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Menopause and Hormones

Traditional medicine such as acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used for centuries to improve menopause and hormone health for women. And with good reason. Natural therapies provide impressive results for the common conditions that affect women. Not only that but they are also safe and improve health and vitality generally.

Common conditions for which women seek help include:

menstrual problems including PMS and painful periods
fertility problems
menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats
PCOS
uterine fibroids
postpartum depression
low libido

A holistic view is often the key to unravelling women’s health issues. Identifying the root causes are particularly important. Whether that might be stress, toxin exposure, food intolerances or something else. These root causes influence your health. They can build up over time and eventually result in disease. Yet we can modify things like lifestyle, stress or nutrition and bring back that vitality and find your optimum health.

Here you’ll find practical support for perimenopause, menopause and the years after. I explain what shifting hormones can feel like, why symptoms vary, and how to steady your day. We cover hot flushes, brain fog, sleep changes, mood, vaginal and urinary comfort, bone health and weight gain that seems to arrive out of nowhere.

Food comes first. You will see balanced plate ideas, protein targets, fibre goals, omega-3 sources and hydration tips. I show how blood sugar, thyroid and the stress response link with oestrogen and progesterone. There are simple routines for sleep, strength training you can keep up, and pacing that respects energy.

Herbal support appears where it fits, with plain guidance on form, dose and quality. HRT is a personal choice to discuss with your GP. If you take medicines such as anticoagulants, thyroid or blood pressure drugs, or antidepressants, check for interactions before adding herbs or supplements.

Perimenopause and Sleep: The Hormonal Reasons You Wake at 3am

Perimenopause and Sleep: The Hormonal Reasons You Wake at 3am

Hot flushes are not the only problem you might face during perimenopause. Many women find the hormonal changes also affect their sleep. This post covers the three main shifts, why standard sleep advice often falls short, and what the research suggests may actually...

Heartburn and Acid Reflux in Perimenopause

Heartburn and Acid Reflux in Perimenopause

Heartburn and acid reflux become more common as women move through perimenopause and menopause. But what drives them at this stage of life is often quite different from the usual story. This article looks at what is happening in the body, why it matters, and where...

Musculoskeletal Syndrome Of Menopause: Not “Just Ageing”

Musculoskeletal Syndrome Of Menopause: Not “Just Ageing”

Menopause can affect your joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones all at once, not just because of ageing, but because oestrogen levels change and then drop. This can lead to stiffness, aches, tendon flare-ups, slower recovery after activity, and sometimes...

How Menopause Affects The Gut (And Why So Many Changes Start There)

How Menopause Affects The Gut (And Why So Many Changes Start There)

Menopause is not only about changing hormones. It also affects the gut microbiome, the community of microbes that support digestion, immunity, and metabolism. As oestrogen levels fall, gut diversity can reduce, the gut lining can become less well regulated, and...

Phytoestrogens for Menopause: A Guide to Eating Well

Phytoestrogens for Menopause: A Guide to Eating Well

Phytoestrogens, or plant oestrogens, are compounds present in soy, flaxseed, sesame, beans, whole grains and many other foods. They bind weakly to oestrogen receptors and can offer a mild signal as your own oestrogen falls. Research links them with fewer flushes,...

Is My Brain Broken? Navigating the Fog of Menopause

Is My Brain Broken? Navigating the Fog of Menopause

Menopausal brain fog is a common and temporary experience caused by hormonal changes, especially the decline in oestrogen. It can lead to forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and mental fatigue, but it’s not a sign of dementia. Understanding the link between...

Sesame for Hormones, Bones and Heart health

Sesame for Hormones, Bones and Heart health

Sesame seeds, especially when eaten consistently, can support bone strength, heart health and hormone balance through menopause. Traditional medicine has used sesame for centuries, and modern science backs up many of those uses. Sesame is rich in healthy fats,...

Perimenopause Brain Fog: A Guide to Sharper Memory and Focus

Perimenopause Brain Fog: A Guide to Sharper Memory and Focus

Perimenopause brain fog is one of the most common cognitive changes women notice during the hormonal transition. Memory lapses, trouble focusing and difficulty finding words can all appear as oestrogen, progesterone and stress hormones fluctuate. While usually...

Histamine Intolerance and Menopause

Histamine Intolerance and Menopause

Midlife hormone shifts, especially during perimenopause, can make your body more sensitive to histamine - a natural chemical that plays roles in digestion, immunity and alertness. When histamine levels go above what your body can clear comfortably, you may feel hot...

Iron Deficiency Hair Loss in Women: Causes, Signs and What Works

Iron Deficiency Hair Loss in Women: Causes, Signs and What Works

If your hair is thinning or shedding more than usual, low iron might be a part of the reason. This guide explains how iron supports healthy hair, why women are more likely to run low on it, and what you can do about it. It covers food choices, supplements, herbal...

Will Sage Help Hot Flushes? Evidence, Dosage & Safety

Will Sage Help Hot Flushes? Evidence, Dosage & Safety

Sage, a common kitchen herb, may help ease hot flushes during menopause. It’s been used for centuries to support women’s health, and recent studies show it can reduce how often hot flushes happen and sometimes how intense they feel. The remedy works gently by calming...

Royal Jelly for Women’s Health

Royal Jelly for Women’s Health

Royal jelly is a nutrient-dense secretion produced by young worker bees that, through epigenetic effects, transforms ordinary larvae into long-lived, fertile queen bees. Its unique blend of proteins (notably royalactin), fatty acids (10-HDA), vitamins, minerals, and...

Oestrogen Dominance: The Signs Your Hormones May Be Out of Balance

Oestrogen Dominance: The Signs Your Hormones May Be Out of Balance

Oestrogen dominance describes a pattern where oestrogen's effects outweigh those of progesterone. It can bring a range of physical, emotional and mental changes. This pattern can affect women at any age, but it becomes more common through perimenopause and into the...

Intermittent Fasting After Menopause

Intermittent Fasting After Menopause

Summary Intermittent fasting can be a beneficial strategy for postmenopausal women to support weight management, insulin sensitivity, and overall health. Unlike premenopausal women, whose hormones are more sensitive to fasting, postmenopausal women generally tolerate...

Natural Remedies to Support Vaginal Health

Natural Remedies to Support Vaginal Health

For many women, vaginal health isn’t something we’re taught to think about until there’s a problem. Maybe it’s a change in discharge, a recurring infection, or a growing sense of dryness or discomfort that doesn’t seem to resolve. Often, these symptoms arrive quietly...

An Intermittent Fasting Guide for Women

An Intermittent Fasting Guide for Women

You might have noticed that intermittent fasting has become quite popular, yet there is still some confusion about its safety for women. It is a flexible approach to eating that, rather than focusing on what you eat, centres on when you eat. Because women’s bodies may...

Why You’re Gaining Weight During Perimenopause

Why You’re Gaining Weight During Perimenopause

You step on the scales one morning and wonder what on earth happened. Your clothes feel tighter around your middle and despite eating your usual healthy meals and keeping up with your walks or gym sessions, your body seems to have its own ideas. In my work as a...

The Link Between HRT and Bloating

The Link Between HRT and Bloating

As a medical herbalist, I've worked with many women experiencing chronic health issues. A pattern I've observed repeatedly in my practice is that gut health problems frequently appear either as the primary concern or alongside other health challenges. During the...

The Surprising Gut Changes in Perimenopause

The Surprising Gut Changes in Perimenopause

Many women experience surprising gut changes in perimenopause that seem to appear without warning. Suddenly, foods you've enjoyed for decades cause bloating, your bowel habits become unpredictable, and that uncomfortable feeling of fullness lingers much longer than it...