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hot flash lady needs Cool-jams!

A great Article from menopause expert Ellen Dolgen Sarver read on…

It’s not your fault. You’ve been programmed to think that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, or perfect enough. It’s on the cover of Photoshop-ed magazines at the grocery store, reinforced on TV, and referred to in current — and unfortunately catchy — songs that objectify women. So much of what surrounds us today is appearance-driven, and there’s a natural tendency to adapt to our surroundings. This unfortunate marriage between societal pressures and our brains has birthed a critical voice in our heads telling us that we are quite simply not good enough. Picture a sumo wrestler sitting on your brain. He is huge, powerful and controlling (and heavy!), but does he wrestle you down

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Have you ever made your own pizza? It is much easier than you think and so much more delicious. Try one of our Cool-jams staff favorites….Homemade Vege Pizza. We think you’ll be a fan! Crust 1 1/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk 2 tablespoons olive oil Topping 1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (6 oz) 3 chopped plum tomatoes 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped 1 cup yellow or red bell pepper strips 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 3 cloves pressed or diced fresh garlic 1 cup chopped fresh basil 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

• Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk

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Red Wine For Breast Cancer Help

Who doesn’t love a glass of red wine occasionally. Well folks, there is good news for all red wine drinkers. According to a recent study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, drinking red wine in moderation may reduce one of the risk factors for breast cancer, providing a natural weapon to combat a major cause of death among U.S. women.

The study, published online in the Journal of Women’s Health, challenges the widely-held belief that all types of alcohol consumption heighten the risk of developing breast cancer. Doctors long have determined that alcohol increases the body’s estrogen levels, fostering the growth of cancer cells.

But the Cedars-Sinai study found that chemicals in the skins and seeds of red grapes slightly lowered estrogen levels while elevating

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At Cool-jams we try to pack our day with as many fruits and vegetables as we can. This smoky tasting roasted corn and arugula salad is great for lunch or dinner. You’ll be a fan too after one bite!

Cool-jams Corn and Arugula Salad

3 ears fresh corn, in their husks
2 red bell peppers
1 tomato, diced
1/2 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 bunches arugula (about 8 cups),
stems removed
3/4 cup imported black or green olives,
for garnish
1 1/2 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish
3-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare a charcoal  or gas grill.

Grill the corn and peppers 4 inches from the coals, turning occasionally, until the skins of the peppers

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Asparagus is so good for you and so is garlic. There are so many healthy micronutrients in both foods. If you want to try our favorite Cool-jams way to prepare fresh asparagus, try this recipe. Even asparagus haters will love this one! Enjoy

Serves 4

 

 

1 medium head garlic, unpeeled

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 1/2 pounds thick stemmed asparagus

4 slices sourdough bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Coat the head of garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and roast 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Once the garlic is roasted, cut the head in half horizontally, exposing all the

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Carolyn M. D’Ambrosio, an associate professor of medicine and director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, fills us in

Women have a higher risk than men of developing insomnia at some time in their lives.

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by the inability to obtain sufficient sleep— typically seven to eight hours for adults, enough to feel refreshed and alert throughout the day—and leads to associated symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with insomnia dedicate enough time to sleep, but they either cannot fall asleep easily (known as sleep onset insomnia), or they wake up and can’t fall back to sleep easily (sleep maintenance insomnia). Some have both. There is a tendency for insomnia to run in families, although the genetic component is not

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We came across an interesting study recently regarding hot flashes. Can Chinese herbs help?

It seems that a  mix of certain traditional Chinese herbs thought to have weak estrogen-like activity might help ease menopausal hot flashes, a small clinical trial suggests.

But the herbal mix, dubbed Jiawei Qing’e Fang, is not widely available. And while the new study suggested some benefits, it had enough limitations that the true effects of the herbs are still unclear, according to an expert not involved in the work.

For the study, reported in the journal Menopause, researchers in China randomly assigned 72 women to either take Jiawei Qing’e Fang everyday for eight weeks, or use a placebo mix of starches that were made to look, taste and smell like the herbs.

All of the women were relatively young —

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Sweet potatoes are so good for you…especially menopausal women.Here’s one of our favorite soups with an African influence.  You can double the amount of peanut butter if you like a more intense peanut flavor.Enjoy

Delicious Sweet Potatoe Soup...yummy and so good!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped, unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion

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Postmenopausal women who do yoga regularly may have less insomnia and menopausal symptoms and improved quality of life, suggests a small, randomized, controlled study published online October 30 in Menopause.

Yoga for Menopause

Forty-four postmenopausal women, 50 to 65 years of age with an apnea-hypopnea index less than 15 and a diagnosis of insomnia, were assigned to 3 groups: no treatment, twice-weekly passive stretching with a physical therapist, and twice-weekly yoga classes. The women completed a questionnaire before and 4 months after treatment that evaluated quality of life, symptoms of depression, menopause symptoms, severity of insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and stress. Participants also underwent polysomnography.

“When compared with the control group, the yoga group had significantly lower post-treatment scores

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Crisp wafers filled with just-picked berries and ice cream make an elegant dessert. Lemon thyme leaves give the compote a unique fragrance; whole sprigs make a lovely garnish.

Ingredients

Cookie Cups with Lemon Thyme-Scented Berry Compote

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Compote

• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
• 3 cups mixed fresh berries, (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
• 2 tablespoons creme de cassis, or black currant syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet or raspberry sorbet, slightly softened before serving
• Lemon thyme sprigs for garnisj

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Coat parchment with cooking spray.
2. To prepare cookie cups: Whisk flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Whisk egg whites, sugar, butter,

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