Table of Contents
Introduction ix
Chapter 1 The Gift of Fog 1
The Walk 2
The Circle 4
The Talk 5
The "Open" 6
Your Gift is Waiting 9
Chapter 2 What Did I Come in Here For? 11
The Symptoms 13
Other Causes of Brain Fog 20
Talking to Your Doctor 23
The Next Steps 24
Chapter 3 My Inner Science Geek Speaks 25
The Difference Between Men and Women 27
Physical Differences in Male and Female Brains 29
Why the Differences Exist 30
Brain Changes at Menopause 32
Is There Any Hope at All? 33
Chapter 4 Hacks to Help You Get Through Your Day 38
Make a List and Check It Twice 39
Make a Habit of Creating Habits 42
Sit Back and Relax 44
Concentrate on Concentrating 45
It's Not the End of the World 47
Chapter 5 Can I Eat Myself Smart? 49
How Nutrition and Diet Fit In 50
Chapter 6 Move More to Think Better 60
Exercise Your Body 60
Exercise Your Brain 66
Chapter 7 Ah, Blessed Sleep 71
How Sleep Affects Your Brain 72
How Menopause Affects Sleep 74
How to Fix Your Sleep 77
Chapter 8 Stress Messes with Your Brain 83
How Stress Messes with Your Brain 84
How Menopause Affects Cortisol and Stress 85
Some Ways to Stop Stress 87
Chapter 9 Can't My Doctor Fix This? 95
Herbal Supplements and Your Thinking 96
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Your Thinking 98
The Effect of Surgical or Chemical Menopause on Your Thinking 101
Antidepressants and Your Thinking 102
Does Your Doctor Have the Answer for You? 104
Chapter 10 Unwrapping the Gift: From Brain Fog to Brain Shine 105
The Mind-Body Connection 106
Step Aside 108
Standing on the Vantage Point 109
You, Reimagined 113
Chapter 11 Me and You 116
Further Reading from the Menopause Guru 119
Acknowledgments 120
About the Author 122
Thank You 124