Books for Navigating Menopause
Fabulous as it is to have online resources about menopause at your fingertips, sometimes I like to curl up in a chair or soak in the tub with an old fashioned book.
When you type the words “books about menopause" into Google, a whole library’s worth of books will pop up. Amidst this bewildering array, how can you possibly pick just a few books to entertain and educate you on the subject?
Fear not.
I have done the research for you and am proud to present my top five picks including fiction and non-fiction choices all with a menopausal theme.
Menopause for Dummies by Dr. Sarah Brewer, Marcia L Jones, and Theresa Eichenwald
This book explains the various stages of the menopause and helps you understand how it can affect your body and your emotions.
Menopause for Dummies includes in-depth coverage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) while covering new developments and weighing the risks and benefits of HRT.
The book also adds advice on conventional and alternatives medicines, diet, lifestyle changes, and adopting a holistic approach for managing menopausal symptoms.
Hot Flushes, Cold Science: A History of the Modern Menopause by Louise Foxcroft
For over two thousand years, attitudes towards menopause have created dread, shame, and confusion.
This meticulously researched and entertaining book traces the history of menopause from its appearance in classical texts from medical literature of the eighteenth century and the latest clinical approaches.
Its progression from a natural phenomenon to a full-blown pathological condition from the 1700s led to bizarre treatments and often dangerous surgery.
Louise Foxcroft studies the old archives and challenges us to rethink the absurd assumptions of menopause that have persisted throughout history.
So...That's Why I'm Bonkers!: A Girl's Guide to Surviving the Menopause by Sheila Wenborne
One woman’s journey through menopause, middle-age, and madness through anecdotes, research and a recently revived sense of humor.
Shelia's physician told her that the reason she felt so lightheaded, grumpy, fat, sexually redundant, liable to burst into tears at the drop of a hat, and depressed was all due to the menopause. This diagnosis for Shelia was a complete shock.
After the shock had faded, Sheila focused on the positives and used this time to start a new chapter in her own life. So...That's Why I'm Bonkers! is filled with interesting facts, laugh out loud anecdotes, and helpful information.
Natural Solutions to Menopause: How to Stay Healthy Before, During and Beyond the Menopause by Dr. Marilyn Glenville Ph.D.
Natural Solutions to Menopause offers advice on diet, exercise, and lifestyle to keep you in optimum health before, during, and after menopause.
The book is full of natural solutions, including an informative guide about hormone balancing diets, managing menopausal symptoms, and information about HRT to help you make an informed decision.
The book also has information on how to prevent health problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease, and simple steps to healthy energy levels, body fitness and a fulfilling sex life beyond menopause.
The Second Half Of Your Life by Jill Shaw Ruddock.
This is one book that speaks to me the most.
I believe that menopause should be viewed as a time to reevaluate where you are going in life and where you want to be. This fantastic book has everything you need to start your journey of self-discovery.
The Second Half of Your Life has been heralded as one of the most influential women’s books of the decade for its groundbreaking, inspirational writing, and as a manual for women in the second half of their life.
The Second Half of Your Life aims to inspire women to rethink what it means to grow older.
Based on the science of hormones, her extensive research, and interviews, Jill Shaw Ruddock provides reliable advice on how to use the biological changes that occur around menopause to help make the second half of life, the best half.
Providing practical hands-on advice on how to harness the power of the oestrogen-free mind to make the most of the new opportunities, Ruddock covers everything from dating to divorce, exercising to eating, the libido, and looking your best.