Menopause
Dr. Mary Claire Haver: How to Navigate Menopause & Perimenopause for Maximum Health & Vitality
Date: 6/3/2024
Run time: 2 hours 18 minutes
The R&F Digest:
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, M.D. is a board-certified OB/GYN and an expert on women’s health and menopause. This episode provides a holistic overview of what actually happens during perimenopause and menopause. It helps normalize the extreme side effects (hello actual chaos) that many women face, connecting these to what is happening in the body/brain and how lifestyle can hurt/aid these side effects. In short, women are essentially in a bouncy house for 7-10 years with complete dysregulation that significantly impacts physical and mental health. And there is almost zero funding being put into this radical time/transformation. But, there are things you can do to reduce the impact on your life and health.
Key takeaways:
What is menopause and perimenopause?
Menopause is defined as not having menses for 1 year - essentially ovarian failure which means you have no more eggs and very little sex hormones. The average age is 51-52 years (although “normal” is 45-55) while perimenopause begins 7-10 years before, start time is highly genetic so look to your mom/aunt/grandma for when they started. While you cannot alter the time when you start this process, the older you are, the better.
Most women think that menopause brings all the classic symptoms, but most of the chaos (or as Dr. Haver puts it the “zone of chaos”) takes place in perimenopause - so really your late 30s or early 40s. Prior to this point your body works like clockwork, sex hormones are sending signals and the body is responding. As egg quality and volume drops, the signals are not working as well - it’s like that failed game of telephone. As a result, sex hormones are all over the place which leads to all sorts of havoc. Once your eggs are gone (menopause) the chaos actually settles down with the new normal. During the aging process (men and women) our bodies will fight to lose muscle and bone naturally, but menopause adds an additional obstacle for women, making this fight even harder.
What can I expect with perimenopause?
Listen ladies, pretty much ALL the things in our midlife are due to this chaotic transition. So take a deep breath and 1) know that you are NOT alone and 2) you are not crazy/broken 3) there are things you can do!
Shift in mental health (anxiety and depression) 40% increase of mental health disorders!
Brain fog / executive functioning (1 in 5 will quit jobs; this makes me sad that women are losing confidence in themselves during this time)
Lack of sleep (due to hot flashes and anxiety) - which impacts so many other things
Abnormal periods
Fatigue
Musculoskeletal symptoms - joint pain
Heart palpitations
Visceral fat increase
Weight / body composition changes - with this comes less muscle which means lower metabolism (it’s all connected!)
Sexual dysfunction
What can you do to support yourself before (in your 30s and 40s) during (perimenopause), and after menopause?
Diet - lack of estrogen creates more inflammation in our bodies. Eating a diet that is anti inflammatory (think low in sugars and processed foods, high in fiber and protein) will support your body. Women generally lack enough fiber and protein in their diets. She mentioned the Galveston diet which is a variation of the mediterranean diet.
Sleep hygiene - that second glass of wine might be tempting but as many of you might already know, alcohol greatly impacts sleep and this only increases as we age.
Exercise - Dr. Haver talks about the importance of strength training and even wearing a weighed vest (I’m considering this!) when exercising or even doing chores around the house.
HRT - Hormone replacement therapy, while still controversial, Dr. Haver is a fan of this for the long term. If your curious about HRT, and/or are experiencing many of the issues above, which are impacting your quality of life, I’d listen to the whole podcast for more details.
She also talks about other things like taking creatine, vaginal estrogen, testosterone (to help with osteopenia), collagen (Fortibone is a brand she sells) and progesterone (orally at night to slow brain/neuroreceptors).
Personal side note: I’ve been taking HonoPure which is an extract from Magnolia Bark to aid in neuro relaxation before sleep. While vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) manifest as physical, it’s actually a neurotransmitter imbalance. I’ve found this supplement to work well for me which was recommended by my naturopath.
Educate your partner - they most likely have no idea what you are going through. Ask them to listen to this podcast or read articles that explain what is taking place. Communicate and share how you are feeling.
Again, most importantly, you are not alone in dealing with these major changes. And there continue to be more people like Dr. Haver who are using their voice to advocate and educate on behalf of women, and the second half of life
