No Hormones, No Fear: A Natural Journey Through Menopause

I have read 4 other books on menopause and find this to be by far the most practical and helpful. The author has done a fabulous job of condensing a monumental amount of research into a very readable and easily digestible form. Each aspect of menopause is treated separately and followed by practical, natural alternatives to hormone treatment therapy. It is a wonderful resource which gives the specifics of "what to take, "how" and "why", recommended doses, and the doses that the author found to be effective. This is the first book that I have read that is actually encouraging about menopause and does not make me feel as though I'm going to deteriorate irreparably if I don't take hormone replacement therapy. I am grateful to the author for sharing the results of her own personal experience and research.

I've been around long enough that I can remember when women's health issuse weren't! Thanks to other women, prolonging our good health and successfully navigating menopause is getting easier. Now that the paramenopausal stage has been identified and is being written about in books like Posner's, "One Woman's Natural Journey..." we have more reliable information and we can choose to suffer less. Our partners can also welcome our enhanced sexual selves instead of also being expected to just accept our mood swings and physical tribulations. I'm working at enjoying my changes because books like this have allowed me to no longer be a victim to "the change". Posner's information on natural and herbal supplements can be coroborrated in various books and I have found a particular site, iHerb, that offers many links to these sources. I have also found iHerb to be a wonderful and cost effective source for my supplements. Check out their section on Women's Health and see what I mean.

The recent front page article in The New York Times questioning a major reason for hormone replacement therapy threw me into a panic yet again. A week later I read "This is Not Your Mother's Menopause." Trisha Posner's book was a god send for me as every passing day seems to bring another contradictory warning about breast cancer and hormones. Whether you are wondering if you should start HRT or go the natural route, or if you can't imagine being off hormones but can't deal with the uncertainty of being on and are rethinking or reassessing, this is one terrific book. A chapter called "the Vitamin and Herb Shop" was most informative. Homeopathy, an area I know nothing about, terrifies me almost as much as hormone replacement. Ms. Posner is very specific in her descriptions of the various herbs and vitamins that she uses, simplifying the task of planning an individual regime. This is a wonderful book, formidably researched yet full of charming personal anecdotes and very savvy girl talk. For those looking for a real alternative to HRT, read Trisha Posner's book.

I have read over a dozen books about menopause, including many I've liked including John Lee's book, and Susan Love, and Gail Sheehy, and I've learned a lot. But THIS IS LIKE NO OTHER BOOK ON MENOPAUSE I've ever seen. I got the book yesterday, started it last night expecting to read a chapter or two, and blew my night of sleep by being unable to put it down until I finished it (thank God it's small!)I love the fact that instead of some celebrity or a doctor telling me what I should do with my body, this is by a regular woman who has been through the same thing I'm going through. There were plenty of moments when I just wanted to shout, "Yes, I've been through that." I love Posner's honesty in describing the problems we confront with menopause and the indecision she faced when it came to HRT. It's the same problem we all have - the conflicting studies and the worries about possible increased risks of breast cancer. We all resolve this in different ways depending on our tolerance for risk, but with her family history of breast cancer, she resolved it by embarking on this rather incredible research binge that resulted in her trying just about every natural remedy out there, ones we are all familiar with. And in the end she developed a program of supplements, a healthy diet, and exercise, that worked for her.This personal account is so informative, because you get to see these natural cures not just in theory, but actually how they work with someone. When she stops taking her double dose of Vitamin E and Black Cohosh to see whether they really eliminated her hot flashes, there is a hysterical scene where she runs into a friend's kitchen over a Thanksgiving feast and sticks her head into a freezer. Sound familiar for any of us! There are plenty of scenes in here that made me laugh, and many that made me quite emotional. When she and her husband burn her remaining supply of tampons in a local hotel's fireplace, it's a sign of passage that makes sense. And when at the end of the book, she finds herself on the outside of a Paris landmark in a downpour, embracing the changes of menopause, it is impossible not to feel invigorated and inspired. Not only did I pick up bundles of useful information that I intend to incorporate into my own routine (the chapter called "The Vitamin and Herb Shop" is worth the price of the book on its own!), but I feel so much better about myself and menopause after reading this book. Now I've given it to my husband who must read it, so he will better understand exactly what is happening now at this stage of our life (I loved the way Posner's husband became her partner in searching for a natural way through menopause). DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. READ THIS BOOK!

After reading lots of books on menopause (I'm in it!), this is completely different. Instead of just an advice book, it's a personal story of someone going through it and there were plenty of incidents that I could completely relate to. Her approach makes sense, and her program that works instead of hormones is completely fresh. Actually, I found this easy to read book very uplifting. It's the first time I've ever felt good about being in menopause. Way to go Girl!