When is the best time for strength training?
Is it hot in here?
Because it’s July?
Or because of a hot flash?
Or we’ve been working up a sweat working out?
Or we are hot under the collar learning about The Tampon Tax?
Or because we are excited to bring you our first company profile - Frame Fertility!
Hopefully, this five-minute read into health-related topics gives you a chance to cool down and broaden your knowledge.
The Tasting Menu
Me No Pause. But first, Perimenopause
Exercise and Your Menstrual Cycle
Is the Tampon Tax a health issue?
Me No Pause. But first, Perimenopause
You know what we don’t talk about enough? Perimenopause. Well, we don’t talk enough about menopause either. So let’s get started!
45% of women didn’t know the difference between menopause and perimenopause before they had symptoms. The list of symptoms varies from the expected (hot flashes) to the “wait, that’s a perimenopause symptom?!?” (trouble concentrating).
Perimenopause is about more than ovaries, hormones, and periods. When estrogen begins declining in menopause, it impacts other areas of our health such as:
We don’t replace bone as quickly as we used to replace it. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, ask your doctor about preventative care
Production of LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and HDL (the “good” kind) change. If you have a personal or family history of high cholesterol, this is a good time to start tracking cholesterol levels or tracking them more frequently.
If you are in your 40s and experiencing these symptoms, talk to your provider, talk to family members, and talk to your friends. You don’t have to tough it out.
There is more detailed information and a list of resources on the Eve Was Framed blog.
Exercise and Your Menstrual Cycle
During that “time of the month”, we don’t always feel up for really intense workouts. Speaking from experience as an endurance athlete, it’s an easy excuse to take an extended rest. But as we all know, there’s a lot more to the menstrual cycle than just your period, and the different phases also can have an impact on exercise.
The phases of your menstrual cycle are generally defined by the hormones that are released within your body, which can affect how effective exercise and strength training may be – and depending on your goals, can help you better structure your training plan around your cycle.
Menstrual phase (aka when you’re on your period) - most of your levels should be at baseline - so you can train as normal
Follicular phase (leads into ovulation) and releases the follicle-stimulating hormone as well as increased testosterone, so it's a great time to strength train if you want to increase muscle mass or strength
Ovulation phase increases the luteinizing hormone and increases your estrogen levels, which can increase your risk for injury
Luteal phase is a good time for rest, the hormone progesterone increases as your body prepares for your period causing your temperature to rise and you to experience other PMS symptoms (which let's be honest doesn’t make us want to workout)
There’s also research that shows that strength training during the follicular phase versus the luteal phase results in increased power and increased muscle diameter.
The takeaway? Intense strength training is best done during your follicular phase and into ovulation (but be wary of injuries), while the days leading into your period may be better days for rest or lower intensity workouts. Because hormone levels and fluctuations are going to be unique to everyone, with any kind of exercise or training regimen, its important to listen to your body and how it feels. But, you do have the opportunity to customize training around your cycle to maximize results and use your hormones to your advantage!
Is the Tampon Tax a Health Issue?
Around the world, products that are considered basic necessities are mainly exempt from a value-added or sales tax. These are things like groceries, over-the-counter medications, and toilet paper.
Interesting what is not always considered a basic necessity - feminine hygiene products. That’s known as the Tampon Tax although it applies to more than tampons.
Want to understand the difference between the Tampon Tax and the Pink Tax, learn about using pre-tax dollars on period products. and other essential items that are taxed (like breastfeeding equipment)? We’ve got a blog for you.
Why is this a health issue (other than how angry it makes us)? Separate research by U of Kotex, Thinx and PERIOD, and Intima show the impact:
Two in five girls and women had trouble getting period products
38% report missing work or school as a result
29% had to choose between products and their children’s education
16% said they had to choose between food and period products in the pandemic
As of today, Period Law’s tracking shows these products are still taxed in 24 states. When you consider that on average a woman spends over $6,000 on period products, taxing these essential products put them farther out of reach. Not to mention the question as to how essential women consider these items. Check out their site or Tax-Free Period for the status in your state.
You can help support women and girls experiencing Period Poverty by donating products to your local homeless and domestic violence shelters or donating or supporting these organizations:
Medical Term of the Week
Along with traditional medical approaches such as medication, you and your healthcare provider may explore Complementary Medicine. Approaches such as nutritional supplements, meditation, yoga, and biofeedback fall into this category.
The difference between complementary and alternative medicine is that complementary is used along with traditional medical approaches and alternative is used in place of those approaches.
Company Profile
If you’re thinking you may want (more) kids one day, no matter how far off, having a holistic look at your health today and what you can do for your fertility is a great option. Too many people are assessed only when they want to start building their families. It can be a strain on mental health and on your relationship.
That’s the space Frame Fertility is working in.
They are helping educate and empower people earlier in their journey to understand the challenges they may face and to get expert help to take the right steps to achieve their family-building goals.
What Frame Fertility does: Personalized fertility assessment (individual and/or couple), 1:1 dedicated coaching, care navigation, and ongoing support to help you achieve your family-building goals
What we love about them: Encouraging a future-looking approach to family planning that is evidence-based and holistic.
Where you can learn more or get in contact: Frame Fertility website to learn more and to get in touch
The Latest
July is Fibroid Awareness Month. Up to 70% of women will have fibroids by time time they re 50 years old. For many, that leads to hysterectomy. There are advocates in the South advocating change, particularly in black communities where access to healthcare can be sparse. (from Al.com)
New products alert! Natalist, which creates consumer products, like supplements, across the reproductive lifecycle announced new products. (FemTech Insider)
Two conflicting messages were sent to breastfeeding mothers recently. The Pump act, which was set to increase support and protection for breastfeeding particularly in the workplace failed the pass the Senate. The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines increasing the length of time they suggest for breastfeeding. (from HuffPost)
President Biden signed an executive order to create steps providing access to abortion and reproductive health services in the wake of Dobbs (from NPR)
Equip, which works with patients and families to overcome eating disorders published a study showing the effectiveness of virtual treatment in eating disorders in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. (Equip press release)