Jackie Lynch - The Happy Menopause

This edition first published in the UK and USA in 2020 by

Watkins, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited

Unit 11, Shepperton House

89-93 Shepperton Road

London

N1 3DF

Design and typography copyright Watkins Media Limited 2020

Text copyright Jackie Lynch 2020

Jackie Lynch has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the Publishers.

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Typeset by Glen Wilkins

Printed and bound in the UK

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78678-372-1

www.watkinspublishing.com

This book is dedicated to you.

Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

This book has been burning away inside me for a while because its clear that there simply isnt enough information out there. Huge thanks to my agent Barbara Levy and everyone at Watkins for helping me make it a reality. A special mention to Jo Lal for commissioning the project, Fiona Robertson and Anya Hayes for seeing me through the writing and editing process, and to Vicky Hartley, Cynthia Hamilton, Ailsa Stuart and Leah Russell for the excellent promotion of the book.

Ive met some incredible menopause warriors through my work, who are as determined as I am to help women through this stage of life. Its been a privilege and a pleasure to share a platform with womens health physiotherapist Christien Bird, my menopause buddy since our first event together in 2017. A big shout out to Ann and Jo at Positive Pause; Karen, Clare and Liz at Pausitivity; Myra, Elaine and Emma at Pelvic Roar; Sarah and Caroline from the Really Helpful Club; Becks from Clarity; Nicky from Sylk; Rachel and the Menopause Caf team and all my wonderful guests on The Happy Menopause podcast. Youre doing amazing work and making a real difference out there. Thank you all so much for your support.

As always, my friends and family have been completely brilliant throughout the inevitable ups and downs that are part of such an all-consuming project. Book number 3 and youre still hanging in there! Providing a writers retreat in a glorious setting in the south of France was a highlight this time around (merci Olivier!), but my grateful thanks to all of you for your unfailing enthusiasm, interest and support for the work that I do. It means so much.

The menopause is a hugely important phase in a womans life, which is transformational and can be enormously liberating on a number of levels, because the hormones that have driven your decisions, your approach and your emotions since puberty start to take a back seat. Its an opportunity for a whole new perspective, where you can become more aware of yourself and have the confidence and head space to focus on your own choices.

Its liberating from a practical perspective too no more periods, so no more kit taking up space in your handbag and bathroom cabinet, or worrying that an ill-timed period might affect a holiday, a big event or an important work commitment. No fear of pregnancy, so you can feel much more relaxed about impromptu sex, and your moods and emotions are no longer governed by monthly hormonal fluctuations, so you feel on a far more even keel.

But the path to this powerful rite of passage can also be painful and difficult at times. Every woman deserves to have a happy menopause, and this is why Ive written this book.

In my nutrition clinic, I work with many women who are having a challenging time with the menopause and struggling with a range of physical and psychological symptoms that significantly impact their quality of life. There are so many ways that diet and lifestyle can support a healthy and happy menopause, but a one-size-fits-all approach simply wont work. The reality is that the symptoms of the menopause are many and varied and no two women have the same experience, which is why this is not a diet book with a prescriptive eating plan.

In any case, Im pretty sure that you already know how to cook and Im certain that you know what you like to eat. Youre probably also rather tired of being told what and how to eat by various self-styled experts in the media. My aim is to provide the tools and information you need to build your own menopause diet, based on your specific symptoms and the relevant evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle approach.

A midlife woman is a very busy woman, so Ive created a pick-and-mix approach to help you easily spot the information thats appropriate for you. Of course, Id love you to read the whole book from cover to cover, but the whole point is that you dont have to unless you want to.

Here are the different elements of the book, so you know what to expect and how to get the most out of it:

This chapter provides a simple summary of the different stages of the menopause, whats going on with your hormones and what you can expect as you move through the menopause. Its important to know the basics, because the menopause shouldnt be a mystery to you and it will help you feel better prepared if you have a greater awareness of whats happening to your body.

If youre too busy to do anything else, read this chapter. It provides one essential nutrition formula for balancing your hormones that will have a knock-on effect on most of your menopausal symptoms. Get this bit right before you start the fine-tuning that comes in the next chapter and you should already start to see a difference.

This section covers some of the most common symptoms of the menopause but, dont worry, its very unusual to experience all these symptoms. For most women, two or three of them are the main issues, so you can go straight to the ones that youre interested in and discover the relevant strategy. Each symptom section covers these areas:

What it is

Why it happens

Targeted nutrition tips

Lifestyle tips

Foodie tips for you to factor into your favourite recipes

To avoid repetition, Ive included cross-references to the advice in , which gives more detailed information about some of the specific nutrients featured.

Ive tried to cover the most common symptoms of the menopause, but I couldnt cover every single one. If one of your symptoms isnt included, I suggest you try applying the hormone-balancing approach in , because it can help with a wide range of symptoms.

This contains a fact file of macro- and micronutrients. Its not an exhaustive list, but it provides a useful guide and more in-depth information for the . There is a description of each nutrient and its main functions; symptoms and causes of depletion; food sources and advice about supplements.