About the Book
HRT is the one-stop solution for difficult menopause symptoms, we are told.
But what if you don't want to take it?
What if you can't take it?
What if you can't get to a doctor?
What if you can't get through to a doctor?
In Finding Me in Menopause, Dr Nitu Bajekal, OBGYN, and one of the UK's first Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physicians, shares how lifestyle interventions, and the food we eat, can dramatically transform menopausal health. following the principle of six lifestyle pillars, she gives simple yet scientific nutrition and lifestyle tips to transform the experience of menopause, with or without hormone therapy.
Throughout her book, Dr Bajekal shows you how to lead a healthier and happier life, and make a positive difference for yourself and your loved ones, using time-tested techniques that anyone can access. You will learn how to identify and manage stress, understand how sleep affects our hormones, the role of exercise in our lives, and the importance of maintaining positive social connections for our mental health.
There is dietary support, which draws on the science and power of plant-based nutrition to offer Menopause Menus - dozens of easy, delicious, and nourishing plant-based recipes for breakfast, main meals, and snacks from Nitu's kitchen with a shopping plan, and health insights for each dish.
Each lifestyle pillar chapter concludes with a Menopause Mantra: a summary, a list of the top self-help tips to implement and a positive affirmation that is tied to that chapter.
Finding Me In Menopause is an inclusive, non-pharmaceutical, holistic program that takes into account the needs of all women, from all backgrounds, removing the barriers that might stop you seeking support and giving you straightforward, achievable lifestyle-based strategies that will make a huge difference to your wellbeing.
About the Author :
Dr Nitu Bajekal, MD is a Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in London, UK with over 35 years of clinical experience in women's health. She is a Fellow of the Royal College and recipient of the Indian President's Gold medal. Dr Bajekal is one of the first US board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physicians in the UK.
Dr Bajekal is passionate about educating women, providing reliable medical and lifestyle information for the general public, doctors, workplaces, and schools. She runs a voluntary service set up to educate, energise and empower women to make lifestyle choices to help improve their own and their families' health.
Along with her daughter Rohini, Dr Bajekal is also the co-author of Living PCOS Free (Hammersmith Books, 2022), a practical guide to managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) with proven lifestyle approaches alongside western medicine.
Review :
Indispensable, engaging and evidence-based.
The world needs this book! Dr Nitu provides such practical evidence based advice from decades of experience to help women through menopause.
A brilliant insight to perimenopause and menopause from a doctor who has gone the extra mile to help women. Dr Nitu Bajekal's much needed book shares her own experiences, along with all her knowledge and research from decades of working in women's health.
This book will become required reading for every woman. Bringing together professional and personal experience alongside family expertise, Nitu guides the reader through what can be a challenging phase of life. Empowering and compassionate, Nitu provides a whole health approach to supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. The knowledge acquired will help you to personalize your own decisions around the menopause whilst being reassured you are using an evidence-based source. A must read.
Unfortunately society has made this stage of our lives something to be feared and dreaded...
This sentence resonated with me. As a gynaecological oncologist, I often have to induce an early menopause by surgically removing ovaries for gynaecological cancers. In some women, the fear of menopause is greater than the fear of cancer. Social media abounds with myths about the menopause and in particular, there is a suggestion that all the unpleasant symptoms are inevitable. This book is timely and informative. It empowers women to take charge of their menopause by providing evidence-based options. It is suitable for the general public, as well as for doctors who do not specialise in the menopause [...] Dr Nitu simplifies a complex subject; I will certainly encourage patients, colleagues, friends and relatives to read it.
A must-read for anyone embarking on the journey of perimenopause and menopause. Dr NItu's heartfelt account and expert guidance provide the essential guide to navigating this phase of life with confidence and grace.
Finding me in Menopause is a great book! This book explains so much about the menopause and perimenopause and breaks things down in an easy to digest format. Tells you what you need to know! Well-researched, but not too scientific. Great advice, but not out of reach, since it is both practical and affordable. This is not a preachy book, more like receiving great advice from a best friend (but with the knowledge and expertise to back it up).
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for more than just a book - it's a journey towards positive change.
Scientifically factual yet jargon free, this book has allowed me to take control of my menopause journey and has taught me so much about my own body and how to look after myself. The Menopause Mantras at the end of each chapter break everything down into positive achievable goals allowing you to take what you want from this book and incorporate it into your life and whatever level you feel comfortable with. Reading this is like sharing a coffee and a chat with a good friend who is there to help you every step of the way.
A powerful manifesto of the power of holistic and lifestyle medicine in managing menopause. Dr Bakejal writes with empathy and kindness, but carefully balances this with deep knowledge and expertise. Her tone is reassuring, and by sharing her own story and personal journey with menopause, the book becomes really relatable. I enjoyed this book - especially the case studies at the end - and as a doctor and innovator within women's health, I will be recommending it to our customers and community.
I am so grateful that Dr. Bajekal has written this incredible lifestyle-medicine based resource on perimenopause and menopause!! Not only has it helped answer many questions about my own personal (and frustrating!) journey into perimenopause, it has also helped prepare and inform me on what is to come and what steps I can take to better take care of myself during this transition. I am eager to share this empowering knowledge with my coaching clients. Thank you Dr. Nitu Bajekal for this invaluable resource!
A transformative book... the ultimate guide to navigating menopause. Dr Nitu reframes the perimenopause and menopause experience.
A truly inspiring, educational and practical read... Dr Nitu breaks things down to simple, understandable terms and offers practical and simple everyday advice to help manage menopause.
Finding Me in Menopause is the book that I wish I'd had ten years ago [when] I was plunged into surgical menopause and - despite being a medical doctor myself - felt lost and unsure how best to help myself... With warmth and compassion, and remaining inclusive throughout, Dr Bajekal brings together the latest in evidence-based research in lifestyle medicine and applies this to the menopausal transition in a practical, and non-judgemental, way. There is something for everyone here, and I will be recommending this book to friends, colleagues and patients far and wide.
Dr Bajekal emphasises the importance of underpinning any recommended medical interventions such as HRT with appropriate advice about diet, lifestyle, exercise etc. These key "basics" form the template to optimise menopause quality of life and long-term wellbeing for both the individual and society.
