By Susie Perry (BSc (Hons), Dip ION, MIFST), SISTERLY Nutritional Therapist and Food Scientist
Menopause is reached 12 months after your last period, at around 51 for most women in Ireland and the UK.1 But oestrogen and progesterone do far more than run your cycle, so the change can touch your brain, bones, sleep and mood. The good news is that a handful of everyday habits make a real difference.
“In my clinical practice I frequently see perimenopausal or postmenopausal women who feel physically, mentally and emotionally depleted. They are looking after everyone else while neglecting their own wellbeing. Optimised nutrition is a foundation for good health, but it can easily feel overwhelming, particularly when life is busy.”
Dr Mandy Leonhardt, GP and menopause specialist
1. Move: Keep moving, and make some of it strength work
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your brain, mood and bones. Aerobic exercise, from a brisk walk to a swim, boosts BDNF, a protein that helps your brain build new connections, and lifts feel-good messengers such as dopamine and serotonin.
Strength work matters just as much now, because bone density falls as oestrogen drops. Weights, bands, Pilates or even carrying heavy shopping all count. Aim for a mix of both each week.
2. Eat: Eat for your brain, and mind the gaps
Your brain builds its chemical messengers from food: tryptophan (turkey, oats, bananas) for serotonin, tyrosine (chicken, fish, almonds) for dopamine, and choline (eggs, salmon) for acetylcholine, which matters for memory and focus.
Needs shift after menopause too. Low levels of vitamin D, selenium, vitamin B12 and magnesium are common in women in their 50s and beyond,5 while iron needs drop, which is why The Elevator contains no iron.
3. Sleep: Protect your sleep
Up to 60% of women have trouble sleeping around menopause.3 Progesterone supports GABA, the brain’s main calming messenger,2 so as it falls, switching off gets harder, and poor sleep feeds low mood and brain fog the next day.
Small changes add up:
- Eat magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, seeds and leafy greens.
- Swap late coffee for green tea earlier in the day.
- Try a calming practice before bed, such as yoga, mindfulness or slow breathing.
4. Connect: Find your people
Oxytocin, the bonding hormone, supports closeness and resilience to stress, and has even been linked to bone health.4 Oestrogen helps boost it, so as levels fall, some women withdraw a little or feel lonelier.
What helps is simple: hugs, time with friends, family and pets, and women around you going through the same thing, whether that’s a walking group or a sea swim.
5. Talk: Have the HRT conversation
HRT replaces the hormones your body is making less of, and it works alongside good nutrition, not instead of it. Body-identical HRT is regulated, licensed and available on prescription, and understanding of its risks and benefits has moved on a long way since the early 2000s.6 If menopause is affecting your life, talk to your GP.
The Elevator is made without phytoestrogens and can be taken alongside HRT.
Small habits, real difference
You don’t need to overhaul your life. Move more, eat for your brain and bones, protect your sleep, stay close to your people, take a good multivitamin and talk to your GP.
“The Elevator is the supplement I recommend: it covers the key nutrients women need in midlife in one simple daily sachet, from vitamin B6 for hormonal activity, to vitamin D for bone health, and it can be taken alongside HRT.”
Dr Mandy Leonhardt, GP and menopause specialist
For simple daily support, The Elevator brings 23 essential nutrients together in one sachet. Its tailored blend of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, D and K, the B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and more, works together to support your energy, bones, immunity, skin and hair, and hormonal activity.
SISTERLY The Elevator
One daily sachet. 23 nutrients.
- 23 vitamins, minerals and nutrients in one daily sachet
- Vitamins D and K contribute to the maintenance of normal bones
- Magnesium, vitamin B12 and vitamin C contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
- Free from iron, iodine and phytoestrogens, and can be taken alongside HRT
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Read next: 5 perimenopause myths that keep women feeling rubbish and Early menopause: what to look out for and how to look after yourself.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor.
Sources
- NHS. Menopause and perimenopause. nhs.uk.
- Barth C, Villringer A, Sacher J. Sex hormones affect neurotransmitters and shape the adult female brain during hormonal transition periods. Front Neurosci. 2015;9:37.
- Baker FC, de Zambotti M, Colrain IM, Bei B. Sleep problems during the menopausal transition: prevalence, impact, and management challenges. Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:73-95.
- Breuil V, Panaia-Ferrari P, Fontas E, et al. Oxytocin, a new determinant of bone mineral density in post-menopausal women: analysis of the OPUS cohort. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99(4):E634-E641.
- Stanisławska M, Szkup-Jabłońska M, Jurczak A, et al. The severity of depressive symptoms vs. serum Mg and Zn levels in postmenopausal women. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2014;157(1):30-35.
- Chester RC, Kling JM, Manson JE. What the Women’s Health Initiative has taught us about menopausal hormone therapy. Clin Cardiol. 2018;41(2):247-252.
