If you have ever typed “what is menopause” into Google, you’ll know just how overwhelming it can feel. Conflicting advice, miracle cures, quick-fix diets, and an endless stream of supplements all compete for your attention. No wonder so many women feel lost.
Here’s the truth: menopause is not an illness. It’s a natural life stage that every woman will move through. And while it does mark the end of your reproductive years, it can also be the beginning of a whole new chapter. When you understand the stages of menopause, what is happening in your body, when it is likely to happen, and what you can do to support yourself, this transition becomes a time of clarity, strength, and empowerment.
The Three Stages of Menopause
Perimenopause
For most women, perimenopause begins in the mid-40s, although it can arrive earlier, even in the late 30s. Oestrogen levels start to rise and fall in new patterns as ovarian function declines. Periods may come and go, periods may become heavier or lighter and may skip months altogether. Stress, weight changes, and even too much exercise can all influence this stage.
Menopause
Menopause is officially reached when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period. Globally, the average age is 51 to 52, but the range is wide. Some women experience menopause in their early 40s, while others continue menstruating into their late 50s.
Post-Menopause
Once you’ve crossed the 12-month mark without menstruating, you’re in post-menopause. This stage can now span a third of a woman’s life, something our mothers and grandmothers didn’t experience in the same way. Hormones influence far more than reproduction. They affect bones, muscles, heart health, skin, gut, and brain. This makes it important to pay attention to how you care for yourself in the long term.
Outliers and Early Menopause
Some women reach menopause before 40. This is called premature or early menopause and may be triggered by genetics, health conditions, or surgery. For these women, the transition often feels more sudden, and their health needs may arrive sooner.
Beyond Hot Flushes: Why This Transition Matters
Hot flushes may be the most talked-about symptom of menopause, but they are only one part of a much bigger picture. The hormonal changes of midlife affect almost every system in the body. Oestrogen and progesterone decline is linked to something Professor Claudio Franceschi calls “inflammaging” which is chronic, low-level inflammation that builds up ageing.
This is why many women notice changes such as:
- Restless nights and 3am wakeups
- Weight gain, especially around the middle
- Achy joints or sore muscles
- Anxiety, mood swings, or brain fog
- Higher blood pressure or cholesterol
These are not random. They’re your body’s way of showing how deeply hormones and ageing physiology are connected.
What Science Shows Can Help
The good news? You are not powerless here. Research is clear: simple, consistent lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms, lower inflammation, and support long-term health.
Here are some of the most effective, evidence-based strategies:
Prioritise Sleep
Sleep is the foundation. Without it, your body cannot reset. Poor sleep raises cortisol (your stress hormone) and lowers melatonin (your sleep hormone). This makes symptoms like hot flushes, fatigue, and weight gain worse. These hormonal changes have been demonstrated in studies where light exposure at night suppressed melatonin and elevated cortisol levels. Re-establishing a healthy sleep rhythm is often the turning point for women.
Eat a Mediterranean-Style Diet
Think vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. This way of eating has the strongest evidence for reducing inflammation and supporting heart, brain, and joint health. Foods like citrus, tomatoes, and olive oil are especially powerful allies.
Move Your Body (Wisely)
Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, and swimming supports your heart and energy systems. Research shows that aerobic activity improves sleep quality and hormone regulation in menopausal women. Strength training is important too, but only once you are sleeping well enough to recover. Trying to build muscle on an exhausted body just adds stress.
Top Up Key Nutrients
- Magnesium – for relaxation, sleep, and energy
- Vitamin D – vital for bone, muscle, immunity, and sleep
- Omega-3s – from oily fish or olive oil, to reduce inflammation and protect brain and heart health
Manage Stress
High cortisol at night is one of the main reasons women lie awake at 3am. Mindfulness, meditation, or simply winding down before bed can shift your nervous system back into balance.
Cutting Through the Noise About Menopause
Menopause is not something you can fix with a single pill, powder, or fad diet. It is a natural life stage that now collides with modern pressures such as stress, processed food, poor sleep, and constant busyness. That’s why so many women today struggle more than their mothers did.
There’s no one-size-fits-all. What works beautifully for one woman may not be enough for another. Sometimes a little extra support, whether through education, coaching, or community, makes all the difference.
What we do know for sure is this – the most powerful approach is not another quick fix, but a return to evidence-based, lifestyle medicine. Small, consistent changes in how you sleep, eat, move, and manage stress can create big, long-lasting improvements.
Menopause does not mark an ending. It is the start of a new season of life. With the right tools, it can be a time to rebuild energy, clarity, and vitality – not lose them.
By Lisa Carter – Certified Holistic Counsellor and Menopause Lifestyle Coach.
Lisa supports women one-to-one and in small groups to manage menopause symptoms naturally through lifestyle and mindset strategies. Lisa also offers access to Dr Wendy Sweet’s MyMT™ programmes as an affiliate coach, giving clients the option to combine evidence-based online learning with her personalised coaching support. If you’d like to learn more about how Lisa supports women through these the stages of menopause, visit her Menopause Reset page for details.
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