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Senior Women: Have a Heart This Holiday Season and Know Your Risks

Heart disease is a scary thing. But we can certainly be thankful for something these days: we know a whole lot more about it, including that it’s absolutely not just a huge risk for men, as many people once believed. In fact, doctors have been trying to get the word out for a long time now that heart disease is actually the number one killer of women in the United States. But it’s not enough that we (hopefully) know this, we also need to know how heart disease looks different in women, so we can recognize it and combat it – and save lives.

The Number 1 Killer of Women

Be honest: what did you think the number 1 killer of women in the U.S. was? Probably breast or a type of gynecological cancer? And you wouldn’t have been alone in not realizing that heart disease is not only the number 1 killer of men in this country, but also the number 1 killer of women. In fact, according to a Cleveland Clinic survey, many people mistakenly believe breast cancer is more of a threat, and scarily, only 20% of millennials knew that heart disease was such a massive threat to women’s health!

Not only that, but according to the CDC, despite an increase in awareness over the past decades, only about half (56%) of women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer. And worryingly, a 2020 report found a 10-year decline in awareness among women that heart disease is indeed their biggest health threat.

According to Leslie Cho, M.D., director of the Women’s Cardiology Center at the Cleveland Clinic, “I think most people believe that breast cancer, or gynecological cancer, tends to be the biggest killer in women, but it still continues to be heart disease. The reason why that’s so important is because 90% of heart disease comes from risk factors that you can control – blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes.”

Dr. Cho is right that this can be a very deadly mistake. After all, heart disease killed 301,280 women in 2019, meaning it caused around 1 in every 5 female deaths. And around 1 in 16 women aged 20 and older (6.2%) have coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease in the United States, meaning many more women are at risk of dying.

But knowledge is power! Knowing all this, as Dr. Cho suggested, means we can do something about it. But before we get to prevention, let’s get a little more knowledge about women and their risks. Specifically, let’s talk about what warning signs women should be looking out for.

The Subtle Signs of Heart Disease in Women

We’ve all seen depictions of men having heart attacks on TV, and many of us have been told there are certain signs to look out for. These include classic symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain in the left arm. But the signs of heart disease and resulting issues can be less well-known in women.

According to the American Heart Association journal Circulation, symptoms of heart disease might be more subtle and varied in women than in men. One of the study’s authors, Corrine Jurgens, an associate professor at the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College, says that understanding the differences in symptoms is particularly important for women, since women tend to be diagnosed with heart disease later in life than men. And when women are older, they may have other underlying conditions that could make identifying subtle symptoms of heart disease much more difficult.

So what could you be missing? Check out some of the subtle differences, or ways that diagnosis can be complicated in women:

Heart attack

heart wih lightning bolt in the middle — *About 30% of women have atypical symptoms of a heart attack.*

It’s true that men are twice as likely as women to have a heart attack, but women need to know how to recognize the symptoms, especially since they can experience more symptoms than men do. Their signs might be more subtle and different from (or in addition to) the classic chest pain and radiating pain in the back, arm, neck, jaw, or arm. Symptoms in women can include nausea, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, and cold sweats.

According to Dr. Cho, “30% of women have atypical symptoms, so they tend to have things like shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue, so if you feel these symptoms, especially with exertion, it’s really important to go and be seen by your physician.”

Heart failure

This condition, which usually occurs after a heart attack, usually presents itself as shortness of breath, but symptoms usually build up over time and can also include upset stomach, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, mood changes, and trouble with memory. But women with heart failure have a wider variety of symptoms, such as sweating, unusual swelling, heart palpitations, and feelings of heartburn, which are often accompanied by depression and anxiety. That means it can be hard to determine whether symptoms (like fatigue) are due to depression, heart disease, or both.

Arrhythmia

An irregular heartbeat often doesn’t have any symptoms in men, but women might experience a fluttering in the chest, meaning they have a better chance of detection if they know what to look out for!

Peripheral artery disease

This condition occurs when cholesterol builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the extremities, usually the legs, and can lead to amputation and can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. There are symptoms that accompany it, including leg and foot pain or heaviness, difficulty walking, and leg heaviness. While both sexes often chalk the symptoms up to other conditions of older age, women are especially likely to confuse the symptoms with conditions that affect the bones.

Heart valve disease

This occurs when one or more valves in the heart doesn’t work properly, and can lead to a complication called aortic stenosis, or when the valve that allows blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body is narrowed, restricting that blood flow. While men are more likely to experience chest pain with valve disease, women tend to report more trouble catching their breath, especially when or after exercising.

Reducing Your Risk

So now we know more about what women should be looking out for, and the dangers of mistaking symptoms of heart problems with symptoms of other conditions seen in older women. But now it’s time to look at ways of reducing your risk in the first place! To lower your risk of developing heart disease, it’s important to:

Manage your stress

Know your blood pressure, and keep it under control

Get tested for diabetes

Quit smoking

Get at least 150 minutes (or 2 and a half hours) of exercise each week

Limit your alcohol consumption to one or fewer drinks per day

Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains

To all you women out there: we know you’ve got big hearts, but we also want them to be healthy hearts! That means knowing 3 things: that women are at a very big risk of dying from heart disease, that there are subtler signs of it in women than in men (or that it can be mistaken for other conditions), and that there are ways to reduce your risk. Just that little bit of knowledge can make all the difference, and save your life!

Co-written by Joanna Bowling

Can These 12 Foods Fight Depression?

‘Tis the season for a lot of things: family, food, gifting, and hopefully joy. But for many people, this time of year can be tough, and for some, seasonal blues or even depression can set in amidst all the festivities. If you’re struggling, your best bet is to talk to someone about it, but with that being said, there are things you can try to help keep yourself in a more balanced frame of mind.

Take, for example, the subject of food that we mentioned above. There are actually foods you can incorporate into your diet that might help fight depression (and unfortunately, they aren’t Christmas cookies!), so let’s take a look at them and get you feeling your best this holiday season and beyond.

Diet and Mental Health

So what does your diet have to do with your mental health? First of all, most mental health experts agree that a range of treatments are beneficial for depression, including self-care. In fact, according to Monique Tello, MD, MPH, “Self-care includes things like sleep, physical activity, and diet, and is just as important as meds and therapy — sometimes more so.”

But it goes beyond just anecdotal evidence that diet can help with depression. In fact, there is an entire field of medicine called nutritional psychiatry, and more and more studies are showing that there is a pretty big link between what you eat and your risk for depression.

For example, a randomized controlled trial published in the journal PLOS ONE found that symptoms of depression dropped significantly among a group of young adults after they followed a diet similar to what’s known as the Mediterranean diet for three weeks. Participants saw their depression “score” fall from the “moderate” range down to the “normal” range, and they reported lower levels of anxiety and stress too.

On the other hand, the depression scores among the control group of participants, who continued to eat a diet higher in refined carbohydrates, and processed and sugary foods and beverages, didn’t change at all. Their depression scores remained in the “moderate severity” range.

And you might be thinking that feeling depressed can lead to eating unhealthy foods, so how do we know what came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, there have also been studies checking this out, and they have concluded that the participants who started with a baseline healthy diet (like the Mediterranean diet) were less likely to develop depression in the first place.

Why does diet go so strongly hand-in-hand with our mental health? Researchers aren’t 100% sure, but they think that it could be related to how a poor diet can increase inflammation, which can be one risk factor for depression. Studies in animals have also suggested that the gut microbiome can affect brain functioning and, therefore, mental health. This might be because, for example, how our gut is functioning can alter levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is largely synthesized by gut bacteria.

At any rate, it’s becoming clearer that the foods we eat are closely linked to our mental health. And while eating the “right” foods is certainly no silver bullet against mental health issues, we can try to practice self-care by eating foods such as the following.

12 Foods to Incorporate into Your Diet Now

So here they are! Twelve foods that could help you maintain a healthy balance in both body and mind:

1. Fatty fish

Recent studies have found that societies that don’t eat enough omega-3 fatty acids tend to have higher rates of depression. Other studies have found that people who don’t often eat fish, which can be a great source of these fatty acids, are more likely to develop depression. So if you’re into seafood, indulge your tastes and boost your mental health by incorporating fatty fish like mackerel, sardines, salmon, tuna, and, of course, some anchovies on that pizza! And if you’re not into fish, don’t worry, there are other sources of omega-3’s, which we’ll get to below.

2. Walnuts

If you’ve heard of the amino acid tryptophan, it was probably in relation to turkey, and you probably think it’s what makes you so sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. But that’s a myth! Tryptophan actually helps our bodies produce serotonin, one of those feel-good chemicals that boosts mood. Since our bodies can’t synthesize tryptophan, we need to get it from our diet, and walnuts are an excellent source of it (but you can also eat that turkey or other poultry to get some more tryptophan into your diet). Bonus: walnuts are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids!

3. Avocados

Walnuts not your thing? Avocados, which are full of body-beneficial good fats, are a great source of tryptophan. They’re also a great source of guacamole, which is a giant plus in our books!

4. Dark leafy greens

Popeye was so right about eating your greens, but not just because they keep your body healthy. Turns out they’re also great for your mind! Not only do they contain omega-3’s, but they are also rich in folates, and according to a Spanish study, rates of depression are higher in those who don’t get enough folates.

5. Dark chocolate

No, it’s not just your imagination that chocolate makes you feel good! Chocolate actually stimulates mood boosting chemicals similar to endorphins. One study found that eating chocolate reduces stress hormones, including cortisol, in those who are highly stressed. Just be sure to choose dark chocolate and watch for any hidden sugars – and enjoy it in moderation.

6. Lentils

This little legume is quite the depression-fighting powerhouse! Lentils are rich in selenium, and studies have shown a link between low selenium and poor mood. Not only that, but they are a great source of the folate (just one cup contains 90% of your daily needs!) we talked about above, which helps increase mood neurotransmitters that help you feel happy and healthy. As an added bonus, all of that folate helps your body lower a chemical called homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine are linked to damage to blood vessels and reduction of blood flow and nutrients to the brain. So a bowl of lentil soup (or other foods high in folate) can actually mean you’ll feel more alert and cognitively on point!

7. Onions

Here’s an idea: try creating a soup or salad from a dark, leafy green like spinach, lentils, and onions. Why the onions? They’re also a great source of folate and are super homocysteine fighters. Did we mention that homocysteine can also block the production of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin? So forget about your breath and chow down! Bonus: onions can also help prevent certain cancers AND make your hair look healthier, so that makes us feel pretty good.

8. Mushrooms

These fungi can make you feel like a fun guy again – see what we did there? Mushrooms can help you combat depression and anxiety for more than one reason. First of all, they are rich in potassium, which can help with anxiety. And second, they also contain an antioxidant called ergothioneine, which helps reduce oxidative stress on all cells, including those in the brain. Less oxidative stress on the brain cells could help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. So throw some mushrooms into that awesome soup we’re building, and serve it with some fish – hey, we’ve really got something going here!

9. Blueberries

Let’s talk dessert now – how about some fresh blueberries (or some blueberry pie, but go easy on the sugar!)? These blue beauties are rich in an antioxidant flavonoid called anthocyanin. This flavonoid, like many antioxidants, can make you less prone to depression. In fact, the results of a 2012 study suggested that consuming vitamins that provide antioxidants may reduce symptoms of anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder. The antioxidants found in blueberries can also reduce inflammation throughout the body (and remember, inflammation might be one risk factor in developing depressive symptoms).

10. Beans

Beans, beans, good for your heart…OK, we won’t finish that! But these little guys aren’t just good for your body! Beans are full of tryptophan, the amino acid needed for serotonin synthesis. They are also rich in magnesium, which can help to boost your mood and overall mental health.

11. Seeds

Time to get seedy! Seeds like chia and flax seeds are tiny but mighty, since they contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. We already know that the first two are excellent depression fighters, but fiber is important, too. Having plenty of fiber in your diet reduces inflammation in the gut, making it easier for your body to absorb more nutrients the body uses to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin.

12. Tomatoes

We knew there was a reason that our mom’s pasta sauce made us feel so good! Tomatoes are also rich in antioxidants, specifically a carotenoid called lycopene, which can help combat stress damage to brain neurons.

As we said, there is no silver bullet in the fight against depression and depressive symptoms. Often a combination of treatments and types of self-care can help, though, and one of the most important types of self-care is eating right! So if you’re getting in your zzz’s, moving your body, and eating a diet rich in the foods we’ve mentioned, you could find yourself with a boosted mood as the new year gets started. You could also find yourself with an awesome recipe for a legume-y, green-y, mushroom-y, onion-y something – and we want to hear about it! And about whatever dark chocolate blueberry concoction you come up with…. Happy eating!

Co-written by Joanna Bowling

Feeling the Pinch This Holiday Season? There Might Be Benefits for Seniors You’re Missing Out On

Between the Christmas shopping season and the season of New Year’s resolutions, this time of year can get you thinking more about your finances. This can be especially true for older adults, since many of you are probably living on that old cliche of a ‘“fixed income.” And studies show that, more and more, seniors are having trouble making ends meet on that fixed income, so you might feel like you’re struggling financially these days.

There’s absolutely no shame in that: times are indeed tough, and inflation feels out of control. But there are things you can do to relieve some of the pressure, including looking into benefits offered by the government that can help keep you afloat. It turns out that a lot of older adults don’t even know that they’re eligible for these benefits, so we wanted to highlight them and give you options for keeping financially fit into the New Year and beyond.

Struggling Seniors

illustration of a woman empyting out her piggy bank — *It is estimated that about 6.4 million seniors are living in poverty.*

Here’s a shocking figure for you: 45% of aging Americans are struggling to make ends meet.

Not only that, but according to the National Council on Aging, one-third of senior households have no extra money and often end up in debt after meeting essential monthly expenses. That’s 6.4 million seniors living in poverty, many of whom aren’t just living paycheck-to-paycheck, but day-to-day, routinely shuffling their money around to meet the basics of life.

Furthermore, the NCA found that 2.1 million American seniors receive just $435 a month in social security. Not only that, but older women receive an average of $4,500 less annually due to the time taken off for caregiving and lower overall lifetime earnings. And, with these figures, it’s not surprising that according to projections, senior poverty will quadruple by the year 2050!

These dire statistics are certainly not the fault of seniors who are feeling the pinch. There are any number of reasons why so many older adults in this country don’t have enough retirement savings, like suffering a debilitating injury, having a low-paying retail job with limited or no retirement benefits, or being a single parent with limited lifetime earnings due to parenting duties.

Whatever the reason, there are a lot of older adults who are struggling, and you (or a loved one) might be among them. Again, there’s no shame in that! And, while there are a lot of government policies that need to change in order to keep more seniors from falling into poverty, there are actually government benefits that you can look into that can help you right now.

Are You Missing Out?

As we said, if you could use a little financial assistance, you’re not alone, but you’re also not alone if you’re not sure how to get it, or even if you didn’t realize it was available to you. For example, you might have heard of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps, but you might not know that you might be eligible for assistance with your groceries. Or did you know that there are programs that help with seniors’ healthcare costs?

While many of these programs are more likely to be geared toward very low-income seniors, you might be surprised to know that not all of them are only for those living in extreme poverty. That means you might be among the many older adults who are leaving benefits on the table. Just check out these numbers:

Nearly 14 million adults aged 60 or older qualify for SNAP aid but haven’t signed up, according to recent estimates. In fact, the AARP Public Policy Institute estimates that 71% of adults aged 60 and above who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program haven’t signed up for benefits.
More than 3 million adults 65 or older are eligible but not enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs, which pay for Medicare premiums and cost-sharing.
30% to 45% of seniors may be missing out on help from the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy program, which covers plan premiums and cost-sharing, and lowers the cost of prescription drugs.

Between the above and other benefits that are being left on the table, “Tens of billions of dollars of benefits are going unused every year,” according to Josh Hodges, chief customer officer at the National Council on Aging. That might be because older adults don’t know about these benefits, find the applications difficult or annoying, or feel uncomfortable about taking them.

But whatever the reason, if you’re not taking the benefits that are coming to you (after all, you paid for them your whole life!), you’re basically throwing money away. So let’s take a closer look at how you can get some financial help if you need it.

Getting Help

Still not sure? Or think you don’t qualify, or that applying for benefits won’t be worth it? Well, remember, even a few hundred dollars in assistance can make a world of difference if you’re living on a fixed income that makes it difficult to afford basics such as food, housing, transportation, and health care.

And as we said above, there are programs that aren’t actually means-tested (although lower-income seniors might be prioritized), including:

Programs funded by the Older Americans Act, such as home-delivered meals and legal assistance for seniors facing home foreclosures or eviction
Local programs, such as property tax breaks for homeowners, which are available to anyone over 65

So, if you’re ready to get some assistance, where should you start? You can first try talking to your local Area Agency on Aging. These organizations are devoted to helping older adults, and will perform a benefits assessment, or refer you to other organizations that conduct these evaluations. To get contact information for your local Area Agency on Aging, use the Eldercare Locator, a service of the federal Administration on Aging, or call 800-677-1116.

If you need a little encouragement to sit down and find out about your options, take a look at what the programs we mentioned above could have to offer:

SNAP

If you need help with groceries – and so many of us do, since inflation has hit an average of over 8% year over year – food stamps could be the answer. Think that they wouldn’t be worth it? Well, seniors living alone received an average of $104 in food stamps per month in 2019. And at least 3 million adults 50 and above with very low incomes could receive more than $200 a month, AARP estimates. That could make a big difference to your quality of life!

Medicare Savings Program

If you’re lower income and are having trouble meeting your healthcare expenses, try looking into the Medicare Savings Program. And remember, rules for who will qualify for this program vary from state to state, so it’s definitely worth checking to see if you can access this benefit. After all, at a minimum, Medicare Savings Programs will cover the cost of Medicare’s Part B premiums: $170 a month, or $2,040 annually, for most seniors. If you are very low income, you could also have cost sharing for medical services covered, as well.

Extra Help

If you need help paying for your medications, Extra Help is a subsidy program for the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. These subsidies are worth $5,100 annually, according to the Social Security Administration. Currently, some seniors get only partial benefits, but that will change in 2024, when all older adults with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level ($20,385 for a single person in 2022) will qualify for full Extra Help benefits.

If you’re interested in either of these ways to boost your healthcare dollars, but aren’t sure how to go about getting these benefits, try contacting the State Health Insurance Assistance Program in your state, the Medicare hotline, or your state’s department of aging, which can direct you to community organizations that help with applications.

LIHEAP

Need help with high energy bills this winter? Lower-income older adults can apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Your local utility company may also provide emergency relief to seniors who can’t pay their bills.

Again, it’s always worth checking to see if you qualify for any of the above benefits, as well as the local benefits like the tax breaks we mentioned above.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by financial troubles, by the prospect of having to seek out help, by confusing applications, and by conflicting feelings about needing assistance. But so many of us are feeling the pinch these days, and there’s no need to feel ashamed to ask for help – that’s what it’s there for! And there’s no need to feel at sea when it comes to the help that’s available. Reach out and speak to any of the organizations we mentioned above, and get the benefits available to you, so you can lighten the load and move forward!

Co-written by Joanna Bowling

It’s Not Easy Being Green: How to Spot Greenwashing

There’s been a minor revolution in the consumer world in the last few decades. While there have always been groups of people who were interested in eco-friendliness, shopping “green” wasn’t fully a mainstream idea – how many times do you think the word “sustainable” was used in the 1980s, for example? But now, it seems like every product and every store is trying to tout its eco credentials, because it’s what consumers want. And that push towards sustainability is a good thing!

But, with that being said, it’s only a good thing if the manufacturers and stores clamoring to show how green they are are actually doing and making things in a sustainable way. And if they’re not, they’re simply greenwashing us to get our money by lulling us into a false sense of their eco-friendliness. So how can you tell if a company is engaging in greenwashing?

Going Green by the Numbers

Before we talk about greenwashing, let’s take a look at how we, as consumers, feel about buying “green.” The numbers show pretty clearly that the revolution we mentioned above has taken place. Just check out these stats:

77% of Americans are concerned about the environmental impact of products they buy
57% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impact
45% of shoppers wanted to find eco-friendly or environmentally responsible brands
92% of customers are more likely to trust a brand that is environmentally or socially conscious
66% of consumers worldwide say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable brands
45% of consumers’ primary purchasing motivator is a company with a reputation for being environmentally responsible

While we might see a fascinating snapshot into how our fellow shoppers feel about sustainability in the numbers above, businesses see dollar signs. Two-thirds of consumers are willing to spend more on sustainable products? That’s huge, and businesses want to get in on that. And while some are doing so legitimately, others might not be doing so, so let’s take a look at what it means to greenwash consumers, and how you can spot it.

What Is Greenwashing?

fake in red — *Greenwashing is when businesses make claims that their products (or the way they do business) are environmentally friendly, when that’s false.*

According to Investopedia, greenwashing is defined as “the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound.” In other words, it’s all about businesses making claims that their products (or the way they do business) are environmentally friendly, when in reality they’re exaggerating those claims, or trying to pull one over on consumers.

And these misleading claims have been around for decades now. The term “greenwashing” was actually coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westerveld, in a critical essay inspired by the irony of the “save the towel” movement in hotels that had little impact beyond saving hotels money in laundry costs. Hotels were asking guests to “help the environment” by reusing their towels, but were only doing so in a bid to save money.

Since then, a whole lot of companies have tried to mislead consumers into thinking they’re greener than they are (think energy companies, for example). These businesses greenwash through a process of renaming, rebranding, or repackaging their products/practices, and try to convey the idea that they’re more natural, wholesome, or free of chemicals than competing brands.

But, in reality, these businesses are just using marketing tricks to make you feel like you’re making sustainable choices – and enjoying the extra money that you’re willing to spend on their exaggerated claims without actually doing much – if anything at all – to help the environment. So what are some of the signs of greenwashing that you should be looking out for?

How to Spot Greenwashing

It’s not necessarily easy being a conscious consumer, we know. You’ve got to do a bit of research to know that what you’re buying aligns with your expectations. So to help you out a little, here are the “six sins of greenwashing,” as laid out by Terrachoice Environmental Marketing, which can help you figure out if a business is engaging in greenwashing, and is not worth your extra hard-earned money.

1. Hidden trade-offs

So maybe a company uses recycled paper in their products, but is that the only thing green about them? If it is, and if they’re not also paying attention to, for example, the impacts of their manufacturing process or supply chain, they’re probably greenwashing. Suggesting that their product is “green” based on only one attribute is a classic greenwashing tactic, and they’re relying on you not to look any closer at what the trade-offs are for using that recycled content. So look for information that gives a bigger picture of their environmental impact.

2. Unproven claims

If a company makes a claim about their eco-friendliness, but there is no easily accessible information to back up their claims, or any third-party certifications, they’re probably greenwashing. Sure, no company is going to have an entire brochure attached to their products with detailed proof of how they are as sustainable as they claim, but they could have a verifiable certification listed, or a website to check out that will give you all the information you need (and if it’s a third-party website that backs them up, all the better).

3. Vagueness

It’s time we all realize that some words and phrases, as used by companies, just don’t have any meaning anymore. Take these, for example:

Non-toxic – Ok, so it won’t kill you? Good to know, but what does this phrase actually mean? Not much, since everything is potentially toxic in a high enough dosage, including water. Not only that, but this is a completely unregulated term, so there is no actual way to define it when it comes to product safety.

All-natural – Meh, so is formaldehyde, but we’re probably not going to add it to our breakfast cereal. And again, another unregulated, undefined term.

Green, environmentally friendly, or eco-friendly/conscious – These terms have virtually no meaning, especially when not backed up by any specific, verifiable information.

Clean – Often used with beauty products, this term also has no real definition.

4. Irrelevance

You wouldn’t be impressed if your shampoo claimed it was better than the competition because it cleaned your dishes better, right? So don’t get sucked in by irrelevant green marketing claims. For example, if a company touts the fact that their product is chlorofluorocarbon (CFC, a known ozone depleter) free as a reason that they’re better than their competitors, be wary. Why? CFCs have been banned for years, so no company is allowed to use them in their products.

And irrelevancy can also be a bit of a bait and switch situation. For example, an Australian plastic bag company was fined because it claimed it had switched the type of plastic it uses to a “biodegradable” plastic. Sounds good, but for the product to actually make a difference in terms of the tons of plastic we’re putting into the environment, it would have to be “compostable”. “Biodegradable” plastic technically doesn’t fully degrade, but instead just breaks down into smaller parts unless it’s processed in a digester specifically designed to create the conditions for biodegradation.

5. “Better” choices, or the lesser of two evils

Sometimes we really want something that’s not great for us or the environment, and companies will latch onto that by claiming their product is the “better” option for that not-so-good thing, or the lesser of two evils. Seriously, what’s the point of “organic” cigarettes, for example? Or how about companies that market water sold in plastic bottles? They can sing the praises of their environmental initiatives all they want, but in the end, they are still selling the single-use plastic that is clogging up oceans and landfills, and depositing microplastics everywhere they go.

6. Outright lies

While companies telling straight-up fibs is rarer than using misleading marketing tactics, some businesses do engage in this practice. That’s why it’s important to check claims and certifications, if a company’s sustainability is important to you.

With the rise of the more conscious consumer has come the rise of greenwashing – and we’re not saying that all businesses that engage in it are even doing it on purpose. Some of them are ill-informed about the impacts of materials they use, or the way their supply chain works, for example, so they end up accidentally making unsubstantiated claims. But sometimes the claims they make are meant to be misleading, and rely on us taking their claims at face value, or making assumptions about what is green or not based on environmental folklore. So, if sustainability is important to us as consumers – as it seems to be more and more – it’s up to us to call out these companies, and vote with our dollars for businesses that are committed to backing up their claims.

Co-written by Joanna Bowling

What We Can Learn from Other Cultures about Saying Thanks

We’ve come again to the time of year when a lot of us are feeling a little more inclined to say “thanks”. Gratitude seems to come a little easier, and maybe it’s all the turkey and pie, but we’re just feeling all warm and fuzzy. So thank you, reader, for being here with us right now. And we’ll also thank you for telling us what has made you say “thank you” today? And how many times do you think you’ve said it? Probably more than you realize: Americans are actually known for throwing around the big “TY” in most situations, and we’re taught from an early age to always say thank you!

But is that the way it is in other cultures? Not necessarily, and we might have something to learn about expressing gratitude from the language of thanks around the world.

How We Use Our “Thank You’s”

Let’s go back to our question above: how many times a day do you think you say thank you? Ah, but how about this: how many times do you mean it? That’s another story, right? So, if you’re like the average American, according to research from 2016, you say thanks around 2,000 times a year, or around 5 times a day. Buuuut you only mean it around half the time.

So does that mean that saying thank you has lost its meaning? According to the survey cited above, nearly half (49%) of us do think that we say thank you so much that it’s lost its meaning. Saying thank you has become an automatic thing, not something we reflect upon. We do it to be polite. And what’s more, the way we say it often feels like what Elaine Hsieh, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she studies language and culture, calls “transactional” instead of heartfelt.

According to Hsieh, “The way in English that we use ‘thank you’ is very transactional. A common way to say thank you or to show gratitude is like, ‘I owe you a ton of debt,’ like ‘I owe you lots.’ ‘I don’t know how to repay you.’ So these are very transactional understandings of thank yous and not all cultures use ‘thank you’ that way. In some cultures, they don’t even say thank you easily, because thank you is reserved for some of the most heartfelt moments to signify the importance of their gratitude.”

And maybe we feel grateful – Pew Research tells us that a majority of us (78%) feel a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness on a weekly basis – but unfortunately, we’re not great at showing or saying it, even with our readiness to say thanks to everyone we see. In fact, according to the survey from above, 40% of those questioned said they often don’t show any gratitude at all for things they know they are actually thankful for.

Wow. Not even a “Thanks, mom, you’re the best” or a big kiss with a thank you and doing the dishes when your partner makes a delicious dinner? Hmm, we might need to rethink how we say thanks around these parts. And maybe we can get some ideas this holiday season (before it’s too late) from other cultures.

Different Takes on Expressing Gratitude

We might think that everyone around the world uses thank you in the same way, but that’s far from true. Let’s look at some interesting examples of how a few cultures express gratitude in very different ways from many people in the US:

Not everyone says thank you

In some cultures, for example in India, saying thank you is actually seen as formal and almost distancing to those involved, so it is often left unsaid in close relationships. Introducing this sense of formality (or the feeling of a transaction, as Americans use it) can be seen as taking away from the intimacy of the relationship. For example, a child wouldn’t say thank you to their parent for a simple act like bringing them a drink. Would that fly in your house? Probably not, since we’re conditioned to always say thank you.

But what if we could express our gratitude in unspoken ways? According to author Deepak Singh writing in The Atlantic, “in the Hindi language, in everyday gestures and culture, there is an unspoken understanding of gratitude.” People with close relationships tend to express their gratitude in nonverbal ways. But that’s not to say there isn’t a time and place to say thank you – but it’s said in situations where it’s truly and deeply felt, when someone has gone above and beyond, and is said with seriousness and with eye contact.

And not only that, but there are some languages that don’t even have a word or phrase for thank you. Speakers of Cha’palaa in Ecuador, for example, never say thank you after someone does something kind because this language doesn’t have a traditional way of saying the phrase.

When researchers discovered that many cultures say thank you very rarely, or don’t have a way to say it, they concluded “…that people across languages and cultures rely on tacit understandings of their social rights and duties to mutual assistance and collaboration. One of the reasons for this is that, in everyday life, we are not just motivated to help or ‘do favors’ for others; we are also motivated to participate in shared activities that involve expected contributions, and to fulfill the commitments implied by our social roles.”

In other words, for some, thank you is not a phrase, it’s a way of living, a mutual feeling of connection to others and being part of a collective group.

Thank you can be bigger than you

And while some cultures don’t use (or have) thank you because they see their good deeds as part of a more collective feeling, other cultures have a different way of saying the phrase. In some Southeast Asian countries, like China, expressing thanks sometimes goes not just beyond transactional and automatic, but beyond just you and a person to thank. For example, in China, many people use the phrase “xie tian,” which literally means “thank sky.” The thought is that there are so many people to thank that we need to stop and express gratitude for all things under the sky.

Hsieh explains it this way: “There are so many things and so many people we are thankful for, we’re grateful to that, let’s just say, ‘xia tian,’ ‘thank the sky.’ And when you say it that way, when you start to think about gratitude toward everything and all beings under the sky, that moves the expression of gratitude away from a transactional understanding of gratefulness, and into an all-encompassing understanding of kindness toward the world and how you’re receiving all the good things, goodwill in the world.”

And in Taiwan, gratitude is expressed by saying “kam-sim,” which literally means “feel heart.” It’s a way to say thank you for a good deed, but it goes beyond that: it is also meant to highlight how people who witness something worthy of a thank you also benefit. It’s about the ripples that kindness can create, which can spread out beyond two people in a transactional situation. Saying thank you in this way recognizes that the impact of a good deed is not limited to one person, but can impact other members of a community, as well.

What We Can Learn

The interesting thing is that in all of the above examples, the emphasis of expressing gratitude (or of not saying it) seems to be less about acknowledging a transaction between two people or a good feeling that boosts our happiness score, and more about a way to acknowledge our place in a bigger web of connections that we all benefit from. And more than that, that bigger web is ultimately what we should be grateful for in many ways.

So what can we take away from learning about expressing gratitude in different ways? According to Hsieh, “Learning about what other cultures do is not about that we need to adopt other cultures’ practices or language, but more as a reflective point to see how other cultures’ way of thinking, saying and doing things provide us the opportunity to reflect on our practice.”

Well said. After all, as we hopefully gather with our families this time of year to give thanks, it’s important to remember how our interdependence enriches our lives. We don’t have to go it alone, and then feel indebted when others lend a hand; rather, we can all be in this together and all be thankful. Let us know how you feel and express gratitude!

Co-written by Joanna Bowling

What’s a Period Dignity Officer? And Who Should Do the Job?

We’ve made a lot of strides when it comes to normalizing some formerly taboo topics. And rightly so: it’s almost 2023! But we’d argue we’re still a little behind when it comes to (said in a hushed voice) periods. Yep, Aunt Flow, as we nickname this very normal bodily function that happens to a huge percentage of the population, just doesn’t get the respect she deserves.

But now at least one country is trying to change that. Scotland is making moves to change the culture around periods, and one region even appointed a “period dignity officer.” We have to admit we’re intrigued. Not just because it’s such an interesting concept, but also because the position went to…a man. So what is a period dignity officer, are they a good idea, and should anyone be able to do the job?

Scotland’s Period Act

Looks like Scotland is trying to up the world’s game when it comes to giving all menstruating people the basic dignity they deserve. Earlier this year, Scotland gained worldwide praise when it passed a pioneering Period Act, making tampons and pads free by law and instructing schools to make them available in every building. Because, uh, yeah.

And to many of us, making period products free would feel like a small financial relief (and a no-brainer), but for some here in the US, and many more around the world, a period act like the one in Scotland would be life-changing, and potentially even lifesaving. After all, at least 500 million women and girls globally lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for period hygiene management, according to the World Bank. And while it is a matter of simple human dignity, it’s more than that: poor menstrual health and hygiene exacerbate gender inequality and hold women back when it comes to education, health, safety, and human development.

So yes, it’s obvious that many in Scotland are pretty excited about this development, with lawmakers hoping to work with other countries and nonprofits to spread the good word. One region in the country, Tayside, even went above and beyond the law and appointed a period dignity officer, whose job description included doing things like leading a campaign across schools, colleges, and the region to raise awareness and understanding of Scotland’s Period Act, and to ensure that the Scottish government funding was allocated properly.

And who was the right person for this job? According to the job description, the requirements were “a successful track record of engaging and empowering a large range of people,” including “in particular young people who menstruate.” Based on those criteria, the region chose someone who ended up being controversial, to say the least.

The successful candidate was a former personal trainer who had also worked for a tobacco company, and as the student well-being officer with Dundee and Angus College, which was among the colleges involved in the hiring process. He was also a man.

Those who hired Jason Grant claimed he had tons of relevant experience in project management in both the private and public sectors – but it wasn’t his credentials that got people talking. It was his gender. So what was the reaction to his appointment, and what’s going on now?

The Undignified End of the Role of Period Dignity Officer

After the appointment of Grant, things exploded IRL and on social media. Said one Twitter user, “This feels like a joke. Jason Grant — Scotland’s first ‘period dignity officer’ — will never know the indignity of being bullied at school for having a period, of leaking, of being unable to afford period items, despite these being routine things many women sadly know all too well.” Others talked about being fed up with men “mansplaining” them about things they know little about.

The backlash went on and on, and the Tay region eventually threw their hands up. They didn’t just let Jason Grant go, they scrapped the whole position of period dignity officer. “Given the threats and abuse leveled at individuals in recent weeks, the period dignity regional lead officer role will not continue,” a spokeswoman for the Period Dignity Working Group, the team in charge of the initiative, said in a statement.

In September, Grant took legal action for his dismissal (as of this writing we do not know the outcome of the case), with his lawyer asking the question, “If Jason was not a man, would he have been dismissed from the role?” Excellent question, and the answer is probably not. But what about a more pressing question that’s on our minds: should a man be able to do a job like period dignity officer?

Representation Vs. Inclusion

When they hired Jason Grant, the Period Dignity Working Group said, “By changing the culture, encouraging debate, and removing the stigma around periods, we look forward to supporting the delivery of this important work across the region.”

And that’s where who can do that job gets complicated. How do we do those things, like change the culture and encourage debate? Some argue, very persuasively, that a job like this should be a way to give people who menstruate some much-needed representation, and a long-hoped-for voice at the table.

According to Charlotte O’Byrne, a fundraising manager at UK period poverty charity Freedom4Girls, “It’s more the case that many people are disappointed because it’s the first ever role of this type at such a high level and it has been awarded to a man. We want a woman’s voice primarily here. Yes, we want and need allyship between women and men, but within that, we kind of want it acknowledged that women, girls, and menstruating people are the ones who live with the inequality and have been conditioned to just shut up and put up.”

In addition, for many, their problem with Grant’s appointment is that they believe someone with lived experience would be the most qualified person, since they would be the one who would be most able to connect with others who are going through the same experiences. Said one member of the Scottish parliament, “It is incomprehensible that a young male without lived experience of menstruation is an appropriate person to address the needs of pre-pubescent girls at this vulnerable stage of development.”

But with that being said, we could play devil’s advocate and argue that because being a period dignity officer is about “changing the culture, encouraging debate, and removing the stigma around periods,” everyone has to be reached and everyone has to be on board. After all, you can’t change the culture around something if you don’t talk to the people who haven’t experienced it.

According to Monica Lennon, a member of the Scottish Parliament and an advocate for the Period Act, “If we want to tackle stigma and to create culture change that eliminates the embarrassment around periods, then I think we have to have an inclusive approach,” adding that the issue around periods involved mental health and well-being, but also education and the community, and that nobody should be excluded from those conversations.

Grant himself commented on his controversial appointment, saying “I think being a man will help me to break down barriers, reduce stigma, and encourage more open discussions. Although affecting women directly, periods are an issue for everyone.”

We wish we had the answer to all of this, but we don’t! What do you think? Is it all about representation? Or is inclusion important, too?

How Are We Working Toward Menstrual Equity?

We’ll leave you with a final question: should we have period dignity officers, or something similar, in this country? Or federal laws that make it feel like periods are treated with a little more respect?

Maybe we’re not talking about period dignity officers just yet, but you might be surprised – and pleased – to know that, in the last 8 years, states have passed 62 menstrual equity laws, representing real progress for the menstrual equity movement. This movement pushes for increased affordability, access, and safety of menstrual products.

Some of the state laws include eliminating the menstrual tax, making menstrual products more accessible by requiring them in schools, prisons, correctional facilities, and shelters; and addressing the safety of these products by requiring ingredient disclosure.

On the other hand, only two federal laws have been passed, one allowing menstrual products to be paid with pre-tax dollars using a Health Savings or Flexible Spending Account, and one requiring federal prisons to provide menstrual products free of charge. A Menstrual Equity for All Act has been introduced in the House, but as of now, it has not been passed.

So we still have a lot of work to do to break down the culture of stigma and shame that often surrounds menstruation, and give it the dignity it deserves. But the fact that we are talking about and passing policies to ensure access, affordability, and safety of these products is a huge leap forward.

We should probably all learn from Scotland’s example in passing their Period Act, and maybe learn something from Tayside’s controversial appointment. There’s a lot to think about, but the main point is that we all need to do whatever we can to give everyone the dignity they deserve.

Co-written by Joanna Bowling