Menopause. It's a good thing

Nancy McCallum is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Sanford. Her work has appeared in more than 50 publications. When Oprah recently hit the Big 5-0, one way she marked this milestone was by inviting Maine's own Dr. Christiane Northrup to talk about the passage that many women at 50 are dealing with in one way or another menopause, or the best years, says Northrup. Northrup has made a career of blowing apart the myths and stereotypes that women have grown up with regarding menopause.

A longtime women's physician in Yarmouth she practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 25 years, until 1998 Northrup now focuses on researching, writing and speaking about women's health issues. She has authored several books that have reached the New York Times bestseller list (including The Wisdom of Menopause, first published in 2001, then revised and re-released in 2006).

Her latest book, The Secret Pleasures of Menopause, written in partnership with Nobel Prize winner Ferid Murad, M.D., an academic medical researcher, will be released this month. Northrup has also produced half-dozen specials for PBS, and travels throughout the country to share her perspectives, observations and research about women's health issues. Menopause is often at the top of the list.

Northrup sees menopause as an exciting, transformative time in a woman's life, a time to leave behind what does not feel right and to embrace what does. It's really just the beginning of the best years of your life, she said during a recent interview, conducted through e-mail. Northrup, who described herself as a 50-something Baby Boomer, said she believes that women don't hit their peak of power until 65. (If they do what it takes to stay healthy and active, that is and don't get brainwashed by our culture.)

When Northrup discusses menopause, her focus is not so much about hormonal and physical changes experienced, because these can be managed through a variety of diet, supplement and lifestyle practices, as she discusses in her books. Rather, her message is about honoring the changes and the feelings that may come with it.

For example, she writes this about menopause's precursor, perimenopause, in The Wisdom of Menopause: Biologically, at this stage of life you're programmed to withdraw from the outside world for a period of time and revisit your past. You need to be free of the distractions that come when you are focusing your mothering efforts solely on others. Perimenopause is a time when you are meant to mother yourself. Northrup encourages women to see the possibilities that open up during this transition.

At the same time, she dispels negative myths associated with this passage. She says common myths are that menopause is the end' of being attractive, of having great sex, of loving your body, of being useful. That it means you are old and deteriorating.

Not true. In fact, there are many secret pleasures of menopause, alluding to the title of her most recent book. The secret pleasures of menopause are these, she said. You become more intuitive than ever before. Your body will no longer tolerate relationships, food, thoughts or activities that weren't life-sustaining in the first place. Your body just gave you about 40 forgiving years now it says enough.'

Northrup also said that research indicates that women who are sexually active in their 60s and 70s are having the best sex of their lives. Another gift of menopause is the strength and wisdom that comes from aging, Northrup said. You speak your mind. You don't care so much about what other people think.

You have far more perspective on what's important and what's not, she said. You realize that you don't have all the time in the world, so you pace yourself and let go of things that don't fully support you. To stay healthy and happy, you MUST live from the inside out with your soul (not societal expectations) driving the bus.