Smarter Menopause

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  • Michelle Heaton: ‘It’s lonely going through the menopause at 35’

    ‘It’s lonely going through the menopause at 35’

    For new mothers, the first months with their baby are full of excitement, spent planning for the future. But for singer Michelle Heaton, now 38, it was a time spent planning a double mastectomy.

    ‘I was only 33 and still breastfeeding my first baby when I decided to have both breasts removed,’ she says. A year before, Michelle had discovered she had the BRCA2 gene, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

    Dubbed the ‘Jolie gene’, BRCA was relatively unheard of until 2013, when actor Angelina Jolie revealed she had the BRCA1 variant and had a preventative double mastectomy and her ovaries removed.

    But even before the world was applauding Angelina’s openness, Michelle…

    via Michelle Heaton: ‘It’s lonely going through the menopause at 35’

     

  • Action is Everything

    Action is Everything

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  • Not Just Hot Flushes

    Not Just Hot Flushes

    [cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″][cs_element_row _id=”2″][cs_element_column _id=”3″][cs_element_headline _id=”4″][cs_element_text _id=”5″][cs_element_gap _id=”6″][cs_element_headline _id=”7″][cs_element_text _id=”8″][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”14″][cs_element_column _id=”15″][cs_icon_list][cs_icon_list_item title=”Poor Sleep” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false” style=”max-width: 85%;”]Poor Sleep[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Forgetfulness” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Forgetfulness[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Anxiety” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Anxiety[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Headache/migraine” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Headache/migraine[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Breast changes” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Breast changes[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Abdominal bloating” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Abdominal bloating[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Dizziness or fainting” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Dizziness or fainting[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Vaginal dryness” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Vaginal dryness[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Low mood” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Low mood[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Loss of libido” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Loss of libido[/cs_icon_list_item][cs_icon_list_item title=”Loss of bone density” type=”check” link_enabled=”false” link_url=”#” link_new_tab=”false”]Loss of bone density[/cs_icon_list_item][/cs_icon_list][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id=”33″][cs_element_column _id=”34″][cs_element_text _id=”35″][cs_element_gap _id=”36″][cs_element_button _id=”37″][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

  • Menopause, What Menopause?

    Menopause, What Menopause?

    As women, we know we are going to go through menopause at some time but we don’t really want to think about it, right? We’ll deal with it when it happens. Why would you want to start thinking about it before it happens?

    From my conversation with women in their 40s I know that many women have very limited understanding of menopause. It’s not their fault, there is still a bit of a taboo about talking about ‘women’s things’. And there’s this sense that menopause is about ageing and an end of something. It’s just not sexy.

    I started wondering what menopause was all about and what mine would be like when I was in my 40s. My mother had a hysterectomy in her late 30s so she couldn’t advise me. I had no close female relatives to learn from and friends weren’t interested in talking about. It was time to do my own research.

    My first sortie into the world of menopause was a weekend event run by a woman’s magazine called ‘The Time of Your Life’. I came away from that with some basic information about the female hormones and hormone replacement therapy and a desire to know more.  Since then there have been many books, internet research and courses.

    When I became a therapist it all came together for me in a way that meant I could manage my own experience and support my friends and clients.

    In my view, knowledge is power. When you understand what is happening to your hormones and how that affects your body, your mind and your emotions it has lots of positive benefits.

    1.       You can prepare for the years around your menopause so that you enter this stage of life in the best possible physical health.
    2.       You can recognise the symptoms and not be worried about them.
    3.       You can take action to make adjustments to your nutrition and lifestyle to support your body.
    4.       You understand when to seek help
    5.       You can have an informed conversation with your Doctor or other medical professionals to discuss the options for treatment.
    6.       You can advocate for what you need
    7.       You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily
    8.       You can get on with enjoying your life
    9.       Your loved ones can get on with enjoying their lives

    It’s never too early to start planning for a healthy menopause and it’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle.