Women have three primary sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. What happens to these during menopause? And what do they do anyway? Marla Ahlgrimm answers a handful of common questions in today’s brief blog.

Q: What are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone?

Marla Ahlgrimm: These are sex hormones that determine, among many things, when a woman is ready to bear children. They are present throughout a woman’s lifetime, but undergo major changes both at puberty and at menopause. Estrogen is the hormone primarily responsible for the physical changes that signal womanhood, including the growth of breast tissue.

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You’ve almost no doubt heard someone say, “Just wait. Your metabolism will tank in your 30s!” But, what does this mean? And what is metabolism anyway? Marla Ahlgrimm offers up answers below. 

Q: What is metabolism?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Metabolism is the natural process your body uses to convert food into energy. The more efficient your metabolism, the faster your food is converted. This also means that you can eat more calories and do less physical activity without gaining a significant amount of weight.

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Many of us get caught up in the idea that we have to follow a strict diet in order to lose weight and be healthy. The truth is that structured eating plans are rarely effective as they are difficult to maintain and may not provide the body with all the nutrients they need, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Here, the women’s healthcare expert, author, and entrepreneur opens up about how to eat right for better health.

Q: Is it true that all diets lack something?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Typically, the trendy diets that you see online and television (think low-carb or paleo) tend to leave out important food groups. Further, strict calorie-reduction diets may mean that you eat too little. The best diet is to simply eat well and enjoy your indulgences in moderation.

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Women have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and women in healthcare even harder. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that female physicians, nurses, and pharmacists are some of the most affected individuals in the nation.

Historically, women have always borne the burden of taking care of family in times of need. This continues to hold true during the 2020 pandemic, says Marla Ahlgrimm. And, since our current crisis is of a medical nature, women in the healthcare industry may be struggling to maintain balance. According to the retired healthcare entrepreneur, female caregivers are busy taking care of patients while trying to figure out how to keep their own families safe from contamination.

Between perfecting decontamination routines, quarantining from family when exposed to the virus, and trying to manage children who are home from school, women in healthcare have a lot on their proverbial plates. Marla Ahlgrimm notes that all of these things combined have equaled another sub-crisis: women’s mental health.

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, at nearly 10 months into a pandemic, many women, especially those that provide medical care, are at their mental health breaking point. She notes, however, that there are ways to regain control. These include:

• Do something nice for yourself. Marla Ahlgrimm says that something as simple as a warm bath in the evening or 20 minutes for a nice cup of coffee in the morning before everyone else wakes up can go a long way toward boosting your spirits.

• Let go. We are all used to juggling, but add in the extra balls of a pandemic, and your hands will be moving so fast you won’t be able to think. Let a few balls drop to prioritize those that are most important.

• Ask for help. Marla Ahlgrimm says this is perhaps the most difficult thing for women to do. We do not want to be perceived as weak, and we are often used to simply doing it ourselves. But, now is not the time for pride, and there is no shame in asking for help from your friends, family, or community when you need a helping hand.

Most medical conditions are easily explained. But, as Marla Ahlgrimm points out in the post below, not all fall into a recognizable category. Here, the women’s health expert, popular self-help author, and retired hormone specialist offers up information on some of the most unusual medical conditions known to science. 

Body Integrity Identity Disorder

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, body integrity identity disorder is extremely rare, and thankfully so. People who suffer with this bizarre condition believe that one of their body parts does not belong. They might, for example, feel as though their left arm or right foot is an alien part of the body. They may be repulsed at the sight of this unwelcome appendage. Fortunately, scientists have discovered a cause. People with body integrity identity disorder are missing crucial information regarding the body part in question on their body image map, a network of neurons in the brain responsible for recognizing your own physical features.

Congenital Insensitivity To Pain

Marla Ahlgrimm says that many people wish they did not feel pain or discomfort. While this may sound like a dream come true, particularly during childbirth, this disease is a nightmare for those that suffer from it. As the name suggests, it is congenital, meaning that you are born with it. Babies with this condition may bite their tongues off as they begin to teethe, break bones without crying, or experience significant damage to their eyes when they fail to instinctively remove foreign objects that may scratch the cornea.

Mass Hysteria

Typically thought of as a female-only issue, mass hysteria is most often associated with teenage girls, and it can be traced back to the days when witchcraft was an arrestable offense. It happens when a group of people experience hysterical symptoms, like fainting, laughing, convulsions, or seizures.

Parasitic Twin

A parasitic twin happens when an embryo, which would otherwise become twins, doesn’t fully separate. One twin may develop in entirety while the other only partially, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Parasitic twins were popular in 19th-century “freak show” acts, with many of the most famous being showcased at the PT Barnum Circus. Usually, these twins are absorbed by the healthy fetus, and most people today with a parasitic twin do not even know it.

We live in a digital age, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Because of this, many activities we used to do in person now take place online. Dating is one of these. Unfortunately, online dating isn’t always safe for women. Here are some tips to keep yourself safe.

Check them out before you meet them.

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, everyone these days has a digital presence. Whether it’s a social media site or a newspaper call out, there’s a good chance you can find out more information about your future date by simply Googling their name and city and state. If you do find them on social media, look to see that they are tagged back and forth with other people and that they are not doing any illegal activities that might make you feel uncomfortable.

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