Menopause Decoded
Menopause isn’t just about hot flashes and the end of periods—it’s a whole-body transformation. It affects your hormones, metabolism, emotions, and energy in ways that can feel unexpected and sometimes overwhelming. But with a clear understanding of what’s going on beneath the surface, you can navigate this transition with more ease, self-trust, and even empowerment.
In this post, we’ll unpack the biological shifts, explain five common symptoms and why they happen, then walk through five foundational tools—including blood sugar, thyroid, and weight training—to help you feel more grounded and resilient in this phase.
What Is Perimenopause and Menopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause. It usually begins in your 40s and can last several years. During this time, the ovaries start to slow down, and hormone levels—particularly estrogen and progesterone—rise and fall unpredictably. You might start to experience irregular cycles, heavier or lighter bleeding, mood swings, or sleep issues.
Menopause is officially reached when you’ve gone 12 months without a period. The average age is around 51. At this point, ovulation stops, estrogen and progesterone remain at consistently low levels, and the body shifts into a new hormonal baseline.
This transition isn’t just physical. Many women experience an emotional or energetic shift—feeling more introspective, questioning old patterns, or even sensing a new clarity about their values and needs. It’s not unusual to feel disoriented at first, but this can also be a time of renewal and reclamation.
Why It Happens: The Hormonal Drivers
Your body is born with a limited number of ovarian follicles (eggs). As these decline in number and quality, ovulation becomes less consistent. This means less progesterone, and eventually, less estrogen too. Without enough estrogen to maintain the usual feedback loops, your brain signals for more FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) to try to get the ovaries to respond—but they no longer can. That’s menopause.
It’s important to understand that estrogen doesn’t just affect the uterus. It plays a role in brain function, mood regulation, metabolism, temperature control, bone density, skin elasticity, and cardiovascular health. When it declines, nearly every system in the body feels it.
5 Common Menopause Symptoms (and Why They Happen)
1. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
These sudden waves of heat, often followed by chills or sweating, are among the most well-known symptoms. They’re caused by the hypothalamus—your brain’s thermostat—becoming overly sensitive without the moderating influence of estrogen. Even small changes in body temperature can trigger a full-body “cooling” response.
Night sweats are essentially hot flashes that happen during sleep, often leading to disrupted rest and fatigue the next day.
2. Insomnia and Sleep Disturbances
Falling progesterone (a naturally calming hormone) and estrogen shifts can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. Many women wake up in the middle of the night, either drenched from a night sweat or just wired, even if they’re exhausted.
Sleep quality often declines during perimenopause and menopause, which then affects energy, mood, weight regulation, and cognitive clarity.
3. Weight Gain and Metabolism Changes
Many women notice weight gain during this phase, especially around the belly—even if they haven’t changed their eating habits. Lower estrogen contributes to increased insulin resistance, decreased muscle mass, and a slower metabolism. Fat tends to redistribute from hips and thighs to the abdomen.
This is not about willpower or doing something wrong. Your physiology is literally shifting how it stores and uses energy.
4. Mood Swings, Anxiety, and Irritability
Hormones like estrogen and progesterone interact with neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which help regulate mood and calm the nervous system. When those hormones drop, you may feel more anxious, sad, quick to anger, or emotionally tender.
This is often compounded by poor sleep, blood sugar imbalances, or life stressors happening simultaneously—aging parents, teenage kids, career shifts, or relationship changes.
5. Low Libido and Vaginal Changes
Many women experience a drop in sexual desire during and after menopause. This can be due to lower estrogen and testosterone, fatigue, vaginal dryness, or emotional disconnection from their body.
Estrogen normally keeps vaginal tissues thick, elastic, and well-lubricated. When it drops, these tissues become thinner and more fragile, sometimes leading to discomfort or pain with intimacy.
5 Foundational Basics That Help
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but these five core areas support hormone balance, energy, and overall wellbeing during the menopausal transition. Start here before jumping into complex protocols or expensive supplements.
1. Balance Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar swings can worsen hot flashes, mood changes, and energy crashes. During menopause, your insulin sensitivity tends to decrease, meaning you’re more prone to spikes and crashes.
Support this by:
Eating protein with every meal
Choosing complex carbs (sweet potato, quinoa, oats) over refined ones
Including healthy fats and fibre to slow glucose absorption
Avoiding skipping meals or relying on sugar or caffeine for energy
Stable blood sugar keeps your nervous system calmer, your mood more balanced, and your hormones better supported overall.
2. Support Your Thyroid
Your thyroid governs metabolism, energy, and body temperature—and thyroid issues are more common in women, especially during midlife. The symptoms of hypothyroidism often overlap with menopause: fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, hair thinning, and low mood.
Make sure to get a complete thyroid panel (not just TSH) that includes free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies.
Nutrients that support thyroid health include:
Iodine (seaweed, eggs, iodised salt)
Selenium (brazil nuts, sardines)
Zinc (pumpkin seeds, red meat)
Iron (grass-fed beef, lentils)
If you’re exhausted no matter how well you eat or rest, consider thyroid testing as a priority.
3. Lift Weights
Strength training is one of the best investments you can make during menopause. It builds and preserves lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolism, improves insulin sensitivity, and supports joint and bone health.
Estrogen helps maintain bone density, so as levels decline, your risk of osteoporosis increases. Lifting weights stimulates bone-building cells and slows loss.
You don’t need to become a bodybuilder—2 to 3 sessions per week with dumbbells, resistance bands, or bodyweight movements (like squats and push-ups) can be incredibly effective.
Bonus: strength training has also been linked to better mood, more confidence, and improved sleep.
4. Manage Stress (Like It’s Medicine)
Chronic stress pushes your body into cortisol overdrive, which:
Increases belly fat
Steals from progesterone production
Worsens sleep, blood sugar, and hot flashes
Stress reduction isn’t fluff—it’s a necessary hormone support strategy.
Support your nervous system with:
Mindful breathing (try 4-7-8 or box breathing)
Time in nature or sunlight
Guided meditation or body scans
Saying “no” more often to create space
Even 10 minutes a day of intentional calm can lower cortisol and improve how your body responds to hormonal changes.
5. Nourish with Key Nutrients
Your body has different needs in this phase. Key nutrients to prioritise include:
Calcium + Vitamin D: Essential for bone health. Get calcium from dairy, sardines, or leafy greens. Most women also need a D supplement.
Magnesium: Calms the nervous system, supports sleep, reduces headaches and muscle tension. Found in dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, leafy greens.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Anti-inflammatory, mood-supportive, and great for joint and brain health. Found in oily fish, flax, chia.
Protein: Aim for around 1.2g per kg of body weight daily. It supports muscle mass, satiety, and hormone repair.
B vitamins: Especially B6, B12, and folate—for mood, energy, and brain function.
A Mediterranean-style diet—rich in vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish—has been shown to support better menopausal outcomes and fewer symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Menopause isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a biological shift that asks for your attention, care, and compassion. Yes, symptoms can be uncomfortable. Yes, the process is often messy. But it’s also an invitation—to slow down, realign, and strengthen your relationship with your body.
The more you understand what’s happening, the less fear you’ll carry. And the more you focus on foundational, sustainable support—like blood sugar, thyroid health, strength, nervous system care, and nourishment—the more resilient and vibrant you’ll feel.
Menopause isn’t the end of vitality—it’s the beginning of a new kind. One that’s earned. One that’s wiser. One that’s yours.
Scientific References
Santoro N. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Freeman EW et al. Archives of General Psychiatry.
Thurston RC et al. Menopause.
Genazzani AR et al. Human Reproduction Update.
Gunter MJ et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
North American Menopause Society.
Sowers MF et al. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Kohrt WM et al. Journal of Applied Physiology.
Elavsky S et al. Maturitas.
Rossmanith WG et al. Menopause Review.
