5 Biggest Health Mistakes As A Middle-Aged Woman
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Dr. Ruth Machin advises:
Don’t trip up
Her mistakes were as follows:
- Not prioritizing exercise early enough: like many, she avoided sport because of negative school experiences, and only started regular movement later in life. She now does strength training for bone density and metabolic health, and makes gym visits easier and more rewarding with a personal trainer.
- Assuming normal weight meant healthy eating: she ate a lot of refined carbs, believing her slim frame protected her. With a family history of diabetes and after studying nutrition, she learned about insulin resistance and visceral fat. Now she focuses on low-GI, high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
- Using alcohol to unwind: during her medical training and career, like many doctors, she leaned on alcohol to relax. Amongst its other deleterious effects, this harmed her sleep and, in time, also worsened her menopause symptoms. She now limits herself to one glass once or twice a week.
- Accepting worry as fixed: she assumed she was simply a worrier and that was that; learning about growth mindset helped her see her traits as changeable instead. These days, she manages stress with tools like a worry diary, slow breathing, and mindfulness meditation, taking more control over her thoughts.
- Neglecting breast self-exams: after discovering a lump but not knowing how long it had been there, she was reminded of the importance of self-checks. Though the lump was benign, it was a bit of a wake-up call, and she now examines monthly, since early detection is key to better outcomes with cancer.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
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You might also like:
Three Ways To Reduce Your Cancer Risk
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What are ‘Ozempic babies’? Can the drug really increase your chance of pregnancy?
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Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are taking drugs like Ozempic to lose weight. But what do we actually know about them? This month, The Conversation’s experts explore their rise, impact and potential consequences.
We’ve heard a lot about the impacts of Ozempic recently, from rapid weight loss and lowered blood pressure, to persistent vomiting and “Ozempic face”.
Now we’re seeing a rise in stories about “Ozempic babies”, where women who use drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) report unexpected pregnancies.
But does semaglutide (also sold as Wegovy) improve fertility? And if so, how? Here’s what we know so far.
Remind me, what is Ozempic?
Ozempic and related drugs (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists or GLP-1-RAs) were developed to help control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
But the reason for Ozempic’s huge popularity worldwide is that it promotes weight loss by slowing stomach emptying and reducing appetite.
Ozempic is prescribed in Australia as a diabetes treatment. It’s not currently approved to treat obesity but some doctors prescribe it “off label” to help people lose weight. Wegovy (a higher dose of semaglutide) is approved for use in Australia to treat obesity but it’s not yet available.
How does obesity affect fertility?
Obesity affects the fine-tuned hormonal balance that regulates the menstrual cycle.
Women with a body mass index (BMI) above 27 are three times more likely than women in the normal weight range to be unable to conceive because they are less likely to ovulate.
The metabolic conditions of type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are both linked to obesity and fertility difficulties.
Women with type 2 diabetes are more likely than other women to have obesity and to experience fertility difficulties and miscarriage.
Similarly, women with PCOS are more likely to have obesity and trouble conceiving than other women because of hormonal imbalances that cause irregular menstrual cycles.
In men, obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke) have negative effects on fertility.
Low testosterone levels caused by obesity or type 2 diabetes can affect the quality of sperm.
So how might Ozempic affect fertility?
Weight loss is recommended for people with obesity to reduce the risk of health problems. As weight loss can improve menstrual irregularities, it may also increase the chance of pregnancy in women with obesity.
This is why weight loss and metabolic improvement are the most likely reasons why women who use Ozempic report unexpected pregnancies.
But unexpected pregnancies have also been reported by women who use Ozempic and the contraceptive pill. This has led some experts to suggest that some GLP-1-RAs might affect the absorption of the pill and make it less effective. However, it’s uncertain whether there is a connection between Ozempic and contraceptive failure.
Some women have reported getting pregnant while taking the contraceptive pill and Ozempic. Cottonbro Studio/Pexels In men with type 2 diabetes, obesity and low testosterone, drugs like Ozempic have shown promising results for weight loss and increasing testosterone levels.
Avoid Ozempic if you’re trying to conceive
It’s unclear if semaglutide can be harmful in pregnancy. But data from animal studies suggest it should not be used in pregnancy due to potential risks of fetal abnormalities.
That’s why the Therapeutic Goods Administration recommends women of childbearing potential use contraception when taking semaglutide.
Similarly, PCOS guidelines state health professionals should ensure women with PCOS who use Ozempic have effective contraception.
Guidelines recommended stopping semaglutide at least two months before planning pregnancy.
For women who use Ozempic to manage diabetes, it’s important to seek advice on other options to control blood glucose levels when trying for pregnancy.
What if you get pregnant while taking Ozempic?
For those who conceive while using Ozempic, deciding what to do can be difficult. This decision may be even more complicated considering the unknown potential effects of the drug on the fetus.
While there is little scientific data available, the findings of an observational study of pregnant women with type 2 diabetes who were on diabetes medication, including GLP-1-RAs, are reassuring. This study did not indicate a large increased risk of major congenital malformations in the babies born.
Women considering or currently using semaglutide before, during, or after pregnancy should consult with a health provider about how to best manage their condition.
When pregnancies are planned, women can take steps to improve their baby’s health, such as taking folic acid before conception to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, and stopping smoking and consuming alcohol.
While unexpected pregnancies and “Ozempic babies” may be welcomed, their mothers have not had the opportunity to take these steps and give them the best start in life.
Read the other articles in The Conversation’s Ozempic series here.
Karin Hammarberg, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University and Robert Norman, Emeritus Professor of Reproductive and Periconceptual Medicine, The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Surprising Link Between Vitamin D & Pain
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Most people, or at least most women of a certain age, know that vitamin D is especially important to us as we get older (women of a certain age, because: increased osteoporosis risk especially for women and especially with untreated menopause, because estrogen and progesterone are also essential for healthy bone turnover*)
*Unless you’re a man with typical manly hormones, in which case, testosterone has you covered! But for the rest of us, estrogen and progesterone are what’s needed to avoid the increased risk, and for all of us, vitamin D is necessary to for health bone rebuilding.
However! While vitamin D is well-known amongst our demographic to be important for bone health (and quite well-known for being relevant to immune health*, too), its effects on some other systems are not so widely understood, and that’s what we’ll talk about today.
*See for example: Does Vitamin D Help Against COVID? ← short answer: vitamin D does so many things for your immune system, and/but no, protecting you from COVID is not one of them. However, it may reduce the risk of long COVID, at least.
First though, a quick vitamin D primer for anyone catching up:
- Vitamin D2 vs Vitamin D3: What You Would Benefit From Knowing
- Vit D + Calcium: Too Much Of A Good Thing? ← this also talks about safe and effective doses, and what goes wrong if you take too much
- How Taking Vitamin D Supplements Can Sabotage Your Vitamin D Levels
So, what’s this about vitamin D and pain?
It’s about how the body responds
Researchers (Dr. Mahdy Abdelhady et al.) investigated this matter and found that women with vitamin D deficiency who underwent surgery were about 3x more likely to experience moderate to severe postoperative pain and used substantially more opioid medication afterwards.
In numbers:
- It was an observational study with 184 women undergoing surgery between September 2024 and April 2025, with half of the participants deficient in vitamin D and half having higher levels.
- Patients with vitamin D levels below 30nmol/L were classified as deficient, while those above that threshold formed the comparison group (we could call it a control group, but since it was an observational study rather than a RCT, we don’t say that).
- Patients with low vitamin D required more fentanyl during* surgery and, on average, used 112 mg more tramadol after surgery through patient-controlled pain pumps.
- None of the patients reported extremely severe pain, but the vitamin D deficient group had many more cases of moderate pain scores between 4 and 6 on a 10-point scale.
- Nausea after surgery was more common in the vitamin D deficient group, and vomiting occurred only in that group, although the vomiting difference wasn’t statistically significant.
*Yes, pain relief is needed even while unconscious during general anesthesia, for reasons explained here: How Does Anesthesia Work?
As for why this happened the way it did: it’s an observational study so we can’t say for 100% sure, but the researchers believe it is likely mostly because of how vitamin D influences pain processing through its effects on inflammation and the immune system, which in turn also affect how the body responds to injury.
You can read this paper in full here: Association between preoperative vitamin D level and postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: a prospective observational study
Want to learn more?
We’ve written quite a bit about pain management, including:
- Before You Reach For That Tylenol…
- How To Stop Pain Spreading
- How To Dial Down Your Pain
- Managing Chronic Pain (Realistically!)
- Get The Right Help For Your Pain
- The 7 Approaches To Pain Management
- Science-Based Alternative Pain Relief (When Painkillers Aren’t Helping, These Things Might)
Take care!
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Kale vs Spirulina – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing kale to spirulina, we picked the kale.
Why?
Both are great! But there is a clear winner:
In terms of macros, kale has more than 7x the fiber for 3x the carbs, while spirulina has slightly more protein. Taking into account the numbers involved, this round’s a clear win to kale.
In the category of vitamins, kale has a lot more of vitamins A, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and K, while spirulina has moderately more of vitamins B1, B2, and B5, giving kale another easy win here.
Looking at minerals, kale has more calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while spirulina has more iron; another rather one-sided win to kale.
In other considerations, kale has a lot more polyphenols, while spirulina, being not actually a plant and rather a colony of cyanobacteria playing dress-up as a plant, has no polyphenols or phytochemicals at all, but does have an abundance of C-phycocyanin, which is a pigment-protein complex that does much the same biochemical job when it comes to antioxidant activity. So, we’ll broadly call this last round a tie.
Nevertheless, adding up the sections makes for a convincing overall win for kale, but still, by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
A Deeper Dive Into Seaweed ← this is more about nori than spirulina, but again, diversity, so hey 😎
Enjoy!
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Celery vs Parsley – Which is Healthier?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Our Verdict
When comparing celery to parsley, we picked the parsley.
Why?
Firstly, you may be thinking: “What kind of a comparison is this?! Parsley is a seasoning or a garnish; who uses it as a salad option option?!” and the answer is that nobody can stop you from using herbs as a main greenery option, and in fact, we recommend it (both for adding a lot of flavor to your plate, and getting in a lot of nutrients).
So, with that in mind, let’s get to it:
In terms of macros, parsley has 2x the fiber for 2x the carbs and 5x the protein, winning in this category easily.
In the category of vitamins, celery is not higher in any vitamins, while parsley has a lot more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and K, sweeping its second round completely.
Looking at minerals, celery does have more selenium, while parsley has a lot more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, convincingly winning its third round in a row.
In other considerations, they both are great sources of polyphenols, though celery (albeit notably the leaves thereof, not the stalks so much) does have more flavonoids specifically, and may arguably pick up a point here.
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for parsley, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
(Unless you are allergic to celery, in which case, definitely do stick the parsley!)
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Invigorating Sabzi Khordan ← another great way to enjoy parsley as main ingredient rather than just a seasoning
Enjoy!
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Celeriac vs Cucumber – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing celeriac to cucumber, we picked the celeriac.
Why?
In terms of macros, the celeriac has nearly 4x the fiber, for a little over 2x the carbs, and nearly 3x the protein, not that the protein numbers are big in either case. However, it’s a clear win for celeriac in this round, mostly because of the fiber.
In the category of vitamins, celeriac has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, K, and choline, with vitamin K being the most notable item as it’s a good source of it, while cucumber is not higher in any vitamins. An easy win for celeriac.
Looking at minerals, celeriac has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while cucumber is not higher in any minerals.
Does cucumber have anything going for it? Yes, it’s a good source of water and also, cucumber extract is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Still, adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for celeriac; by all means enjoy either or both though, as diversity is good!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Cucumber Extract Beats Glucosamine & Chondroitin… At 1/135th Of The Dose?!
Enjoy!
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How To Mobilize Your Hips (Without Kneeling)
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Hip and knee mobility are both very important, but how to improve one if the other is poor? Mobility coach Alisa Zuravskaja shows us how:
Let’s get hip
Step by step:
- Warm-up: lie on your back with one knee bent and gently pulled toward your chest. Draw small controlled circles with your knee in both directions, keeping your pelvis steady and core lightly engaged. Switch legs and repeat. Then, with both knees bent and feet flat, let both knees drop gently side to side to loosen hip rotation and lower back stiffness.
- Clamshell and internal rotation: lie on your side supported by your forearm or elbow, knees slightly bent, feet stacked. Lift your top knee (clamshell), then bring your knees together and lift your top foot, rotating from your hip. This strengthens your glute medius and improves internal and external hip rotation.
- Hip abduction: from the same position, extend your top leg straight and lift it upward, keeping your body still and core strong. Switch sides and repeat both the clamshell and hip abduction sequence.
- Lying leg openers: lie on your back with both legs extended toward the ceiling. Open your legs out to the sides, then squeeze them back together like horizontal scissors. Keep your lower back anchored and core stable to work your inner thighs and core.
- Side-lying hip circles: on your side, bend your bottom leg for stability and keep your top leg straight. Draw small or large circles with your top leg, controlling the motion through your hip. This improves joint mobility and glute activation.
- Inner thigh lift: from the same position, bend your top leg and place the foot in front of you on the floor. Extend your bottom leg straight and lift it slightly off the floor to strengthen your inner thigh and groin. Switch sides and repeat both the circles and adduction exercise.
- Band stretch: lie on your back with one leg extended up, then gently guide it across your body while keeping your shoulders grounded. Feel the stretch along the outside of your hip and thigh. Adjust the height for comfort.
- Figure-four stretch and twist: lie on your back, bend your knees, and cross your left ankle over your right knee. Stay here for a static stretch or drop both legs to the side for a gentle twist, holding or moving dynamically. Switch sides.
- Pancake stretch: sit with your legs wide apart and hinge forwards from your hips, reaching your arms ahead while keeping your spine long. Use a cushion or yoga block under your hips if needed. This deep stretch opens your hips, lengthens your hamstrings, and promotes good spinal alignment.
You don’t have to do them all, of course, but it’s at the very least a good menu to choose from, and doing some is infinitely better than doing none!
For more on each of these plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
The Most Underrated Hip Mobility Exercise (Not Stretching) ← for a less exercisey way of improving hip mobility
Take care!
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