Health and Wellness Resources for the 40+ Woman
I think it was Hunter S Thompson who said something about sliding into the grave sideways screaming ‘what a ride’ and while I love this image, most of us women in midlife (40–65) are striving for a healthier and more reasonable approach.
At the same time, there is so little research and innovation for women once we are done with the baby-making years (whether you opt in or not) that it feels like we have to become health professionals ourselves to fill the gap.
Set down the cupcake and champagne and bong (or your unhealthy variation) and read on. There is hope as we are seeing more and more activity in the space and I for one can stan for it.
I am not endorsing any of the resources in this post although I am intimately familiar with quite a few of them. In other words, own your own healthcare journey and do your research.
Note: for most of these, menopause refers to the menopause transition period from perimenopause (the 7–12 years before a woman reaches menopause) and post menopause (the period after a woman’s period has been gone for 12 months). We don’t talk about this enough!
This will be updated as new resources become available and/or I become aware of them. Check out the Resources page on the Piloting Your Life website for more midlife women resources.
Websites and Apps
Even though the FemTech market maps (like the one above) seem to overlook anything beyond baby care, we know there are resources out there (in alpha order).
Caria app (formerly Clio): “personalized menopause care.” The company is Chorus Health and is based in San Francisco, CA. Co-founder: Arfa Rehman
Gennev: menopause coaching, telehealth and products. Women led business based in Seattle, WA. CEO: Jill Angelo
Lisa Health: “digital app for women’s midlife well-being.” Woman led business based in Oakland, CA. CEO: Ann Garnier
Products
Mighty Menopause: “herbal menopause relief.” Woman led company based in NY. Founder: Jeanne Chung
Pulse: lube and intimate products. Woman led company based in Seattle, WA. CEO: Amy Buckalter
Healthcare Providers
Charleston House (Dallas, TX): Dr. Kamilia Smith saw a huge gap in the healthcare for women over 40 and decided to do something about it. I’d like to see more from Kamilia as a thought leader and more facilities like Charleston House around the country.
Dr. Jen Guntner: she wrote the Vagina Bible and is working on a book about the menopause transition due out next year. I follow her on Twitter and I appreciate that she is a voice of reason.
Heart to Heart Medical Center (Santa Rosa, CA): Dr. Shirko Sokitch
Books, Podcasts and YouTube Channels
Piloting Your Life (the book): this is my book. I wrote it to inspire and embolden women over the age of 40 to design and live a life of their own creation. It’s a well researched, inspiring beach read that is the umbrella for all of the other books out there. Think of it as the What to Expect When…for midlife.
Piloting Your Life (podcast): this is my podcast. Last season was all about deeper dives into topics from my book, Piloting Your Life, and other midlife topics I totally missed. While each season’s theme may change, there is a 98% chance it will be all about and for women, especially midlife women.
Magnificent Midlife (podcast): Rachel Lankester is based in the UK and endeavors to inspire and educate women about menopause. Rachel also provides mentoring and coaching for women going through the menopause transition.
Menopodcast (podcast): two gals in LA talk about menopause, hot flashes and hormones.
Menopause Confidential (book) by Dr. Tara Allmen
Wisdom of Menopause (book) by Dr. Christianne Northrup
Final Thoughts
I will continue to update this post as I learn about new resources or I am reminded of those I should have remembered. Feel free to drop me a line at pilotingyourlife@gmail.com if you have suggestions for this list.
