Control your blood sugar

Oestrogen helps stabilise blood sugar, so cravings can worsen during perimenopause as oestrogen dips. Stay one step ahead to avoid the trap of emotional eating.

• Fast for 12 to 14 hours overnight and micro-fast between main meals.

• Don’t skip breakfast – eat earlier in the evening to feel hungrier on waking. Breakfast is the time to refuel for energy.

• Eat protein and some beneficial fats at every meal.

• Avoid fake sugar. Aspartame, xylitol and stevia can be over 180 times sweeter than sugar, tricking the body into thinking it’s getting something sweet, when nothing arrives, which creates further craving.