The Upgrade

How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond

By: Louann Brizendine MD

Narrated by: Nancy Linari

Welcome to the better half of your life. The New York Times bestselling author of The Female Brain explains how a woman’s brain gets “upgraded” in midlife, inspiring and guiding women to unlock their full potential.

“This is an important book. I want all women to read it. I wish I had read it years ago!”—Jane Fonda

Dr. Louann Brizendine was among the first to explain why women think, communicate, and feel differently than men. Now, inspired by her own experiences and those of the thousands of women at her clinic, she has a message that is nothing short of revolutionary: in the time of life typically known as menopause, women’s brains are reshaped, for the better, in a way that creates new power, a bracing clarity, and a laser-like sense of purpose if you know how to seize it.

With guidance for navigating the perimenopausal and menopausal storm while it lasts, and actionable, science-backed steps for preserving brain health for the rest of your life, The Upgrade is a stunning roadmap, told through intimate stories, to a new brain state and its incredible possibilities. Dr. Brizendine explains the best science-backed strategies for:

• Hormones: If timed and handled properly, hormone management can save your life. Brizendine cuts through the controversy to give you the latest guidance for HRT.
• Exercise: Leg strength correlates directly with healthy brain function at age 80. Here are the strategies for maintaining your strength.
• Sleep: It’s critical for maximizing the Upgrade, and Brizendine shares how to achieve healthy rest during challenging transitions.
• Mindset: Brizendine shows how to seize the opportunities of your midlife brain changes by shifting your mindset and vision with intention.
• Brain Health: The Upgraded brain requires special care when it comes to sugar, alcohol, inflammatory foods, and the microbiome. Here’s advice for fueling and maintaining cognitive function for decades.

The Upgrade amounts to a celebration of how women step into their power and an entirely new—and radically positive—understanding of aging.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of diagrams from the book

Critic reviews

“Dr. Louann Brizendine’s The Upgrade is uplifting and upbeat about the physical, mental, and social health of women in the upper chamber of the life cycle. As she did in The Female Brain (a bible for all women), Dr. Brizendine writes clearly and jauntily, this time explaining why, generally, we get happier as we age. The Upgrade is an engrossing read, rich with science and psychology and hopefulness.”—Leslie Stahl, correspondent, 60 Minutes

“This fine book integrates information from many fields of studies. It is holistic, filled with useful insights, and inspiring. Brizendine is one of America’s great cultural educators.”—Mary Pipher, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Women Rowing North

“Dr. Brizendine is a trailblazer and in her groundbreaking, science-backed new book, she not only shows how much we can do naturally to optimize the menopausal brain but also explains why the mature brain is so much better than what came before. Read this book and you’ll learn how to seize the possibilities afforded by your amazing brain.”—Anna Cabeca, DO, bestselling author of The Hormone Fix and MenuPause

“The author’s mastery of scientific research impresses, as does her accessible and authoritative delivery. Blending academic rigor with self-help practicability, this is an optimistic and well-observed take on the benefits of life’s second half for women.”—Publishers Weekly

amazing

this book is something to listen to before menopause it's an eye opener.. fantastic

The Upgrade

The BEST version of yourself tools in this amazing book. Any women needs to know about their hormones and their impact on their brain and therefore mind.

The Upgrade

Perfect book for me during the current times. I love calling the hormonal challenges females have into their sixties and upgrade!

Validating!

Lots of reminders, helpful perspectives, current info (as of 2022). Any woman 40-80+ - this could be helpful.

helps more than 100 hours of therapy

the first chapter is uplifting, encouraging validating women, empowering women nearing menopause or further. at least a few chapters on dosing hormone replacement therapy specifics. she's brilliant. I wish she was my OB. this book is an amazing resource on everything for women second half of life. I thoroughly recommend it