In celebration of Menopause Awareness Month Anna Wallace-Scott, local expert offering hope for middle aged women in Qatar.
Written: by Ellen Masters Postel
Photography: Marie Josée Bédard
If you’re a middle aged woman, you know all too well how going through all phases of menopause covers a whole host of emotions. For something that impacts half of the population at one point or another, there’s so little, yet so much information out there regarding menopause. We’re left to navigate - what is fact versus who are the money hungry or misinformed capitalizing on women desperate to try anything to feel better or more like themselves?
The good news is, there is hope. There’s hope in an expert and advocate - Anna Wallace-Scott, Founder of Holistic Midlife Coach & Consultancy, specializing in peri- menopause and postmenopausal women. In addition to her own experience going through all phases of menopause, she brings 20+ years of experience in the Health and Wellness field in both training and endocrinology. Additionally, she has recently completed a 6 month mentorship with a leading menopause specialist in the US that compliments her certifications from the UK.
I sat down with Anna to learn more about her quest and anticipated business launch to support women here in Qatar. Some things were very evident - she is passionate about helping women navigate midlife health challenges; eager to continue sharing her knowledge, experiences, and holistic approach; and excited to explore ways to collaborate with the growing wellness community. While she is an expert on the topic, the learning goes both ways as she’s inspired by her clients and what they teach her. Furthermore, as an educator at heart, she welcomes opportunities to go into corporations, schools, etc. to impart her knowledge learned first hand, from her research and certifications, as well as from her clients.
“As a science-based educator, she offers tailored support to both individuals and organizations. Anna’s mission is to raise awareness about menopause and empower women to navigate their midlife health journey with confidence.”
With the many unknowns we face going through life, especially menopause, one thing is certain - change. Anna shared, “Nothing is the same. Our bodies are running slower and are less receptive. There are several trends out there…detoxes and quick fixes. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill.” Anna; however, partners with her clients to build both awareness and habits that are small, sustainable, and that are personalized to each individual. In fact, she said, “It is a disservice to start anyone on a program until the body is metabolically healthy.” Meaning, the body has to be a healthy vessel in order to efficiently and naturally replace the body you had before. She went on to say, “It’s a double gift. You’re offering your body relief while also preventing things like osteoporosis.” Ultimately, her clients are given the facts and choose what direction they want to take.
As a true advocate for your health and well being at this phase in life, one of the things you can anticipate if you decide to team up with Anna are questions such as: When did you feel your best? What do you want to achieve? From there, she takes a holistic approach, but what exactly does that mean? A holistic approach includes looking at things like nutrition and fasting where Anna will invite you to keep a food diary for a week to incorporate what you eat, how much you eat, how (quickly) you eat, where you eat, how often you eat. Additionally, together with her clients, she looks at the big picture lifestyle - your sleep, most productive time of day, stress, attitude and mental mindset, supplements, exercise, hormones, symptoms (if peri). Highly encouraged practices include taking before and after pictures as a way to measure progress, as well as to journal and to recite personal affirmations, and to establish morning and evening routines. Her main objective - establishing a workable baseline and meeting you where you are.
Several of her clients have shared that they dismiss the ever present symptoms because they believe it’s not a big enough deal, not important
enough to address, or it’s too expensive. Her belief; however, is that everyone can always feel better, no one should settle, and it’s an investment in your health and well being. With that in mind, some of the services Anna offers at this time include:
1:1 consultations (in person or online)
Group consultations (in person or online)
An eight week customizable coaching program - modules covering topics such as nutrition, sleep as well as morning and evening routines, gut health, mental health, supplements, physical well being, stress, HRT and testing, with an optional recap in 3 months time
Careful consideration and referrals to personal trainers with credentials and who will integrate and take into consideration your metabolic state
Workshops and Speaking engagements - include topics such as yet not limited to: HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and how to go about finding it, the “dirty dozen” (foods we should avoid), how the body and skin are disrupted by our hormones, over supplementing, etc.
There are a number of things on the horizon that Anna has been developing including a Menopause Course as well as functional testing where you can have labs done that she can help interpret. In the meantime, she can help you prepare for your Gynecological appointments or can even go with you to the appointments to help make sense of all the information (or lack thereof).
As the saying goes, Anna “talks the talk, and walks the walk”. When asked about her typical day, it includes getting up early to get in some movement, getting outside to be in sync with her circadian rhythm, going for an evening swim, eating throughout the day, meeting with mentors regularly, mentoring others, enjoying meals with her husband (a foodie who likes to prepare healthy meals). Anna’s time and interest is often spent researching the science related to menopause. Her services go far beyond Qatar as she works on a consultant basis with Sweden, South East Asia, UK and New Zealand.
In hope and in honor of Menopause Awareness Month (October) & Day (October 18), you are invited to learn more about and to be inspired by Anna Wallace-Scott as she anticipates launching new services for women in this region in the near future!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticmidlife/
Website: https://holistic-midlife.com/
Email: anna@holistic-midlife.com
Contact: +974 5017 9486
Ellen Masters Postel
Ellen is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach supporting individuals reach and even exceed their personal goals.
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