An Autumn of Independents

Jan De Vries Healthcare

Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland Speaking with Store Manager, Sharon Boyd one day in August, was a lovely interlude spent in shared positivity. Vegetarian since her 20s (when she began working for JDV) and vegan for the past 5 years for the health benefits, if any woman can be said to try to live “The Good Life” it is Sharon, who started out in the health food business after training as a baker. When she began at the shop, JDV Stranraer was a homely, old-fashioned environment, where ingredients were still weighed into bags for its customers. Over a decade passed and after a brief period away at the start of the millennium, Sharon returned in 2006 in her current position. She still bakes her own organic bread, using organic flour and seeds, but currently the store doesn’t sell bread (whether as a result of pandemic panic buying, who’s to say?). Sharon, of course, would like to see this return, keeping everything free from preservatives. She doesn’t miss the 5am starts, however.

What Sharon brings to her role, particularly when asked to recommend wholefoods and specific nutrients, is a vibrant blend of extensive experiential knowledge and – that je ne sais quoi quality – passion. Stranraer is a relatively small town and the store was doing “pretty well” before Covid. They have their loyal regulars and the late Jan De Vries was their boss, coming to site to run clinics occasionally. Customers, Sharon said, talk: a health food store is a community place where people come with trust and open minds and hearts. And Sharon and her team certainly give honest advice, of their hearts themselves, in return. Now, the other side of the long, dark tunnel of viral unknowns, supplements are still proving very popular. The pandemic has certainly opened people’s eyes to the importance of health and wellbeing – a trend which has seen an upsurge in organic product sales and whole foods in general. Locally produced honey and soaps are also doing well. This shift in mindset, Sharon believes, signifies a greater appreciation of life. No longer do many claim they have “no time” to make meals from scratch: covid turned us all into cooks. Furthermore, by consuming unadulterated food, there is a sense of communing with the world at large, of appreciating each day.

When the first lockdown happened, Sharon was furloughed. Time was something she had plenty of. So, from lightly gardening and sporadically growing her own vegetables (and echinacea), she threw herself into the GYO way of things with gusto. Blessed with nature all around her, the furlough period – despite its cause and occurrence – was perhaps just the rest Sharon needed. Being furloughed, of course, meant that Sharon didn’t experience first-hand the panic buying period of flour and yeast (and, yes, loo roll). Nonetheless, she knew that it was critical that the store remain open through the madness. She was euphoric her first day back. The second lockdown came after a disappointing Christmas period and fallen New Year’s figures, despite the continued upsurge in vitamin D, antioxidants, and immune support supplements. Even now, business is not what it once was, despite JDV being very good at maintaining interest on social media platforms and by offering deals. The key is to keep people stepping through the front door – a difficult thing to do with the lingering fear among those over a certain age. So it is that the JDV Stranraer staff are more than happy to offer further information, helpful advice, and a smattering of kindness these days (not that they didn’t before!). Together with Sharon, there is Laura at hand on the helpline, ever ready to proffer advice. Trained in A. Vogel herbal tinctures, Laura assists many menopausal women in this way.

Wanting in the future to create recipe cards offering simple and healthy options using a variety of products from in-store, as well as potentially running workshops, Sharon admits the store is doing more online business these days, with the normal quota of footfall changed direction, seeking the internet’s ease (and protection). Cities in particular have suffered this decrease. Speaking later with Regional Operations Manager, Anthony Lavin, Just Natural Health & Beauty learned that it was apparently necessary to close JDV’s store in the West End of Edinburgh. Yet, it was one of only two casualties from eleven in total previously for the family-run company.

As our interview came to a close, Sharon admitted the journey back to the ”new normal” (or “almost normal” in her terminology) has been one of gradual realisation: they’re going to be okay. People seem to be making more decisions for themselves, seeking an alternative route, seeking better health. It is the place of JDV Stranraer and similar stores to offer a better range of products and food for that purpose, so that better health leads to a better planet for all. As for that garden out the back… Perhaps that tiny walled garden might serve for a “wee tea tasting” at some point not too far away on the horizon, she mused.

Jan De Vries Chorley Health Foods

Lancashire, England

JDV Chorley is a very busy little store. Interim manager Denise Baxendale – usually manager of the company’s HQ web team in the office upstairs, which role she was about to return to when we spoke – was tasked with the considerable weight of keeping things running when the pandemic first hit last year, all alone in the store, with no experience at all of having been on a shop floor. Within minutes on the phone, it was clear that this is one health shop determined to continue to be there for its customers, no matter what.

JDV Chorley, after all, is the company’s flagship store; there is a highly regarded reputation to uphold. Denise, just back to hectic reality after a much-deserved holiday, is the one person there who worked through the entire nightmare of Covid-19. With all staff furloughed, there was no option but to roll up her sleeves and face whatever might come. So it was that between March and July 2020 (when usual store manager, Louise Seddon returned briefly, working alongside Denise in the shop), Denise channelled her longterm personal interest in healthy eating and tried to become more open-minded about the VMS sector. Never having taken supplements herself and having gone into the business as it was “a very nice job” to have, Denise obviously couldn’t advise customers on the specifics of some of the products (as other trained staff members could have), but the JDV ethos itself she certainly continued to represent to a largely vegetarian clientele.

Jan De Vries himself was beloved by many. Knowledgeable and passionate about teaching others, he was sought-after as a clinician and also as a lecturer, and his legacy lives on, the company still in the family. His daughter and son-in-law, involved with A. Vogel, later took over and responsibility has now passed to Jan’s grandson. Denise met the man himself quite a few times, when Jan would come in for ten-minute consultations once a month (in fact, Louise’s husband used to pick him up from the station). She remembers that, once, a lady travelled all the way from Wales for just one of those ten-minute slots. That’s how good he was. JDV has faced challenges familiar to all such businesses working through the pandemic, but it has endeavoured to keep the health and wellbeing shopping experience easy and comprehensible for its customers throughout. All locations are now able to post out orders directly and an advice helpline has been set up for phone orders despatched from the central warehouse.

Denise agreed that the mail order side has been “vibrant”, an ideal tool for those who simply couldn’t come into the store. Yet, whereas some independent shops have lamented a near-total loss of footfall during the early days of lockdown, in Chorley Denise witnessed a lot of loyal customers still stepping through the door. They wanted to talk, to discuss, to feel the survival of the community spirit particular to the UK, despite social distancing and self-isolation. Quickly, they became used to queuing and extended conversing to that patience exercise. They also quickly adapted their shopping habits and switched to bulk purchases and avoided busier days for coming in.

In her time as interim store manager, Denise relished the challenge and perhaps had only two unhappy incidences with customers shouting and moaning when stock ran out. By contrast, when she opened the shop for the first time in the first lockdown, she was greeted with joy by one regular who cheered outside and popped her head in to vocalise her gladness that JDV Chorley was open. Each subsequent visit to the store throughout the lockdown periods, the lady expressed her gratitude further.

When asked whether there has been a change in Denise herself, she admitted she soon realised that she needed to be more patient. Health-wise, she began supplementing (yes!), notably taking vitamin D, even though for her whole life she has been an outdoors person and never one to shun a sunny day en plein air. Denise thought it would be best to speak with Louise as well, who has worked with the company for some 18 years, after being in care work before. Setting up a call later, Denise’s words held true that she was “a lovely lady”: indeed she is, and one who has faced more than her fair share during these already trying times. Returning to her role of store manager in summer 2020, Louise wasn’t back for long at all when her mother sadly died. Taking time off for bereavement, it was then that Louise was also diagnosed with breast cancer. Although initially adamant that she wouldn’t undergo chemotherapy, after surgery, the oncology team advised it was wise also to suffer the chemo for her best recovery chances – but with incredible assistance in developing a plan of supplements, including the herbal.

The experience has served to make Louise even more conscious of how what we put in and onto our bodies affects our overall health; how we should think ethically and environmentally and remember that our skin is living and breathing just as we consciously are. Always having had an interest in alternative health and a lifelong advocate of a low-meat, mainly pescatarian healthy diet, using only clean beauty and eco-friendly household products – Louise is the woman to go to if you want advice on paraben-free and green-cleaning know-how. And it was all thanks to her father, who used to take her to the little health shop on the high street (then not yet a JDV branch). Over time, her interest grew (as she did) and the rest is pretty much history.

Discussing how things were pre-Covid, Louise recounted the popularity of turmeric and CBD oil among the store’s diverse customers: from 30-year-olds to young sports people, and those with serious illnesses looking for holistic help. There was also an already growing vegan appetite – pre any fears over zoonotic transmission having caused the coronavirus – and animal-friendly chocolate bars and energy bars used quickly to fly off the shelves. Covid obviously turned everyone’s attention to immunity products, such as vitamin C and vitamin D supplements.

Now that she has returned, recovered, to her role, Louise has noted a quieter atmosphere, but has seen a few new faces; those who are seeking to take care of themselves that bit better. Mainly, though, it’s the old, loyal customer base that holds true. She would like to see a return of the clinics and a return also of reps coming in for tasting days, but other than that, she has the advantage of having been both in the fray of pandemic customer service and on its periphery – and the view, according to Louise, seems to show that everything will get better.

JDV Chorley, then, is a complete package, once again a tight-knit team – with new managers and new promotions – that makes sure their particular ship continues to sail well into tomorrow, winds of hope blowing out the sails in preparation for whatever the future horizon might reveal. Gort, Co. Galway & Ennis, Co. Clare, Southern Ireland

It’s no surprise, then, that Open Sesame is all about slow living. An old school family-run business, it began rustically and honestly, old pieces of wood gathered for shelving, the early days tight and low on custom. Accounting books were literally that, filled in by hand and cellotaped when wear and tear threatened to send the pages cascading. Then, there was a growth period, expansion to a second premises – followed by the 2008 recession. Leroy, who was working in archaeology, was regaled to assist his mother at the store when she had to lay off staff. Although he remembers being 7 years old and bagging linseed at the back of the shop, rather than being on the shop floor Leroy quickly took hold of the IT reins and managed profit margins and how best they could share stock between both locations following the financial crash.

Leroy might occasionally miss the happy days of working in muddy fields, interpreting ruins – once, his partner had to inform him he even had mud on his eyeball – but he still gets a taste when involved in community digs. Otherwise, utilising his technological knowledge, he has seen the stores through not only new and improved shelving in the Ennis location, but their website development, Beta-tested the EPOS system, and finally switched things to EMPORIO more recently.

There is still a carefulness to placing stock orders, wary of any wastage – a habit cemented further due to the trials of the pandemic. It was 12th March 2020 (Sally’s birthday, in fact), that the school closures were announced; when lockdown was put into force. Nonetheless, what the virus came to gift later was a grant from Enterprise Ireland for a new website (the old one “blew up” with the tidal wave in online ordering) which tracked live-stock levels, every single sale automatically logged. Leroy couldn’t have been happier: only 5 years beforehand, he was manually adjusting numbers and inputting endof-day stock levels when home in the evening. So it was that his family could cope with the Covid anxiety of staff and deal when they were too afraid to come in – even though that March was the busiest they’d ever had.

Leroy Smith was visiting family when we spoke, an apt setting for our call given that Open Sesame Healthfoods was begun in 1988 by Leroy’s mother, Sally. It hasn’t simply been a question of the pandemic for Open Sesame, either: Brexit and all its new policies recently came blasting down as well, of course.

These days located at two stores (Gort in County Galway since 2001, and the original site in Ennis in County Clare), with 8 staff split between the two locations, Open Sesame brings alternative health to the countryside, health food and supplements to rural farming communities. Indeed, it was Sally who opened the minds (perhaps pun intended?) of the West of Ireland to lentils not necessarily versus but in addition to the usual bacon and cabbage and spuds. Leroy, chuckling, fondly quoted his mother, “It was getting the bowels moving that endeared us to them”. But all joking about white bread aside, it is digestive problems which often direct individuals to seek another way; and in Southern Ireland, where one has to pay for prescriptions, holistic remedies can often be a more affordable path in the long-run.

Leroy himself is a footballloving omnivore who has been raised to appreciate the benefits of functional nutrition and the support supplements offer. Sally and her husband grew their own vegetables, as well as keeping goats and chickens. In the early days of Open Sesame, some of that produce even made its way in store. Now semiretired, that humble veg patch has graduated to a domed greenhouse safe from deer, wherein vegetables thrive with care (Leroy recently gave her some tomato seeds of his own).

Deemed essential retail, Open Sesame was grateful for the footfall which was denied so many other stores, the descent into lockdown veering from unfathomable panic buying (who needs a hundred tins of tomatoes?) to single orders of hummus and bored people venturing into the store solely to stare at the tea section for an hour, other window browsing possibilities closed to them. Although Open Sesame’s physical therapist left, no one from their CNM (College of Natural Medicine) trained staff had to be furloughed, but there was the possibility of burnout if they weren’t careful: Leroy bought two mobiles, one for each store, to keep on top of things and set up a WhatsApp group – both of which things he admits he should have done before the pandemic.

From Dove’s flour being limited (“Everyone and their mother was baking at home!”), to even gluten-free being restricted, gradually shopping habits adapted as news updates rolled out: from immunity products in general, it was later vitamin D3 that was snapped up when its potential effectiveness was broadcast, while second lockdown saw sales of throat sprays “drop off a cliff”, the usual bugs and colds no longer spreading as nobody was in contact with anybody else. Cases of the coronavirus started falling, sparking a domino effect in click-and-collect and delivery orders, also. Aberdeen, Scotland

It seems strange to say, but the test that Brexit was always going to be was in many ways overshadowed by Covid – logistics, and paperwork, and EU registration included. The pandemic has also broadened the Smiths’ clientele, more people now appreciating the ethic of “Shop local, shop independent” after being so long restricted by the 5km maximum travel distance restrictions. At Open Sesame, the eggs are laid that distance from the shop, the raw milk comes from only 10km away, the goat’s cheese is sourced from the locality, the vegetables are organic, and the sourdough bread is delivered weekly by a local guy with a simply magic touch to a notoriously tricky recipe – in short, it is a showcase for small producers.

May such new-found business continue long into this new normal era for Open Sesame. Sláinte! to that, we say. For Callum and Catherin Eddie, business has been “up and down” ever since Covid came along and accelerated high street change. While health and wellness have been long-term passions and interests of Catherine, Callum only went into the trade due to matters of the heart: Catherine previously had two health food stores in North Yorkshire and was extensively experienced and knowledgeable, having worked in the sector since leaving school, before she moved back to Aberdeen in 1998. Callum met her the following year when she opened Grampian Health. Still serving in the army at that point, in 2001 he decided to retire and join Catherine in her shop.

While Catherine – a lifelong vegetarian – looked and looks after the shop floor and customer service, Callum deals with the administrative side of running the business and manages the website. When he began working at Grampian, Callum was invited to join the HFI (Health Food Institute). Later, he was asked to join the HSC (Health Store Committee), when it was still owned by independents, and he became chairman of the committee. During his tenure, the HSC demutualised to a limited company with shareholders. When the Health Made Easy Group later purchased it (also owners of Tree of Life), Callum stepped down from his then role of non-executive director. Callum and Catherine have been in their current premises since 2008. Wanting to expand, they followed the trend of city developments: from the closure of the post office, the closure of the council offices, and the erection of a new shopping centre, it seemed sensible to follow the footfall of that. Low and behold, they now are located between two main shopping malls. A very good placement indeed.

In addition to the wide range of natural food products, including chilled and frozen – not so much vegan-centric anymore, since supermarkets snapped up the trend (whether due to Gillian McKeith or not, who’s to say?) – Grampian offers food intolerance testing. Indeed, many of their customers come in complaining of digestive problems. However, establishing a relationship with local therapists is difficult, despite the practicalities of having a bookable location to work from for freelancers. That said, three or four days a week they have secured an agreement with an outside tester who uses pulse-pointing to ascertain food intolerances. VMS goods are also a big seller for the store.

Callum has noticed a need to diversify. Pre-Covid, most clients sought help with menopausal symptoms and joint health, in addition to digestive complaints. When the first lockdown hit, like most businesses, spring was a mad affair, dizzy with panic buying and stock shortages of the most humdrum items. Callum and Catherine and their staff (including Beverley, who has been with them for 16 years both in-store and who is their social media whizz) often delivered goods on the same day of online ordering, even if from outside the city centre, as well as using clickand-collect and delivery service options. After that, it became a case of wearing masks when on the shop floor, but not behind the protective screens, and opting not to “police” customers who chose not to wear a mask. There was no need to furlough anyone, and it helped that they had in place a live-stock website so that orders could be truly fulfilled: “out of stock” notices post a purchase would have resulted in refund nightmares. Nonetheless, the government grant for digital boost at the start of this year meant a properly bespoke website could be formatted.

Aberdeen itself, from being an affluent city with oil, more recently lost its John Lewis Store and an entire indoor market. Nonetheless, new developments are in the pipeline, including converting offices above retail units into residential flats. One such conversion is of the old BHS building, closed 8 years ago. Undertaken by the council together with Aberdeen Inspired, the building is in the process of being converted into offices, accommodation, and restaurants and food vending areas.

Callum is not convinced we are yet fully resurfacing from the pandemic. A realist, he sees that the figures are still challenging; that times are still changing. Instead of being for shopping trips, Saturdays have shifted to a people-centric and exercise-focussed frame of mind, whether it be cycling or walking or what not. Grampian has no plans for an overhaul to a specifically zero waste concept and Callum questions their longevity: health food stores have always offered refills and have ever been conscious of waste reduction.

However, it pans out, what is clear is that Callum’s common-sense approach to retail is nevertheless a positive one: to be physically open as a store means to please customers in need of human interaction, means advice and guidance can be given on the spot with gestural accompaniment and a smile (not to detract from Zoom technology or the benefits of that online chat function).

It seems, then, that Grampian is adapting accordingly: it still builds relationships with its customers, it still provides a service which is personable and confident in the advice it provides. It takes a while for people in Scotland to find their way to independent health food stores, to seek another way, as – unlike Southern Ireland – prescriptions aren’t charged for, so the first port of call is a GP. But when a person does take responsibility for their own health, when they seek out Grampian, the whole spectrum of natural nutrition and sage advice is theirs for the taking. Callum and Catherine might have to work that little bit harder and it might not be the same pie as before, but even a piece of this new, sparser pie means things are, hopefully, going to be okay.

Autumn of Her Years:

Meeting the Menopause with Mind and Muscle

At any one moment, some 13 million women in the United Kingdom alone are going through the menopause, defined as 12 consecutive months without a period. Although there were reports of a supposed impact of Covid vaccinations on the menstrual cycle, there was also anecdotal evidence of postmenopausal women’s periods coming back after receiving their jabs. It is known that stress can prematurely bring on perimenopause, but it is thought that the body’s immune response prompted a renewed shedding of the uterine lining.

The quirks of vaccinations against a pandemic aside, menopause is perhaps one of the toughest physical challenges a woman will face in her lifetime. From hot flushes to night sweats, surges of anger to irritability and – low and behold – inexplicable weight gain, together with headaches and poor sleep (which worsens weight gain and irritability even more)… The list continues to around thirty additional different symptoms, including a decline in cognitive function and mental sharpness. Anxiety and depression are common as women try to navigate their way through the changing landscape of their bodies and minds. Even intimacy with partners can be off the menu, as intercourse becomes painful, UTIs more frequent, and muscular and joint pain occur more frequently. Even tastebuds change and the stomach can’t quite handle what once was indulged in. Fun times. It is no wonder, then, that four fifths of women claim menopause adversely affects their lives. Short of going the mainstream medicine route and chancing HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), with its horrific history, holistic alternatives can offer some support, some reprieve. While a Danish study of around 2 million women found the combined HRT treatment increases breast cancer risk the longer it is taken, with the effects lasting a decade post-treatment, conversely black cohosh, for example, helps control the hot flushes and night sweats 80% of women suffer, lessening insomniac bouts. Fresh sage, also, is thought to help, according to a Swiss study. Nonetheless, more modern versions of Body Identical HRT exist, lower risk than synthetic versions, utilising the power of wild yams. It is thought to help protect against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease (risk increasing for those over 50), as well.

It is a balance of pros and cons, then, as in much of life. However, though it might seem miraculous, functional nutrition has its place in preparing the body for menopause, as well as supporting it once menopause arrives. And the diet which seems to be most effective is a Whole Food Plant Based one. While Japanese women might have so small a record of menopause that there isn’t even a word for menopause in the Japanese language (thought to be due to the high quantity of isoflavones in the Japanese diet, the active part of phytoestrogens found in soya), in the West, as long as junk and overly processed foods are being avoided (so too meat and dairy), then for one thing skin will stay clearer when hormonal fluctuation tries to prove itself on the surface. Further, wholegrain selection over refined carbohydrates was shown in a study of some 50,000 perimenopausal women to promote a better night’s sleep.

Meanwhile, gynaecologist Dr Alyssa Dweck admits genetic predetermination plays a role in the ageing process, but denies it is a damning verdict that can’t be overcome. The key is preparing for menopause early, the perimenopausal stage sometimes lasting for a decade. By eating well, exercising frequently, and talking honestly about symptoms physical and emotional, menopause doesn’t have to be the death knell for one’s previous life at all. Along with avoiding caffeine, Dweck suggests following the Mediterranean diet, being lower in carbohydrates than the WFPB diet.

The Mediterranean Diet

It might be approaching winter in the UK, but that doesn’t mean one can’t channel the Continent with one’s repas – or lifestyle. In addition to tomatoes and aubergines and glorious pure olive oil (and healthy-fats fish and seafood for those who permit marine animal protein in their diets), the Mediterranean diet is all about physical activity: being outside in the open air (not necessarily doing cliff walks, but a good old hike in the hills, certainly), eating with people, and getting an adequate amount of sleep. And it seems to work, what with the reduced occurrence of dementia and the longer lifespans found in places like Sicily.

While the Mediterranean diet doesn’t ban anything, it does promote balance, moderation. Sweet treats like famous gelato are rarely had, but when they are they are enjoyed all the more.

In fact, dairy in general is permitted on the Mediterranean diet, but sparingly. The unsaturated fats in olive oil and oily fish, however, are thought to reduce inflammation in the body.

Prima Italia Organic 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml £1.80 250ml £1.80 Important minerals and nutrients to focus on in any menopausesupportive diet are potassium, antioxidants, calcium, iron, fibre, and phytoestrogens. From avocados and sweet potatoes, to cure-all berries and dark green veg, as well as quinoa, natural popcorn, and beans and legumes (not forgetting flaxseed)… Whichever elected diet shouldn’t be a boring or restrictive diet; it is a diet to live and to thrive by.

And thriving is essentially what a woman going through menopause into later life should be doing: it is a woman’s “Second Spring”, according to Petra Coveney, founder of Menopause Yoga and member of the BMS (British Menopause Society for health practitioners). Menopause occurring between 40 and 64 years of age (51 is the average age), the University of California nonetheless found that one is most likely to have found the meaning to life by sixty. So, with all that self-knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, how best to live in the best of health physically, as well?

You don’t have to be doing Iron Woman at 70 (though, hats off muchly to those women), but if you’ve been a runner for most of your life, certainly don’t stop now. Cardio is important for heart health and circulation (a minimum of 150 minutes per week), while flexibility of the spine – as any yoga teacher will tell you – is critical for a long and physically able life. Perhaps one exercise to add to the gym routine is some light weight training, though, the body (particularly the female body) losing lean muscle mass as the years progress. This loss decreases metabolism and that’s when weight gain can occur: weight training builds up metabolic muscle tissue again.

But to return to Dr Dweck, her action plan for a manageable menopause begins at… 20. You read that right. A woman’s 20s are when she should develop lifelong healthy eating habits for longterm metabolic and cellular health. When the 30s hit, it’s more about stress management and the implementation of a meditative practice that takes one out of the daily harassment of responsibilities and permits renewal through pause and reflection. By her 40s, a more proactive approach should be taken and preventative measures such as supplementation. In this way, when the 50s arrive, it will be more about accepting the menopausal process and embracing that change. That’s when it pays to talk about what you’re going through. However, even when the 60s come round, self-care shouldn’t trail off. Taking up a new sport or mentallystimulating hobby are great ways to protect the mind from cognitive decline, while physical activity with others also provides the positive boost of social engagement.

We are social animals, we need community. As a woman going through the menopause, you are not alone.

The Mentality of Growing Old Gracefully

Living “mindfully” is a much bandied about expression these days. However, authenticity has more perks than surface honesty. If we are unhappy, unfulfilled, stressed to the eyeballs and not living in adherence to our authentic self, then time really will tell. It will tell on the skin, it will tell in the energy of not just our actions, but in our voice and choice of words as well. These effects aren’t age-specific either. However, there is a mentality to growing old gracefully, with the full breadth of our younger character – and that mentality is about self-truth.

Firstly, past traumas must be, if not let go of, then dealt with to the point that their having happened can be accepted as just that: something that did happen and about which nothing can now be done. We cannot change the past, but those historic traumas can change us if we’re not careful. In addition to a depressed immune system, even our skin can become sallow and haggard if we cling onto the stress of unresolved negative events.

In a study of over 40,000 perimenopausal and menopausal women, the hormone treatment company Evernow found that 60% of participants experienced anxiety and depression as a result of their time of life. It is thought that fluctuations in oestrogen affect the usual binding of receptors by the hormone, destabilizing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, and GABA and acetylcholine. This is where decline in cognitive function comes in, the pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus heavy with oestrogen receptors.

The importance of preparing for perimenopause and menopause is made all the more vital when you learn that around 10% of women continue to experience symptoms indefinitely, with “brain fog” lasting up to a decade after a woman’s final period.

Yoga, talking therapy, and meditation all can help. So too can journaling in the morning and in the evening before bed. Make a routine to involve a combination of methods: perhaps wake up, stretch out, meditate, and then pen any remaining thoughts of monkey mind chatter that couldn’t be drowned out in breath-facilitated silence. Stress only exacerbates cognitive decline. You might then fancy that cup of organic blend coffee, but in order to extend the mental cleanse into the body physical, maybe sip on a cup of hot water and lemon first; or a chilled version if you prefer.

Additionally, as much as we like to keep in contact with our grown-up children and grandchildren, Smartphone technology has become an addiction for older people as much as teenagers. Be sure to switch off from the world from about 8pm at night to save your brain from too much stimulation before bedtime. Relax in an Epsom salt bath to close the day with a cleanse as it was begun with: from water internal to water external, the diurnal cycle comes to a close.

Don’t switch that phone on again until at least 8am – after your new meditative routine!

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Supplements for Women Over 50

The menopause signals not just adverse symptoms in the body, but hormonal changes that require a different approach to essential vitamin and mineral intake. This is where supplementation can be a great help to staying in optimum health.

According to 2018 research published in the journal Osteoporosis International, over the age of 50 a woman’s oestrogen levels decrease, heightening the risk of osteoporosis or loss of bone density. Meanwhile, a study published in 2017 in the journal Menopause Review found that the menopause directly affects fat distribution, increasing belly fat by some 32% and visceral fat by up to 44%, the latter a danger for Type-II diabetes and breast cancer, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Therefore, in addition to the light weight training and frequent exercise already recommended, the following should be supplemented, especially if one’s diet is not optimal as yet (there’s always time to make improvements, as set out previously):

1

Calcium

Absolutely essential for menopausal and postmenopausal women, calcium increases bone density and protects against fractures. Best combined with vitamin D, the RDA in women over 51 is up to 1,200mg, but research has found that doses of 500mg are absorbed best.

2

Magnesium

According to a study published in 2013 in the journal Nutrients, postmenopausal women require greater amounts of magnesium to offset the effects of loss of bone density and increased inflammation in the body. The RDA for women over 51 is 320mg. If consuming more zinc than usual in a bid to bolster immunity during the usual wintry cold and flu season, then be aware that excess zinc can prohibit the beneficial effects of magnesium.

3

Vitamin C

The RDA of vitamin C for those over 51 is 75mg, in order to increase bone mineral density – as suggested by a 2015 study published in the journal Osteoporosis International. A previous study in 2013, published in The British journal of Cancer, showed a link between sufficient vitamin C intake and a lower risk of breast cancer diagnosis and better chance of survival if diagnosed in older women.

4

Vitamin D

In addition to being lauded in the fight against Covid, vitamin D supplementation has been linked to a lower occurrence of falls and fractures, according to a study published in 2014 in the journal Women’s Health. The RDA for women over 51 is 15mg.

5

Vitamin B12

An aid to DNA creation and red blood cell health, vitamin B12 also supports brain function. Unfortunately, our ability to absorb vitamin B12 lessens over time. Found mostly in animal products, that is no excuse for sudden carnivorism: fortified foods have sufficient quantities of vitamin B12 to meet the RDA of 2.4mcg, though supplementation is highly recommended for those following a plant-based diet.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been going since 1985. Its established international symbol the pink ribbon, it is the month to educate and inform on the prevalence of breast cancer and to raise money for further research into finding a cure. Breast Cancer UK wants prevention to be at the forefront of the public’s minds.

1 in 7 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Each year, around 55,000 women in the UK alone are diagnosed with it. This October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 5,000 more women will learn they too have it. Approximately 80% of breast cancer cases occur in women over the age of 50.

Beginning when cells within the breast start to divide and grow abnormally, the most common forms of breast cancer begin in the ducts or tubes that carry milk to the nipple during lactation. Rarer forms of breast cancer start in the lobules, the glands which produce the milk itself.

The older you are, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. Nonetheless, around 10,000 women under the age of 50 receive diagnoses each year, with 8,000 of those in their 40s. Although men can develop it (with some 370 cases per year in men over 50), it is incredibly unusual.

A woman’s breasts should regularly be self-examined. The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more chance of survival.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer to watch out for include:

a lump or noticeable swelling in the upper breast, upper chest, or armpit

a change in skin tone, such as dimpling or puckering

a change in colour, with the breast seeming red or inflamed

a change to the nipple, perhaps inverted

a rash or crusting around the nipple

unusual liquid discharge from either nipple

a change in size or shape of the breast According to Breast Cancer Now, 11,500 women die annually from breast cancer (and circa 80 men). That includes “Unsurvivors”, those who “beat” breast cancer previously, but for whom the disease returned and metastasised into the lymphatic system to the organs. Signs and

symptoms of secondary metastatic breast cancer include:

feeling constantly fatigued

incessant nausea

unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite

As per Breast Cancer UK’s goal, prevention really is better than cure. In addition to not smoking and limiting alcohol intake, a “breast-friendly diet” is recommended. That is one “low in calories and high in fruit and non-starchy vegetables” with little or no meat. The Mediterranean diet, as beneficial as it is for the menopause, is greatly beneficial in the fight against breast cancer, too. That is thought to be in no small way connected to its strict limiting of dairy products.

According to research released just before the pandemic by the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, consuming dairy milk on a daily basis is a notable breast cancer risk. However, there was no such correlation with cheese or yogurt. These findings are supported by a separate study in the International Journal of Epidemiology, which found even under one cup of milk per day resulted in a “steep rise” in breast cancer risk, increasing to 50% increase when drinking one cup, and up to 80% increased risk if having between 2 and 3 cups of milk. In addition to ditching the dairy, though, exercise in later life has been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers. Generally, exercise has been shown to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 30% due to managing levels of the hormones oestrogen, androgen, insulin, and leptin. And a meta-study in 2015, published in the European Journal of Cancer (covering the findings of 38 studies), showed a distinct difference in occurrence of breast cancer in those physically active as opposed to those who undertook little to no physical activity. Those who regularly exercised seemed to be at reduced risk of breast cancer, with results suggesting a reduced lifetime risk of 9%, if 150 minutes were undertaken as a minimum exercise duration per week.