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Menopause Matters: 6 Common Myths Debunked


Menopause is a natural stage of life, but there is a lot of misinformation that makes it confusing and sometimes even scary. At Grassroots Health, we want to share clear, supportive information so you can feel empowered in your health journey.


1. Menopause happens suddenly

Menopause is actually a gradual process. The transition, called perimenopause, can last several years. Symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, or irregular periods often appear during this stage before periods stop completely.


2. Menopause only affects older women.

While the average age is around 51, menopause can begin earlier due to genetics, health conditions, or medical treatments. Some people experience menopause in their 30s or 40s, often referred to as early or premature menopause.


3. Hot flashes are the only symptom.

While hot flashes are common, menopause can also affect sleep, mood, memory, energy, sexual health, and bone density. Every person’s experience is unique.


4. Menopause means your health declines.

Menopause is not the end of health; it is a new chapter. With proper nutrition, movement, stress management, and regular check-ups, people can thrive during and after menopause.


5. There is nothing you can do about symptoms.

There are many ways to manage symptoms, from lifestyle shifts such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep, to medical support like hormone therapy or other treatments.


6. Menopause means the end of intimacy.

Changes in hormones can affect libido and comfort, but with communication and self-care, intimacy can continue and even grow stronger.


|Menopause is a natural transition, not an illness. Understanding the facts can help you embrace this stage of life with more confidence and less stigma. If you want guidance or personalized support, our practitioners at Grassroots Health are here to help you navigate this stage of life safely and comfortably.


Menopause Podcasts


Video Resource: The #1 Menopause Doctor: How to Lose Belly Fat, Sleep Better, & Stop Suffering Now Mel Robbins Podcast In this insightful video, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a certified menopause practitioner, discusses effective strategies for managing menopause symptoms. She covers topics such as dietary adjustments to reduce bloating, supplements to improve sleep quality, and exercises to aid in weight management during menopause. 



 Menopause Resources

The Menopause Society – Patient Education:

A comprehensive resource hub providing information on menopause symptoms, treatment options, and lifestyle adjustments.


Menopause Foundation of Canada:

A Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about menopause and its impact on women and society. They provide a comprehensive range of resources, including symptom trackers, guides for healthcare practitioners, and information on menopause-inclusive workplaces. Their mission is to eliminate the stigma associated with menopause and ensure it is fully supported by healthcare systems, governments, businesses, and communities.

Society for Women's Health Research – Menopause Preparedness Toolkit:

A guide to support women through major menopause milestones and prepare for conversations with physicians, families, and friends.


Citations

  1. StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf. “Menopause.” Covers menopause symptoms including hot flashes, mood, sleep, and vaginal changes, and notes variability among individuals. NCBI Bookshelf

  2. NIH / MedlinePlus. “Menopause: What You Need to Know.” Explains stages, typical age ranges, and common symptoms. NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  3. Mayo Clinic. “Menopause Facts vs. Fiction.” Myth-busting format addressing misconceptions, including early onset and symptom variability. Mayo Clinic MC Press

  4. NYU / NY Langone. “Five Menopause Myths You Should Stop Believing Now.” Discusses myths about symptom duration and misconceptions about menopause specialists. NYU Langone Health

  5. Canadian Menopause Society. “12 Myths.” Layout of commonly held myths and factual clarifications. Canadian Menopause Society

 
 
 

Healing Out Loud: Queer Resilience, Rest & Radical Self-Love

Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. For queer, trans, Two-Spirit, and BIPOC folks, the path to healing often looks layered, complex, and personal.


This Pride Month, we’re touching on the kind of healing that doesn’t always get talked about, the kind rooted in rest, community, and quiet acts of survival.
This Pride Month, we’re touching on the kind of healing that doesn’t always get talked about, the kind rooted in rest, community, and quiet acts of survival.

We talk specifically about BIPOC queer and Two-Spirit folks because these communities often live at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression, racism, homophobia, transphobia, colonialism, ableism and still don’t see themselves reflected in mainstream wellness spaces. That erasure can be isolating. It can make healing feel even harder.

But the truth is: we’ve always found ways to take care of each other. Through culture. Through chosen family. Through music, movement, and storytelling. Through simply surviving.


Healing here doesn’t have to be loud. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes it looks like sleeping in, unfollowing accounts that drain you, taking a walk, starting therapy, or just saying “I don’t have it in me today.”


And for those moments when you need a little extra support, here are some resources—created with and for our communities—that center care for BIPOC queer, trans, and Two-Spirit folks across Ontario and Canada:


1. Across Boundaries – Mental Health Services for Racialized Communities](Toronto/GTA)

Provides holistic and culturally safe mental health care for Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, including 2SLGBTQ+ folks. A space that understands how identity and oppression shape our healing.🔗 acrossboundaries.ca



2. Native Youth Sexual Health Network (Canada-wide)

Indigenous youth-led organization that supports Two-Spirit and queer youth through a cultural, community-rooted lens. Focused on wellness, harm reduction, and decolonized care practices.🔗 nativeyouthsexualhealth.com


3. Healing in Colour (Canada-wide)

A therapist directory designed for BIPOC folks to find culturally affirming mental health support. Many therapists listed specialize in working with queer and trans clients.🔗 healingincolour.com

4. BlackCAP – Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention(Toronto/GTA)

Supports the health and wellness of Black queer and trans communities in Toronto through counselling, housing assistance, and HIV support—all rooted in Black liberation and community care.🔗 blackcap.ca


We don’t heal in isolation. We heal in connection with ourselves, each other, and the land we’re on. So whether you’re navigating mental health, identity, grief, or just trying to catch your breath, you deserve rest. You deserve ease. You deserve to be supported.

And if you’re ready to share your story we’re listening. The Healing Thread is a space for our stories to live, grow, and remind others: you’re not alone.

Because healing is queer. Healing is collective. Healing is revolutionary.

 








 
 
 

Mental Health: Mind-Body Connection

Because your mental wellness doesn’t exist in isolation, it’s part of a living, breathing ecosystem.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when we’re invited to pause, reflect, and reimagine what mental wellness really looks like. While it’s easy to think of mental health as something separate from the body, research and lived experience both tell us: the two are deeply connected.


Here are three surprising truths that reveal just how intertwined your mental and physical well-being truly are—and why that matters. 



Your Gut Is Talking to Your Brain


This might sound strange, but your gut and your brain are in constant communication through what's called the gut-brain axis. Roughly 90% of serotonin—the "feel-good" neurotransmitter—is produced in the gut. That means your digestion doesn’t just affect your comfort; it influences your mood, focus, and emotional regulation.

Things like poor diet, stress, antibiotics, or inflammation in the gut can actually contribute to symptoms of anxiety or depression. On the flip side, nourishing your digestion with fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and stress-reducing practices may have a positive impact on your mental clarity and emotional well-being.


🧩 Surprising but true: healing your gut might just help heal your mood.



Chronic Stress Feels Like Injury to the Body

💡 If you’ve felt “off” physically and emotionally, it might not be all in your head—it could be stress manifesting in your body.
💡 If you’ve felt “off” physically and emotionally, it might not be all in your head—it could be stress manifesting in your body.

We often think of stress as “just a mental thing”—but the body experiences chronic stress as a physical threat. When stress becomes constant, it keeps your nervous system in a heightened fight-or-flight mode, which can : Increase inflammation and disrupt sleep and digestion as well as Contribute: to headaches, tension, fatigue, and even chronic pain

Left untreated, prolonged stress can take a toll on nearly every system in your body.









Movement Heals—Even in Small Ways

🌱 Start small. What would feel good to your body today—not as punishment, but as care?
🌱 Start small. What would feel good to your body today—not as punishment, but as care?

We know that exercise helps mental health, but it’s not about hitting the gym hard or forcing yourself into a rigid routine. Even gentle forms of movement—like stretching, walking, yoga, dancing in your kitchen, or even breathing with intention can help shift your body out of stress mode.

Movement boosts your brain’s production of endorphins and dopamine, which help regulate mood, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep.






💬 Final Thoughts: The Ecosystem Within


Your body, mind, and spirit aren’t separate departments. They work together in a fluid, ongoing relationship. By tuning into one, we naturally support the others. This Mental Health Month, give yourself permission to explore healing in all its forms, nutritional, emotional, physical, and beyond. You don’t have to do it all. You just have to begin.






🌿 4 Everyday Mental Health Resources (You’ll Actually Use)

You don’t have to be in crisis to care for your mental well-being. These resources are supportive, free or low-cost, and frequently used by people across Ontario, Canada, and beyond.


🏥 Ontario: Bounce Back (by CMHA)

A free program for managing stress, anxiety, and low mood using guided workbooks and phone coaching.🌐 bouncebackontario.ca


🍁 Canada-Wide: Psychology Today (Therapist Finder)

Easily find therapists based on location, specialty, and availability. A widely trusted tool for connecting with mental health professionals.🌐 psychologytoday.com/ca


🧡 Indigenous-Focused: NWAC – Health and Well-Being

The Native Women's Association of Canada offers culturally grounded wellness programs for Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.🌐 nwac.ca


🌍 Global: Insight Timer

A free mindfulness app with thousands of guided meditations, sleep tools, and expert-led courses for daily mental wellness.🌐 insighttimer.com


We are also here to help and support your mental health journey. Our naturopath can help guide you towards helpful and supportive habit and supplementation if necessary. Our mental health counsellor can also help you to feel supported and help you with tools that can support your mental health. Click on the link below to get started.





📚 Citations & Sources


Here are the credible sources and references used in the blog post:

  1. Mayer, E. A. (2011). Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut–brain communication. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 12(8), 453–466. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3071

  2. McEwen, B. S. (2006). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators: central role of the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 367–381. NCBI

  3. Rebar, A. L., Stanton, R., Geard, D., Short, C., Duncan, M. J., & Vandelanotte, C. (2015). A meta-meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety in non-clinical adult populations. Health Psychology Review, 9(3), 366–378. Taylor & Francis Online

  4. Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2023). Understanding the Connection Between Mental and Physical Health. mentalhealthcommission.ca










 
 
 
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