LM was 59 years old when she came to see me asking for help with severe menopausal symptoms. Her most significant concerns were severe brain fog, low energy and wanting to get fit to do a trek. She said: “I have always had a busy, active life and enjoyed walking and cycling holidays. Now when I have an active day at work I get home exhausted and sleep most of the evening. I find I have a ‘fog’ in my brain which makes it difficult to work especially as I have several ongoing responsibilities at any one time. This year I am transitioning to retirement and I want my energy back in order to enjoy it.” LM had gone up a dress size in the last year and although she had cut down on eating biscuits and cakes, this didn’t make any difference to her weight. She was still having some hot flushes and night sweats. She regularly fell asleep straight after dinner and was tired in the daytime. She wanted to do regular exercise to prepare for the trek that she planning, but she just didn’t have the energy to do it.  Health History Nutrition History Menopause Type Analysis Significant Test Results Marker Level Interpretation Vitamin D Severe deficiency Low immune functionBone concerns Cholesterol High Inflammation Liver enzymes High Impaired liver function Root Cause Analysis During the menopausal transition and post-menopause, a woman’s body is switching from using sugar as an energy source, to using fat. Hence menopausal symptoms are not really an oestrogen deficiency problem, they are an energy deficiency problem.  LM’s diet was too high in sugar for this phase in her life. Her body was converting her dietary carbohydrates to fat, and at the same time it she was not able to burn fat for energy. This meant that her brain and body were starving for energy, leading to severe brain fog, weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats and feelings of severe exhaustion.  Her high sugar intake was affecting her liver, possibly leading to a fatty liver, and at the same time her vitamin D deficiency was lowering her brain function and preventing restful sleep. First Consultation Protocol NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS INITIAL SYMPTOMS Symptom Scale: 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe Memory deficit 3 Brain fog 3 Fatigue 2 Hot flushes 2 Night sweats 2 Vaginal dryness 2 Pain with intercourse 2 Bloating 2 Mood swings 1 Poor sleep 2 Anxiety 1 Headaches 1 Hair loss 1 Weight gain 2 Decreased sexual desire 2 Decreased sexual arousal 2 Decreased sexual response 2 TOTAL SCORE 34 / 51 Follow-up Consultation 2 Results (+8 weeks) – symptoms reduced by 82% SYMPTOMS AT WEEK 8 Symptom Scale: 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe Week 8 Memory deficit 3 0 Brain fog 3 0 Fatigue 2 0 Hot flushes 2 0 Night sweats 2 0 Vaginal dryness 2 1 Pain with intercourse 2 0 Bloating 2 0 Mood swings 1 0 Poor sleep 2 0 Anxiety 1 1 Headaches 1 0 Hair loss 1 0 Weight gain 2 0 Decreased sexual desire 2 1 Decreased sexual arousal 2 1 Decreased sexual response 2 1 TOTAL SCORE 34 / 51 5 / 51 – symptoms reduced by 82% Client Review “My specialist menopause plan concentrated on my nutrition and supplements personalised to me to support me – it has seen my whole health and mindset change.“ LM My Review I was delighted for LM, she cognitive function was excellent and she had more than enough energy in day, enough to start training for her mountain trek. No woman should be suffering through menopause and the main change that needs to made is with nutrition.