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Lifestyle Medicine: What’s the Hype… and Does It Actually Work?

  • Ruth Devlin
  • Oct 21
  • 3 min read


So, what is lifestyle medicine, what’s all the fuss about and can it really make a difference…quick answer…yes!


Lifestyle medicine is the theme for this year’s World Menopause Day (2025).


Such a fabulous theme to choose putting at the forefront of our minds what we should all be focussing on every day for our health & wellbeing to gain a good quality of life. 


When it comes to Menopause this choice of theme highlights why lifestyle choices are the foundations of menopause care.


It just takes a bit of insight, education, a few tweaks & nudges to everyone’s habits and yes, a bit of effort…which, let’s be honest, can unfortunately be, (for some people), the stumbling block! 


We live in such a fast paced world these days, caught up in numerous demands on our time, the bizarre ‘need’ to trawl through the distractions of social media, often putting ourselves under unreasonable pressure when what many of us need to do instead is to prioritise our health…especially when you get the menopause thrown at you to cope with!


Lifestyle medicine (LM)…well worth a bit of individual effort.

6 Lifestyle Pillar Medicines

To remind everyone of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine to focus on…

  • Mental wellbeing

  • Healthy eating

  • Physical activity

  • Social interaction, healthy relationships

  • Sleep

  • Minimise harmful substances




Focus on these 6 things first and foremost and your body & mind will be in a better place. 


It’s seriously worth it…tiny changes can have a mighty impact. Think small. Incremental steps are more sustainable. Don’t try and tackle everything at once it will be overwhelming. 


When it comes to symptoms associated with the menopause all six pillars of LM will have a positive impact, for example…helping to reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flushes & night sweats…helping to reduce inflammation…helping to restore healthy sleep cycles…manage joint pains…bloating…the list goes on. 


There’s no magic cure for the menopause but the more you do for yourself from a lifestyle perspective the easier this transitional stage of life will be *.

Bit of a no brainer really isn’t it!


Stress…the six pillars will help to reduce those levels of stress and anxiety, those stress hormones, cortisol & adrenaline, which will have a positive impact on all of the symptoms. The knack is finding your coping strategy to be able to manage to do this - easier said than done isn’t it. Have you ever looked into Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)? Here’s a link to one of our podcast episodes which explains how fabulous it is:


But this is where looking at the basics like your nutrition, reducing stimulants like caffeinated drinks, alcohol, recreational drugs, smoking, making sure you’re well hydrated and that you’re getting enough movement into your everyday life can start to help improve not only your experience of symptoms but how you as an individual manage to cope with them. It can start to give that sense of control back which many people need.


To help you tackle those lifestyle choices we’ve got plenty of info on our podcast, Menopause Matters, Let’s Talk which is available on all your usual platforms.


We’re busy recording with series 5 starting to be released and there are already many episodes packed with information on a huge variety of topics to dip in and out of…nutrition, bone & heart health, HRT, testosterone, to name a few, alongside topics on the benefits of complementary therapies like reflexology, acupuncture, hypnotherapy and of course CBT. Some fabulous practical tips throughout.


Here are a few resources for you to look into as well…the internet is riddled with misinformation and confusion…stick to these websites for genuine support through providing practical, evidence based information.  


Let’s Talk Menopause: https://www.letstalkmenopause.co.uk/


Men…Let’s Talk Menopause book: https://tinyurl.com/2p9y3vhv



Women’s Health concern: www.womens-health-concern.org : fact sheets


Menopause Matters: www.menopausematters.co.uk


Jackie Lynch/Nutritionist: www.well-well-well.co.uk


Squeezy app: www.squeezyapp.com : pelvic floor


Daisy Network: www.daisynetwork.org : Premature menopause/POI 


The Eve Appeal: www.eveappeal.org.uk : 5 gynae cancers


Endometriosis UK: www.endometriosis-uk.org


The Royal Osteoporosis Society: theros.org.uk  The Great British Bone Check 


Dr Claire Macaulay: The Pleasure Possibility




CBT self help guide: ‘Living Well Through The Menopause' & ‘Managing Hot flushes and Night sweats; A cognitive behavioural self-help guide to the Menopause’ by Myra Hunter and Melanie Smith: https://tinyurl.com/bde7f86k






*Some people require the additional support of medication like HRT - (the first line treatment for symptoms associated with the menopause), or from other medications. They might require this additional support before they have the energy and the right mindset to be able to tackle their lifestyle choices. 

 
 
 

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