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Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40

8/8/2024

An Eco farmer and Endo warrior whose middle aged reads and reviews the hormone repair manual by lara briden.

Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide To Healthy Hormones After 40 by Lara Briden ND

Having found The Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden (the author of this book), I had high expectations for 'The hormone Repair Manual'. I don't know if I'm not at the right age yet (I recently turned 49 at the time of this writing), or if this book simply isn't for me. I certainly should be smack in the middle of the target audience.

What was the deciding factor for me in purchasing this book was seeing folks mention how this book helps them understand their aches & pains, including joint pain.

Around age 36 or 37 I noticed some negative changes in my cycle. At the time, I didn't know what was going on. It was very scary for me. We had only moved to our homestead for about 2 years. We didn't have health insurance (still don't, it's unaffordable) & our income was near the poverty line. But, we had our land, our youth, & a lot of hope & ambition. My point in mentioning this is that I think this book would have been incredibly useful to me back then. It took until my early 40's before I finally found out that I have Endometriosis combined with the other symptoms that come with aging.

According to the author, the window one can be in perimenopause is so big that I feel like it must have started for me around age 36 or 37. However, the author indicates that perimenopause lasts 2 to 3 years. So then I'm not in perimenopause. Personally, I think I am, but that's just my opinion. That'd mean I've been in it for over 10 years though. And there is the Endometriosis to consider. I'm confused. If anything, I think I might be more confused after reading this book. That doesn't make this a bad book. There is a lot of useful information.

What about joint pain & aches in general? The main reason I purchased this book. These issues get a brief mention. There is a section on dealing with pain but it's mostly about taking over the counter pain medication. That's not really what I was looking for. I was hoping to find if there were dietary recommendations &/or any types of movements, etc. that I could do in hopes of improving my situation. I was also hoping for more information in general about the topic. What is the possible cause? Why does this happen? According to the author, it seems like many of her patients think they have arthritis, but she says it's actually the result of our bodies adjusting to the hormonal changes into "second puberty". These pains probably wont last once we are in menopause. Menopause is when you've gone a full year without a bleed (if you still have a uterus) or as she also calls it, without "cycling". This terminology includes those who menstruate (bleed) due to still having their uterus or those who don't bleed but still cycle because they still have their ovaries.

This book is also unnecessarily long due to repetition. I wish it was presented with more precision & a larger font. Read one section & you pretty much are good to go for answers to nearly every other treatment or solution.

The overall solution for every single woman probably wont surprise most folks, as most of this isn't new information.

Eat a lower carbohydrate (not necessarily Keto) diet. Do intermittent fasting. For example, only eat between 10am and 7pm. 7pm to 10am is your overnight fast with the majority of it being while you are sleeping. This allows your body to temporarily go into Ketosis.
Don't consume sugars of any type, especially fructose. Stevia is okay.
Eat lots of vegetables & quality meats. Go organic if you can afford it. If you can't it's okay. Just be sure get in plenty of those healthy veggies.
Don't skimp on protein. As we age our protein requirements go up.
What about dairy? She believes that some women's systems react to dairy so she recommends cutting it out to see if it helps. If you aren't sensitive, it's okay. Don't eat ultra processed "foods".

There is a lot about hormone therapy. Both estrogen & progesterone are discussed many times. Every time this topic is brought up she weighs the pros & cons for that particular situation.

Supplementation is also mentioned for each topic. She lists what she feels is best for any particular symptom. As with hormone therapy, she mentions the pros & cons for each supplement. Supplementation is another repetitive topic. A quick summary of this is, no matter what symptom you are dealing with, she recommends magnesium for every single one of them. So, take your magnesium folks!

I've been following an AIP diet for a decade or so. It made the greatest & quickest change for the positive I've ever experienced in my life. I suppose this is why her dietary recommendations are not of much use to me. I read them in hopes of learning something new. I'm always trying to stay on top of health & nutrition. And, I did learn something new! Her take on dairy was something I don't recall hearing about. She says there are no scientific studies done on diary's effect on woman's cycles. She hopes there will be soon. She bases her opinion solely on observational results.

The back of the book has a resources section is very handy. Here you can find updates, her blog, contraception, early menopause, endometriosis & adenomyosis, additional resources, citations, progesterone therapy, thyroid treatment, endometriosis diagnosis, & supplements (my favorite section).

My personal health plan for dealing with my own symptoms are listed below.
FYI: I still cycle regularly. I have all of my lovely lady parts. I have not had anything removed. I have never taken the pill or any other type of contraceptive. I am not over or under weight. I am active, but not athletic. I'm a hands on farmer/homesteader. As previously mentioned, I follow a modified AIP diet. I do excellent on it. I noticed I am much more sensitive to sugars then when I was younger. I get the jitters from rather low amounts. Keeping all sugars at a minimum keeps me feeling my best.

Supplements I Currently Take:

Progesterone cream, Emerita Pro-Gest Cream with Vitamin D3
Calcium d-glucarate, NOW 500 mg
Turmeric, Thorne Phytosome 100 mg (Meriva)
Fermented cod liver oil, Green Pasture, cinnamon flavor
Kelp (for iodine), Oregon's Harvest
Magnesium Glycinate, Blue Bonnet &/or Nature's Bounty
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), Pure Encapsulations
Vitex, Oregon's Harvest
Diindolylmethane, NOW DIM 200
Electrolytes, LMNT Zero Sugar, raw unflavored

While I don't find this book as useful as The Period Repair Manual, I do still consider it a keeper. Aside from the Endometriosis, I am generally pretty darn healthy. I expect that as I grow older into second puberty, I will find myself focusing on particular sections of this book & making dietary &/or lifestyle adjustments as needed. And of course, over time there will be other authors with books on this topic. Hopefully more information comes out that can help all women navigate this storm season.

A middle aged Endo Warriors honest review of the Hormone Repair Manual by Lara Briden.

Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40

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