Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was a star attraction at the National Menopause Show this weekend. More than 1,200 people gathered at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre to hear her speak about women’s health and her own experience with this life stage, which she defined as “pre-menopause.”
Increasing awareness of this life transition is important to Grégoire Trudeau, who turned 50 this year. In an exclusive interview with the Star at the show, she said she felt unprepared for her own hormonal symptoms, including heart palpitations, irregular cycles, difficulty sleeping and night sweats. “It comes out of nowhere, right?” she said. “Honestly, it took at least two years for me to even know that frozen shoulder, burning mouth and joint pain are also symptoms.”
On Saturday, Grégoire Trudeau moderated a Q&A with “Menopocalypse” author and fitness expert Amanda Thebe. They spoke about why alcohol affects sleep more as you age, what’s behind stubborn belly fat, and whether cardio exercise jacks up the stress hormone cortisol.
Theirs was one of many panels during the two-day event, covering weight changes, mental health, hormone therapy and sex. In the exhibitor hall, attendees browsed products and companies ranging from at-home rapid menopause tests and hair-loss treatments to affirmation journals, vulva moisturizers and plant-based lubricant.
On Sunday, Grégoire Trudeau participated in a panel about self-advocacy during menopause. She has a been an ardent champion for this cause, recently launching the Closer Together Women’s Workshop Series that is billed as a way for women navigating menopause to share the experience “in community, with knowledge, compassion and tools that help us thrive.” Grégoire Trudeau will co-present the inaugural workshop, about hormonal changes during pre- and perimenopause and after menopause, on Oct. 27 with health expert Dr. Jen Gunter.
Grégoire Trudeau has been open about her symptoms with the men in her life, including her sons. “Oh, trust me, my boys know. I went for a walk with [my son, Xavier] — which is very rare because he’s 18, he doesn’t walk with mommy anymore — and I said, ‘It’s not easy for me to navigate, [or] for millions of women, right now. And this is going to happen to the person that you love one day, and I want you to know what it’s like.’ I mean, he’s a teenager, he listened; I didn’t do a dissertation for 30 minutes, but I think it’s really important.” She said she has seen her girlfriends’ husbands and boyfriends talk about menopause more, but “we’re just beginning to do this work — it’s just the beginning.”
Grégoire Trudeau has experienced her own physical challenges during a period of intense change, including her split from her husband, Justin Trudeau, and the loss of her father. “I would say my biggest lesson, my biggest teacher has been grief: grieving a marriage, a relationship, my father, part of a path that I had been on for 15 years,” she said. “But I think the lesson here is to cut ties healthily, to use discernment, to slow down, to carry the weight of the big decisions that we take in our lives. And to not feel guilty or add shame that doesn’t belong there — because we have a society that teaches us that success is long-term relationships. Other than that, it’s pretty much a failure.”
Yoga has been helpful for managing her stress and hormone fluctuations, she said. Grégoire Trudeau has been teaching yoga on a volunteer basis for a long time; this was hampered by “security issues” during her husband’s tenure on Parliament Hill but as she said, laughing, during her panel, “I’m free now!”
For her, yoga is not just movement but a spiritual practice. “I sit with the fact that I’m impermanent and that tomorrow everything could leave,” she said. “It helps to appreciate more what you have instead of constantly comparing.”
Trudeau made headlines recently when photos of the former prime minister on a yacht, shirtless and canoodling with pop star Katy Perry, were published in The Daily Mail. Asked how she deals with seeing photos of her ex-husband everywhere, Grégoire Trudeau said, “I’m a type of woman who equips myself, works on myself, and tries my best. I’m so imperfect and I don’t have it all together, but I like to listen to the music, not the noise. So when there’s noise, I try to find silence and the music again … I think our society is really, really noisy, and unfortunately sometimes the voices that make the most noise aren’t the wisest. And if we let that get to us, we lose in the end.”
To that end, Grégoire Trudeau is “careful” with her social media usage. “I try to not read too many comments. My friends know not to send me stuff that can only be detrimental to my mental health,” she said. “I would say that at 50, now I’m much more discerning on what I bring my attention to. Will this serve me? Will this make me become a better person? [If] yes, I’m willing to face it, even if it’s difficult. If it’s no, I discard it.”
Her advice to women going through similar experiences is to focus on what grounds you. “Know how to rest, know how to regulate yourself, practice your breathing exercises — even if it’s five minutes a day — or go for a walk.” Whatever it is, keep going, she said, as the capacity for growth is endless. “You will learn again and again and you’re adapting every single day. Who you are right now is not the person you’ll be in an hour.”
