OVER 1,000 people logged on to three online webinars, hosted by Organico in Bantry, on the subject of the menopause.
‘It was all the encouragement we needed,’ said Hannah Dare, the co-owner of the health food and refill store, ‘to organise a live event.’
Hannah and her sister Rachel have invited Dr Marilyn Glenville, to address a gathering at 6.30pm at the Maritime Hotel in Bantry on Thursday November 10th.
Dr Glenville is a best-selling author and the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health and the menopause.
‘There’s massive interest in the subject,’ said Hannah. ‘A lot of the focus appears to be on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) so we wanted to broaden the conversation and let people know there are other alternative options other than going to your GP.’
There are probably as many different ways as approaching menopause as there are women, so the event is intended to cover a broad range of issues, and be the start of a support network for women experiencing ‘the change.’
‘A talk like this,’ said Hannah, ‘is essentially meant to be inspiring and to make information available so that women can make an informed decision.’
‘What supports me may not support you,’ said Hannah, who shared her own story about early menopause.
‘I am 46-years-old and I am officially post-menopausal. I had a really difficult perimenopause,’ she said. ‘I was on a rollercoaster.’
‘I had very few days in the month in my cycle that I felt myself. Most of the time, I did not feel emotionally stable and had difficulty managing life and felt like hiding from the world.’
Hannah was very well placed to research remedies and she admits she’s now taking ‘a cocktail of herbs every week.’
‘I had to really adjust my lifestyle for a while,’ she recalled. ‘I cut out alcohol, coffee and late nights – all the fun stuff had to go.
‘I have managed to stabilise things and now it feels as if life has started up again. I can go to parties again and have fun – work and family life is more manageable too.’
Hannah said Dr Glenville’s approach is to blend lifestyle with health and nutritional advice and she also recommends herbal supplements that can mitigate menopausal symptoms.
‘The significance of inviting her to Bantry,’ said Hannah, ‘is to give women a chance to put their questions directly to an expert.’
‘Ultimately,’ she said, ‘we’d like to establish a community to support one another – something that would inspire women to find what works for them.’
