This Friday is World Menopause Day.

 

I am happy that we have some men who read this newsletter, so let’s define what this means:

 

Perimenopause - the years leading up to menopause, where estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone begin fluctuating.  Progesterone is the first hormone to decline, affecting sleep and mood, and causing cycles to become shorter.

 

Menopause - when a woman has gone 12 months without a period.  It’s one day!  Then you’re postmenopausal.

 

Perimenopause and menopause have a serious PR problem. 

 

Scroll Instagram, and it’s all doom, gloom, and memes about losing your mind. 

 

Alarmist doctors telling you that you have an estrogen deficiency that’s going to leave you with a heart attack, dementia, and bones turning to dust.

 

That certainly makes you feel excited about the aging process.

 

When I think about it, this narrative is just the final stop on what most women have been told their entire lives.

 

Your body is out of control and turning against you.

 

Your “hormones” need to be managed (suppressed) with birth control.

 

Painful and heavy periods are normal, we’re told.

 

They’re not.  They’re like a warning light on your car dashboard.

 

Pregnancy in this country is treated like a dreaded disease with so much testing and intervention.

 

I had a pregnancy that ended in miscarriage, and I was treated like a human pincushion with all the bloodwork I had done.

 

I was told at 37 that it was a geriatric pregnancy and I should seek genetic testing.

 

Don’t color your hair.

 

Don’t eat soft cheese.

 

Don’t exercise.

 

Is it any wonder I left every doctor’s appointment in tears?

 

I was made to feel like my body was completely incapable and broken.

 

My Mom had me at 39, and her Mom had her last child at 44.

 

I wonder if they were told they’re old and geriatric.

 

I’ve had pregnant pilates clients who were so afraid of childbirth.

 

When I reframed it and told them their body was highly intelligent and made to have a baby, it was a complete 180-degree shift in thinking. 

 

We’ve normalized urinary incontinence, with one in two women experiencing this.

 

Have surgery or take medication.

 

It’s just part of womanhood.  Your body is broken.  Just accept it.  There’s nothing you can do.

 

Actually, it’s not true.

 

By the time we arrive in our forties and fifties, that narrative has been so ingrained for so long that our body is simply a hormonal mess, malfunctioning and broken, or it requires intervention.

 

No wonder so many women hit their 40s already terrified of what’s ahead. 

 

Fear sells, and it’s easier to buy into quick fixes when you’re told this season of life is nothing but misery.

 

The menopause grifters are out in full force, trying to sell you supplements, skincare, weighted vests, and GLP-1s.

 

I received a PR box from Naomi Watts’ new brand, Stripes.

 

It left me wondering why we need all these special products just because we’re menopausal.

 

But the truth is, perimenopause, menopause, and aging don’t have to be awful. 

 

Hormone replacement therapy is being pushed as the only way to treat the symptoms of menopause and aging.

 

While hormone replacement therapy is a lifeline for some women, it may not work for others for various reasons.

 

You can’t out hormone poor nutrition and lifestyle choices.  

 

What stands out to me is that there’s almost no conversation about using nutrition and lifestyle changes to support women’s health as we age.

 

Excluding nutrition and lifestyle from the conversation about menopausal symptoms and aging feels like a massive oversight to me and a disservice to women.

 

When fewer than 20 percent of doctors receive any training in menopause or nutrition, it’s no wonder we are where we are in the conversation.

 

I meet women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s who tell me they want to travel, go back to school, take up a new hobby, start new work, spend time with their kids and grandkids, and have energy and vitality.  

 

Gen X and Baby Boomer women want to age well, feel good, and have energy and vitality. 

 

I’m sure you want to avoid things like type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, heart attack, and stroke.

 

These diseases are directly related to poor metabolic health and nutrition, stress, and lack of exercise and movement.

 

Hormones will not save you from a poor diet, too much stress, too much alcohol, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, or toxic relationships.

 

As you age, you can use food (notice I didn’t say dieting) as a foundation for great health.

 

Yes, hormones shift. 

 

Yes, your body asks for different care. 

 

Just because the narrative says that aging just means a slow decline into dementia and diapers doesn’t mean it’s true.

 

Remember, your body is not a problem to be solved.

 

If you’ve been neglecting your body for decades, it’s not too late to make lasting changes that will have an impact on how you age.

 

This time of life is often when perfectionism, people-pleasing, and a “yes to everything” mentality finally burn out, making room for boundaries, clarity, and genuine joy.

 

Instead of seeing it as the end of your best years, think of it as your body handing you a permission slip to live differently. 

 

We’ve been talking about how our thoughts drive our feelings.

 

I think of my paternal Grandmother, who lived to 97.

 

She had a big garden in which she grew fruits and vegetables.

 

She ate home-cooked meals.

 

She had a big social circle and told me you need friends of all ages.

 

She had a fantastic sense of humor.

 

She stayed incredibly curious about the world.

 

She was into wellness before it was a thing.

 

She had pages of handwritten notes about vitamins and supplements.

 

I can remember going to a health food store with her when I was a kid.

 

You know the ones that had a weird smell to them.

 

I never heard her say she was hormone deficient or needed a weighted vest.

 

She embraced aging. 

 

I hope you will, too.

 

If you choose to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy), I hope you'll choose very carefully who you take advice from.

 

Hormones are being handed out like candy.

 

I’d love to know what you’ve been thinking about when it comes to your body changing and aging.