TODAY’S DOSE OF HONESTY

New ideas—and a new face!—at AJenda.

I have some big news to share—and you are the most important people I want to share it with! This week, I’m excited to announce that AJenda has signed Marnie Conway as CEO, to help address the rapidly growing demand on the company for weight management, nutrition, symptom solutions, and other women’s health content.

I did not expect this community and platform to grow so quickly, but one thing has been made very clear to me: You want more information, advice, community, and programs for weight loss and women’s health—and I want to provide those things to you. Hiring a CEO was critical to that mission. You’ve had so many questions, and I haven’t been able to answer them all. There have been so many comments, and I haven’t been able to respond adequately to those either. Based on the feedback from this newsletter, my Instagram posts, and my magazine, I KNOW there is more that you want. And with help from my new CEO Marnie, there is much more I can give. 

My 6-month fitness and wellness experiment with my trainer, Korey Rowe, has revealed a fun, interesting, distinctive, and impactful adventure we can all take together. In the next few months, we’ll be launching a similar fitness/wellness concept just for you, with Korey and I as your coaches and motivators. We’re also looking into exclusive recipes, a meal delivery service, live events, and more. But all of this needs to be planned and executed properly, with your wants and needs foremost in mind. As CEO, Marnie will help me do this, in a way that serves YOU best. You asked for it, and I’m answering!

With Marnie joining my all-female team of editors, business advisors, and PR specialists, AJenda will be there providing support to help you achieve whatever level of fitness and wellness you desire—in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond! I’ve heard you, and I’m working hard to deliver exactly what YOU are interested in. It will be an exciting time for us and for YOU, and I thank you for sharing all your thoughts and questions—they have been SO helpful.

Please join me in welcoming Marnie to AJenda… and let’s do this!!

SYMPTOM SOLUTIONS

The very best ways to stay safe from breast cancer

Tomorrow is Halloween—can you believe it? Perhaps more importantly, it’s also the last day of International Breast Cancer Month. As women, we need to be mindful of our risk of breast cancer all year round, not just in October. But having a dedicated month helps us all to refocus on prevention, early detection, and treatment of this disease, which is the most common form of cancer among U.S. women. More than 2.3 million cases were diagnosed in 2022, resulting in 670,000 deaths. As breast oncologist and Ajenda Core Expert Dr. Elizabeth Comen will remind everyone, there is no way to 100% eliminate breast cancer risk. But taking key steps to reduce it is essential. Here are those steps.

Get screened regularly. It’s important that all women, once they reach their late teens/early 20s, understand their own personal risk, which is based on age (risk increases as we get older); family history of cancer (especially first-degree relatives, like a mother, sister, or daughter); hormonal changes; or personal health considerations, such as having the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, dense breast tissue, or a previous breast cancer diagnosis. An open and honest dialogue with your doctor about your breast cancer risk will help determine the appropriate screening for you. In cases of very high risk, preventive surgery may be recommended.

For most women, early detection—catching breast cancer at a treatable point—and following regular screening guidelines is one of the best ways to help reduce your risk. Mammograms can catch abnormalities in breast tissue early and find cancer before signs and symptoms appear. The American Cancer Society currently recommends that:

• Women aged 40-45 receive annual screenings if they choose.

• Women aged 45-54 receive annual screenings.

• Women over 55 receive screenings every 2 years as long as they remain healthy.

• Women with a high breast cancer risk talk with their doctors about how often screening is needed.

Limit—or eliminate—alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a known human carcinogen, associated with 7 types of cancer including breast cancer, and a contributing factor to at least 5% of all cancers worldwide. To minimize risk, I recommend women consume less than 3 drinks per week on average if they still wish to drink at all.

Keep your weight in check. This and regular exercise are key measures for cancer risk reduction. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 470,000 cancers in women can be attributed to obesity. Excess fat tissue can produce added amounts of estrogen, which have been associated with increased risk of breast, endometrial (uterine), and ovarian cancers, as well as others.

Consult with your doctor or nutritionist to determine your ideal weight and ways to enhance your diet and exercise regimen. A plant-based diet that features high-protein, high-fiber foods and limits animal fat, red meat, and processed meats and foods has been shown to decrease breast cancer risk. Exercise should include both cardio and strength training to build and maintain muscle mass; 30 minutes of daily activity is a good rule of thumb.

Stop smoking. There is plenty of evidence that smoking increases the risk of many cancers. Just quit.

OUR CORE EXPERT

Elizabeth Comen, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine and breast medical oncologist at NYU Langone Health, and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. She is the author of the best-selling book All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies about What Early Medicine Taught Women About Their Bodies and Why It Matters Today. @drelizabethcomen

COMMUNITY

1.

“Is oatmeal good for you? I keep reading that it’s not…”

This is timely. I shared my oatmeal recipe on Instagram a few days ago and got a bunch of questions and comments. I have 3 points to make in my answer here.

1) FOLLOW THE SCIENCE. There have been literally hundreds of studies about the health benefits of oats and oatmeal, and all the data points mostly to YES, it’s good for your body—IF you make the right choices. We’ll get to the choices in a minute. You should recognize the themes…

First, some nutrition science. Oatmeal is uber-rich in vitamins, minerals, and good carbs, but something else gives it “superfood” status: Along with barley and other cereals, yeast, and certain mushrooms, oats and oatmeal contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. As it passes through the digestive system, beta-glucan absorbs water and transforms into a gel-like substance, slowing food transit through the intestines so it can be absorbed more efficiently. Studies have shown that oatmeal’s beta-glucan may help you:

• Lower your cholesterol. Research shows that a daily bowl of heart-friendly oatmeal can lower your levels of total cholesterol, including bad (LDL) cholesterol, and make quick work of it too: One study found that people saw significant positive changes in their cholesterol levels after just 6 weeks of adding oat flakes to their morning routine.

• Reduce your blood sugar. Beta-glucan slows the absorption of glucose (sugar) into your blood. That gel-like solution that coats your gut after eating oatmeal naturally slows down how fast sugars enter your bloodstream. Given that, some studies show that oatmeal may be an ideal food for someone with Type 2 diabetes.

• Lose weight. They say a bowl of oatmeal “fills you up.” That’s a good thing where weight loss is concerned: When you feel full and satisfied longer after eating, you might do less craving and grazing (think unhealthy snacks)—meaning you eat fewer calories in a day’s time. Researchers found that eating oats may reduce body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio.

• Boost your gut health. Put plainly, the beta-glucan in oatmeal can help move things along from a pooping perspective, preventing constipation, gas, and other digestive maladies.

2) CHOOSE WISELY. Sounds like work, but it’s not—if you read nutrition labels. What you’re looking for specifically here is added sugars. Whole, unrefined oats have 0 sugar, so making sure your bowl has as little additional sugar as possible is the key to nutritional happiness. That means making sure YOU don’t add a lot (brown sugar, maple syrup, lots of high-sugar dried fruits) and looking for added sugars on package labels; choose those with less than 5 g.

Many flavored instant oatmeals, which contain less fiber due to processing, have outrageously high amounts of added sugar. There are also low-sugar, high-protein, and other nutritional variations, but they can cost more. Instead, make your own from rolled or steel-cut oats (it’s a snap in the microwave) and flavor your bowl—and dial up its good nutrition—with antioxidant-rich apples, berries, and cinnamon; good fat- and fiber-rich nuts and seeds; and a dollop of protein-rich plain Greek yogurt sweetened with a bit of honey.

3) KNOW IF IT’S RISKY FOR YOU. All that good stuff about oatmeal notwithstanding, some people need to proceed cautiously, or maybe not at all. There are two main ways oats can cause some trouble.

• If you have celiac disease or chronic conditions of the digestive tract such as irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, or Crohn’s disease. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether it makes sense to eat oatmeal regularly, or at all. While oats are gluten-free, they are often grown next to barley, wheat, and rye, and cross-contamination can take place. Oats also contain avenin, a gluten-like protein that sometimes causes adverse reactions in people with gluten intolerance.

• If you are on a restricted-sugar diet due to diabetes or another health issue. We touched on this already, but it’s worth noting as a risk: The more processed varieties of oatmeal tend to contain less fiber and more sugar; these should be avoided by anyone, really, but especially people who must keep their blood sugar under strict control. Read labels!

Here’s my Instagram Oatmeal recipe. Make it as is or customize it with your own favorite flavors—just keep tabs on the sugar content!

Makes a 1-cup serving.

¼ cup steel-cut oats
Water
½ tsp ground flax seeds
½ tsp ground hemp seeds
½ tsp chia seeds
¼ to ½ tsp honey or to taste
¼ to ½ cup fresh berries

1. Cook steel-cut oats in water according to package directions.

2. Add ground flax, hemp, and chia seeds and stir.

3. Stir in honey, then top with berries. Enjoy!

ABOUT DR. JEN

In her roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—has shared the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She is founder and CEO of Ajenda, a company that focuses on helping women enjoy optimal fitness, health, and well-being, and has authored several books, including the national best-seller, The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…

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