I couldn’t put this one down…
I’m an avid reader …
But as of late, I’ll pick up a book, start reading it but sometimes fail to finish it. Not sure if it’s my lack of focus, if I get too easily distracted or the content just doesn’t grab me as much as it should. And so it’s another addition to my stack.
Anyhow that’s been happening to me lately… until now.
I recently read Lisa Mosconi’s book “The Menopause Brain” and I literally couldn’t put it down. By the week’s end I had read (and finished) the entire book, page turning at every opportunity I had while juggling clients, doing as usual some program design and creating content for my Menopause Mastery Program.
Of course, I initially picked up the book because of the program I’m launching this month but I never thought I’d gain so much insight and awareness about menopause.
If you’ve never heard of Lisa Mosconi (currently known as the Mona Lisa of Neuroscience) she’s a brilliant woman with her PhD in neuroscience and nuclear medicine (that’s important to me… I don’t want to read from unqualified “doctors” who make outrageous claims).
I stumbled on a podcast interview with her years ago. But now she’s making headlines with her New York Times bestseller that focuses on Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia… both of which statistically hit more women than men. This then led her to closely examine and research women’s brains in an effort to uncover why this gap exists.
She discovered that Alzheimer’s Disease is not a disease of old age, but in fact of midlife, whereby symptoms only appear in the elderly.
So she began her research to understand what only happens to women in midlife… and voila, her deep dive into menopause began. This season of hormonal fluctuations had, until recently, only looked our sex hormones in terms of reproduction and not much else.
Yet, according to Mosconi, our brains play a dynamic role in all the systems of our body.
Menopause therefore is a period of time of neuroendocrine changes… not simply the phenomenon that we can no longer get pregnant and our periods stop.
Now if you’re a woman anywhere between 30 and 70… this book is for you!
For us!
Because what you’ll learn will both fascinate you and force you to rethink this pivotal season in your life.
I don’t want to spoil the read for you, because you should grab a copy and experience it for yourself but I will share a few things that blew my mind (and brain!)
a woman’s brain is wired differently than a man’s (this you likely know I’m guessing!)
our brain is equipped with estrogen receptors… its main “driver” is Estrodial (the very form of estrogen that declines during the menopause transition)
many women experience cognitive impairment such as memory lapses, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, vasomotor symptoms (aka hot flashes/night sweats), sleep disturbances, etc. All of which are “brain functions”.
our ovaries are vey much connected to our brain!
during the menopause transition, our brain is undergoing shifts and changes… what she calls a “remodeling” or a 2.0 update to become more resilient as it adapts to change.
every woman’s menopausal experience is as unique as her fingerprint…some women have an easier ride than others.
there are many options for women from different forms of HRT, supplements and of course lifestyle changes.
exercise is one the best ways to improve brain health… duh!
our mindset… perspective, language, self-talk, plays a massive role in influencing how we will travel through this season. In other words, if we fear it with disdain and trepidation, we may in fact feel more intense symptoms (our minds are that powerful!).
Her final statement says it all… “are you losing your mind during menopause? No, you’re getting a brand new one”.
I won’t share more than this… although there’s way more that I can. Essentially, Mosconi deems this book her love letter to all women.
Since medicine, science and research have been historically male-dominated for centuries (and still today to some extent), Mosconi sets a new initiative as a scientific pioneer for women’s health.
Worth the read, especially if you are in the thick of perimenopause or even in post-menopause. I don’t think we can ever learn too much about our bodies and minds!
Coach Lisa 💪❤
