​That might sound a bit crazy, but it’s actually true, so bear with me while I explain...

Have you ever wondered why you get given a small plate when you go to an all you can eat buffet? They’re obviously trying to force you to eat less, but it works. Research by Cornell University has found that people tend to over serve themselves when using larger dinnerware and under serve themselves when using smaller ones. However, it’s not just size that matters, increasing the colour contrast between your dinnerware and both the food and background (the tablecloth, place mats or other) will further increase the tendency to under serve yourself with a small plate.

It seems that our brains perceive the food as being bigger when it is presented on a small plate, and when there is greater contrast between the food and the plate.

Further, this also affects how full you feel: eating out of a small bowl or plate will trick your brain into thinking you are eating more than you really are, and will make you feel fuller quicker.

Yes, our brains can really be tricked into feeling full!
It’s not just what you eat, it’s also about how filling you perceive that food to be...

I still consider myself reasonably young at 46 (despite my teenage daughter insisting otherwise)! Yet​ recently I have become aware of many women around my age experiencing some kind of hormonal changes that seem consistent with the peri-menopause.

​A doctor of mine likened the peri-menopause to having an old banger. When you have an old banger, it might work one day, and then the next day you might have trouble starting it, or it might break down on the way home, yet it might start again later. In the same way, hormone levels can be all right for a while and then suddenly go awry, causing symptoms.

Therefore, when you're going through the peri-menopause, symptoms can come and go, and your hormone levels can go up and down, so blood tests can show normal levels of your oestrogen, progesterone and FSH. Therefore, GPs really need to go on symptoms rather than blood level results to diagnose the peri-menopause.

The average age of a woman going through the menopause (i.e. cessation of periods) is 52, and most women will start experiencing changes in their hormone levels - the perimenopause (or should we call it the 'old banger' stage) in their mid-forties.

It's well-known that women can expect to endure physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, tiredness, sleep problems and reduced interest in sex for a start. However, there is also the mental health changes: many women can experience depression and anxiety. In fact, anxiety and depression are often one of the first symptoms of the peri-menopause, making it difficult to know what the cause of your symptoms is.

Some women feel less of a woman when the periods cease, or can have a sense of bereavement about no longer being fertile. It can also bring home the fact that you are getting older. There can also be other changes going on in your life. If you have children, they may be at the age where they start to be more independent, or leave home, and you can start to feel redundant. You can also find yourself having to look after elderly parents, adding to all of the stresses and responsibilities.

​​Your GP can offer HRT, as well as antidepressants/anti-anxiety drugs to help with the symptoms.