Boomer Women
Finishing What We Started....
Yes, "we've come a long way, baby" as the decades-old Virginia Slims commercial touted... And inasmuch as "having our own cigarette" is not the celebration Madison Avenue tried to make it, what is worthy of much pride is how far we've come in the last quarter century in our quest for self-determination, equality, and our ability to live our fullest potential! Yet, as Marlo Thomas states so succinctly in the quote above, what gets in our way now is not as much "society" or our laws (although there's still work to do on those two fronts as well...!), but ourselves.
We still have a tendency to either not treat ourselves as well as we do others, feel some level of guilt when we do, or remain unaware of how we continue to self-reinforce old socialization barriers to creating the life experience we so richly deserve - and too seldom attain. A recent study by Catalyst, the non-profit research and advocacy organization that studies women in the workplace, shows women continuing to be severely underrepresented in top corporate leadership positions, still a mere 16.4%. And because women have held approximately 50% of all managerial positions for decades, the conclusion is clearly that something is holding women back from breaking that "glass ceiling." Interestingly, the same things that play a leading role as barrier to achievement/fulfillment in the workplace have the same impact in our personal lives as well, and they are: insufficient accessing/use of informal networks, lack of role models (women who are proudly strong and self-sufficient), and gender-based stereotyping including self-imposed limitations. |
Keeping Our Movement Alive
Having the Best of Both Worlds
Reaping the benefits of adding a little "Mars" in with our "Venus" This includes:
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If his sounds a lot like you, you're wondering what you can do about it.... How do you "uncondition" yourself, and then how do you handle the repercussions as you change and those around you do not - and most certainly do not appreciate the "new you"...?
First, you must literally change the way you think - about yourself and the world around you. In our popular presentation topic, "Why Women Need to be More Like Men....!" we take the audience through the years of helping guys get in touch with their "feminine side" - which overall seems to be working - and how we now need to do the reverse: get in touch with our "masculine side." No, not by growing a beard or scratching in public..... By learning and using those most useful characteristics that have gotten men to the positions of power and autonomy they enjoy to this day!
First, you must literally change the way you think - about yourself and the world around you. In our popular presentation topic, "Why Women Need to be More Like Men....!" we take the audience through the years of helping guys get in touch with their "feminine side" - which overall seems to be working - and how we now need to do the reverse: get in touch with our "masculine side." No, not by growing a beard or scratching in public..... By learning and using those most useful characteristics that have gotten men to the positions of power and autonomy they enjoy to this day!
Here's Something Else All (Boomer) Women Need to Know, courtesy of...
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Fiftysomething Diet: The 5 Foods Women Need to Eat New research shows there are foods that specifically help women — not men — age well
By Maureen Callahan
While nutrient needs change for everyone after the age of 50, it appears there are disease-fighting compounds and nutrients that specifically provide a health edge for women by helping to prevent memory loss, hip fractures, and breast and stomach cancers. In this article, the first of a two-part series, we take a look at the latest research and detail the foods that contain these beneficial components. Next time, we'll tell men what to bring to the grocery checkout counter.
Strawberries and Blueberries: Trying to remember the name of that high school friend you bumped into at the supermarket might be a whole lot easier if you put berries on the daily menu, particularly strawberries and blueberries.
Dark, Leafy Greens Although calcium hogs the limelight when it comes to bone strength, a study done back in 1999 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston makes it clear that women need to pay attention to another key bone builder, vitamin K, to help prevent hip fracture in later years.
Green Tea Sipping on green tea could help ward off digestive cancers, including colorectal, stomach and esophageal cancer. Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center came to that conclusion after studying the diets of 75,000 middle-aged women enrolled in the Shanghai Women's Health Study.
Walnuts With heart disease the number one killer in women, it’s good to know that walnuts are rich in plant-based omega-3 fats called alpha-linolenic acids. A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that eating walnuts, the best source of these plant based omega-3 fats, can also lower risk of cardiovascular disease. For each gram of ALA consumed (a handful of walnuts has 2.5 grams) there is a 10 percent lower risk of death from coronary heart disease.
Red Wine/Alcohol Drinking an occasional glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage may help middle-aged women stay healthy as they age, according to a 2011 Harvard study. Scientists looked at the middle-age drinking habits of some 14,000 female health professionals and compared that to their health status at age 70. Women who had one or two drinks a day in their late 50s and beyond had 28 percent higher odds of being in good health (free from chronic illness, physical disability and mental decline) compared with nondrinkers.
Read the entire article
Maureen Callahan is a registered dietitian, recipe developer and lead author of the Health.com diet book review series.
By Maureen Callahan
While nutrient needs change for everyone after the age of 50, it appears there are disease-fighting compounds and nutrients that specifically provide a health edge for women by helping to prevent memory loss, hip fractures, and breast and stomach cancers. In this article, the first of a two-part series, we take a look at the latest research and detail the foods that contain these beneficial components. Next time, we'll tell men what to bring to the grocery checkout counter.
Strawberries and Blueberries: Trying to remember the name of that high school friend you bumped into at the supermarket might be a whole lot easier if you put berries on the daily menu, particularly strawberries and blueberries.
Dark, Leafy Greens Although calcium hogs the limelight when it comes to bone strength, a study done back in 1999 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston makes it clear that women need to pay attention to another key bone builder, vitamin K, to help prevent hip fracture in later years.
Green Tea Sipping on green tea could help ward off digestive cancers, including colorectal, stomach and esophageal cancer. Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center came to that conclusion after studying the diets of 75,000 middle-aged women enrolled in the Shanghai Women's Health Study.
Walnuts With heart disease the number one killer in women, it’s good to know that walnuts are rich in plant-based omega-3 fats called alpha-linolenic acids. A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that eating walnuts, the best source of these plant based omega-3 fats, can also lower risk of cardiovascular disease. For each gram of ALA consumed (a handful of walnuts has 2.5 grams) there is a 10 percent lower risk of death from coronary heart disease.
Red Wine/Alcohol Drinking an occasional glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage may help middle-aged women stay healthy as they age, according to a 2011 Harvard study. Scientists looked at the middle-age drinking habits of some 14,000 female health professionals and compared that to their health status at age 70. Women who had one or two drinks a day in their late 50s and beyond had 28 percent higher odds of being in good health (free from chronic illness, physical disability and mental decline) compared with nondrinkers.
Read the entire article
Maureen Callahan is a registered dietitian, recipe developer and lead author of the Health.com diet book review series.
Menopause...the Movie
Rent or stream it...because you'll love it....
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"A Woman Should Have" by Maya Angelou
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
…enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
…something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
…a youth she's content to leave behind....
…a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
... a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
…one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...
... a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
... eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
…a feeling of control over her destiny..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
how to fall in love without losing herself...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW WHERE TO GO...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs soothing...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...
and a year.
