http://www.thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk/

The Lifestyle Health Clinic, Sydall Road, Bramhall (2025)

09/09/2025

RCOG and NICE highlight that cycle changes can be early signs of conditions like PCOS, thyroid disease, endometriosis, fibroids and even cancers. Yet many women are never asked about their periods at routine appointments.

• 1 in 5 women have PCOS and 1 in 8 have thyroid disease – often first seen in cycle changes.

• 1 in 10 live with endometriosis and fibroids affect up to 70% by age 50. Pain and heavy bleeding are red flags.

• Abnormal bleeding can be an early sign of womb or ovarian cancer.

• 25% of women experience PMS that disrupts daily life, 8% have PMDD, and 50% notice mood changes as an early sign of perimenopause.

• Hormones also influence attention and focus, which is why ADHD symptoms often worsen premenstrually or during perimenopause.

Your periods and cycles are your body’s monthly health ‘report card ‘ – for bone, heart, metabolic and mental health.

When was the last time a doctor asked about your periods during an appointment?

Our advice? If you feel out of sync or not yourself for any reason, track your symptoms alongside your cycle and take that information with you to your appointments. Even if you’re not asked.

03/09/2025

🍂Menopause & Perimenopause Wellness Retreat 🍂
Rest • Replenish • Restore

September often feels like a fresh start — a chance to reset, refocus, and create space for yourself. If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause, this is the perfect moment to pause, reconnect, and invest in your wellbeing.

We’d love to invite you to join us at the beautiful Alderley Edge Hotel, Cheshire for a one-day retreat blending medical expertise with holistic practices. Together we’ll share yoga, facial reflexology, and expert health talks designed to leave you calmer, more supported, and confident in your journey.

🌿 Meet Your Experts

• Trix, The Sleep Yogi- Yoga and sleep specialist weaving stress coaching, yoga, breathwork, and nidra to restore balance, energy, and rest.

• Dr Laura Clark & Dr Katie Hilton – Women’s health doctors and co-founders of The Lifestyle Health Clinic, combining medical expertise with a holistic, lifestyle approach to support women through menopause, perimenopause, HRT, and non hormonal treatments. They’ll be joined by expert guests to answer your questions.

• Jill Reeves – Women’s health reflexologist teaching nurturing facial reflexology techniques to ease hot flushes, calm anxiety, and reduce stress.

💷 £95 per ticket – including a healthy lunch, refreshments, an exclusive wellbeing goody bag, and a donation to Wellbeing of Women.

By joining us, you’ll also be supporting the incredible work of the charity — funding life-changing research and improving health outcomes across a women’s life course including period problems, pregnancy and childbirth issues, gynaecological cancers and menopause. What better way to invest in yourself and make a difference for women’s health?

📍 Alderley Edge Hotel, Cheshire
🗓️ Saturday 13th October

Spaces are limited — we’d love for you to join us. Book now via Eventbrite - link in bio.

22/08/2025

The past few weeks we have been working different schedules around holiday clubs, being outdoors as much as possible in between and running around / after our children. We’re trying not to be on our screens much and limit screens for our children when we can (not easy for the teens !)

It’s felt messy and unstructured – but we’re holding onto the principle that it is still movement, and it still counts.

▪️Movement doesn’t have to be formal exercise – everyday activity like walking, playing, or chasing after children improves cardiovascular health, blood sugar control and bone strength.

▪️Short bursts add up – whether it’s 5 minutes or 50, your body and hormones respond to movement through changes in insulin sensitivity, cortisol regulation and endorphin release.

▪️Hormone health benefits – even small doses of regular movement support better sleep, steadier mood, metabolism and long-term protection against osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

So if life feels unpredictable or “messy” right now, know that we feel messy too but any action counts. Try to avoid self sabotage and putting yourself last all of the time.

Social media can make it look like everyone else has summer figured out – but for many women, it can be one of the hardest seasons of the year. Whichever camp you’re in, your hormones, energy and wellbeing need looking after, and the little things you do consistently can have the biggest impact
. This is exactly the kind of practical women’s health approach you’ll get in your appointments – finding what works for your real life, not someone else’s perfect routine.
You may not know it, but by sharing your experiences these past few weeks, you’ve really helped us too 🤗🤗

07/08/2025

”People coming off weight-loss jabs should get regular check-ups,” says the NHS in new advice.

Tell us something we didn’t already know : weight-loss injections are a tool not the whole solution.

GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro can lead to meaningful weight loss by changing how your body regulates appetite, blood sugar, and digestion. But they don’t replace the need for solid nutrition, healthy habits, and sustainable routines.

It’s not about using a medication so you can eat half a take away instead of a whole one (although yes, we’ve heard that too ).

It’s about improving how your body functions,especially if you’re in your 40s or 50s and navigating perimenopause, when metabolism, muscle, and hormone balance are already shifting.

When you stop the medication, those internal signals that were being supported—like feeling full after meals, reduced cravings, slower digestion, and better blood sugar control—can shift back again.
Without the right habits in place, it’s easy to find yourself eating more than you need, feeling hungrier, or relying on quick-fix foods again—even if your intentions haven’t changed.

That’s why it is recommended to have at least 12 months of follow-up care, not just to monitor weight, but to support the systems that underpin it:
▪️ A balanced, enjoyable approach to eating
▪️ Muscle and metabolism support
▪️ Blood sugar stability
▪️ Managing stress, sleep and hormones
▪️ Tackling emotional eating and mindset

We have always been doing this, helping you protect your investment, your time, your health, your progress, by surrounding you with the right support during and after GLP-1 treatment.

Whether you’re thinking about starting, preparing to stop, or somewhere in between, we’re here to help.

Appointments are available with us doctors ( Dr Katie and Dr Laura) who are dually qualified in Lifestyle Medicine, Women’s health and general practice alongside Helen, a pharmacist and nutritionist, to give you the most comprehensive, safest and personal support we believe women should have.

06/08/2025

Even though it is summer, low Vitamin D is in our Top 3 deficiencies in clinic.
Lots of us assume we’re getting enough from the sun, but actually for us in the UK that is rarely enough.

To make enough vitamin D from sunlight alone, you’d need to expose your face, arms and legs for 20–30 minutes, several times a week, right in the middle of the day. Without sunscreen.

And when you add SPF, it can reduce your skin’s ability to make vitamin D by up to 99%.
Most of us work indoors too, have really busy schedules and wear skin protection (which is important), and it’s easy to see how levels can slip.
It's role in our health extends far beyond keeping our bones strong in our fertile years, perimenopause and into menopause and beyond.
It is also essential for:
▪ Immune function
▪ Mood and mental wellbeing
▪ Calcium absorption
▪ Hormone balance
▪ Bone health

During the Covid pandemic, low vitamin D levels were linked with more severe illness, prompting renewed focus on how vital it is is for immune defence.

If you're using Mounjaro or another GLP-1 medication, your dietary intake will be reduced and with it, vitamin D and other micronutrients. ( is is quite tricky get enough Vitamin D from food alone) This makes testing and tailored supplementation even more important.

We check vitamin D routinely in clinic, particularly if you are a new patient, because deficiency can affect so many systems.
If your levels are low, we’ll advise you on the right dose of vitamin D3, not just a generic supplement from the supermarket.
We take into account your blood test result, body weight, current symptoms and any medications that may affect absorption.
Vitamin D is fat-soluble too, and how you take it matters. We guide you on all of this for best absorption and long-term benefit.

If you're tired, feeling flat, or just want to understand what your body needs, you can contact us via message or

info@thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk.

16/07/2025

Cortisol testing is being marketed to women as the key to solving fatigue, brain fog, weight changes, and burnout. But most of what’s sold isn’t grounded in robust science — and often leads to oversimplified “solutions.”

What’s actually useful to know?

▪️Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to signals from the brain . It plays a vital role in metabolism, inflammation, blood pressure, immune response, and sleep–wake regulation.

▪️ It follows a circadian rhythm — peaking ~30–45 minutes after waking then gradually tapering. Disruptions in this rhythm are associated with mood disorders, chronic fatigue, and poor metabolic health — but they’re not easily diagnosed with a single cortisol test.

▪️ Blood cortisol testing is clinically valuable when we suspect serious conditions like Addison’s (adrenal insufficiency) or Cushing’s syndrome (cortisol excess). Outside of that? It’s often non-specific and hard to interpret in isolation.

▪️ Day-to-day symptoms of “stress” — like poor sleep, irritability, low energy, and difficulty coping — are rarely due to cortisol alone. They usually reflect broader nervous system dysregulation, blood sugar instability, or hormonal transitions (like perimenopause).

So what does looking at your cortisol really look like?
▪️ Mapping symptoms alongside lifestyle, menstrual history, and stress exposure
▪️ Supporting circadian health (light exposure, consistent sleep/wake times)
▪️ Addressing insulin resistance and inflammatory load
▪️ Nervous system regulation: boundaries, recovery
▪️ Root-cause investigation when needed — not just reactive testing

Watch out for marketing not medicine.
Proper care looks at the whole system — and starts with listening, not selling.

14/07/2025

When it’s hot outside, summer clothes and busy days shouldn’t come with the stress of managing heavy bleeding. If you’ve ever been told to “take some iron” you need to ask more. Iron doesn’t treat the bleeding itself.

It’s addressing the consequence, not the cause.

To really get to the bottom of heavy periods, you need to ask:

▪️ Why am I bleeding this much?
▪️ Could it be fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis or perimenopause?
▪️ Do I need a scan?
▪️ What treatment options are available?

Options that can help:

▪️ Tranexamic acid – reduces bleeding without affecting hormones
▪️ The Mirena coil – releases local progesterone and often makes periods lighter or stop altogether
▪️ Combined contraceptive pills – can regulate or reduce bleeding or stop bleeding
▪️ Progestogen tablets – taken cyclically or continuously
▪️ Lifestyle and nutrition support – including managing weight, reducing alcohol, addressing stress, and supporting hormone balance

You shouldn’t be offered iron instead of a proper plan or on its own.

Info@thelifestylehealthclinic.co.uk

10/07/2025

Getting enough protein can be such a challenge , especially if you’re eating more plant-based meals, or if you’re using GLP-1 medications where appetite and portion sizes are reduced.

But we need it for all these reasons-
▪️ Hormone production
▪️ To maintain muscle
▪️ To maintain skin, hair, bones and nails
▪️ And it activates satiety pathways like GLP-1 naturally ( and helps if using the medications)

This is where a bit of planning really helps.
We’ve put together two simple meal options — one vegetarian, one with meat or fish — both using real foods you can find in a regular supermarket.

Each one gives you:
▪️ Around 30g protein
▪️ 10–20g fibre
▪️ Blood sugar stability and longer-lasting fullness

Protein bars? Personally, not my go-to at all. Read the labels and you’ll often find emulsifiers, gums, sweeteners and barely any fibre. If you’re trying to support your gut and hormones, real food is a better starting point if you can.

If you’re navigating midlife, hormone symptoms, weight change with or without GLP-1 use, or simply trying to feel more in control of energy and appetite a protein rich plate can make a real difference.

Let us know if you’d like us to share more examples like this.

Enjoy!

The Lifestyle Health Clinic

09/09/2025

03/09/2025

22/08/2025

07/08/2025

06/08/2025

16/07/2025

14/07/2025

10/07/2025

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