Take the free quiz to better understand your symptoms and where you may be on your perimenopause journey.

Helping you make sense of what's happening in your body.​

Evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle guidance for women navigating perimenopause and beyond.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by confusing symptoms, wondering if it’s “just hormones”, or simply looking for trusted support, you’re in the right place.

Here you’ll find practical guidance, honest conversations and a supportive community to help you better understand your changing body and feel confident about your next steps.

TAKE THE FREE QUIZ

Start making sense of your symptoms.

This comprehensive free quiz uses 36 targeted questions to help you discover where you may be on your perimenopause journey, and what to do next.

PERHAPS SOMETHING HAS SHIFTED?

  • Low energy, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, low mood, decreased sex drive and low libido.
  • Feeling flat, you’ve lost your zest for life. Things that used to bring you joy no longer do. It’s like you’ve lost your mojo, your sense of excitement and curiosity about the world.
  • You have zero or minimal tolerance for stressors in life; things that didn’t bother you before make you grind your teeth today.
  • Irritability is at an all time high, you feel more sensitive to everything around you, noise sensitivity, you’re quicker to anger. You can’t listen to your partner eating without wanting to strangle them!
  • You just don’t feel like yourself anymore.
  • Everything you used to do to lose weight has stopped working, easy weight loss is a thing of the past. You’re gaining weight and fat around your belly, you’ve noticed a significant decrease in your body confidence and finding it more challenging to manage your weight.
  • What you’ve been doing is no longer working and your body reacts differently than it did before. It feels like no matter how much you diet or workout, nothing changes. You may have even noticed you’re digestion issues getting worse and that you’re now sensitive to foods you used to love.
  • You’ve noticed you’re constantly feeling bloated, inflamed, and having more joint pain, feeling constantly stiff and achy and slower to recover from your workouts.
  • Your face feels puffy and you’ve noticed puffiness around ankles, wrists and other joints.
  • Difficulty with concentration, increased forgetfulness, feeling foggy and unclear, relying more on caffeine to keep you going.
  • Forgetfulness is at an all time high, you walk into the room and forget what you were looking for. It’s like you’ve got the memory of a goldfish overnight.
  • Task switching and/or multitasking has become near impossible, and it’s beginning to affect your work and career.
  • Your cognitive load has decreased massively, you’re less productive, less effective, and feel less efficient.
  • You feel mentally slower and more sluggish, leading to increased feelings of self doubt, frustration, and anxiety.
  • You’re experiencing challenges with sleep or insomnia; you can’t fall asleep as easily and you can’t stay asleep the whole night. You’re tired and groggy no matter how long you’ve slept, you wake up feeling like a bus hit you during the night.
  • You’re constantly feeling tired and like you’re underperforming. You’re not able to do the things you used to do simply because you don’t have the energy.
  • Some days it feels like you’re wading through treacle, just trying to make it through to the end of the day.
  • Your cycles are getting shorter or longer, maybe you’re noticing some spotting before your period arrives, and when your period comes it’s heavy, painful, often with flooding or clotting.
  • You’re experiencing new or worse PMS symptoms such as breast pain or tenderness, mood swings, anger or even rage, irritability, anxiety, headaches or migraines, and more intense energy shifts.
  • Perhaps you have a history of PCOS or endometriosis and your symptoms are becoming more noticeable or intense. And you’re not sure if this is the condition itself, or perimenopause, or both!
  • You know things are changing but you just don’t know why!


you don't need to figure this out alone

One-to-One Support

Initial Consultation

A comprehensive 90-minute consultation to explore your health, symptoms and goals. Together we’ll make sense of what’s happening in your body, identify the factors that may be contributing to your symptoms, and create a personalised nutrition and lifestyle plan tailored to you. You’ll also receive a concise written summary of your recommendations after the session.

Follow-Up Consultation

For existing clients. A 60-minute consultation to review your progress, discuss any new symptoms or questions, refine your recommendations and make sure you leave feeling clear about your next steps. Includes a concise written summary following your appointment.

Clinical Review

For existing clients. A personalised review of your new blood test or functional test results, interpreted in the context of your health history and symptoms. You’ll receive clear, evidence-based recommendations and suggested next steps in a concise written report, without the need for another consultation.

welcome

I’ve been supporting women’s health for over 13 years as a Registered Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, CNHC), combining evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle guidance with a calm, practical approach that helps women feel informed, supported and confident in their health decisions.

BROWSE THE BLOG

Is It Your Thyroid, Perimenopause—or Both? Understanding the Overlap

Hormone Testing: How To Test Your Hormones In Perimenopause

Why Your Periods Are Heavy In Perimenopause

Why Can’t I Focus? How Perimenopause Affects Your Brain and Cognition

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle: How to Thrive Through Every Phase

What Is Perimenopause? Understanding Signs and Symptoms of Perimenopause

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Episode 21: Muscle and Joint Pain In Perimenopause: What You Need to Know

Episode 28: Beyond Hormones: Uncovering Hidden Causes of Perimenopausal Symptoms

Episode 27: Why Can’t I Focus? How Perimenopause Affects Your Brain and Cognition

Episode 24: How to Eat in Perimenopause

Episode 34: Perimenopause Affects All 12 Body Systems—and Why Autoimmunity Can Follow

Episode 2: What's Actually Happening With Your Hormones in Your 40s

"Nutrition + lifestyle medicine is a massively underutilised strategy for managing hormone health and thus the symptoms and changes that occur in perimenopause"

— FRANCESCA LIPAROTI, Registered Nutritional Therapist specialising in women's health and perimenopause. —

MEET FRANCESCA

Hello!

I’m Francesca, a Registered Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, CNHC), podcast host and founder of the Midlife Thrive Community.
 

I’m passionate about helping women make sense of what’s happening in their bodies through perimenopause and beyond. Through evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle guidance, my podcast, one-to-one support and the Midlife Thrive Community, I provide calm, practical support to help women better understand their changing bodies, feel more confident in their health decisions, and know they don’t have to navigate midlife alone.

When I’m not talking all things perimenopause, you’ll usually find me with a cup of green tea, enjoying a piece of dark chocolate (or a chocolate brownie!), lifting weights or walking by the sea in my hometown.

I’d love to help you better understand what’s happening in your body and support you every step of the way.

FRANCESCA LIPAROTI

credentials and certifications

INSTITUTE FOR OPTIMUM NUTRITION (ION)

BEDFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

BANT

CNHC

hear what my clients have to say

Find clarity in just 3 minutes

Francesca Liparoti - Free Perimenopause Quiz

Make sense of what's happening in your body.

Take my free 3-minute quiz to discover where you may be on your perimenopause journey, and what your next steps could look like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Perimenopause and menopause symptoms can be physical, emotional, mental, or a combination of all three. Understanding the symptoms is crucial for managing menopause and finding relief.
 
Physical Symptoms
Physical symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can include hot flushes, night sweats, weight gain, and joint and muscle aches and pains. Whilst hot flush symptoms can be triggered or worsened by certain foods, such as spicy foods and caffeine, these symptoms originate in the brain, your body’s temperature control system. Therefore stress and cortisol plays a significant role. A registered Nutritional Therapist, such as myself, can work with you to develop a personalised nutrition plan as well as lifestyle and supplement guidance. By making informed dietary, lifestyle, and supplement choices, you can alleviate physical symptoms and improve your overall well-being.
 
Emotional Symptoms
Emotional symptoms of menopause can include mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and depression. These symptoms can significantly impact your quality of life, but they can be managed with the right approach. A perimenopause nutritional therapist can help you develop a personalised plan to manage emotional symptoms, incorporating stress management techniques and nutrition coaching. Focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods and blood sugar balancing meals can support your mental health and well-being, helping you navigate this transition with greater ease and confidence.
 
Cognitive Symptoms
cognitive symptoms of perimenopause can include brain fog or “foggy head”, concentration and focus issues, memory issues and forgetfulness, trouble moving between cognitive tasks, headaches, and migraines. With the right approach, these symptoms can be alleviated.
The best foods for perimenopause and menopause are foods that support hormonal balance, metabolic health and blood sugar balance, bone health, muscle mass, and overall health. Incorporating foods rich in calcium, such as sesame seeds, sardines with bones, and leafy greens, can support bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Whole grains, like brown rice, buckwheat, and quinoa, provide sustained energy and support digestive health. Whole, unprocessed soy foods, such as tofu and tempeh, can help balance hormones and reduce hot flushes.
 
Working with a perimenopause nutritional therapist can help you develop a personalised nutrition plan that includes these beneficial foods and supports your health goals. By focusing on menopause nutrition, you can manage menopause symptoms, support your overall health, and find food freedom. Virtual sessions with a menopause nutritionist offer the personalised approach and support you need to manage symptoms and achieve your health goals, allowing you to navigate the menopause transition with confidence and live a healthy, fulfilling life.
Francesca Liparoti - Free Perimenopause Quiz

Free Perimenopause Quiz

Stop guessing about your hormones! This complimentary Perimenopause Quiz is designed to help you pinpoint your exact stage and understand your unique symptoms. Get instant, actionable steps to feel your best and start thriving in midlife.