exercise and fitness

Dr. Northrup's book, The Wisdom of Menopause, provides women with a clearly marked roadmap for making the biologically scripted transition to menopause from an informed, confidant position. Her carefully considered discussions about hormone replacement--bioidentical or synthetic, foods & supplements, libido issues, osteoporosis, breast and heart health, as well as the "Resources" section brimming with detailed information on each major topic, help arm women with the understanding and tools needed to intelligently consult with their physicians about this perfectly natural process. The pharmaceutical industry tends to encourage the misguided view that menopause is a "disease" best treated with standarized doses of synthetic hormones; ones that bolster company profits--naturally! Yet, as Doctor Northrup makes clear, transition is not a "one size fits all" experience. Women's bodies and life experiences differ tremendously; hence the logic of individualized, holistic transition programs. Thanks to caring doctors like Christiane Northrup, gone are the days of blind deference to physicians who think that a pat on the head and a prescription for synthetic hormones will get you out of their hair! Bravo Doctor Northrup! Her book should be required reading for any woman (or man, for that matter) over the age of 35.

As I hit my late 30's I began to notice changes in my life, my mood, my sex drive and even my spending habits. By themselves I didn't think it was a big deal but then I saw Dr. Northrup and Nancy Lloyd on television talking about menopause and finances, respectively. What each said really hit home.

Like a lot of women my age I was coasting through what I considered a normal life. It's not that I was unhappy but I knew that I could have felt more satisfied. This book by Dr. Northrup and "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" by Nancy Lloyd have shown me how to take charge of my life, resolve unfinished family business and start to realize some life-long dreams.

I have started taking some estrogen replacement per Dr. Northrup and have finally dealt with my finances per Nancy Lloyd.

The difference in my life and relationships is astounding. I feel like a different person. With the fear of menopause and credit card debt no longer hanging over my head I'm told I even look younger.

"THE WISDOM OF MENOPAUSE" and "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" are life changing books. I can't recommend them too highly!

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.