The New Menopause Offers Tools You Need for Wellness

A book may not be able to take the place of an in-person doctor’s appointment, but The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Mary Claire Haver, MD presents an opportunity for a fresh start in how you are or will experience perimenopause (the precursor to menopause), menopause, and post-menopause, and how you approach your well-being during these stages of life. Many argue that menopause is a natural process, and we should just let it take its course. Dr. Haver believes that yes, the process is natural, but that doesn’t mean it is not harmful.

As your body naturally produces less estrogen, your risks for developing serious medical conditions—including diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease—go up. You may choose to change nothing about your lifestyle or hormonal levels to deal with these risks, but Dr. Haver believes that you should be fully informed about these risks, as well as the options for mediating them. This book will help you make informed choices about how to manage this significant change to your health.

As your body produces less estrogen, you may experience a range of strange and discomfiting symptoms, including:

• Hot flashes
• Brain fog
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• An increased risk of developing serious medical conditions such as:
  • Diabetes
  • Osteoporosis
  • Cardiovascular disease

The New Menopause is a thorough, authoritative resource that includes:

• A comprehensive A-to-Z toolkit of science-backed options for coping with more than 70 menopausal symptoms.
• Options for mediating your risks for diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain.
• Advice and prompts for how to advocate and prepare for annual midlife wellness visits and insist on whole life care.
• A tear-out symptom scoring sheet and questions to ask your doctor.
• The very latest research on the benefits and side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
• A handy hot flash diary and symptom journal to record your personal specifics.

The following pointers are a general “starter tool kit” that applies to every woman going through menopause:

• Nutrition
  • Consider intermittent fasting for anti-inflammatory benefits.
  • Use a nutrition tracking mechanism such as a Cronometer
  • At least 1.3-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day.
  • Less than 25 grams of added sugar per day.
  • More than 25 grams of fiber per day.
• Movement
  • Stretch every day.
  • Balance train every day.
  • Resistance training three days per week.
  • Cardiovascular training.
• Pharmacology
  • Consider MHT or other pharmacology as indicated.
• Stress reduction
  • Viewing sunshine increases your brain’s production of serotonin, which is linked to mood and well-being.
  • Actually touch grass to lower stress hormones and reduce markers of chronic inflammation.
  • Find additional strategies that work for you, e.g., yoga, journaling, or calling your best friend.
  • Limit alcohol intake.
• Sleep
  • Consider wearing a sleep-tracking device to better understand your sleep habits.
  • Incorporate good sleep hygiene habits.

Too often women’s menopausal symptoms are not taken seriously by their doctors. The good news is that is beginning to change now that more scientific information is available to doctors who have patients dealing with symptoms potentially related to menopausal stages of life for women. Arming women with the power to secure vibrant health, longevity, and well-being for the rest of our lives, The New Menopause will become the bible for female midlife wellness.