June 12, 2025 • 26 mins
As the head of health programs at CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, Nicole Pritchard shares how their new Menopause Plan leverages a decade of research to address the unique nutritional needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women.
At the heart of the program is a powerful yet simple nutritional philosophy: emphasise high-quality protein, choose low glycemic index carbohydrates, and prioritise fiber-rich foods. This approach directly addresses the physiological changes occurring during menopause, from declining muscle mass to increased cardiovascular risk.
Nicole explains that spreading protein consumption throughout the day (aiming for 25-30g per main meal) helps maintain muscle mass, support metabolism, and control appetite – all crucial during a time when many women struggle with weight management.
What sets this program apart is its practical, sustainable approach. Rather than restrictive dieting, Nicole emphasises making strategic food swaps and focusing on adding beneficial foods. The plan acknowledges real-life challenges like family meal preparation and busy schedules, offering flexible solutions that work for the entire household. From meal plans with shopping lists to online tracking tools and dietitian support, the program provides comprehensive resources while recognizing that lasting change happens through small, consistent actions.
Perhaps most importantly, Nicole explains that menopause doesn't have to mean inevitable weight gain or declining health. With the right nutritional approach, women can manage symptoms, reduce long-term health risks, and even thrive during this transition. The program represents a significant shift away from one-size-fits-all dieting toward evidence-based nutrition that honors women's changing bodies and supports them through midlife and beyond.
Links:
CSIRO Total Wellbeing Menopause Plan website
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sonya (00:01):
Welcome to the Dear Menopause podcast.
I'm Sonia Lovell, your host Now.
I've been bringing youconversations with amazing
menopause experts for over twoyears now.
If you have missed any of thoseconversations, now's the time
to go back and listen, and youcan always share them with
anyone you think needs to hearthem.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations,
(00:25):
needs to hear them.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations.
Welcome everyone to this week'sepisode of Dear Menopause.
I am delighted to be joinedtoday by Nicole Pritchard.
Nicole, welcome to the show Hi.
Sonia, thanks so much for havingme my absolute pleasure.
I'm really excited to talk toyou today about the new CSIRO
Total Wellbeing Menopause Plan.
Nicole (00:44):
Yes, can't wait to tell you a bit more about that, and
also good nutrition tips as well, to help through this phase in
life.
Sonya (00:50):
Fantastic, Nicole.
Why don't you let everybodyknow a little bit more about who
you actually are and how youcame to be involved with this
new menopause plan?
Nicole (00:59):
Yeah, sure, look.
So I've always been interestedin nutrition and exercise.
I was quite, a very sportychild, so for me it was really
natural to study nutrition anddietetics as well as exercise
science at university.
So I actually got a master's indietetics and exercise rehab,
so I'm an accredited practicingdietitian but an exercise
physiologist as well.
(01:19):
So I guess for me nutrition andexercise always really came
hand in hand.
Throughout my career I've alwaysseemed to have tapped into both
the nutrition and exercise sideof things, because we know as a
health professional you reallywant to look at someone
holistically.
It's not just what they'reeating, it's how they're moving,
what's their medical history,who cooks at home, what's their
(01:41):
mental health like, who shopsall those things.
I did start off runningnutrition exercise programs for
people with chronic disease, sowith heart disease, diabetes,
arthritis, overweight andobesity, and I really kind of
saw how impactful a healthy dietbut also resistance exercise
was in people who are, you know,in their fifties plus.
(02:01):
And so I kind of had a, youknow, did some work in hospitals
, did the thing where I lived inLondon for a while, work abroad
, as most Aussies seem to do.
I worked in somegastroenterology.
So I really got some morefascination around gut health
and fibre, which I found reallyinteresting.
But throughout my career I sortof saw the most impact in
helping people who had chronicdisease or risk of diabetes or
(02:23):
obesity, heart disease and oftenthe majority of my patients
were women in their menopauseera.
So trying to lose weight,understand their gut issues,
improve their blood results itwas just a very common pathway I
saw.
So now I work for the CSIROTotal Wellbeing Diet as their
head of health programs and ouraim is not only for people to
(02:45):
learn how to eat healthy forlife and lose weight as well,
but to reduce that risk ofchronic disease that comes with
aging and a poor diet as well,and our average member is female
and is around sort of 40, 50splus age group.
We've really shifted our focusinto more menopause or
perimenopause specific diet andmeal plans as well.
Sonya (03:08):
What drove that shift?
Was it a recognition of whereyour most average client was
sitting and recognizing thatthere was a correlation there
between what was happening toher physiologically, as well as
the physical things that she'scoming to you to address?
What really drove?
Nicole (03:30):
that shift into creating a plan that is menopause
specific.
Yeah, we know that around 30% ofthe Australian population is
currently navigating this lifestage and, as you know, there's
so much limited understanding ofhow powerful nutrition can
actually be in managing symptoms, and I guess the main thing is
reducing those lifelong,long-term health risks that come
with it.
And so we know that you know afew changes can help with
(03:52):
dramatically reduce those healthrisks, and nutrition is
actually one of the mosteffective non-pharmaceutical
tools for managing perimenopauseand menopause.
So we work with CSIRO, which isAustralia's national science
agency.
We currently have a meal planthat is very much focused on
high protein, low GI, high fiber, but then we're making sure we
(04:14):
support that menopausal weightgain that tends to happen,
trying to stabilize mood andenergy through those low GI
carbohydrates, and also thatfocus on bone health and muscle
health as well.
Sort of often we know that welose muscle as we get through
this age thanks to a lovely dropof estrogen.
So we've used 10 years ofresearch into tailoring this
(04:34):
program and we're focusing onvery much that high protein, low
GI, high fiber diet that seemsto work best for not just
appetite control as well,because high protein can really
be great to help with yourappetite, which can then in turn
help with weight control aswell.
The main thing is trying tokeep those energy levels up too.
Sonya (04:54):
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet has been around, for I
think you just said you've got10 years worth of evidence, so
does that mean that that side ofthe program has been around for
over 10 years?
Actually, it would have to beover 10 years, I'm thinking,
wouldn't it?
Nicole (05:06):
Yeah, yeah, so we've actually run the digital side of
the program for just over 10years.
So before that, you know ifyou've seen all the cookbooks
the Total Wellbeing Dietcookbooks that were around yeah,
oh, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah,exactly, so we've used the
research all that time, butmainly now that we've the past
10 years or so, we've had thedigital platform where we can
(05:28):
use the data that we have fromall our members to look at not
only what's effective for weightloss, but also what helped with
goal setting, what helps withmindset, what helps with
long-term weight loss and weightmaintenance as well.
Sonya (05:49):
So we kind of use all that information that we've got
to then work on our friends.
Yeah, so you were in a reallygood position to be able to, as
you say, tweak what wascurrently in existence into
making it more high protein,high fiber, based on all that
evidence that you had been ableto gather and source from your
data sets already and I'massuming you mentioned that it's
an online program that you runnow, but there would be
information in there on how muchsupport people needed.
Who did people that got moresupport have more success, those
(06:11):
sorts of things.
So you've been able to buildall of that into this as well.
Nicole (06:15):
Yeah, definitely so.
The diet itself and along withthe menopause plan that comes to
, we have sort of multiplesupport structures.
That includes having the mealplan there that's available to
people, the educationaltutorials that people can access
as well from CSIRO expertsnavigate through this phase of
life.
We find the tracking tools arereally helpful because often you
(06:36):
know we think we're eatinghealthy or we think we're in a
calorie deficit, we're trying tolose weight and we might do
really well during the week andthen the weekend we have
blowouts so often with trackingthat's often really effective to
lose weight.
We might do really well duringthe week and then the weekend we
have blowouts so often withtracking.
That's often really effectivewith weight loss, just to really
be kind of honest with yourself.
And also we do group healthcoaching, group coaching
sessions with our dietitians,where there's a group webinar
(06:56):
but people can also askquestions.
And we have a very activeFacebook community as well.
People can get support off eachother, help get them motivated
as well.
Sonya (07:06):
Okay, that's awesome.
I think you're right that allthe pillars that need to be in
place for a successful weightloss plan if that's what
somebody is going towards, thetracking is huge the support
pillars being in place andthat's the support from peers,
the community, of everybodythat's going through it with you
at the same time, as well asthat expert-led support as well.
(07:28):
So that's really awesome thatthat's all offered within the
program.
Nicole (07:31):
Yeah, and we also want to make sure that it is very
much an evidence-based program,science-backed program, because
there is so much information outthere around what is a healthy
diet.
We're influenced by Instagramand there's just so much
information to dig through andeven as a health professional,
as a dietitian, I'm trying todig through all this information
and figure out what's actuallyevidence-based and not, and what
(07:53):
is the research behind it.
So I think that's where allhealth professionals and
dietitians focus on is providinginformation that is
evidence-based and has researchbehind it to be really effective
long-term.
Sonya (08:07):
So what was the thing that surprised you the most when
you did start looking intocreating a menopause plan within
the total wellbeing diet?
Was there one thing that jumpedout at you that you were kind
of like, if we can do this, thisis going to be really helpful
to this cohort?
Nicole (08:22):
I think really kind of breaking down for people what
some of those key nutrients areto really focus on during
menopause.
So, when we're digging into theresearch and finding out what
is the most effective, there area few key nutrients that you do
really need to focus on andjust a few little tweaks to your
diet can really make adifference to your long-term
health and just managing thephase that you're in, because,
(08:45):
with all the symptoms that comewith the perimenopause phase and
menopause, some simple dietchanges and lifestyle changes
can really make it less of abumpy road and there's
definitely no need for any crazyor fad diets at this stage in
your life.
Definitely you're thinking ofnothing complex.
We don't need to keep takingfood away.
It's more around swappingthings over or adding things in,
(09:08):
rather than being in thatdeprived mindset that we kind of
get into when we're trying tolose weight, yeah, and I think,
from a generational perspective,we are definitely a generation
that have come from that veryrestrictive, diet-based,
society-driven belief system.
Sonya (09:25):
I think most women that I know, my age or even in the
five or so years either side,have dieted in the extreme sense
at some point in time, and it'sactually a really good time to
try and shift that mindset andtake it away from having to be
restrictive, but more aboutadding in more of what's right
(09:46):
and making swaps.
If you're used to having this,how about swapping to this?
I know things for me that havemade huge differences are things
like if I want to have pasta, Ijust make it a high protein
pasta.
If I want to have feta in mysalad, I make it a low fat feta.
There's just so many littletweaks that you can make that
mean you're not restrictingthings but you are still
enjoying all that food that youget satisfaction from.
Nicole (10:08):
Yeah, exactly, think of it as more of a life edit, a
sort of re-evaluation of whatyou're doing, and kind of think
right, what can I do now?
Not to sort of support me now,but into the future, into the
next phase of life where, whenthe estrogen drops, we're going
to have muscle loss, we're goingto start to get bone loss more,
increased risk of osteoporosis,we're going to have a high risk
of cardiovascular disease.
(10:28):
So we know we're higher risk ofduring this phase in life.
It's kind of thinking of whatcan we do now to make sure we're
protecting ourselves in thisphase too I agree, it's such a
great time to do stock takers.
Sonya (10:39):
I like, yes, of all aspects of your life.
You know not just what am whatam I eating, but how am I
exercising.
Who are the toxic people in mylife, that it'd be a really good
opportunity to detox them aswell?
Yeah, exactly.
So let's talk about lifestyleMm-hmm things.
Obviously, you've got theexercise background as well.
Is there information andsupport around making some of
(11:01):
those lifestyle changes as well?
Nicole (11:03):
Yeah, definitely.
So we do include an exerciseplan as part of it as well, from
beginner to intermediate toadvanced, because we know very
much with the muscle loss thathappens during this phase of
life that we really need to notonly increase our protein intake
but also to increase ourresistance exercise as well.
So even a couple of days a weektrying to encourage that sort
(11:25):
of resistance type exercise.
And then, of course, withsupport, we have access to a
team of health coaches who areall accredited practising
dietitians that if people wantthat sort of more individualised
advice, they can then ask themquestions, have a consultation
with a health professional thatis very much across how our
program works, but alsoobviously experienced in general
(11:47):
weight loss, general lifestyleand healthy living advice too.
Sonya (11:53):
One of the things that I find when I speak to women and I
know from my own experience aswell in this stage of life we're
doing still lots of family mealcooking, so it's really hard
sometimes when you are trying tomake some changes to your meals
and your diet.
If we use that as anoverarching term, is your plan
(12:15):
easily integrated into differentfamily dynamics?
And the other thing that I knowI suffer from this so badly and
I love cooking, but it's justmeal decision fatigue.
It's like I am so sick of beingthe person that decides what's
for dinner every single night.
Nicole (12:31):
Yeah.
So you get to Friday and you'relike I'm not making any more
decisions, I can't do thisanymore.
We're having eggs on toast.
Sonya (12:43):
I had to make it a rule in my house that I was not
allowed to be asked beforebreakfast what was for dinner
this evening.
So does your plan allow theflexibility to work in with
family life, to take away thatdecision making fatigue, but in
a way that works for everyone?
Nicole (12:56):
within the household?
Yeah, of course.
So the CSIRO Total WellbeingDiet is very much designed for
women with busy lives and youknow, we know what it's like.
We want to take into accountthe up and downs and busy times
in our lifestyle.
So as part of the program thereis meal plans with really
easy-to-follow recipes, and wealso recognise the need for
(13:17):
flexibility.
You know, in case you can't eatnuts, you can swap it for
avocado in the healthy fatsgroup or there's certain things
you don't like.
We definitely take into accountswapping so that would suit more
your whole family.
And we also include indulgencesas well, because we all need to
have that ice cream, we allneed to have the chocolate or
whatever our thing is.
Because we want to make it aseasy and sustainable as possible
(13:40):
.
You want it to be something youcan eat for long-term factor in
those fun social occasions.
You've got those treats andthings as well, and all the
recipes.
We really designed them to bereally quick and easy and just
prepare for the entire familyand, like I said, you can swap
foods in and out depending onyour family preferences, or
(14:00):
certain things can't be eaten inthe family, so the program can
be used just for one person butthen, for example, for dinners.
If you wanted to then be doingdinner for four, you can change
the shopping list to be able tothen cater for the whole family
that can still eat.
Yeah, because I mean, who wantsto be doing multiple different
meals?
Sonya (14:18):
It's so hard?
Yeah, because I mean, who wantsto be doing multiple different
meals?
It's so hard.
And if you're struggling withcognitive function, memory
issues or brain fog, or you'vebeen in the office all day and
you come home and your anxietylevels are high, the last thing
you want to be doing is preppingmany meals.
And I think that's when whenit's easy to slip out of any
type of structured plan if itdoesn't work in with the rest of
(14:39):
the family, because you gethome from work and you just want
to take the easy option.
Nicole (14:42):
And it's like you know what, if you all want mac and
cheese, let's just eat mac andcheese yeah, yeah, and we kind
of go on the philosophy of youknow the healthy plate, where
half your meal should be veggiesor salad.
A quarter is around yourprotein foods, so your meat,
meat, chicken fish, your eggs,your lentils, legumes, and then
a quarter is your low GIcarbohydrates.
(15:04):
So you've got some brown rice,you've got some sweet potato,
some of your pasta, those sortsof things.
So we very much stick to and Ithink everyone should really
stick to.
I mean, we all don't eat enoughveggies and salad, let's be
honest.
So, trying to get that half aplate veggies or salad, and then
there's less room for the otherbits and it's fine to be frozen
too.
Frozen veggies are perfectlyfine to add, and leftovers are
(15:27):
great.
There's nothing wrong withleftovers too.
So, always try to make sure thatwhen you are preparing some
meals, to prepare a bit extra,prepare it in bulk, freeze some
extra for those days where youknow you're going to get home
late, you're late coming homefrom kids' sport and everyone's
just going to be starving.
You want to have some quickoptions there, kind of in your
bank of ideas, to kind of throwtogether and still be healthy.
Sonya (15:52):
I'm a big fan of meal prepping, so I do on a Sunday, I
make my lunches for the week,so that that were at least four
of them.
I tend to make four becausethen at least I know Monday
through Thursday because lunchis my downfall I'll eat a great
breakfast, I'll plan a greatdinner, because that's when we
all sit down and eat together.
But lunches I tend to find thatI go, I know I'm running from
(16:14):
one thing to the other and I'mbusy and I just I forget to eat.
If I'm at home and I'm working,I literally will be three
o'clock and I'll go.
Oh, I haven't eaten anything.
And then by then you've falleninto that trap of you're super
hungry and so you just rush tothe fridge and grab the first
thing that's, you know, therewhen you open it, which might be
cheese on toast, which is likeliterally the, for me, the worst
(16:35):
thing that I could possibly eat.
Like you say, no fiber in there.
Nicole (16:38):
yeah, so I find meal prepping works, really, really
well, for me, exactly that's whywe do a shopping list that's
for the week, so then you canshop for the week, prepare
anything ahead of time that you,if you want to I mean if it's
certain for people who likedoing a bit more cooking and
maybe sort of prepping somesnacks or doing a bit more food
prep there but if you wantsomething quick and easy, yeah,
there's definitely a great ideato food prep and I think, um,
(17:00):
that's why I find the leftoverscoming great for lunchtime, so
cooking that bit extra fordinner.
So then I find for me,leftovers are like the thing for
for lunchtimes.
It's yeah, I don't have to.
If I'm between meetings, youcan just duck out, heat it up.
I'll add a bag of those frozenmicrowave vegetables if I need
to up the veggie content, andthen, yeah, perfect.
Sonya (17:21):
So, kind of always think veggies, got your protein, got
your carbs, tick those three andthen you sort it so, for
anybody that wants to know moreabout the plan, where can they
go to learn about everythingwe've just spoken about?
Nicole (17:38):
yeah, yeah.
So if you just go tototalwellbeingdietcom, you'll be
able to access the menopauseplan as part of your total
well-being diet membership.
So they're available on.
You can go monthly or yearlyplan options and also on our
website.
We do have a lot of educationalwebinars that people can access
as well.
So recently Div 1 on menopauseposted by myself and some other
(18:00):
nutrition experts, and there'splenty of information on there
where people can access aroundyou know, menopause around our
Total Wellbeing Diet blog aswell.
Sonya (18:09):
Fantastic, and I will add a link to that through in the
show notes as well, so that thatmakes it super easy for anybody
that wants to go and find thelink and they can click through
to the website to find out.
Nicole, with all of theresearch that you've done to put
this plan together with yourextensive background in working
(18:29):
in nutrition and dietetics andin the exercise world as well,
what is the one message that youwould like anybody
transitioning throughperimenopause menopause right
now to hear?
Nicole (18:43):
I mean, I think one of the main things to really you
know the overarching is beingempowered.
So menopause doesn't need tomean inevitable weight gain and
or declining health and I thinkwith the right nutritional
approach women can really thrivethrough this transition and
beyond.
And I think it's just havingall those informed choices and
(19:03):
that really positive mindsetwhere you can help you manage
the symptoms and all thosehealth risks associated with it.
But the other thing I like tofocus on is overall diet is what
is the most important, not whatwe do.
You know, here and there it'sreally kind of stick to what we
do.
Most of the time, 80% of thetime is really important and
it's not just what we do for afew weeks, is what we're doing
(19:25):
for weeks, months, years isreally important and I really
think women going through thisphase need to make sure you do
focus on a few key nutrients,whether that's protein, your
calcium and vitamin D, yourfiber, of course, and also those
omega-3 fats as well, are allreally important nutrients to
focus on.
Sonya (19:46):
Fantastic, and I'm going to assume that within the
menopause plan there'sinformation on how women can
improve, bringing some of thosemacros and the micros into their
yeah, very much so.
Nicole (19:57):
So we focus on spreading out protein evenly throughout
the day, because we know thathaving that sort of adequate
protein consumption can helpmaintain muscle mass.
It can support your metabolismand assist with managing your
weight and appetite as well.
So getting that protein evenlyspread out throughout the day is
what we focus on.
(20:17):
Science does show around 25 to30 grams of protein per main
meal is really beneficial.
So that's why we do reallyfocus on the protein and, I
guess, making sure that you'regetting those omega-3, that oily
fish in there too, so that thesalmon, the mackerel sardines,
all those sorts of things to getall those really healthy fats
in there too, so that you knowthe salmon, the mackerel
sardines, all those sorts ofthings to get all those really
healthy fats in there.
So we include those as part ofthe plan and also as part of
(20:41):
omega-3s along with healthy fats.
You've also got all your plantomega-3s as well.
So you know your nuts, flaxseed, linseeds, things like tofu,
your walnuts, avocado all thosesorts of things are really
important to add in.
At least four or five days aweek, add some chia seeds into
your porridge in the morning orsprinkle a bit of ground
(21:01):
flaxseed in the yogurt, thosesorts of things.
Kind of give you those reallygood healthy fats are really
important to not only manage ourhormones but also keep us
feeling full.
But give us those really goodheart protective fats as well.
And then we also make sure youare getting enough calcium,
which is really important forthe bone health, as we know.
So plenty of dairy.
But also we know that, alongwith with the calcium, we need
(21:24):
that vitamin d too.
So getting that, make surewe're getting enough of that
sunlight to help make sure thatour body can absorb all that
calcium that we get through foodtoo.
And it's all about those reallysmart swaps.
How can we swap our breakfastover?
If you're normally havingNutri-Grain, maybe swap it for
Wheat, bix or oats.
Or if you're normally havingwhite bread, get some grainy
bread or sourdough.
(21:45):
All those kind of things thatyou can do.
Little swaps and tweaks, ratherthan thinking I need to
overhaul everything.
I have to do everything now,and then I do it for a week or
two and then, oh, I drop off andthen I'll wait till Monday,
till I start again.
Oh, I'll wait till next month,or I'll wait till New Year's.
With the way you're eating,it's just should be for life.
This is how you eat for life,and you are going to fall off
(22:06):
track.
You are going to have bigweekends, you're going to have
blowouts, but just a matter ofnext meal.
Have blowouts, but just amatter of next meal.
This is how I eat.
Sonya (22:15):
I eat whole foods.
I eat plenty of fruit andveggies and to nourish yourself,
because you do notice thedifference physically when you
do eat a healthier diet ingeneral and that comes back to
what you said earlier and it'shaving more of a mindset around
that 80% of the time this is howI eat for the rest of my life,
and then that 20% where I am onholiday or it is my birthday.
That you don't restrictyourself from those things.
(22:37):
You still have to enjoy life.
Nicole (22:39):
Yeah, exactly, it's that long-term health reset.
How can we do all theseincremental little changes to
our diet and our exercise andnot forget about self-care as
well?
Think about how our mentalhealth is too.
We do know diet has such a hugeimpact on mental health.
There's been plenty of studiesaround depression and anxiety
and the way we eat too.
So thinking about not just tonourish your body but to nourish
(23:01):
your mental health too.
But also make sure we're takingtime out for ourselves and
getting the yoga and themeditation or boxing.
If that helps you with yourstress and anxiety I don't know
what it does for mine Think ofwhat really works for you.
It doesn't have to be you knowthe slow flow type things to
manage your mental health.
And also, we've got toprioritize our sleep as well.
(23:21):
Some people really struggle alot with sleep at this time,
maybe due to symptoms.
But making sure that you'rereally focusing on sleep healthy
habits when it comes to sleepbut also realize that when we
don't sleep well, it oftenaffects our appetite and often
then the next day we're morehungry and we often then have a
poor diet the next day.
Becoming more empowered inknowing all these things can
(23:43):
happen and they're all linkedtogether.
We often don't realize how muchof these things, how much of
our lifestyle and nutrition islinked to so many things.
And I think, just this stagejust being empowered and knowing
know about all these things andyou're not alone in this phase,
and there are definitely thingsto do to help it's just to,
yeah, figure out what that isfor you.
Sonya (24:05):
And that is so very true, isn't it that it's such a
unique transition for everysingle woman and you've got to
play around with all thosepillars of your life so your
exercise and your food and yourstress management tools and your
relationships and your sleepand tweak a little bit
everything somewhere to havethem all working better
(24:26):
synergistically yes, soundssimple, doesn't it?
Nicole (24:29):
but you just haven't done.
I always say whatever is kindof seems like the easiest for
you is to do first.
So if it's for you know yourdiet, if it's a matter of just
switching your bread over orchanging your milk or you know
making sure you have leftoversfor lunch instead of cheese on
toast, just do that one firstand then you can then just keep
(24:50):
kind of that habit stackingwhere you keep stacking up a new
habit as it becomes ingrained.
So if you don't know where tostart, whatever feels easy,
whether it's exercise, sleep ornutrition, yeah, focus on that
first.
Sonya (25:03):
It's a really good reminder, isn't it?
Because sometimes it is so easyto think that I need to change
everything all at once becausethat's how I'll get results, but
to actually get those reallylong term, sustainable changes.
Nicole (25:19):
you do have to take that just one step at a time
approach.
Yeah, exactly, and it may evenjust be initially going to chat
to a health professional or yourGP to kind of get a baseline of
where you start or track yourfood intake and see what's
really happening in your day,when you really put it down on
paper and honest with yourself.
So, wherever it is you feellike starting, just kind of
start where you're at and trynot to worry about where
everyone else is at as well,which is often hard.
Sonya (25:44):
Nicole, it has been so wonderful talking to you.
I'm going to link through inthe show notes to the total
wellbeing diet and then withinthat they'll be able to access
the information on the menopauseplan.
I'm really so happy to see thatan organization like the CSIRO,
who is so embedded in scienceand evidence, has come out with
(26:05):
a product to support and helpthis huge percentage of the
population 51% of the populationoverall will transition through
perimenopause and menopause.
As you said, there's about 30%currently that are actually
transitioning.
So it is really important thatwe focus on finding solutions
that are evidence-based andbased in science.
Nicole (26:26):
Yes, that's right.
Thank you so much for having me, Sonia.
It was lovely to chat to you.
Welcome to the Dear Menopause podcast.
I'm Sonia Lovell, your host Now.
I've been bringing youconversations with amazing
menopause experts for over twoyears now.
If you have missed any of thoseconversations, now's the time
to go back and listen, and youcan always share them with
anyone you think needs to hearthem.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations,
(00:25):
needs to hear them.
This way, more people can findthese amazing conversations.
Welcome everyone to this week'sepisode of Dear Menopause.
I am delighted to be joinedtoday by Nicole Pritchard.
Nicole, welcome to the show Hi.
Sonia, thanks so much for havingme my absolute pleasure.
I'm really excited to talk toyou today about the new CSIRO
Total Wellbeing Menopause Plan.
Nicole (00:44):
Yes, can't wait to tell you a bit more about that, and
also good nutrition tips as well, to help through this phase in
life.
Sonya (00:50):
Fantastic, Nicole.
Why don't you let everybodyknow a little bit more about who
you actually are and how youcame to be involved with this
new menopause plan?
Nicole (00:59):
Yeah, sure, look.
So I've always been interestedin nutrition and exercise.
I was quite, a very sportychild, so for me it was really
natural to study nutrition anddietetics as well as exercise
science at university.
So I actually got a master's indietetics and exercise rehab,
so I'm an accredited practicingdietitian but an exercise
physiologist as well.
(01:19):
So I guess for me nutrition andexercise always really came
hand in hand.
Throughout my career I've alwaysseemed to have tapped into both
the nutrition and exercise sideof things, because we know as a
health professional you reallywant to look at someone
holistically.
It's not just what they'reeating, it's how they're moving,
what's their medical history,who cooks at home, what's their
(01:41):
mental health like, who shopsall those things.
I did start off runningnutrition exercise programs for
people with chronic disease, sowith heart disease, diabetes,
arthritis, overweight andobesity, and I really kind of
saw how impactful a healthy dietbut also resistance exercise
was in people who are, you know,in their fifties plus.
(02:01):
And so I kind of had a, youknow, did some work in hospitals
, did the thing where I lived inLondon for a while, work abroad
, as most Aussies seem to do.
I worked in somegastroenterology.
So I really got some morefascination around gut health
and fibre, which I found reallyinteresting.
But throughout my career I sortof saw the most impact in
helping people who had chronicdisease or risk of diabetes or
(02:23):
obesity, heart disease and oftenthe majority of my patients
were women in their menopauseera.
So trying to lose weight,understand their gut issues,
improve their blood results itwas just a very common pathway I
saw.
So now I work for the CSIROTotal Wellbeing Diet as their
head of health programs and ouraim is not only for people to
(02:45):
learn how to eat healthy forlife and lose weight as well,
but to reduce that risk ofchronic disease that comes with
aging and a poor diet as well,and our average member is female
and is around sort of 40, 50splus age group.
We've really shifted our focusinto more menopause or
perimenopause specific diet andmeal plans as well.
Sonya (03:08):
What drove that shift?
Was it a recognition of whereyour most average client was
sitting and recognizing thatthere was a correlation there
between what was happening toher physiologically, as well as
the physical things that she'scoming to you to address?
What really drove?
Nicole (03:30):
that shift into creating a plan that is menopause
specific.
Yeah, we know that around 30% ofthe Australian population is
currently navigating this lifestage and, as you know, there's
so much limited understanding ofhow powerful nutrition can
actually be in managing symptoms, and I guess the main thing is
reducing those lifelong,long-term health risks that come
with it.
And so we know that you know afew changes can help with
(03:52):
dramatically reduce those healthrisks, and nutrition is
actually one of the mosteffective non-pharmaceutical
tools for managing perimenopauseand menopause.
So we work with CSIRO, which isAustralia's national science
agency.
We currently have a meal planthat is very much focused on
high protein, low GI, high fiber, but then we're making sure we
(04:14):
support that menopausal weightgain that tends to happen,
trying to stabilize mood andenergy through those low GI
carbohydrates, and also thatfocus on bone health and muscle
health as well.
Sort of often we know that welose muscle as we get through
this age thanks to a lovely dropof estrogen.
So we've used 10 years ofresearch into tailoring this
(04:34):
program and we're focusing onvery much that high protein, low
GI, high fiber diet that seemsto work best for not just
appetite control as well,because high protein can really
be great to help with yourappetite, which can then in turn
help with weight control aswell.
The main thing is trying tokeep those energy levels up too.
Sonya (04:54):
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet has been around, for I
think you just said you've got10 years worth of evidence, so
does that mean that that side ofthe program has been around for
over 10 years?
Actually, it would have to beover 10 years, I'm thinking,
wouldn't it?
Nicole (05:06):
Yeah, yeah, so we've actually run the digital side of
the program for just over 10years.
So before that, you know ifyou've seen all the cookbooks
the Total Wellbeing Dietcookbooks that were around yeah,
oh, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah,exactly, so we've used the
research all that time, butmainly now that we've the past
10 years or so, we've had thedigital platform where we can
(05:28):
use the data that we have fromall our members to look at not
only what's effective for weightloss, but also what helped with
goal setting, what helps withmindset, what helps with
long-term weight loss and weightmaintenance as well.
Sonya (05:49):
So we kind of use all that information that we've got
to then work on our friends.
Yeah, so you were in a reallygood position to be able to, as
you say, tweak what wascurrently in existence into
making it more high protein,high fiber, based on all that
evidence that you had been ableto gather and source from your
data sets already and I'massuming you mentioned that it's
an online program that you runnow, but there would be
information in there on how muchsupport people needed.
Who did people that got moresupport have more success, those
(06:11):
sorts of things.
So you've been able to buildall of that into this as well.
Nicole (06:15):
Yeah, definitely so.
The diet itself and along withthe menopause plan that comes to
, we have sort of multiplesupport structures.
That includes having the mealplan there that's available to
people, the educationaltutorials that people can access
as well from CSIRO expertsnavigate through this phase of
life.
We find the tracking tools arereally helpful because often you
(06:36):
know we think we're eatinghealthy or we think we're in a
calorie deficit, we're trying tolose weight and we might do
really well during the week andthen the weekend we have
blowouts so often with trackingthat's often really effective to
lose weight.
We might do really well duringthe week and then the weekend we
have blowouts so often withtracking.
That's often really effectivewith weight loss, just to really
be kind of honest with yourself.
And also we do group healthcoaching, group coaching
sessions with our dietitians,where there's a group webinar
(06:56):
but people can also askquestions.
And we have a very activeFacebook community as well.
People can get support off eachother, help get them motivated
as well.
Sonya (07:06):
Okay, that's awesome.
I think you're right that allthe pillars that need to be in
place for a successful weightloss plan if that's what
somebody is going towards, thetracking is huge the support
pillars being in place andthat's the support from peers,
the community, of everybodythat's going through it with you
at the same time, as well asthat expert-led support as well.
(07:28):
So that's really awesome thatthat's all offered within the
program.
Nicole (07:31):
Yeah, and we also want to make sure that it is very
much an evidence-based program,science-backed program, because
there is so much information outthere around what is a healthy
diet.
We're influenced by Instagramand there's just so much
information to dig through andeven as a health professional,
as a dietitian, I'm trying todig through all this information
and figure out what's actuallyevidence-based and not, and what
(07:53):
is the research behind it.
So I think that's where allhealth professionals and
dietitians focus on is providinginformation that is
evidence-based and has researchbehind it to be really effective
long-term.
Sonya (08:07):
So what was the thing that surprised you the most when
you did start looking intocreating a menopause plan within
the total wellbeing diet?
Was there one thing that jumpedout at you that you were kind
of like, if we can do this, thisis going to be really helpful
to this cohort?
Nicole (08:22):
I think really kind of breaking down for people what
some of those key nutrients areto really focus on during
menopause.
So, when we're digging into theresearch and finding out what
is the most effective, there area few key nutrients that you do
really need to focus on andjust a few little tweaks to your
diet can really make adifference to your long-term
health and just managing thephase that you're in, because,
(08:45):
with all the symptoms that comewith the perimenopause phase and
menopause, some simple dietchanges and lifestyle changes
can really make it less of abumpy road and there's
definitely no need for any crazyor fad diets at this stage in
your life.
Definitely you're thinking ofnothing complex.
We don't need to keep takingfood away.
It's more around swappingthings over or adding things in,
(09:08):
rather than being in thatdeprived mindset that we kind of
get into when we're trying tolose weight, yeah, and I think,
from a generational perspective,we are definitely a generation
that have come from that veryrestrictive, diet-based,
society-driven belief system.
Sonya (09:25):
I think most women that I know, my age or even in the
five or so years either side,have dieted in the extreme sense
at some point in time, and it'sactually a really good time to
try and shift that mindset andtake it away from having to be
restrictive, but more aboutadding in more of what's right
(09:46):
and making swaps.
If you're used to having this,how about swapping to this?
I know things for me that havemade huge differences are things
like if I want to have pasta, Ijust make it a high protein
pasta.
If I want to have feta in mysalad, I make it a low fat feta.
There's just so many littletweaks that you can make that
mean you're not restrictingthings but you are still
enjoying all that food that youget satisfaction from.
Nicole (10:08):
Yeah, exactly, think of it as more of a life edit, a
sort of re-evaluation of whatyou're doing, and kind of think
right, what can I do now?
Not to sort of support me now,but into the future, into the
next phase of life where, whenthe estrogen drops, we're going
to have muscle loss, we're goingto start to get bone loss more,
increased risk of osteoporosis,we're going to have a high risk
of cardiovascular disease.
(10:28):
So we know we're higher risk ofduring this phase in life.
It's kind of thinking of whatcan we do now to make sure we're
protecting ourselves in thisphase too I agree, it's such a
great time to do stock takers.
Sonya (10:39):
I like, yes, of all aspects of your life.
You know not just what am whatam I eating, but how am I
exercising.
Who are the toxic people in mylife, that it'd be a really good
opportunity to detox them aswell?
Yeah, exactly.
So let's talk about lifestyleMm-hmm things.
Obviously, you've got theexercise background as well.
Is there information andsupport around making some of
(11:01):
those lifestyle changes as well?
Nicole (11:03):
Yeah, definitely.
So we do include an exerciseplan as part of it as well, from
beginner to intermediate toadvanced, because we know very
much with the muscle loss thathappens during this phase of
life that we really need to notonly increase our protein intake
but also to increase ourresistance exercise as well.
So even a couple of days a weektrying to encourage that sort
(11:25):
of resistance type exercise.
And then, of course, withsupport, we have access to a
team of health coaches who areall accredited practising
dietitians that if people wantthat sort of more individualised
advice, they can then ask themquestions, have a consultation
with a health professional thatis very much across how our
program works, but alsoobviously experienced in general
(11:47):
weight loss, general lifestyleand healthy living advice too.
Sonya (11:53):
One of the things that I find when I speak to women and I
know from my own experience aswell in this stage of life we're
doing still lots of family mealcooking, so it's really hard
sometimes when you are trying tomake some changes to your meals
and your diet.
If we use that as anoverarching term, is your plan
(12:15):
easily integrated into differentfamily dynamics?
And the other thing that I knowI suffer from this so badly and
I love cooking, but it's justmeal decision fatigue.
It's like I am so sick of beingthe person that decides what's
for dinner every single night.
Nicole (12:31):
Yeah.
So you get to Friday and you'relike I'm not making any more
decisions, I can't do thisanymore.
We're having eggs on toast.
Sonya (12:43):
I had to make it a rule in my house that I was not
allowed to be asked beforebreakfast what was for dinner
this evening.
So does your plan allow theflexibility to work in with
family life, to take away thatdecision making fatigue, but in
a way that works for everyone?
Nicole (12:56):
within the household?
Yeah, of course.
So the CSIRO Total WellbeingDiet is very much designed for
women with busy lives and youknow, we know what it's like.
We want to take into accountthe up and downs and busy times
in our lifestyle.
So as part of the program thereis meal plans with really
easy-to-follow recipes, and wealso recognise the need for
(13:17):
flexibility.
You know, in case you can't eatnuts, you can swap it for
avocado in the healthy fatsgroup or there's certain things
you don't like.
We definitely take into accountswapping so that would suit more
your whole family.
And we also include indulgencesas well, because we all need to
have that ice cream, we allneed to have the chocolate or
whatever our thing is.
Because we want to make it aseasy and sustainable as possible
(13:40):
.
You want it to be something youcan eat for long-term factor in
those fun social occasions.
You've got those treats andthings as well, and all the
recipes.
We really designed them to bereally quick and easy and just
prepare for the entire familyand, like I said, you can swap
foods in and out depending onyour family preferences, or
(14:00):
certain things can't be eaten inthe family, so the program can
be used just for one person butthen, for example, for dinners.
If you wanted to then be doingdinner for four, you can change
the shopping list to be able tothen cater for the whole family
that can still eat.
Yeah, because I mean, who wantsto be doing multiple different
meals?
Sonya (14:18):
It's so hard?
Yeah, because I mean, who wantsto be doing multiple different
meals?
It's so hard.
And if you're struggling withcognitive function, memory
issues or brain fog, or you'vebeen in the office all day and
you come home and your anxietylevels are high, the last thing
you want to be doing is preppingmany meals.
And I think that's when whenit's easy to slip out of any
type of structured plan if itdoesn't work in with the rest of
(14:39):
the family, because you gethome from work and you just want
to take the easy option.
Nicole (14:42):
And it's like you know what, if you all want mac and
cheese, let's just eat mac andcheese yeah, yeah, and we kind
of go on the philosophy of youknow the healthy plate, where
half your meal should be veggiesor salad.
A quarter is around yourprotein foods, so your meat,
meat, chicken fish, your eggs,your lentils, legumes, and then
a quarter is your low GIcarbohydrates.
(15:04):
So you've got some brown rice,you've got some sweet potato,
some of your pasta, those sortsof things.
So we very much stick to and Ithink everyone should really
stick to.
I mean, we all don't eat enoughveggies and salad, let's be
honest.
So, trying to get that half aplate veggies or salad, and then
there's less room for the otherbits and it's fine to be frozen
too.
Frozen veggies are perfectlyfine to add, and leftovers are
(15:27):
great.
There's nothing wrong withleftovers too.
So, always try to make sure thatwhen you are preparing some
meals, to prepare a bit extra,prepare it in bulk, freeze some
extra for those days where youknow you're going to get home
late, you're late coming homefrom kids' sport and everyone's
just going to be starving.
You want to have some quickoptions there, kind of in your
bank of ideas, to kind of throwtogether and still be healthy.
Sonya (15:52):
I'm a big fan of meal prepping, so I do on a Sunday, I
make my lunches for the week,so that that were at least four
of them.
I tend to make four becausethen at least I know Monday
through Thursday because lunchis my downfall I'll eat a great
breakfast, I'll plan a greatdinner, because that's when we
all sit down and eat together.
But lunches I tend to find thatI go, I know I'm running from
(16:14):
one thing to the other and I'mbusy and I just I forget to eat.
If I'm at home and I'm working,I literally will be three
o'clock and I'll go.
Oh, I haven't eaten anything.
And then by then you've falleninto that trap of you're super
hungry and so you just rush tothe fridge and grab the first
thing that's, you know, therewhen you open it, which might be
cheese on toast, which is likeliterally the, for me, the worst
(16:35):
thing that I could possibly eat.
Like you say, no fiber in there.
Nicole (16:38):
yeah, so I find meal prepping works, really, really
well, for me, exactly that's whywe do a shopping list that's
for the week, so then you canshop for the week, prepare
anything ahead of time that you,if you want to I mean if it's
certain for people who likedoing a bit more cooking and
maybe sort of prepping somesnacks or doing a bit more food
prep there but if you wantsomething quick and easy, yeah,
there's definitely a great ideato food prep and I think, um,
(17:00):
that's why I find the leftoverscoming great for lunchtime, so
cooking that bit extra fordinner.
So then I find for me,leftovers are like the thing for
for lunchtimes.
It's yeah, I don't have to.
If I'm between meetings, youcan just duck out, heat it up.
I'll add a bag of those frozenmicrowave vegetables if I need
to up the veggie content, andthen, yeah, perfect.
Sonya (17:21):
So, kind of always think veggies, got your protein, got
your carbs, tick those three andthen you sort it so, for
anybody that wants to know moreabout the plan, where can they
go to learn about everythingwe've just spoken about?
Nicole (17:38):
yeah, yeah.
So if you just go tototalwellbeingdietcom, you'll be
able to access the menopauseplan as part of your total
well-being diet membership.
So they're available on.
You can go monthly or yearlyplan options and also on our
website.
We do have a lot of educationalwebinars that people can access
as well.
So recently Div 1 on menopauseposted by myself and some other
(18:00):
nutrition experts, and there'splenty of information on there
where people can access aroundyou know, menopause around our
Total Wellbeing Diet blog aswell.
Sonya (18:09):
Fantastic, and I will add a link to that through in the
show notes as well, so that thatmakes it super easy for anybody
that wants to go and find thelink and they can click through
to the website to find out.
Nicole, with all of theresearch that you've done to put
this plan together with yourextensive background in working
(18:29):
in nutrition and dietetics andin the exercise world as well,
what is the one message that youwould like anybody
transitioning throughperimenopause menopause right
now to hear?
Nicole (18:43):
I mean, I think one of the main things to really you
know the overarching is beingempowered.
So menopause doesn't need tomean inevitable weight gain and
or declining health and I thinkwith the right nutritional
approach women can really thrivethrough this transition and
beyond.
And I think it's just havingall those informed choices and
(19:03):
that really positive mindsetwhere you can help you manage
the symptoms and all thosehealth risks associated with it.
But the other thing I like tofocus on is overall diet is what
is the most important, not whatwe do.
You know, here and there it'sreally kind of stick to what we
do.
Most of the time, 80% of thetime is really important and
it's not just what we do for afew weeks, is what we're doing
(19:25):
for weeks, months, years isreally important and I really
think women going through thisphase need to make sure you do
focus on a few key nutrients,whether that's protein, your
calcium and vitamin D, yourfiber, of course, and also those
omega-3 fats as well, are allreally important nutrients to
focus on.
Sonya (19:46):
Fantastic, and I'm going to assume that within the
menopause plan there'sinformation on how women can
improve, bringing some of thosemacros and the micros into their
yeah, very much so.
Nicole (19:57):
So we focus on spreading out protein evenly throughout
the day, because we know thathaving that sort of adequate
protein consumption can helpmaintain muscle mass.
It can support your metabolismand assist with managing your
weight and appetite as well.
So getting that protein evenlyspread out throughout the day is
what we focus on.
(20:17):
Science does show around 25 to30 grams of protein per main
meal is really beneficial.
So that's why we do reallyfocus on the protein and, I
guess, making sure that you'regetting those omega-3, that oily
fish in there too, so that thesalmon, the mackerel sardines,
all those sorts of things to getall those really healthy fats
in there too, so that you knowthe salmon, the mackerel
sardines, all those sorts ofthings to get all those really
healthy fats in there.
So we include those as part ofthe plan and also as part of
(20:41):
omega-3s along with healthy fats.
You've also got all your plantomega-3s as well.
So you know your nuts, flaxseed, linseeds, things like tofu,
your walnuts, avocado all thosesorts of things are really
important to add in.
At least four or five days aweek, add some chia seeds into
your porridge in the morning orsprinkle a bit of ground
(21:01):
flaxseed in the yogurt, thosesorts of things.
Kind of give you those reallygood healthy fats are really
important to not only manage ourhormones but also keep us
feeling full.
But give us those really goodheart protective fats as well.
And then we also make sure youare getting enough calcium,
which is really important forthe bone health, as we know.
So plenty of dairy.
But also we know that, alongwith with the calcium, we need
(21:24):
that vitamin d too.
So getting that, make surewe're getting enough of that
sunlight to help make sure thatour body can absorb all that
calcium that we get through foodtoo.
And it's all about those reallysmart swaps.
How can we swap our breakfastover?
If you're normally havingNutri-Grain, maybe swap it for
Wheat, bix or oats.
Or if you're normally havingwhite bread, get some grainy
bread or sourdough.
(21:45):
All those kind of things thatyou can do.
Little swaps and tweaks, ratherthan thinking I need to
overhaul everything.
I have to do everything now,and then I do it for a week or
two and then, oh, I drop off andthen I'll wait till Monday,
till I start again.
Oh, I'll wait till next month,or I'll wait till New Year's.
With the way you're eating,it's just should be for life.
This is how you eat for life,and you are going to fall off
(22:06):
track.
You are going to have bigweekends, you're going to have
blowouts, but just a matter ofnext meal.
Have blowouts, but just amatter of next meal.
This is how I eat.
Sonya (22:15):
I eat whole foods.
I eat plenty of fruit andveggies and to nourish yourself,
because you do notice thedifference physically when you
do eat a healthier diet ingeneral and that comes back to
what you said earlier and it'shaving more of a mindset around
that 80% of the time this is howI eat for the rest of my life,
and then that 20% where I am onholiday or it is my birthday.
That you don't restrictyourself from those things.
(22:37):
You still have to enjoy life.
Nicole (22:39):
Yeah, exactly, it's that long-term health reset.
How can we do all theseincremental little changes to
our diet and our exercise andnot forget about self-care as
well?
Think about how our mentalhealth is too.
We do know diet has such a hugeimpact on mental health.
There's been plenty of studiesaround depression and anxiety
and the way we eat too.
So thinking about not just tonourish your body but to nourish
(23:01):
your mental health too.
But also make sure we're takingtime out for ourselves and
getting the yoga and themeditation or boxing.
If that helps you with yourstress and anxiety I don't know
what it does for mine Think ofwhat really works for you.
It doesn't have to be you knowthe slow flow type things to
manage your mental health.
And also, we've got toprioritize our sleep as well.
(23:21):
Some people really struggle alot with sleep at this time,
maybe due to symptoms.
But making sure that you'rereally focusing on sleep healthy
habits when it comes to sleepbut also realize that when we
don't sleep well, it oftenaffects our appetite and often
then the next day we're morehungry and we often then have a
poor diet the next day.
Becoming more empowered inknowing all these things can
(23:43):
happen and they're all linkedtogether.
We often don't realize how muchof these things, how much of
our lifestyle and nutrition islinked to so many things.
And I think, just this stagejust being empowered and knowing
know about all these things andyou're not alone in this phase,
and there are definitely thingsto do to help it's just to,
yeah, figure out what that isfor you.
Sonya (24:05):
And that is so very true, isn't it that it's such a
unique transition for everysingle woman and you've got to
play around with all thosepillars of your life so your
exercise and your food and yourstress management tools and your
relationships and your sleepand tweak a little bit
everything somewhere to havethem all working better
(24:26):
synergistically yes, soundssimple, doesn't it?
Nicole (24:29):
but you just haven't done.
I always say whatever is kindof seems like the easiest for
you is to do first.
So if it's for you know yourdiet, if it's a matter of just
switching your bread over orchanging your milk or you know
making sure you have leftoversfor lunch instead of cheese on
toast, just do that one firstand then you can then just keep
(24:50):
kind of that habit stackingwhere you keep stacking up a new
habit as it becomes ingrained.
So if you don't know where tostart, whatever feels easy,
whether it's exercise, sleep ornutrition, yeah, focus on that
first.
Sonya (25:03):
It's a really good reminder, isn't it?
Because sometimes it is so easyto think that I need to change
everything all at once becausethat's how I'll get results, but
to actually get those reallylong term, sustainable changes.
Nicole (25:19):
you do have to take that just one step at a time
approach.
Yeah, exactly, and it may evenjust be initially going to chat
to a health professional or yourGP to kind of get a baseline of
where you start or track yourfood intake and see what's
really happening in your day,when you really put it down on
paper and honest with yourself.
So, wherever it is you feellike starting, just kind of
start where you're at and trynot to worry about where
everyone else is at as well,which is often hard.
Sonya (25:44):
Nicole, it has been so wonderful talking to you.
I'm going to link through inthe show notes to the total
wellbeing diet and then withinthat they'll be able to access
the information on the menopauseplan.
I'm really so happy to see thatan organization like the CSIRO,
who is so embedded in scienceand evidence, has come out with
(26:05):
a product to support and helpthis huge percentage of the
population 51% of the populationoverall will transition through
perimenopause and menopause.
As you said, there's about 30%currently that are actually
transitioning.
So it is really important thatwe focus on finding solutions
that are evidence-based andbased in science.
Nicole (26:26):
Yes, that's right.
Thank you so much for having me, Sonia.
It was lovely to chat to you.
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