Jennifer Harrington has written what I consider to be the MOST helpful, needed resource for perimenopausal and menopausal women. The title says it all: From Invisible to Invincible. The subtitle is accurate: The Natural Menopause Revolution.
Jennifer, a naturopathic physician, details menopause symptoms and causes in clear, straightforward language with a touch of humor. Most important, she outlines helpful remedies and strategies for not only surviving the Change, but learning to thrive and become the wise women we are meant to be.
Her prescriptive advice follows the first letters of the word “invincible”.
I is for Individualized Treatment Plan. She says, as we always have, that no two women are the same, so one-size-fits-all treatment shouldn’t be considered.
N is for Nutritious Foods. Jennifer gives down to earth advice on how to eat ourselves healthy. For many of us, this is a major key to diminishing the worst of menopause symptoms.
V is for Vitamins and Minerals. I thought as an RN and health advocate that I knew just about all there was to know about supplements and food sources, but I learned some additional tips that I am going to put to use right now. Yes, the worst of menopause is in my rear view mirror, but I can always be healthier.
I stands for Investigate. If you don’t have an integrative health practitioner, you may not know about many of the tests she describes. I do have an MD who is an integrative health specialist and I can tell you from experience that those tests illuminate areas that are important to address.
One example: a hair test to check for heavy metal toxicity. When I had it done, my levels of common toxicities such as mercury were fine. However, silver in my blood was off the charts. My perplexed MD wondered how that could happen, but I knew right away. I majored in photography in art school and didn’t always wear gloves when printing photos. Silver impregnated paper is what develops. I absorbed a tremendous amount. Chelating therapy took care of my silver problem.
N is for Non-toxic Environment. Ways to make your home more healthy and non-toxic products are incredibly helpful.
C is for Contribution. I can attest that contributing, as a wise crone must, definitely adds to the vibrance and health of menopausal and post=menopausal goddesses. Whether it’s a blog like this one or caring for grandchildren or volunteering in your community, making a contribution helps us all.
I is for Intuition. I’ve written before about how intuition and creativity seem to bloom in menopause goddesses. And Jennifer adds that this intuition can help us determine best practices for handling our own personal menopause journeys.
B is for Breathe. It may be that we need to learn to breathe all over again. Mindfulness and breathing go hand in hand.
L is for Love your Liver and Detox. After going through symptoms of toxicity, Jennifer shares food and lifestyle practices to attain this goal.
E is for exercise. Exercise and Other Lifestyle Factors. There are so many benefits to exercise that entire books could be written just about that. That said, Jennifer’s chapter on this is immensely helpful, especially in the realm of restful sleep.
The second half of the book importantly goes through the changes that occur in menopause and just exactly what to do about them. The health of every body system is focused on as well as mood changes and more. It’s simply excellent.
If there is one drawback to the book (and it’s a tiny one), it is that it is so comprehensive that at first glance it might seem overwhelming. I know when I was in the worst of the Changes, I couldn’t take in huge amounts of information. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Take it slow, take things one at a time. Perhaps start with exercise and healthy eating. Or Vitamins and minerals. But do read the entire book first and let its wisdom settle into you. You can become Invincible, too!
Jennifer Harrington, ND, does consultations online via Skype or phone. (She is based in Sydney, Australia.) For more info, check out her website: menopausenaturalsolutions.com, You can buy the book on her site or through Amazon.com
