- in guest/interview , health by julie
The menopause solution | Dr. Stephanie Faubion
Dr. Stephanie Faubion is the Director of the Women’s Health Clinic in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. She is one of the country’s leading experts on menopause and is knowledgeable about bone and joint health. She is also the author of The Menopause Solution.
The Menopause Solution, is meant as a guide for women during menopause to help them be healthier for the rest of their lives. Women are living longer than ever before. In 1900, women did not live past age 50 and rarely dealt with menopause. Now, the average lifespan of a woman is approaching age 90, so menopause is something that most women will go through and live many years beyond.
In order to get a head start on menopause, Dr. Faubion explains that women need to be informed about what’s happening to their bodies and what they can do about it. By focusing on fitness, their overall quality of life will be better. Other areas of concern include sleep and stress management. Successfully managing both areas is key in the prevention of long-term diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Joint health is another important topic for post-menopausal women. Around the midpoint in their lives, women will experience more joint pain. Many women will start to develop arthritis after menopause. Dr. Faubion recommends that women recognize when they have pain, examine what triggered it, and stay tuned into their bodies.
Bone health is another area of concern. Many women are seeing bone loss around the age of menopause. This correlates with a loss of estrogen. In fact, women will experience the most bone loss of their lives within the first five years of menopause. To prevent bone loss, women should adopt a proper diet complete while maintaining a sufficient calcium intake. Resistance training and getting enough Vitamin D are also helpful in minimizing bone loss.
Be sure to check out The Menopause Solution to learn more about bone and joint health post-menopause. To connect with Dr. Stephanie Faubion, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/.
