Menopause
Peri-menopause is like the opening act to menopause, where your hormone levels begin their rollercoaster ride. Oestrogen and progesterone levels start to change and your ovaries begin to take it easy, leading to a dip in fertility. This stage might kick off in your late thirties or early forties, though for some, it hits the stage a bit later—thanks to our genetic lineup.
Menopause, on the other hand, is the main event. It's when ovulation takes its final bow, menstrual periods exit stage left, and natural fertility turns off the spotlight. This big transition usually happens somewhere between 45 and 55 years old, with 51 taking the spotlight as the average starting age. Yet, for about 1% of us, menopause decides to show up early, before the age of 40, known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency. It's a significant milestone, marking a new chapter in our lives.
The reduction in hormone levels during menopause leads to a variety of symptoms that can profoundly affect our daily lives. These symptoms may begin months or even years before menstruation ends and typically persist for about four years after the last period. They include:
Besides the symptoms that hit us right away, there's a bigger picture to consider. With dropping oestrogen levels, we're at a higher risk for some pretty serious health issues, like osteoporosis, heart disease, and even a greater chance of dementia. To tackle these risks, we need to think about changes in what we eat and how we live. This isn't just about making menopause easier in the short term; it's about making choices that will keep us healthy and strong for years to come.
When we talk about managing menopause, it's really important to understand there are two main strategies we need to think about. On one hand, we're looking at ways to ease those day-to-day symptoms that can be really bothersome. On the other, we're focusing on how to lower our chances of running into bigger health problems down the road. By tackling menopause from both angles, we're not just making our daily lives more comfortable; we're also taking proactive steps to protect our health in the future.
What we can achieve working together:
- Reduce hot flashes and night sweats
- Reduce vaginal dryness and improve libido
- Reduce mood swings and feeling low or anxious
- Prevent weight gain and optimise metabolism
- Preserve your bone strength and muscle strength
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Navigating perimenopause and menopause is a personal journey, and I'm here to tailor our consultations to your needs. Here's a glimpse into some of the common themes we often explore:
- Achieving optimal levels of key micronutrients in menopause via food and supplementation
- The balance of macronutrients for health and preserving (or achieving) a healthy weight
- Dietary and lifestyle changes to stabilise blood sugars and reduce insulin resistance
- Creating a healthy gut microbiome
- Preserving the strength of your bones through a combination of diet and lifestyle
- Dietary changes to protect your heart health
- Exploring the available evidence for the use of supplements to improve menopause symptoms
Monika is sharp, attentive, and uniquely supportive. I worked with her for six solid months and have seen real breakthroughs in my body image perception and relationship with food. I feel capable of trusting myself and less driven by shame or anxiety. There IS freedom and joy when it comes to eating and nourishing our bodies, and Monika is an excellent guide to getting there. I truly could not recommend her more.
Working with Monika has been the best decision I made this year! I have PCOS and an underactive thyroid and had been struggling to lose weight for nearly a decade. I had two early miscarriages in late 2021 and early 2022 and had not been able to fall pregnant since. Since working with Monika, I now have a deeper understanding of how to support my body, my cycles are getting more regular and I'm losing weight more consistently. I am so much confident in my body too and I know what to focus on going forwards! The support and accountability Monika provides is incredible and I highly recommend her services.
Working with Monika is one of the best investments I could made in myself. I contacted her because I was experiencing stomach pains and was feeling low and desperate. After years of yo-yo dieting and binge eating Monika has helped me to understand how to nourish my body and eat healthily. I feel so much happier and in control now and have the knowledge I need to maintain a healthy way of eating. Thank you so much Monika!
I decided to go ahead with Monikas PCOS programme after lots of consideration and I'm glad I did! Monika has been great to work with and has approached everything with the sensitivity I haven't been able to get from GPs, whose only solution for me was to "lose weight". With the onslaught of info found online, it's hard to stay motivated to do anything, especially when it all seems like it's unachievable unless I flip my whole life around, but right from the beginning, Monika set achievable goals and took things step by step, so I didn't feel overwhelmed. Towards the end of the programme, I noticed that my period had come 10 days early than usual which it hasn't done for many years, and I even managed to lose 2 kgs and stay there! Monika really helped me take a closer look at my eating habits and how my stress was also affecting things, but I know that even though I may momentarily have a couple bad weeks, I know exactly what I need to do to get back on track and since I've already done it once, I know I can do it again!
