Newsflash! How Hot Flashes Could Save Your Life

Annoying. Bothersome. Debilitating. Frustrating. Uncomfortable. Painful. Even distressing. These are words that could be used for the hot flashes many women suffer with during perimenopause and menopause, but you will probably have never heard them referred to as life saving. But with a new perspective and a new theory on why we experience hot flashes in the first place, in this short book, Pearl Howie sheds new light on the actual benefits of hot flashes or flushes. Looking at the first few studies that finally focus on perimenopausal and menopausal hot flashes, can we finally find a connection with a biological necessity for them? Rather than looking to get rid of them completely, can we work with our hot flashes to become healthier – as individuals, families, communities and also as a species? By beginning to more fully explore and understand the mechanism of hot flashes, as well as the behaviour and importance of brown adipose tissue, the mysterious fat in our bodies which generates heat, we can start to see a picture of why we may be suffering from more severe hot flashes than ever before, not because of changing biology, but because of changing lifestyles. It's as simple as turning down our thermostats. Which you might expect. But by understanding why cooler temperatures are crucial to keeping our bodies healthy, we can hopefully do better at staying cool. Because keeping cool can actually help us to maintain a healthy weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Rather than an indication that we are unhealthy or overweight, as urban myths around hot flashes (and sometimes even our doctors) tell us, hot flashes may well be an indication of a healthy body and may be a logical response to warmer temperatures at home, work and in other spaces. The fact that hot flashes force us to cool down can even help us to FIGHT obesity and type 2 diabetes and ultimately save our lives. "To me, you are a hero... What an adventure!" Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. , author of "Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway"