Gwyneth Paltrow is opening up about what worked for her during perimenopause.
In a recent Instagram Story Q&A, the actress and wellness mogul of Goop fame was asked about her advice for people going through perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause. According to Mayo Clinic, this biological process marks the end of regular menstrual cycles. It impacts every person with a uterus, usually during their late 40s or 50s.
Speaking to her 8.3 million followers from her bed, Paltrow, 50, recommended that they prioritize their health holistically.
“My approach to perimenopause is really just to try to have good overall health,” she said, per PEOPLE. “So. good gut health, sleep, hydration, meditation, kind of all the basic tenets of wellness. And [be] open to more allopathic interventions as well.”
She also encouraged her followers to be “open to anything,” including non-pharmaceutical interventions, to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms.
“I think people should really follow their instinct and have robust conversations with their doctors,” Paltrow added. “I recently found an integrative and functional OBGYN, so that’s pretty good.”
What is perimenopause, anyway, and how does it differ from menopause?
The terms “perimenopause” and “menopause” are sometimes used interchangeably, yet these words describe different things.
Perimenopause is the transition into menopause, during which a person begins menstruating irregularly. Once a person has stopped getting their period for 12 months, they have officially entered menopause.
Although perimenopause is a natural biological process, it is associated with a host of uncomfortable symptoms. The most famous among them is hot flashes, which journalist Gayle King recently described as “a physical heat” with “dripping, drenching sweats.”
Other common side effects include weight gain, night sweats, mood changes, and vaginal dryness.
As Paltrow alluded to, there are a number of interventions people can use to manage unpleasant symptoms, such as hormone therapy. Some folks opt for natural alternatives, like cannabis-based lubricants, to target specific issues.
Gwyneth Paltrow and other female celebrities are changing the narrative around menopause.
There are so many misconceptions around perimenopause and menopause because these topics have historically been devalued and understudied by the medical community — not to mention stigmatized.
But Paltrow and her peers want to rewrite that narrative.
The Goop founder joins a growing number of female celebrities who are speaking out about menopause, including Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Drew Barrymore.
Barrymore recently experienced her first perimenopausal hot flash while shooting an episode of her talk show. She didn’t shy away from addressing it; instead, she talked about it real time with her guests and noted how “glad” she was to have that moment documented.
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