What you probably already know: The Formidable Women’s Health Summit on Oct. 30 featured nearly 70 speakers who are shaping conversations about the future of women’s health. Board-certified OB/GYN, Chief Medical Officer of Hers and author Dr. Jessica Shepherd delivered the closing keynote sharing her take on life beyond menopause — a talk to inspire women to age with strength and vitality.
Why? Dr. Shepherd sees patients who are suffering with symptoms but not telling anyone or worse, going to the doctor, sharing their symptoms and not getting the answers they need. About 70% of women who experience vasomotor symptoms, also known as hot flashes, go untreated. A study suggests that while 93% of medical residents agree that it is important to be able to manage menopause, only about 7% feel prepared to manage the symptoms, suggesting a real gap in care for women in this stage of life. Women don’t have to stop at their physiology. “Because the goal isn’t just to live long,” Dr. Shepherd said. “The goal is to stay smarter, stay sharper, stay more agile and functional and be able to enjoy life when it comes with age.”
What it means: Though the U.S. is one of the most industrialized countries with advanced technology and medicine, it still has relatively poor health outcomes compared to other similarly wealthy countries. This is partially due to diet, lack of exercise and mobility. “The goal is to mobilize that gap between life span and health span,” Dr. Shepherd said. Women tend to age quicker through menopause due to the decrease of estrogen in the body. They are also more susceptible to cognitive impact, which includes dementia.
“Two thirds of women have dementia and a lot of that has to do with estrogen,” she said. “One way to counteract that is through resistance training and exercise.” Studies show that strength training improves lean muscle mass and mineral bone density. Dr. Shepherd also emphasized a diet that includes proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. In addition, women need to make sleep a priority. “Typically women should get more sleep than men, about 30 to 45 more minutes on average,” she said.
What happens now? While nutrition and exercise are important for women going through menopause, Dr. Shepherd also adds that the mindset you have going through midlife is just as important. “Women going through menopause actually have a shift in neurotransmitters in the brain,” she said. “We become more anxious, we ruminate more, less tolerant.” She recommends taking a pause and allowing yourself to feel your emotions rather than tamping them down.
Watch Dr. Shepherd’s keynote on our Youtube page or by clicking below.
