Perimenopause crept up on me without announcing itself. Somehow, without noticing I had gone from being a healthy and vibrant business woman, to being constantly tired, piling on weight, and developing a whole raft of digestive problems.

It was actually several years before I joined the dots and realised that what medical profession was treating as a collection of unrelated conditions to be cured, they were all linked by one factor. The changes in hormones that happen over a number of years and have wide ranging effects.

Through my journey of nutrition and lifestyle changes, I have got to know my body, and what it is capable of. Through observing what happens when I change something, I can identify what works for me and what doesnt.

10 years ago, I couldn't run 500m without feeling like I was going to die. Now I exercise mutiple times a week, and I feel great. I can keep up with the kids with their activities. I don't feel like a beached whale on holiday. I have more energy than I have for years. Crucially, I am no longer fighting against getting older.

Accepting that menopause is an inevitable transition in my life has been a key factor in working with my body, not against it.