The Sexy Years: Discover the Hormone Connection: The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality, for Women and Men

by Suzanne Somers, Robert A. Greene M.D. (Foreword)

Getting older can be brutal—women gain weight, lose their sex drive, experience hot flashes, suffer memory loss, become short-tempered, find it difficult to sleep, and on and on. It’s not so easy for men, either—they start to lose energy and stamina as they age, too (and they have to live with women going through menopause). After years of being thin and fit and full of energy, Suzanne herself encountered the “Seven Dwarfs of Menopause”—Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, and All-Dried-Up. Instead of living out the rest of her life cranky, sleep-deprived, and libido-less, Suzanne set out to discover how she could get her mind, body, and life back and banish those pesky dwarfs for good.

The result is The Sexy Discover the Hormone Connection—The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality, for Women and Men . In this passionately argued and enormously practical book, Suzanne supports her own research and experiences with the expertise of leading doctors in the field of women’s and men’s health and sexuality to create an inspiring, accessible call-to-arms to women to radically rethink how they approach life after fifty, and give them the tools to turn their lives around.

Suzanne has discovered that the second half of life has been more rewarding, fun, and purposeful than her younger years. The key to her happiness? Taking natural bioidentical hormones. Natural hormones, which mimic the hormones produced in our own bodies that are almost completely lost with aging, are the answer to the symptoms of menopause that plague women. Recent findings from the medical community show that synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be harmful to women—thus, thousands of women are looking for what else they can do to alleviate their symptoms. In The Sexy Years , Suzanne comes to the rescue with a step-by-step plan and detailed information about how women can take control of their health, for themselves and for their men,

• What the differences are between synthetic and bioidentical hormones, and why bioidentical hormones help women lose weight, reinvigorate their sex lives, and fight the symptoms of aging
• How doctors do not receive adequate training about hormones and are slaves to the pharmaceutical industry, and what questions every woman must ask her physician about hormone replacement therapy and her health
• How Suzanne turned her life around, with information about how often she visits her doctor, blood work, what hormones she takes, how to get these hormones, and more
• What male menopause, or andropause, is and how men can also take bioidentical hormones and regain the energy they had in their youth
• What a variety of specialists think about natural hormones, health, and sexuality—Suzanne shares the best advice from these doctors and provides a resource list of physicians and pharmacies

With bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, Suzanne has found the fountain of youth, the elixir that has made her feel thirty years old again. In combination with her Somersize diet and fitness plan, which she also writes about here, Suzanne has never felt better. The beauty of growing older, she maintains, is that you can combine the wisdom of age with the vitality of youth. Suzanne makes it perfectly clear how women and men can regain their zest for life at any age. These really are the sexy years!

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Book Club, Aging

357 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2003

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Suzanne Somers was an American actress, author, and businesswoman. Best known for her role as the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, she also had a noted starring role on the sitcom Step by Step as Carol Foster Lambert. She later capitalized on her acting career by also establishing herself as an author of a series of self-help books. She had released two autobiographies, two self-help books, four diet books, and a book about hormone replacement therapy. She had featured items of her design on the Home Shopping Network.

Reviews

[Emi Yoshida]

I heard about Suzanne Somers writing women's health books a few years ago and was entirely skeptical. But a friend recommended I read this recently and I have to admit it all sounds super compelling. I'll follow up with some doctor visits and try to find out if bioidentical hormone replacement therapy really is the miracle cure for perimenopausal symptoms that they're saying it is. And if it is I'll change my rating higher!

[Katherine]

Suzanne truly was ahead of her time. I listened to the audio version of this book. It was excellent. As a perimenopausal woman and on the cusp of menopause I found this information incredibly valuable. I’ve recently started bioidentical hormones and they have saved my life in just 2 weeks!! My naturopath had me do a DUTCH hormone test and my hormones were zilch. No one wonder I felt like I was in the gutter. I now have more questions for my Dr thanks to this book. Very empowering!

[Trudy]

Interesting - sure, and educational at times too. Women out there just entering the menopausal years or want to prepare for when that time comes, than this book might prove instrumental. Suzanne Somers' approach to this challenging time in my opinion is simply HER experience. I found it interesting and all, but yet at the same time I suppose EVERY woman and man could write this book - based on their own personal choices and experiences. Not everyone will choose to take the route Suzanne took, and some - like myself simply aren't experiencing any symptoms at all. Nonetheless, it's still a good book to read to take the knowledge and be aware in case I should ever have the need to make these kinds of decisions.

[Deborah Martinez]

A pharmacist I work with loaned me this book, as I’m trying to figure all this crazy stuff out! The joys of being a woman! Ha! It was an easy read, obviously, I did not agree with everything, but I learned a few things and that’s what it’s all about!

[Suzanne]

Too much dependence on hormones and not enough on getting nutrients from real food

[Tanesha]

Life changing....information everyone should at least know.

[Christe]

Excellent book!!! Very informative! I read it years ago and most of it still holds true.

[Brenda Humphreys]

I didn't think I would like this book. I read some of Suzanne Somers other books, and I knew this book was about bio identical hormones. I had read enough about this and didn't really want to hear anything more about it. But it was the last one of her books that I got from the library so I wanted to at least read some of it. The whole book is about bioidentical hormones but it is also abodes menopause. Suzanne shared some people's experiences with menopause and how it really can mess up your life. The hormones can be evil to your body. I read the whole book in two days. It was really good. If you or anyone is going through menopause this is a great book to learn about it and to understand how drastically it can change sufferer's personality. Of course, the solution Suzanne gives is bioidentical hormones. I still don't want to take them.

[Natalie]

I did not read this whole book, so I'm not going to give it any stars. I read the two sections on hormones, which I found informative since I take bio-identical hormones and I would definitely recommend these sections for those interested in bio-identical hormone replacement. The whole book is probably really good, I just am not interested in reading it all right now. Each chapter starts with hilarious quotes. My favorite: Perks of aging: "I no longer have patience for people who don't like me." --friend of Suzanne's, Susie Weinthal, age 69

[Beth Jones]

My friend Diane recommended this book to me. A great, informative book explaining in detail the changes a woman's body goes through before, during, and after menopause. Suzanne openly shares her own story, and encourages women to live healthy, purpose-filled, happy lives...because life is just too short not to! While Suzanne's description of the "7 dwarves of menopause" is funny, the reality is not. This book gives you a possible answer. For any woman wanting to know more about bioidentical hormones that so closely mimic your own natural hormones, I recommend this book.

[Liza]

Having turned 50 I have decided to really manage my own health and be educated about the options that are open to me to maintain an active lifestyle. I wanted to learn about natural hormones and this was an informational book mixed with some fun.
I cherish the years I spent raising my children but I think the best is yet to come and I am going to be up and running.

Quote from book: Perks of aging: Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

[Teresa]

I have a lot more respect for the author after reading this book. I am also thankful that she did the investigating and wrote the book. I was looking for more information on bio-identical hormones. I found a lot of good, helpful information on that as well as information from doctors who are more forward thinking. There is also a lot of inspiration, and anecdotal information that made me feel normal, lucky and hopeful for the future. If you plan to age, you should read this book!

[Fastener Gal]

3.5 Stars. This is my first introduction to bio-identical HRT (hormone replacement therapy); this book chosen for our book club by a compounding pharmacist. I was worried this would be a HRT infomercial but I found Somers' personal story to be honest and insightful. I am already entering this season of life so it is eye-opening to consider the options available. I will do my due diligence to find my own way to experience the sexy years.

[September]

This book contains SO much valuable information for women who are facing menopause and midlife changes. It is chockful of ways to improve health and happiness. In my opinion, it has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with navigating the difficulties presented by menopause and its symptoms. This is a must read.

[Marianne Ogden]

She must not have had any help writing this book. The writing is very poor. However, I still got many helpful pointers from it and even learned that men also go through hormone changes, called andropause. It just happens much more gradually than it does for women. This book helped me to make some enpowering choices.

[Marie M]

It has volumes of info for women and men. I found her first chapter, and her experience of part of what she went though in that chapter- not as bad as she experienced it-for me...it wasn't that bad...more like a gnat flying around me...where is that bug spray...opps chemicals...and I'm so into detoxicing my body.

[Donna]

This was good in explaining alternative HRT. It probably could have been shorter. I felt a lot of redundancy. I got a little overwhelmed with all the talk of supplemental remedies. Also, if you had Ms. Somer's money that would help make this passage a little easier. Not everyone has access to these doctors and their treatments. All and all it was enjoyable and thought provoking.

[Tracy]

I can sum this up in one phrase: She recommends natural bio-identical hormone replacement for menopausal women.

Synthetic hormone replacement will not do. Natural bio-identical hormones only.

The book is nearly 10 years old, so I will continue searching to see if there is more up-to-date recommendations.

[Deborah]

My favorite author!!!!! Suzanne Somers spends an incredible amount of time researching the topic of bio identical harmones & women's health. ( I have all
her books & reference them often).
I recommend all of her books to women who desire to learn about the seasons of our life. Peri menopause, menopause & postmenopausal Seasons.

[Amy]

This is an interesting read for women about to go into menopause. She gives some good preview as to what is to come as well as advice about natural bioidentical hormones, the pharmaceutical business and how most doctors are clueless to this passage in women's lives....you need to be your own advocate is her message.

[Lin]

Written by an a vain and egotistical woman, I remain skeptical of what she says. Somers is a businesswoman and she makes money off of her name and books. I wouldn't be surprised to find she makes money from referrals from her website, which makes the entire book a money-making ad. If nothing else, this book is an inspiration to do more research.

[Rebecca]

Every woman should read this book. The high rating is NOT for literary excellence, but instead, for the importance of the information and the author's dedication to getting it to the public. Read the scientific parts. Some of the annecdotes are helpful.

[Angela]

For some reason this was difficult for me to get into. Dense type, repetitious; clinical, which has not bothered me before. I suppose it is because I've read quite a bit on the subject of hormone replacement.

[Linda Engebretson]

Learned about bio-identical hormones. They improved my how I feel tremendously. Great help for middle age.

[Silvia]

GOING THROUGH THE CHANGE, WHAT CAN I SAY I'M GETTING OLDER!

[Natalie]

Adropause - male menopause, is addressed along with female menopause. Gobs of info on bioidentical hormones vs. synthetic.

[Christie]

A good look at bioidentical hormones and why they should be studied for women with hormonal imbalances.

[Kim]

Some good information about natural hormones for both men and women.

[Denise Messenger]

Somers lays out the hormone connection to aging through interviews with physicians and her own personal experience. Another good read.

[Chris]

Knockout was a better book. Too much about bio-idential hormones in this book and her health regime must be a full time job.