85% of women suffer. Here’s why 💔

Menopause is inevitable. Suffering is optional 👏

Author

Eat To Burn
April 05, 2025

Hey you 👋

Yeah, you. The one who can’t sleep, who randomly bursts into tears mid-Zoom call, who’s Googled “why do I feel like a hot potato with brain fog.” You’re not alone—and no, you’re not broken.

Menopause is real. It’s hormonal. It’s happening. And it’s not getting the support it deserves (yet).

In this issue we’re diving headfirst into the sweaty, sleep-deprived world of menopause with a little help from the ultimate expert: Dr. Mary Claire Haver, the OB/GYN who flipped her own script and created a movement while doing it.

Let’s break down her story—and the answers to 9 questions every woman, every partner, every doctor should be asking right now.

In today's issue:

🧠 1. The “Oh Crap, We Got This Wrong” Moment

So, picture this: Dr. Haver, successful OB/GYN, doing all the usual doctor things—delivering babies, prescribing birth control, feeling smart and helpful. Then she hits her 40s.

Suddenly… bam. Weight gain. Brain fog. Total hormonal chaos.

Meanwhile, her patients were showing up saying, “Doc, I haven’t changed a thing and I feel awful.” And guess what? The only answer she had was: “Work out more. Eat less.” 🤦‍♀️

That’s when it hit her. Everything she was taught in med school about menopause? Outdated. Incomplete. Possibly harmful. It wasn’t just hot flashes. It was mental health, muscle loss, chronic illness risks—and the entire system was ignoring it.

So she went back to school. Like a badass. And that’s where the revolution began. 🚀

📉 2. Why Are 85% of Women Suffering but Only 10.5% Getting Help?

Here’s the tea: Most doctors are wildly undertrained in menopause. As in… six hours of education in FOUR YEARS of residency. 😬

And thanks to a botched report from the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002, hormone therapy got a bad rap that doctors are still scared of. Combine that with a sprinkle of fat-phobia, a dash of ageism, and centuries of “it’s all in your head” medicine?

Boom: 85% of women suffer. Only 10.5% get treatment.

🥼 3. How to Talk to Your Doctor Without Getting the Side-Eye

Alright, let’s be real: walking into a doctor’s office and saying, “I think I’m in menopause,” shouldn’t feel like launching a full-blown investigation... but it kinda does, right? 🙄

If you’re tired of being brushed off or handed an antidepressant like it’s a universal fix-all, here’s your ✨magic script✨ to cut through the noise:

💬 “Hey Doc, I think I’m in perimenopause or menopause. I’m dealing with symptoms like [insert yours here—brain fog, insomnia, mood swings, the whole circus]. I’ve been tracking them and looking into treatment options—both hormonal and non-hormonal. I’d really love your support with something evidence-based. If this isn’t your thing, could you point me to someone who gets it?”

Boom. Clear. Direct. Respectful. (Also impossible to ignore.) 👏

📋 Hot Tip: Print your symptom tracker and bring it with you like a boss. (Yes, actual paper. Doctors love a good ol’ physical document—it makes things real.)

👩‍⚕️ Because here’s the truth: when you come prepared, you’re not “that difficult patient.” You’re an informed woman who refuses to suffer in silence. And that’s powerful.

🧬 4. Myth: Hormone Therapy is Dangerous 😱

Remember that big scary headline about hormone therapy causing cancer? The one that sent the world into a panic in 2002?

Well, turns out that study was misinterpreted, misreported, and wildly misunderstood. In reality, hormone therapy—when started early in menopause—is not only safe for many women, it can literally save lives. It reduces risks of:

  • Heart disease

  • Osteoporosis

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Dementia

Truth bomb delivered. 💣

📉 5. The 3 Silent Killers Nobody Talks About

Menopause isn't just about your mood swings or night sweats. These are the real long-term health threats if left unaddressed:

  1. Cardiovascular Disease: Estrogen protects your heart. When it dips, risk rises.

  2. Diabetes/Insulin Resistance: Weight gain around the belly? That’s not just annoying—it’s metabolic.

  3. Osteoporosis: Bone loss speeds up post-menopause, especially without strength training or HRT.

🧘 6. The Menopause Survival Toolkit (You’ll Actually Use)

Here’s Dr. Haver’s non-negotiable toolkit to feel like you again:

🥩 Protein-forward diet
🏋️ Strength training (not cardio-only)
💊 HRT or evidence-based alternatives
🧠 Stress management (yes, meditation counts—even if you roll your eyes first)
😴 Sleep optimization (fix this FIRST)

Start small. Pick one today. Just one.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 7. What Partners Need to Know (and Never Say)

🎯 What to Say:
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been feeling like yourself. I’ve read a little about menopause—do you think this might be part of it? I want to support you.”

🚫 What NOT to Say:
“Are you on your period or something?”
“You’re just stressed.”
“Calm down.”

Pro tip for partners: Menopause is not moodiness—it’s biology. Be her safe space.

🧃 8. The Sneaky Daily Habit That’s Making Things Worse

🚨 Drumroll… It’s under-eating and over-exercising.

Yup. That “eat less, move more” mantra? Straight-up toxic in midlife. It tanks muscle mass, wrecks metabolism, and worsens symptoms.

Swap it for this:

✅ Eat more protein
✅ Train with resistance
✅ Fuel your body, don’t punish it

📚 9. What Med Schools Need to Start Teaching, Like, Yesterday

If Dr. Haver could redesign the curriculum, it would include:

  • A dedicated menopause module

  • Training on HRT, lifestyle medicine, and nutrition

  • Empathy-centered care for aging women

  • How to identify non-obvious symptoms like ADHD, frozen shoulder, or vertigo

Because right now? Most doctors are winging it. And that’s not good enough.

🎁 Bonus: Want to Feel Like You Again?

We covered a lot. But if you’re sitting there like, “What do I even eat? How do I start?” — we got you.

Take our ✨free quiz✨ and get a personalized keto meal plan built for your stage of life.

Whether you’re in perimenopause, menopause, or just preparing for the wild ride ahead—this plan is built to help you burn fat, support hormones, and actually enjoy eating again. 🍳🥑

You deserve to feel powerful, focused, and in control again. Let’s make that happen.

With strength (not skinny),
—Your Menopause Mythbusting Crew 💪

P.S. Got a friend who needs this? Forward it. We need to normalize this convo now. 💌

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