A few months ago I realised that I’d had several chats with several different friends about various perimenopause symptoms. It seemed that the time for my body to start changing was creeping up on me and I didn’t really know much about it.
It’s not something that I’d really thought about and until more recently, it wasn’t something that was widely talked about. Which is madness when you think that half of the population have to deal with it. It made me want to understand it all a bit more, so I did what I always do when faced with something new, I got a book about it. Or two or three.
I think that these are the best books to read all about the menopause, so take a look if you’d like to know more too…
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The first book that I went for was this one, Menopausing.
Menopausing by Davina McCall
It’s a great book for walking you through lots of perimenopause symptoms, explaining how it works, HRT methods and people’s real life experiences.
It focuses a lot on HRT and the different types you can choose and how they all work. It’s definitely pro-HRT, whilst not being in your face about it.
It is easy to understand and take in, and I really liked how it was all laid out.
If you are looking for a book that explains the perimenopause and menopause in easy terms, are open to or planning to use HRT, then I’d say this is the book for you, and you probably won’t need another.
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I was happy with this one and I had no plans to read any more. I knew what I was looking out for, and I knew what I wanted to do when the time came.
Of course, then along came breast cancer to throw a spanner in the works.
I can no longer have any form of hormones in my body, so HRT is off the table for me.
Given that my plan was to handle everything with this, I have had to go back to the drawing board and look into other ways to help me navigate these changes.
I am looking for ways to help my body handle the symptoms well and then strengthen it where possible as I am aware of the long term effects of not only lessening and blocking hormones, but also hormone therapy. This led me to this book, Next level.
Next Level by Stacy T Sims
I got this book as I spotted someone recommending it for those of us with breast cancer. Of course you don’t have to have that to benefit from this! She was simply suggesting it as it talks about, but doesn’t rely on HRT.
This book is for active women, and in most of the examples, they are way more active than I am! I have put that aside and taken what I need from this book to adapt it to my life and fitness.
I found this one really good for better understanding exactly what our hormones are doing, both pre and post menopause.
It is thorough in explaining all of the effects that our changing hormones have, and then explaining the science behind what we can do about it with practical suggestions.
I really liked the way this one was written, I found it empowering, motivating and it made me feel that I was able to make changes that would benefit me hugely in the long term.
If you’re active and want to remain so, are looking to improve your fitness to support menopause or are interested in understanding the science, this one is for you.
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When browsing, I spotted this, The Natural Menopause, my third and final recommendation.
The Natural Menopause Method by Karen Newby
Firstly, this is a beautiful hardback book. It almost feels relaxing simply picking it up and opening it!
This one briefly mentions HRT, but focuses much more on nutrition to help us to navigate our changing hormones. The author is a nutritionist and she runs specialist menopause clinics and workshops.
It does explain the role of our hormones and how they are changing, and it then goes on to talk about nutrition and practical lifestyle changes we can make to benefit us.
I like how the lifestyle tips are sprinkled throughout, this feels like a self help and self care guide with useful and reasonable suggestions for what we can do.
It is well laid out, easy to follow, thorough and packed full of sections called ‘small shifts’ with handy tips and swaps we can make to improve how we are feeding and looking after our bodies.
If you are keen to understand the perimenopause and menopause and what you can do in your life to better adjust, without relying solely on HRT, then this is the book you want.
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Overall, I am glad that I have read all three. They have all come at it from a different angle and all have shared useful advice and explanations.
Having read Menopausing, I felt a little lost when I realised I wouldn’t be able to have HRT, but I now feel more empowered and ready to take on my hormone therapy and menopausal changes.
I hope this has been useful for you, do let me know if you read any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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