When we think about menopausal symptoms like brain fog, hot flushes and anxiety, it’s normal to think that low oestrogen is the problem.

We’re so obsessed with this idea that we completely overlook the fact that female hormones are COMPLEX and there are more than 50 of them circulating in our bodies.

Our hormones play together like an orchestra and when one is out of tune the knock-on effect on the rest can be MASSIVE.

However, there are 3 key hormones that you absolutely have to balanced and working properly before even starting to think about oestrogen.

The most important is cortisol - the stress hormone. Cortisol is an absolute Diva and when she’s high she takes priority over everything else, knocking every single other hormone out of balance. To feel good you MUST address your stress levels before you do anything else.

Next in line is the fat storage hormone insulin, if you’re on the blood sugar rollercoaster and your insulin levels are high, your oestrogen levels are likely too high for your body to handle.

Finally there’s oxytocin – the love, joy and happiness hormone – not often discussed in relation to menopause. It operates a seesaw-type relationship with cortisol, so if you fo-cus on doing things you love that are fun and make you laugh you’ll be well on the way to increasing your oxytocin levels.

Start focusing on these 3 hormones and the others will likely play along nicely together.

Not sure where to start? Then get in touch. The Menopause Method© is my personalised 12-week private nutrition coaching programme, designed to address YOUR specific symptoms and teach you how to manage your hormones naturally so that you can get back to feeling normal again.