Marla Ahlgrimm is an author, entrepreneur & women's health expert.
The ketogenic diet is like a dream for many people. If you can skip potatoes and sugar, Marla Ahlgrimm says going keto can help you lose weight, improve your blood sugar, and may improve your overall energy levels. But, is it right for all women?
Q: What is keto?
Marla Ahlgrimm: The ketogenic diet is a popular diet plan used by people from all over the world, and especially those that need to lose weight quickly. It effectively tricks your body into using fat as energy instead of sugar.
Coffee and tea are both popular drinks, especially among women. But, are they healthy? And, if so, which one is the best choice? The answer, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, is that it depends on a person’s goals and tolerance for caffeine. Here, the women’s health entrepreneur answers a few common questions about our favorite caffeinated (and decaffeinated) beverages.
Q: What are the biggest benefits of drinking coffee and tea?
Marla Ahlgrimm: The obvious answer would be the energy boost you get from either of them. But, the truth is that that’s not even the most profound benefit of drinking a moderate amount of coffee or tea. Both contain antioxidants, compounds that help the body fight certain types of cancer. If you’re going solely for health benefits, green tea should be your drink of choice.
Q: How much caffeine is in coffee?
Marla Ahlgrimm: That depends on the kind of coffee that you drink. Regular brewed coffee contains 96 mg per every 8 ounces. Espresso has a whopping 64 mg per ounce. Contrary to popular belief, even decaffeinated coffee contains some of the energy-boosting compounds, with about 2 mg for every cup.
Q: How does the amount of caffeine in coffee compare to tea?
Marla Ahlgrimm: The average cup of coffee has more than twice the amount of caffeine as a cup of brewed black or green tea.
Q: Bottom line: is it unhealthy to drink coffee and tea?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Antioxidants are certainly beneficial to the human body. And, while there is nothing wrong with a few cups of coffee each morning, keep in mind that 400 mg of caffeine every day is considered the highest safe amount. This does not account for people’s body size and ability to metabolize caffeine.
Scientists have been working diligently since the start of the pandemic to identify high-risk groups. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, people with mental illnesses fall in this category. However, some people that take antipsychotic drugs may actually enjoy some protection against the virus.
Marla Ahlgrimm explains that people with mental illnesses, and specifically those in an institutionalized setting, such as a mental hospital or prison, are at a higher risk of contracting and dying from the COVID-19 virus. Many of these individuals also suffer with conditions that cause hallucinations; because of this, healthcare workers might think the person with COVID is imagining symptoms and will not test for the virus. Further, they are often unaware of risk factors and how to avoid exposure.
People with schizophrenia are often socially disadvantaged, in poor health, and, sadly, ignored by their healthcare providers when they mention a recurrent symptom. Marla Ahlgrimm says this makes these individuals a prime target for the virus.
A research study published in 2020 in Schizophrenia Research, a peer-reviewed medical journal, found that people that took certain antipsychotic drugs actually seem to have some level of protection against serious illness caused by COVID-19. Marla Ahlgrimm points out that antipsychotic drugs have been studied before as a treatment for other respiratory syndromes.
Marla Ahlgrimm explains that some antipsychotic drugs inhibit activation of some of the genes that are responsible for systemic inflammation. Inflammation aggravates virtually all illnesses.
Symptoms of the coronavirus often include a persistent, dry cough along with fatigue, congestion, and chills. The majority of individuals diagnosed with the condition recover within two weeks. Marla Ahlgrimm notes that, in the general population, about 2% of people experience extreme symptoms and a small group of these resulted in death. Among those taking antipsychotic drugs, there is a much lower positivity rate. The study found that approximately 4.1% of the general population tested positive for the virus – those taking a long acting injectable antipsychotic treatment tested positive just 1.3% of the time.
Our hormones play a crucial role in every aspect of our being. According to hormone specialist Marla Ahlgrimm, the endocrine system has its proverbial hand in every part of our physical and emotional health. Our skin is no different.
Q: Do hormones affect our skin appearance?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Absolutely. Most often, estrogen is the hormone you would think of when you think of skin health. While estrogen is typically thought of as a sex hormone, it also affects the hair and skin. As women age, their estrogen levels drop, which can make their skin look less plump and more wrinkled. During high-estrogen stages, such as pregnancy, a woman’s skin, specifically on her forehead, cheeks, and nose, may become darker than normal. This is a phenomenon known as melasma.
Q: What causes excess oil production?
Marla Ahlgrimm: While not always, excessively oily skin is often linked to an overabundance of testosterone. It is a common misconception that only men produce testosterone. Women’s bodies also produce testosterone, albeit in much smaller amounts. During menopause, the testosterone and androgen levels are thrown off balance, which may result in adult acne or skin oiliness.
Many people look at hobbies as simply a way to pass a lazy afternoon. But, according to women’s health entrepreneur Ahlgrimm, hobbies are so much more. Having the right hobby can improve your overall health and happiness. Not sure what piques your interest? Here are some suggestions:
Reading
Marla Ahlgrimm says that few things are more comforting than a good book, a cozy blanket, and a night on the couch. But, books also help keep your brain in top shape while you learn or escape into a fantasy world. If socialization is what you’re looking for, having a book club is an excellent way to get together with your gal pals.
Art
Even if you don’t have an artistic bone in your body, drawing, painting, and crafting are all excellent hobbies. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that having a creative outlet can help you get better in touch with your feelings while expressing your individual style. Plus, there’s something rather satisfying about watching a blank canvas or a lump of clay turn into something made by your own two hands.
It’s estimated that approximately 1% of women will experience menopause before they turn 40, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Is stress the culprit? Probably not.
Q: Can stress cause premature menopause?
Marla Ahlgrimm: There isn’t evidence to suggest that stress by itself can trigger early menopause. What we do know, however, is that the symptoms of stress and menopause often mimic each other. This can make you mistakenly believe that you are beyond your childbearing years.
Q: What are common symptoms of stress and menopause?
Marla Ahlgrimm: Anxiety, mood swings, waning libido, irritability, forgetfulness, and trouble sleeping are all common in both. However, stress can also cause a woman to miss her menstrual cycle, which is the top reason that women in their 40s who are experiencing extreme stress believe that they’ve begun menopause.
Q: Who is most at risk of early menopause?
Marla Ahlgrimm: There are several lifestyle factors and health conditions that can cause early menopause. These include smoking, cancer treatment, some autoimmune disorders, and surgeries. Further, women who eat a poor diet, drink often, and engage in other unhealthy lifestyle practices put themselves at risk of experiencing stress/menopause symptoms in their late 30s and 40s.
Q: What are the emotional effects of early menopause?
Marla Ahlgrimm: That depends on the woman. Some welcome “the change” with open arms. However, a woman in her late 30s or early 40s who still wishes to have children may feel as though their self-worth has taken a hit. As women delay having kids, the risk of infertility increases. In addition to not being able to have children, experiencing early menopause can make a woman feel older than she is. As a society, we tend to look at those post-menopausal women as less attractive than their child-bearing-aged counterparts. This can take a significant toll on a woman’s self-esteem as she learns to accept and transition into her “mature” years.
Marla Ahlgrimm has co-authored two ground-breaking books, The HRT Solution-Optimizing Your Hormone Potential (Avery 1999) and Self-Help for Premenstrual Syndrome (Random House 1999).
