There are so many options now to help us look younger, feel younger and give us a confidence boost - and it isn't just about vanity, sometimes the anti-ageing procedures available whilst not considered essential maybe, can make a huge difference to our quality of life. 

Anti-ageing options available to us include - creams and serums, advanced facials and treatments, supplements (tablets and drinks), exercise (face and body) and medical aesthetic procedures.  As a blogger in the 50+ niche I have been very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to try out a few of these and report back on my blog.  But so far I have not considered any 'botox' type procedure, which to me represents 'medical aesthetics' and is about the extent of my knowledge!  

So when I was invited to visit Bodyvie in Richmond - an advanced medical aesthetic clinic and a leader in its field - I saw it as an opportunity to find out more - what exactly is it all about and should I not rule it out?

The Bodyvie clinic was easy to find and is a large, bright and welcoming space.  I was greeted by the receptionist and introduced to Dr Andrew Weber.  We had a really interesting chat and I was keen to find out about the clinic's 'holistic' approach to ageing and menopause and the range of options they offer.

The theme of this years World Menopause Day is Testosterone for Women in Midlife and it really caught my eye immediately because testosterone is not licensed for women to use in the UK - and yet it can be a life-changing element of HRT and treating the debilitating menopause symptoms.  It is possible to take testosterone in the UK, you just need to know how to get it.  My research for my own hormone health eventually led me to taking testosterone (as well as oestrogen) and I have talked about my journey a lot on my blog (see below for all the links to other menopause discussions). 

​I started off a bit anti-HRT, I thought I'd be able to manage without it and I thought it wouldn't happen to me.  But it did - and I so wish I hadn't delayed making the decision. finally accepting I needed it was the best thing I ever did!

As you know I am on HRT, that wasn't an easy decision to make and I did a lot of research and soul searching first.  But HRT isn't the end of the story, we still need to eat well, move more and look after our wellbeing and overall health during peri menopause and post menopause.  So when Evie invited me along to her lunch 'n' learn workshop last week it seemed like an ideal opportunity to remind myself what I should be doing, to learn more about what i could do and to listen to the latest research on the best nutrition for this stage in my life.

And what a great way to learn, over a delicious and healthy lunch in a beautiful location.  I've met Evie a few times now, she is a very friendly and very knowledgeable.  Evie is a registered nutritional therapist specialising in gut health and with a particular interest in menopause (because she is approaching that age too so understands from a personal perspective).