March 1 marks National Dress in Blue Day. On the first Friday of March, those who are afflicted with colon cancer – along with their allies and supporters – wear blue to bring awareness to this disease and promote Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Though highly preventable, colon cancer is often a silent and deadly disease. While colorectal cancer affects both men and women, there are specific nuances and considerations regarding its impact on women that we should be aware of.
What is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer, often referred to as bowel cancer or colon cancer, originates in the colon or rectum. It may start as benign growths called polyps, which can become cancerous if not detected and removed. The disease ranks as the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.
Colorectal cancer in women
While historically seen as a disease primarily affecting men, colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting women. In fact, recent studies suggest that women may be at higher risk of dying from colorectal cancer than men due to factors such as hormonal differences and unique symptoms that may delay diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of colon cancer in women?
It’s important to identify the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer in women to identify the disease and treat it effectively. Though the symptoms noted below may seem just part of normal gastrointestinal distress or indigestion, it’s important to take note of them as they can signal the early stages of colorectal cancer. Symptoms may include:
Changes in bowel habits
- Some of us may find it uncomfortable to pay attention to or discuss our bowel habits. However, if you notice changes — such as persistent diarrhea, constipation, or stool consistency – mention these to your doctor right away. It’s important to screen for and identify (or rule out) colon cancer when these changes occur.
- Rectal bleeding or blood in stool
- Again, this may be uncomfortable to discuss, but it’s important to note unexplained bleeding or blood in your stool and make an appointment with your primary care provider to investigate it further.
- Abdominal discomfort
- Persistent abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating may signal colorectal issues.
- Unexplained weight loss
- Significant and unexplained weight loss – without changes in diet or exercise – warrants medical attention.
- Fatigue or weakness
- If you feel more tired and rundown than usual, make an appointment with your doctor. Chronic fatigue or weakness not attributable to other factors should be evaluated.
What are the treatment options for colorectal cancer?
Treatment for colorectal cancer varies depending on the stage and individual patient factors, but often includes a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted drug therapy. Early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes, highlighting the importance of regular screenings and awareness of symptoms.
Screening guidelines for women
Given the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in younger populations, screening guidelines have evolved to recommend earlier initiation of screenings. While guidelines may vary slightly, most medical organizations recommend regular colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 for average-risk individuals. However, women with certain risk factors, such as a family history of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, may need to begin screening earlier.
As we observe Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, it’s essential to recognize that colorectal cancer impacts women uniquely. Increased awareness, early detection, and proactive screening are crucial steps in reducing the burden of this disease on women’s health.
By understanding the signs and symptoms, advocating for timely screenings, and supporting ongoing research and education efforts, we can make significant strides in the fight against colorectal cancer for women and all individuals at risk. Let’s empower ourselves and our communities to prioritize colorectal health and save lives.
Healthy Alternatives to Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are everywhere in modern diets, from packaged snacks to ready meals. While convenient, these foods often contain artificial additives, preservatives, and refined ingredients that can negatively impact health, weight, metabolism, and hormonal balance. While this applies to everyone, it is especially important as women age, as hormonal changes can make the body more sensitive to dietary choices. Consuming ultra-processed foods may exacerbate issues such as blood sugar imbalances, increased inflammation, and weight gain, all of which can impact overall well-being during perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
Adopting an “Eat This, Not That” approach makes it easier to swap out ultra-processed foods for healthier, whole-food alternatives. By making simple changes, you can improve gut health, support hormone balance, and help reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome.
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods and Why Should We Limit Them?
The NOVA classification system categorizes foods based on the extent of their processing. It divides foods into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plain dairy), processed culinary ingredients (such as salt, oil, and sugar), processed foods (like canned beans, cheese, or homemade bread), and UPFs. UPFs go through multiple industrial processes, often containing artificial additives, preservatives, and refined ingredients that strip them of their natural nutrients. For example, a manufacturer does not process a fresh apple, processes apple sauce, and ultra-processes an artificially flavored apple snack bar.Unlike whole foods, manufacturers design UPFs for convenience but they can contribute to health issues due to their low nutrient density and high amounts of refined sugars and unhealthy fats.
Health Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods
Numerous studies link high UPF consumption to serious health risks:
- Increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes
- Higher likelihood of heart disease and high blood pressure.
- Disruptions to gut microbiota and hormonal balance, particularly in menopausal women.
- Increased mortality risk with regular UPF intake.
How to Identify Ultra-Processed Foods
Spotting UPFs is easier when you know what to look for on food labels.
- Long ingredient lists with artificial additives, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
- High amounts of refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils.
- Common examples include: Packaged snacks (like crisps and chocolate bars), instant noodles, soft drinks, flavored yogurts, processed meats (such as sausages and deli slices), sugary breakfast cereals, ready-made microwave meals, packaged white bread, sweetened plant-based milks, frozen pizzas, and bottled salad dressings.
Follow this simple rule: If you discover a product with more than five unrecognizable ingredients or substances you wouldn’t use in your home kitchen, it likely qualifies as ultra-processed.Industries often require processing these foods in ways that can’t be replicated at home. Instead, choose whole-food alternatives that contain natural, recognizable ingredients.
Eat This, Not That–Healthy Alternatives to Common Ultra-Processed Foods
One of the easiest ways to cut back on UPFs is to swap them for whole-food alternatives. Here’s a guide:
| Ultra-Processed Food | Healthy Alternative |
| Sugary breakfast cereals | Oats with fresh fruit and nuts |
| Flavored yoghurts | Plain Greek yoghurt + honey/berries |
| Processed meats (sausages, deli meats) | Grilled chicken, fresh turkey slices, tofu |
| Packaged snack bars | Homemade energy balls (dates, nuts, cocoa) |
| White bread | Whole grain sourdough, sprouted grain bread |
| Instant noodles and ready meals | Homemade soups, stir-fries, batch-cooked meals |
| Soft drinks and fruit juices | Infused water, herbal teas, coconut water (no added sugar) |
| Store-bought salad dressings | Homemade olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, tahini-based dressings |
Benefits of Whole Food Swaps
Supports gut health: Whole foods nourish beneficial gut bacteria.
- Balances hormones: Unprocessed foods help regulate blood sugar and reduce inflammation.
- Boosts metabolism: Protein-rich and fiber-filled alternatives promote satiety and sustained energy.
- Enhances nutrient absorption: Whole foods contain essential vitamins and minerals that the body can absorb more efficiently.
- Reduces inflammation: Diets rich in whole foods have been shown to lower markers of chronic inflammation.
Promotes long-term health: Whole food diets are linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
Tips to Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods in Your Diet
Incorporating wholesome, nutrient-dense meals into your diet is a great way to reduce ultra-processed food consumption. Here are some delicious meal ideas to help you get started:
Breakfast: Savoury Cottage Cheese & Herb Omelette
Lunch: Avocado and Walnut Salad
Dinner: Turmeric & Ginger Quinoa Bowl
Making small, sustainable changes can significantly impact your health. Here’s how:
- Meal prep & batch cooking: Prepping meals in advance helps avoid convenience foods.
- Read labels carefully: Choose products with minimal, whole-food ingredients.
- Prioritize protein and fiber: Whole foods keep hunger and cravings at bay.
- Opt for natural sweeteners: Honey, dates, or mashed ripe bananas are better choices than artificial sweeteners.
- Cook more at home: Simple, quick recipes make whole food eating easier.
Reducing ultra-processed foods doesn’t mean giving up convenience, it’s about making smarter choices. Small, consistent swaps can lead to significant health benefits, including better energy, hormone balance, and long-term wellness.
What does activism mean at FemmePharma?
Activism to us means speaking up for vulnerable populations, calling attention to vulnerable moments, and joining the discourse around what social supports provide safety to each other.
As a pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company providing quality products to aid women’s bodily health and comfort, we know the importance of clinical research. We rely on data to maximize our products’ effect on the women we are supporting.
Recently, the U.S. government’s Department of Government Efficiency proposed a series of cuts to research funding. FemmePharma, like our pharma colleagues, partners with academic institutions, as regular practice. Through them, we gain access to preclinical and clinical research, formulation and development, and other forms of technology transfer. The future of informed pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and healthcare, is at risk.
When academic institutions lose research funding, pharma companies like us, who rely on that data, lose. The bottom line is you—health and remedy-seeking individuals—lose bigtime, because without accurate date on you, we cannot create the products you need.
We’ve identified three areas that speak to Pharma’s critical collaboration with academic institutions.
Driving innovation & technological advancement
Universities give access to basic research, which fuels discovery. Industries use discoveries for commercialization, and they help companies maintain a competitive edge, too. The multidisciplinary approach employed by many universities means that challenges get solved through the benefit of combined expertise—a good model for industry. Academia and industry partnerships ultimately bridge the knowledge gap, creating innovative solutions for our many world challenges.
Access to expertise & talent
Universities cultivate a skilled workforce by producing graduates who are ready to drive industry growth with their specialized knowledge. These institutions offer mentorship and training programs, which help students-cum-professionals advance in their fields, and provide industry with access to researchers and students. All of this enhances research commercialization.
Translating research into practice
Collaboration is crucial in translating research into practice because it converts academic findings into actionable, commercial applications. Universities provide access to resources—and their facilities are essential for supporting extensive R&D initiatives. These industry-academia partnerships can also lead to funding opportunities through joint ventures.
What, now?
At FemmePharma, we already feel the loss. For example, one of our research partners had to lay off most of its staff, so we can’t recruit their participants for a pivotal phase 3 study. We are exploring collaboration with academic partners outside of the U.S. but are hearing concern from our allies in Western Europe—over the rhetoric and policies of our current administration.
Here’s a FemmePharma-favorite analogy: when a surgeon wants to remove a lesion, she uses a scalpel, not a machete.
We need this kind of approach to budget control, especially regarding research—keep what works and get rid of what doesn’t, because our lives depend on it. A thorough approach to structure research funding is how we can continue building the knowledge we need to support us all with solutions to live well.
P.S. Our CEO, Gerie, raised these points in a letter she recently wrote to Senator McCormick (R-PA). We encourage everyone to step into your agency and speak up for what you believe in. What do you want your elected officials to pay attention to? Use your voice and tell them!
Platonic Friendships: Building Non-Romantic Connections
When we hear the word “dating,” most of us immediately think of romance, candlelit dinners, and butterflies in our stomachs (or, if you’re like some of us, the renewed sense of anxiety that dating in midlife entails!).
But romantic dating doesn’t have to be our only option for deep connection.
What if we reimagined dating as something beyond romance? What if dating could be about finding deep, fulfilling, platonic friendships without the complications of intimacy?
For women in midlife, meaningful companionship can be just as—if not more—important than romance. As we experience shifts in our relationships, whether due to an empty nest, divorce, or simply changing priorities, the idea of non-romantic dating for friendship becomes a refreshing and exciting possibility.
Why consider platonic friendships?
As we grow older, our social circles naturally evolve. Some friendships may fade, and we may find ourselves longing for connection with people who truly get us. But making new friends as an adult isn’t always easy. That’s where the concept of non-romantic dating comes in—it’s an intentional way to seek out and cultivate meaningful platonic friendships.
Think about it: When we were younger, friendships often formed naturally through school, work, or raising kids. But in midlife, many of those built-in social structures change. Non-romantic dating allows us to put ourselves out there in a way that’s both purposeful and fulfilling.
How do I get started with non-romantic dating?
Here are a few ideas to begin dating non-romantically.
Be open to new connections: First, it’s important to adopt the mindset that new friendships can be just as enriching as romantic relationships. Be open to meeting people in new ways, whether through social groups, online platforms, or mutual connections.
Try friendship apps: We’ve all heard of dating apps, but did you know there are apps designed for platonic friendships too? Platforms like Bumble BFF and Meetup connect like-minded women looking for genuine companionship. It’s a modern, efficient way to expand your social circle.
Join local groups and activities: Finding a new hobby or joining a community group is a great way to meet potential friends organically. Whether it’s a book club, hiking group, or a local yoga class, shared interests create natural bonding opportunities.
Wondering how to get started? Here are a couple of tips:
- Make the first move. Just like in romantic dating, someone has to initiate! If you meet someone you click with, don’t be afraid to suggest a coffee date or another casual activity. The key to fostering new friendships is taking the first step.
- Communicate your intentions. When meeting new people, it’s helpful to be clear about what you’re looking for—a solid, supportive friendship rather than romance. This helps set expectations and ensures you’re on the same page.
The benefits of platonic friendship in midlife
Engaging in non-romantic dating for platonic friendship isn’t just about filling a social gap—it’s about enhancing your overall well-being. Strong friendships have been shown to reduce stress, boost happiness, and even improve physical health.
During perimenopause and menopause, having close friends who understand what you’re going through can be incredibly comforting. Whether it’s venting about hot flashes, laughing over shared midlife moments, or simply having someone to share adventures with, a strong support system is invaluable.
Redefining connection
For so long, society has placed a heavy emphasis on romantic relationships as the pinnacle of connection. But meaningful companionship comes in many forms. Prioritizing platonic friendships through non-romantic dating allows us to cultivate deep, supportive relationships that bring joy and fulfillment.
So, why not step outside the traditional dating mindset and explore new ways of finding companionship? Whether you’re seeking a new best friend, a travel buddy, or just someone to share life’s moments with, non-romantic dating could be the key to unlocking deeper, more rewarding connections.
After all, love comes in many forms—and sometimes, the most beautiful relationships are the ones that don’t involve romance at all.