HER

Financial circumstances can be overwhelming when dealing with grief.Women typically outlive men by five years. When you lose your mate, full financial responsibility lands in your lap. Sorting out how to support yourself while grieving your loss is stressful. Widowhood means financial burden. But, it also stimulates resilience and inner courage to conquer these complex financial matters. Women wield their financial power differently from men. They are more likely to invest in social impact causes and things that are dear to them. They look for performance and security while putting their money where their mouths are. Tips for Widows & Widowers You have to file as a beneficiary for your spouse’s retirement account. Get your spouse’s logins and passwords for all shared accounts. Be sure you have the permissions to access your spouse’s trust. Know that you may endure probate. File for survivor’s social security. Sit down and discuss everything while your spouse is alive if possible. Listen as Maddy Dychtwald joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share the financial impact of widowhood. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

How can men and women network in the office when there's still confusion between the sexes?Sexes in the workplace have become complicated. Many men may choose not to mentor women because they don’t want to be accused of sexual harassment. They don’t want their conversation to be misinterpreted as romantic interest. This leads them to stick with other men instead of including women in the mentorship and networking events and helping women make career advancements. Sexual harassment training in the workplace is great for reducing the company’s legal liability but hasn't been proven to reduce harassment. These programs should teach what isn’t harassment, like a male colleague asking a female colleague out for lunch. The waters have gotten so muddy that career connections and camaraderie aren’t happening between the sexes. Assigned mentorships create less suspicion. With a designated mentor, there shouldn’t be any water cooler talk about the business relationship. Fostering an environment for all employees to get to know one another can also bridge the sex-separation gap. Social events and office gathering spaces can help make connections. Getting a Mentor Be specific about why you are approaching someone of the opposite sex as a mentor. Mention skills that inspire you that you would like to refine.  Announce your mentorship publicly. This reduces confusion and suspicion when you spend time with your mentor. Seek a female mentor. There are many women in power. Get as many different mentors as you can. It’s okay if people shy away. Keep asking others. Preventing Confusions Don’t refer to your colleague or office buddy as your office spouse. It throws a sexual connotation on your business relationship. Take your partner to office social functions. This shows you are happily involved and aren’t looking to date people from work. Pay attention to how you’re presenting yourself at work. Your wardrobe choices at the office should reflect how professional you are while suiting that work environment. It keeps your life simpler. Listen as Dr. Kim Elsesser joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to advise on how to make career strides and avoiding confusion between the sexes. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Eat well and fast occasionally for optimal health.The "fasting mimicking" diet focuses on health and weight loss. The diet is designed to mimic fasting and the effects of certain nutrients on the genes. Fasting destroys damaged components of the body. Stem cells are activated and regenerative components are ready to repair the damaged tissue. This can aid prevention and treatment of disease. Cellular health improves. The longevity diet takes place over five days. Some people do the diet every few months. Best Eats for Longevity Fish twice a week Mostly vegan diet with some flexibility Rare meat consumption Yogurt and cheese from goats and sheep Eggs for the older set Listen as Dr. Valter Longo joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss his fast mimicking diet and eating recommendations. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Learn simple ways to reduce the processed foods in your diet and eat healthier overall.Processed foods are manufactured in a plant and come in packages. Compare that to unprocessed foods, which come in their own packaging. Processed foods are convenient, tasty and socially accepted. They’re also addictive. Upon eating too many processed foods, your reward center becomes overstimulated and cravings begin. Food allows for a spectrum of addiction. It doesn’t work the same as drug addiction, where you are either on or off drugs. If you're currently living off the drive-thru, start by fixing one meal a day at home. You can create your favorite foods in a healthier manner. You have to be willing to put in the work, because you probably won’t find the healthiest version of your favorite recipes on the shelves of your local supermarket. Pressure cookers are great for cooking food quickly but healthfully. Making food at home also saves money. Convenience at the supermarket isn't limited to processed foods. Produce is available pre-washed and cut into easy-to-eat pieces. Another must: don’t keep unhealthy foods in your house. Avoid temptation. Sugar Alternatives Dates are a fantastic sweetener. You can dehydrate them to make sugar, boil them to make syrup, or puree them into a paste. Dates contain vitamins and minerals that are missing from white sugar. Roasting fruit brings out the sweetness. You can mix dried fruits with fresh fruit to vary the taste. An Ideal Day Breakfast: green smoothie with 1 tbsp. cocoa powder or musli (rolled oats, fresh fruit & almond milk refrigerated overnight). Lunch: leftovers from last night’s dinner, like soup over rice. Dinner: chili, potatoes, lasagna. Restaurant Meals Find out where you’re going in advance. Research the menu. Call the restaurant during off-peak hours to see if they can accommodate your dietary needs. If there’s nothing on the menu you can eat, then eat before you go. Champion the foods you’d like to eat. Most restaurants keep meals on the menu that people will eat. Listen in as Chef AJ joins Dr. Pam Peeke to share how you can begin to conquer your dependence on processed foods and eat healthier overall. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

A weight loss show success story shares how she keeps the weight off and finds joy in life.Tara Costa was a major winner of The Biggest Loser, never dropping below the elimination line on the program. She lost 150 pounds and even pulled a car. She wants to inspire and help others. Life has its detours. Finding non-scale victories helps one experience life more. A community of like-minded folks can support you in your pursuits. Try to be a better person every day.  Listen as Tara joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how she’s stayed fit and happy after her television win. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Do you know how to shop the farmers market?You want to eat locally grown foods, but you don’t know how to navigate the farmers market. First step is to find your nearest farmers market. The USDA has a National Farmers Market Directory online. Locate one that’s close to work or home and open on a day that suits your schedule. When you arrive at the market, peruse everything before you make any choices. It’s your fresh food buffet. Try samples when available. Be excited about your purchases, but only buy produce you’re likely to consume over the next few days. Be mindful of food waste. Chat with the growers. They can advise on recipes because they grew the food. You’ll get great ideas, and many farmers have recipes online. Organic certification is very expensive. Not all growers can afford that certification, yet their products may be sold as organic at the market. Listen as Amy Myrdal Miller joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to help you learn how to shop the farmers market. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Is it time for a change?We all face major life transitions. Workplace, relationship, family and location transitions often lead us to adapt to new circumstances. Career Paths People often speak of career paths as linear things, each job leading perfectly to the next. In truth, it’s a messy process. Don’t expect your next career move to be a linear move from your current position. New opportunities may present themselves as you get older. It’s okay to do something new. Leverage your wealth of experience and network into a field that excites you. Be open to entrepreneurship. One important thing to note is the active sexism and ageism for women over 50 in the workplace. Assumptions are made that they won’t fit into the culture, are too experienced, or won’t be working for long. You may get the interview but not be considered for the job. This is why it’s important to use your network. Transitions Transitions are uncomfortable. Making your life more comfortable in other ways makes it easier to navigate a transition without things falling apart. Know what you need for self-care so you can make the pivot in your life. Stick to a plan. Schedule execution of tasks during your transition. They may not be fun, but they must get done. Learn to accept feedback. Integrating feedback from experienced professionals may help you navigate the transition better. Gaining the skills to transition will improve your life. Job transition skills are transferable to moving to a new place and learning the lay of the land. Big leaps start with baby steps. Carve out some time each week to work on a major change. Consider career testing if you don’t know what to do next. Listen as Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how you can survive and thrive the next change in your life. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Boost your mood by singing.When you sing, you can’t hide your emotions. Singing helps with mindfulness and breath regulation. You have to use your air wisely to control the length and tone of your notes. Paying attention to your breathing helps calm your body and mind. Singing lessons can help you in other areas of life, providing confidence and enhancing joy. In-person or online classes are an easy way to get started. Listen as singing coach Amber Petty joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how singing can help lift your mood. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

It takes more than Kegels to really power up your pelvic floor.Pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to urinary incontinence. Sneezing, laughing and physical activity can prompt surprise urine leakage. There’s no need to suffer embarrassment from this issue. Speak with a doctor to find out the cause of your incontinence. Physical therapy can often address the source of this incontinence. The muscles within the core must work together as an integrated unit. While a Kegel contraction can improve pelvic floor awareness, strength of the entire pelvic floor can help remedy the precise area causing difficulty. Hormonal changes can influence how muscular systems activate. Listen as Christina Christie joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss how you can power up your pelvic floor. HER listeners can enjoy a $10 discount by entering 'HER18' at checkout when visiting Pelvic Solutions. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Does CBD skin care match up with the hype? It's time to get out of the weeds and get the facts.CBD has made the news as a potential treatment for various conditions. Cannabis now has a presence in skin care. Is it right for you? CBD is cannabidiol, one of 80 active compounds in the cannabis sativa plant. Medicinal plants can be bred for high CBD and low THC (the compound that creates a “high”). However, the field doesn’t have enough regulation to verify CBD-containing products have absolutely no THC. Research the brands online. Read up on the companies to find out about testing and distribution. Contact the company for clinical trials on human volunteers. Some preliminary studies suggest CBD skin products decrease inflammation, oil production and scaly patches. The science is not yet there to validate CBD products as a viable treatment. If you do select a CBD treatment for your skin, look for other ingredients that are proven as beneficial in that product. Listen as Dr. Jessica Wu joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to spill the facts about CBD skin care products. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins