When we think of nourishment we naturally think of food but when it comes to really looking after ourselves there’s so much more to it than just what we eat.

In our Chinese medicine tradition of ‘yang sheng’ nourishment of life, we recognise the importance of food but also the importance of how we eat it. You can have the finest food in the world, cooked by the greatest chef but if you eat it lying down invariably it’ll give you heartburn!

When we reach menopause, which is after all a natural part of aging, we may need to tweak our diet and our lifestyle to adapt to the changes in our body and mind, not just the hormonal change.

 Any doctor would agree and that's why your Dr's first advice (if they're following nice guidelines for the support of menopause) will be to give you lifestyle advice and that includes what you eat. And how about viewing food as medicine? It truly is. Many medicines, including ‘natural’ HRT are derived from plants.

Nutrition really is the cornerstone of our health. It's absolutely true that you are what you eat and that your gut health is vital, throughout your life, but particularly as you age. Whether viewed through the western, ayurvedic or Chinese medicine lens the truth is that food is our foundation is something we can all agree on. And it’s not just what we eat but how we eat too.

We chatted to Karen Newby, for our bite-sized wisdom series about nourishment and nutrition. She’s an experienced nutritional therapist who has helped 100’s of women through peri and menopause she has a wonderfully down to earth approach to natural menopause solutions.

 Karen explains;

‘I’m a big believer as food as love, as community and the art of cooking and the exchange of energy to the person you have cooked for. That food is way more than the sum of its parts (which is why food first over supplements always). The concept of food being a rich source of information. Provided that our digestive function can break it down and assimilate it into cells! Not only does what you eat matter but when you eat, how you prepare it and what state of mind you are in when you eat it……This information affects our daily lives much more than we realise.’

Karen offers a specialist menopause clinic combining nutrition and lifestyle support to help reduce common menopause issues such as sleep problems, mood changes, hot flushes, weight gain and anxiety. She also offers retreats (currently online) to support and inform you as you journey through perimenopause. Check out her website here.

To watch our interview click here.

About Karen Newby

Karen Newby is an experienced nutritionist with over 10 years clinical experience. She holds a BSc in Nutritional Medicine and is a registered nutritionist with BANT and CNHC. Her particular interest area is natural solutions to the menopause. She’s very much a realist so all her recommendations are easy to incorporate into your day; in order to give the greatest effect from the smallest of changes.

About Jo Darling MBAcC Lic Acu

Jo is a Brighton-based Acupuncturist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Acupuncture from the University of Greenwich. Her training includes western medicine pathology, physiology and anatomy. She is also a member of the British Acupuncture Council.

Jo is passionate about women’s health. She has helped 100’s of women live healthier, happier lives. She has spent over 10 years practicing acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, reflexology and Chinese herbs.

As well as fertility, pregnancy and natural menopause Jo specialises in the treatment of breast cancer patients particularly those thrown into early menopause by chemotherapy. This work inspired Menopoised.

For more information about her work visit her website.

About Menopoised

We understand the challenges of menopause because we are menopausal. That’s why we created Menopoised. Our products are first of their kind, acupuncture inspired, safe, effective and side-effect free. They support a broad spectrum of issues, designed to help guide women through a positive menopause.

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