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For menopause:

Monika Björn: "Don't just put up with feeling awful – do something about it!"

Monika Björn: "Gå inte runt och må skit – gör något åt det!"

Products for Menopause

I'm panicking! I'm HAPPY. No, I'm furious – or am I?! Many women are shocked by their first menopause symptoms, which are often confused with other conditions like depression or joint problems. Here's a list of the most common symptoms you should know about.

It's so hot! Or is it? Hot flushes affect around 80% of all women.

Due to hormonal changes, your body thinks it's overheating. The reaction can be triggered by things like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and spicy food.

So, if you're experiencing hot flushes, it might be a good idea to avoid these triggers. And perhaps invest in a fan. Other helpful tips include avoiding synthetic clothing, wearing several thin layers, and cooling down with cold food or a shower.

How can I not sleep when I'm so ridiculously tired?!

Sleep problems can come and go for several years after your periods have stopped. A lack of sleep isn't just frustrating and difficult to manage; it can lead to irritability, anxiety, fatigue, and drowsiness, and so on.

If you're finding it hard to sleep, we advise seeking help. Things you can do yourself include avoiding alcohol or caffeine before bedtime. You should also exercise, get some daylight exposure, and try to establish a regular sleep routine.

Weight goes up, mood goes down – fun! Not.

One reason for weight gain is the hormonal imbalance in the body, which can lead to more fat being stored around the stomach and waist. Due to reduced energy levels, some people exercise less, leading to a decrease in muscle mass, which in turn slows down the metabolism.

So, is it a lost cause? No. By eating well and ensuring you exercise regularly, you can take control of parts of this phase. Also, try to avoid stress and make sure you get enough sleep.

I love you! No, I hate you! Is it PMS? What's happening?!

You suddenly experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, and general difficulty coping with everyday life. Feelings of sadness and a lack of motivation can result in emotional outbursts, and your changing body can affect your self-confidence. It's like PMS on steroids.

Here too, a healthy lifestyle can work wonders — eat well, drink water, and engage in a calming activity like yoga or reading a book. Some people also find CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) helpful for anxiety.

It hurts. You have no desire. You feel alone.

Vaginal dryness can be incredibly uncomfortable and affect your quality of life. The vagina can feel sore during sex and in general, which can cause itching or an increased need to urinate. You may also be more prone to urinary tract infections.

This might be a problem that's difficult to seek help for — but there's no reason to suffer in silence. Treatments are available, such as locally acting oestrogen which can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy. Speak to your gynaecologist.

Some women may find their headaches ease, while others might experience more frequent or severe headaches during this time. Women who suffer from migraines may also find their headaches worsen during menopause. This is due to hormonal fluctuations.

Avoid stress and dehydration, and try to identify what usually triggers your headaches (heaven forbid it's chocolate, cheese, coffee, red wine, etc.). You can also take headache tablets.

You just can't cope – one of the most debilitating symptoms.

Although lack of sleep makes you tired, your energy levels can drop drastically due to decreased oestrogen levels. On top of that, you have the stress of children, ageing parents, a career, and family life, making it even harder to take care of yourself. It's no wonder you're tired!

This is where it becomes extra important to focus on yourself and your needs. Besides avoiding stress and exercising/eating well, we advise you to seek help — and talk to your loved ones!

Your menstrual cycle goes bananas and you don't understand a thing.

Women can experience irregular periods for several years — anywhere from 2 to 10 years — before they stop completely. Once again, hormone levels are the culprit. But other factors like stress and high caffeine intake can also disrupt your natural cycle. And remember, it's still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause.

To create some stability during this period, you should avoid stress — make sure you get support in your daily life and try to get enough sleep.

When you think you've lost your mind, or just lost everything in general.

You've suddenly forgotten all your passwords, or your mind goes completely blank during an important meeting. And you're at the peak of your career. Panic! Decreased sex hormone levels cause these memory changes, difficulty thinking, and problems with concentration.

Stress management, physical activity, staying hydrated, a good diet, and mental exercises are things that can help here. It might also be a good idea to talk to your employer and partner to get the right support. And write lists!

You feel like you're 90 years old after carrying the family's shopping bags.

Aching joints, or arthralgia, is another common symptom of menopause. Hips and knees, hands and fingers, and the neck and shoulders are often affected, but any or all joints can ache. Train smarter and try to incorporate yoga or other mobility exercises. Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D are also recommended, along with a healthy diet.

More menopause symptoms you might experience:

The 10 Symptoms of Menopause - What Can Help

Klimakteriets topp 10 symptom - och vad som kan hjälpa

Food supplements for menopause:

It was the summer of 2017. That's when the menopause knocked me off my feet. It literally ambushed me from behind. Suddenly, I felt like I was possessed by an evil spirit. Nothing felt right. Sure, I had started to gain weight over the past few years. It was a creeping change, with one clothing size slowly being replaced by the next. At a leisurely pace, I went from a size 38 to a size 44 – chubby but still chic.

But that summer, in 2017, something happened that I'd only ever heard older women talk about – the grand debut of the menopause. I woke up one day and felt completely lost in myself. Whose body was this? Where had my happy self gone? Why did everything around me stink? How had people started shouting at each other instead of talking? Why was I so moody? Where were all these lights, sounds, and smells coming from? And why the hell was I alternating between sweating like a pig and freezing like a naked cat?!

After enduring that summer, which wasn't even particularly summery, I booked an appointment with a gynaecologist. He was matter-of-fact, without being unpleasant in any way, and confirmed that I had entered menopause. After an examination and a few more questions, he said everything was perfectly normal with me. I was prescribed oestrogen tablets and advised to get a bit more exercise than before. I rushed to the pharmacy, took a pill as soon as I'd paid, and thought, 'Now everything will be fine again.' After three days, I noticed the hot flushes were subsiding and my mood was becoming a little more stable. Days turned into months, and I was still waiting to feel like myself again.

I hate this menopausal hag who has taken over my body and soul

It's now been a year and a half since I stepped into/was shoved into menopause, and I'm more lost than ever. Of everything the doctor said, the words 'everything is perfectly normal with you' stuck in my head. NORMAL. There's damn well nothing normal about me. Everything is completely bloody messed up! I hate this menopausal hag who has taken over my body and soul. I'm not ready for this! I'm not an old woman! I really don't want this.

Diana, 51: "Suddenly I felt possessed by an evil spirit"

Diana 51: "Plötsligt var jag som besatt av en ond ande"

For the menopause: 

Agneta Sjödin: "I couldn't be going through menopause, I was too young"

Agneta Sjödin: "Jag som var så ung kunde ju inte vara i klimakteriet"

More food supplements for menopause:

A year and a half ago, I had my first hot flush in the middle of a lesson, and it lasted for about a minute. I remember this feeling of unease spreading through my body, immediately followed by chills. Sometimes, I would fall asleep between five and eight in the morning out of sheer exhaustion. I spent many sleepless hours in front of the computer at night. The sleep problems, of course, made things difficult as I felt I could never truly recover. I developed aches in my head and body, and then more pain in my wrists, groin, and fingers.

My back arthritis also worsened during this period

But despite all the signals, I never understood the connection at the time. I ate and exercised as usual and avoided things that made the arthritis worse. Since no one in the healthcare system explained to me that these could be clear signs of menopause, I just carried on as normal.

After a routine check-up with my gynaecologist, I was prescribed antidepressants – even though I wasn't depressed! I was also given sleeping pills. They might have helped a little, but I don't like taking lots of tablets. However, I had read that 

could be good for sleep problems. It was during this period that I was contacted by midwives Lotta Hasselberg and Anette Daberius, who were running a test panel with Great Earth.

In a situation where I wasn't getting the help I needed, I was willing to try anything. For six months, I took 

with hyaluronic acid, and the turning point came after just three months when my body felt much better. The aches in my joints and fingers disappeared too! I felt calmer in the evenings and could fall asleep more easily. After so many years of poor sleep, being able to relax was so valuable.

But I'm a little surprised that there was such a simple solution

But I'm also angry that as a woman, you're just expected to accept feeling unwell during menopause. There should be much more research and information available! Since I haven't experienced deep sleep for over ten years, it feels fantastic to be able to sleep for five hours straight, and I've even started dreaming at night again.

Pernilla Henriksson Skog is 50 years old. She lives in Karlskoga with her youngest daughter, who is 16 (her older daughter has already moved out). Pernilla is a qualified personal trainer and nutritional advisor and has worked as a group fitness instructor for 23 years. This autumn, she is working as a substitute teacher for years 7-9. Pernilla is one of 35 participants in the 

 that Great Earth conducted with Klimakterieportalen to measure the effects of nutritional supplements on menopausal symptoms.

Pernilla, 50: "I've started dreaming again"

Pernilla 50: "Jag har börjat drömma igen"

About six years ago, I had gynaecological surgery and woke up in menopause. I found it difficult to fall asleep and often woke up early in the morning, and sometimes during the night, with sweats and hot flushes.

Because I was sleeping poorly, I was in a terrible mood

My patience wore thin, and my poor loved ones were on the receiving end of more than one outburst. My short-term memory got worse, I lost the energy for work and friends, and I started to isolate myself. I took part in a study with Klimakterieportalen (the Menopause Portal) on nutritional supplements and menopausal symptoms. Since then, my joint pain has disappeared, and my body feels more mobile. The so-called 'stress legs' with tingling in my thighs have gone, so I fall asleep much more easily. Unfortunately, I still have some night sweats, but it's still much better.

However, it's important to remember that there's no quick fix for menopausal symptoms. I think it's crucial to be patient and not expect everything to improve in a week. I noticed the biggest improvement from the supplements after a few months. I also believe it's important to see the bigger picture and combine them with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Cecilia Siöland has a large family and two dogs. She runs several businesses, including as a life coach and in construction and property. Cecilia is one of 31 participants in the 

 which Great Earth conducted with Klimakterieportalen to measure the effects of nutritional supplements on menopausal symptoms.

Cecilia, 53: "I lost the energy for work and friends"

Cecilia 53: "Jag tappade orken till jobb och vänner"

Food supplements for PMS: 

Articles about PMS: 

The foundation for balanced hormones is getting enough nutrition. By supporting your body with the right nutrients, you can actually reduce menstrual-related issues and enhance your well-being, energy, and presence. However, if you eat too little, consume nutrient-poor food, or if your body can't absorb the nutrients from what you eat, it can't produce the hormones you need to function optimally.

What should I eat for my menstrual cycle?

When it comes to exactly what to eat, there isn't a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, just as there isn't one job that suits everyone. What makes you feel good is influenced by several factors, including genetics, background, health status, and your current life situation and lifestyle.

However, there are certain things we all need to consume to function as we are meant to. The foundation of an optimal menstrual cycle is getting enough nutrition. To achieve this, you need to eat a varied diet containing the body's building blocks—fat, protein, and carbohydrates—as well as the vitamins and minerals you need. In addition, you need a healthy gut to help you absorb the nutrients from your food.

Now, let's give you some tips on what to consider when it comes to nutrition and your menstrual cycle, and how you can give yourself the best conditions to feel as good as possible, no matter the day of the month. Let's dive in!

High-quality fat is one of the most important keys to a functioning menstrual cycle. You need fat to produce and balance your sex hormones. By eating fat, you also help to stabilise your blood sugar, which in turn affects other hormones. All your sex hormones are built on something called saturated fat, i.e., cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed to produce the sex hormones that control your menstrual cycle: oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The liver can produce cholesterol on its own, but the only way to get cholesterol through your diet is from animal products.

You also need fat to absorb certain vitamins and minerals that are important for your menstrual cycle and health, such as 

You need to get enough protein to create sufficient hormones, both your sex hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which create feelings of happiness and well-being. Protein is made up of amino acids. Some amino acids can be produced by the body itself, while others are supplied through the food you eat. Protein is involved in building everything in your body.

For beans and lentils to be complete protein sources, they need to be combined with other foods. If you have IBS, nutrient deficiencies, or digestive issues, legumes can hinder the absorption of nutrients and may not be a quality protein source for you.

Carbohydrates are energy for your cells and are important for the gut, as they act as food for your good gut bacteria. When you consume high-quality carbohydrates, you help keep your blood sugar levels stable, which is a prerequisite for balanced hormones. Women may need a certain amount of quality carbohydrates for the body to feel secure enough to ovulate. Ovulation is the key to balanced hormones and thus a functioning menstrual cycle. To feel full, satisfied, and to keep your blood sugar stable, we love combining carbohydrates with fat and protein.

So, what should I consider when it comes to nutrition and the menstrual cycle?

The best way to get the nutrition you need is through real food. Aim to choose natural, high-quality food to ensure it is nutrient-dense and free from toxins. In some cases, however, food supplements may be necessary. Foods today do not always contain the nutrients we need. This can be due to depleted agricultural soils affected by pesticides, or because some raw materials are processed in a way that can negatively affect their nutritional content. If you are exposed to prolonged and high stress, use hormonal contraceptives, take certain medications, or consume a lot of alcohol, your need for certain nutrients may also increase.

How Nutrition is Crucial for a Healthy and Strong Menstrual Cycle

Hur näring är avgörande för en frisk och stark menscykel

Articles about menopause: 

Fitness profile Monika Björn is many things, but above all, she is a menopause activist.

Follow her journey through menopause, exploring how she experimented with food supplements and hunted for information.

“I try to share as much knowledge as I possibly can,” says Monika.

When urinary tract infections, styes, sleep problems, low mood, and hair loss—to name just a few of her symptoms—began to occur one after another, her frustration grew, along with her curiosity. When no one in the healthcare system explained that these could be clear signs of perimenopause, she took matters into her own hands.

Fuelled by this frustration, she began to gather vast amounts of information. This soon led to a book, Stark genom klimakteriet (Strong Through Menopause), which garnered significant media attention and led to sold-out lectures across the country. The interest from women was immense, as it's a journey every woman in the world experiences in her own way.

“Life is too short to go around feeling unwell. We women are world champions at just getting on with it. I want to live life to the fullest and feel as good as possible,” she says.

Monika Björn has worked in fitness and health her entire professional life. She is a qualified personal trainer with a Bachelor's degree in sports science and psychology, a yoga teacher, a coach, and has also studied physiotherapy. She pores over new research and studies on menopause almost daily.

“It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job; you never stop learning, and there are always new things to discover.”

After finishing her upper secondary education, she packed her bags and moved to the UK, soon settling in Scotland, where she stayed for four years.

“I worked partly in a gym, but also ran my own business as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor.”

Back home in Sweden, she studied sports science, pedagogy, and psychology. Alongside her studies, she worked as a master trainer for spinning classes all over the world.

“I studied during the week and travelled the world at weekends. It was a completely crazy, wonderful, and educational period that lasted for over ten years.”

“After a few years of travelling, I sought out yoga. I say sought out, because this was long before smartphones and Google. It meant you either had to look up 'yoga' in the Yellow Pages (a kind of large, heavy, physical phone book) or rely on the grapevine and simply ask around your network,” Monika explains.

Fast-forwarding to today, she has written another book called Yoga för dig som tränar (Yoga for Those Who Train).

Her third book is on its way and will be released in August.

For the past five years, her focus and main interest have been on women's health, as she entered perimenopause herself a few years ago. The information available was poor, as was the treatment she received from the healthcare system.

“My own level of knowledge in that area was like a black hole in space,” says Monika.

She began experimenting herself with things like food supplements to support her sleep. This helped for about seven months, as her hormone levels continued to change.

“Today, I feel very well with a combination of food supplements and bioidentical hormones.”

“It's high time that menopause became less of a taboo subject and that we women get access to the knowledge required to make informed, individual health choices. Life is too short to go around feeling unwell.”

A Chat with Monika Björn

Fikastund med Monika Björn

Food supplements for PMS:

Articles about PMS:

Did you know that your day-to-day lifestyle can influence your menstrual cycle, affecting the challenges and symptoms you experience? We didn't.

What's so powerful about this insight is that it means we can use our lifestyle as a tool to positively influence our cycle, helping to manage and reduce most menstrual-related symptoms. Changes to your lifestyle can therefore help alleviate many hormonal imbalances linked to the menstrual cycle, which is empowering as it puts you in control of how you feel. By living in sync with your cycle, you can feel your best, whatever the day of the month.

So, what does 'lifestyle' actually include? We break it down into four key areas: nutrition, physical activity, recovery, and environment. Each of these influences your menstrual cycle in different ways. Once you understand more about these elements and their impact, you can start using them as tools to work with your cyclical changes, rather than against them.

Nutrition and the menstrual cycle are closely linked. If you think about it, have you ever noticed your appetite and cravings change depending on where you are in your cycle? We certainly have. This is completely natural and part of being a woman. Throughout the menstrual cycle, hormonal shifts occur which can affect hunger, cravings, and nutritional needs during its different phases.

If you eat too little, consume nutrient-poor food, or if your body can't absorb the nutrients from what you eat, it can't produce the hormones needed for optimal function. This can lead to various menstrual-related issues. The key is to provide your body with enough energy and proper nutrition, giving it the building blocks required for hormone production so you can feel your best all month long.

In addition to getting enough energy and a varied diet, a well-functioning gut is crucial for eliminating excess and used hormones. Otherwise, they can continue to circulate in the body, disrupting the natural hormonal balance. Consuming foods that may contribute to inflammation, such as a high intake of white sugar, white flour, and heavily processed foods, can also affect gut flora and hormonal balance. This can manifest in symptoms ranging from tender breasts to mood swings and heavy bleeding.

As hormones shift throughout the menstrual cycle, our physical capabilities change too. This means we might experience exercise and how our body feels differently during each phase. By adapting your training to these phases, you can help manage menstrual-related issues and optimise your workouts for performance while reducing injury risk. For example, in phase two, our physical capacity is often at its peak due to higher testosterone levels, making it a perfect time to challenge yourself a little more. During phase three, when you might experience PMS symptoms, it can be beneficial to listen to your body and adjust your exercise based on how you feel that day.

Recovery is incredibly important for a well-functioning menstrual cycle and for our overall wellbeing—physically, mentally, and emotionally—throughout the month. Stress has a huge impact on our hormones, so it's vital to learn to listen to your body during the different phases and adapt your recovery to its needs. Can you see any patterns in your own life when it comes to sleep needs and energy levels in the different phases? How can you tailor your recovery based on what your body is signalling? Remember that recovery comes in many forms. What type works for you? Is it meditation, painting, or a walk in nature? Tune in to what makes you feel best and make space for it in your calendar.

The environment we're in and the products we use daily expose us to a variety of chemicals and toxins. Many everyday products contain substances that can negatively affect our hormones, which in turn can impact our fertility and menstrual cycle. To avoid these chemicals interfering with our natural hormones, it's best to choose organic and toxin-free alternatives for intimate products, skincare, and haircare, as well as for food containers, water bottles, and clothing.

How Your Lifestyle is Linked to Your Menstrual Cycle

Hur din livsstil är kopplad till din menscykel

Products that support hormonal balance:

How to Benefit from the Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle

Hur du kan dra nytta av menscykelns faser

How to Understand Your Menstrual Cycle

Så förstår du din menscykel

When we talk about lifestyle and health, most advice, tips, and studies are presented as general and aimed at everyone, regardless of whether we have female or male biology. It often seems as though all findings have the same effects regardless of sex. We're so used to this being the case that we don't question it. We've learned that health and lifestyle advice is applicable to both with the same effect, regardless of symptoms or methods. But is it really true that everyone can live the same way and expect the same results? The answer is no. The female and male bodies simply don't always react the same way to the same input. Let us explain.

What turned everything on its head for us, what made us start questioning the 'normal', was the realisation that 

the menstrual cycle is actually the fifth vital sign for women

. This means that for women, the menstrual cycle is as important a health indicator as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. We've been taught that 'periods' (we haven't even learned to look at the menstrual cycle as a whole) are separate from our overall health, only related to fertility. But the fact is, the menstrual cycle is a comprehensive health indicator for women.

So, what does this actually mean? Besides the fact that menstrual cycle-related symptoms should be taken as seriously as a fever or an irregular heartbeat, it means that a woman's hormones are different from a man's. A woman's sex hormones fluctuate throughout the month, which means that the input the body receives (such as nutrition, exercise, and even medications) can have different outcomes depending on where we are in the cycle. The body may also have different needs depending on the phase. The graphs below show how female and male sex hormones differ over a month.

The hormones oestrogen and progesterone are central to female biology and the menstrual cycle. These hormones follow an approximate monthly rhythm, with levels rising and falling throughout the cycle.

In male biology, the hormone testosterone is fundamental and prominent for men's fertility. Testosterone follows a 24-hour cycle, where it is high in the morning, decreases towards the evening, and rises again the next morning. It doesn't change much from day to day and does not fluctuate over the month.

What template are you trying to fit your body into?

As we can see in the graphs above, men's sex hormones follow a 24-hour cycle, while women's follow a monthly cycle. It is therefore more natural for men to eat, exercise, sleep, and feel similarly every day. For women, whose sex hormones fluctuate throughout the month, it's natural to eat, exercise, sleep, and feel differently depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle. It's not natural to adhere to a linear lifestyle with the expectation of having the same energy, stamina, and desire regardless of where we are in the cycle. We are simply different.

Unfortunately, research today is almost exclusively based on male biology as the 'standard'. This means there is no research data on what the results would look like if tests were conducted on female biology in different phases of the menstrual cycle. We women are simply living according to a template based on male biology, which can lead to different health outcomes than those men can expect.

What would it look like if the female body shaped the template for what is considered 'standard'? Imagine a world where your female biology, your body, as it's designed to function, was the starting point for how you shaped your lifestyle.

What health benefits can women experience by syncing with their biology?

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