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More and more celebrities are talking about menopause these days, getting real and honest about their experiences, and we love to see it. The more all of us (famous and not-so-famous) talk about menopause, the less stigma we all face about this time of life experienced by half of the population. More transparency, more sharing what works, more normalizing this common (but not always easy) experience.
Halle Berry is one of the stars leading that charge, especially through her wellness brand, re-spin. The actress recently announced that her plan to reimagine the platform and refocus it on menopause due to her own personal passion to share her menopause experiences. Of course, Berry herself is still learning, and on Instagram yesterday, she passed on a recommendation for a new book that’s helping her along the way: The Menopause Brain by Dr. Lisa Mosconi.
“If you’re like me and find yourself smack dab in the middle of menopause without any real understanding of what is happening to the brain and body you once knew, The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi will quickly become your new best friend,” Berry wrote yesterday alongside a photo of herself (and her adorable labradoodle) posing with a copy of the book. She included the hashtag #HBBooksFromBed, the actress’s informal book club where she shares her favorite reads from the comfort of her own bed.
The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi
TBH, we can see why Berry is raving. Mosconi is a neuroscientist and women’s brain health specialist, and in The Menopause Brain, she explores how hormonal changes during menopause (namely, a decline in estrogen) “influences everything from body temperature to mood to memory,” according to the book’s description. (Think: brain fog, hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes… the list goes on.) Mosconi lays out the most up-to-date approaches to these challenges, from hormone replacement therapy to lifestyle changes, while challenging the popular assumption that menopause signals the end of life.
And as Mosconi told Flow Space at SXSW 2024, your brain changing during menopause isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “It’s so obvious to me that the fact that your brain is changing is not a deficiency, is not a liability,” she explained. “This process changes and rewires women’s brains in ways that are frankly necessary.” Menopause, she explains is a kind of “biological clue” that tells your brain to let go of the neurons it would need for you to get pregnant or have a menstrual cycle. “It just it gets rid of things that you don’t need… It’s a very smart move. The problem is that this move and the rewiring can also cause the glitches, which are the symptoms that many women experience.”
So besides this wisdom and knowledge, what does Berry like about the book? The feeling of being heard. Mosconi, she says, “confirms that you’re not crazy and most importantly, that you’re not alone!” Reading this book gives “the gift of knowledge, and knowledge is power,” Berry concludes. “Get into it!” (And we’ve got you covered if you want even more menopause books to binge.)
Before you go, stock up your shelves with our favorite books on manifestation:
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