<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[VtmenoPowercoach]]></title><description><![CDATA[VtmenoPowercoach]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2026 05:12:18 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Why We Must Talk About Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM): Every Woman Deserves to be Informed]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let’s talk about something that too often gets ignored: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). Formerly known as "vaginal atrophy,"...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/why-we-must-talk-about-genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause-gsm-every-woman-deserves-to-be-informe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682f35dd3b9703f2e3464d5e</guid><category><![CDATA[Journal Club]]></category><category><![CDATA[Hormone Health]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:23 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Friday Journal Club: Could it be perimenopause?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Journal: Perimenopause symptoms, severity, and healthcare seeking in women in the US As a provider, I cannot tell you how many times I...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/friday-journal-club-could-it-be-perimenopause</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68012f8b4519164d34367872</guid><category><![CDATA[Journal Club]]></category><category><![CDATA[Supplements]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:52:26 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Movement Series Week 2: Strength]]></title><description><![CDATA[The first week of this series focused on stability. I would recommend you continue to work on stability as you start to incorporate your...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/movement-series-week-2-strength</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67fd1132c9ecd44841440894</guid><category><![CDATA[Running Club]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:42:01 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Running Series: Couch to 5k Week 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome to Week 2! This week, we’re going to focus on gradually increasing your running intervals, while making sure you’re staying...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/running-series-couch-to-5k-week-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67fd0d62d2b5eeef5fc4640e</guid><category><![CDATA[Running Club]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:42:11 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Running Series: Couch to 5k Week 1]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome to Week 1 of your 5K training program! Over the next six weeks, we’ll be focusing on building a strong foundation for your...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/running-series-couch-to-5k-week-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f6b54c4f0456bc835f64fd</guid><category><![CDATA[Running Club]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:05:55 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Movement Series Week 1: Stability]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was first introduced to the importance of stability when reading Dr. Peter Attia’s book, Outlive. We all know the word and what it...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/movement-series-week-1-stability</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ec0c9a26cc997c19bc60a8</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:30:25 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Educating Yourself Matters Before Starting Hormone Therapy — Not Many Conditions are Truly Red Flags When it Comes to Estrogen]]></title><description><![CDATA[When considering hormone therapy for perimenopause or menopause, many women (and unfortunately many clinicians) make the mistake of assuming that certain conditions like elevated cholesterol  automatically disqualify someone from estrogen therapy. That’s simply not true  — but only if both the patient and their provider  understand the evidence and choose the right type and route of therapy. One of the most common fears women express when considering hormone therapy is: “What if my...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/why-educating-yourself-matters-before-starting-hormone-therapy-not-many-conditions-are-truly-red-f</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696d4fcdd122d90ed9687745</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:26:27 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What If I Don’t Feel Anything From Estrogen?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Understanding Absorption, Variability, and When Labs Actually Matter I do not hear this too often but it can feel extremely frustrating and discouraging, so let's talk about it! “I’m on estrogen… and I don’t feel any different.” No improvement in sleep. No relief from hot flashes. No shift in mood, brain fog, or energy. And almost immediately, doubt creeps in. Is estrogen not right for me? Is this all in my head? Should I just stop? Let’s talk about what’s actually going on—because this...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/what-if-i-don-t-feel-anything-from-estrogen</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695bd5497d25e886c5328273</guid><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:56:30 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Transdermal Estrogen in High-Risk Patients: When Science, Safety, and Patient Autonomy Matter Most]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hormone therapy decisions are rarely simple. But for some patients, they are especially  complex. Consider the postmenopausal woman with clotting disorder(s) At first glance, estrogen therapy may feel “off the table” to many clinicians—often due to long-standing fear around clotting risk. But modern evidence tells a more nuanced story, especially when we distinguish oral estrogen from transdermal estrogen . This is where updated science matters. Why Route of Estrogen Matters Estrogen therapy...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/transdermal-estrogen-in-high-risk-patients-when-science-safety-and-patient-autonomy-matter-most</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695bd15763c52e77efcd3359</guid><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:00:24 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Natural Hope for Hair Loss in Menopause: What the Latest Research Says ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hair thinning or shedding during perimenopause and menopause is often an unwelcome surprise — especially when you’re already navigating shifting hormones, energy dips, and body changes. But a new global ethnopharmacological review (published November 2025) sets the record straight: plants and botanical remedies might provide real, meaningful support. ( Frontiers )  The Why: Why Hair Loss Happens During Menopause As estrogen levels fall, hair follicles shift: the “growth phase” (anagen)...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/natural-hope-for-hair-loss-in-menopause-what-the-latest-research-says</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693076559b06fc064bda117f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:45:43 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s Not Just If You Take Estrogen—It’s When You Take It]]></title><description><![CDATA[A message from your perimenopause health coach + physician assistant If you’ve been told you can only take hormone therapy (HRT) for a fixed number of years —often cited as “10 years max”—this new research may change the game. A large-scale analysis reported by the The Menopause Society shows that starting estrogen therapy during perimenopause , rather than waiting until later, may provide longer-term health benefits beyond just symptom relief. The Menopause Society Here’s why this matters...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/it-s-not-just-if-you-take-estrogen-it-s-when-you-take-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f8db510e54fb8635141a5c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:34:49 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hormone therapy, family history, and ER-positive breast cancer — what the WHI data tell us]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the most common questions I hear from women in clinic is: “If breast cancer runs in my family, is hormone therapy (HT) especially risky for me?”  A clear, patient-facing way into that question is the 2009 follow-up analysis of Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial data by Gramling and colleagues — available on PubMed/PMC — which directly tested whether a first-degree family history of breast cancer magnifies the breast-cancer risk from combined estrogen-plus-progestin therapy. PubMed...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/hormone-therapy-family-history-and-er-positive-breast-cancer-what-the-whi-data-tell-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f24b6560ceb7e0d1026dbd</guid><category><![CDATA[HRT safety]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:02:19 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Muscle Health &#38; Menopause: What the Latest Research Shows About Sarcopenia Risk]]></title><description><![CDATA[As a clinician, I’ve seen countless women in perimenopause and postmenopause frustrated by fatigue, muscle loss, and strength decline — even when their weight hasn’t changed. A 2025 study published in the Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy  looked closely at this issue and found some powerful insights worth talking about.  What They Studied Researchers followed 150 postmenopausal women to understand how physical activity, menopausal symptoms, and quality of life  relate to sarcopenia...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/muscle-health-menopause-what-the-latest-research-shows-about-sarcopenia-risk</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68eeab4683f499988ba36a1d</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 19:58:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Menopause, Hormones &#38; Cognition — What the Latest Research Is Saying]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the most frequent and anxiety-provoking questions I hear from women in perimenopause or menopause is: “Will I lose my memory? Will...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/menopause-hormones-cognition-what-the-latest-research-is-saying</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e94403405534b9b6e547e2</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:40:55 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Proactive osteoporosis care: Lifting for my sixties, seventies, eighties!]]></title><description><![CDATA[A science-backed review and practical guide Short version:  fractures—especially hip fractures—are linked to substantially increased...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/proactive-osteoporosis-care-lifting-for-my-sixties-seventies-eighties</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68cabf25b9f6e3dfbf9b7d0c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:29:26 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unlocking the Power of HIIT: Brain Health, Mood, and Aging Gracefully]]></title><description><![CDATA[During every visit I have with my clients I am always talking about high intensity interval training. This post dives into three articles...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/unlocking-the-power-of-hiit-brain-health-mood-and-aging-gracefully</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68c1848eeb19dd158fa39171</guid><category><![CDATA[Hormone Health]]></category><category><![CDATA[Movement]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:49:30 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Thyroid and Sex Hormones Interact — and Why Monitoring the Whole Hormone Picture Matters]]></title><description><![CDATA[Big idea:  hormones don’t work in silos. Thyroid status influences sex‐hormone levels, and estrogen can directly affect thyroid...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/how-thyroid-and-sex-hormones-interact-and-why-monitoring-the-whole-hormone-picture-matters</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68b84db6e3ab00c085e76b95</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:02:50 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Understanding the Safety of Testosterone Therapy in Women: Insights from Recent Research]]></title><description><![CDATA[As a physician assistant dedicated to promoting peri-/menopause wellness, it's essential to stay informed about emerging research that...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/understanding-the-safety-of-testosterone-therapy-in-women-insights-from-recent-research</link><guid isPermaLink="false">683f99929858a70cc0d55270</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:01:24 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Perimenopause Impacts Your Mood—and What You Can Do About It]]></title><description><![CDATA[1. Hormonal roller coaster wreaks havoc on neurotransmitters As estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels fluctuate during...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/why-perimenopause-impacts-your-mood-and-what-you-can-do-about-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">689b45561b954e09d4d83d34</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:57:28 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk: What If You Have a Family History?]]></title><description><![CDATA[When it comes to menopause care, few topics spark as much fear and confusion as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) —especially for women with a family history of breast cancer . Many of the women I work with tell me the same story: they're struggling with symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, insomnia, and low energy, but they're terrified to consider HRT because of what it might mean for their breast cancer risk. If this sounds like you, you're not alone—and you deserve clear, compassionate,...]]></description><link>https://irenebarrows.wixsite.com/vtmenopausecoach/post/hormone-replacement-therapy-and-breast-cancer-risk-what-if-you-have-a-family-history</link><guid isPermaLink="false">687e509c01d745d5ce057346</guid><category><![CDATA[HRT safety]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:40:05 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>irenebarrows</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>