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Are there benefits of collagen in menopause?
Collagen makes up thirty percent of the total protein in our body, and is the most abundant structural protein found in many tissues, including the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, blood vessels and skin. In recent times, it has been popular to take collagen as a supplement, with many women praising the benefits of collagen in menopause, including improvements in skin, gut…
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How to reduce Inflammation during Menopause
Believe it or not, one of the main drivers responsible for our menopause symptoms is inflammation, including weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats, aching joints and brain fog. It is usually a type of inflammation that without the symptoms of menopause, you wouldn’t even know it’s happening. This article is going to look at inflammation in more detail, its…
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Phytoestrogens – What are they and do they give menopause relief?
Phytoestrogens are known to reduce menopause symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, two of the most reported, debilitating symptoms that affect the wellbeing of women across the menopausal transition. If you are eating a diet rich in soy, wholegrains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, you are getting phytoestrogens in your diet too. There are different types of phytoestrogens, some…
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Fibre – Why you need it in menopause
Did you know that only 7% of the Australian population eat the recommended five serves of vegetables every day? Fruits and vegetables are our main source of dietary fibre which are important especially in menopause, when we can start to experience digestive changes such as bloating, constipation and flatulence. Dietary fibre is important for optimal bowel health, but it also…
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What happens to our metabolism in menopause?
What happens to our metabolism in menopause? If you are like the majority of women, you will notice weight gain, lowered energy levels and maybe even an increase in cholesterol. Metabolism is a very complex process in which the physiological changes in menopause has an impact on health and how we feel. We are going to unpack some of the…
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Goal setting in menopause to support your health and feel amazing
For some women, menopause can bring tiredness, low energy, weight gain and with it comes low motivation to even begin thinking about understanding how to make changes to feel more energetic and alive. The very first step is seeing your health professional or GP to have an assessment to rule out other health issues related to your symptoms, and if…
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Making healthy habits stick in the midst of new year’s resolutions
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate where you are at in your life with your health, fitness and wellbeing – it’s a time where we feel we can reset and start over…..but unfortunately, the majority of people who set new year’s resolutions, aren’t doing the thing they set out to do by the time…
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Supporting your bone health with exercise – there’s more to it than you think!
Exercise is important to incorporate into our lifestyle for many health reasons. It is one important link in maintaining bone health and strong muscles throughout the lifespan. Bone health and exercise is especially important for women across the menopause years, as the drop in oestrogen disrupts the bone remodelling cycle, resulting in bone loss occurring at a faster rate than…
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Confused about fats and oils……which are the healthiest?
Fats and oils play a very important role in our health, contrary to popular belief. Understanding the different types of fats and oils available to us and their health benefits or risks is key to preventing metabolic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. We look at the roles that saturated and unsaturated fats…
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Calcium supplements and bone health – everything you need to know to support strong bones
Quite often, once we hit the menopause years, we start thinking about supplements to either help with symptoms or to improve our health and prevent disease in the future. Bone health or osteoporosis prevention is one such health consequence of menopause, and many women decide to take calcium supplements to maintain strong bones, but, are they really needed? What…
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Top 5 diet recommendations to lower your risk of Osteoporosis
Adequate nutrition is important throughout all stages of life, and it couldn’t be more critical in the lead up to, and during menopause. The risk of osteoporosis starts to increase as oestrogen fluctuates and slowly decreases over time, which plays a role in keeping our bones strong. The average woman loses up to 10% of her bone mass in the…
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Alcohol & Menopause – What you need to know to protect your health
There is no better time to talk about drinking alcohol and the effects on health than in the menopause years. Like some other areas of your life, you probably find that you can’t tolerate alcohol as well as you used to, or you may even feel unwell when drinking and have decided not to drink alcohol, or maybe you have…
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Understanding bone loss in menopause and beyond
Bone health is imperative as we age, and is especially important as we go through menopause. Bone loss starts to occur slowly after the age of 35, and by the time perimenopause has started and oestrogen levels start to fluctuate, it can occur more rapidly. Oestrogen plays an important role in bone strength and prevents bone loss – menopausal women…
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What is a DEXA Scan?
Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, otherwise known as a DEXA scan, is a type of x-ray that measures the density and strength of your bones. It is used to estimate the extent of bone loss, diagnose osteoporosis or measure how well treatment for osteoporosis is working. They are the most accurate test for measuring bone loss, measuring within 2-4% precision. How…
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Midlife hair crisis – Perimenopause and hair loss
Among the various symptoms experienced during the menopausal years, one of the most distressing is hair loss in perimenopause and post menopause. Some women notice a gradual hair loss, particularly more hair falling out than usual, and others may notice thinning hair, particularly a widening part and a visible scalp. Hair loss and thinning hair can cause significant emotional and…
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Sleep Disturbance and Menopause
Sleep disturbance during the menopausal years is a very common complaint by women, in fact, it is reported by 25% of women between the ages of 50-64 years. It can include not getting good quality sleep, difficulty falling and staying asleep, waking during the night and waking too early in the morning. We all know how that makes…
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Menopause Brain Fog
Are you feeling confused, unable to think clearly or find the right words that describe your thoughts? You are not on your own, menopause brain fog or cognitive dysfunction, isn’t a medical condition in itself, but can be a symptom of many other conditions. For women, it most often occurs during pregnancy and the peri menopause years, and is…
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Weight gain and menopause – What is happening?
So, what is actually happening when we hit the perimenopausal years and beyond, with our body shape and weight gain? It is well reported that women experience weight gain in menopause and that it can be quite distressing while dealing with the other symptoms of menopause at the same time. Although our weight is complex and influenced by many factors,…
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What is the Gut Microbiome?
Our gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that live in our intestinal tract. The highest concentrations are found in the large intestine, with many diverse types of bacteria present, due to the favourable conditions such as slower transit time, pH and the nutrients available. The diversity and numbers of bacteria can be influenced by…
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My menopause story so far……
I truly believe perimenopause started for me in my late thirties, mainly because I intermittently experienced hot flushes that I couldn’t control. It was like being embarrassed, I could feel the heat rise from my chest to the top of my head. It only happened during the day every now and then, but not often enough to be concerned…
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An Introduction to Menopause for every Midlife Woman
Menopause is a natural process that signifies the end of a woman’s reproductive years. In this introduction to menopause, the 3 stages of menopause are described, each are named perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. Perimenopause Perimenopause is the period that leads up to menopause. The average age for the onset of perimenopause in Australia is 46 years. It…
