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Depression and irritability
Eat more complex carbohydrates as they will also help to increase serotonin levels, which in turn will help control appetite and make you feel better in yourself. Other useful strategies to help you feel less irritable are to eat breakfast and to eat little and often to balance your blood sugar.

Eating honey can help menopause symptoms Thinning bones
Avoid fizzy drinks as they often contain phosphates, which can prevent your body taking up magnesium and calcium - important for bone strength.
Dr Glenville suggests you can help increase the absorption of calcium by taking half a tablespoon each of cider vinegar and honey in a cupful of warm water up to three times a day. And do eat more alkaline foods - vegetables, fruits, seeds, almonds, brazil nuts and yogurt - to help prevent calcium reserves being leached.

As well as considering a calcium supplement, other vitamins and minerals that are vital for bone formation and/or to help calcium absorption are: magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. Choose a supplement with a combination of these and they will be in the right proportion for maximum effect. Weight-bearing exercise is vital, too.

Eat more phyto-oestrogens Phyto or plant oestrogens are natural chemicals found in food, which act in the body in a similar way to oestrogen but help keep our natural hormones in balance - they block the uptake of excess oestrogen and raise low levels when needed. They are thought to offer protection against breast cancer and heart disease.