Healthy Midlife Menopause Coaching with Sharon

01/07/2026

Hi, I have some new followers so I thought I’d say welcome and tell you a wee bit about myself.

I live just outside Aberdeen in the countryside. I love spending time outdoors, and walking my dog. I’m also a book addict and have far more books than I have time to read. I love dance music and like nothing more than a kitchen disco while cooking or cleaning up. It definitely makes housework more fun! For me, movement should be something that can bring you joy.

I love food, I’ve been interested in nutrition for many years, fascinated with what good food does for us, and importantly, how to make it tasty and enjoyable. Deprivation is not sustainable.

I decided to act on this interest by taking the RSPH level 4 nutrition course, a university level certification in nutrition. So you can be sure that all the nutrition advice I give is grounded in science and tailored to your life.

For many years, I had endometriosis and was often in a great deal of pain. It severely limited my movement and had a big impact on my ability to work. After several surgeries and hormonal treatments, I eventually had a hysterectomy, which resolved the endometriosis but plunged me into surgical menopause. I had not been prepared for this, and couldn’t understand why I was depressed and anxious although my physical pain had gone.

HRT made a significant difference for me, but it wasn’t enough on its own. My sleep was still very poor, and my mood could still be low. Changes to my nutrition and lifestyle were the final piece of the puzzle. I’m now feeling strong and healthy, and confident I can maintain my health and independence as I get older.

My experience led me to retrain as a menopause coach because I know that other women will be going through similar situations, not just with surgical menopause, but the experience of menopause more broadly. We know to expect hot flushes, and for our periods to stop, but how many of us know to expect we might not recognize ourselves anymore? That we might not be able to sleep or find words when we are at the peak of our careers, juggling work and home life?

Getting older doesn’t have to mean an inevitable decline into poor health. We can make choices now to be stronger: physically and emotionally.

When I was looking for menopause specific training I wanted to learn from people who understood women and why women’s health has been underserved for so long. For decades, health and fitness research and guidelines have been built around male bodies. Women, and women in midlife especially, were an afterthought, if we were considered at all.

Girls Gone Strong was founded by women to fill that gap. Their certifications are developed by twenty women’s health experts across twelve fields built on current research. They’re driven by truth, integrity, and the belief that strong women lift each other up. Values that matter to me as much as a qualification itself. My certificates have to be reviewed and updated every two years to ensure they benefit from the very latest research.

Because movement is so important to health, both physically and emotionally, I’m currently studying towards qualifying as a personal trainer and recently completed my gym instructor certification. This means I can safely provide movement advice and in future provide personalised movement programmes.

I also want to be clear about how I work - you are the expert in your own life. My job is to listen, understand your situation, and work with you to find what actually works for you, not hand you a generic plan and expect you to fit yourself around it.

I’ll always work within what I’m qualified to do, and I’ll always point you towards your GP or another healthcare professional when that’s what you actually need. Knowledge matters, but so does integrity in acting within your scope of practice.

This is why I chose the qualifications I did, not just to have letters after my name, but because of what they stand for, and what they mean for the support I can offer you.

Thank you for being here ☺️

29/06/2026

Something new is here and it’s designed for you.

Perimenopause can feel like chaos: your body changing, your sleep all over the place, your energy gone, and nobody really telling you what’s happening or what to do about it.

You don’t have to just push through.

My 12-week menopause programme provides a supportive partnership and structure to help you create meaningful change. Not a quick fix. Not a bikini body programme.

If you’re tired of trying programmes that don’t fit into your real life, if you’re overwhelmed by all the information out there and don’t know how to make it work for you, if you’re sick of the emphasis being on taking up less space rather than joyfully inhabiting the space you deserve — this is for you.

Here, the focus isn’t on shrinking. It’s on your health, your energy, and your longevity. Through certified nutrition and lifestyle coaching, we work together to identify small, sustainable steps and build them into lasting change.

Here, we don’t shrink. We flourish.

What’s included:

• Free discovery call (A relaxed chat to see how I can support you)

• 90 minute initial consultation (A deep dive into your history and your goals)

• 6 x 45 minutes fortnightly sessions (For consistency, support and adjustments, building those good habits)

• Personalised written plan (Tailored to your goals and circumstances)

• WhatsApp support throughout (A coach in your pocket for 12 weeks)

All fully individualised. No generic plans, no one-size-fits-all solutions.

Ready to stop shrinking and reclaim your energy?
This programme is now open for bookings.

Click the WhatsApp link on my page or message me here m.me/HealthyMidlifeMenopauseCoach to book your free discovery call. Let’s have a relaxed chat and discuss how we can navigate this transition together ☺️

26/06/2026

A walk up our local hill Bennachie this morning. A very good workout for the legs made easier by the beautiful surroundings 😊

26/06/2026

My path was strewn with love this morning 🌺 I love all the wildflowers that have sprung up in this warm weather.

23/06/2026

Do you know for many years I would never have dreamt of wearing shorts in public? I wouldn’t even go swimming because I was so self conscious about my body.

It wasn’t until I was in my forties that I thought if not now then when?! You don’t need a ‘summer’ body to go to the beach or to go swimming. You can go and feel the sun on your legs and no one will care! They are all too busy doing their own thing.

Even if they did notice is it worth missing out on the feeling of digging your toes into the sand and splashing through the waves just because of the passing thoughts of a random stranger?

Life is too short to wait for the ‘perfect’ body. Your body does so much for you, enjoy that it moves you around this precious planet. I feel sad when I think of all the joy I denied myself over the years but I grab that joy now! 😊

You don’t need to hide away. You don’t need to shrink first. It doesn’t matter if you have cellulite, varicose veins, or peely wally legs. How often do we get the weather to enjoy this? Wear the damn shorts! 😎

23/06/2026

Sharing this again as the next few days are going to be scorchio 🌞. Drop your top tips for staying cool in the comments 😎🪭

It’s hot hot hot out there 🌞🌞. And if your hormones are going haywire one of the first things to be affected is your ability to regulate your temperature.

Changes in oestrogen levels can affect our brains before we notice any changes in our periods. This includes the hypothalamus, which is in charge of temperature regulation amongst many other important jobs. As a result, it becomes more sensitive to the slightest change of temperature and tries to cool us down by widening blood vessels and causing us to sweat.

We are also more sensitive to sensory changes such as the feel of the heat, our clothes sticking to us, and people outside mowing their lawns and talking TOO LOUDLY! It can all be too much and you might feel your last nerve is being shredded.

What can help? Tempting though it might be to down a cold rosé, alcohol can make hot flushes worse. Caffeine and spicy food can also turn up the heat 🔥. Loose cotton clothing is your friend, and a wet cloth around your neck works surprisingly well for a quick cool-down. A fan on your desk or a hand held one is a good idea.

If your workplace is sweltering you have the right to ask for accommodations. A break outside in a breeze, a change to uniform, or flexible hours are all legitimate requests.

Keeping your bedroom curtains closed and the windows shut during the day will help keep the temperature down. Open the windows in the evening as the temperature drops. I absolutely love my cooling pillow, it has little gel pockets which cool you down. Or for a less expensive option a hot water bottle filled with cold water does the same job. Have fresh pyjamas by the bed so if you do wake up drenched in sweat you can quickly change into something more comfortable.

Personally, I think it’s perfect weather for an ice cream 🍦 and we are blessed with several fantastic ice cream shops in the North-East 😋

The good news is that if you live in Scotland the weather will likely change very soon!

What are your top tips for staying cool in the heat? 😎 And where’s your favourite place to get ice-cream?

19/06/2026

Thank you everyone for the good wishes. I passed my exam! Delighted to add another layer to the support I can offer 😊 More updates soon but for now a few days off! Have a good weekend!

19/06/2026

Thank you everyone for the good wishes. I passed my exam! Delighted to add another layer to the support I can offer 😊More updates soon but for now a few days off! Have a good weekend!

17/06/2026

I’ve been thinking about comfort zones this week because I’m pushing my own right now.

I caught the train to Glasgow this morning because tomorrow I’m sitting an exam. There was definitely a part of me that wanted to stay home and asked myself why I was doing this.

I love learning but exams are not the most comfortable experience, no matter how well you know your stuff! But I know what’s on the other side of this: a feeling of satisfaction that I did the hard thing and a qualification that means I can do more for the women I work with.

I wanted a practical qualification to sit alongside my nutrition and menopause training, so that I can work with women on the full picture. Not just what they eat, but how they move and how that makes them feel. The goal is more energy, more strength, and more joy.

But this got me thinking about comfort zones and about how midlife can make them feel more necessary than ever.

Anxiety tells you to stay where you are. And hormonal changes in midlife can turn up the volume on that anxiety significantly.

We associate change with risk. So we stay in our safe zones — the habits, jobs, ways of thinking and behaving that have served us well for years. When so much is changing in your body and mind, it makes complete sense to hold on to what feels safe and familiar. This can put us off changing what we eat, how we move, how we relate to others. When you’re struggling to do what you used to find easy, why on earth would you want to add more change into the mix?

But here’s the thing: those habits and ways of thinking that served you well don’t work in the same way in midlife. The strict low-calorie diets that seemed to work in your 20s can leave you short of energy, negatively impact your hormones, add to your stress, and put your bones at greater risk — at exactly the time you should be focusing on building strength.

When we spend years putting our families first, we can quietly put our own interests and desires on hold. We forget what brings us joy: not as a mum or a partner, but as ourselves. And others can become so used to us filling that role that they take it for granted. Sometimes without anyone realising it’s happening — including you.

One thing is certain in midlife: change is coming regardless. But you can shape that change in a way that serves who you are now, and makes the years ahead more positive. It might feel scary. But on the other side of that fear is growth. And you don’t have to do it all at once — small, sustainable steps are still changes and can add up to a meaningful difference. And the best thing of all: you get to be in charge!