1. Tired all the time? You are far from alone; persistent fatigue is a regular reason for visiting the doctor. Tiredness can be caused by a too-busy lifestyle but do not brush your concerns under the carpet. Give yourself two or three weeks to make lifestyle changes; get more sleep; trim your social calendar; eat more wholesome food; drink more fluids; cut back on caffeine and alcohol. If you make these changes and still feel the symptoms then seek professional help.

2. Eat more good fat and less bad fat! Good omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, salmon, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds) give your body the raw material for making anti-inflammatory hormones. Food rich in omega-6 fatty acids (corn, safflower, sunflower and sesame oils) are the building-blocks for inflammation-promoting eicosanoids. Try to strike a happy balance.

3. Regular exercise is crucial for every woman. Without it, your bones thin automatically.

4. Looking for a non-hormonal alternative to common menopausal symptoms? Quit smoking, exercise daily, practise relaxation and deep breathing techniques and avoid spicy food, alcohol and caffeine. Try to incorporate one or two daily servings of food rich in isoflavones (soya nuts, soya milk, tofu, lima beans, lentils, kidney beans). However do not exceed 100mg/day.

5. Stop and ask THE question! In the split second after which the urge to complain, criticise, nag, blame, threaten or punish arises, but before the words leave your moth, stop and ask yourself Is this really important?

6. When you have a difference with someone who is important to you then negotiate. The only person you can change is yourself. You cannot change someones attitude but you can change your attitude towards them. Look for compromise.,br>

7. Try something new. By taking an interest in something new it forces you to explore, learn new things and tune-upon your brain. Then hone this new skill. Your new found abilities will allow you to take pride in yourself. This in turn will encourage you to dream about what you can do next, a sign of your commitment to life.

8. Try helping others. It is amazing what this can do to you. Those who reach out to others expand just about everything. It presents you with different problems that demand you to dream up new solutions. As an added bonus you will forge new and amazingly varied relationships.

9 Dont put any limits on loving! Love as an emotion is a single package packed with different feelings: joy, contentment, anger to name just a few! Someone who loves can handle more or less anything so adopt a stray dog, spend time with your children, laugh with old friends and new. Love whoevers around to be loved! (Kurt Vonnegut).

10. Remember that you gain peoples respect as you learn to say no.