#005 - Women’s Health
Women’s bodies are not just smaller versions of men’s—and midlife proves it
By Dr. Kate Whitehouse, Obstetrician-Gynaecologist & Researcher
Hey lads! Before you hit delete on this message, I invite you to keep reading--your support matters more than you know!
Whether you're a partner, son, brother, colleague, or friend, the women in your life are likely going through changes they don’t always talk about. We need you on our side as advocates and support systems. So please keep reading!
____________________
I don’t have to tell all of you, dear readers, that something shifts once you hit your 40s... the fatigue that never seems to leave, the musculoskeletal injuries, the increasing inches around the midline, the STRESS! You wake up some days thinking, “Who is this person in the mirror?” and “What is happening to me?!”
This isn’t just aging—it’s midlife for women, and it hits a bit different than it does for men! The perimenopausal and menopausal years are one of the most poorly understood and underserved phases in health.
Starting as early as our late 30s and lasting for up to two decades, women (and people with ovaries) go through a cascade of physical, hormonal, and mental changes as the production of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) from our ovaries slowly tapers off. In fact, postmenopausal women often have lower estrogen levels than men of similar age. This loss of estrogen affects literally every system of the body: sleep, metabolism, mood, muscle mass, brain clarity, joint pain, skin elasticity, and how we relate to food, sex, and stress…all if it is turned upside as our bodies struggle to recalibrate after losing the primary hormone that has been benefiting our bodies for decades.
We also hit this stage while we are juggling more balls than ever: raising children, supporting aging parents, navigating career pivots, or facing relationship shifts. Society has always expected women to suck it up, not complain, and power through. Because so little research has focused on understanding and optimizing this phase of life, even well-meaning healthcare providers feel unsure of how best to support us.
But the good news is that YOU ARE NOT BROKEN! BUT your needs are unique to men’s!
While challenging, this phase of life also presents an opportunity to step back and recalibrate. Once we understand what’s changing, we can make smarter, evidence-based choices about how to support our bodies—and our futures. There is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but evidence also shows us that lifestyle changes help too: strength training, high-quality protein, some supplements, better sleep. This is your opportunity—not just to “manage symptoms” but to build resilience and strength for the decades ahead.
In future editions of this newsletter, I’ll break down the science behind what’s happening to women in midlife, and how to work with your body instead of against it. We’ll explore topics like:
A deeper dive into the hormonal changes and how they affect our health
Creatine and supplements that are evidence-backed
How HRT can help
Importance of strength training for women’s aging bodies
And much more…
Until then, remember that thriving in midlife isn’t about chasing youth. It’s about recalibrating to where you are right now and finding tools that are actually proven to help women invest in their health and longevity.
Dr Kate Whitehouse