Optimizing Women's Health Throughout the Stages of Life

1. May 2012 Shaklee Celebrates Women
Optimizing Women’s
Health Throughout the
Stages of Life
Pamela Riggs MS.RD.
Director, Medical Affairs & Shaklee Health Sciences
Shaklee Corporation

2. Life Stages for Women
20s to late 30s – A Time of Choices
• Balancing career and family
Late 30s to late 40s– A Time of Change
• Hormonal changes of perimenopause
Late 40s to 50 Plus – A Time to Live Well
• Managing chronic disease

3. No Matter What Stage...
It’s essential for all women to:
• Eat Healthy
• Be Active
• Manage Stress
• Supplement Wisely

4. Eating Healthy
• Eat a variety of foods
• Get plenty of whole grains, beans and legumes, fresh fruits
and vegetables
• Choose lean meat, fish, poultry, non fat or low fat dairy and
soy
• Select “healthy fats” – avoid trans fat and saturated fat, eat
more omega three fatty acids (fish and flax) and
monounsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds)
• Watch sodium intake
• Drink plenty of water
• Cut back on fast food, soda,
and other junk food

5. Being Active
•Reduces risk of heart
disease, stroke, type 2
diabetes and some cancers
•Helps people achieve and
maintain a healthy body
weight
•Reduces feelings of
depression, anxiety and
promotes psychological
well-being
•Helps build and maintain
healthy bones, muscles,
and joints
•Promotes flexibility and
balance

6. How Much? What Kind?
Moderate Activity, 30 min. a
day, most days of the
week
* brisk walking
* dancing
* actively playing with kids
* jogging
* biking
Resistance Training, 2 days
a week
* weight training
Everyday Activities
* taking the stairs
* parking farther away
* get off the bus a few stops early
* gardening
* taking fitness breaks at work

7. Manage Stress
• Women are the world’s best
jugglers
• A price to pay – more stress
than ever
• Health consequences:
digestive issues, compromised
immune function, sleep
disorders, weight gain and
more...
• CDC estimates that 75-90% of
doctor visits are stress-related

8. Women and Stress
2006 survey by the American Psychological Association
indicates woman are more effected by stress than men:
* More women report engaging in
unhealthy behaviors
(comfort eating, inactivity, smoking)
* Women report feeling the effects
of stress on their physical health
more than men

9. The Stress Diet
Breakfast: ½ grapefruit
1 slice of whole wheat toast (dry)
8 ounces of nonfat milk
Lunch: 4 ounces of broiled chicken breast (no skin)
½ c steamed broccoli
1 cup of water
1 Oreo cookie
Afternoon Snack: Rest of the package of Oreo cookies
1 quart of rocky road ice cream
1 jar of hot fudge
1 pot of coffee
2 espressos
Dinner: 2 loaves of garlic bread
Large pepperoni pizza
5 chocolate bars
2 quarts of soda
Entire cheese cake eaten directly from the freezer

10. Top Ten Stressors
1. Sick family member
2. Money
3. Personal health
4. Children
5. Work
6. Intimate relationships
7. Commuting (daily living activities)
8. Personal safety
9. Terrorism/natural disasters/state of the world
10. Discrimination
*Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer, accidents, and suicide.

11. The Stress Response
• Our evolutionary “fight or flight” response
• Automatic response to physical and emotional threats
• Hypothalamus sets off alarm system in the body
* Adrenal glands - adrenaline and cortisol
• Stress hormones increase heart and respiration rate,
increase blood pressure, mobilize energy nutrients
• Suppress non-essential functions - digestion, growth and
development, chronic immunity

12. Health Consequences of Stress
Digestive problems:
IBS more common among women by a ratio of 3:1.
Most common digestive disorder for women to
seek medical care.
Suppressed or out of control immune system:
Increased risk of infection and autoimmune
disorders. Autoimmune disorders more common in
women than men.

13. Health Consequences of Stress
Cardiovascular and nervous system dysfunction:
Chronic stress raises heart rate, blood pressure,
cholesterol, all increasing risk of heart attack and stroke.
Contributes to memory loss, depression and anxiety.
Sleep deprivation:
Women are at greater risk of developing insomnia than
men. Sleep deprivation may contribute to weight gain.
Weight gain:
Excessive cortisol increases central obesity.

14. Stress Management Steps
• Identify stressors in your life
• Schedule personal relaxation time
• Good nutrition
• Exercise regularly
• Sleep more
• Try botanical support – ashwaganda, L theanine

15. Supplement Wisely
• Despite our best efforts, at times we fall short on achieving
optimal nutrient intakes.
• Get nutrition insurance or fill in nutritional gaps with a
foundational supplement program.
• A comprehensive multivitamin/multimineral is a great
starting place.
• Additional supplements as needed, depending on the
stage of a woman’s life.

16. A Time of Choices
20s to late 30s
Balancing career and family

17. Healthy Pregnancy
• Start with preconception care.
• Take a multivitamin-mineral with
at least 400 mcg of folic acid.
• Get early and regular prenatal
care.
• Be active, stay fit.
• If you smoke or drink alcohol -
STOP.
• Avoid or control caffeine intake.

18. Healthy Pregnancy
• “Eating for two” is a myth. An extra 300 calories a day is
all you need.
• Consume high quality protein - ~60 grams a day
• Calcium and vitamin D rich food or supplements for bone
health for you and baby.
• Ensure adequate intake of omega 3 fatty acids (DHA)
which studies show help fetal brain and visual
development. Experts recommend 200 - 300 mg a day
during pregnancy and nursing.

19. Healthy Pregnancy
• Don’t eat uncooked or undercooked meat or fish.
• Avoid shark, swordfish, mackerel and tilefish (high
in mercury)
• Take a high quality fish oil supplement
• Fiber rich foods and plenty of water to prevent
constipation
• Iron rich foods and supplements to prevent iron
deficiency anemia

20. Time of Change
Late 30s to Late 40s
Hormonal Changes of Perimenopause

21. Perimenopause
• The time leading up to menopause
• Natural part of aging that signals the end of your
reproductive years
• Ovaries shut down, make less estrogen and
progesterone
• Menopause is only one day – the day you have
not had a period for 12 months in a row

22. Perimenopausal Symptoms
• Hot flashes and night
sweats
• Accelerated bone loss
• Mood swings and mild
depression
• Foggy thinking
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight gain

23. What you can do
• Eat more plant estrogens
Studies indicate soy protein helps reduce the
frequency and severity of hot flashes
Black cohosh studied extensively in Germany
for reducing frequency and severity of hot
flashes.
• Ensure adequate calcium and vitamin D intake
Calcium 1000 – 1200 mg per day
Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption

24. What you can do
• Manage your weight
Clinically tested, sound nutritional program
Meal replacement shakes and bars to control calories
Leucine to preserve lean muscle and metabolism
Protein to control hunger
Personalized and flexible meal plan guidelines
Support tools for lifestyle change

25. What you can do
• Address mood and mental outlook
Omega 3s
St. John’s Wort
• Promote restful sleep
regular bed time routine, sleep conducive
environment
no caffeine, large meals, alcohol or exercise
before bed
herbal remedies like valerian root

26. Time for Living Well
Late 40s to 50 Plus
Managing Chronic Disease

27. Time for Living Well
• By 2030, the number of older Americans will have
doubled to 70 million, 1 in every 5.
• Poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging.
• Much of illness, disability and death from chronic disease
is preventable through a healthy lifestyle and early
detection practices:
diet and exercise
not smoking
cancer, depression
and diabetes screenings

28. Women and Heart Disease
The #1 KILLER of Women
• Claims more women’s lives than any other disease:
½ million per year
1 death per minute
• Every year since 1984, more women than
men have died of CVD
• 1 in 2 women will die of heart disease
• 1 in 25 women will die of breast cancer
• Sudden cardiac death is declining in men,
rising in women

29. Gaps in Awareness & Treatment
Women can be:
• Less aware of symptoms unique to their gender
• More likely to avoid or delay seeking medical care
• Less likely to receive timely and lifesaving treatments
• More likely to obtain annual mammogram and pap
smears than lipid profile and BP check
The majority of women say their doctors
do not discuss heart disease with them.

30. Women and Atypical Symptoms
• Discomfort in areas of the
upper body (neck, shoulders)
• Nausea, lightheadedness, or
breaking out in a cold sweat
• Atypical chest discomfort:
“indigestion”
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue, weakness, lack of
energy

31. Heart Disease Prevention
• Eat healthy
• Be active
• Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
(BMI of >18 but <30)
• Know Your Numbers:
BP <120/80
FBS < 100
Waist Circumference < 35
Total Cholesterol < 200
LDL <100, HDL > 50, TRIG < 150
CRP < 3.0

32. Women and Osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis - a disease in which bones become fragile
and more likely to break
• 80% of those affected by osteoporosis are women
• Fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist are common
• Up to 20% of bone mass lost in the 5-7 years after
menopause
• 1 in 2 women > age 50 will have an
osteoporosis-related fracture in
their remaining lifetime

33. Osteoporosis Prevention
• Get the daily recommended
amounts of calcium and
vitamin D
• Engage in regular weight-bearing
and muscle-strengthening
exercise
• Avoid smoking and excessive
alcohol
• Talk to your health care
provider about bone health
• Have a bone density test and
take medication if advised by
your health care provider

34. Celebrate Women’s Health
Shaklee Helps Optimizes Women’s Health
Time of Choice Time of Change Time to Live Well

35. Solutions for All Life Stages
All Stages Special Needs
(20s - late 30s)
Pregnancy
Special Needs
(Late 30s – 40s)
Perimenopause
Special Needs
(Late 40s – 50+)
Heart Health
Vitalizer ™
Women
Stress Relief
Complex*
Cinch®
Vita-Lea® w/Iron
B Complex
OsteoMatrix®
OmegaGuard®
Fiber Plan®
Iron Plus C
Menopause
Balance
Complex*
Osteomatrix®
Gentle Sleep
Complex*
Moodlift®
Complex*
OmegaGuard®
CoQHeart®
Shaklee Fiber
Plan®
OsteoMatrix®

36. The Beauty of a Woman
The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes;
Because that's the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman
isn't in a facial mole;
But true beauty in a woman,
is reflected by her soul.
It's the caring that she cares to give,
the passion that she shows;
And the beauty of a woman
with passing years only grows.
Authorship is variously and generously attributed to the following authors:
Maya Angelou, Ralph Fenger, Audrey Hepburn & Sam Levenson
Thank You!