It takes more than grit to get through menopause!
It also takes knowledge, patience, innovation, courage and resilience.
Shannon Huffman Polson knows a thing or two about these particular qualities. She was one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the U.S. Army, then stepped into corporate leadership after her military service, now running The Grit Institute and continuing to write, speak, lead, and parent.
The Grit Factor lays out three sections, Commit, Learn, Launch, with robust depth and breadth fueled by powerful women such as:
💥 Major Heather Penney, one of the first female F-16 pilots
💥 General Ann Dunwoody, first female Army four-star general
💥 Lieutenant colonel Amy McGrath, first female Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat
💥 Major Katie Higgins, first woman to fly with the Blue Angels
Many women have great anxiety navigating peri/menopause. They also have trouble getting accurate, succinct, and evidence-based information. This can be so frustrating, especially at a time (midlife) when so many things are happening in their lives.
The Menopause Menu breaks down the banquet of menopause symptoms into bite-sized chunks, made more palatable by art, poetry, haiku and recipes, and quotes from remarkable women in the medical profession such as:
💥 Dr. Diana Londoño, urologist and coach
💥 Dr. Sabrina Falquier, culinary, lifestyle & internal medicine physician
💥 Dr. Lori Cooper, endocrinologist
💥 Dr. Tracey O’Connell, radiologist and coach
I see a lot of similarities between our two books. They:
✅ Present subject matter as fundamentals but in a non-boring way
✅ Offer methods to navigate hardships and challenges
✅ Embrace the unique pathways that women take
✅ Serve to mentor and encourage women
✅ Are also great resources for men
✅ Are written by female authors who have experience and expertise
✅ Peel away the layers of what it means to be strong in a “man’s world”
✅ Pave the way to a supportive sisterhood
✅ Leave their readers invigorated and informed
✅ Both have great covers
Okay, I just couldn’t help myself on that last one!
I hope you take the opportunity to read both books—they are great resources and will not disappoint. Both Shannon and I believe in the power of a story, and she sums it up best with her personal truth, “stories help us survive.”
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Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD is an internal medicine physician who provides telemedicine medical consultation and advocacy support for patients in WA state. Find out more at myMDadvocate.
Her new book, The Menopause Menu, is an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide and recipe book for navigating menopause.