I'm Julia and I specialise in women’s health through the menopause years and beyond, with special attention also being paid to brain health; not just the brain fog that is so common during these years, but also as a preventative measure against dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease decades down the line.
Perimenopause hit me really hard and proved to be a turning point in my absolute belief in the ability of food and lifestyle to support health. I thought I was losing my mind and no-one seemed to be able to tell me what was wrong with me. The GP didn’t mention the word ‘perimenopause’ and wanted to give me anti-depressants or sleeping pills, which I refused. In desperation I went to a counsellor who just kept questioning my childhood. No one could tell me why I’d gone from being happy, sociable, positive and confident to someone who cried all the time, struggled to sleep, felt utterly useless and anxious, and could barely face leaving the house some days.
I eventually understood that I had entered perimenopause and realised I would have to take my health into my own hands if I wanted to start feeling better. That was the start of my journey into nutrition. I soon discovered better health, better sleep, better mood and, as a lovely and unexpected side effect, the weight loss I had spent literally my entire adult life desperately trying to achieve! My perimenopause symptoms became much more manageable and some disappeared completely.
Women experience monumental hormonal and physiological changes during the menopause years, but these changes can be managed in a way that can have a real and positive impact on women’s lives during this pivotal time. I want all women to retain (or regain) their vitality, energy and confidence, feel fabulous and have as long a healthspan as possible.
My interest in brain health comes from both my knowledge that I carry a gene which means I have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s Disease or another form of dementia when I’m older, and also because my wonderful dad had Lewy Body Dementia. I have therefore experienced first-hand the awful effect neurological diseases can have on families.
Having spent the majority my adult life up until my early/mid-forties drinking too much, dieting too much and I'm afraid smoking as well, I now follow a healthy lifestyle and I feel so much better for it. I still have a weakness for a glass of red and struggle to turn down a chocolate brownie, but none of us should be aiming for perfection as this simply isn't achievable. And wouldn't that make for a boring life anyway?!
Post menopause does NOT mean a long, slow decline into old age with one foot already in the grave – there is plenty of life left within us to live with the vitality, energy and confidence all women deserve.
