Last updated on 5 January 2026 by Brisbane Livewell Clinic Editorial Team
Learn How to Have a Happy Menopause
Menopause is the natural end of a woman’s reproductive years, and involves a number of hormonal changes and other symptoms that can impact on a woman’s health and wellbeing for months, if not years.
According to the Australasian Menopause Society, the average age for menopause is 51 years. By adopting small, consistent changes to diet, lifestyle, sleep and stress management, and by and working with experienced Naturopaths, women can support their health through menopause naturally and confidently.
Read on to find out some ways women can support their health and bodies during menopause.
Key Takeaways for a Non-Stressful Menopause
A consistent daily routine supports hormonal balance and emotional stability
Weight gain during menopause can be reduced with nutrient-dense meals and movement
Lifestyle and dietary strategies help manage symptoms like hot flushes, brain fog and poor sleep
Natural therapies such as acupuncture, massage and nutritional supplements offer extra support
Personalised care from qualified Practitioners helps improve health outcomes across this transition
Here is our Guide to a Happy Menopause
1. Eat for Hormonal Balance
A healthy diet is foundational during menopause. Weight gain often occurs due to falling oestrogen, which can cause fat to accumulate around the abdomen. This increases the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and insulin resistance.
Intake of healthy food cannot be stressed enough. If a healthy diet regime is instilled in women from an early age, they will not suffer from multiple deficiencies and pain in later stages of life.
Weight plays a crucial role in menopause; women tend to gain weight by developing unusual eating and sleeping patterns. A balanced diet helps mitigate the risk of weight gain. Weight gain during menopause is due to a drop in the level of estrogens in your body. This makes your mid-section susceptible to fat accumulation.
Rapid weight gain in the latter part of life puts you at risk of heart stroke, high cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity.
Tips on Eating for Your Hormones
- Focus on balanced meals made from wholefoods—leafy greens, lean meats, legumes, fibre-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This helps regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation and support healthy weight.
- Store healthy snacks at eye-level and keep processed foods out of easy reach.
- Refill your fridge with ingredients that make you feel well, not tired or bloated.
- Involve your family in meal prep to build consistency.
- Avoid sugary drinks and high-sodium foods. An occasional indulgence is fine, but portion control matters.
2. Build a Healthy Lifestyle
Your body sends clear signals during menopause—fatigue, cravings, mood swings and discomfort. Listen to them.
As you experience the start of your menopause, pay close attention to your hunger cues. Eat healthy food when you feel hungry. Re-stock your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, whole grain, lean meats and organic foods. Prepare healthy snacks and keep them at eye-level. Doing so will ultimately promote healthy snacking.
You will have other people living around you, eating saturated and salty foods. Strengthen your resolve to healthy eating by storing unhealthy food in the back of fridge and cabinets. Moreover, you can educate your kids and friends with the benefits of healthy eating by involving them in meal preparation.
Needless to say, avoid processed food and carbohydrate drinks at all time. You can splurge once or twice a month but maintain your serving size. It’s better to consult a professional to design a diet plan according to your body. They will determine a calorie plan that is adequate for your body and weight. This will make the process easier.
Tips for Building a Healthy Lifestyle
- Eat when you’re hungry.
- Slow down when you’re tired.
- Plan meals in advance.
- Make time for wind-down routines.
- It helps to keep your kitchen stocked with easy-to-grab snacks like fruit, boiled eggs, hummus, or veggie sticks.
- Set up your space to make the healthy choice the easy one.
- Shift the focus from restrictive rules to sustainable habits.
- Daily structure helps reduce symptoms over time.
3. Supplement With the Right Nutrients
Your nutrient needs change through menopause. You may be prescribed calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin C to support bone health, energy and immunity. Depending on your symptoms, B vitamins or adaptogenic herbs may also be helpful.
Don’t self-prescribe supplements without professional advice. Some herbs and nutrients interact with medications or aren’t appropriate for your situation. Your Naturopath will assess your history, symptoms, current medications and lifestyle before recommending anything specific.
4. Prioritise Movement Without Overdoing It
Exercise helps regulate hormones, maintain weight, protect bone mass and support emotional stability.
Inclusion of exercise routine in your life can keep multiple diseases at bay and keep you fit and healthy for a long time. An average of 150 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended for adults above the age of 65. This doesn’t only reduce your chances of weight gain, but also keeps your muscle and bones strong and prevent loss of bone density.
You can indulge in various physical activities like Zumba, Yoga, Pilates or swimming. Divide the physical activity throughout the week; the recommended amount of sessions per week is two. Avoid over-training your muscles and consult an instructor before lifting weight or performing intensive cardio.
Tips for Prioritising Movement
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, such as walking, swimming, yoga, Pilates or resistance training.
- You don’t need to exhaust yourself. Build a routine you can sustain long-term.
- Include flexibility, strength and light cardio across the week.
- If you’re lifting weights or doing high-intensity training, get professional guidance to avoid injury or overtraining.
5. Improve Sleep With Consistency and Routine
Menopause often affects sleep. You may wake up multiple times, feel overheated or struggle to wind down. These patterns make everything harder—mood, focus, hunger, energy and weight regulation.
A disturbed sleep cycle is one of the symptoms of menopause; this leaves your body in pain and fatigue. Prevent this by formulating a sleeping cycle that works for you. For quality sleep, you need 7-8 hours each day.
Tips to Improve Sleep Quality
To improve sleep quality:
Avoid caffeine after midday
Sleep in a well-ventilated space
Wear light, breathable sleepwear
Exercise in the day
To prevent hot flashes, sleep in a properly ventilated room, wear thin clothing and keep a cold glass of water on your nightstand.
Practice meditation or breathing exercise to calm your system before sleeping.
Use a fan or cooling gel pillow
Practice calming activities in the evening like meditation or stretching
Aim for seven to eight hours per night.
Creating a consistent sleep routine can dramatically improve daytime energy and symptom strength.
6. Maintain Bone Strength as Oestrogen Declines
Bone density begins to decrease during menopause. Reduced oestrogen impacts the development and maintenance of healthy bone tissue, increasing the risk of fractures or osteoporosis.
To prevent fractures and bone damage, schedule an x-ray to determine bone health. Apart from this, you can do the following things to maintain bone strength.
Tips for protecting your bones
- Increasing calcium and vitamin D intake
- Lifting light weights or doing resistance-based activities
- Getting regular bone density scans
- Wearing supportive footwear that improves balance and reduces falls
If you’re unsure of your baseline bone health, your GP or Practitioner can organise a scan and recommend a suitable prevention plan.
7. Monitor Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health
Menopause raises the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular issues. This is due to shifts in body fat distribution, reduced vascular flexibility, and hormonal decline.
It is recommended that you monitor your blood pressure regularly and try to control it with diet, exercise and lifestyle.
Tips for Improving Your Blood Pressure and Heart Health
- Track your blood pressure regularly.
- Eat foods that support circulation and heart function, such as leafy greens, oily fish, avocado, flaxseeds, and antioxidant-rich berries.
- Exercise regularly.
- Reduce alcohol and salt intake
8. Understand Hormonal Changes and What They Mean
Hormones don’t drop off overnight. Instead, they rise and fall in unpredictable patterns, causing symptoms like night sweats, joint pain, forgetfulness and emotional instability.
Working with your Practitioner can help you understand what’s happening and what to expect. You may benefit from hormone tracking, testing or simply identifying what stage of the transition you’re in—whether perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause.
9. Manage Cognitive and Emotional Shifts
Menopause can affect memory, focus, decision-making and emotional regulation. You may feel irritable, foggy, withdrawn or forgetful, and unsure why.
These changes are common and can be managed naturally.
Tips for Managing Your Thoughts and Emotions
- Support your brain with stable blood sugar, proper sleep, hydration and stress reduction.
- Try breathwork, creative outlets or social connection.
- Reduce stimulation where possible.
- Herbal formulas, adaptogens and nutrients like omega-3s may also help.
10. Support Mental Health and Emotional Resilience
The psychological impact of menopause is often overlooked. Emotional exhaustion, lowered confidence, grief or anxiety can surface as your hormones shift and your life stage changes.
Counselling, acupuncture, massage or simply having space to talk can help.
FAQs
1. What are early signs that I might be approaching menopause?
Early signs of menopause include irregular periods, hot flushes, poor sleep, irritability and changes in energy. These symptoms often begin during perimenopause, which can last several years.
2. Can natural therapies help with menopause?
Natural therapies can support hormonal balance, improve sleep, regulate stress, and ease symptoms like hot flushes and mood changes. These include acupuncture, herbal formulas and nutrition-based strategies.
3. Is it possible to avoid weight gain during menopause?
Menopausal weight gain is common but manageable. Balanced meals, daily movement, resistance training and blood sugar regulation all play a role in maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Why is sleep disrupted during menopause?
Hormonal changes can cause hot flushes, night sweats and altered cortisol patterns. These impact the ability to fall asleep or stay asleep, and may be improved with lifestyle support and herbal remedies.
5. How do I know if I’m in menopause or perimenopause?
If your periods are irregular and you’re noticing physical or emotional changes, you may be in perimenopause. Menopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a period.
6. Do I need to take supplements during menopause?
You may need additional support for nutrients like vitamin D, magnesium or calcium. Your Naturopath will assess your specific needs and recommend only what’s relevant and safe.
7. Can I start support if I’ve already gone through menopause?
Many postmenopausal women benefit from help with bone health, cardiovascular support, memory, weight management and emotional resilience, even if they have already gone through menopause.
8. What kind of exercise helps during menopause?
Walking, Pilates, resistance training and yoga are ideal. They support joint mobility, circulation, mood and bone density without depleting energy levels.
9. Is hormone therapy necessary?
Hormone therapy is one option, but many women choose natural alternatives. Naturopathic support focuses on the body’s natural regulation and individual symptom patterns.
10. How long do menopause symptoms usually last?
While the usual length of time is around 2 years, symptoms can last 5 to 10 years or more. Every woman’s experience is different. Ongoing support helps reduce symptoms and improve quality of life through every stage.
11. Can acupuncture help with hot flushes or mood changes?
Some women report relief from hot flushes, anxiety and insomnia with acupuncture. It may help regulate nervous system activity and support hormonal feedback loops.
12. What role does nutrition play in menopause?
Nutrition influences weight, energy, mood, digestion and sleep. Wholefood meals and strategic nutrients can reduce symptoms and improve overall resilience.
