Post-Menopause: How I Feel Better at 57 Than I Did at 40 — My Natural Holistic Toolkit

The Women Who Walk Miles Every Day After Menopause

Picture this.

In northern Tanzania, there is a group of hunter-gatherers called the Hadza — one of the last remaining communities on Earth still living the way our ancient ancestors did. No supermarkets, no supplements on subscription, no wellness industry telling them what to do. And within that community, something extraordinary happens after menopause.

Anthropologist Kristen Hawkes, studying the Hadza people, was struck by how productive the older post-menopausal women were at foraging for food. While the men hunted — sometimes gone for days at a time — the post-menopausal Hadza women contributed substantially to family calories through dedicated gathering efforts, often working longer hours than younger mothers to provision weaned grandchildren.

These women weren’t sidelined, they weren’t considered past it. They were the backbone of the community’s survival — valued, purposeful, and physically extraordinary. The grandmother hypothesis proposes that human females evolved to live well beyond their reproductive years precisely because post-menopausal women who remained strong and active could improve the survival of their grandchildren.

Think about that for a moment. Evolution didn’t design menopause as a decline. It designed it as a liberation — a redirecting of energy from reproduction towards something wider, deeper, and more powerful.

That reframe changed everything for me.

Then I Got My Blood Test Results

Last month I had a full 51-biomarker blood test done privately. Comprehensive. No stone unturned.

The results came back: zero oestrogen, zero progesterone, zero testosterone.

Completely normal for post-menopause. Completely expected by science. And yet, nobody really prepares you for seeing those numbers in black and white. Three hormones that shaped your entire adult life, that regulated your mood, your sleep, your skin, your drive, your everything — gone. Just like that.

Here’s what I wasn’t prepared for: feeling absolutely fine about it. Better than fine, actually. Because once I understood what my body was doing and why — and once I started working with it rather than against it — something clicked.

I am currently on fire. Genuinely. In the past two weeks alone I’ve fully decluttered my entire house, done three trips to the charity shop with nine black bags, done gardening, painting, Pilates three to four times a week, and I’m sleeping deeply every single night.

That’s not despite post-menopause. That’s within it. Navigated properly.

What Nobody Tells You About Post-Menopause

Here’s what I wish someone had sat me down and explained years ago.

Your hormones don’t just affect your reproductive system. Oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone touch almost every system in your body — your brain, your bones, your heart, your skin, your metabolism, your mood, your sleep, your libido, your memory, your joints. When they decline, the effects are wide-ranging. And because women are still so underrepresented in medical research, many of us are left to figure this out largely on our own.

The symptoms are real — and they’re varied. Hot flushes get all the attention, but the list goes much further: brain fog, disrupted sleep, joint pain, mood swings, anxiety that comes from nowhere, loss of confidence, changes in skin and hair, weight redistribution, reduced muscle mass, and a kind of bone-deep tiredness that no amount of sleep seems to fix.

It’s not a cliff edge — it’s a transition. Perimenopause (the years leading up to your last period) can begin in your early 40s. Post-menopause begins 12 months after your last period. The symptoms don’t stop the day you cross that line — they evolve. And so do you.

You are not ill. This is perhaps the most important thing. Menopause is not a disease. It is a natural biological transition that every woman who lives long enough will experience. The Hadza women don’t even have a word for it — the post-menopausal Hadza women interviewed reported no hot flushes and no menstrual irregularity — and many researchers believe the way we experience menopause in the West is significantly shaped by lifestyle, stress, diet, and how our culture frames ageing women.

My Post-Menopause Natural Holistic Toolkit For More Energy

Here’s what I’m doing and what’s working

I want to be really clear: I’m not a doctor, and what works for me is my personal journey. But I’ve done serious research, worked with practitioners, and listened closely to my body. Here’s my current toolkit.

🌿 Homeopathy and Herbalism

This has been a game-changer for me. Working with a homeopath and a herbalist has helped me support my body through this transition in a way that feels aligned and gentle. The deep sleep alone has been transformational.

🏃 Pilates — 3 to 4 times a week

Honestly, this might be the single biggest thing. Pilates has rebuilt my core, improved my posture, protected my joints, and given me energy I didn’t know I still had. Strength work matters more post-menopause than at any other point in a woman’s life — muscle mass protects your bones, your metabolism, and your mood.

🚶 Walking daily

Simple. Free. Powerful. The Hadza grandmothers were onto something.

💧 Kangen filtered water — 1 litre plus daily

Hydration is everything, and quality matters. I add Celtic sea salt for electrolytes.

🐟 Omega 3 oil

Essential for brain health, joints, and inflammation — all particularly important post-menopause.

✨ Elavate Collagen Powder (chocolate flavour — yes really, it’s gorgeous)

Collagen production drops significantly post-menopause, affecting skin, joints, hair, and gut health. I’ve been using Elavate and the difference in my skin and joints has been noticeable. 👉 Try Elavate Collagen here — this is my personal link and something I genuinely use and love.

⚡ Willpowders Electrolytes (watermelon flavour — perfect for gigs)

Keeping electrolytes topped up supports energy, hydration, and focus. These come in handy little sachets I take to my gigs.

🍫 Magnesium Drink (raspberry and lemon flavour)

Magnesium is the unsung hero of post-menopause — it supports sleep, mood, muscle recovery, bone health and reduces anxiety. The fact that it tastes like a raspberry lemon drink is a bonus! Check my fave magnesium drink out here.

What About HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)? Here’s My Honest Take

I looked into this properly — I saw my GP, worked with an expert, and did thorough research. And after all of that, I made a clear and informed decision: the natural, holistic route was right for me.

Here’s my thinking. The hormones we lose in our 50s — oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone — don’t come back. That’s not a failure of the body; that’s the design. So rather than delay adapting to this new hormonal reality, only to face that adjustment later anyway, I decided to work with my body now. To meet this chapter fully, rather than partially. Homeopathy and herbalism have supported me beautifully in doing exactly that.

For many women, body-identical HRT — today’s regulated, licensed form — is genuinely life-changing and the right choice. I’m not here to tell anyone otherwise. But this is my story, and I’m sharing it so that you know there are paths worth exploring. Please always consult your GP or a menopause specialist for personalised guidance.

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

Post-menopause in Western culture is often framed as loss. Loss of fertility, loss of youth, loss of vitality. The language around it is shrinking and diminishing.

But look at those Hadza grandmothers again. They aren’t mourning what’s gone, they’re the ones walking miles, digging deep roots, feeding communities, holding families together. They are the most productive, most valued, most purposeful members of their tribe.

That’s not a coincidence. If natural selection favoured grandmothers who remained active, helpful, and socially engaged well into their 60s and beyond, then the human body must have co-evolved the capacity to support exactly that.

Your body is not failing. It is completing a transition that evolution specifically designed to free you up — from reproduction, from people-pleasing, from smallness — so that you can step into the most powerful version of yourself.

The energy I have right now is different from my 30s. It’s quieter, more focused, less scattered. It knows what it’s for.

And I’m just getting started.

Healing Frequencies and Menopause

I can’t write this blog without mentioning what’s been quietly running through all of it — sound healing.

During the trickier moments of perimenopause and the transition into post-menopause, my own frequency music has been a constant companion. 432 Hz for calm. Solfeggio tones for deep sleep. Angelic frequencies for the moments when anxiety showed up uninvited.

The nervous system is particularly sensitive during hormonal transitions. Frequency music works directly with the nervous system — calming it, regulating it, bringing it back to baseline. I’ve created 10-hour tracks specifically for this kind of deep, restorative rest, and they’re available free on my YouTube channel @elysemusicuk.

If you’re in the thick of perimenopause or navigating post-menopause, I’d genuinely encourage you to try sleeping with a low-volume healing frequency track. Your nervous system will thank you.

If you want to support my work and purchase my albums so you can listen on-the-go without the wifi on, you can check out my music library here.

You Are Not Alone In This

If you’re reading this in the middle of a hot flush at 3am, or you’ve just cried for no reason you can name, or you feel like you’ve lost yourself somewhere in the middle of all of it — I see you.

This is real. It is hard sometimes. And it is also, I promise you, one of the most interesting and powerful chapters you will ever live through.

Do your research. Find your practitioners. Build your toolkit. And know that on the other side of the transition — there is you. Clearer, stronger, and more you than ever.

I’ll see you there. 💖

With love,
Elyse 💖

FAQ – My Post-Menopause Experience and Toolkit For More Energy in my 50s

Based on my personal research and experience: Omega 3, Vitamin D3/K2, B12, Magnesium Malate, collagen powder, MCT oil, and electrolytes. Always consult a healthcare provider before starting supplements.

⚠️ Health Disclaimer: This content is for general wellness and inspirational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your personal medical needs.

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