Review: The Upgrade

Title: The Upgrade

Author: Louann Brizendine, MD

Publisher: 19th April 2022 by Rodale Inc.

Pages: 304 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, health, womens, science, psychology

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Female Brain explains how a woman's brain changes for the better in midlife, reframing the patriarchal term menopause and inspiring women to unlock their full potential.

When Louann Brizendine published The Female Brain, it was a game-changer for its profound scientific understanding of how women think, communicate, and feel. Now, Brizendine uses her unique ability of making science approachable to offer an empowering vision of the years in a woman's life that have too often been ignored or misunderstood and creates a positive new framework for this life stage. She never uses the words perimenopause or menopause, with their suggestions of obsolescence. She guides women to become more of who they are and who they want to be in the second half of life.

After analyzing the latest research, Brizendine has found that in midlife the inclination to cater to the needs of others relaxes, allowing women to become more centered while retaining their gifts of perception. The change in ratio of estrogen to testosterone makes women more direct and able to speak out. There's also a drop in anxiety that allows the female brain to flip its attentional style from multitasking to focusing on one thing at a time. The upgraded female brain is centered, direct, validated, focused, fearless, expansive, and free. 

In this sweeping look at the second half of life, Brizendine dives deep into the microscopic workings of your mitochondria one moment and zooms out to the bigger picture--family, relationships, identity--the next. With clear prescriptive advice, she also offers specific ways women can fend off dementia; increase longevity, well-being, and sexuality; and find their best selves at this stage of life. Ultimately, The Upgrade amounts to a celebration of how women step into their power and an entirely new--and radically positive--understanding of aging.

My Thoughts

‘By the time you reach your late forties or fifties, you’ve been through a mountain of experience. You’ve traversed the turbulent teens, when you were trying to figure out who you were; the unpredictable twenties, as you struggled to find your way in the world; the buckle-down thirties, when you were trying to implement your life plan; and the juggling forties, when you were living the life you’d made for yourself - for better or worse. What’s next? This is the big unanswered question.’

This was the book I needed to read. Dr. Brizendine shares much here to reassure and educate women, assisting them as they enter the second half of their life. There is science, recommendations, personal and professional stories about menopause/transition, or as called herein, The Upgrade. I found this book to be beneficial on so many levels and reassuring as women face circumstances that are definitely challenging. 

‘The Upgrade is about the path to becoming your best deep self - okay, maybe it’s a bit grandiose, but if not now, when? In the second half of my life, I want to upgrade my skills and improve my willingness to take responsibility for doing so. I want to develop my enthusiasm, patience, humility, commitment, and determination to make the most of this life transition’

Dr. Brizendine thoroughly investigates how this transition impacts women’s lives and paints a positive and rather liberating view on how this change can work for you. It ranges not only from hormonal facts but, what I found enlightening, is the social and personal aspects that not only validate your feelings but encourage and empower you to set your own boundaries to achieve a truer sense of self. 

‘… as I entered the second half of life myself and started to feel the invisibility reserved uniquely for women of a certain age, something inside me rebelled. I could feel a new power, a new clarity, a laser-like sense of purpose emerging in this phase.’

This book was inspiring with the guidance offered and personally, knocked down some figurative boundaries that I had unknowingly erected.  Yes, there is plenty of science but this is accompanied with steps to help reset your life after the upgrade. 

‘In the Upgrade, that game is over. And with it comes a new beginning, with new rules and a survival imperative that drives a new sense of purpose … I am here to signal to your brain that you are just getting started in becoming who you’re meant to be.’

This is such an important book for all women to read. Dr. Brizendine explains how a woman’s brain is essentially rewired during this period and when we can get in tune with that, it opens proverbial doors on clarity and purpose to living a fulfilled second half of your life. You can pick and choose sections that are most relevant or pertinent to you - HRT, exercise, sleep, ageing, mindset etc - and I found it to be rather liberating, powerful and celebratory of how women can truly embrace their best self to successfully make the most of the latter half of their life. 

‘… the liberation is amazing. Just think back over all the times you wished you’d said no, the times of feeling buried under the mountain of “yeses,” the mountain of regrets over not saying no. It’s time to push back on demands. It can change the way we live the second half of our lives.’

One of my main takeaways from this read is that each person's journey is unique and to trust your intuition, listening to your body. This book validated how I am feeling, the journey I am on and it made me feel complete. I highly recommend this read to all women, not only those in transition to the ‘upgrade’ but seeing as conversations still seem to be few and far between, this book contains the words you may need to hear. 

‘I want time for walks, for thinking, for rest, for reevaluating life, priorities, choices. If I am growing consciously into a better person, I can be better for everyone. If I can find peace and happiness, that will make a difference to others around me. It took a long time to understand, to really deeply get that my happiness is not selfish - it’s a contribution to the happiness of others. I don’t mean that small thing of being satisfied. I mean the big happiness that comes when you drop your worries about looks, clothes, money, possessions. When you can embrace life’s joys and its scary uncertainties.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Brain Reset

Title: Brain Reset

Author: David Gillespie

Publisher: 29th June 2021 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Anxiety, depression and addiction are the scourge of modern-day living. How are they linked? How do we beat them?

According to bestselling author and researcher David Gillespie, we are more addicted than ever before, which is playing havoc with our dopamine levels. This is fuelling epidemic-like levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

Gillespie reveals a large and robust body of research that shows how addictive activities, such as screen use, sugar consumption, drinking, gambling, shopping and smoking, spike our dopamine levels. This, in turn, affects our brain's ability to regulate our mood.

The good news is that we can break the cycle to make things better. There are myriad root causes of mental illness, many of which are beyond our control; David argues that it makes sense to tackle the thing that is within our control - our see-sawing dopamine levels.

Packed with cutting-edge research and practical advice, David's latest book arms us with the tools we need to break our addictions, conquer uncertainty and reset our brains.

My Thoughts

‘We can’t completely avoid stress. There are things which we cannot control, but we will get through those things much better if our brains are not already in an impaired state. Keeping us in a place of mental fitness is about controlling as much as we can and avoiding all addiction.’

The author, David Gillespie, states from the outset that he is not a doctor but a researcher - a very thorough researcher. He wishes to present all the facts thus allowing readers to become aware of addictions, many of them hidden.

This, therefore, is a book about mental health. David spends the first half of the book analysing the problems - typical addictions and also those people might not necessarily label as addictions, such as shopping or screen time. His desire is for his readers to understand the science behind them and how to then take positive steps to overcome the addictions and the consequences of them ie. anxiety/depression which, in turn, can lead to other diseases.

‘We have created a society swimming in dopamine stimulants and we are paying the price. The good news is that a broken reward pathway is absolutely curable. All we need to do is stop taking the addictive substance or doing the addictive behaviour for long enough for our reward system to reset. The bad news is that if it was easy to stop, it wouldn’t be addictive.’

This book is very scientifically based, not focused loosely on changing attitudes alone but rather specific measurable outcomes. How does a person go about basically rewiring their brain away from a reward/punishment based mindset. David provides positive ways a person can go about reducing this addictive behaviour. 

By first exploring the relationship between addictions and the consequent diseases, David then goes on to provide practical steps on how we can in fact, reset our brains. I recommend this book for people who are looking for the next level of assistance and desire to know the science behind the problem and concrete actions to then take.

‘We can enjoy life and do things that provide us with shots of dopamine without the risk of addiction, anxiety or depression. The catch is we need to do a system reset before we get to that point. This is a book about how to do that.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: So You Think You Know What’s Good For You

Title: So You Think You Know What’s Good For You

Author: Dr Norman Swan

Publisher: 29th June 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 335 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

We all want to be healthier, but do you know what's good for you? 

 

For over thirty years, Dr Norman Swan has been delivering straight, honest, common-sense health information to ordinary Australians as both a physician and much-loved broadcaster. And when Australia needed clear, scientifically backed COVID-19 facts and advice, it was Norman Swan who stepped up every day to provide the answers we required. 

 

After many years of listening, Norman Swan knows what medical issues people are curious and concerned about. Drawing on the questions he hears time and again, from millennials to baby boomers and all the generations between, So You Think You Know What's Good For You? is a one-stop handbook that will settle fruitless anxieties and allow people to focus on what matters to them. Replace medical myths, half-truths and misconceptions with the information you need to make better decisions about how to eat and how to live to put your mind at ease and ensure your and your family's health is the best it can be. 

 

So You Think You Know What's Good For You? is the new authoritative must-have for every health-conscious Aussie household.

My Thoughts

When COVID-19 hit our shores, we tuned in to listen to Dr Norman Swan - a familiar and trusted voice for many. In fact, for decades he has provided honest and upfront facts to Australians. He has become the trusted voice. 

‘It's all about what I spoke of at the beginning of the book:  our goals and the insight into how these change. The ‘life’ bit is, of course, about the four ‘F’s - fun, family, friends and freedom.’

Drawing on his wealth of knowledge and experience, we yet again turn to this trusted physician for answers regarding all things supposedly ‘good’ for us. And does he provide them! Jam packed into this book, the reader will find an astounding range of questions and answers about all things good for you - or so you thought!

‘This control thing isn’t some namby-pamby, squishy, lefty idea. There’s hard science behind it.’

Myths and misconceptions are all put under the spotlight in this far reaching reference book that covers so much on health and wellbeing for the everyday person.  You cannot help but embrace his no-nonsense approach and find the facts and advice both readily accessible and sensible. His natural, easygoing manner is evident through each page and topic covered. He is honest and that cannot help but ‘speak’ to people at their own level about how we can make our lives and those of the ones we love better. 

‘So if you look at it this way, it’s not a crisis at all.  The thing is that the women in these popular culture accounts aren’t necessarily broken. But many women in this group feel lost and stretched to a point that they feel they’re likely to snap.’

This does not have to be a cover to cover read and will serve as a handy ongoing reference for many people. His wit and dry humour will make the steps towards a healthier living doable as he breaks down and puts in plain words many misconceptions and misleading falsehoods that are ever present in our society today. Thank you Dr Swan for both your honest and frank assessment of the perplexing world of wellbeing we find ourselves inundated with. 

‘This book is about knowledge - that’s information plus analysis. It allows you choice and gives strength to some of the key decisions you have to make about how to feel good; sometimes feeling okay about feeling bad; what you put into your body; what you take out of it; what you can add to it; how to ignore ageing as a concept; as well as stuff about sex, drugs, kids and recognising bullshit.’

  

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Fully Human

Title: Fully Human

Author: Steve Biddulph & Shaaron Biddulph

Publisher: 25th May 2021 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 288 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

What if there were parts of our minds that we never use, but if awakened, could make us so much happier, connected and alive? What if awakening those parts could bring peace to the conflicts and struggles we all go through?

 

From the cutting edge, where therapy meets neuroscience, Steve Biddulph explores the new concept of 'supersense' - the feelings beneath our feelings - which can guide us to a more awake and free way of living every minute of our lives. And the Four Storey Mansion, a way of using your mind that can be taught to a five-year-old, but can also help the most damaged adult.

 

In Fully Human, Steve Biddulph draws on deeply personal stories from his own life, as well as those of his clients, and from the frontiers of thinking about how the brain works with the body and the wisdom of the 'wild creature' inside all of us.

 

At the peak of a lifetime's work, one of the world's best-known psychotherapists and educators shows how you can be more alive, more connected. More Fully Human.

My Thoughts

‘... if you are struggling in any area of your life, that is something that can change. You can reawaken your supersense and begin to know who you are and what matters to you, and bring wholeness back into your life again. Your life can be so much more.’

I was aware of Steve Biddulph’s writing from his books on ‘Raising Boys’. So I was keen to read about his more encompassing, ‘Fully Human’. I was not disappointed - what a fabulous read. 

‘Because one day it stops, and then it’s too late. And the realization of that is the saddest thing in the whole of life. We chased the wrong things, and while we did, the ordinary but wonderful joys of our life - sunshine, flowers, animals, loving partners, children, friends, beaches - were all ignored or relegated to the gaps and small glimpses, to one day, when there’s time. And we wasted our lives.’

This book is all about tuning into your intuition or ‘supersense’ as Steve likes to call it. He also breaks down and adopts a Maslow style hierarchy of needs model in what he calls our mansion - wonderful tips about how to really tune into self and all in an effort to create our best self. The mansion has four floors - the first floor represents the body, the second our emotions, the third our thoughts and the fourth a roof terrace open to the stars and our incredible spirituality and wisdom. 

‘... this is your natural state, this is you with the stress taken away. It’s simply that, in modern life, we are over-revved nearly all the time, and have come to think that’s how it must be. Meditation is getting back to how our bodies and brains are supposed to work.’

I went crazy with my highlighter in this book - so many gems and key concepts to really remind and assist us on this journey of life. It truly is packed with so many words of wisdom, a wonderful book to have and hold, especially when you need some gentle reminders. 

‘A part of you is needing attention, it’s been neglected, and might even be dying. But its perfume is suddenly there, and you must follow it down.’

Something I learnt (obvious when you come to think of it) is how much of an impact the events of the 20th century have had on our emotional evolution. Why do we struggle so much today? Well maybe it is because of the huge trauma our great grandparents, grandparents, parents endured - world wars, depressions, refugee crisis - and that is just the tip of the iceberg. How could they cope with all that? Shut down emotionally. 

‘You can arrive at a life full of meaning by consciously deciding to care. Thinking at its best can ease your suffering, give you a perspective and instil meaning in the tough corners of life.’

Fully Human is somewhat like a roadmap and Steve your guide on how to navigate the ups and downs of life.  He wants this book to teach us how to engage with the natural guidance system that is within each of us. It is such an excellent resource perfect for those of us already on this journey of discovery to make the most of this gift of life and would be a wonderful treasure for anyone wondering where to begin. 

‘The skill that will grow in you from reading this book is that, little by little, you’ll find yourself being a calm observer, someone who moves easily through the rooms of your mansion, never getting stuck in any of them ..... Perhaps we can become, at last, fully human.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Essential Oils Menopause Solution

Title: The Essential Oils Menopause Solution

Author: Mariza Snyder

Publisher: 20th April 2021 by Rodale Books

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: health, mind, body

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

What if menopause didn’t have to be a struggle?

Your body is always changing—necessarily and beautifully—throughout life. During menopause, however, declining ovarian function and fluctuating hormones often clash with environmental toxins, stress, and digestive distress, leading to the symptoms we have been told we should expect: hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, low libido, and irritability. But as women’s hormonal health expert and bestselling author Dr. Mariza Snyder explains, you can and deserve to experience a good night’s sleep, clear thinking, stable moods, an energized metabolism, and pain-free sex. The solution is not to medicate the changes, but instead get to the root cause of what’s really going on in the body. In The Essential Oils Menopause Solution, Dr. Mariza offers a cutting-edge, comprehensive plan to do just that, including:

• a clear explanation of what’s happening in your body before, during, and after “the change,” and how certain lifestyle triggers exacerbate hormonal imbalance.

• the latest science behind the benefits of essential oils as safe, effective solutions for perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

• more than 75 recipes and protocols designed to provide solutions for deep, restful sleep, anxiousness, mood swings, fatigue, hot flashes, low libido, brain fog, vaginal dryness, digestive distress, and much more.

• a proven 21-day hormone-balancing program complete with meal plans, exercise recommendations, supplementation, and herbal therapies designed to reverse the myriad of symptoms affecting millions of women today.

• easy self-care rituals to support every system of your body—from digestion and vaginal health to mitochondrial and liver function—throughout the perimenopausal and menopausal transition.

You always deserve a body that works for you, and if you are feeling less than your best, you deserve solutions that promote actual healing. In as little as twenty-one days, The Essential Oils Menopause Solution will help you reclaim vibrant, optimal, and long-lasting health.

My Thoughts

‘This is it - the time to redefine your midlife and embrace your future with grace and joy.’

I’m not sure of other’s experiences when it comes to the latter stages of a woman’s life, however personally speaking, it is not something conversed about often or indeed, at all. Therefore I read what I can to educate myself about this new phase of life I, and indeed all women, will enter into at some stage. 

‘Those hormonal imbalances are driving the mood swings, migraines, disrupted sleep, fatigue, and other symptoms hastily misunderstood and tagged as “menopause.”

Whilst there is an assortment of books on the topic to read, I look for one’s that might provide a key factor that could go some way to making the experience more positive. The complete ‘makeover’ on offer in this book is not something I would necessarily subscribe to, however, I did find a few useful ideas to experiment with. I subscribe to the science behind essential oils and therefore found some of the blends suggested here to be valuable.

‘Essential oils aren’t the solution here - they are the support. Use them as tools to get you to the end game: healthy hormonal balance. But they won’t get you there if you neglect lifestyle choices that establish the foundation for your good health.’

You will learn what hormones are, what their roles are in your body and what may be the cause of them becoming unbalanced. There is a lot of useful information provided by the author as she covers a wide range of variables from essential oils to nutrition that might assist women to better understand and work with their bodies during this change of life. The tone of the book is friendly and compassionate, structured in such a way to make it easy to come back to if particular chapters are pertinent to the reader. 

Therefore I do recommend this book as a type of manual or reference for women wishing to learn more about the perimenopause or menopause as it provides a wealth of medical information. There are then chapters on various symptoms from sleep issues, to brain fog, to low energy. The author then provides a 21 Day Makeover plan. I did put into practice some of the suggestions for the essential oil recipes (there are over seventy five) for diffusers, rollerballs or sprays. All up, an excellent guide with a range of valuable suggestions to assist women during this challenging time of their life. 

‘The heart of this 21-Day Makeover is establishing a series of moments in your day that shift the priority back to you. It’s about integrating foods, self-care rituals, movement, essential oils, and supplement protocols that address your unique combination of symptoms to help you reclaim your energy and joy at midlife.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Hormone Repair Manual

Title: Hormone Repair Manual - Every woman's guide to healthy hormones after 40

Author: Lara Briden

Publisher: 23rd February 2021 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: nonfiction, health, mind, body

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

The Hormone Repair Manual is a must-have guide to understanding and overcoming the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

Naturopath Lara Briden, author of the international bestseller Period Repair Manual, has more than 20 years' experience in women's health. Her fresh approach aims to overturn the stigma of perimenopause and menopause and show women that:

- many symptoms are temporary and manageable

- emotional challenges can present an opportunity to thrive

- a focus on health during this period can bring benefits for years to come.

Addressing common symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood changes, migraines, weight gain, low libido and heavy periods, Lara offers practical solutions of diet, lifestyle, nutritional supplements and tips for how to speak to your doctor about hormone therapy.

The Hormone Repair Manual is backed by evidence-based research and case studies and is a reassuring guide to soothing, nourishing and strengthening your body, mind and spirit during this time of change.

My Thoughts

‘This book is your guide to navigating that process of change, with the aim of delivering you safe and happy into the stable final third of your life.’

Well how did I find myself here and staring down the barrel of menopause? Not the kind of book that you necessarily are drawn to or care to rave about, however, if you are female then I highly recommend this book. I learnt so much! Menopause still sadly has that stigma surrounding it and women need to be knowledgeable about what is happening to their bodies. This book was extremely helpful, informative and indeed empowering, that all women should read it as they approach perimenopause and beyond. It is full of evidence based ideas and solutions to assist in optimising female health and wellbeing at this crucial phase. 

‘... know that perimenopause and the early years of menopause are a critical window for health, and that’s true even if you don’t have symptoms. By critical window, I mean a sensitive period or inflection point, during which time small health problems could, if not addressed, amplify into larger and more permanent health problems later in life.’

The first four chapters are all about understanding the process of perimenopause, both emotionally and biologically, the final six chapters of the book are all about treatment. Women spend one third of their lives in menopause, which is why it makes sense to support your health through this phase. Being so rich in research and factual detail, the writing is at times heavy going and somewhat repetitive. It would therefore make sense to approach this book by reading the introductory chapters and then  jumping to the sections most pertinent to oneself. 

Now, so much more au fait with this whole topic, I for one certainly feel more confident in how to approach and work with this phase in my life. Thank you Lara for being that medically trained physician who spoke ‘woman to woman’ about everything, even on how to talk/what questions to ask your doctor. 

‘I just don’t care to engage in an all-out battle with ageing because, at the end of the day, I have better things to do. It’s a refreshing departure from the constant need to be pretty that many of us feel as young women.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.