Best Selling Author/Broadcaster Maryon Stewart
Launches First U.S. Series On
“Natural Menopause Makeover”
By Dara Mormile
"The Change"...
"Ovarian retirement"...
"Midlife Crisis"...
Whatever you want to call it, menopause is more than just a period (and lack thereof) in a woman's life when her body is out of whack. The wild loops on this roller hormonal coaster are among the least-spoken-about topics in the medical world.
Wouldn't it be great to find a TV series wholly dedicated to the way real-life women cope with this internal furnace without the use of drugs or hormones? Get ready to tune in to an outstanding and realistic show that's a proper midlife makeover!
Preferred Health Magazine had the pleasure of speaking with health expert, best-selling author, British broadcaster, and producer Maryon Stewart. The globally acclaimed natural menopause guru was excited to share the ideas behind her groundbreaking new show, "Maryon's Stewart's Menopause Makeover."
Dedicated to 'The Change,' each half-hour show hosted by Stewart follows women of all ages during various stages of their menopausal monsoons. The first show aired on South Florida's PBS network last October and is viewable online. The remainder of the four-part series will air nationwide this January 2024.
Stewart's long-term goal is to introduce a 'mid-life refuel,' navigating menopause awareness to 50 million American women suffering through their transitions.
"In a survey of 1100 women, we found that 96 percent were unprepared for menopause - and that they felt like a shadow of their former selves while going through their changes," Stewart told PHM. "Many women feel overwhelmed with what they're experiencing, as if they're coming to the end of their lives and don't have the tools to take control."
Sadly, Stewart says the Mayo Clinic's research found that 'only 7 percent of doctors and gynecologists feel adequately educated to help women going through menopause.'
To change that narrative, the compassionate world-renowned expert is dedicating her life to encouraging women to take advantage of drug- and hormone-free solutions like improving nutrition and making exercise a part of menopause symptom treatment.
"A majority of women don't realize you can manage deficiencies, discomforts, and problems like 'brain fog' - an ailment many we interviewed seem to develop during menopause. It's certainly not something doctors talk about with their patients," she said. "This show demonstrates a lot of exercises that keep the metabolism moving - including relaxation techniques, yoga, and meditation, which releases endorphins."
Stewart advocates for changing to a diet that includes organic ingredients like soy and flaxseed, which have naturally occurring estrogen. She's also enthusiastic about teaching women how to prepare food differently while in the throes of the Second Spring.
"I love that we have cooking portions on the series where we prepare meals with foods that are proven to calm hot flashes, optimize bone health - since osteoporosis is still a growing concern - eliminate insomnia, even out mood swings, and overcome fatigue."
Stewart and her broadcasting team found a wealth of women to volunteer for the exclusive series. The shows hone in on weight gain, insomnia, and hot flashes. The trendsetting series presents before-and-after magazine-style interviews interspersed with science-based tips for easy lifestyle tweaks that anyone can make to achieve the same results in their journey.
"Many women experiencing menopause feel robbed of life as they know it," Stewart explained. "Like a car that's low on gas and hasn't been serviced in ages, they feel like they're running on empty. So, I call my solutions the mid-life refuel because there is no reason for women to suffer in the second half of their lives when they can feel so much better, so quickly, and so easily."
Why isn't menopause spoken about to a broader audience in society?
Stewart feels that cultural norms avoid addressing menopause, often maimed as an 'unsexy' topic, because of general fears of getting old.
"No one wants to get old or talk about what happens when your body doesn't function as it used to. The entire process isn't part of our conversation. I want to change that across the board," she notes.
Stewart is the proud author of "Manage Your Menopause Naturally" (her first American book) and 28 self-help books, which have sold millions of copies. Her other fabulous reads include; "The Vitality Diet," "No More IBS," "Beat PMS Through Diet," "Cruising Through Menopause: Managing Your Menopause Successfully Without HRT," and "Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby." Her first book "Beat PMT Through Diet" (later known as "No More PMS!") was first published in 1987.
In her early years, Stewart studied preventive dentistry and nutrition at the Royal Dental Hospital in London and worked as a counselor with nutritional doctors in England for four years.
Among many accolades, Stewart formed the PMT Advisory Service – the first non-drug advisory for premenstrual tension in the world – in 1984. In 1987, she launched the Women's Nutritional Advisory Service, and in 2003, the Natural Health Advisory Service. Research by the service claimed to have identified a link between low levels of essential nutrients and female brain chemistry and hormone function. Using this data, Stewart and her team of medical professionals devised a non-drug method they believed redressed nutritional and hormonal imbalances in women and helped them overcome PMT and restore well-being.'
With nearly three decades of experience studying and working with women experiencing menopause, Stewart is the CEO of Femmar Health Corp., which she founded in 2021. The network combines the latest medical research and personalized motivational techniques to help women live their best in their second chapter of life.
A trailblazer in the media industry, Stewart was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2018. She was also recognized as one of the 50 most inspirational women by the Daily Mail, a platform for which she's written regular columns over the years. She's produced her own TV and radio shows, including the well-received "The Really Useful Health Show." Forbes has recognized her among the "Top Scientists, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs Changing the Narrative on Menopause" and she was named one of the Most Influential Women by Good Housekeeping. Over the years, Stewart has been featured in many national magazines, including Sunday Magazine, Country Living, Good Health, and Health and Fitness.
To learn more about this trailblazing show and how it will change the face of menopause, visit www.naturalmenopause.tv.
Check your local listings to catch the series in real time and arm yourself with some of the best resources to calm the mid-life crisis hurricane!