Nutrition for Menopause with Evie Nutrition

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).

Evie prepared us a delicious lunch!

​There are a few key worries that come up time and time again for women during their peri menopause years:

• How do I control/reduce hot flushes and night sweats?
• What can I do about the bloat and fat gain around my middle?
• Why can't I tolerate alcohol like I used to?
• How can I get a better nights sleep?

And many many more ... but Evie was able to guide us with some ideas to help with these questions and others.  We learnt:
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• Which foods can help to reduce menopause symptoms and what are the top foods to include in our diets.
• What supplements we really should be taking to help - I've touched on this before, there are so many out there - it is confusing!  Evie confirmed magnesium is one of them, see my post here.
• What are the common deficiencies that make our symptoms worse?
• What causes us to gain fat around the middle and what can we do to help with this and that familiar bloated feeling.  Gut health is key here and I am going back this week to have a full consultation with Evie to discuss this further.
• What type of exercise we should be doing - it's weight bearing by the way!  Not running!
• That stress and sleep are the most important factors to get right for our health and well-being.  I've talked about this on the blog before - see this post.

And for example - did you know that flax seeds have been linked to slight increases in oestrogen, improved hormone metabolism, fewer hot flushes and reduced vaginal dryness as well as overall quality of life in menopausal women?  I add whole flax seeds to my overnight oats, I learned that this is better than the ground ones I was buying - better to ground them yourself if you prefer the texture.  They are also high in omega-3 fats, rich in dietary fibre and may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, they are high in protein and are a versatile ingredient - they are easy to add into your diet.  Try adding to porridge or overnight oats as I do, adding to a smoothie, drizzling the oil onto a salad, mixing them in with your yoghurt or add to your baking, like muffins or cookies.

Evie has a beautiful space in which to run her workshops in Bourne End.

​We enjoyed a delicious lunch of pea and bean salad and chickpea biryani and made new friends.  I added a few things straight to my Ocado basket - like kale crackers and sauerkraut (excellent for gut health).  

Evie is based in Bourne End in Buckinghamshire and is available for one to one consultations, she will also be running further workshops and plans to repeat this Nutrition for Menopause Lunch 'n' Learn one again in September - get in touch with her if you would like more details.  You can find all her contact details on her website here.

Love from
Michelle xx
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Evie (on the right) with her mum and sister who were on hand to help at the workshop.

​Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post.

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