Broadcaster and journalist Lorraine Keane has spoken about her perimenopause symptoms, along with revealing her top advice on how to combat them.

Lorraine says she used to wake up in the middle of the night three or more times, and struggled to fall back asleep. "I would wake up the next morning and be irritable, tired, with no energy and no libido. I just didn't feel like myself."

She put her symptoms down to juggling too many things at once. Between her career and family, she was extremely busy. Meanwhile, her hair started to fall out in clumps, she developed acne, her nails became brittle, and she had joint pain.

Read more: Lorraine Keane on commonly missed health issue that caused her fertility issues

"I put the joint pain down to the fact I used to run a lot," she tells RSVP . "I thought it was wear and tear, I was walking up with desperate joint pain in my legs."

She also started putting on weight due to her metabolism slowing down. "I started doing even more strenuous exercise and eating over the top healthy Monday to Thursday, but this actually wasn't the right thing to do. My weight wasn't changing."

Lorraine says more education about menopause is needed, as many women are suffering in silence, totally unaware their symptoms are linked. "No matter what route someone decides to go down, be it the natural health or medical route, you still need to make lifestyle changes."

These lifestyle changes include resting and pacing to ensure all your energy is not used up. Lorraine adds that after 40, women are trying to juggle way too much, especially now that women are having children later in life. "We have families, careers, and maybe your parents are getting a little bit older and need more support."

Diet, nutrition and exercise are also key to combat any menopause symptoms that may crop up. Lorraine says she takes two capsules of Cleanmarine's Menomin supplement every day, which have really helped with her symptoms.

"After 40, we need to exercise less and eat more, which is lovely to hear! The right type of exercise is essential, such as weight bearing exercises and resistance training. Running, spinning classes and aerobics we need less of."

Lorraine combines her weight training with pilates and walks. "Now I am doing less exercise, I am not wrecked. When my body tells me I am tired I actually sit down and pace myself. Because I am not overdoing it, I am not overstressing the pituitary gland.

"This gland creates all our hormones, if the pituitary gland is overstressed then all our hormones are shot, and our perimenopause symptoms will get worse."

To learn more about menopause, listen to Lorraine's podcast on hormone health here.

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