Book Review: The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter
Looking for a one stop resource for all things menopause? Dr. Jen Gunter covers it all to help you prepare for midlife, menopause and beyond.
Looking for a one stop resource for all things menopause? This comprehensive book might be what you’re looking for. Dr. Jen Gunter covers just about any topic you might want to read about with clear language, medical science, and a dose of feminism.
There has been so much silence and misinformation around women’s bodies. And what isn’t shrouded in silence is skewed toward the negative cultural narrative and body shaming. Women tell me all the time that they lack the education needed to navigate the changing seasons their body goes through. As a result, they experience so much anxiety and uncertainly that it can be difficult to see their way clearly or understand the options available to them.
This book will help prepare you with the information you need before you get to the menopause transition or while you are in it. Gunter, a seasoned obstetrician and gynecologist, separates fact from fiction in a conversational voice that is easy to read. Along the way, she also shares parts of her own journey through the menopause. And don’t let the length scare you away. There is a helpful index to easily look up the topics you are interested in, and you can skip subjects that don’t pertain to your own situation.
As the author says,
“THE ONLY THING PREDICTABLE ABOUT MENOPAUSE IS ITS UNPREDICTABILITY.”
Education goes a long way toward navigating the unpredictable and helping you make good health decisions that are right for you.
*Here’s an episode about Midlife, Menopause & Beyond on the Permission for Pleasure Podcast.
Note: This blog includes affiliate links from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn money from actions readers take on these links, such as a click or purchase. However, this is a book that I recommend fully and have purchased myself.
Book review: 'Mother's, Daughter's and Body Image' by Hillary McBride
This book provides nourishing practices and language for women to examine unhealthy narratives and replace them with healthy ones. McBride has been an excellent teacher for me and I always learn something from her that is both thoughtful and useful. Her book is a gentle guide for women who desire to re-examine the old scripts over their bodies and embrace a new one.
This beautiful offering from Hillary McBride is one I give as a gift often, and highly recommend to women of all ages. McBride has been an excellent teacher for me over the past several years through her writings and interviews. I always learn something from her that is both thoughtful and useful for my life. I find her to be a wonderful guide for women who desire to re-examine the old scripts over their bodies and embrace a new one.
Along with true stories of young women and their mother’s, the author shares her own story of “recovery from an eating disorder, and how her struggles led her to dream of a new vision for womanhood—from one without body shame, negative comparisons, or insecurities, to one of freedom, connection, and acceptance.”
I agree with McBride that, “Sociocultural messages inundate our dialogues about what it means to be a girl or woman.” This book provides nourishing practices and language for women to revisit unhealthy narratives and replace them with healthy ones. It will help to guide you toward the eye-opening realization of just how often we unknowingly participate “in our own objectification to try to ensure our worth.” It will assist you in a gentle way, to give yourself permission to embrace a different way.
In her words, “This all makes me think about what would happen if I was able to love myself, my body, the parts and the whole, in the way that I love other people? What if as women we could dedicate ourselves to practice kindness and care towards ourselves in the way that we are often so good at being kind and caring to those around us?”
I have found much needed freedom through the words in this book. I am now kinder and gentler toward myself. My hope is that you will find that freedom too.
* To hear more from Hillary on this topic, listen to our conversation on the Permission for Pleasure Podcast: Learning to Listen to Your Body.
Note: This blog includes affiliate links from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn money from actions readers take on these links, such as a click or purchase. However, this is a book that I recommend fully and have purchased myself.