Author:Shahzadi Harper,Emma Bardwell
You are not going mad - it's your hormones!
The perimenopause (the time leading up to the menopause) is often misunderstood. For some women, it lasts a few months; for others it consumes the best part of a decade. This transitional period can be a time of emotional turmoil, shifting priorities and physical changes: from hot flushes, insomnia, low mood and anxiety, to itchy skin, thinning hair, weight gain and loss of libido . . . to name just a few! Millions of women in their thirties and forties go through this without even realising they are perimenopausal. It's time they take back control.
In The Perimenopause Solution, Dr Shahzadi Harper, a medical doctor specialising in women's health and Emma Bardwell, a registered nutritionist, provide a blueprint to help women find a new balance in this important phase of their lives, so they can be prepared, not scared. Akin to getting two expert consultations in one, this holistic and accessible guide combines practical, no-nonsense information on the physical and mental changes to expect, with powerful advice on managing symptoms and nutrition, as what you eat during the perimenopause can dramatically affect your experience of it.
Expert-led and forward-thinking in its approach, The Perimenopause Solution will not just help you survive the journey towards the menopause - it will let you thrive.
Every woman needs this book
—— Meg MathewsClear and informative, this is a book I'll be recommending to my friends
—— Lisa SnowdonEmma's combination of research, knowledge and empathy helps make the confusing topic of perimenopause much easier to understand
—— Madeleine ShawJenni has a light touch when writing about hers and others struggles with eating and bodies. She does it too with the science, so that agony and confusion is mixed with humour and hope. A beautiful book.
—— Susie OrbachLaudably frank.
—— The Big IssueA painfully honest account of [Jenni's] lifelong battle to lose weight and an investigation into the physical and psychological causes of obesity.
Sometimes you read a book that just makes you want to take the author's hands, look them in the eye and say thank you. This is that book. I needed to read it, you need to read it, everyone needs to read it
—— Stacey Halls, bestselling author of THE FAMILIARSWarm and wide-ranging and wise, a wonderful companion and guide
—— Cressida Connolly, author of AFTER THE PARTYOne reading of this book is not enough. Conversations on Love is inspiring, insightful, comforting and hopeful in equal measure. Every page makes you think about why we feel the way we do and gently nudges you towards self compassion.
—— Rosie Green, author of HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN HEARTI've never felt such growth after reading a book - I felt seen, challenged, understood, provoked and soothed. It's such a touching reminder about the love that really is all around us, and the importance of tending to it. Conversations in Love is a study that I'll come back to again and again.
—— Laura Jane Williams, author of THE LOVE SQUARE and OUR STOPNatasha Lunn is the most thoughtful interviewer I have ever encountered, with a heart as big as her brain, and these conversations are endlessly inspiring, restorative, surprising and delicious. Love is too often taken for granted: here it shines under rigorous analysis to create a manifesto of how and why we feel, and a must-read for anyone who has a heart!
—— Emma Jane Unsworth, author of ANIMALSBreathtaking in its scope and breadth, Natasha Lunn combines the boundless curiosity of a researcher, the passion of a formidable writer, and the erudition of a deeply reflective thinker. She's daring and kind, and a joy to read. Conversations on Love offers us vital guidance for navigating all relationships
—— Charlotte Fox Weber, founder of The School of Life PsychotherapyThis is a book that people need to read about love in its many complex, challenging, sacred and profane forms
—— Jean Hannah Edelstein, author of This Really Isn't About YouThis beautiful book is essential reading. I wish I could send this book back in time and read it to every past version of myself, to teach her all the hopeful and expansive possibilities of love. I know my future self will rely on it every day. Lunn's thoughtful interviews with brilliant subjects illuminate new ways of thinking about friendship, romance, attachment and loss. Beautifully written and so acutely observed, this book is a gift
—— Lucia Osborne-Crawley, author of I Choose Elena & My Body Keeps Your SecretsThis book is moving and lyrical, but more than anything it captures how love colours and transforms loss, and makes the reader feel that the memory of love is sustains in itself
—— Baroness Julia NeubergerRarely has a non-fiction book made me feel so seen, but also given me so much hope about love. Conversations on Love is an incredible book - not only is it so beautifully written but the full gamut of love is represented from families to romance to parenthood to friendship
—— Poorna Bell, author of STRONGERA sure-fire contender for multiple buys and gifting to pals . . . It will honestly change how you think about love, in romantic relationships or otherwise, and has the power to overhaul your life in all manner of positive ways
—— Living EtcThought-provoking, wise and reassuring
—— Good HousekeepingConversations on Love will change your perspective of connection, love, friendship, grief, and everything in between. It's the most important book I've read this year, and it may have changed the way I approach relationships forever
—— Her.ieThis essential read could change your perspective on relationships, offering reassurance and hope
—— CultureWhisperThought-provoking and insightful.
—— MetroUnflinchingly honest, emotionally raw, and surprisingly sweet.
—— SheerLuxeRaw and funny, Heawood’s memoir celebrates the messiness of life and motherhood with boldness, panache, and unexpected moments of real poignancy. An uncensored and eccentric delight.
—— BooklistHeawood writes with warmth and wit about life as a single mother.
—— Rachel Cooke , Observer, *Books to Look Out For in 2020*Rejoice! One of our favourite journalists Sophie Heawood – known for her hilarity and honesty – publishes her first book this year. It's a memoir about being a single mother when you haven't quite worked out how to look after yourself.
—— Arielle Tchiprout , Red *The best books we can't wait to read in 2020*[Heawood] shares her story with huge wit and sharp observation.
—— Hannah Stephenson , Irish Examiner, *12 of the best new reads for summer*A tender and hilarious account of her life as a single mother.
—— Sophie Morris , iThis [is an] incredibly candid and often LOLs memoir about how it feels to raise a baby on your own when you're more into negronis than nappies.
—— CosmopolitanReading Heawood's often outrageous and occasionally undignified anecdotes was the perfect tonic during the second national lockdown. Though hilariously funny, her story of accidental pregnancy is also tender and poignant, with her accounts of motherhood feeling far less common through a single-parent lens.
—— IndependentA tender and funny account of single parenthood
—— GuardianPacked with humour and honesty, it's also tender, moving and relatable, detailing Heawood's own evolution and growth alongside her young daughter's, and the highs and lows of solo parenting.
—— Harpers Bazaar