Puberty in reverse – Welcome to menopause! Like those tumultuous adolescent years, you may feel like a tourist in your own changing body. And it’s not necessarily a fun destination, with hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, and the longer-term dangers of osteoporosis and increased heart disease risk.
But are we thinking about menopause all wrong? In this episode, Ruby and Anne welcome back TWP alum Dr. Michelle Tollefson. Board certified OB-GYN, professor, advocate for lifestyle medicine and women’s health, and co-author of PAVING a Woman’s Path Through Menopause and Beyond, breast-cancer survivor (and thriver) Michelle Tollefson knows how dramatic the effects of menopause can be.
Even worse, there’s not much out there in terms of good, science-based information to help women navigate the changes in their bodies.
Menopause is a profound change — it’s not just the end of periods — and women can begin the process much sooner than they think. Knowing that, women can start preparing for menopause much sooner; this can, for many, make the transition easier and healthier. And for those already in the thick of it, it’s not too late — there are ways to ease the physical, mental, and emotional impacts.
The “PAVING” in the title stands for physical activity, attitude, variety, investigation, nutrition, and goal-setting. These tools, plus the PAVING “STEPSS” (stress reliance, time outs, energy management, purpose, social connection, and sleep) really can help women experience menopause in a healthy, supported, goal-centered way.
Maybe menopause isn’t something to dread, and maybe there’s more joy to be had than the ability to wear white jeans any day of the month?
Learn more about Dr. Tollefson, the PAVING process, and the whole team behind it at https://www.pavingwellness.org/. And as always, please listen, rate, review, and SHARE the podcast with others you think can benefit as well. You can find more about hosts Ruby and Anne and Seattle Reproductive Medicine at https://thewholepineapple.com/.
Want to learn more about the Seattle Reproductive Symposium in April 2023? Early bird pricing through March 27 at seattlereproductivesymposium.com.
