Harmony Health & Menopause

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Nutritionist and Reiki Practitioner, supporting women in menopause. Author of The Menopause Wellness Manual.

31/10/2026

We don't have to do this alone. We were never meant to.

As Menopause Awareness Month comes to an end, these words feel particularly meaningful to me.

When I experienced early menopause, there were times when I felt very alone in what I was going through.
Looking back, I wish I'd asked for help from the people closest to me, rather than keeping so much of what I was feeling inside.

I think sometimes we convince ourselves that we should be able to manage everything on our own. We carry on, put on a brave face and don't always let others see just how difficult things have become.
But I've come to realise that there's strength in allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, in sharing how we're feeling and letting the people who love us be there for us.

My own experience eventually led me back into education and writing The Menopause Wellness Manual.
While I've learned so much about the science of menopause, nutrition and the changes taking place in our bodies, I've also come to appreciate just how important emotional support and human connection can be.

Every woman's experience is different. Some move through menopause with relatively few difficulties, while for others it can be a time of enormous physical and emotional change.But if there's one thing I'd love you to take away from this month, it's that you don't have to navigate menopause on your own.

And sometimes, simply being able to say “I'm finding this difficult” to someone who cares can be the beginning of feeling a little less alone.

Thank you for being here throughout October, for reading, sharing and being part of these conversations. It means more than you know.

Menopause Awareness Month may be coming to an end, but the conversations, understanding and support shouldn't end with it.

Be kind to yourself, reach out when you need to, and remember that you deserve the same love and understanding you so freely give to others.

Because we don't have to do this alone.

We were never meant to.

Julie 🤍

30/10/2026

Some words mean more than the person sharing them will ever realise.

Receiving these beautiful words from Louise about The Menopause Wellness Manual really touched me. Writing this book was such a personal journey, inspired by my own experience of early menopause and my desire to help other women better understand the changes happening in their bodies.

That's really why I wrote this book.

I wanted to bring together the science of menopause, practical nutrition and lifestyle guidance, alongside the emotional support that I believe is so important during this stage of life. My hope was never to overwhelm women with more information, but to help them feel informed, supported and a little more confident about the years ahead.

Knowing that something so personal to me has resonated with someone else means more than I can say.

Thank you, Louise, for your thoughtful words, kindness and encouragement. I'm so grateful for your support and to have you in my life.

And to every woman navigating perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause, I hope this book reminds you that there is support, there is understanding and, most importantly, you are not alone.

Julie 🤍

The Menopause Wellness Manual is available on Amazon.

29/10/2026

I remember when I first noticed that something had shifted.

I was still doing the things that had always worked for me.But my energy wasn't the same. My body felt different. And the harder I tried to “do everything right”, the more frustrated I became when it didn't seem to work in quite the same way anymore.

I've noticed that change again as I've moved further through my own menopause journey.
And one of the biggest things I've learned is that I've had to change the way I look after myself too.
I don't need more restriction or another diet. I need to nourish myself properly. To eat enough protein and fibre. To move my body and protect my muscle. To prioritise sleep and manage stress. And sometimes, simply to recognise when I need to rest.

Things I might once have pushed to the bottom of the list now feel much more important.
Self-care in midlife isn't indulgent. It's part of looking after our health as we get older.
And perhaps that's the real shift.
Instead of constantly asking, “Why isn't my body responding the way it used to?”, I'm learning to ask:
“What does my body need from me now?”
Because our bodies change.
And the way we care for them can change too.

Julie 🤍

Have you noticed that what worked for you in your 30s and 40s doesn't necessarily feel right anymore?

28/10/2026

Life really does have a way of changing what matters to you.

Losing my lovely mum has changed me in ways I'm still trying to understand. I'm not the same person I was before, and I don't think I ever will be. But through all the sadness, I've found myself thinking a lot about life, what really matters and the people I want to share it with.

One thing has become very clear to me.

I want to surround myself with people who genuinely want the best for each other. People who are happy to see you doing well, who encourage you, who make you laugh and who are there when life isn't quite so good. I want to spend more time enjoying the little things, making lovely memories and appreciating the people I'm lucky enough to have in my life.

I also want to be that person for others. To celebrate their happiness, encourage them when they doubt themselves and be there when they need a little support.

A little kindness, understanding and encouragement can mean the world to someone. We never really know what another person is going through.

And if we can make life a little lighter for each other along the way, then surely that's what really matters.

Julie x

27/10/2026

You went to bed tired. You fell asleep without too much trouble. But here you are, staring at the ceiling, wondering why you can't seem to sleep through the night anymore. Your mind starts wandering. You check the time. You calculate how many hours you've got left before the alarm goes off.

Sound familiar?

For many women, disrupted sleep is one of the most frustrating parts of perimenopause and menopause.

So why does sleep change during menopause?

Fluctuating oestrogen levels can influence sleep regulation, while night sweats, anxiety and changes in mood can make restful sleep harder to achieve.

Your circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock, also helps regulate when you feel alert and when you're ready for sleep.It responds to signals such as daylight, darkness and daily routines.

That's why some of the simplest habits can be worth paying attention to.

Get outside in the morning. Natural daylight helps regulate your body clock.

Think about your afternoon coffee.Caffeine can affect sleep hours after you've enjoyed it.

Give yourself a quieter evening.Dim the lights, put your phone aside and allow yourself time to unwind.

Find something that helps you switch off. A warm bath, a book or a few minutes of gentle breathing might be a good place to start.

These habits won't resolve every cause of menopausal sleep disruption, but they can help create more favourable conditions for rest.

You don't need to change everything tonight.

Perhaps you start with ten minutes outside tomorrow morning. Perhaps it's swapping that afternoon coffee for decaf.

Having experienced early menopause myself, I know how important it is to feel that you have some understanding of what's happening in your body.

You deserve more than simply being told to get an early night.

You deserve answers, support and the chance to feel more like yourself again.

Save this for a night when sleep feels particularly elusive.

26/10/2026

“I used to cope with everything. So why does the smallest thing suddenly make me feel anxious?”

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Anxiety can be one of the most unsettling changes during perimenopause, particularly when you've always considered yourself someone who manages life's challenges.

But why does this happen?

During perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate, influencing the brain's neurotransmitters and how we respond to stress.

Oestrogen interacts with serotonin, which helps regulate mood and influences our response to stress.

Progesterone is converted into allopregnanolone, which acts on GABA receptors involved in calming activity within the nervous system.

As these hormones fluctuate, some women become more sensitive to stress. Add disrupted sleep, hot flushes and everyday responsibilities, and it's understandable why things can feel overwhelming.

Anxiety has been, and still is, part of my own menopause journey. I experienced it during perimenopause, and now in postmenopause.

Over the years, I've learned to recognise when I'm feeling overwhelmed and what helps me find a little calm again. For me, it's walking in nature, Reiki and spending time near water. There's something about being beside the sea that always makes me feel better.

These things don't necessarily make anxiety disappear, but they help me feel more grounded.

What helps one woman feel calmer may be completely different for another. The important thing is finding what works for you, whether that's movement, time with friends or simply a quiet moment to yourself.

If anxiety is affecting your daily life, please reach out for professional support. You don't have to manage it alone.

Sometimes caring for ourselves begins with recognising what we need and making a little space for it.

Julie 🤍

25/10/2026

I wrote the book I wish I'd had when menopause began.

When I went through early menopause, I spent so much time trying to piece together what was happening to me.

Why didn't I feel like myself?

Were all these seemingly unrelated symptoms really connected?

What could I actually do to support my body?

And where could I find information that explained it without making everything feel even more overwhelming?

Years later, those questions became part of the reason I wrote The Menopause Wellness Manual.

I wanted to bring everything together in one place.

To help women understand menopause and the symptoms they may experience, but also to explain the role nutrition, lifestyle, stress and self-care can play in supporting health through this stage of life and beyond.

And I wanted it to be practical.

A manual you don't have to read from cover to cover.

If you're struggling with a particular symptom, you can go to that section.

If you want to understand what to eat, it's there.

If you're thinking about your bones, muscles, heart or future health, you can come back to those chapters when you need them.

And there are recipes to help make some of that nutrition advice part of everyday life too.

Most of all, I wanted women to have something I didn't have:

One place to start when everything feels confusing.

The Menopause Wellness Manual is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. 🤍

Link in bio.

22/10/2026

Menopause doesn't need another fad diet. It needs a way of eating that supports your health for the years ahead.

And for me, the Mediterranean way of eating is one of the best places to start.

It isn't a restrictive diet, and there are no complicated rules or lists of foods you have to avoid.

Instead, it's a way of eating built around vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fish and other good-quality sources of protein.

Why does that matter during and after menopause?

Because menopause isn't only about managing symptoms.

As oestrogen levels decline, our attention also needs to turn towards our heart, bones, muscles and metabolic health, and the way we eat can make an important contribution to all of these.

A Mediterranean-style diet naturally gives us many of the things I talk about regularly:

🥑 Unsaturated fats from extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish to support cardiovascular health.

🥦 Fibre from vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils and whole grains to support gut health, healthy cholesterol levels and blood glucose control.

🐟 Protein from fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils and dairy foods to help maintain muscle as we get older.

🌿 A wide variety of plant foods, providing vitamins, minerals and protective plant compounds.

And that's what I particularly like about this way of eating.

It's not about one “menopause superfood”.

It's about the dietary pattern we build over weeks, months and years.

You don't need to suddenly change everything you're eating either.

Start with one meal.

Add another vegetable.
Swap refined grains for whole grains more often.
Add beans or lentils to a familiar recipe.
Use extra virgin olive oil.
Have a handful of nuts.
Include fish regularly.

Small changes count.

Because good menopause nutrition isn't about eating perfectly or trying to “balance” your hormones with food.

It's about nourishing your body now while also protecting the health of the woman you're becoming. 🤍

I've put together a FREE Mediterranean Recipe Ebook with simple ideas to help you put this way of eating into practice.

You'll find it through the link in my bio.

PMID: 35546996; PMCID: PMC9084275.

21/10/2026

What if menopause is the time to start thinking differently about our future health?

When you're going through menopause, it's understandable that so much of your attention goes towards managing the symptoms affecting how you feel every day.

But while we're navigating all these changes, it's easy to overlook another important part of the picture: our future health. As a nutritional therapist, I'm passionate about helping women understand what's happening in their bodies and why it matters. One area I think deserves more attention is our heart health.

Oestrogen is much more than a reproductive hormone. It also plays an important role in cardiovascular health, helping to regulate blood vessel function and influencing cholesterol metabolism.

As oestrogen levels decline during menopause, changes can occur in blood vessel function, cholesterol metabolism and glucose regulation. Alongside ageing and other factors, these changes can influence our cardiovascular health in later life.

But this isn't about worrying about the future. It's about understanding how we can support our health today. The foods we eat, regular movement, good sleep and our everyday habits all play a part. We don't need to change everything overnight. Small, consistent changes can make a meaningful difference.

Because I don't just want women to get through menopause. I want us to enjoy healthy, active lives for many years to come.

Julie 🤍

In my next post, I'll be sharing why the Mediterranean diet is one of my favourite approaches to supporting heart health.

References: El Khoudary et al. (2020), Circulation; Nair et al. (2021), Current Cardiology Reviews.

20/10/2026

“Reading this book felt like holding hands with someone who gets it.”

Of all the lovely words women have shared with me about The Menopause Wellness Manual, this one really touched me.

Because “someone who gets it” is exactly what I hoped women would feel when they opened the book.

When I went through early menopause myself, I didn't have a manual beside me.

I was trying to understand symptoms I hadn't expected, work out what was happening to my body and piece together information from different places.

And I remember how confusing and, at times, lonely that could feel.

Years later, after studying nutrition and working in women's health, I wrote the book I wish I'd had then.

Not something that tells women they need to do everything perfectly.

Not another quick fix.

But somewhere they can turn when they have a question.

Why am I feeling like this?
Could this be menopause?
What is changing in my body?
What can I do to support myself?

The manual brings together menopause education, symptoms, nutrition and lifestyle guidance, practical tips and recipes, so you don't have to work everything out at once.

You can simply dip into the section you need and come back whenever something changes.

That's why this review means so much to me.

Because beneath all the science and practical information, there was one thing I wanted every woman reading it to feel:

You don't have to figure all of this out on your own.

Thank you to the lovely reader who took the time to write these words. Knowing that the book made someone feel understood means more than I can say. 🤍

📘 The Menopause Wellness Manual is available now.
You'll find the link in my bio.

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