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Gwyneth Paltrow rarely shies away from talking about her wellness practices, and while plenty of her beliefs have drawn criticisms, she typically seems pretty confident in her approach to health. But at least one experience has thrown her for a loop: menopause.
During a Q&A session on Instagram Stories, the actor and Goop founder was asked how she deals with menopause, and she responded with a refreshingly candid and honest answer: “I can’t deal someone help me and all us ladies good lord.” (You can see screenshots of the now-expired Instagram Story on People.)
It’s not the first time Paltrow has spoken about menopause. In April, also over Instagram Stories, the businesswoman filmed herself responding to a follower who asked for perimenopause tips. “My approach to perimenopause is really just to try to have good overall health,” she said, per People. She added: “So good gut health, sleep, hydration, meditation, kind of all the basic tenets of wellness.”
Paltrow also urged people going through perimenopause, the time when your body is transitioning to menopause but you’re still having menstrual cycles, to be open to different treatments, and to “follow their instinct and have robust conversations with their doctors,” noting that she was having success with visiting an integrative and functional ob-gyn.
While that’s all fine advice, the actor’s more recent Instagram Story is arguably much more relatable. After all, no matter how well someone sleeps, how much they meditate, or how many probiotics they pop, the hormone shifts that occur during menopause can cause super-uncomfortable and sometimes surprising symptoms.
Paltrow isn’t the only celebrity who’s recently spoken up about the realities of living through menopause. In March, Drew Barrymore had her first hot flash while filming an episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” alongside Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. She’s also spoken about the challenges she’s faced while dating as she’s going through menopause. Meanwhile, Shania Twain has spoken about being “unashamed” of her post-menopause body.
Ultimately, perimenopause and menopause are two completely normal health events — but because they’re not talked about openly, due to stigma around the conditions and aging in general, people who are going through them can often feel unprepared and even isolated or ashamed. So having stars like Barrymore, Twain, and Paltrow openly acknowledge what the experience is really like — even briefly — is hugely helpful for the millions of people who’ll experience it in their lifetimes.