Uncategorized

One of the worst symptoms about Perimenopause for me is anxiety. Did you know that one of the best way to calm anxiety is to read? Just 6 minutes a day can reduce stress by 68 percent!

Here is a nice list to get you started:

The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried and Christianne Northup

This is the first book I went digging into for answers to my confusion over what is happening to my body, and I was very glad that I bought it as a paperback. It is a lot of information about hormones and remedies and it can be a bit heavy reading it at times. It is definitely a book that you will highlight, underline, or take notes from. Dr. Gottfried explaining various hormonal imbalances, why they occur, how they affect women, and provides practical solutions to fix them. I found the book a bit chatty at time when she talks about her grandmother but it gave me great ideas about things I can do to take care of my hormones, as well as tips on how to talk to doctors; better yet, a naturopath.

Why We Can’t Sleep: Women’s New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun

This is a new one that I have yet to read but I am very much looking forward to because it has been mentioned in many recent articles. Ada Calhoun explores the new midlife crisis facing Gen X women and the unique circumstances that have brought them to this point.

It is a serious book, yet has humor, so I think it will be a nice break from all the hormone books that I have been reading up on.

The Change: Women, Ageing and the Menopause by Germaine Greer

Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life by Darcey Steinke

In Flash Count Diary, Steinke writes about aspects of Menopause that have and explores the changing gender landscape that comes with reduced hormone levels, and examines the medicalization of menopause. I am not sure that I am ready for this book yet because I think it seems to deal with the hot flash period of menopause, which is not quite perimenopause.

I really enjoy books that teach me about food, and this is one that is written for women experiencing hormonal imbalances caused by thyroid conditions, adrenal fatigue, menopause, endometriosis, fibroids, PMS, and PCOS, among others: stubborn weight gain, brain and mood issues, low energy, and more. Like with most cookbooks, you probably will not end up cooking every recipe in this book.

ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology by Stacy Sims

ROAR is a comprehensive, physiology-based nutrition and training guide specifically designed for active women. This book teaches you everything you need to know to adapt your nutrition, hydration, and training to your unique physiology so you can work with, rather than against, your female physiology. Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy T. Sims, PhD, shows you how to be your own biohacker to achieve optimum athletic performance.

Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi 

Lisa Mosconi, who is both a neuroscientist and a certified integrative nutritionist, whose research spans an extraordinary range of specialties including brain science, the microbiome, and nutritional genomics, writes about foods that are beneficial for our brain. All the while I was reading I can’t help but think about the cost of all the foods, especially the caviar, but as brain fog is one of my biggest struggles and Alzheimer one of my biggest fears of aging, I had to read this book.

The XX Brain by Lisa Mosconi

Until now, medical research has assumed that women are essentially men with breasts and tubes. In the past, the female brain has received astonishingly little attention and was rarely studied by medical researchers– resulting in a wealth of misinformation about women’s health.

Women’s Health still has a long way to go. Women are far more likely than men to suffer from anxiety, depression, migraines, brain injuries, and strokes. They are also twice as likely to end their lives suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, even when their longer lifespans are taken into account. The first book to address cognitive enhancement and Alzheimer’s prevention specifically in women–and to frame brain health as an essential component of Women’s Health.

“In The XX Brain, Lisa meticulously guides us in the ways we can both nourish and protect ourselves, body and mind, to ensure our brains remain resilient throughout our lives.”
–from the foreword by Maria Shriver
This book is available for pre-order and will be out March 10, 2020.

Any other books you are reading on this journey that has helped you? Please let us know!

October is World Menopause Month and we wanted to share the little perimenopause survey we kicked off a month ago. We have had 162 respondents thus far and while it is not a lot, the results were nevertheless illuminating.

We hope that more people will take the survey and but here is the snapshot of the main results:

We hope that you will share this information with others who are struggling with perimenopause so that they know they are not alone in this journey. This infographic only contains a brief summary; additional details in the survey are available to those who take the survey.

People may not know what it is.

There is a lack of knowledge about menopause in general and even less about perimenopause. Many women have never heard of the word perimenopause (peri- is a prefix meaning “about”), and even medical residents are barely comfortable with the topic. Technically, menopause is a medical event happens a woman has no menstruation for 12 months, but the word is also sometimes used to describe the whole process of hormone changes in midlife.

Aging is for old people

People are living longer, and women live longer than men. You hear phrases like 40 is the new 30, and age is just a number, etc. The older people get the longer they think it takes a person to reach old age. Since the stereotype for menopause is old age, most women experiencing perimenopause (which can start as early as in the late 30s) are not expecting it.

Stigma around aging

Social researchers who have consistently found that racial and ethnic stereotypes are likely to give way over time and with contact, but not those about age. social researchers who have consistently found that racial and ethnic stereotypes are likely to give way over time and with contact, but not those about age. Age bias in the workplace is a pervasive problem in spite of the passing of Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Furthermore, women face age discrimination earlier and more often than men.

Stigma around mental health

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental health stigma is “when someone, or even you yourself, views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition. Some people describe stigma as a feeling of shame or judgment from someone else. Stigma can even come from an internal place, confusing feeling bad with being bad.” Many risk factors for physical and mental health problems are beyond an individual’s control. The level of knowledge among the public regarding mental health problems is poor, and negative beliefs and attitudes are widespread. Misconceptions range from whether the person is responsible for their condition, how common it is, and that people can cure themselves by ‘pulling themselves together.’ Stigma can lead a person to avoid seeking help for their mental health problem due to embarrassment or fear of being shunned or rejected. 

Stigma around menstruation

Menstruation taboo not only is extremely prevalent in many cultures but also can affect many areas of people’s lives. Girls are taught at a young age to be private and discreet when it comes to their period. There is a significant lack of health education resources available to people about the menstrual cycle. It is this lack of knowledge that fuels myths which ostracize and humiliate women during their monthly periods. Menstruation is one of the most natural functions in the world. It is a mark of femininity and fertility, and a considerable part of life for most women. Yet, women are frequently made to feel ashamed or embarrassed just because they bleed. According to research by THINX, this shaming often comes from those closest to them.

Loss of Control

During regular reproductive years, women get used to their hormonal rhythm and flows. When perimenopause hits, estrogen level starts its descent and the rhythm and flows become disrupted. Many perimenopausal women also report having memory issues, which can be frightening and make women worry about early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Many symptoms associated with menopause – hot flashes, an increase in anxiety – are totally normal. However, when the experience of perimenopause and menopause is not well-understood and often derided, these symptoms can create not only the self-perception that she is out of control. At work, others may see her behavior as a performance issue, and such perception can result in being given less responsibility, and even in job loss.

Change is Not Fun

When you look at the potential effects of menopause and societal pressures, this period of life can sound overwhelming. Midlife is loaded with stressors – a mix of challenges between children, financial, career, getting older in a society that values youth, changes in romantic relationships, and caring for aging parents or worrying about a partner’s health. Doctors who are not well-versed with menopause may dismiss a woman’s complaints as just stress, which can even add more internalized suffering for the woman.

Stigma lives in ignorance and perpetuates suffering. Do not equate yourself with your problems or let stigma create self-doubt and shame. Join our Perimenopositive group and choose empowerment over shame.