A WEEK OF BUILDING FOUNDATIONS
Why menopause can be more than a collection of symptoms, and an opportunity to build stronger foundations for the decades ahead
This has been one of those weeks where things that have been quietly happening behind the scenes have suddenly started to feel very real.
When Jane and I created the Hub, we didn't simply want another health and wellbeing business.
We wanted somewhere people could learn, ask questions, meet others and access support. Becoming Healthy Habitz Hub CIC gives us another foundation from which to build that community role and, ultimately, create more opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to access support.
Then we recorded the very first Healthy Habitz Hub podcast.
Healthy Habitz with Jackie & Jane: life, health and everything else.
Our first conversation was about our different journeys, why we created the Hub and what we hope it can become.
And amongst clinic, Zoom calls, meetings and conversations, I've also spent time planning the next six months.
It reminded me that sometimes we're so desperate to do that we forget to stop and decide where we're actually going.
And strangely enough, that's very similar to menopause support.
We can throw diets, supplements, exercise plans and treatments at symptoms.
Or we can stop.
Understand what's happening.
Look at the whole woman.
Then decide what needs support.
Good foundations first.
Jackie
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If this feels familiar, you can download a free PDF with more information and practical next steps.
COULD MENOPAUSE BE A HEALTH CHECKPOINT?
Something published in Science this week fits beautifully with that bigger-picture approach.
A major review reframes menopause and menopause hormone therapy through the lens of healthy ageing.
And I think that's an important shift.
Menopause care has traditionally focused heavily on:
“How do we manage the symptoms?”
Of course symptoms matter.
If you're experiencing debilitating hot flushes, poor sleep, anxiety, brain fog or feeling completely unlike yourself, you deserve support now.
But perhaps there's another question too:
What does this stage of life tell us about the health we want for the decades ahead?
The review discusses menopause as a biological transition that can influence ageing across multiple systems, including cardiovascular, bone, metabolic and brain health.
That doesn't mean menopause inevitably causes future disease.
It means this stage of life can be an opportunity to take stock.
How is my cardiovascular health?
How strong are my bones and muscles?
How is my metabolic health?
How am I sleeping?
How am I nourishing myself?
What am I doing today that my future self might thank me for?
Perhaps menopause can become a health checkpoint, rather than simply something we have to “get through”.
HRT ISN'T ONE TREATMENT
The review also reinforces something I talk about regularly.
The review also reinforces something I talk about regularly.
HRT isn't one thing.
There are different formulations.
Different routes.
Different doses.
Different timings.
And different women.
The authors highlight more than 200 variations of menopause hormone therapy, with differing risk-benefit profiles.
That's why conversations about whether HRT is simply “good” or “bad” miss so much important nuance.
Good menopause care needs to consider the individual woman, her symptoms, health history, preferences and risk factors.
Personalised means personalised.
TIPS OF THE WEEK: BUILD ONE FOUNDATION
I don't want any of this to become another overwhelming menopause to-do list.
So this week, choose one foundation.
Ask yourself:
“Which area would make the biggest difference if I gave it a little more attention?”
Maybe it's:
- Sleep
- Strength training
- Nourishing food
- Getting your blood pressure checked
- Reconnecting with friends
- Booking an appointment you've been putting off
- Finally getting support for symptoms you've been Googling at 2am
Then ask:
“What's the smallest thing I could realistically do this week?”
That's it.
Strong foundations aren't created by doing everything perfectly for seven days.
They're built through small things we can actually continue.
TIP OF THE WEEK: THE THREE-MINUTE CHECK-IN
Once a day this week, give yourself three minutes.
No phone. No health app. No scrolling.
Ask yourself:
- What am I noticing in my body today? Tired? Tense? Energetic? Achy? Restless?
- What am I noticing emotionally? Calm? Irritable? Overwhelmed? Content? Anxious?
- What is one thing I need today? Maybe it’s movement. Maybe it’s an earlier night. Maybe it’s food. Maybe it’s ten minutes outside. Maybe it’s company. Maybe it’s to cancel something.
Then choose one thing. That’s it. Because the first step towards supporting yourself better isn’t always doing more. Sometimes it’s simply becoming better at noticing.
WHERE TO START
If you’re feeling confused, overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, support starts with understanding your individual picture.
You can begin with:
FINAL THOUGHT
This week has been about building.
The Hub.
The CIC.
The podcast.
The next six months.
My work.
And my relationships.
And underneath all of it are the foundations.
Because whether we're building a business, a community or our future health...
what we build on matters.
Menopause doesn't have to be a frightening glimpse into future ill health.
Perhaps it can be an invitation to understand ourselves better, strengthen the foundations that need attention and invest in the woman we want to be for the decades ahead.
With you,
Jackie
Menopause Health Specialist
Creator of The Menopause Vitality Reset
