http://www.thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk/

The Lifestyle Health Clinic, Sydall Road, Bramhall (2025)

09/12/2025

Here’s what Katie and I recommend to get started

■ Step 1: Get clear on what’s happening
Write down your symptoms, all of them- anything new or different or changing - cycle changes, mood, energy, sleep, stress, and what has slipped because life has been busy.
Track for 4-5 weeks minimum- even in a simple notes app or on paper. There are lots of free apps out there too. Patterns will tell you far more than guesswork. And lack of pattern is also helpful for doctors to know!

■ Step 2: Look honestly at what has shifted in your life
Stress, workload, recovery time, eating patterns, boundaries, movement.
We say honestly as so many of us say ‘we’re fine’ when we’re not.

■ Step 3: Check your basics
Are you eating enough? Sleeping enough? Hydrating?
These are usually the first things to slip when life has been running on auto pilot.
Track these things - count how many glasses of water, how much sleep. Measure the basics - the reality of seeing these written down can be very useful.

■ Step 4: Make one practical lifestyle change . Literally one thing.
Choose one area that feels doable: increasing water intake , 1 meal a day that feels like you’re fuelling yourself even if the other meal times feel less ‘healthy’, a sleep routine, reducing late night scrolling, a short daily walk.
One change you can keep up with without having to do an overhaul of day to day.

■ Step 5: Stop comparing yourself to others. We all do it! Focus on yourself and what’s going on in your space . While recommendations of what to do can be helpful - women’s health is not one size fits all.
And while there are ideals to work towards, you don’t need to change everything at once. You’ll burnout.

■ Step 6: When seeking help -
Take your notes, patterns and questions with you.
Check the credentials of the person you are going to speak to. You need someone qualified to interpret symptoms, someone who can offer multiple options with rounded evidence backed advice: not someone selling a formula or only one view point.
(Do not rely on social media for all your answers)

How to manage appointments coming up later this week.

Get in touch if you need advice.

06/12/2025

We don’t often jump on ‘trends’ but this one fits too well! Women are better together.
Meeting at a baby swim class turned into soft play coffee chats, then into a friendship that made space for honesty, ideas and a vision.
Now it’s the foundation of a business built to give you the care we wished existed for ourselves.
Who knew we were writing our next chapter back then.. we certainly didn’t!

12 years has gone in a blink of an eye.

Looking back it’s a reminder to us all that support, curiosity and shared experience are often the catalysts for change - and this applies to our health, our confidence, our decisions and our careers.

02/12/2025

Perimenopause can feel like a personal failing.
Many women we see in clinic have spent months or years blaming themselves for changes they can’t explain.

When your hormones fluctuate, often the brain, not your periods, can feel it first.
Mood, tolerance, concentration, confidence, sleep.
These shifts are biochemical but you may feel like they are character flaws.

So many of you have told us that you have been offered antidepressants, told you’re too young or that blood tests are ‘normal’. Or that your cycle is regular so there’s nothing wrong.

And this is why some of you say nothing at all.
You’ve told us you feel embarrassed, ashamed, or convinced your personality is changing. Relationships are strained or fail. You’ve left jobs. Stopped going out.
You’ve decided you are the problem.
You’ve become that person who “can’t cope”.

But what’s really happening is patterns driven by fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone.
Once you know what to look for there can be some predictability. But not always.
All of this can be made easier when the whole picture is understood.

If you’re noticing a monthly shift you can’t make sense of, it’s not about being less capable or less resilient.

Lifestyle hugely influences how you cope, how severe symptoms are and your long term health once hormonal changes have begun. But it’s not easy to think about exercise, what foods to eat, drinking less coffee when you feel utterly broken and in survival mode.

There any many options including HRT, ( and selected vitamins, and non hormonal medications for those that need them) that can support you and help you put the things in place that will help you feel like you again. Which comes first is individual. There’s no once size fits all when it comes to women’s health.

With the right support, information, patience and kindness, you can feel like yourself again. Not a different personality, not a reduced version of you, just you understood.

21/11/2025

When you tell us you don’t feel like yourself anymore, we hear the same story again and again.
Not because your symptoms are “in your head”, but because no one has ever taken the time to explain what’s really going on.

You might be noticing changes in your mood, body ( a tummy that’s come from nowhere anyone ?) , sleep or energy.

You might be dealing with dips that feel like anxiety, or exhaustion but that doesn’t match your lifestyle.
You might be low on essential nutrients ( eg iron,B12, folate or have a thyroid that’s not functioning properly) without anyone checking properly.

And if you’ve been told “your bloods are normal”, it can leave you feeling stuck, even when your symptoms haven’t changed.

That doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
It usually means no one has explained the full picture.

You might also be trying to work as if you’re not a parent, and parent as if you don’t have a job.
That load would flatten anyone, especially at this time of year.

So many of the women we see are telling us exactly what you might be feeling right now.
It’s still hugely under-recognised.
And so often written off as “just life” or blamed on mental health and labelled as anxiety or depression. Which doesn’t follow any of the guidance that’s been written.

If you’ve been wondering why you no longer feel like you, you’re probably moving through changes most women were never taught to recognise, and still there’s so many clinicians weren’t given the full training to recognise either.

If this feels strangely familiar start by writing down what you’ve noticed. That in itself is hugely powerful in helping organise your thoughts and helps plan what needs to happen next. It’s also a very useful visual tool to take to any appointments. Let us know if you would like any more tips on accessing help.

11/11/2025

If your brain feels slower, words don’t come as easily, or you’re forgetting simple things or feel less ‘sharp’, you may think be experiencing brain fog.
You may have, or suspect, perimenopause, PMDD, postpartum changes, or co-existing ADHD, all of which in isolation or in combination, can cloud focus and memory.
It’s a really unsettling and unnerving symptom. Here are three evidence-based areas we look at first when women describe brain fog that’s getting in the way.

1. Restore what’s changing.

Whether it’s oestrogen, testosterone, your thyroid, or nutrients like iron or B12 or vitamin D, identifying and correcting what’s changed makes a noticeable difference to memory and focus. It may be hormones on their own, or a combination.

2. Protect restorative sleep.

At all costs. Your brain files memories & needs to recover and process while you’re asleep. Prioritising consistent bedtimes, limiting caffeine or alcohol , reducing screens late at night, & addressing night sweats or anxiety or any other symptom that’s disturbing your sleep ( restless legs, waking to wee) all support better cognitive function.

3.Practise single-task focus.

When your mind races ahead to what’s coming next , your concentration slips on the task in front of you. Focus on one task at a time- it’s hard with busy lives and a full head. But write things down instead of holding them in your head, use phone reminders or paper lists, and give yourself permission to pause before switching tasks. Even 1-2 minute to reset. This can be basic like nipping to the loo, walking into a different area of the office or house, grabbing a glass of water. All of these can feel more comfortable than sitting & taking a pause ( but that’s ok too!). Especially as life gets busier in the next few weeks, these small, structured habits can make life feel lighter.

And for transparency- I’m navigating menopause myself.
Those that live and work with me know if it’s not in the book, it won’t happen.

I know how unsettling it can be when your mind doesn’t feel as sharp as it used to. But once you understand what’s driving it, there are effective, evidence-based ways to feel clear and capable again.

08/11/2025

The postnatal period and perimenopause can overlap and blur in ways that leave many of you feeling confused, low, and like you’re losing your grip or dropping the plates.

You can feel anxious, flat, or foggy.
Sleep is disrupted.
Your energy is rock bottom.
Your patience feels thin. Wracked with guilt.
And even when life has technically “settled down,” you don’t feel like yourself.
And absolutely no space to do the things you know might help .

You might be told it’s just your hormones.
It probably is your hormones - that’s the whole point and why you need someone to listen!

Both the postnatal period and perimenopause bring huge hormonal changes, and the symptoms can look so similar:
▪ Mood swings, anxiety, or feeling emotionally detached
▪ Brain fog and being forgetful and less sharp
▪ Night sweats or hot flushes (often blamed on feeding or because your hormones haven’t ‘settled’ yet.
▪ Irregular or heavier periods (if they return)
▪ Weight changes or bloating
▪ A sense of disconnection from your body and identity

The overlap between being post partum and perimenopause means many women are left unsure where one phase ends and another begins — especially if perimenopause starts in your late 30s or early 40s, when postnatal recovery might still be ongoing.

If you’ve had a baby in the past few years and still don’t feel right, it may be time to explore whether perimenopause is part of the picture.

Understanding your hormones with a joined-up approach might be the key to finding yourself again.

05/11/2025

It can be so confusing when so many of the symptoms of vitamin deficiencies and perimenopause, menopause, PMDD and other hormone conditions overlap.
Tiredness, brain fog, low mood, anxiety, muscle aches, poor sleep… all can be signs of shifting hormones or also low nutrients like iron, vitamin D and B vitamins.

Add in the heavy marketing of products promising to ‘balance you’ or ‘boost your energy’, it’s no wonder so many of you are unsure what you actually need.

Vitamin D isn’t just about sunshine and bones for example- it supports immunity, mood and energy too. Iron and B vitamins play a big role in how your brain and body function day to day.

With the right blood tests, you can make informed choices about your health- not just rely on spending on lots of products and hoping for the best. That’s why we always discuss if blood tests are something you need to consider - to understand the whole picture before choosing any treatment.

If you need help

📍info@thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk

30/10/2025

We see so many neurodiverse women in clinic who tell us the same thing:
“I know what I should be doing… I just can’t seem to do it.”

And during perimenopause or menopause, that feeling can become even stronger.

As we mark ADHD Awareness Month, it’s worth talking about what’s really going on — because it’s really not as simple as just eating better or exercising more.

Oestrogen and progesterone both influence key brain chemicals like dopamine and GABA, which regulate motivation, focus, calm and reward.
When these hormones fluctuate (as they do in perimenopause), dopamine and GABA do too, which means focus drops, energy slumps, and the brain starts seeking quick dopamine fixes: scrolling, snacking, multitasking, or that evening glass of wine.

It’s not about personality or willpower. Brain chemistry alters as hormones do.
And for women who are neurodiverse, especially with ADHD traits, these shifts can feel magnified. The brain that already works harder to regulate motivation now has less hormonal support and scaffolding to do so.

That’s why lifestyle medicine is never one-size-fits-all. It’s not about rigid plans or perfect routines. We can’ place enough emphasis on small, visible habits that fit your brain and your hormones. It may take a bit of work to find out which methods work for you.
Linking new habits to existing ones, creating gentle structure, and reducing cognitive load can make real change possible and helpful, not stressful.

If this sounds familiar, it’s absolutely something we can help you work through.

25/10/2025

Falling oestrogen during perimenopause and menopause is one of the main reasons cholesterol levels change, even if your diet or lifestyle haven’t changed at all. Lots of you tell us that you’re doing what you’ve been doing for years but your test results seem to be changing.

As our hormone biology changes, so does cholesterol.
Why?

Oestrogen helps balance cholesterol by increasing HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and lowering LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). As levels drop, LDL often rises, HDL can fall, and triglycerides may increase, all of which raise your cardiovascular( heart ) risk.

Heart disease, not cancer, is the biggest health threat to women. It accounts for around one in three female deaths in the UK.
And this can all sound so doom and gloom. But there’s so many ways we can change this.

To support your heart health as your hormones are changing :

▪ Get a blood test to understand and know your baseline. Gathering data on yourself is crucial. And track changes even when results are marked as ‘normal’…. Picking up on earlier trends can optimise your individual health risks rather than wait to be tipped into the abnormal bracket.

▪ Aim for 30g of fibre daily. That might look like a bowl of oats with berries (8g), a portion of chickpeas (8–10g), two pieces of fruit such as an apple and a pear (6–8g), and plenty of leafy greens and vegetables with meals (6–8g).

▪ Include omega-3 fats, limit alcohol and ultra-processed foods.

▪ Build regular movement, and you really have to include regular strength training, to improve your metabolic and cardiovascular health. Building muscle will always be protective.

At our clinic we offer detailed, personalised advice on cholesterol, hormones and metabolic health as part of every consultation because these systems are all connected and taking to each other all the time.

Get in touch if you need more information or support.

Info@thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk

23/10/2025

A positive step for menopause care – if it’s backed by training and access.

While this is a positive step, the reality is that:

▪️Only around half of women offered a health check actually attend

▪️Those delivering the checks need the right training to understand and respond to symptoms properly

▪️Without investment in training and access, it risks being a tick-box exercise

Katie and I have been asking and listening to these questions for years.
Every day, we join the dots for women who’ve been told “everything’s normal” when it isn’t.

We’re a private service, but we integrate with NHS care as much as possible—sharing letters with your GPs, supporting continuity, and working collaboratively.

Hopefully this initiative isn’t just talk, but backed by the funding and training needed.
Because right now, most doctors still fund their own specialist menopause training.

Progress needs more than awareness. It needs to be backed up with infrastructure and investment. And reach those that are the least likely to seek help.

The Lifestyle Health Clinic

09/12/2025

06/12/2025

02/12/2025

21/11/2025

11/11/2025

08/11/2025

05/11/2025

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