[.ca] The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional ... (ISBN 0553804898)

From Amazon.com:
Menopause doesn't have to be a dreaded curse of aging during which we can look forward only to hot flashes and whacked-out hormonal mood swings. According to Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom), menopause often marks the beginning of a woman's most sexually passionate, creatively inspired, and professionally productive phase of life. While this may sound like wishful thinking, Northrup backs up her good news with solid medical expertise. As an obstetrician and gynecologist, Northrup has specialized in using a mind-body approach to women's health for decades, which means she doesn't just write about hormones, but also examines how a woman's lifestyle, emotions, and beliefs are affected by menopause. With the right diet, attitude, and perhaps some supplements along the way, women can actually look forward to a resurgence of energy and a revolutionary opportunity for personal growth--one that rivals the hormonally driven period of adolescence in its scope and urgency, she claims. And yes, at just under 500 pages, The Wisdom of Menopause does explain how to have a positive and healthy menopause in concise detail. Northrup has indeed "written the book" on menopause. It helps that Northrup has been through menopause herself (she vowed she wouldn't write a book on it until she was on the other side). Readers have the sense that they are gleaning advice from a knowledgeable holistic doctor as well as a sage aunt whose life was radically altered by the "change of life" (Northrup divorced at the onset of menopause). After she shares her personal story of "the change," Northrup delves into a significant discussion on how self-sacrifice catches up with women in midlife. Suddenly, hormones are directing women out of the caregiver role and into an inwardly focused assessment of life and its meaning, she explains. Resentments (not hormones) are what spur the notorious surges of anger, as women reexamine the agreements surrounding their relationships with colleagues, friends, and family members. From here, Northrup guides readers into a thorough section on menopausal hormone changes--a discussion that is scientifically informative, yet entirely accessible. While acknowledging the need for hormone-replacement therapy and the tremendous relief it can provide (helping to alleviate insomnia, hot flashes, and depression), Northrup encourages women to avoid synthetic hormones and instead consider "bioidentical" hormones (such as estradiol, estrone, and estriol). She also devotes an entire chapter to foods and supplements that support hormonal balance. By the way, she says to skip the wild Mexican yam creams: "they certainly don't provide the documented benefits of progesterone." Be warned: some readers may find the advice in Wisdom of Menopause too alternative for their liking. For example, in her discussion on insomnia, one of Northrup's recommendations is to cover the mirror at night, following the ancient Asian design principles of feng shui. (Skeptics will find Northrup's medical assertions carefully cited and footnoted in the rear of her book.) Northrup gives a solid and practical diet plan that supports hormonal balance while countering the weight gain that so frequently plagues menopausal women ("focus on portion size, not calories," "eat protein at every meal," and cut down on refined and high-carbohydrate foods). Readers can also expect a thorough mind-body discussion in subsequent chapters that cover breast health, bone loss, and cultivating midlife beauty, along with chapters titled "Sex and Menopause: Myths and Reality" and "Creating Pelvic Health and Power." She concludes with a list of mail-order and online resources, such as retailers for bioidentical hormones, progesterone cream, Chinese herbs, soy products, weight-loss audiocassettes, lubricants, and Kegel weights. Northrup takes a truly comprehensive approach to all the effective treatments of menopausal symptoms so that women can make their own highly informed and wise choices. --Gail Hudson

Menopause is more than hot flashes, night sweats and HRT:
This book was recommended to me by a holistic therapist when I was talking about all the chaos that has decended into my life. She said that "its part of menopause" and refered this book. She was so right. From the moment I started reading it, I started identifying with a lot of the things that she was saying. In reading many of the other reviews, I feel that most the one star people never got beyond the first few chapters. They never saw the indepth discussions on building bones, the discussions on why you start gaining weight even though you haven't changed your diet or excercise, or the discussion of heart health. They were turned off by her discussions of her personal life and experience...everyone of which mentioned the tarot card references which were such a small part and only mentioned in the beginning! I thought it made her more human. Nor did I feel she was telling us to ditch everyone in our lives. What I picked up and what I really do feel is important is that we need to constantly reevaluate our live, keep what IS working and change (not neccessarily discard)what isn't and unfortunately, most of us don't do that till our lives go haywire. Menopause is a major haywire occurances. One of the things that drew me to the book and her attitude is that she approaches everything from an 'understand what is happaning, understand your options, decide what is best for you' point of view. In particular, in this 'here take a pill for that' world we live in, her change your lifestyle first and if that doesn't work, then let's look at the medication and surgical answers was very refreshing. Menopause is so much more than hot flashes and night sweats and to have one book that goes into all the health issues (physical, mental, and emotional) that we face in this stage of our lives was extremely helpful to me. I highly recommend this book...and if you don't want to hear about her personal experiences, skip Chapter 1, and only want to deal with the medical part, start with Chapter 4.

2 Extraordinary Books for Mid-Lifers:
I have been educating myself about menopause since I hit 40. This book covers everything I discovered plus gives a spiritual side that medical literature never covers. It is full of excellent practical advice. Dr. Northrup combines traditional medicine with other "medicines" in a nice balance. "THE WISDOM OF MENOPAUSE" and Understanding: Train of Thought are life changing books. I can't recommend them too highly!

Informative & Very Up to Date:
This book has given so much insight & so much hope that you can't imagine. I was suffering from depression and treated for it without realizing it was only a symptom for my "ride" with Menopause. Christiane gives the bigger picture for a variety of individuals, just not herself. Her personal experience with menopause added to the book. She had to experience change with a divorce, I had to experience change with a change in work and lifestyle. Boy do I feel better about myself & how my body is changing. The depression was my body telling me "change". Unfortunately, as humans, we are resistent to change, but it will make menopause a lot easier for those that do. Change is not the same for everyone. She has been quick to update her book with newer treatments & research. The tarot cards "issue" is just her experience. She does not promote it anywhere else in the book. I found that this experience shows that she is not the traditional doctor that has blindfolds on. Menopause has become a dirty word to women in the 2nd part of their lives. It is hardly mentioned, just like menstruation was when we were younger. We need to get our heads out of the sand & realize that times are changing & so are we & change doesn't have to be bad.

Medical Information or Rage Against Men:
While this book has some very helpful and interesting things in it (i.e., herbs, Chakras, tarot, etc.), I couldn't help feeling a thread of anger directed towards men. It took away from the book. I think we have to be very careful of going from one extreme to another--the one case of being/feeling subservient to men to the other case of being completely separated from men. In my opinion, either extreme is very unhealthy. While it would also be unhealthy for people to stay in relationships that are debilitating to EITHER partner, it would also be unhealthy to cut people out of our lives because of our hormones. (Although if I've understood Dr. Northup correctly, it's not just the hormones, but also the baggage we carry that's part of the problem.) Perhaps when we feel comfortable in our own feminity, we won't feel threatened by men. This being the case, the book should have a different title, as it's misleading, in my opinion. You think you're going to read about how to deal, accept and/or handle menopause, and instead you get a bunch of what I call "ranting."

Helthy read for Everyone!:
This book provides information that is quite useful to all. There is information on mental health and much more. In short, a good book to augment your life and overall well being! See also "Fluctuating Life" and "Quest For a Dream - A Life Committed to Progress" All great books with different subject matter.