Tamsen Fadal Talks Menopause – HealthyWomen
In 2019, Emmy-award successful journalist Tamsen Fadal was on air, broadcasting the night information, when her thoughts went clean.
The phrase “subpoena” was up on the teleprompter, however she couldn’t keep in mind find out how to pronounce it. Should you’ve ever watched the information, you realize “subpoena” isn’t precisely an unusual phrase. It wasn’t like Fadal to flub on air, however it was occurring an increasing number of.
Fadal assumed the worst. She thought there should be one thing severely mistaken together with her mind. Nevertheless it turned out simply to be menopause — a subject that was taboo to debate at the moment.
By way of analysis, Fadal realized that hundreds of thousands of individuals are going by means of signs of menopause at any given time — however nobody was speaking about it. In 2020, Fadal posted a video on TikTok itemizing 34 signs of menopause, which shortly received greater than 1 million views and extra feedback than she might depend.
Fadal knew she wasn’t alone, however the publish helped solidify that folks needed data and so they needed to speak about menopause.
The Emmy-award successful journalist went on to be the chief producer of the primary documentary movie concerning the challenges girls face throughout menopause, The M Factor. (Search for her new documentary about perimenopause, Earlier than the Pause, in spring 2026.)
Now, her new e-book, How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before, breaks down perimenopause and menopause and affords knowledgeable recommendation, ideas and private anecdotes to assist with a variety of subjects — every little thing from brain fog to intercourse to weight-reduction plan to having a profession throughout menopause.
We talked with Fadal about her e-book and what she desires all girls to learn about menopause and thriving in midlife.
This interview has been evenly edited for readability and size.
HealthyWomen: You spent 30 years as a information anchor reporting on tales all around the world earlier than shifting your focus to menopause and girls’s well being in midlife. Inform us why it was vital so that you can put a highlight on these subjects.
Tamsen Fadal: It was really private as a result of it was one thing that I used to be going by means of and I didn’t have any solutions. I’ve advised so many tales all through my life over and over, and this was one which wasn’t on my radar.
I believe that’s form of surprising and it says so much. The extra I dove into studying about menopause, I knew that there was a necessity for me to grasp, after which a necessity for different girls to grasp, and since storytelling is every little thing that I understand how to do, that is the place it started.
We determined to do a documentary to have the ability to speak a bit of bit extra about menopause and inform tales — however you may solely inform a lot in a documentary. So, I began conserving monitor of every little thing and I wound up writing the e-book. And the e-book expanded as a result of I noticed menopause cannot simply occur contained in the physician’s workplace. It needs to be a life-style as nicely, an entire 360.
HW: You share your private experiences with signs of menopause and never figuring out that you simply have been in perimenopause within the e-book. What would you like girls to learn about perimenopause that you simply want that you simply’d identified throughout that point?
Fadal: So many issues! I want I knew the definition of perimenopause — that’s the very first thing.
I believe what’s vital to know is that there are much more signs — not simply hot flashes. A few of my first indicators have been nervousness and mind fog and waking up at 3 o’clock within the morning for no purpose.
And I would like girls to additionally perceive that they’ll have their interval throughout this time and it won’t be what it was earlier than. It could possibly be irregular.
I believe it is vital to know that hormones do not simply go straight down — they go in all places. They actually fluctuate wildly, so one month you are going to really feel like your self. One month you won’t acknowledge your individual moods. And I believe that it is vital for girls to know it is not all of their head.
And at last, there are locations to get assist, and you must get that assist forward of time. You don’t have to attend on your signs to get so unhealthy and also you’re struggling a lot, to lastly go get assist. I believe that’s in all probability my largest message — you do not have to robust it out. There’s no badge of honor for that.
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HW: You interviewed 42 specialists on your e-book. What’s one thing you realized from certainly one of them that you simply discovered notably fascinating or that you simply carry with you?
Fadal: I’ve actually carried a pair issues with me. The primary one is that hormone therapy is safer than most girls have been advised, and I believe that was actually an vital half.
After which I believe that the opposite huge a part of it’s understanding sleep as a result of I believe that is the bottom of every little thing — to me, anyway.
Your sleep goes to form of break up with you throughout this time. And it’s not your fault. And I believe quite a lot of girls blame themselves, like ‘What might I’ve finished to forestall this? How might I’ve been higher so this did not occur to me?’ And I would like girls to grasp that that is not the case.
Dr. Shelby Harris was nice about that with regard to sleep, and with regard to the mind, Dr. Lisa Mosconi could be very pivotal when it comes to permitting girls to know that issues can get higher, and that you simply do really feel like a greater model of your self after that is over and you have come on the opposite aspect. I believe that is an vital message for girls that they do not normally see. They normally see this as an finish, and I do not imagine it is an finish.
HW: As a menopause advocate, you assist create coverage that addresses the influence of menopause on girls within the office. Inform us why office insurance policies to accommodate menopause are vital?
Fadal: A few totally different causes. I believe the primary purpose is that there are such a lot of girls at this age proper now which are working and which are on the top of their profession. They usually’ve appeared ahead to this time, labored arduous for this time, and so they’re coping with quite a lot of these signs all on the similar time.
So, it is actually vital to deal with the office. I believe it is also vital to ensure girls aren’t penalized throughout this time due to a few of these signs. Signs like brain fog, fatigue and sleep disruption can instantly influence focus and confidence. And with out help, quite a lot of girls do issues like scale back their hours, step again from management or depart the workforce altogether.
It is vital to normalize the dialog. Typically coverage helps sign that menopause shouldn’t be this taboo matter. We have been taught it is an precise actuality. And girls in midlife representing a good portion of the workforce, treating it like a legit office consideration is absolutely, actually vital. Have a look at maternity depart. Have a look at psychological well being advantages. There are other ways to develop and undertake change and support menopausal women in the workplace, and it doesn’t must be all or nothing.
Read: Support for Menopause in the Workplace >>
HW: Your podcast tackles many alternative girls’s well being points. Inform us one thing that you have realized just lately from a visitor that stunned you.
Fadal: Gosh, there’ve been so many issues! One particularly was a dialog about ADHD and menopause that hasn’t even been launched but. It was fascinating to see the overlap of these two issues and to notice that many ladies haven’t talked about this mix.
The second factor is the hair/pores and skin connection. Dr. Doris Day got here on my podcast speaking about hair and pores and skin and menopause, and I do not suppose I actually understood that correlation earlier than. She mentioned she will have any person come into her workplace and she will inform simply by their pores and skin whether or not they’re in perimenopause.
I assumed that was form of shocking. Some girls suppose they’re simply not caring for their pores and skin, however once more, we blame ourselves so much. I just like the conversations that enable girls to have solutions so they do not really feel prefer it’s their fault and one thing that they did not do proper as a result of I believe that that’s the message we have been offered for a very long time. Should you work more durable, it’ll be higher.
HW: What do you suppose is the largest delusion of menopause?
Fadal: There are two. Relating to the psychological a part of menopause, one of many huge myths is that it’s the start of the top of your sexuality and intercourse life and feeling assured and nice. And I do not suppose that is true. I believe there are some actual items of menopause, and we see them when it comes to girls feeling freer than they’ve ever felt earlier than, and enthusiastic about what’s subsequent, embracing their knowledge and never making an attempt to behave like they’re 20 years previous anymore.
And the opposite huge delusion is hormone therapy. There’s quite a lot of confusion about hormone remedy as a result of flawed WHI research and the headlines that got here from that research. I believe that has quite a lot of girls confused. So I believe that we’re actually on a path proper now to coach, educate, educate.
My primary objective is to determine methods to inform tales so that girls perceive what’s happening, after which can discover options so they are not strolling round at nighttime making an attempt to determine the place the sunshine change is.
HW: As an authorized integrative diet coach, what do you advocate that postmenopausal girls incorporate of their weight-reduction plan and why?
Fadal: That is for all girls — I positively suppose that protein is an enormous one. It is in all probability the toughest. You understand, we hear about it on a regular basis. I believe girls are like, ‘How do I even get sufficient protein?’ So, having a deal with that and having a deal with stability. I am an enormous proponent of the Mediterranean weight-reduction plan — it is what I grew up on. It is what I’ve now gone again to after being on 1,000 totally different meals plans over the course of my life — excessive carb, low carb, up and down.
However I believe that the Mediterranean weight-reduction plan supplies stability the place you are still consuming meals that you simply like. I do not suppose meals must be punishment — I do not suppose that we must always dread each meal. I believe we must always stay up for it.
I do suppose it’s vital to ensure you’re getting sufficient vitamin D as a result of bone well being is simply actually one thing that is vital throughout this time and your omegas for coronary heart well being. The three areas that I deal with now as a postmenopausal lady are mind, coronary heart and bone health — the omegas, vitamin D and protein.
HW: If menopause was a personality in a TV present, who would they be?
Fadal: That is a very good query. Let me suppose for a second … Have you ever ever watched Schitt’s Creek? I might say Moira as a result of she’s very unpredictable.
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