Gwyneth Paltrow wants to rebrand menopause for women everywhere — and she’s starting by opening up about her own experience with her changing body.
The Oscar-winning actress 46, revealed this week that she’s in perimenopause, which usually begins several years before menopause when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. Perimenopause is usually seen when women are in their 40s, but can also bring about symptoms in the 30s, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I think when you get into perimenopause, you notice a lot of changes,” she said in a candid video for Goop, the lifestyle brand she founded in 2008. “I can feel the hormonal changes happening: The sweating. The moods. You’re just like all of a sudden furious for no reason.”
Additional symptoms include irregular periods, sleep problems, vaginal and bladder problems, loss of bone density and cholesterol levels — some of which come on gradually, the Mayo Clinic says.
“I have tweaked my approach to fitness, for example, to bring in more weight-lifting to build bone density, and I continue to eat as healthy as possible—whole foods, lots of green vegetables, clean sources of protein—particularly at lunch,” she wrote in the Ask GP section of Goop’s website, adding, “Everyone needs some off-the-leash time at night.”
“While I wasn’t overly focused on my hormones in my thirties,” Paltrow continued, “I do a panel every six months now to ensure that everything is aligned.”
This isn’t Paltrow’s first experience with menopause’s side effects. She had witnessed it first hand when her mother — actress Blythe Danner, 75 — went through the process.
“I remember when my mother went through menopause and it was like such a big deal and there was grief around it for her and all of these emotions,” Paltrow recalled.
She’s also astutely aware of the way menopause is discussed — something she’s hoping to shift. “I think menopause gets a really bad rap and needs a bit of a rebranding,” Paltrow added. “I don’t think we have in our society a great example of an aspirational menopausal woman.”
To help, Paltrow’s company is aiming to reimagine how women mentally and physically approach “the change.”
Goop is launching Madame Ovary, a series of supplements designed to give additional benefits to women in the many stages of their hormonal change — from those approaching, in the throes of, or just past menopause. Made up of a mix of essential vitamins, herbs, phytonutrients and adaptogens, the supplement regime combats things like hot flashes, mood swings and stress-related fatigue, Goop says.
They were formulated with the help of Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read, who has a long history of helping women through the hormonal changes and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
“We at Goop wanted to create the Madame Ovary protocol because there aren’t a lot of products being made for us to really help us through that phase,” Paltrow explained in her video. “We felt that we could, with Dr. Dominique Read, really give them a hand through this person. Surrounding yourself with love and the right amount of self-care is always the way forward.”
“Beyond the baseline support that it provides, I particularly love the Madame Ovary regimen for its support in balancing my mood,” Paltrow added on Goop’s website. “I feel like I have fewer days now when I feel cranky or emotional for no apparent reason. And when I’m even, a packed schedule is infinitely more manageable.”
Paltrow’s revelation comes during an exciting time in her life. On Sept. 29, she married husband Brad Falchuk, 47, in an intimate ceremony at her home in East Hampton, New York. Paltrow confirmed the news with a sweet shot of the two showing off their wedding bands on Instagram one day after the ceremony.
Their nuptials were attended by a slew of A-list guests, including Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Cameron Diaz and her husband Benji Madden, as well as Paltrow’s Iron Man costar Robert Downey Jr.
On Wednesday, the newlyweds celebrated their first Halloween as husband and wife, dressing as Jackson Maine and Ally from the hit movie A Star Is Born.
Married life has been going great so far. “It’s fantastic,” Paltrow told Glamour UK in October. “I feel so lucky and I am so grateful. It’s different to be in your mid-40s; do it again and bring all your experience, your pain, your happiness, suffering — everything. It’s actually very heartening, I feel very optimistic!”
