Which are the most important supplements for menopausal women?
You know how we take supplements for cognitive function, bone density, muscle tone, joint health, gut health… the list goes on? They can all be incredibly helpful. But me and Nina feel that we're getting bombarded with marketing to the point we thought we needed take a step back. Reset and rethink before we reach for everything and ask the simple question: are we taking care of the basics first?
Because two of the most powerful foundations of health are often the most overlooked -managing stress and getting good-quality sleep. Why does this matter so much? Because stress doesn’t just live in our minds. It shows up in our bodies. And sleep isn’t just 'rest', it’s when the body actually repairs, resets and heals.
When we’re stressed or anxious, the body switches into its built-in fight-or-flight mode. This is a survival response designed to keep us safe, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to help us react quickly. In short bursts, that’s useful. But when stress becomes constant, those hormones stay elevated and science shows this can impact almost every system in the body.
In the brain, chronic stress affects memory, focus, emotional regulation, and decision-making. It can throw key mood-related chemicals out of balance, making anxiety feel harder to escape.
Your digestive system is deeply connected to your brain, which is why stress often shows up as bloating, reflux, IBS, constipation, or diarrhoea. Stress can disrupt gut bacteria and digestion, making it harder to absorb nutrients, even if you’re eating well.
The heart and blood vessels take a hit first. Chronic stress keeps heart rate and blood pressure raised, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. It also promotes inflammation in blood vessels, which affects circulation over time.
Muscles and joints aren’t spared either. Stress keeps muscles tense, leading to headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder tension and back pain. Over time, high cortisol levels can even contribute to muscle loss and reduced bone density.
The immune system becomes less effective under ongoing stress. You may notice you get sick more often, take longer to recover or feel generally run down. Stress can also trigger low-grade inflammation throughout the body, which is linked to many chronic conditions.
And then there’s sleep - the body’s reset button. During deep sleep, your brain clears waste, your immune system strengthens, hormones rebalance, tissues repair and the nervous system finally calms down. Without enough quality sleep, stress hormones stay high, inflammation increases and the body never fully recovers from the day before and because the brain hasn't properly drained, you're waking with a foggy head.
So before adding more to your routine, consider this: supporting sleep and stress levels helps everything else work better.
Simple habits make a real difference like prioritising sleep, gentle movement, nourishing food, breathing exercises, time outdoors and moments of genuine rest. And the most natural supplement to improve your sleep and regulate your stress hormones is......you guessed it, CBD.
Other supplements can support health, but sleep and stress management are the foundation. Get those right and the rest has a much better chance to work.