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: 

February is Heart Health month, and here are a few things you need to know but might not:

1. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States, far outpacing breast cancer.
2. Estrogen is protective of the heart - it relaxes arteries and promotes the "good" kind of cholesterol.
3. Ten years post-menopause, a woman's risk of heart disease is equal to a man's.
4. Women are more likely to die due to heart attack because our assumptions about what heart attacks "look like" are based largely on men's symptoms - not women's. So women often don't seek treatment or are misdiagnosed.

That's enough of the bad news. Here's some good news instead.

Nutrition, exercise, and attention to gut health can go a long way toward reducing your risk of heart disease (and this is true of everyone at every age).

In this conversation with bariatric surgeon and gut-health expert Dr. Erika La Vella, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk asks the questions YOU need the answers to: how to maximize gut health to have a healthier heart.

You can find Dr. La Vella at lavellayourguts.com. You can make an appointment with Coach Stasi or any of our Dietitian Nutritionist coaches at Gennev.com/plans.

Resources for additional information:

I don't want to get too big. I can't lift. I'm too tired by the end of the day. I did it once but didn't see results, so I quit.

Resistance training may not be your thing, but if you're a woman over 40, you might take another look at it. 

It's great for so many things: building and maintaining muscle mass. Helping you sleep better at night. Helping you manage midlife and menopause concerns like weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue, poor balance, and weakening bones. 

You know as you get older that your body changes: muscles shrink, metabolism slows, body can look and feel less toned. Resistance training, done right, can help with those things, as well as improve core strength for better balance and generally lift your mood and confidence.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk speaks with owner and founder of Driven Fitness, Erica Roselius. A full-time fitness professional and coach for more than 13 years, Erica works primarily with over 40s to help them manage weight and increase muscle. 

Why is it so important for women to incorporate resistance training? How can they benefit, and what risks do they take if they don't move more?

Listen, then find Erica at Driven Fitness and Stasi at Gennev for more information. 

You've been having hot flashes for a while. You still have periods, but sometimes you might go a month or two with nothing. You haven't felt much joy lately, sleep doesn't come as easily as it used to, and you're tired all the way to your bones.

How long is all of this going to last?

There's no hormone test that will tell you where you are in your menopause transition. Unfortunately, in perimenopause when symptoms first start to appear, your hormones are fluctuating so much, you might test as menopausal today but not tomorrow.

That doesn't mean you just grit your teeth and hope it's not the "20 years" you've heard about from others. Gennev's unique menopause assessment looks at your symptoms, your medical history, and your cycles to help you understand where you are -- and what might be coming next.

Knowing where you are means you understand when the changes in your body are normal and when they maybe signal a need for some medical attention. Knowing means you can prepare for the symptoms that may follow. 

In this podcast, OB/GYN, Chief Medical Officer, and menopause specialist Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su talks with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo about the Menopause Assessment she created for Gennev. They discuss the science behind it, the benefits of the data collected for both the woman who took it and the women who are coming up to perimenopause behind her. 

They also take on the issue of privacy with personal data and the many ways Gennev can help women have an easier, healthier menopause.

Curious? Take the free Gennev Menopause Assessment and find out where you are in your menopause transition.