Menopause,
So Much More Than A Few Hot Flashes
The New Menopause By Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Review By Rachel Sokol
Isn’t it amazing when you finally find a doctor who just “gets” you?
Who takes time to answer your questions calmly and doesn’t act like you’re losing your marbles?
Patients want to feel understood; like their medical team truly has their best interests at heart and doesn’t just treat them like a number. Leaving a doctor’s office convinced your doctor doesn’t really care about your well-being feels so isolating. Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you should be ignored.
OB-GYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver noticed many women on her social media pages said that their doctors dismissed and downplayed their concerns about menopause symptoms. And it understandably stung.
“The biggest misconception about menopause is that it is nothing more than the end of your period and a few hot flashes. It represents so much more than that!”
It was time for an industry-wide change. Dr. Haver set out to improve the way the doctors and nurses approach, and treat, women who are going through menopause. (Pre, during, and post!) In The New Menopause, published by Rodale Books, Dr. Haver provides women with a full toolkit for the treatment of menopause symptoms, which includes sleep, nutrition, stress management, movement, supplements, and possible pharmacology. Along the way, she opens up about her own experiences through menopause.
A few years back, Dr. Haver created The Galveston Diet, a nutrition plan that caters to women in midlife, particularly those experiencing menopause. With a focus on metabolic and hormonal changes, this diet emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods, intermittent fasting, and a focus on nutrient-dense, whole foods to promote overall health and weight management. So, it’s safe to say Dr. Haver knows a thing or two about menopause and ways to age gracefully as an advocate for your own health. She’s a true pioneer in the medical field.
The New Menopause is a comprehensive, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience. It covers everything (and really runs the gamut!) related to menopause, from changes in your appearance and sleep patterns to neurological, musculoskeletal, psychological, and sexual issues, plus options for coping with symptoms. Dr. Haver also talks about one’s drop in estrogen production, plus the effects of diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. As a reader and patient, along the way, you’ll learn how to advocate for yourself and prepare for annual midlife wellness visits. Dr. Haver also includes detailed information about hormone replacement therapy.
According to Dr. Haver, the most important reason for every woman over 40 to read The New Menopause, “is that most of us are not getting the best advice from our doctors about menopause. According to The Menopause Society, most of us are getting the worst advice, which is old advice that goes against the most recent study and analysis.”
This old-school advice made medical waves back in 1989, explains Dr. Haver, “which means that many, if not most, of us are seeing doctors who haven’t had much official training on this important hormonal change in our bodies.”
Dr. Haver notes that menopause presents differently in all women, but the basic facts are: “Perimenopause begins typically between the ages of 35 to 45 and lasts for 7 to 10 years. The most common symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, sleep disruption, body fat/body composition change and hot flashes.”
One reason why Dr. Haver has gained momentum as a world-class expert on women’s care for the 40+ crowd—she’s determined to fight the stigma behind menopause—is because she’s so open about her own body. Some doctors will be extremely private about their own lives with patients; which is completely understandable. On the contrary, Dr. Haver opens up, in interviews and in her books, about her own health struggles and concerns. Women love that she is such an “open book” and they feel safe with her because of that.
“We all need to be open and honest and share our journeys so that we normalize this process for everyone,” she says. “Aging is inevitable. But suffering is NOT. What worked for us before menopause is often NOT the secret sauce to help us thrive after.”
Adds Dr. Haver: “It’s important to learn what works for us and make changes so that we can live our best, healthiest lives.” Although the Texas-based doctor has delivered hundreds of babies over the decades, right now her patient-focus is strictly on menopause care. “It’s the most profound impact I have ever had in women's health. Today, medical schools can better prepare students for menopause training by requiring a curriculum about women after reproduction and how aging/menopause uniquely affected us.” And, this curriculum would not just be for OBGYNs, “but all aspects of medicine.”
As Dr. Haver states in The New Menopause’s intro: “Together, through awareness, education, and action we can be a part of the movement that clears the barriers to quality menopausal care.”
Learn more about Dr. Mary Claire Haver via her websites at:
Keep up with Dr. Haver on social media: @drmaryclaire on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Her health books can be purchased via amazon.com