The science behind my work
Everything I teach is evidence-informed. Here are the studies and reports behind the Six Ps and The Nourish3 Method, and behind why menopause support matters at work. Each one links to the original source, so you can read it for yourself.
Why employers are paying attention
Symptoms affect work
Two in three working women aged 40 to 60 with menopause symptoms say they have had a mostly negative impact on them at work.
Women are leaving
One in ten women who worked during the menopause have left a job because of their symptoms.
Action plans are coming
Menopause action plans are set to become mandatory for UK employers with 250 or more staff from 2027.
Simple support works
In a UK trial with working women, a short self-help booklet based on cognitive behavioural therapy made hot flushes and night sweats significantly less of a problem within six weeks, and cut the time women struggled on at work while unwell.
The research behind each hack
Every hack in my free guide, with the studies behind it.
Build a Nourish3 Method plate
Protein, healthy fat and fibre, whenever you eat.
- People who eat 25 to 29g of fibre a day or more have lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. Reynolds and others, The Lancet, 2019
- Around 1.2g of protein per kilo of body weight a day helps protect muscle as we age. For a 65kg woman, that's about 80g. Traylor and others, Advances in Nutrition, 2018
- A Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil or nuts was linked with about 30% fewer heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths. Estruch and others, NEJM, 2018
Strength train, two to three times a week
Strength training protects your bones and can ease hot flushes.
- A 15 week strength programme cut moderate and severe hot flushes by around 44%, compared with 2% in the group that didn't train. Berin and others, Maturitas, 2019
- Eight months of supervised heavy lifting, twice a week, improved bone density and strength in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Watson and others, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2018 (LIFTMOR)
- Sessions of 45 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise, including strength training, were linked with sharper thinking in people over 50. Northey and others, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018
Get outside, in green space and daylight
Time outside is linked with better mood, sleep and wellbeing.
- People in England who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing. White and others, Scientific Reports, 2019
- In over 400,000 UK Biobank participants, each extra hour of daylight outdoors was linked with lower odds of depression, less tiredness and fewer insomnia symptoms. Burns and others, Journal of Affective Disorders, 2021
- The light you get during the day is linked with how well you sleep that night. Wams and others, Sleep, 2017
Guard your sleep like a meeting
Short sleep affects hunger, cravings and how your body handles blood sugar.
- Reading on a tablet before bed cut evening melatonin by about 55% compared with a paper book. Chang and others, PNAS, 2015
- Cutting women's sleep by about 1.3 hours a night for six weeks made their bodies less sensitive to insulin, with a stronger effect in postmenopausal women. Zuraikat and others, Diabetes Care, 2024
- One short night, with a third less time in bed, left women hungrier, with more cravings and bigger portions. Yang and others, Nutrients, 2019
Reset your nervous system
Lower stress goes hand in hand with fewer menopause symptoms.
- Five minutes a day of slow breathing with long exhales lifted mood more than mindfulness meditation. Balban and others, Cell Reports Medicine, 2023
- In 1,744 midlife women, higher mindfulness and lower stress were each linked with lower menopause symptom scores. Sood and others, Climacteric, 2019
- Across randomised trials, lavender oil was linked with less anxiety than placebo. Meta-analysis, 2021
Sip smarter
Caffeine, alcohol and even mild thirst can quietly get in the way.
- A moderate dose of caffeine even six hours before bed disrupted sleep. Drake and others, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2013
- Alcohol can help you drop off, but it disrupts sleep in the second half of the night and reduces REM sleep. Ebrahim and others, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2013
- Mild dehydration of about 1.4% lowered mood and concentration in women. Armstrong and others, Journal of Nutrition, 2012
Get the free Perimenopause Hacks guide
This page is for education, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP about your symptoms and treatment.