Book Summary

Instead of dreading menopause as a time of loss, women will hear the real message their bodies are sending--that this is a time of personal empowerment and positive energy . . . and a time for women to break free and thrive.

Dr. Christiane Northrup has become one of American women's most trusted medical advisers. In Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, she broke entirely new ground by demonstrating that women's most common medical problems are often rooted in the basic conditions of their lives--and that they can return to health by learning to listen to their bodies. She also integrated advanced medical techniques with the best natural remedies, offering readers specific guidance on choosing the right approach for themselves.

Now, in The Wisdom of Menopause, Dr. Northrup once again challenges convention. "The change" is not simply a collection of physical problems to be "fixed"--whether with hormones or herbs--but a mind-body revolution that brings the greatest opportunity for growth since adolescence. This vitally important new book examines the connection between menopause and a woman's emotional and spiritual life. And it stresses how the choices a woman makes now--from the quality of her relationships to the quality of her diet--either secure her health and well-being for the rest of her life, or put her future at risk.

Dr. Northrup draws on her own life-changing experiences--as well as on many intimate case histories--to explore the transformative power of these years. Readers will learn:

• how menopause literally rewires the brain, triggering a shift of priorities from nesting and caretaking to personal growth and equality how to listen for the wake-up calls inherent in women's cyclic nature, from PMS to SAD to menopausal symptoms
• how the body adjusts naturally to changing hormones, and how to make personalized decisions about HRT and alternative supplements
• how to rebalance metabolism shifts and prevent middle-age spread
• how to deal with the myths and realities of sexual changes and appearance issues
• how to prevent long-term health problems such as heart disease, hormone-related cancers, and memory loss