How do sleep (or a lack of it) and stress (an abundance of it) affect your immune system?
A lot, it turns out, and while that's always important, it's particularly important during this time of COVID 19.
To help people be well during this pandemic, Gennev is offering a series of weekly webinars on issues of women's health and how they're impacted by the isolation.
What are the risk factors for contracting COVID 19, and what are the best ways to protect yourself?
Be sure to learn about and register for upcoming webinars.
Gennev is the first online clinic for women in midlife and menopause. If menopause symptoms are impacting your quality of life, take back control. Visit Gennev.com for more information.
Pelvic health is so important for women, especially as we age.
In this podcast, Gennev Health Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Doctor of Physical Therapy and pelvic specialist Meagan Peeters-Gebler about how to strengthen and maintain the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Find Dr. Peeters-Gebler at Orthopedic Spine Therapy.
Gennev is a first-of-its-kind online clinic for women in midlife and menopause. Learn how to improve health and wellness and reduce menopause symptoms by working with our OB/GYNs via Gennev Telemedicine and develop your personalized menopause plan with our Health Coaches via the Gennev HealthFix program. Learn more at Gennev.com.
Our recent podcast on COVID 19 was so popular, we decided to do a deeper dive into the particular risks women face and how we can best protect ourselves and those we care about.
In this webinar/podcast, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talks to Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Chief Medical Officer and director of the Gennev Telemedicine program, Coaches Lauren Leedy and Stasi Kasianchuk of the Gennev HealthFix program, and Dr. Swapna Vaidya, psychiatrist, on ways we can stay physically and emotionally healthy in this very unusual, very unpredictable time.
You can also view the webinar video on YouTube and access the webinar/podcast transcript at Gennev.com.
Gennev's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Menopause Coach Stasi Kasianchuk discuss why women in menopause and midlife need to take especially good care of themselves during this time of elevated risk. They also share great tips on how to support your immune system now and always.
Learn more about Gennev, menopause, and how to protect your health with Gennev HealthFix and Telemedicine at gennev.com.
The Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating styles for women in menopause (and pretty much everyone, really). In this conversation, Gennev Menopause Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Chef Sheila Gomez of the Malibu Beach Inn about the nutritional value but also the gorgeous flavors, colors, smells, and textures of the foods that make up the Mediterranean plate.
Elizabeth MacBride is a highly accomplished journalist, writer, and editor, having written for CNBC, BBC Capital, Crain's New York, Advertising Age, the Washington Post, and the Christian Science Monitor, among others.
Her passion for entrepreneurship led her to found The Times of Entrepreneurship, a free, weekly newsletter covering entrepreneurs on the biggest challenges facing the world: climate, health, education, security, and more. With focuses on female, older, and immigrant entrepreneurs, The Times of Entrepreneurship seeks to have the broadest range of voices, especially those who are often left out of the conversation.
In this interview with Gennev CEO and co-founder Jill Angelo, they discuss mature women's advantages in leadership, including a wealth of "social capital," deep understanding of emotional patterns and how they influence behavior, and the surge of self-confidence that comes to so many women as they age.
Middle age and menopause don't have to mean your sex life is impaired or worse, over.
But there can be additional challenges such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido, fatigue, even embarrassment over body changes that make us feel less than sexy.
Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, spends a lot of time at her practice helping women regain their vibrant sex lives, and one thing she does is recommend books by Dr. Laurie Mintz, particularly A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex.
In this podcast, Dr. Dunsmoor-Su got to chat directly with Dr. Mintz about all the things that can dampen the spark and how to reignite it.
Dr. Laurie Mintz is a licensed psychologist in private practice and a tenured Professor at the University of Florida, where she teaches the Psychology of Human Sexuality to hundreds of undergraduate students each year.
Dr. Mintz has published over 50 research studies in academic journals and six chapters in academic books. She has received numerous professional and teaching awards. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, indicating that her work has had a positive national influence on the field of psychology.
Dr. Mintz is also the author of two popular press books—both written with the aim of empowering women sexually: Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters and How to Get It and A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex: Reclaim Your Desire and Reignite Your Relationship.
"There's been yet another round of lay-press headlines about how estrogen plus progesterone hormone replacement may increase the breast cancer risk," says OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su.
Headlines don't tell the full story, and Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, who is an epidemiologist as well as an OB/GYN, helps us separate fact from fiction in this podcast.
If you're dealing with menopause symptoms and are worried about taking HRT to manage them, you'll want to give this a listen.
If you're in or around menopause and struggling with issues such as weight management, sleep, stress, nutrition, bone health, appropriate exercise, what supplements to take, and more, a health coach could be just what you need.
In this podcast, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Gennev Chief Medical Officer, and Lauren Leedy, Registered Dietitian and Lead Health Coach at Gennev, talk about what Gennev health coaches do, how they work with our physicians, how they're specially trained to help women in menopause, and why Gennev coaches offer such great value for women in this often-challenging phase of life.
Work with a Gennev health coach to learn more about the changes your body is going through, and put together a plan to help you relieve symptoms now and stay healthier in the many years ahead.
Darcey Steinke has written a wholly original book about menopause. And it's wonderful.
She starts with her own experience, then leads us on a journey that explores the biological, sociological, and cultural realities women have faced and continue facing during this part of their lives.
And how it's time those "realities" underwent some real scrutiny.
Darcey argues that menopause can and should be transformative – a unique opportunity to embrace a new, rich, potentially very altered self.
Once genneve CEO Jill Angelo heard Darcey on NPR's All Things Considered, she was eager to meet the woman who spoke so openly and honestly about the changes menopause can have on bodies, sex, relationships, and our own identities as women.
When she learned Darcey was coming to Seattle (home to genneve HQ) to speak about her book, Jill reached out.
What follows is an incredibly lively, fun, and inspiring conversation. We hope you enjoy it, and if you're able to attend Darcey's show in Seattle, we'll see you there!
Many women aren't familiar with the term "perimenopause," even though it could explain their suddenly unpredictable periods, night sweats, and even crappier PMS.
Doctor of Pharmacy Dr. Anna Garrett is on a mission to help women better understand their bodies – and help us all better understand the hormonal journey women travel throughout their lives.
In this podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo, Dr. Anna discusses why 35 isn't "too early" to start talking about and preparing for perimenopause and menopause, how these two phases of a woman's life differ, and why it's so important to all women's health to have open conversations about hormones.
Have a listen, then check out Dr. Anna's book, Perimenopause: The Savvy Sister's Guide to Hormone Harmony.
In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative released the results of its study, claiming use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increased a woman's risk of breast cancer.
Almost overnight, use plummeted, leaving a great many women without a good alternative for managing their menopause symptoms.
In their book Estrogen Matters, Dr. Avrum Bluming and Dr. Carol Tavris take a deep and detailed look at the WHI study and its conclusions.
Not only, they argue, did the WHI unnecessarily frighten women and leave them suffering with very real symptoms, they may also have prevented women from taking a life-changing, even life-prolonging treatment.
In this podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo and genneve Director of Health ob/gyn Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Drs. Tavris and Bluming take us through their research and make a compelling case for the safety and effectiveness of HRT.
If you're in or approaching menopause, this podcast and the book Estrogen Matters can help you better understand HRT, its true risks, and the very real benefits it can offer.
Learn more and find the full transcript at genneve.com.
If you're a woman with a personal or family history of heart disease, don't assume your heart health is completely out of your hands.
And don't assume you "don't need to worry about heart disease" because you're a woman with no family or personal history.
In this podcast, genneve Director of Health, ob/gyn Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, interviews one of Seattle's leading cardiologists, Dr. Sarah Speck, on ways to improve your heart health, starting right now, today.
Know your risk factors (preeclampsia can be a risk factor for future heart disease – who knew?) and how to manage them (losing 10% of your body weight if you're overweight can substantially reduce impacts on heart health).
Also, if you're considering HRT to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms, what are the implications for your heart?
Take 15 minutes to listen; it could change your life.
It's tough enough to start a second career at age 46 – but what if that new career involves wearing a bathing suit and getting your picture taken?
Rachel Peru did it, beautifully.
Volunteering to be in a friend's fashion show led to an entirely new career and, even better, a new confidence in her beauty, power, and resilience.
Now a model, Rachel has embraced her silver hair, her body's natural curves, and is flipping the idea that "women are invisible after 40" on its head.
If this is what 40+ looks like, we say, bring it on!
Photographer Matt Brown @mattsphoto
There's already a shortage of ob/gyns in the US, making it even more difficult for women to find a menopause specialist.
According to Fortune Magazine, "By 2020, there will be a shortage of up to 8,800 OB-GYNs, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. And by 2050, the shortage may grow to 22,000."
What are the consequences to women's health if there aren't enough ob/gyns to fill the need?
genneve CEO Jill Angelo talked with genneve Director of Health, ob/gyn and menopause specialist Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, about the strain this puts on women, on physicians, and on the health care system as a whole.
They also discussed how genneve's telehealth is an excellent way to help fill the care gap for women in midlife and menopause.
Learn more about genneve and our telehealth service, and read the full transcript of this conversation, at genneve.com.
Like many women, Lauren Chiren had a rough transition to menopause. During a particularly bad 18-month stretch, her brain fog and short-term memory got so bad, she quit her high-powered senior role, concerned she was developing early onset dementia.
When she learned she was actually dealing with menopause and there were ways to manage her symptoms, she decided to commit herself to helping women so no one would go through what she did.
Now as Founder and Director of Women of a Certain Stage, Lauren coaches executive women, helping them make the lifestyle changes that allow them to continue to perform during perimenopause and menopause. And she educates organizations on how to best support this very valuable workforce of women.
Join us at genneve.com, the one-stop shop for an easier menopause, to learn more.
Sonya dreamed she was drowning and woke up choking and gasping for air.
She was tired all the time, grabbing quick cat naps in the middle of the day when she could to try and shake off the lethargy and brain fog.
Once a sound sleeper, Sonya just couldn’t make it through the night, sometimes getting up hourly to go to the bathroom. What was going on?
Sleep apnea was going on.
She took an at-home sleep test and was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, meaning her body was waking multiple times an hour to start breathing again.
Sleep apnea is dangerous – heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes are all associated with sleep apnea – and women in menopause are particularly vulnerable.
For more information, we talked to Dr. Katharine Christian, dentist and specialist in dental sleep medicine. She is the Dental Director of the Seattle Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center and Board Certified by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and thanks to her, Sonya is finally able to get a good night’s sleep.
To get more information on sleep apnea and Dr. Christian and to read a full transcript of our conversation, visit genneve.com.
You wear your skin every day, so it's a good idea to take care of it. Best way to do that? According to Dr. Keira Barr, board-certified dermatologist and Chief Wellness Officer of Resilient Health Institute, "get naked."
You need to inspect your skin, top to toe, every nook and cranny, Dr. Keira told us. But that's just the beginning.
Dr. Keira shared with us the five things to look for and the three most important things you can do for your skin.
Your skin is your largest organ and a window into your overall health, so listen up and find out how to take the best possible care of it.
Get more information about Dr. Keira and the full transcript of this interview at genneve.com.
In Part 1 of our conversation with neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi, we learned more about the connection between estrogen, menopause, and Alzheimer's.
In short, in perimenopause and menopause, as estrogen declines, women lose some of the neuroprotective advantages of the hormone, making them more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease.
Make sure to listen to Part 1 to get grounded in the science. In Part 2, Dr. Mosconi lets us in on how we can protect our brains from the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's. Food, exercise, intellectual stimulation all have a part to play, so you're going to want to hear what Dr. Mosconi has to say. (Bonus: a lot of these same tips can help men age better, too.)
Learn more about Dr. Mosconi, the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, and how you might participate in their research. If you want to start nourishing your brain against age-related decline (“eating for retirement,” as Dr. Mosconi puts it), get your hands on a copy of her fascinating and very readable book, Brain Food: the Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.
See the full transcript of our conversation on genneve.com, then join the conversation in our community forums!
“In the next three minutes, 3 people will develop Alzheimer’s. Two of them will be women.”
As neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi says in her article, “Alzheimer’s and Women’s Health, an Urgent Call,” while women account for two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases, little is being done to understand why simply being a woman significantly increases your risk of developing the disease.
Dr. Mosconi is Associate Director of the Weill Cornell Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, where she and her colleagues are working to understand this critical – and critically overlooked – piece of women’s healthcare.
Team genneve came across this story because Dr. Mosconi and others have linked Alzheimer’s disease with menopause. They postulate that as estrogen levels subside in a woman’s body as she ages, so do its neurological protections.
As Dr. Mosconi puts it: “In straight talk: menopause causes metabolic changes in the brain that seem to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
“In straight talk: menopause causes metabolic changes in the brain that seem to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Fortunately, as Dr. Mosconi has helped identify the problem, she has also helped point to some powerful solutions. Exercise and nutrition, she says, can play a significant role in preventing cognitive decline.
In Part 1 of her podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo, Dr. Mosconi explains the mechanism behind menopause and Alzheimer’s risk. Come back for Part 2, where she discusses how women can protect their brains as they age.
Learn more about Dr. Mosconi, the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, and how you might participate in their research. If you want to start nourishing your brain (“eating for retirement,” as Dr. Mosconi puts it), get your hands on a copy of her fascinating and very readable book, Brain Food: the Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.
For a full transcript of this conversation, join us at genneve.com.
For further reading on nutrition and your health: check out how your gut flora affects your brain power and, now that you’re going to eat so much better, how to give up sugar.
“I’ve been dressing myself since I was four. Why is it suddenly so hard to do?”
Changing bodies, changing priorities, outdated notions of what’s “acceptable” to wear after 40 can all make it feel surprisingly difficult to dress yourself. And whether we like it or not, people do judge us on our appearance.
We can use that very human habit to our advantage, says Mellicia Marx, personal stylist and founder of the very cool Poplin Style Directions. Our clothes can be a tool to express ourselves and project the image we want to the world. You just have to know what that image is and how to achieve it.
Mellicia asks her clients for the three words they aspire to in their style – “confident, edgy, and feminine” or “boho, earthy, and relaxed,” whatever they may be – and from there they can build a closet that’s like a “boutique curated just for you.”
Sound good? Listen in to Mellicia's ideas about fashion, body image, staying on budget, and feeling good enough to take on the world.
Join us at genneve.com for more information about Mellicia and a full transcript of this conversation.
Author, brand strategist, speaker, and motivator Juju Hook is on a mission to rebrand "midlife." It's crap, she says, and she's not wrong.
Why a rebrand?
What do you think of when you hear "midlife woman"? Wrong! We've been sold a bill of goods, Juju says, and she is ready to help every woman embrace her power and glory and step into PrimeTime.
Hear the podcast, read genneve's review of Juju's book, then be sure to order a copy of Hot Flashes, Carpools and Dirty Martinis for yourself!
Get more information and read the full transcript of our conversation with Juju Hook on genneve.com.
Did you know that after menopause, women lose many of the heart protections that helped them prevent heart disease? With the loss of estrogen, we lose elasticity in our blood vessels, making the build up of plaque easier.
February is heart health month, and since heart disease is the #1 killer of women and men in the US, we wanted to share some information with you on how to protect yourself.
We talked with Dr. Sarah Speck, medical director of the cardiac wellness and rehabilitation programs at the Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute in Seattle and co-founder of POTENTRx, a medical fitness company, about what we can do to stay heart healthy as we age.
Learn more about heart disease, Dr. Speck, and how you can put the wisdom behind the training of elite athletes to work for your heart health: genneve.com.
Quick quiz: menopause or thyroid problem?
Actually, it's kind of a trick question: all of these symptoms can be caused by menopause OR thyroid dysfunction.
Because menopause and thyroid disease can look a lot alike, all too often women who are dealing with thyroid problems like hypo- or hyperthyroidism are told "it's just menopause" or "you're just getting older." To make matters even more complicated, women in midlife are more prone to thyroid disease, increasing the chances that "it's just menopause" is actually "just an incomplete diagnosis."
Yes, it might be "just menopause." But what if it's not?
Thyroid disease can have serious and lasting health impacts if left untreated. So we asked Dr. Kate Kass, a functional medicine physician who specializes in hormonal health, to talk about the differences in symptoms, how to test for thyroid disease, and what we can do to optimize our health under any circumstances.
Get more information on Dr. Kass and see the entire transcript at genneve.com.
Do you ever feel like there ought to be … I don’t know … more? You’re a high-achieving woman – great at your job and “successful” by modern measures – but you still feel like something’s missing, there’s something you haven’t accomplished yet.
Welcome to midlife.
Women in their 40s and beyond often experience a pretty fundamental shift: it’s time to stop worrying what others think of me and concentrate on how I feel about myself, my place, my work, my creative side, my spiritual soul.
Great! Also … dangerous. Frustration with finding yourself where you don’t want to be can lead to impulsive decisions.
How do you honor that part of yourself that’s ready for new challenges and new horizons without disrupting everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve?
Dr. Barbara Mark has some very good ideas for you. Dr. Mark is an elite leadership, career, and life strategies coach, advisor, and confidant to senior executive women. Trained in clinical psychology, Dr. Mark has great insights into human thought and how thought translates into action (or inaction). She focuses on working women in midlife, helping her clients find clarity during an often very challenging time.
We had a few questions for her.
Join us at genneve.com for the full scoop on midlife, "me" time, and Dr. Marks.