Helen Ritchie
Registered Nutritional Therapist
Nutrition Support for Menopause & Osteoporosis
I specialise in supporting mid-life women through two connected challenges: navigating perimenopause and menopause, and protecting bone health as oestrogen declines. Whether you're dealing with hot flushes, brain fog, disrupted sleep and anxiety, or you've had an osteopenia or osteoporosis diagnosis and want to know what you can actually do about it through diet and lifestyle, I can help you make sense of the evidence and build a plan that works for you.
When menopause symptoms struck me 10 years ago, I recognised the hot flushes and acute anxiety, but not the brain fog and disrupted sleep, which left me unable to perform in my senior marketing career and ultimately contributed to me being fired from that job. Unable to take HRT due to my history of breast cancer, I started researching natural alternatives and eventually retrained in nutrition so I could help other women navigate menopause and its longer-term effects on their health.
In 2021, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Like many women, I hadn't expected it, and I quickly found that the advice out there is confusing: which supplements actually have evidence behind them, what the research really shows about vitamin D and calcium, whether collagen can make a genuine difference, and what role exercise and diet plays alongside any medication. Since then, I've spent 5 years working through the research and applying it to my own bone health, so i have practical experience and up-to-date knowledge of what works.
Helen Ritchie, Registered Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner
BA (Hons), DipION, mBANT, rCNHC
What is Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional therapy is rooted in the ancient Greek concept of therapeia, meaning healing and caring for the whole person. It's a natural, evidence-informed approach to improving your health through personalised nutrition and lifestyle support. Together, we'll identify where your daily habits may be contributing to your symptoms and make practical, sustainable changes that help your body function as it was designed to. Food, sleep, stress, movement, and other lifestyle factors all influence your body's biochemistry. When these are brought into balance, your body is better able to heal, restore, and thrive. Often, it's the smallest, most consistent changes that have the greatest impact, creating lasting improvements in your health, energy, and overall wellbeing.
I also support men and women to manage a range of chronic health conditions, including pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, headaches and migraines, acid reflux, autoimmune diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
I have worked as a Health and Wellbeing Coach on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme and the NHS Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing Programme - supporting people using weight loss medication to achieve healthy weight loss and lasting health improvements. Conditions such as pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes can be put into remission with the correct diet and lifestyle choices.
My approach is holistic, science-led and based on the Functional Medicine model. I start by taking a detailed health history and three-day food diary, which I map out to look for potential root cause of symptoms. I'm looking for common nutrient deficiencies and challenged biochemical pathways. I can run standard and functional tests to understand what is happening below the surface and interpret your NHS blood test results. I then create a personalised therapeutic programme to optimise your health.
In our sessions together, we explore your goals and priorities and based on my personalised advice, create a practical, plan of action. Every recommendation is tailored to your unique needs, preferences, and lifestyle - this is not one-size-fits-all advice.
Nutritional Therapy is a complementary healthcare approach, and as an integrative practitioner, I often work alongside GPs, consultants, and other healthcare professionals to support your overall health and wellbeing.
Services
Please click here for more information on the services I offer.
Nutrition Review (MOT)
Confused by conflicting nutrition advice? You're not alone. Many people believe they're eating well, but are often following outdated guidance or long-standing habits that no longer serve them.
This session is for you if you don't have a specific health concern and simply want an honest, expert check on your current diet, and some straightforward advice on where to improve.
Before our 60-minute session, you'll complete a 3-day food diary. I'll review it, we'll discuss my recommendations together, and agree on changes that genuinely fit your life. You'll receive a written action plan afterwards.
Nutrition Review (MOT): £95
Ultimate Wellness Check
Worried about your risk of future health problems? Or simply want a thorough picture of your current nutritional status?
The Ultimate Wellness Check gives you a detailed assessment of your health through a comprehensive private blood test covering 56 markers, including many not routinely tested by the NHS.
We'll discuss your results together in a 60-minute session and build a personalised action plan of nutrition and lifestyle changes based on what we find. If your results point to something that needs ongoing support, I'll recommend the best next step, whether that's a follow-up consultation or one of my longer programmes.
I can also arrange and interpret other private functional tests, including urine, stool, saliva, hair and food sensitivity testing, and help you make sense of your existing NHS or GP blood results.
Ultimate Wellness Check: £350 (includes blood test and a nurse home visit to take blood)
The Menopause Method
My 12-week programme of 1:1 nutrition coaching is for perimenopausal and menopausal women who are ready to feel like themselves again.
Working together over 12 weeks gives us the time to properly uncover what's driving your symptoms, and for you to make changes that create a real, noticeable difference in how you feel, not a quick fix that fades.
Here's what we'll work on together over 12 weeks of 1:1 coaching:
- Clearing brain fog so you can think clearly and focus again
- Losing weight healthily and sustainably, without restrictive dieting
- Easing anxiety and overwhelm
- Reducing hot flushes and night sweats
- Getting a good night's sleep
The Menopause Method 12-week Programme: £1,200
Individual Consultations
If menopause is your main focus, The Menopause Method is likely the better fit. These individual consultations work well if you have a different health concern, such as blood sugar, digestive issues, bone health, or general wellbeing, or if you'd prefer a more flexible way to work with me.
Prefer to book as you go? You can arrange individual sessions with no ongoing commitment:
Initial 90-minute Consultation: £250
Follow-up 60-minute Consultation: £150
For the best results, though, I recommend booking a series of sessions as part of a structured programme. This gives us time to properly explore the root causes of your symptoms, and gives you the support and accountability to make lasting changes at your own pace, not just a one-off conversation.
Every session includes practical guidance and clear explanations, so you always understand the reasoning behind your plan.
Initial Consultation + 1 Follow-up: £375 (save £25)
Initial Consultation + 3 Follow-ups: £630 (save £70)
Initial Consultation + 5 Follow-ups: £850 (save £150)
Corporate Wellness Talks and Workshops
More organisations are investing in employee wellness, and menopause support is increasingly part of that picture. With a 30-year corporate career in marketing behind me, I understand first-hand the pressures of working full-time in a demanding environment, and how much harder that is to manage without the right support.
I design and deliver bespoke workshops, talks and wellness sessions to educate, empower and equip your workforce to feel and perform at their best. Sessions can include practical food and cooking demonstrations where appropriate, as well as pop-up clinics offering employees a one-to-one consultation.
Recent workshop topics include:
- Managing menopause at work
- Healthy eating and nutrition fundamentals
- Managing stress
- Sustainable, healthy weight loss
- How to get a good night's sleep
- Reducing cancer risk
- Reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's
- Reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke
To discuss your requirements for a talk or workshop, please get in touch.
To find out how nutritional therapy could work for you,
why not book a free exploratory session?
How it Works
Once we've agreed on the best approach for your goals, I'll send you a detailed health questionnaire and a three-day food diary to complete before your initial consultation. Together, we'll use this to build a personalised plan of action, with nutrition and lifestyle recommendations tailored specifically to you.
A typical multi-session programme includes:
- An initial 90-minute consultation to assess your current nutrition, lifestyle, symptoms and medical history, based on your completed questionnaire.
- Review and analysis of your three-day food diary.
- An agreed number of follow-up sessions to review progress, provide accountability, and adjust your plan as needed.
- Research into your specific health concerns, so recommendations are evidence-based and up to date.
- Personalised nutrition education and practical advice.
- Review of any prescription medication for nutrient interactions or depletions.
- Targeted dietary supplement recommendations, where appropriate.
- Interpretation of your NHS blood test results, with communication to your GP where required.
- Recommendations for private functional testing, with interpretation of results.
- Recipes and meal ideas as needed.
- Support between sessions by email or WhatsApp, so you can ask questions and check in on your progress.
Location
I am based in Windsor and work both online [via Zoom] and face to face in a local physiotherapy clinic.
If you have any questions and/or would like to understand better how and whether I can help you, why not book a free, 30-minute, no obligation, exploratory session?
Get your free copy of ‘The Ultimate Guide to Navigating Menopause at Work'
Get In Touch
Book a 30-minute free exploratory session
Or complete the form and I will contact you. Alternatively call me on 07884 117768