My thoughts on Davina McCall's documentary, Sex, Myths and Menopause on Channel 4. Thank you to Davina for shining a light on so many subjects that are still considered taboo.

In the documentary, Davina speaks of the shame she felt about her menopause and how she was advised not to mention it as it was "ageing". Shame has no place in our lives at any age, and certainly not about the privilege of growing older.

In the documentary, Davina demonstrated the power of knowing we are not alone and of gathering to share our stories. That is what The Midlife Movement is all about.

I invite you to join us in our free Facebook group, to download our free resources and, when you are ready, to join us in our Community Hub as a member. Together, we are stronger!

In the third of our three week series of blogs on dealing with the difficulties of peri-menopause and menopause, I want to focus on natural remedies - some of which are regarded as "alternative" or "complementary". 

Everyone has a favourite remedy and we regularly share ideas in the free Facebook Group and dive deeper in the Community, 

Below is a whistle stop round up of some of the things we can try, with case studies and advice from a variety of therapists:

Nutrition

Personally, I found cutting back on sugar and eating a diet abundant with fresh vegetables and fruit really helped to reduce hot flushes and night sweats.

Here's what Shannon Howe, Nutritional Therapist at I Cook, You Serve has to say:

"The changes that our bodies go through in a lifetime are far reaching, it is remarkable how some women breeze through these changes whilst others feel like they are wading through treacle. And whilst you can’t control these changes, you can use...

What is the difference between Peri-Menopause and Menopause?

It’s important to understand the difference between peri-menopause and menopause.  I’d like to say that peri-menopause is your body's way of gently leading you into the next stage of life, but let’s face it, there is nothing gentle about it! 

Peri-menopause can start as early as ten years before you are in full menopause, which is why it’s so easy to misdiagnose. The menopause itself occurs when the ovaries finally stop producing eggs altogether and is judged to be complete when a woman has not had a period for 12 months. The symptoms that cause so many women difficulty generally occur during the peri-menopause - the years leading up to full menopause.

We often hear stories where women feel they are too young to go through the menopause which makes it easier for us to accept it when a doctor diagnoses us with simple depression or anxiety, mistaking the symptom for the problem.

Paying...

Are you “there’ yet?

According to Menopause Specialist, Dr Louise Newsom, around a quarter of women report few symptoms associated with menopause, or if they have any, they do not impact their lives to any significant degree. Which means, or course, that 75% of us are affected by the natural, physical process of declining hormone levels as we head towards our 50s.  

Symptoms associated with the menopause usually begin several years before menstruation stops.This transitionary phase, known as the peri-menopause, is when the ovaries begin to produce less oestrogen. 

According to the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service), the average time symptoms are experienced is 4 years, though about 1 in 10 women experience them for up to 12 years. 

The menopause itself occurs when the ovaries finally stop producing eggs altogether and is judged to be complete when a woman has not had a period for 12 months.

Common symptoms (“officially”...