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The editors at Wise Passage have sorted through the hundreds of books on menopause in order to make your selection process highly efficient. We consider these books the best resources for you when it comes to midlife health and wellness.
Browse our three categories and buy online:
Menopause
| Before the Change, Taking Charge of your Perimenopause
By Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. (1998)
| According to Dr. Gittleman’s philosophy, women can avoid some of the worst symptoms of actual menopause by paying careful attention to bodily changes in the ten years leading up to it. She clearly explains what exactly perimenopause is, and what the range of symptoms can look like – from headaches to PMS to fatigue. Perhaps the book’s greatest asset is Gittleman’s do-it-yourself technique for coping with this change; her approach avoids hormones and prescription drugs, while advocating healing vitamins, herbs, minerals, and natural hormone options. She’s also a huge proponent of altering your diet to counteract pre-menopausal problems: her "Changing Diet" features recipes and other hints for including foods in your daily regimen that can improve the way you feel during perimenopause, menopause, and through the years that follow.
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| Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book
By Susan M. Love, M.D. with Karen Lindsey (2003)
| Dr. Love, a trailblazer in the field of women’s health, illuminates the great life transition of menopause in this revised edition of her best-selling book. She sees menopause not as something to be fixed or cured, but rather as a completely natural phase of a woman’s life that can often be liberating. From her no-nonsense, medical perspective, Dr. Love examines each aspect of health affected during menopause – including hormones and breasts, heart disease and osteoporosis. She gives readers ample scientific facts coupled with her own expertise as a well-respected, compassionate doctor and woman.
Citing study after study done in recent years, Dr. Love shows women the many options available to them during this phase – and offers her straightforward recommendations. For example, she advocates hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women exhibiting severe menopausal symptoms, but suggests tapering off after a few years. In her opinion, any and all hormone therapy drugs are viable options. Dr. Love also explores lifestyle changes and alternative therapies and medicines in great detail so that every reader, no matter what she’s experiencing, can find a reference point and specific help.
One true highlight here is a personal questionnaire that runs dozens of pages near the end of the book. In it, she asks readers to look closely at their symptoms, risk factors, and history in order to decide if hormone replacement therapy is right for them. It’s one of the many tools Dr. Love gives her readers – tools to ease this change and lead to a healthier and happier life post-menopause.
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| The Hormone of Desire, The Truth About Testosterone, Sexuality, and Menopause
By Susan Rako, M.D. (1996)
| Here, Dr. Rako, a Boston-based psychiatrist, tackles that most sensitive of menopause topics: sex. Midlife women commonly complain of a waning interest in sex and some report a severe loss of libido. Rako – through years of extensive research – has come to the surprising conclusion that testosterone is the answer. Just as other hormone levels dip at menopause, the testosterone produced in women’s ovaries drops dramatically during this time. Rako’s controversial stance is to advocate testosterone replacement therapy to pump up women’s sex drive. Forget the pre-conceived notion that testosterone is a “male” hormone: Rako argues for clinical studies on testosterone, and recommends supplemental testosterone for women who need it.
More research and other approaches to dealing with low libido have come forth since this book was published, so keep that in mind as you read it.
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| Menopause Guidebook
By North American Menopause Society (2003)
| Published by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), the Menopause Guidebook is an indispensable resource for women in midlife. This trusted scientific non-profit organization put together a 60-page book full of un-biased and up-to-date information for women experiencing perimenopause or menopause. It covers all the basics – such as hot flashes, hormone therapy, and osteoporosis – from a traditional medical point of view, offering readers information and encouraging them to make choices right for them. Women may find the recent facts about the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and new FDA labeling for hormones especially helpful. It’s a foolproof source that you may even want to take along with you to your healthcare provider.
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| Menopause, Naturally: Preparing for the Second Half of Life
By Sadja Greenwood, M.D. (1992)
| Dr. Greenwood, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UC-San Francisco, was one of the first Western-trained physicians to embrace natural remedies for menopause relief. Now, the notion of a holistic approach has been integrated into our paradigm of menopause – but she was a groundbreaker in shifting attitudes toward more natural “cures.” In her book Menopause, Naturally, she presents a complete set of options for dealing with menopausal symptoms naturally. To cope with hot flashes, for example, she recommends eating soy products and limiting caffeine and alcohol intake. Deep breathing and daily exercise also figure prominently here, to counteract everything from sleeping issues to mood swings. Her caring, accessible style, along with her no-nonsense practical lifestyle changes, makes this book a good starting point to learn about alternative menopause therapies. Having been written over a decade ago, some of the information is outdated, but the basics of the natural approach are still very useful.
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| Menopause Without Medicine
By Linda Ojeda (2000)
| As the title explains, this book outlines a complete non-medical approach to dealing with the menopause transition. Ojeda’s main premise is that this change of life is entirely natural and normal – NOT something to eradicate with prescriptions and hormones. She believes that American culture has unfairly portrayed menopause (and aging) as a negative experience. In her view, women can truly come into their own and achieve optimum health during this period if they have a positive attitude and the right alternative remedies. This isn’t the advice you’d probably get from your doctor, but Ojeda does base her suggestions on scientific evidence. When she recommends supplements, herbs, and soy products, she gives readers ample statistics to back up why and how these therapies ease women through menopause. This is one of the definitive bestsellers amongst the menopause literature, and it includes tables and photographs as well.
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| Mind Over Menopause
By Leslee Kagan, M.S., N.P., Bruce Kessel, M.D., Herbert Benson, M.D. (2004)
| In the introduction to Mind Over Menopause, the authors state emphatically that each woman can be her own guide through menopause – that is, if she’s willing to listen to her body, talk with her doctor, and get armed with plentiful information on the subject. Far from purporting to know what’s best for you, Drs. Kagan, Benson, and Kessel simply lay out the facts about the body’s hormonal changes and then give all kinds of options about how to deal with this transition. Tried and true mind-body techniques – such as the relaxation response combined with exercise and nutrition – are central here, and the notion of self-nurture plays a big role in the various life-balancing possibilities presented. The authors devote an entire chapter to the hormone therapy debate, then move on to discuss ways to protect your health moving forward. They wrap up the book with several in-depth chapters that explain how to use positive thoughts and attitudes to create a better outlook – about menopause and life in general.
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| Natural Hormone Balance for Women: Look Younger, Feel Stronger, and Live Life With Exuberance
By Uzzi Reiss, M.D. (2001)
| Beverly Hills-based OB/GYN Uzzi Reiss believes that one solution – bio-identical hormones – will dramatically improve most women’s transition through menopause. In this book, he explains how precise replicas of a woman’s own naturally occurring hormones (estrogen and progesterone) can be used. His method is this: with his book, help from your doctor, and a local compounding pharmacy, any woman can strike on the right combination of hormones. Though this sounds like a one-size-fits-all solution, Reiss is quite clear that personalization is the key. He wants readers to evaluate their own needs and, with the doctor, create an individualized treatment. Women who have had success with this approach report improved moods, better sleep, more sex drive, and increased energy.
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| Natural Hormone Replacement For Women Over 45
By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and John Morgenthaler (1997)
| Unnatural versions of the hormones progesterone and estrogen present health risks for all women, says author Dr. Wright. These conventional (but unsafe) therapies have been thrust upon midlife women because of the drug companies’ power and influence – and the unwillingness of doctors to explore the alternatives. Given this stance, Wright’s book empowers women to look seriously at the benefits of natural hormone replacement – what he considers to be the only safe and effective treatment for menopause. Natural Hormone Replacement For Women Over 45 provides a convincing argument that natural hormones offer all the positive results of their unnatural counterparts, but with fewer ghastly side effects or cancer risks. Wright gives readers helpful suggestions for locating a doctor who will prescribe natural hormones and a pharmacy that will prepare them. Ending hot flashes, rejuvenating one’s sex life, and decreasing chances of osteoporosis are also addressed here.
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| Screaming To Be Heard, Hormone Connections Women Suspect...And Doctors Still Ignore
By Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D. (2001)
| Dr. Vliet, a long-time women’s health advocate and founder of the HER women's health care centers in Dallas and Tucson, states unequivocally in this book that hormones are at least partially responsible for a woman’s health, balance, and well-being at every stage of life. She encourages women to trust their bodies and demand the help they need from their health care providers, especially during menopause. Here, she makes the case for HRT as a way to correct and prevent menopausal symptoms, and especially recommends hormones used in conjunction with alternative therapies. She also outlines, in great detail, the ins and outs of how hormones work within our bodies with a special emphasis on hormones and the brain. Some readers may find the abundant medical jargon and text-like format somewhat difficult, but the overall message is clear: listen to your physical body, get informed about your health situation, and don’t be afraid to ask for medical assistance.
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| The Sexy Years
By Suzanne Somers (2004)
| From exercise guru and TV star Suzanne Somers comes this informative book that details Somers’ own experience of menopause. It’s a story of her personal journey more than it is a medical resource, but Somers’ honesty and positive attitude toward mid-life health will probably inspire many women who find themselves in the same boat. Somers overcame breast cancer and passed through menopause using only natural, bioidentical hormones – and she’s an advocate of this approach for other women. Her book briefly explores how hormones work in language that’s accessible and helpful, and she also speaks with various doctors and women in the midst of menopause to round out the depth of the subject matter. Her goal is to help women reclaim who they were in their younger years, perhaps not the most realistic approach. For most midlife women, there are a number of changes that simply need to be accepted.
The Sexy Years is a good jumping-off point for those beginning to explore the topic of menopause, or for those who want to know they’re not alone during this challenging life transition.
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| The Silent Passage
By Gail Sheehy (1998)
| This pioneering bestseller was originally published in the early 1990s and has maintained its status as one of the preeminent books on menopause ever since. Even with the current onslaught of titles on the topic, Sheehy’s book stands apart, mainly because it includes interviews with over 100 women in various stages of menopause. These detailed personal stories put a face on the so-called “silent passage,” and offer readers an emotional and psychological connection to other midlife women. Sheehy balances these sections of the book with real scientific advice on how to address particular symptoms, with remedies from Chinese medicine to hormone therapy, and a sociological perspective on menopause. Though the book is updated regularly, the newest edition does not contain information on the current controversy over HRT.
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| The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change
Christiane Northrup, M.D. (2003)
| Though Dr. Northrup has long been one of the pre-eminent voices in women’s alternative healthcare, she waited until she had gone through menopause herself before writing a book about it. This may seem inconsequential, but it highlights her overarching belief: that menopause is an incredibly personal and spiritual undertaking for women, a time to be reborn and re-awakened. From this perspective, Dr. Northrup examines the whole woman – her mind, body, spirit, and emotions – in The Wisdom of Menopause.
Alternating between medical advice, personal stories, and spirituality, Dr. Northrup presents her ultra-positive and uplifting views of this phase. She believes that women need to learn to “trust the wisdom of the body” which will in turn allow the true self to emerge during the potent time of menopause. She addresses the big issues of the change – hormone replacement, pelvic health, sleep patterns, and breasts to name a few – but gives equal time to emotional well-being, relationships, lifestyle, and attitudes. For Dr. Northrup, tuning in to these factors, and listening to one’s inner voice and intuition, is central to weathering the transition.
This integrated mind-body-spirit methodology shows up throughout the book. She advocates eating well and nurturing oneself as simple yet effective precautions against breast cancer, for example. She also warns that heavy uterine bleeding may indicate that a woman is leaking her life force through unhappy relationships. Dr. Northrup offers sound medical suggestions alongside these more holistic ideas – yet it’s her alternative philosophies that truly set her apart. She humanizes menopause by making it personal, and inspires women on an emotional and spiritual level.
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Weight Management
| Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution
By Robert C. Atkins, M.D. (2002)
| The high-protein, low-carb revolution that’s recently changed the face of dieting can be attributed to this author, Dr. Atkins’. He was one of the first to put forth the radical idea that it doesn’t matter how much fat you eat if you’re trying to loose weight. Instead, carbohydrates are the enemy. This certainly flies in the face of conventional diet wisdom, but the tens of thousands who have lost substantial weight using his methods are a testament to its success. Traditional protein sources – like eggs, and meats – figure prominently in the Atkins plan and even ice cream and bacon can be eaten in moderation. This newly expanded version of his original Diet Revolution (first published more than 25 years ago) further develops the idea of carbohydrate avoidance and even includes tips on overall wellness and nutrition.
No long-term studies have been conducted on this radical approach to dieting, and there is some concern at this point that the Atkins diet might adversely affect cholesterol levels. As with all diet books and plans, finding one that works for you based on your goals and style of eating is the key. No one plan works for every woman.
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| The Fat Flush Plan
By Ann Louise Gittleman (2002)
| For dieters eager to embrace a rigorous plan for weight loss, Gittleman’s Fat Flush Plan may be just what the doctor ordered. Dense with information and quite regimented, this book outlines exactly how to loose weight by eating essential fats, balanced proteins, and quality carbohydrates. In the three-phase plan, dieters start with flax seed oil, plenty of protein in the form of meat and eggs, vegetables -- and no white flour, white sugar, margarine, vegetable shortening, artificial sweeteners, or caffeine. From there, phase 2 and 3 ease up slightly and include recommendations for daily exercise, too. Nutritionist Gittleman adds detailed nutritional analysis and numerous delicious recipes – like Cumin Sautéed Scallops and Breakfast Egg Fu Yung – to round out the plan.
As with all diet books and plans, finding one that works for you based on your goals and style of eating is the key. No one plan works for every woman.
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| Fight Fat After Forty: The Revolutionary Three-Pronged Approach That Will Break Your Stress-Fat Cycle and Make You Healthy, Fit, and Trim for Life
By Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H. (2000)
| It’s an intuitive and scientific fact that stress isn’t good for you. But did you know it can also make you overweight? In Fight Fat After Forty, author Peeke addresses the link between stress and fat – and helps midlife women stop this damaging cycle. Her thesis is simple: Women at this point in life undergo enormous physical changes; when you add the high stress levels that most of us live with, it’s a lethal combination that often leads to stress eating. Some people over-eat when they’re anxious, while others under-eat. Neither option is healthy and both lead to weight gain around the stomach area associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Peeke helps readers acknowledge the sources of these feelings and arms them with three valuable behavior modification strategies: stress-resilient nutrition, stress-resilient physical activity, and stress-resilient regrouping (or self-care).
As with all diet books and plans, finding one that works for you based on your goals and style of eating is the key. No one plan works for every woman.
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| The South Beach Diet
By Arthur Agatston, M.D. (2003) |
In the current low-carb diet craze, The South Beach Diet stands out for its stunning popularity – and also for its reasonable approach. Created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D, The South Beach Diet allows dieters to eat decent-sized portions without the starvation or quite as much self-denial as other plans. Carbohydrates are still the enemy, and bread, pasta, and fruit are highly restricted here; however, yummy meats, fish, cheeses, healthy oils, nuts, and vegetables are allowed. Agatston outlines the physiological reasons to avoid carbs in the first half of the book, explaining how foods like baked potatoes and white bread cause blood sugar surges. The most engaging part of the book, however, is the second half; in it, Agatston details his three-stage diet interspersed with truly inventive recipes from South Beach, Miami restaurant chefs.
As with all diet books and plans, finding one that works for you based on your goals and style of eating is the key. No one plan works for every woman.
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| The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom
By Dr. Phil McGraw (2003)
| Don’t expect easy answers and quick diet schemes in The Ultimate Weight Solution. As anyone who’s watched Dr. Phil on TV knows, he tackles every issue – including weight loss – with a tough love, let’s-get-brutally-honest approach. Here, he offers readers a plan that will work, but certainly not overnight. His realistic “7 Keys” method starts with owning up to your “personal truth,” or what you believe about yourself and your weight. For dieters, these internal messages are usually negative, so Dr. Phil wants people to replace them with positive, self-affirming thoughts. Next, he instructs readers to change “what you eat, why you eat, where you eat, when you eat, and how you eat,” in order to establish healthier patterns. Eating less, curbing emotional eating, establishing a support system, and getting serious about exercise are all part of the plan, too. The book includes helpful fill-in charts, self-tests, and case studies, which make it an easy to follow – and practical – weight loss guide.
As with all diet books and plans, finding one that works for you based on your goals and style of eating is the key. No one plan works for every woman.
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Health, Nutrition and Excercise
| The Core Program, 15 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life
By Peggy W. Brill, P.T., Gerald S. Couzens, Marc Witz (2001)
| “The Core Program is supposed to relieve stress, not cause it,” says physical therapist Brill -- and this statement sums up the philosophy of her book perfectly. Written from a realistic point of view, The Core Program advocates exercise and healthfulness while avoiding the self-punishment and self-denial associated with more militant workout regimens. In only 15 minutes a day, her program will improve deep muscle strength, which can elevate energy levels, prevent bone loss, and improve sleep. Brill’s method works like this: muscle groups throughout the body slowly awaken with gentle movements, and then yoga poses and lift-and-hold exercises are employed. She explains each step with written directions and photographs, making them accessible and easy to understand. Brill encourages each individual to take a few straightforward tests, then decide the appropriate level of exertion. All in all, The Core Program provides a practical approach to fitness that nearly anyone could find useful.
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| Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s Guide to Good Health: For Women over Forty
By Nancy L. Snyderman, M.D. (1996)
| | “Good Morning America” medical correspondent and respected surgeon Snyderman takes the wide-angle view of women’s health after 40 in this book. Though menopause is the hot topic for women entering their forties, Snyderman touches on nearly every possible health concern during this stage in life -- and beyond. Her health manual covers pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, sexuality, cancer, heart disease, and how aging impacts the body, just to name a few. The author details symptoms, treatments, and questions to ask your doctor for any health issue. The information here based on traditional medicine is user-friendly and easy to digest; Snyderman’s Guide to Good Health is a handy and practical guide with a wide range of information. |
| Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best
By Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D. (1999)
| Somer, the nutritional correspondent on Good Morning America, was ahead of her time when she first published this groundbreaking book about food and mood. She asserted that there was a very direct relationship between what we eat and how we feel, and now a decade of serious nutritional research backs up what she was saying all along. In this book (which has been updated to include the newest research), Somer tells us what a balanced diet can do for our physical and mental states. Do you want to beat stress and fatigue, and improve brain function and your ability to sleep? This excellent book gives you concrete suggestions, along with delicious recipes, that will help in all these arenas. Eat right and feel good – it’s a simple idea that Somer details for those interested in improving their overall well-being.
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| For Women Only: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Sexual Dysfunction and Reclaiming Your Sex Life
By Jennifer Berman, M.D., and Laura Berman, Ph.D. (2001)
| | Nearly half of all women suffer from some sort of sexual dysfunction during their lifetimes, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. The causes of these problems in the bedroom -- from menopause to medical issues or arousal disorders – are the focus of this sensible book written by two sisters who happen to be experts in this area. As co-directors of the renowned Women's Sexual Health Clinic at Boston University Medical Center, the authors have learned that most sexual dysfunctions have a strong physical component, most often brought on by a large physical change (like menopause). Here, they offer a clear explanation of sexuality over a woman’s life cycle along with a detailed social history of female sexuality. They take the fear and anxiety out of talking about sex problems, providing practical solutions in a straightforward style. |
| Healing Mind, Healthy Woman: Using the Mind-Body Connection to Manage Stress and Take Control
By Alice Domar, Ph.D. and Henry Dreher (1996)
| Your mind and thought patterns may be more powerful than traditional medicine when it comes to your health, says Dr. Domar. Healing Mind, Healthy Woman explores this notion in-depth, addressing the fact that many women suffer from a negative self-image, having integrated our culture’s less-than-positive stereotypes of women. This spiral of unhappy thoughts wreaks havoc on a woman’s body and well being – and Dr. Domar and co-author Dreher guide readers through ways to invert this equation. She outlines the solid medical facts behind mind-body techniques, and then shows how real women used these positive-thought based methods to help with eating disorders, menopause, and PMS. As a pioneer in the field of the mind-body connection (especially when it comes to illness), Domar has seen through years of research that emotions play a vital role in recovering from illness and staying healthy.
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| Kathy Smith’s Moving Through Menopause: The Complete Program for Exercise, Nutrition, and Total Wellness
By Kathy Smith (2002)
| Fitness coach Kathy Smith tapped into her own personal experience of menopause when assembling this how-to guide for total wellness in midlife. She wisely tackles the three most common and pressing issues during the Change: hormone problems, a desire to achieve more meaning in life, and continuing good health. Moving Through Menopause touches on HRT and alternative therapies, Kegel exercises and sex life, but the highlight of the book is definitely her workout recommendations. Complete with photos that explain the low-impact, strength-building exercises (often based on yoga and Pilates), Smith shows readers how to get in shape without overdoing it. She’s been described as “every woman’s health coach,” and indeed, many women will find her approach gentle, caring, and easy to follow.
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| Minding the Body, Mending the Mind
By Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. (1987)
| Joan Borysenko spent years researching the mind-body connection, and discovered that thoughts and feelings affect our physical well being in dramatic, undeniable ways. Through her innovative work at the Mind/Body Clinic at Harvard Medical School, Borysenko came up with a methodical program that uses the mind’s power to improve health. Minding the Body, Mending the Mind is the fascinating result of her endeavors. In the book, she draws on her background of neurology, immunology, and psychology to help readers achieve greater control over health issues. She found that by using meditation, breath control and stretching exercises, and mindfulness, her patients’ stress was eased and they began to heal more quickly. Borysenko encourages readers to employ these techniques – and they, too, will reduce stress and begin to heal themselves.
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| Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide of Mind-Body Techniques
By Peggy Huddleston (2002)
| | Facing any type of surgery can feel scary and uncertain, but here’s the good news: the use of mind-body techniques can help you to feel calmer before surgery, use 23-50% less pain medication, and even heal faster. In this book, author Huddleston arms people going into surgery with proven methods for making the experience less worrisome. Her program includes multiple steps, which are used in hospitals across the U.S. Patients first employ relaxation techniques before entering the hospital, which “creates the biochemistry that enhances healing.” Next, guided imagery is used to change anxiety into healing images. Huddleston also recommends that a person surround herself with a support network of friends and family who will be present right before the surgery. The last step incorporates “Healing Statements,” or positive words spoken by the anesthesiologist during surgery. |
| Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness
By Marilyn Hughes Gaston, M.D. and Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D. (2001)
| In this informative guidebook, Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Marilyn Hughes Gaston and clinical psychologist Gayle K. Porter share their midlife wisdom with other African American women. The fact that African American women are at higher risk for many preventable midlife diseases (diabetes, heart disease) inspired the authors to address this topic -- and offer advice about caring for yourself during this change of life. Like most women in this age demographic, African American women have been especially busy taking care of everybody else; Prime Time suggests putting the priority on your own health and well-being. The authors see midlife as the perfect opportunity to examine where you stand, and make the right changes to ensure physical, mental, and spiritual wellness moving into the later stages of life. The book also includes remedies, self-tests, personal stories, and resources for further reading.
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| Say Goodnight to Insomnia
By Gregg D. Jacobs, Ph. D. (1998) |
There’s nothing more frustrating and exhausting than NOT getting the sleep you need each night. In this book, Dr. Jacobs – an insomniac himself – offers specific ways to avoid sleepless nights without using sleeping pills or other medication. His six-week insomnia-eliminating program was perfected at Harvard Medical School, where Jacobs is a professor. In his regimen, restless sleepers are first asked to keep a sleep diary, detailing their sleep habits and attitudes toward sleep in general. Then, using biofeedback, relaxation, and positive thinking, he guides readers through a re-formation of healthy sleep patterns. Studies of Jacobs’ methods have shown that sleep is improved in 100% of insomniacs, 90% reduce or eliminate their use of sleep medications, and 75% become normal sleepers. Jacobs’ methods don’t cure insomnia overnight, but with some persistence, patience, and adherence to his ways of re-framing the sleep experience, even the most agitated sleepers will find peace.
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| Self-Nurture: Learning to Care for Yourself As Effectively As You Care for Everyone ElseBy Alice Domar Ph.D., and Henry Dreher (2000)
| | How much time do you spend taking care of other people’s needs? And how much time do you devote to your own spiritual, emotional, and physical health? According to Dr. Domar, most women neglect themselves in favor of making everyone else happy and comfortable. But this everybody-else-first mentality has a tendency to backfire, leaving women stressed out and unable to function well. The author’s remedy is utterly simple: make time for yourself. If this seems a lofty goal, Domar lays out a strategy in her book that makes getting in touch with what you want a pleasing exercise. The book is separated into seasonal sections, in which readers follow a self-love regimen based on winter, fall, summer, and spring. Ultimately, each season’s activities include physical exercise, relaxation, meditation, yoga, and working toward a positive self-image and a connection with your higher power. It’s a recipe for a more balanced life that can especially benefit midlife women. |
| Strong Women Stay Young
By Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. and Sarah Wernick (2000)
| This book’s claim to “Turn back the clock in just two at-home sessions per week” is perhaps an overstatement, but its underlying principles are valid: through consistent exercise, women can keep fit and feel young. “Youthfulness,” according to author Nelson, involves dense bones, increased flexibility, strength, and energy. All of these can be achieved through regular physical training – even if you’re no longer chronologically young. Nelson’s specific program involves uncomplicated, safe exercises that can be done standing or seated and don’t require workout clothes. She recommends two sessions every week in order to see results, and includes a log to chart your progress during the critical first few weeks. With her no-nonsense methods, women can enhance how they look and feel, a good way to stay “young” indeed.
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| Strong Women, Strong Bones: Everything You Need to Know to Prevent, Treat, and Beat Osteoporosis
By Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. and Sarah Wernick (2000)
| This installment in the reliable Strong Women series sets out to educate women about bone health. Almost everyone knows that osteoporosis happens as women age, but what causes it? And what can we do about it? Here, Dr. Nelson dispenses a wealth of knowledge concerning how bones grow, how to assess your osteoporosis risk factors -- AND how to include weight-bearing exercises and bone-friendly nutrients in your day-to-day life. It turns out that most women start loosing bone mass around age 35, but the resulting osteoporosis is almost entirely preventable and treatable. Strength training, weight-bearing aerobic exercise, stretching, and balance are central to keeping your bones strong. Healthy eating of a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables, soy, high-calcium foods, and calcium-vitamin D supplements also promotes solid bones.
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| Super Nutrition for Menopause
By Ann Louise Gittleman (1998)
| As the self-proclaimed “First Lady of Nutrition,” Gittleman has written more than 20 books about the importance of choosing food wisely for long-lasting health. She’s been on Dr. Phil, acted as nutritionist to the stars, and was recently named one of the top 10 nutritionists in the U.S. by Self magazine. In Super Nutrition for Menopause, she turns her attention to midlife, sharing her vast knowledge with menopausal women. Her plan for women in this stage of life centers around the “big” two wellness issues – diet and exercise. Gittleman talks about the link between our health habits (what we eat and how we keep fit) and the unpleasant physical symptoms of menopause as well as disease prevention. Through a medically based diet and workout program, this book addresses the very particular needs of women going through the Change.
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| When Food Is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy By Geneen Roth (1989)
| | Exploring and eliminating food addiction has long been Roth’s professional mission, and she addresses the topic once more in her fourth book on the subject. Roth based When Food Is Love on the seminars she holds in her Berkeley, California home; there, women take on the notion that being thin does not equal being happy. Working through this concept, Roth offers up her own story, in which her deprived childhood led to depending on food for emotional comfort. She’s certainly not alone in this behavior, and she includes many personal stories from her clients that will soothe any reader struggling with any kind of eating disorder. |
| Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through YogaBy Amy Weintraub (2004)
| | Tired of taking antidepressants? Then this book may be for you. Author Weintraub gives her readers a more holistic solution to treating depression – with minimal use of prescription drugs – in Yoga for Depression. She believes that antidepressants only treat the symptoms of depression, without addressing the entire person – her body and spirit, along with her mind. The ancient practice of yoga incorporates deep breathing, meditation, and inverted poses (those done with your head down), all of which alleviate stress and release energy stored up in the body. Through a consistent practice, these techniques have helped Weintraub and her students deal with their own chronic depression. Though specific exercises are explained throughout the book, the author recommends that readers find a yoga class where they live, and a teacher who can properly instruct them in these poses. |
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