Queen Máxima received the first published copy of Transition from Head to Toe, a new book about menopause during a virtual visit to the Gelderse Vallei Hospital on Thursday.
The book was written by Mirjam van’t Veld and Marcelle Meesters, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gelderse Vallei Hospital and a writer, respectively, after they noticed that many women did not know the symptoms of menopause and other menopausal complaints.
Transitions from Head to Toe features interviews with experts and specialists who have shared their menopausal experiences, as well as scientific and practical sections for women experiencing menopause.
The authors noted, “’If you want to break a taboo, you have to tell your own story.”
After Queen Máxima’s presentation, the doctors continued with a webinar about “how lifestyle changes, especially in the areas of nutrition, exercise and sleep, can reduce menopausal symptoms by adjusting lifestyle,” according to the Hospital’s website.
The authors wrote on the Hospital’s website that “In order to break the taboo, it is important that there is more openness about the subject. In the near future, we will hand over more books to people who can play a positive role in breaking that taboo because of their position.”
In an interview with Gelderlander, the authors said that the second copy of the book had been presented to the out-going Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, and that “We want to hand over this book to all famous women in the Netherlands.”
van’t Veld added, “Many complaints are related to the transition. And sometimes something can be done about this with a healthy lifestyle. Discuss it with your doctor.”
To continue with the research into how menopause and menopausal symptoms can be better tracked and understood, the Gelderse Valli Hospital will be conducting research soon “in particular on the influence of nutrition, exercise and sleep.”
