Crazy periods, sleepless nights, and (uh-oh) painful sex. Welcome to perimenopause! How to ease the symptoms and feel like yourself again.

Two years ago, at age 37, I went from being an easygoing, upbeat person to a candidate for town crank almost overnight. For five days each month, I would lose my temper over the most minor things. Concerned, I asked my doctor for help. My symptoms, he said, sounded like they might be connected to perimenopause—the transitional period, lasting anywhere from four to 15 years, that leads up to menopause.

Some 21 million American women are in perimenopause right now. And many of them are grappling with symptoms that range from mildly annoying—like mine—to virtually incapacitating. Think hot flashes, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, insomnia, forgetfulness, and more. “Many women feel like their body just isn’t their own anymore,” says Alan M. Altman, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, in Boston. I know what he means.

Unfortunately, doctors still don’t fully understand perimenopause. But they know much more than they did when our mothers and grandmothers went through it and therefore can do more to help us. (After I went on a low-dose birth control pill, for instance, my symptoms eased.) Here, answers to common questions about what experts dub “the storm before the calm.” Why am I having these symptoms?

It’s simple biology: Your ovaries are aging, but the pituitary gland in your brain, which governs reproduction, is determined to keep you fertile. Every month, your pituitary produces the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which prods your ovaries to produce mature eggs. If an egg isn’t released on schedule, your pituitary churns out more FSH to correct the problem. This may or may not work—meaning you may or may not ovulate. In any case, your production of estrogen and progesterone becomes erratic.

Given the influx of new products in the market today, women have to be very discerning each time they go to the grocery. If there is one thing that women can’t afford to compromise on, it’s their health.

Most people make the instant association between milk intake and the prevention of diseases like osteoporosis, anemia etc. However, not all milks are created equal. Many of the milks available in the market today do not have the essential nutrients necessary to combat the diseases that you thought they could.

Athena is the milk specially formulated for women and her special needs. It promises to keep more than just your bones healthy with its calcium, vitamin E, iron, folate and fiber content. Best of all, Athena is cholesterol and sucrose-free witha low-sodium content, giving women only the nutrients they need in just the right amounts—without any of the unwanted fats, salts and sugars. 8ecause of Athena’s special formulation, doctors contend that it can prevent many other health problems aside from osteoporosis.

Bone-building Calcium & Vitamin D
Did you know that immediately after you were born, your bones were supple and rubber-like? This explains why newborn babies are unable to support themselves immediately. Their bones are not strong enough to support their bodies without bending. As you grow, calcium and other minerals from what you eat and drink are collected in your bones, causing them to harden.

Athena hastens the body’s absorption of calcium as it contains Vitamin D. Without it, your body can only absorb 10-15% of your actual calcium intake so drinking a lot of milk without this vital nutrient will not be as effective. These two nutrients work hand in hand to bring you stronger bones, keeping osteoporosis at bay.

Youthful, glowing skin with Vitamin E
Exposure to outdoor pollution, cigarette smoke and UV rays can cause skin cells to break down, causing it to exhibit signs of aging like wrinkles.
Regularly gulping down Athena with its Vitamin E content results in radiantly smooth and healthy skin. Vitamin E is a known antioxidant that protects cells from damage and slows down the ravaging effects of aging.

Anemia-fighting Iron
The World Health Organization considers iron deficiency to be the number one nutritional deficiency in the world. Iron deficiency anemia makes one feel tired and weak and if not treated, it can lead to a number of life-threatening diseases, particularly heart problems.

Athena’s significant iron content is just what you need to keep you in the pink of health—supplying you with the energy you need to juggle all your responsibilities at home and at work. Say goodbye to paleness, irritability, heart palpitations and fatigue.

Aid digestion with Fiber
A great many nutrients are absorbed in the digestive tract. While the body absorbs the good nutrients, it also prepares to flush out toxins and wastes from the body. A fiber-rich diet helps to aid digestion and hasten the removal of toxins in the body.

Athena strengthens your body’s preventive measures against hemorrhoids, rectal and colon cancer.

Ensure a healthy pregnancy with Folate
Folate is needed both before and in the first weeks of pregnancy and can help reduce the risk of certain serious and common birth defects. Adequate folate should be taken in daily, particularly during the childbearing years. Athena contains folate which helps prevent abnormalities in pregnancy and ensures that moms and babies are well taken cared of.

Better yet, consumer-based research proves that Athena has gotten an absolute thumbs up in terms of taste. In fact, it’s been said to taste even better than other leading non-fat milks around.

Athena is not only the milk for your bones. It’s the milk that’s perfect for your whole body.