Book Review: Hot and Bothered

Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again by Jancee Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a guide for women in their 40s and 50s as their bodies transition through menopause. Author Jancee Dunn shares her personal experience, others’ stories, resources, and recommendations. She incorporates advice from experts backed by scientific studies. This book is recommended to all women so they can be informed, prepared, and navigate what’s ahead.

There are 10 chapters plus a conclusion covering various symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, treatment options, and survival tips. If you have symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, this book will help you identify, address, and move forward in the best possible way.

Dunn offers the following summary of the highlights:
· Be mindful of internalizing what’s known as “gendered ageism”
· Tell loved ones exactly what is going on
· Don’t cover up, minimize, or deny
· Do not randomly Google your symptoms
· Realize that your usual beauty routine may change
· Get moving
· Get support outside your doctor’s office
· Be aware that one treatment may address multiple symptoms
· See a menopause specialist (pp. 191-212)

The research-based, scientifically sound information is approachable. The author weaves her personal experiences with thoughtfulness and humor; the book is helpful and relatable. The recommendations are clear and easy to understand.

If you prefer a textbook or academic tone, you may be disappointed.

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Book Review: Natural Menopause

This book explores the management of menopause through herbal remedies, aromatherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutrition, exercise, and hormone replacement therapy. The underpinning message is to live a healthy lifestyle, which will impact not only the transition through menopause but also the quality of a long healthy life. I recommend the book to women in their late 40s as a resource to feel informed about choices to support the body physically and mentally.

This book is attractively organized with subtitles, boxed-out information, and illustrations. It serves as a great resource to learn more about various options that you hear about, your friend recommends, your doctor is considering, etc. Throughout, there are great tips that are easy to implement. For example, to save time and be less distracted, I was inspired to turn off alerts on my phone and unfollow many people on Twitter and Instagram. I also appreciate their general lifestyle advice: avoid highly processed foods, reduce sugar intake, cut out saturated fats found in manufactured foods, eliminate caffeine, cut out alcohol, and minimize stress (p. 130). There is a good explanation of the macronutrients: protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

Before trying herbal remedies, essential oils, and supplements, be sure to consult a professional on what to take, possible interactions with medications, etc. The book is a resource and should not be taken as medical advice.

I do not agree with some of their nutrition recommendations, e.g., “essential” good carbs (p. 136). Carbohydrates are not essential and should be limited to low-starch vegetables and low-sugar fruits to maintain glucose levels. There are also some contradictions. While they do not recommend highly processed food (p. 130), the authors do recommend high-fiber cereal (p. 137) and fortified bread and cereals (p. 140). Also, they promote soy (p. 149) but do not address concerns regarding genetically modified crops and pesticides.

Overall, a good resource that I would buy for my sister or girlfriend.

Natural Menopause: Herbal Remedies, Aromatherapy, CBT, Nutrition, Exercise, HRT by Anita Ralph

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

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