My Menopause Quest: ‘Managing symptoms can future-proof your health’

by Marlene Wessels
26th Apr 2024

Struggling with menopause symptoms, Marlene Wessels decided to take a different approach, and signed up for a programme that provided tools and support to make a change.

Up until recently, my feelings every day could mostly be described as “Ugh”. But I didn’t always feel like this. I started waking up with aches and pains out of nowhere. I look with envy at each jogger I pass on the road, thinking, “I used to do that”. Now it is a distant memory. I gained weight and I lack motivation to do anything about it. I am just too tired, and I know that menopause is to blame.

I visited a menopause clinic at great cost, but I got the feeling that my symptoms were not severe enough. I was handed a prescription for HRT that I never used. At a check-up with my GP recently I was told that I have high cholesterol. She handed me a healthy eating brochure, which did little to boost my mood. So it was with great relief, when scrolling through Instagram, that I saw a post by Gillian McConnell from Inside Out Nutrition, where she explained that higher cholesterol levels could be another symptom of menopause. Discovering that it wasn’t just a result of my own lifestyle made me feel better. I decided there and then to enrol on Gillian’s My Menopause Quest, a 12 week virtual programme that provides knowledge, tools and support to help manage menopausal symptoms.

Gillian, who is a registered dietitian, says that she started the programme as “middle-aged women were coming to me with an array of symptoms they had never encountered before. Things such as gut health problems, as well as frustration with weight gain. Many of them were struggling with effective ways to address these symptoms, which were affecting them greatly from a psychological standpoint, as well as medically.”

Steering clear of any fad diet ideas, and focusing on things to add into your diet rather than cutting things out, the programme teaches women about how different foods affect the body. They also become part of a community of women going through the same journey. “I decided to call it a Quest because it implies participants are active agents in their journey,” Gillian explains. “After all, as participants move through the programme, they discover something new about themselves and their well-being.”

Similar to most apps, it took me some time to learn how to navigate my quest. I don’t always feel like spending more hours at my desk at the end of a working day, so as a result it is taking me longer than 12 weeks to complete the program, but I am finding the expert advice invaluable. I like the videos, they are simple and natural (with Gillian’s dog making an appearance sometimes!) but they are full of information. Gillian doesn’t only give advice on creating new habits, but explains the reasons why. Her approach looks at all-round better health rather than diet specific, and is backed with bite-sized information that’s easy to incorporate into your life.

Since starting the programme, I’m learning to set small, realistic goals, learning how different foods affect my body and I’m trying new recipes, even impressing my teenager with some protein packed energy balls. I know now that as you go through menopause, your oestrogen levels drop, which encourages the laying down of fat cells, mainly visceral fat, putting you at higher risk of heart disease. The worst thing you can do is to omit food groups when you really need all the nutrients you can get.

Gillian has also emphasised the benefits of daily walks, so I’m going to go back to my local parkrun – walking it, not running. I’ve also made improvements to my gut health, learned how to reduce your chances of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis, and why I need to be drinking more fluids. As Gillian says, “managing menopausal symptoms can actually be an investment in future-proofing your health” and it feels good to be taking these steps in the right direction.

Feature image via Unsplash. This article originally appeared in the Winter issue of IMAGE Magazine. Have you thought about becoming an IMAGE subscriber? Our Print & Digital subscribers receive all four issues of IMAGE Magazine and two issues of IMAGE Interiors directly to their door along with access to all premium content on IMAGE.ie and a luxury gift from Skingredients, worth €142. Visit here to find out more about our IMAGE subscription packages.