EASE YOUR SYMPTOMS WITH FOOD

IN ORDER to cope with menopause well, women need to be in tip-top condition, with optimum nutritional levels. But by their 40s and 50s few women are in this position.

Studies conducted by my team of nurses and nutritionists have discovered that as they reach the end of their child-bearing years, up to 80 per cent of women have inadequate

levels of magnesium. Many are low in iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D and essential fatty acids.

Unless those levels are topped up, they will only deteriorate as the bodily strain of ageing increases, meaning menopauserelated symptoms are much worse than they need to be.

For the past 18 months, I have been running six-week virtual menopause boot camps, teaching women how a nutrient-dense diet focusing on foods that naturally balance hormones, in the form of soya and other isoflavonerich foods, such as flaxseeds and red clover, can make such a difference, as can regular exercise and meditative relaxation. It’s simple stuff, but as Keeley and Jo — both boot camp graduates — can attest, these changes have made a world of difference to their symptoms.

Jo says that her mind feels sharp and her memory has dramatically improved. Keeley feels so much better that she’s decided to start pursuing that promotion again.