Making Sense of Menopause

by | Jun 7, 2025 | News | 0 comments

Making Sense of Menopause A woman sits on a bench at sunset.

Making Sense of Menopause: Hormones, Health, and Bone Strength

Let’s talk about menopause—the significant midlife transition that often remains unclear until you’re in the thick of it. Perhaps you’ve noticed extra padding around your waist that won’t budge, you’re tossing and turning at night, or your brain seems to have taken a holiday without warning. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

With over 28 years in clinical practice, I’ve supported thousands of women through the ups and downs of menopause. This natural life stage can bring emotional turbulence, physical shifts, and unexpected health concerns—especially around mood, metabolism, memory, and bones. Let’s unpack what’s happening in your body and explore gentle, natural, and effective ways to support it.

What’s Happening with My Hormones?

Perimenopause (the lead-up to menopause) can span 3–10 years and is marked by a decline in oestrogen and progesterone—the two key sex hormones. Oestrogen does more than regulate reproduction: it affects your brain, liver, fat tissue, skin, and bones. When it drops, the ripple effect touches nearly every system in your body.

Progesterone, known for its calming and sleep-promoting effects, also diminishes, paving the way for anxiety, mood swings, and restless nights. Even testosterone, which supports energy, libido, and mental clarity, plays a role—and yes, women have it too. It’s no wonder many women describe this phase as a rollercoaster they didn’t choose to ride.

That Stubborn Weight Gain: It’s Hormonal

Many women are frustrated by a “meno-belly” that resists salads and spin classes. This isn’t about willpower or eating less; it’s a metabolic response to hormonal changes. Oestrogen keeps cells sensitive to insulin, the hormone that manages blood sugar. When oestrogen drops, insulin resistance can emerge, causing excess glucose to be stored as fat—especially around the middle. This raises your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

The good news? Nutrition, movement, and lifestyle changes can reverse insulin resistance and restore metabolic flexibility, helping you burn fuel efficiently—even after oestrogen’s decline.

Mood Swings, Brain Fog, and Feeling Unlike Yourself

Mood changes during menopause are common—anxiety, irritability, low mood, or even depression. Declining oestrogen affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood. Sleep disturbances and hot flushes can intensify these emotional shifts.

Brain fog is another frequent complaint. Forgetting names, misplacing words, or entering a room and forgetting your purpose—it’s tied to oestrogen’s influence on glucose metabolism in the brain. When fuel delivery to your brain slows, things get hazy. This can be unsettling, as you might grieve your sense of self, youth, or energy—and that’s okay. You don’t need to navigate it alone.

Let’s Not Forget Bone Health

One silent yet significant consequence of declining oestrogen is its impact on bone density. Oestrogen plays a protective role in maintaining strong bones, so its reduction increases the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis—conditions where bones become weak, brittle, and prone to fractures.

Why Bone Health Matters:

  • Bones protect vital organs.
  • They store minerals like calcium and phosphorus for later use.
  • They constantly remodel, with old bone broken down by osteoclasts and new bone built by osteoblasts.

When breakdown outpaces rebuilding, bones lose strength. Post-menopausal women are especially at risk, particularly if menopause occurs early or if nutritional deficiencies are present.

What You Can Do to Feel Like Yourself Again

This chapter of life is an opportunity—not a decline. With the right care, you can feel vibrant, strong, and empowered.

1. Eat for Hormonal and Bone Balance

A Mediterranean-style diet works wonders. Focus on:

  • Vegetables, legumes, whole grains, oily fish, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado.
  • Protein at each meal (a palm-sized portion) to support muscle mass and neurotransmitter production.
  • Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and excess caffeine or alcohol, which can increase insulin resistance and deplete minerals.

2. Support Key Nutrients

3. Move Your Body—Every Day

Weight gain and bone loss are best tackled with movement:

  • Resistance training: Use weights, resistance bands, or body weight to strengthen muscles and bones.
  • Weight-bearing exercise: Walking, dancing, or hiking—any activity where your body moves against gravity.
  • Impact training: Running or jumping multiplies bone-loading effects.
  • Avoid sedentary habits: Bones weaken without regular load-bearing.

4. Prioritise Sleep and Stress Reduction

Sleep disruption in menopause is common but vital to address. Poor sleep impairs mood, memory, metabolism, and bone repair. Try:

  • A consistent bedtime.
  • Reducing screens before sleep.
  • Magnesium baths or calming teas.
  • Gentle evening rituals (meditation, stretching, journaling).

Stress elevates cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar, worsens anxiety, and increases bone breakdown. Forest bathing, breathwork, or walking barefoot on grass can restore calm.

5. Talk to Someone Who Understands

As a naturopath and counsellor, I’ve walked alongside thousands of women like you. Whether you’re grappling with emotional overwhelm, confused about hormone therapy, or simply want to feel confident and energetic again, support makes all the difference. Together, we can create a tailored plan blending evidence-based nutrients, food as medicine, herbal support, and compassionate counselling.

Book a Consultation Today

Menopause is not the end—it’s a new beginning. With the right guidance, this can be a powerful, transformative time. Book a consultation today at www.handcraftedhealth.com.au/online-booking and start your journey to feeling vibrant, strong, and empowered. You don’t have to figure it out alone—let’s walk this path together.