I am increasingly interested in women of a certain age who are moving into peri-menopause and beyond. This time of life brings with it some challenges...

There is a three-point axis balancing women's hormones. Our adrenal gland, thyroid gland and sex hormones. They should work in harmony. This, however, is often not the case.

I see women who's work / life balance is under stress - and stress sets off a chain reaction. Stress coupled with diminishing sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone can lead to symptoms such as:

• Tendency to gain weight, especially around the waist - and inability to lose it;

• High Frequency of the flu and other respiratory diseases where symptoms tend to last longer than usual;

• Irritability;

• Blood sugar fluctuations;

• Tendency to tremble when under pressure;

• Anxiety;

• Depression;

• Reduced sex drive;

• Light-headedness when rising from a supine position;

• Brain fog;

• PMT;

• Lack of energy in the afternoon;

• Reliance on coffee to get the day started;

• Craving for sweet salty and fatty food;

• Chronic pain of unknown origin.

Symptoms can be so varied that it would be easy to be mistaken into treating a symptom (such as knee pain or fatigue) without exploring the bigger internal picture.

Hormones change slowly in the body and therefore it is easy for women to experience one symptom, and then another and then another, without realising they are linked.