My menopause journey

For most of my life, I carried mixed feelings about what menopause might bring. With my medical history, I was prepared for a difficult time. I’d begun periods at 11, struggled with heavy bleeding that led to early use of the combined pill, and navigated anxiety, depression, endometriosis, and a later ablation. Add fibromyalgia and M.E. into the mix, and it felt as though life had handed me a recipe for a turbulent transition.

But here’s what I didn’t yet know: this journey wasn’t here to break me, it was here to wake me.

Back then, I didn’t understand that my body was whispering (and sometimes shouting) for change. I didn’t understand that symptoms weren’t punishments, but messages. Signals. Invitations to turn inward.

And that is where my story truly begins.

The power of choice

Despite my fears, I held onto one bright thread: my mum had breezed through her menopause. So part of me believed that ease was possible.

As I buried myself into research, I discovered a truth that lit a spark inside me: Menopause, historically, is not a disease. In many cultures, it is honoured as a rite of passage, a wise-woman awakening, a natural and beautiful transition. That insight changed everything.

I made a conscious choice that day: If my body was shifting, I would shift with it and not fight against it.

Listening more deeply than ever before

In my late forties (I’m 54 now), the first sign that something was out of balance was blood sugar instability. Night sweats. Morning cortisol spikes. Crashes, cravings, mood dips. It was subtle but persistent.

I could have ignored it.
I could have pushed through.

But instead, for the first time in my life, I listened.

Balancing my blood sugars became my first act of self-respect. Reducing refined foods, supporting myself with targeted supplements, and eating in a way that truly suited my biology made a world of difference. My symptoms eased. My energy returned. My clarity came back online.

I added seed cycling, aligned not with my cycle (thanks to my ablation) but with the moon. There was something deeply grounding in that practice. Something ancient. Something that reminded me that my body is part of nature, not separate from it.

For two years, I felt healthy, energised, and aligned.

Honouring the phases

Menopause is not one moment; it’s a movement, a flowing transition. After a couple of years, I felt the next shift approaching. So I reassessed, adjusted, and offered my body what it needed next.

For a while, I refined my nutrition and used short-term supplements to support this next stage. More listening. More responding. More trusting.

When thinning skin appeared, I experimented with topical oestrogen. But as someone sensitive to hormonal treatments, even the recommended dose triggered an emotional intensity that didn’t feel right for me. Rage that felt foreign to my nature.

That single experience was enough for me to choose a different direction, wild yam cream, which has been a gentler, more aligned fit.

And that’s the beauty of this journey: Menopause teaches you to choose what honours you, not what is simply offered to you.

A body transformed

Over time, my diet transformed too. Not from restriction, not from rules, but from listening. Dairy and eggs created inflammation, so I let them go. Meat no longer felt supportive, so I stepped away from it. Now, I eat mostly plant-based foods with the occasional fish, and the door remains open for change.

This wasn’t a diet shift.
It was a consciousness shift.
A deeper relationship with my body’s intelligence.

The gift of support

I haven’t walked this path alone. My friend and business partner, Laura Shipp, has been a guiding light. Her wisdom and insight helped me bypass the noise of marketing and “one-size-fits-all” menopause advice.

With her guidance, I was able to trust my intuition and follow the path that genuinely supported me.

Because here’s the truth: General recommendations help some women, but not all. The magic happens when you discover your way.

If you’re standing at the crossroads, here’s what I want you to know

1. Menopause isn’t the end. It’s an emergence.

Symptoms aren’t signs of decline; they’re signs of imbalance. And imbalance can be shifted, healed, supported, and softened.

2. Your body has a voice. Let yourself hear it.

It communicates through sensations, cravings, emotions, and energy patterns. Listen. It’s wiser than you think.

3. Your choices matter.

If hormone therapy has supported you before, explore it if it hasn’t; know that you have powerful, natural options too.

4. You can blend modern medicine with ancient wisdom.

HRT and naturopathic approaches aren’t enemies; they’re tools. What matters is that they serve you.

5. Your food becomes your future.

What you eat is not just fuel, it's information. It shapes your hormones, your mood, your resilience, and your clarity. Your cells are built from the choices you make.

6. Simplify. Slow down. Nourish.

Reducing ultra-processed foods is a future-proofing act for your health. Your body thrives on what is real. What is simple. What is natural.

Your journey will be yours, and that is your power

Menopause is not a decline. It is not a loss. It is an awakening. A transition into a wiser, deeper, more authentic version of yourself.

Your path may look like mine, or it may look entirely different. What matters is this:

Trust your body.
Trust your intuition.
Trust that this transition can be one of the most empowering chapters of your life.