women's health FAQs

Calories burned will increase during hot flashes, as it does during a fever, but not to any great degree. More...

Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy to support all basic functions essential to sustain life, plus all energy requirements for additional activity and digestive processes. There are three components to energy expenditure More...

This depends on how low you are in iron. Often physicians recommend iron supplementation after blood tests show your iron is low, or to prevent low iron in certain cases such as blood loss from heavy menses. More...

You can gain some muscle to compensate, but whether you will fill out your old bra depends how much breast size you lost. More...

The simple answer is no. The laws of physics never ignore you, regardless of your age. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. More...

The bottom line is that you don't have to gain weight while on progesterone. You can use lifestyle changes to prevent weight gain including tracking your food intake and energy. More...

You may not need to make any changes until late in the pregnancy, with the exception of avoiding contact sports, exercises that cause problems with balance and lying on your back after the first trimester. More...

If you do not reach the recommended level between your diet and multivitamin, then you can add calcium by taking supplements or by eating more calcium rich foods. More...

Muscle building requires protein, nutrients and energy. Meat is just one source of protein, there are many vegetarian sources. It doesn’t take much protein to meet requirements even for a vegan if you use a variety of sources. More...

A woman with small or almost no breasts will have a lower body fat than one with large breasts, if all other things are equal, because breasts are at least 80% fat. Your body fat should fall within a healthy range (less than 32%). More...

It depends on how much you were eating in relation to your weight pre-pregnancy – but generally yes. More...

The multivitamin that makes the most sense for you is the Over50MV™ formula from dotFIT. We manufacture several formulas of multivitamins and minerals for different ages and activity levels. More...

Patients considering alternative treatments for menopause should discuss their options with a doctor for guidance on dosages, efficacy and contraindications with medicines. Physicians are more open these days to the use of alternative medicine especially if an organization such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is agreeable with a treatment. More...

Fluids can temporarily skew your weight. Because fluid balance is essential for health, the body tightly regulates fluid status by stimulating thirst and increasing or decreasing fluid output (urination). More...

It can if you end up eating more and burning fewer calories. Premenstrual symptoms such as fatigue, increased cravings and appetite can affect your calorie burn and intake. If you have days when your energy level is low – make extra effort to fit in activity so you meet your daily step or calorie burn target. More...

The first step in controlling and changing emotional eating is to learn the high risk situation(s) that cause you to eat when you are not hungry. More...

Emotional eating tends to start with some type of trigger. The first step is to identify the people and situations that trigger it. More...

The only way you will know for sure how much iron you’re getting and how much you need is to have your iron levels checked through the proper blood tests (see below for more on tests). More...

The easiest way to gain weight is to consume more calories than your body needs. Assuming you want to gain muscle, the best way to do that is to incorporate resistance training into your life. More...

Yes as long as the person is declared “healthy” after a physical examination. Muscular athletes often have high BMIs but are healthy More...

Yes and in more ways than just being fit. Eating healthy and exercising regularly, even if it’s as little as daily walking More...

Yes, and use a prenatal formula from your doctor. In fact, it may be the most important time of your life for using a Multivitamin and Mineral More...

If you have the true “double chin” it generally means you are carrying excess fat under the chin near the throat area. The fat tends to sag More...

Used in low dosages, (~50 mg per day) it’s probably safe during a healthy pregnancy but for obvious ethical reasons, More...

When over 50, age is more important than gender when looking for the right daily multivitamin mineral formula (MVM). As we age, More...

Proper calcium intake is important to everyone throughout life because calcium is critical to the health and longevity of our bones. Older women More...

If you are going to take a separate B2 (riboflavin) vitamin supplement during pregnancy or lactation, you should do so because of your doctor’s More...

Hormone differences distribute fat in different places. Females need fat in breast and hip areas as an aid to birthing and caring for offspring. Additionally More...

You can’t -- there is no such thing as spot reducing, which is probably obvious to you by now because your thighs generally move more than More...

Wow, three questions in one. First of all, there is no ideal body fat that you should as long as you are below an unhealthy amount, which is More...

While the exact cause of breast cancer is unknown, pink grapefruit would be a huge stretch to say it could be a culprit. There are certain risk factors that are linked to the disease (e.g. gender, More...

Below is our general health recommendation for all adult women up to age 50 years who are not trying to conceive, not pregnant or lactating. More...

Yes. Dietary intake studies show many American fail to get sufficient Magnesium in the diet. Magnesium intake for lactating women is set at 320mg/day. Eating a wide variety of More...

What supplements, if any, one should take are affected not only by diet, but by one’s desired health outcome. Supplements, as the name implies, are just that, a supplement to one’s More...