an independent supplement by mediaplanet to ch icago sun-t...
TRANSCRIPT
Women’s HealtH & Beauty
Find balance,
Feel beautiFul
Actress, author, artist and health advocate Jane Seymour balances her family life and career while
maintaining a vibrant appearance
An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
no.4/november 2012
3TipS
for Thriving Through midlife
And beyond
Ph
oto
: be
n h
or
ton
(le
ft
), c
ha
rle
s b
us
h (r
igh
t)
eczema examining
the itch
Joan lunden don’t forget
yourself
cariDee english take charge of your disease
2 · noVembeR 2012 An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
Women are c a r e g i v -ers, often sandwiched b e t w e e n e n s u r i n g
the wellbeing of parents while also tending to offspring. Too often, women forget to make their own health a priority. When that hap-pens, it can lead to potential health problems and impact overall appearance as well.
family historyThe approaching holidays are a good time to put a focus on your health and your families’ wellbe-ing, suggests Joan London, who knows what it is like to juggle an aging mom and seven children. “Get out a video camera during family dinners. Have relatives talk about when they were born and going to school, but also have them talk about family health history,” advises London, who said start-ing with fond memories is an easy segue.
Knowing family history of heart conditions or cancer is paramount and needs to be shared with phy-sicians during yearly checkups. Make sure appointments for physicals and screenings are made.
Don’t think just because you feel fine or are “too young” to have an issue that you don’t need to have regular checkups.
According to the Centers for Dis-ease Control, heart disease is the leading killer of women. More than 42 million women are currently living with some form of cardio-vascular disease, according to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
ScreeningMammograms are also a must for
women, particularly those with history of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second most com-mon cancer among women in the U.S. behind lung cancer. Thanks to more women getting screened and improvements in the technology, deaths are declining.
Although often joked about, women must face the very real side effects brought on by menopause. Now, these side effects can be man-aged in new ways that exclude the use of hormones.
With the body tuned up, you’ll
notice improvements in your skin and hair – and a reduction in stress! Build upon that by getting plenty of hydration, applying skin care for specific needs, eating properly, tak-ing vitamins and practicing good skin care regimens. London recom-mends women don’t just cleanse and moisturize, but take five extra minutes and add the treatment step. Looking good and feeling good really does go hand in hand!
CHallenGesTaking care of your health makes you feel better and look radiant, too. Don’t overlook yearly checkups.
Women’s health: on the forefront of the female mind
Winter SkinFight the urge to itch
We recommenD
pAge 7
mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high quality editorial content that motivates them to act.
faye brookman
faye brookman
Women’s health & beauty fourth eDition, november 2012
publishers: Patricia green [email protected], Jamie nuccio [email protected] developer: Paul stover [email protected] director: max fjellstrom [email protected] manager: sara Quigley [email protected]: linh le
Contributors: faye brookman, charles bush, marie DePalma, avery hurt
distributed within: chicago sun-times crWn, november 2012this section was created by mediaplanet and did not involve the chicago sun-times or its editorial Departments.
folloW us on facebook & tWitter! facebook.com/mediaplanetuSAtwitter.com/mediaplanetuSA
1Make sure you schedule all of your checkups. Women spend so much time taking care of
everyone else, they forget themselves. Don’t put off appointments because you don’t want to get on the scale!
2Find a group and do something YOU like. Don’t just think of going to the gym to get into a smaller
size. Be a role model to your kids and teach them to how to “play.” Do simple activities together like soccer or bike riding.
3To look good on the outside, you have to start with the inside. Healthy skin requires proper
hydrating, eating nutritionally and taking ‘time outs’ in busy life to beat stress.
Joan lundenmother of seven, Journalist, spokeswoman
strategies for success
noVembeR 2012 · 3An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
CHallenGes
mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high quality editorial content that motivates them to act.
neWs
manage menopause naturally
■■ Question: What is menopause and are there options to reduce its effects?
■■ Answer: menopause is a normal condition that all women experience as they age. the term ”menopause” is commonly used to describe any of the changes a woman experiences either just before or after she stops menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period. And there are natural alternatives to curtail menopause symptoms.
Lori Konkowski remembers her first hot flash. “I started sweating uncontrol-lably,” said the 54-year old who is afraid to take hormones.
She’s not alone. Many women in the stages of meno-
pause have concerns about hormones. More than 40 percent of women expe-rience symptoms (according to The Mayo Clinic) including hot flashes, a lack of balance, breast tenderness, dif-ficulty sleeping, vaginal dryness and other complications.
Statistics on use of alternative medi-
cine by menopausal women show natural remedies have been found to be effective. And, women are more cogni-zant and careful than ever about what they put into their bodies.
Options include black cohosh, wild yam, soy, flaxseed, and red clover.
Women experience menopause diffe-rently. According to the North American Menopause Society, the average age is 51 but some women start as early as 30. Women seek solutions when they start experiencing signs, but many experts feel they should begin to take care of their health in their 20s. Vitamins, espe-cially iron supplements, at early ages can enhance cardio health and stave off osteoporosis. As with any regimen, con-sulting a doctor is advised.
Red clover is a wild plant belong-ing to the legume family.
It has been used medicinally to treat a number of conditions
ranging from whooping cough to skin inflammations.
Red clover has been shown to have isoflavones, plant based
chemicals that produce estrogen like effects in the body. These isoflavones have been linked to treating condi-
tions associated with menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats. Those who have allergies to other natural remedies can ingest it.
Red clover is a source of nutrients including calcium, chromium,
magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.
faye brookman
What’s the buzz about reD clover?
faye brookman
find The righT SupplemenT
for you
1Tip
4 · noVembeR 2012 An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
InsPIRatIon
Question: How does actress, author, artist and health advocate Jane Seymour balance her family life and career while looking so vibrant? Answer: Seymour believes in exercise and eating right, but more importantly, getting involved.
Keep your heart openJane Seymour looks great by doing good. Seymour, who experi-enced a health scare in 1995 dur-ing the birth of her twins, isn’t one to “sit home and grumble.” Instead, she follows advice from her mother, who lived to be 92, encouraging her to “help others and always be a good friend.”
She’s at the forefront of rais-ing awareness for heart health through the Open Hearts Foun-dation, her Keep an Open Heart website and advocacy of pistachios combined a sensible diet to reduce heart disease. After playing the role of a woman who received a heart transplant, Seymour is even more sensitive to heart health, urg-ing women to make sure they have regular checkups.
raising awarenessAlong with director husband James Keach, Seymour was recently honored for efforts to raise the profile of Alzheimer’s, a disease she said we can’t pretend isn’t get-ting more prevalent at all ages.
“We all need to cherish every moment we have,” Seymour sug-gested. She eats healthy, growing her own food in her garden and fol-lows another of her mother’s cave-ats: don’t eat more than you need.
Being active is crucial to the mother of six who, when she can’t get to Pilates or other exercise, squeezes in workouts by walking instead of cabbing or foregoing the moveable walkways at air-ports. Transmeditation is also key to her lifestyle. “You can do it
anywhere — on a bus, an airplane. No one sees me staring off in space in a personal quiet moment,” she chuckled.
free therapyThe former star of Dr. Quinn, Medi-cine Woman advised the best pre-scription for women is to talk to each other. “Talking takes the edge off problems. It is free therapy.”
Her art is another form of relax-ation that she turns to for a get-away from a hectic schedule which currently involves an upcoming American Doll movie and her new role on Fox’s comedy Ben and Kate.
■■ Question: Can I get a cure for this dry, itchy skin?
■■ Answer: No, but you can get relief.
Eczema is neither life-threat-ening nor contagious. But that doesn’t mean it won’t make you very miserable.
The red, frightfully itchy rash known as eczema is surprisingly common. Between 15 and 20 per-cent of the population has to deal with this unpleasant skin afflic-tion. Eczema is especially com-mon in children but can occur at any age.
Experts believe eczema is set off when the immune system overreacts to irritants. Flare-ups can be caused by sweating, pol-len, sun and rough fabrics against the skin. Food and environmental allergies can set off an outbreak, as can stress. While dry skin is a characteristic of eczema, “dryness itself can be a trigger,” explains Susan Massick, MD, dermatol-ogy expert at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. This makes winter especially challenging for eczema sufferers. “Lots of kids flare only in winter,” says Massick.
There is no cure for eczema, but there are a few things you can do to keep flare-ups to a minimum and ease the misery when flare-ups do occur:
■■ Don’t scratch. Scratching makes the itching worse. When you have the urge to scratch, moisturize instead.
■■ And speaking of moisture — keep it coming. Massick recom-mends using humidifiers in win-ter and being sure to use plenty
of moisturizer after showers and baths.
■■ Over-the-counter or prescrip-tion-strength corticosteroids can help reduce the itching and inflammation. Just be sure to carefully follow the directions on packaging or from your doctor.
mummy treatmentCynthia Kim’s seven-year-old daughter, Annabelle, has had eczema since she was two-
months-old. Now that she’s older and spends more time running around and playing outside, Annabelle has more flare-ups. One thing that works well is using wet wraps, says Kim. “You clean the skin, then slather on moisturizers or apply whatever medications you use, wrap the affected area with wet gauze, then finish with dry gauze. I sort of make Annabelle into a mummy.” Forced-air heating is very drying, too, says Kim, so they sometimes use an oil heater in Annabelle’s room.
Eczema is not dangerous, but it is no fun, either. The rough, red patches are unattractive and the itching can be maddening. But if eczema bothers you, keep in mind that you aren’t alone. “Find a sup-port group,” advises Kim. “I’ve found that to be the best place for information and understanding.”
eczema: common affliction, uncommon itching
faye brookman
avery hurt
“eczema is not dangerous, but it is no fun, either.”
Jane finds relaxation in art.Photo: charles bush
noVembeR 2012 · 5An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
InsPIRatIon
6 · noVembeR 2012 An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
neWs
■■ Question: Who should get which type of screening and how do the tech-nologies differ?
■■ Answer: experts suggest it is a matter of preference, but do research to determine what’s right for you.
Increases in breast screenings and improved technology have reduced deaths from breast cancer. When detected early, the survival rate is over 90 percent.
But what test is best? Confusion lingers whether to select film, digital or 3-D (tomo-synthesis) screenings.
Many insurance companies allow women to choose where they get screened and phy-sicians recommend finding a high volume site.
As far as which technology is the perfect fit, Carey Weiss, MD and Mercy Hospital’s Medi-cal Director of the Comprehensive Breast & Women’s Healthcare Center in Chicago sug-gested women use tools such as the Internet to educate themselves. “It is really a matter of preference,” said Weiss.
filmFilm mammography records the image on film that can be viewed by a radiologist on a light box. Physicians report some limitations with film such as the restraints of working with several different “pictures” to get a full read of the breast, as well as cumbersome storage. However, women are encouraged not to forego a mammogram if film is the only option available. All forms of mammog-raphy are effective.
digitalDigital mammography produces a two-dimensional electronic image that is viewed on a special computer. Today, digital mam-mography is the standard for breast cancer
screening with 83 percent of all mammog-raphy facilities having at least one digital system. “Since 2008 we’ve been exclusively digital,” said Weiss who believes the tech-nology delivers crisp views so calcifications or other abnormalities can be spotted easily including in dense breasts. Patients can also be screened in a shorter time span, physi-cians said.
Tomosynthesis or 3dBreast tomosynthesis provides three-dimensional images. The Food and Drug Administration approved tomosynthesis last year and it is now used in 46 states, but is only approved as an add on which means more radiation to patients. Some studies show 3D reduces the number of women “called back” for further testing. However, tomosynthesis is not readily available at this point and some insurance companies do not pay for it.
faye brookman
know the Facts about mammogram choices
Women know screening mammography can detect most breast cancers early. But many don’t realize what they can do to optimize detection. Screening mammog-raphy needs to be done every year, year after year. Mammography done occasion-ally is much less likely to detect cancer early than annual exams. Mammography is most effective when the radiologist can compare to previous mammograms. Changing providers? Bring your prior mammograms with you to your next appointment. It’s your right to obtain your previous exams. Many facilities can assist with this process with your writ-ten consent. Inquire about these forms when making your next appointment so your prior studies are waiting for the radi-ologist when you have your next annual mammogram.
dr. mark Jundanianchairman of medical imaging at saint anthony hospital
best tiPs
knoW your opTionS
2Tip
Carey Weiss, m.d.medical director of the comprehensive breast & Women’s healthcare center at mercy hospital
noVembeR 2012 · 7An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
■■ Exfoliation is key. Regularly exfoliating helps fight winter skin dryness by removing the dead skin cells to allow for better absorption of moisturizers. Ease into exfoliating and work up to a regular routine of a couple times a week.
■■ Establish a regular skin care regimen. Find products that work for your skin and be consis-tent with your routine. Your skin adapts to the products you use and changing it up too often can confuse your skin.
■■ Pamper yourself! If you feel like you need a boost to beat winter skin woes, schedule a facial, peel or microdermabra-sion to treat both your body and your soul!
neWs
■■ Question: How can I battle the appearance of wrinkles?
■■ Answer: you can be proactive and take care of your skin with a broad range of anti-aging treat-ments available.
Typical facial wrinkles form in the areas where muscles contract to make facial expressions. These include “worry lines” spanning the forehead, “laugh lines” around the eyes and mouth, and “crow’s feet” radiating from the outside corners of the eyes.
be proactive While wrinkles develop naturally with age, you can be proactive and take care of your skin with various treatments that may slow or reverse the signs of aged skin. Treatments are going far beyond traditional creams according to Regina Wright, facialist at The Spa at Trump and nominated for “The Best Facial in Chicago.” With a
wide variety of treatment options, light therapy, micro-current tech-nology and cosmetic surgery, you can work with a specialist to find the one right for your skin. “There are many treatment options for wrinkles and the new BIOBLISS Patch is the one I use on my clients. It is a high tech, noninvasive solu-tion with immediate results,” said Wright.
visible resultTechnology is allowing for a more effective delivery system that pro-duces visible results without dam-aging the delicate tissue where wrinkles occur. With many new treatments the technology is deliv-ering anti-wrinkle ingredients deeper into to the skin, unlike tra-ditional creams that simply sit on the surface of your skin. The result is firmer, younger looking skin.
marie depalma
Wrestle wrinkles with technology
Winter skin tiPs
have an open dialogue with your healthcare provider about your optionsPhoto: istockPhoto.com
look AS good AS you feel
3Tip
marie depalma
8 · noVembeR 2012 An Independent supplement by medIAplAnet to chIcAgo sun-tImes
InsPIRatIon
■■ What is the most common misconception about psoriasis? THAT IT’S CONTAGIOUS or a cos-metic skin disease when it's an auto immune disease that manifests itself on the skin.
■■ how do you feel your psoriasis has impacted your career or per-sonal life? It at first held me down. No one wanted to take me seriously: then I worked hard, found a treatment and knew I would tell my story to others so they too can chase their dream no matter the obstacle.
■■ Were you nervous about get-ting into the modeling industry with psoriasis? if so, what gave you the courage to pursue this career? I was not nervous; I was head strong that this was for me, my destiny, to be a model. After I made it, a role model for psoriasis.
■■ What message do you have for others who have skin condi-tions? You may have a disease, but don't let the disease have you. Take charge.
■■ What message do you have for people who may not understand what having a skin condition is like?Be kind to everyone, for everyone is going through their own battle. To the ones that love someone with a disease, thank you for loving the true beauty in humans.
■■ What do you consider your best weapon for dealing with psoriasis? A kick ass personality. I developed mine because I wanted people to see me before they saw my psoriasis. (It covered 80 percent of my body.) So that meant give 100 percent me 100 percent of the time.
Beyond appearance
caridee english
America’s Next Top Model, CariDee English, details her fight against psoriasis and how she came out on top.
Ph
oto
: be
N h
or
toN