortunately, people like Dr. Erika La Vella have a good handle on what food our good gut bacteria thrive on, and she shared that information with us.

Take a listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information to be happier and healthier through and beyond the menopause transition. 

Our environment can be pretty heavy with things that are bad for our health, including endocrine-disrupting substances.

Cleansers, detergents, scrubs, things we use to clean our environments and ourselves may be doing more damage to our health than than they prevent. What about products that go on and in our bodies — soaps, creams, powders, makeup, deodorants and anti-perspirants, hair sprays, plastic containers to hold our food in the fridge or microwave. How many products do you come in contact with every day, all days of your life?

And it's not just the products we use. Disruptive chemicals can be in our clothes or furniture or daily use objects as fire-retardants or easy-clean surfaces. 

Mary Purdy is an expert on helping us minimize our exposure to toxins in our environment and maximize our efficiency in ridding them from our bodies, homes, and workplaces.

Have a listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information on menopause, toxins, and how to have a healthier second chapter of life. 

Many experience menopause as a time of grief and loss: loss of youth, of reproduction, of a body that looked different, behaved in predictable ways, and seemed easier to control. 

To feel some sense of grief at change is totally normal and understandable. But at Gennev, we feel the menopause transition can also be a very positive time to embrace a new you, changed body, changed attitude, new freedoms and all.

To help us understand and navigate this transition, Gennev Health Coach Katie Linville talked with Kathleen Putnam, an expert in grief, loss, and transition. 

She gave us new ways of thinking about change and aging, and new strategies to celebrate the new us on the other side of the symptoms.

Listen to the podcast, then come over to Gennev.com to learn more about how to manage menopause to have an easier, better, healthier transition.

2020 was a tough year for women and wellness. In fact, 70% of us put our health “on hold,” pushing off preventative appointments and screenings. How is that impacting our health?

In this podcast, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, CMO Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, and Director of Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk discuss telehealth, menopause, and the incredible resilience of women.

Physical health and financial health have a lot of overlap. When one is not optimal, the other can suffer.

How much should you have before you can "safely" retire? Should I be aggressive or conservative in my investments now? How can I invest in companies that represent my interests and principles?

Because women live, on average, a couple of years longer than men, and because women generally come to retirement with less in the bank, retirement planning is really important. 

Yet many women avoid taking the time to truly plan so they can enjoy a comfortable, stable retirement income.

We asked Jenifer Sapel, CEO of Utor Wealth, to join us for a conversation on how women can protect their financial health — and independence — as they age.

Listen to the podcast, then come to Gennev for more information about Jenifer Sapel, Utor Wealth, and how to have a truly great second half of life. 

You can access the slides Jenifer discusses here.

If menopause symptoms are really impacting your life, there are so many things you can do to manage them. Our Health Coaches can help you with strategies for controlling your health in menopause: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, symptom control, and so much more.

All our HealthFix coaches are also Registered Dietitian Nutritionists with special training in menopause care. Learn more by listening in on this discussion with our coaching team: Director Stasi Kasianchuk and Coaches Jessica Gingrich and Katie Linville. 

Then, come to Gennev. Check out our HealthFix program, and start feeling better today. 

As vaginal tissue and pH change, more frequent UTIs can become a real problem for many women in perimenopause and menopause. Learn more about why it happens and an innovative new product from Uqora to help women of any age ward off the dreaded UTI.

To learn more, listen to the podcast, then come to Gennev.com for more information on menopause, UTIs, and how to manage all the many symptoms that can come with this time of life.

How does menopause change, even disrupt, your gut microbiome, and what effects does that have on your health? Is there a way to build, protect, and maintain your gut flora to make the menopause transition easier?

We were so excited to invite back surgeon and gut expert Dr. Erika La Vella to talk with us on the microbiome in menopause.

Be sure to join us on Gennev for more information on Dr. La Vella and everything you ever wanted to know about menopause. Take back control of your health!

Stress is — no joke — a killer.

The toll it takes on our bodies and psyches is enormous. When stressed we don't sleep well, eat well, exercise well, or play well with others. Stress causes or contributes to headaches, stomach upset, fatigue, muscle pain, anxiety and depression, and a host of issues that can really erode your quality of life.

Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that help your body deal with stress. As the name implies, these plants many actually adapt to give your body exactly what it needs where it needs it.

But do they really help your body deal with stress? And if so, what are they, where do we get them, and how do we take them?

Given that (peri)menopause can be such a stressful time, we thought we'd invite in some expertise on the subject.

In this webinar, Gennev's Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk speaks with naturopathic physician Dr. Wendy Ellis on adaptogens and the particular advantages they may have for women in menopause.

Acupuncture and hot flashes; magnesium and mood; is HRT dangerous; will testosterone pellets revive my libido?

Like so many things we don't talk about, the truths about menopause can be a bit hazy. That's not OK when women's health, quality of life, and futures are at stake. 

From the beginning, the team at Gennev have made it part of our mission to supply the best, evidence-based information and solutions that are out there, vetted by our team of menopause experts.

Because women's health is and always will be our first priority.

So have a listen to this conversation from two of Gennev's menopause experts: OB/GYN Dr. Lisa Savage and Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, and get real answers to your menopause questions.

When we talked with Amy Schmidt of Fearlessly Facing Fifty about confidence and creativity in midlife, we knew we had to ask her back. Her enthusiasm is irresistible. 

Amy's mission is to change the narrative around midlife and inspire the women in it. Midlife is not a crisis, she says; it's an opportunity! 

And her new book Cannonball is already inspiring women. Even prior to release, it was #1 in its category on Amazon.

Enjoy this energetic, fun, inspiring conversation with Amy and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo as they talk about the many wonderful opportunities that await in midlife and beyond.

To learn more about Gennev and our mission to change how women navigate the challenges of menopause, go to Gennev.com.

Midlife can feel like a time when we have to drastically reduce or give up so many things we love: sugar, wine, coffee, carbs, sweaters that don't button down the front, good sleep.

For some women, quitting smoking just feels like one sacrifice too many.

To you we say: add something else back, but please...get rid of cigarettes.

May 31 was World No Tobacco Day, according to the World Health Organization. Part of the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI), it's a day of awareness and learning.

Gennev participated, with a webinar with our Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, hosting Gennev's Chief Medical Officer, OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, and pulmonologist Dr. Anne Lipke.

They spoke not just on the benefits of quitting smoking, but also on the particular reasons women in menopause should quit.

In addition to entering menopause up to a year or two earlier than her body might naturally (and thus losing the protections of estrogen earlier), smoking is hard on the skin, the heart, the brain, the teeth, and just about every part of a woman smoker's body.

Listen to the podcast for more information on why to quit, how to quit, how to nourish your body after (and avoid weight gain). Then visit Gennev and make an appointment to speak with a physician or a health coach to begin your journey to a happier, healthier life!

Sexuality in menopause is tricky. Libido may be less robust than in previous years, or missing altogether.

Vaginal dryness or atrophy can make penetrative sex painful.

Weight gain, digestive issues, hair loss, and dry skin can leave us feeling distinctly unsexy and give our self-esteem a gut punch.

Add to that the challenges of a verrrrrrry long stretch of "us time," and romance, intimacy, and sex become about as interesting as cleaning out the refrigerator.

So what do you do when menopause and/or COVID 19 derails your love train?

We brought back "sexpert" psychologist Dr. Laurie Mintz and our own Chief Medical Officer OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su to talk about how relationships and intimacy can survive and thrive in difficult times.

Learn more about how to have a better menopause at the first-of-its-kind online clinic: Gennev.

During the COVID quarantine, many are looking for ways to maintain social and community connection. 

Menopause can also be isolating, as women choose to stay home rather than face the possible embarrassment of a hot flash, flooding period, or other disruptive, hard-to-hide menopause symptom.

At Gennev, we don't believe menopause symptoms should be considered embarrassing, ever. We also know that loneliness can be unhealthy. 

So we invited psychiatrist Dr. Swapna Vaidya to talk with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, about ways we can stay connected — through menopause, and through pandemic.

Come to Gennev to learn how to thrive through and beyond the menopause transition. 

Historically (and, let's face it, currently) society hasn't done a great job of valuing and centering women and women's issues. 

This lack of care and attention is compounded when the woman in question is older, Black or of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, trans, or at the intersection of two or more of these identities. 

Omisade Burney-Scott is changing that. Her website, Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, is a sort of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret for an older demographic -- intended to be a safe space for Black women to ask questions, get and give answers, and explore identity at any age.

In a society that values youth over age and rewards "anti-aging" over aging naturally, Omisade's site, podcast, and events are opportunities for women to individually and collective take back their power and identity. 

In this podcast, Omisade speaks with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo about women's obligation and honor to teach younger generations about aging and menopause. As Omisade says, it's important "to see the trajectory of someone's lived experience" and understand "there's no shelf-life on evolving." Older women have important information to give, about the experience of menopause, and so much more. It's up to us to find opportunities to pass that information along. 

About Omisade Burney-Scott: 

Omisade Burney-Scott is a 7th generation Black Southern feminist, creative and social justice advocate.

Over the past 25 years, her “work” has been grounded in social justice movement spaces focused on the liberation of marginalized people, beginning with her own community. This commitment to liberation has manifested through advocacy work, philanthropy, community organizing and culture work.

She is the creator/curator of The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause, a multimedia project that curates the stories of Black women as well as Black femmes and gender non-binary people who are perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal.

This project is a direct result of Omisade finding herself and her peers living at the intersection of social justice movement work, creative healer identities and aging. She has chosen to use the medium of storytelling to disrupt the erasure of Black women's voices as they age through sharing their first person narratives and lived experiences.

Omisade is a member of the 1999-2001 class of the William C. Friday Fellows for Human Relations, a 2003 Southeastern Council on Foundation’s Hull Fellow and founding member NGAAP, the Next Generation of African American Philanthropy. She has served on various nonprofit boards including stone circles, Fund for Southern Communities, Spirithouse NC, Village of Wisdom, Working Films and The Beautiful Project.

She is a 1989 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the proud mom of two sons, Che and Taj. She resides in Durham, North Carolina. 

Learn more about Omisade Burney-Scott on her website. If you're looking for more information on menopause and taking care of yourself in midlife and beyond, be sure to visit Gennev. 

Gennev Director of Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Elizabeth Jones, Aliza Tuttle and Ashley Relf, the three women behind It's On Us, Corvallis, an organization linking restaurants, crowd sourced funds, and hungry people. 

Hear how IOU Corvallis is helping people get nutritious meals, helping restaurants stay active and reach new audiences, and helping build and maintain a thriving community, even in a time of self-isolation.

 

Historically, it's been tough to start a business that caters specifically to women. Investors have often been a little reluctant to invest in a business focused on menopause, for example.

But that's changing, with female entrepreneurs leading the charge, forming partnerships to support one another and the women they serve. 

In this podcast, Health Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with CEO of Handful Active Wear Jennifer Ferguson and CEO of Gennev Jill Angelo about women, business, and the business of supporting women. 

Learn more and access the full transcript at Gennev.com

As we age, our nutritional needs change. Meeting those needs when life is so busy and the world is full of pre-packaged, quick, easy foods can be a real challenge.

To make sure women get all the nutrients they need, Gennev asked Naturopathic Physician Dr. Wendy Ellis to create the ideal daily supplement pack for women in midlife & menopause — a pack that promotes good health and helps manage menopause symptoms.

Learn more about Gennev's new Vitality pack for Women at Gennev.com. 

Working out has gotten trickier lately, and not just because we're all trying to exercise at home with less space and equipment than we're used to.   As our bodies change over time, it is normal for our exercise routine to need adjustment as well. In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Robin Jones, owner of the barre3 studio in Corvallis, Oregon, about how to move safely and effectively for all-round better health.   Visit Gennev.com to find out more about how we're helping women take control of their health and quality of life through and after the menopause transition, including consultation with menopause-specialist Health Coaches and OB/GYNs via our HealthFix programs.   

We're all looking for ways to optimize our health and especially our immunity — things we tend to take for granted when we're feeling good and there isn't a pandemic going on.

The basic ways we strengthen our immune response are the same, whether we're worried about COVID-19 or the flu or staying healthier through menopause: wash hands often, don't touch your face, eat well, sleep well, exercise.

However, we live in world of pre-packaged food that's high in sugar, bad fats, salt, and calories, but low in nutrients — and it's easy to get, doesn't require much prep time, and let's admit it, it tastes pretty good. That can make getting the right nutrients in the right amounts at the right times more challenging.

To help women ensure they fill nutritional gaps, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk and Naturopathic Physician Wendy Ellis teamed up on a webinar all about how to supplement.

Of course, there's no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, but when that's just not possible, supplements can help. And stay turned for Gennev's supplement pack for women — created by Dr. Ellis to provide nutritional support but also to help manage menopause symptoms in this challenging time of life. Coming soon!

To learn more about Gennev and to get the full transcript of this conversation, visit Gennev.com.

Midlife and (peri)menopause can shake our confidence: changes in our body, the fear of bursting into tears or rage, unpredictable cycles, and the list goes on.

It really doesn't have to be that way.

Amy Schmidt of Fearlessly Facing Fifty says we all have a kernel of confidence within us, and if we can tap into it and match it with our new creativity, power, independence, and hard-earned experience, we are genuinely a force to be reckoned with.

Listen to her conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo for information and inspiration.

Visit our website to learn more about Gennev and what we offer for women looking to take back control of their health in menopause. 

With the "stay home" orders and recommendations flying around, most of us have had our normal lives pretty thoroughly disrupted.

And that means our patterns and habits are disrupted as well. We can't hit the gym or the spin class or the pool. We're making lunches at home rather than grabbing a bite out. Even our sacred coffee routines are different!

But some things you can continue to do or even do better, and hydration is one of those. It's your own bathroom, and it's likely closer to your work area than in the building you normally work in. And if you don't have ice or a clean glass, well, that's no one's fault but your own!

Hydration is incredibly important, especially during the menopause transition and after. It feeds your brain, lubes your joints, helps hydrate skin and other tissue — all things that re harder to do after estrogen declines. 

We talked with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Champagne Nutrition Ginger Hultin about why proper hydration is necessary and how to stay hydrated in this time of online Happy Hours!

For more information and a full transcript of the discussion, visit Gennev.com. To see the webinar of this conversation, check out the Gennev channel on YouTube.

When most of us think of grief, we think of losing a loved one or the end of a relationship. Does it make sense to have a sense of grief in the coronavirus crisis, even if you haven't lost anyone?

According to psychiatrist Dr. Swapna Vaidya, yes. Grief is caused by loss, and many of us have lost at the very least a sense of security and our predictable routines. Others may have lost jobs, opportunities, and of course, loved ones.

But we're all in this together, and the potential for unity and for providing one another with support, globally, has never been greater. 

In this podcast, Dr. Swapna Vaidya speaks with Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about the nature and course of grief and how to be kinder to everyone going through it — including yourself.

Dr. Swapna Vaidya is a psychiatrist and Executive Medical Director in the MultiCare Health System.

Stasi Kasianchuk is a Sports Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist and Gennev Director of Health Coaching.

Wearing a face mask (except the N95s, please leave those for medical professionals) helps protect other people from you. Even if you have no symptoms, you could be carrying and spreading the COVID 19 virus, so it's important to keep the moisture from coughs, sneezes — perhaps even breaths — contained. So please, do wear a mask if you're out and about among people.

Protecting others is awesome. Protecting yourself and those you love? Priceless.

One of the most unknown and underrated ways to strengthen your immune response is gut health. Science is only beginning to understand the importance of a healthy gut, including what the gut does (a lot) and how best to protect and feed it.

We took these questions to a gut health expert: Dr. Erika La Vella of lavellayourguts.com. She is a board-certified metabolic surgeon and describes herself as a "wife, and mother who is passionate about health in the most preventative and holistic of ways." She talked with Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about what the gut biome is, how it works, and some of the many ways we're finding that a balanced gut biome makes us healthier — and an unbalanced one can disrupt our health.

So, especially in a time when we all REALLY want and need the most robust immune response we can have, how do we feed our gut and protect it?

Listen up and find out! 

Find the full transcript at Gennev.