Category Archives: Women’s Issues

Exercise for Better Menopausal Health

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First Published in January 2013 at – http://menopausemission.com/exercise-for-better-menopausal-health

Exercise is a tricky topic when it comes to Menopause. It all has to do with the hormones. For those who lead highly stressful lifestyles when going through menopause, vigorous exercise actually has a counter effect and does not help the body release its fat because the body feels it is under more stress. Don’t take that as an excuse not to exercise, it’s the type of exercise you do during menopause that makes a difference in shedding fat.   Continue reading

Menopausal Healthy Holiday Season

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First published in December 2012 at – http://menopausemission.com/menopausal-healthy-holiday-season

You’ve been trying to get control over all the changes your body is going through and now it’s the holiday season and you are overwhelmed with the thought that eating healthy and finding ways to exercise and relax are out of the question this holiday season.  Don’t fret, there are a few things you can do amongst the chaos of the holiday season to help you from going overboard and help you ease into the New Year without feeling completely guilty that you overindulged.  Remember getting your body in balance does not happen overnight and certainly is not easy to begin over the holiday season. Here is where you can begin your first steps:   Continue reading

Effort and Patience – The Crucial Keys to Menopausal Health

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First published at www.menomission.com in November 2012  http://menopausemission.com/effort-and-patience-the-crucial-keys-to-menopausal-health

This is the first of a series on changing your life step by step during menopause. Look for the next article, Menopausal Healthy Holiday Season.

How serious are you about feeling better and overcoming the physical, mental and psychological changes that go along with menopause? This is the question you have to ask yourself, and if you truly want to feel good again, keep reading. If you are going to be selective and not going to put in the effort to work on every aspect of your life stop reading here, don’t waste your time, you are likely to continue feeling bad. There are no short cuts to a healthy life, so know that when you put 100% effort in getting your body in balance you will see results. You just need a little patience, results will not be seen overnight.   Continue reading

Meditation for a Balanced Life

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First Published at http://menopausemission.com/author/constadina-vasiliades/page/2         September 2012

Far too often when people hear the word “meditation” images of a toga-draped Buddhist sitting in an incense-filled room chanting “OM” comes to mind, but the main goal of meditation is in fact to shut off the mind and focus on breathing.  Our daily lives consist of a variety of stresses leading to us unconsciously holding our breath when we feel tension. This briefly prevents oxygen from getting to our brains, sometimes making us dizzy, confused, and disoriented, and sometimes more stressed.  Stress has a major effect on our hormones and when you are at the stage in your life where you are either about to enter menopause or already going through it, adding one more factor to change your hormone levels can in fact influence how your body copes with various menopause symptoms.   Continue reading

Eating the Right Greek Yogurt During Menopause

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First published on http://menopausemission.com/eating-the-right-greek-yogurt-during-menopause  October 2012

Yogurt is a popular food to eat for maintaining strong healthy bones.  The popularity of Greek yogurt over the last five years has skyrocketed, but unfortunately some companies claiming to sell traditional Greek strained yogurt in fact are serving a product that does not align with the way pure traditional Greek strained yogurt is actually made. Being Greek, this begins to become insulting, especially growing up with the real thing, knowing the proper flavor and ingredients.  Some of these yogurts are not making people healthy, but are contributing to their health issues.  Don’t assume because a label says it’s a “Greek” yogurt that it’s healthy.  Make sure you read the ingredients of your yogurt before purchasing; otherwise you will be buying a product that will in fact agitate and worsen your menopausal symptoms.  For some, even a pure traditional Greek strained yogurt on its own can actually increase hot flash symptoms.   Continue reading