The Menopause Minute - Volume 91

Ho Ho Ho, 'tis the season to be jolly. Many of us dread holiday shopping, but some of us really enjoy the pursuit to finding the perfect holiday gifts. My biggest problem has been that I am a consummate shopper and I admit to shopping being one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoy the process of picking out gifts, making them personal, and I get immediate gratification in giving.

It’s difficult in these tough economic times to always buy what I want to for others, but I truly believe that it’s not about giving extravagant items with hefty price tags. It’s about finding a gift that will be of personal interest to the recipient of the gift. I also must admit, I’ve never been the type of person that would re-gift an item that had been given to me. I find that rather revolting. And, I also have a problem giving cash, but now there’s an alternative. There are an overwhelming amount of gift cards from every possible store and restaurant around to choose from.

One thing to always remember that it’s not about the price of the gift that matters, it’s about the thought you put into it. And, certainly, you should never put a strain on your budget in purchasing a gift. I’m quite sentimental, and when I receive a homemade card or gift, it makes me melt.

Holidays are a magical time. And, it’s not all about shopping. It’s about thinking outside of the mall. It’s enjoying the energy of the season, the joy in sharing and reciprocating those acts of kindnesses that you received from people. The most important gifts are not wrapped. They are respect, love and commitment.

Happy holidays to you and yours!

Karen Giblin
Founder and President
Red Hot Mamas

The holidays can be a time when regular healthy routines go awry, but these five simple tips will help you enjoy a healthy festive season.

During the holidays your daily routines are replaced with festive activities – but that doesn’t mean you have to put a ho-ho-hold on your overall health. Here are five simple tips to help you stay on the “nice list” this season.

We've all been told to be a partner in our own healthcare. I used to find that to be a difficult task before I started writing down important health information. In the past, I would visit a doctor and remember just dribs and drabs of information and it clearly made it more difficult for me to manage my health care in an organized fashion.

These days, technology makes it possible to track every aspect of our health from calories consumed to how many steps we take per day. To record my health data, I decided to start a journal simply using a spiral notebook pad. And, it's been a highly effective tool, as well as been empowering and reassuring to know that I am taking part of my care by recording important information about my health.

Each of our health concerns is unique. A simple journal helps us to identify health issues, track our menopause symptoms, and helps us be more prepared for things to come. So, I encourage all of you, to develop a personal menopause health journal.

Some of my suggestions to include in your journal are: