Penned by Jen

I've just been listening to this fascinating podcast that a good friend shared, in which Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks about intermittent fasting for women and the impact on our bodies.  It's no secret that I am facing a huge uphill struggle when it comes to menopause. It all began as early as 40 and we now understand that my bipolar has been triggered by it and I've had several years of mood swings, intense anxiety and weight gain.  So I've been searching for answers, falling through the gap between gynaecology and psychiatry but slowly but surely things are finally starting to ease.  I've tried surgery, medication, HRT and vitamins and now I'm also adding intermittent fasting to the mix. I first discovered this thanks to Pauline Cox and her fantastic books especially Hungry Woman . I've been fortunate enough to meet Pauline, who has a wonderful shop in Clevedon, Sow and Arrow , where you can buy all sorts of keto-friendly foods.  Keto helped me lose some wei...

I've been reflecting a lot about my career lately and all the twists and turns it's taken in the last few years, especially since having my daughter. I've experienced a toxic work environment, redundancy, a need to change jobs due to ill health and a huge reduction in hours for my husband due to his M.E., but despite the odds my freelance business has thrived, I've secured a great part-time job and we've managed to keep a roof over our heads.  Also my dad just came out of palliative care as he's doing so well. We are survivors us Mitchells (maiden name). Well, Jacksons too - my Mother-in-Law was just given an MBE for her charity she set up due to a really impossible situation when she was denied contact with her first grandchild. Life takes us through many ups and downs, particularly as someone with bipolar and menopause, but it's how you respond that counts.  Just thought I'd share my musings as I thought you might like to see my personal side. People w...