Presenter Mariella Frostrup first met Belles Berry, chef and daughter of Mary, while campaigning for menopause awareness at the Houses of Parliament. They clicked instantly – and together, wrote their new cookbook, Menolicious: Eat Your Way To A Better Menopause. Here they share the advice that really made a difference during their crazy menopausal years.
Mariella says: ‘Part of the problem with ageing is that we have this cultural expectation, even an acceptance, that we’re just going to disintegrate. We’re not really encouraged to push back against it. We need to change our picture of what older age looks like – and it starts with menopause, because you get a really sharp shock during those years.
I’ve always been reasonably fit. But from the age of around 50, I noticed that I couldn’t afford to be careless, particularly with what I was eating. If I was, then the weight went on so quickly around the middle, and gravity pulled everything down.
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I started to have huge dips in energy. I’ve never been a brilliant sleeper, but when menopause hit, I was waking up 10 times a night with a racing heart, panicking about whether I’d watered the basil, and other crazy things. I started taking HRT and it helped me return to my old self. I found that CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) really helps with sleeping – just breathing and unlocking the idea that you will go back to sleep, if you just clear your mind and breathe through it.
I also discovered what a difference diet can make. I was born in the 1960s and brought up on a 1970s diet. When I was going through perimenopause, I realised that fuelling your body differently makes an awful lot of difference.
We understand now that HRT will, for most women, negate the most troubling symptoms of menopause, but it’s not the only answer. Increasingly, dietary adjustments are being revealed to make a huge difference. That’s why we wrote the book. We’re not offering miracle cures – there’s more than enough meno-washing out there. But we know from our own experience that an upgraded diet can help our midriffs, lift our spirits and give us the energy we need to embrace our newfound freedom from many of the onerous expectations that fall primarily on women’s shoulders.
I met Belles while campaigning for menopause awareness, outside the Houses of Parliament. A mutual friend introduced us, and Belles suggested doing a book together, with menopause-friendly recipes. It’s like the perfect marriage – I’ve got all the campaigning experience but, while I love to cook, I’m not a professional. Belles is a genius when it comes to recipes.
The ‘Menolicious Method’ isn’t a diet – I hope it’s an incredibly useful, accessible, easy to access method to reboot your day-to-day menus. The recipes are all quick, easy and will make you feel more powerful and energetic.
Other things I do? Go easy on the wine. You think you can’t survive without it. But it’s full of sugar and we process sugar completely differently when we hit perimenopause. I try to avoid white flour as it doesn’t make me feel great – which is hard because I was brought up in Ireland and we love our bread! So I think some of the bread recipes in the book are really helpful, including my favourite, the recipe for Irish porridge bread. Because it’s so good for you, you can put a slab of butter on it and not feel guilty. I also recommend making a smoothie or a juice your go-to in the morning – I do this, and I feel like I’ve ticked quite a lot of nutritional boxes.
The trouble with perimenopause and menopause is that you can feel like everything is a bit out of control; that it’s hard to keep a grip on life and all the things that you’re expected to do. But the one thing that you can take control of is how you fuel your body. If you eat well, instead of feeling disappointed in yourself and frustrated, it means that you wake up every day thinking: ‘Yeah, I’m feeling the best I can be.’
Belles says: When I had my first hot flush, I went straight out to try to find a cookbook of recipes that might help. I couldn’t find ANYTHING. That’s when I decided I needed to write one myself, to help other women. I did a lot of research. I bought the only books that were available in America, which weren’t very good at all, and I realised that there was a huge gap in the market. When I met Mariella outside Parliament, I asked her if she would be interested in collaborating. Luckily she said yes!
My first symptoms of menopause weren’t those you might expect. I noticed that I didn’t want to go out, and I’m usually so sociable. I was getting anxious, and feeling panicked, and I realised that was not normal. I decided to go to the doctor that Mum and I share – she had given mum HRT and it really helped.
Not everyone can take HRT – and not everyone has such an easy time getting it prescribed. What we eat each day can be our most powerful tool. We really need to look at what we’re putting into our bodies. Don’t be afraid of healthy fats, protein, fibre-fuelled lunches. Make sure that you prioritise your own food choices, rather than just thinking you’ll finish whatever’s in the pan. The most effective change I’ve made is just to cut out the rubbish. Have wholemeal pasta; choose a seeded wrap rather than sliced white bread.
For many women, there are so many things going on at this stage in life. Teenagers going through puberty, ageing parents, work. It really is the craziest time for a lot of people, and to be feeling like you’re losing a grip on your health as well as on everything else is difficult. You can very easily feel out of control, at exactly the time you need to look after yourself. It is very challenging for the strongest of people. I’ve got three children; three animals and I just don’t have any spare time. That’s why we’ve kept the recipes, and our method, easy and simple. The Menolicious Method is for people who want to make the most of their lives and be healthier for longer.
The Menolicious Method
Mariella and Belles reveal the steps to follow for better midlife health.
Focus on nutrient-dense foods. Include calcium and vitamin D for bone health: found in dairy products, fortified foods and leafy greens. Also include protein to support muscle mass: found in lean meats, beans, lentils, nuts and tofu. Prioritise healthy fats; choose unsaturated fats and oils. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, walnuts and flaxseeds) may help reduce inflammation and mood swings. Aim for two portions of oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) a week.
Balance blood sugar. Eat small, frequent meals. Significantly increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables – half of your plate should be made up of vegetables or salad. Avoid refined carbs and sugary snacks and drinks. Instead, choose fibre-rich foods, such as wholegrains (brown rice, oats, bulgur wheat), lentils, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Include phytoestrogens. Incorporate soy, flaxseeds and legumes into your diet, as these ingredients have a mild oestrogen-like effect in the body, potentially easing symptoms such as hot flushes.
Hydrate. Drink plenty of water to combat dryness and bloating.
Limit triggers. Reduce your intake of salt, caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods, which can exacerbate hot flushes and sleep disturbances. Ensure you have some alcohol-free days.
Exercise regularly. Build movement into the everyday with a walk, swim or run. Aim to do strength-based exercises twice a week to maintain bone density and muscle mass, plus yoga or Pilates to keep you flexible and balanced.
Menolicious: Eat Your Way To A Better Menopause (DK RED, £22) by Mariella Frostrup and Belles Berry is out 28 August 2025.