IN THIS EPISODE OF THE HUMAN UPGRADE™… menopause—and the perimenopausal years leading up to it—takes the spotlight as a topic frequently requested by listeners. Great timing, as it’s World Menopause Awareness Day as this episode launched on Oct. 18 and World Menopause Awareness Month in October.More than 1 million women in the United States experience menopause each year. Still, little is known, researched or taught in medical schools about the health effects of this natural biological occurrence.This is an episode for all the men listening, too! Also, younger women will get a lot of benefit out of the show and come away armed with information to help them navigate the many physical and mental changes of perimenopause leading up to menopause. Note, too, that some women go through menopause at ages earlier than 40 for various medical reasons and will want to keep listening.“I want people to stop being afraid to say menopause,” says Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz. “I think there's a lot to be said for just saying the word out loud. If we can deweaponize the term and just be talking about it like we would any other life phase, then we can be there for each other and we can also learn from each other.”Dr. Suzanne, an OBGYN board certified in integrative and holistic medicine, brings her expertise to the show to tackle this complex topic. Her “endless curiosity about the human experience” propelled her to uncover ways to ease women through pre and menopause stages with effective tools. She looks at the science and also brings in holistic elements, including Ayurveda.  For more than two decades, she’s led women through life transitions. Her new book “Menopause Bootcamp: Optimize Your Health, Empower Your Self and Flourish as You Age” offers practical steps and solutions that can help women navigate the many menopausal changes they may experience. Some of what you’ll learn in this extensive conversation:Ways to de-pathologize menopause—which contributes to healing ageism.What’s actually going on with your hormones during the transition to menopause and beyond.Why hormone testing isn’t all that useful.Why Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT and what used to be called hormone replacement therapy, or HRT)—continues to be misunderstood and controversial.How to craft specific questions to better advocate for yourself with doctors.How to recognize symptoms that can range from moderate to severe to even debilitating.How to manage symptoms that disrupt the activities of daily living and long-term health.How physical changes can drive mental health issues during this time of your life.How to take control of your symptoms and find real solutions.Dr. Suzanne’s “Menopause Bootcamp” touches on prejudice in medicine and how to break free from the societal bullshit surrounding menopause so you can get appropriate help and treatments. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.