Food First Health

Susan Horgan: Nutritional Therapist

Power through perimenopause

A 5 week group programme designed to help you feel amazing on your journey to menopause

Forget trying to make sense of the rafts of information out there and endless Google searches for solutions to your brain fog and how to lose weight over 40. Join my 5 week programme and learn how a few simple diet and lifestyle changes can massively improve your experience of perimenopause.

Are you tossing and turning at night and feeling more irritable and anxious as a result?

Has brain fog got you feeling like you're losing your marbles?

Tired of beating yourself up coz you're gaining weight but haven't changed a thing?

Have you given up on wearing white coz your periods are so heavy and you never know when it might arrive?

Do you long to feel more like your old self again?

If this sounds like you, then you're in the right place.

I work with women every day that feel the exact same way - confused about why they feel the way they do and struggling to find the right support so they can get back to living life to the full. Life is hectic, and carving out time to do something for yourself can feel like a bit of a luxury. But we know at the back of our mind, that giving ourselves a bit of TLC could be the key to unlocking an easier route through this life stage.

"The course exceeded my expectations and enabled me to have a good understanding of what was going on with my body, mind and hormones especially. It has been life changing to understand the changes and what is now needed in a structured and fact based manner. That which my GP, Gynec or Google could not explain, was clarified in a simple and sensible way by Susan" - Asha, previous course attendee

This is your opportunity to connect with a group of women just like you, who are also going through this journey and have had enough of accepting everything as "normal". Menopause can feel incredibly isolating and lonely, but with this group at your side, acting as your support network long after the programme ends you’ll be empowered to continue your progress beyond the initial 5 weeks.

What if I told you.....

feeling comfortable in your own skin again is easier than you think - you can manage your weight through your 40s and beyond without feeling hungry or missing your favourite foods (and drinks)
you can regain your energy, think more clearly and sleep better allowing you to get out and enjoy life with the people you love to spend time with
you'll be more in control of your body and your mind - using food and lifestyle to manage your symptoms and having the understanding of why they rear their ugly heads in the first place.

"The course was an invaluable help to me in how to manage symptoms and live well by both talking to others and your expertise. I enjoyed going along every evening to the sessions and to have the chats! Every woman going through menopause / perimenopause would benefit from this course to make informed choices. It was helped by the warm and kind and fun environment you provided and the healthy treats were a lovely touch." - C.G., previous course attendee

Hi, I'm Susan!

A Nutritional Therapist (in her 40's) that's nuts about female health and hormones. I believe we all deserve to know how to use diet and lifestyle to our advantage - to work with our hormones and not against them, so that we can feel amazing at any age.

Come and learn how

Join me for:

5 weekly sessions (either in-person or online - you choose what suits you best) taking you through exactly what's going on with your hormones once you hit perimenopause and why it drives all those crazy symptoms

face-to-face chats (and a cuppa) with a small group of like-minded women where we can share experiences and normalise talking about perimenopause and the challenges it can bring

practical tips and advice that you can apply to your food and lifestyle so that you can thrive during perimenopause, without having to give up all your favourite foods or activities.

weekly actions to help motivate you to get started straight away and accountability to keep you on track.

This programme is for you if you're a woman, over 35, and you:

want to get ready for your perimenopausal years, even if you don't think you're there just yet;
are already noticing changes to your cycle and symptoms like brain fog, sleep disturbance, mood swings and hot flushes (among others) are becoming more frequent than you'd like;
are wondering why your weight is on the rise when you haven't changed a thing
want to feel empowered with the knowledge of how to nourish and look after yourself so that you're prepared for whatever this next life-stage might bring; and
need something sustainable, that can last long after the initial 5 weeks, and works around your busy schedule.

"The content covered was excellent, the slides shared also. The course gave such a clear understanding of what happens to females as they start on this journey. Was a very safe place to share our journeys also. Lovely group of like minded females." - Niamh, previous course attendee

What will we cover?

WEEK ONE: PERIMENOPAUSE 101 (the basics)

knowledge is power. We'll talk about what's going on with your hormones and learn "what's normal". Then kick off looking at the impact perimenopause can have in terms of weight gain and your skin and how diet and lifestyle factors can both contribute to those symptoms on one hand, but help to manage them on the other.

WEEK TWO: GUT AND IMMUNE HEALTH

we'll do a deep-dive into how the health of your digestive and immune systems affects your experience of perimenopause, the link between these systems, your hormones and common symptoms like allergies, thyroid problems, hot flashes and heavy, painful periods. Then we'll chat about key diet and lifestyle advice on how to improve them.

WEEK THREE: THE BRAIN AND INFLAMMATION

this weeks focus will be on the impact perimenopause can have on the brain and what triggers symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, memory loss and brain fog. We'll also look at the effect of chronic inflammation and how we can support these things with food and through our lifestyle.

WEEK FOUR: POST-MENOPAUSE AND HRT

a look at specific symptoms and health risks that arise after we reach menopause and what we can do now to manage those risks. We'll chat briefly about HRT, the options available and the benefits it can provide based on current research (although I'm not a doctor so cannot make specific recommendations or discuss individual needs). As part of the course, this week includes a wonderful online yoga and mindfulness session with Shaunna Nolan, who is a Registered Nurse and qualified in yoga for the stages of menopause

WEEK FIVE: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

this last session will take everything we've covered over the previous 4 weeks and tie it all together into an action plan that you can take away and start to implement in your daily life. We'll look briefly at some general supplements that can be beneficial to support you while you make changes to your diet and can help manage certain symptoms.

When and where is it happening?

The in-person sessions will be held in St. Andrew's Parish Centre, Malahide. They will be held every Tuesday evening at 7.30pm, starting Tuesday 28th February, for 5 weeks. - NOW CLOSED FOR BOOKING

The online sessions will be held live via MS Teams. They will be held every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm, starting Wednesday 1st March, for 5 weeks.

Each workshop will last around 1.5 hours and will allow plenty of time for questions and discussion among the group. We'll take a quick tea break so we can have those informal chats too.

Got questions? Check out the FAQs below or email susan@foodfirsthealth.ie and I'll get straight back to you.

How much do you need to invest?

€150 for the 5 week programme

By the end of the programme you will...

understand what's happening to your body so that you're in a much better position to be in control of how you experience perimenopause
be more aware of the impact diet and lifestyle can have on your perimenopause journey so that you can make informed decisions on managing your health and wellbeing
feel more confident talking about perimenopause, especially when you're discussing your treatment options with your GP
be armed with a plan of action so that you can put all you have learned into practice and start taking steps towards improving your perimenopause straight away

Frequently asked questions:

Can I choose whether to attend online or in-person each week?

Unfortunately not. I want each group to get to know each other and feel safe and comfortable sharing their experiences with others. Mixing the groups on an adhoc basis may mean that some in the group may not feel free to be as open. If you feel that you won't be able to commit to a full 5 in-person sessions, the online option may suit you better. Feel free to get in touch to discuss any specific queries or needs you have with me - I'm happy to help.

Will the sessions be recorded or available online?

The in-person sessions will be fully live and in-person events and so each session will only be available on the night. The online sessions will be recorded so that attendees can catchup for up to 1 week after the session.

I've never used MS Teams before. Do I need a special app for this?

No, MS Teams works in the same way as Zoom. I'll provide a link for you to access the call each week and once you click on it, you will be able to access the session. There is an MS Teams app available but it is not essential to be able to attend.

Will you be making specific supplement recommendations?

We will cover supplements at a general level, looking at ones that have been shown in the research to be effective for helping to manage certain symptoms. However, I cannot provide individual supplement recommendations without a full consultation where I take a full medical history, including any medication you are taking.

Will you be providing meal plans as part of the resources?

I don't provide full weekly meal plans to any clients that I work with. I like to provide guidance on how to create balanced plates of food to ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients you need, but allow you the flexibility to choose the contents of those plates. This makes the approach more sustainable and gives you the knowledge and skills that you can use long after the course is finished.

I'm not sure I'm in perimenopause yet, is this suitable for me?

Absolutely. If you're over 35, there's plenty that you can do to prepare your body and support your hormones so that you set yourself up for an easier ride through it when it does come.

I'm close to 12 months since my last period (or have already hit menopause), is there any point in joining?

Lots of the topics we'll cover are just as relevant post-menopause as they are at the beginning of perimenopause. There are also lots of symptoms that can continue into menopause so the tips will be equally as valuable to you.

I'm already taking HRT, will the content still be relevant?

Hell yes. HRT is a game-changer for some women who really struggle with certain symptoms. However, it's not a silver bullet and improving your diet and lifestyle alongside it can bring additional benefits, especially for your longer term health.

Ready to take back control of your perimenopause?

Join the waitlist now to find out when the next enrolment is open

Still unsure? Get in touch

If you'd like to get more information about about the programme, you can send me a message with your questions using this contact form.

Or, if you prefer, contact me directly at susan@foodfirsthealth.ie.

I'd be happy to chat and put your mind at ease.