Natural vs HRT/MHT Debate

You can be pro-natural health and still say yes to HRT. There’s no prize for suffering through midlife.

Why are we shaming anyone who doesn't “do it naturally”?

There is no single natural solution.
There is only personal choice.
Informed choice.

And that’s something I’ll always advocate for — real, evidence-based info, plus a full menu of options to choose from. Not one-size-fits-all. Not shame if you choose to support yourself with natural HRT (MHT) solutions.

I’ve been having so many conversations lately. Some but not all, had have left me frustrated, sad, and really reflective. Because I’ve been there.

Once upon a time, I was Girl on Raw — Australia’s Leading Raw Vegan Chef. I taught health food prep classes and blogged about my raw vegan philosophy, built an online business around it, and passionately believed that living “close to nature” was the answer to just about everything.

And honestly, it worked for a while… until it didn’t.
Life changed. My body changed.
And I changed.

I still value natural health, but I also value not suffering unnecessarily.

I’ve had to let go of the belief that “natural” always means better.

Because what’s natural about crawling through midlife, exhausted, aching, anxious, confused — barely able to parent or work or enjoy anything?

I tried to have a “natural” birth with my first child. It was traumatic.
It nearly ended in an emergency C-section and left a shadow over my whole postpartum experience.

Second time around, I asked for medical help.
It was calm. Peaceful. Painless. Joyful. Postpartum was a radically different experience.

Same woman, same body, different approach.
And a very different outcome.

We don’t shame people for using air conditioning.

We don’t judge people for choosing a car over walking across town.

So why, when it comes to women’s health, is suffering still somehow seen as a virtue?

This came up again over a cuppa with a friend.
She’s 65. Ex-nurse. Always leaned toward natural healing.
She’s in chronic pain, depressed, broke, and barely coping.
Her back, her hips, her fatigue… she’s been “managing” her health with hundreds of dollars in supplements and weekly massages, but she’s still struggling.

This day, she noticed how different I seemed.
She last saw me before I started HRT.

I told her how my own joint pain, moods, and fatigue had eased since starting treatment.
It gave me the capacity to make other lifestyle improvements too, like moving my body again, eating well, and laughing more.

Her ears pricked up.

She’d always been told HRT causes cancer.
HRT was a hard no until she saw the dramatic shift in me.
So I gently shared what I’ve learned: that those early studies have since been debunked, and most modern options are body-identical.

There are risks with everything, especially if you’re not being guided by someone trained in hormone health. But there are also options: different delivery methods, different formulations, different safety profiles, and a growing body of evidence behind them.

She’s now booked to see a specialised doctor, who will work together with her on solutions. She wants her life back, so she can get back to work and joy.

And here's the truth:
Estrogen plays a role in nearly every organ and system in the body.
So when it drops, everything shifts.

This is about far more than hot flushes.
This is when disease risk begins to rise.
It’s a wake-up call — and a window of opportunity.

A time to:
– Build stronger bones and muscles
– Support your gut and immune system
– Protect your heart and mental health
– Stabilise blood sugar
– And work with a provider who actually understands what's going on

Menopause isn’t a phase to push through.
It’s a new chapter that asks for a different approach.
A midlife MOT. A strategy. A plan.

And for me, that plan includes HRT.
But it’s not the plan. It’s part of it.

Because it doesn’t have to be all one way or the other.

I already knew some of the lifestyle changes I needed to make. But when you're deep in the trenches — exhausted, foggy, emotionally wrung out — telling a perimenopausal woman to “eat less and exercise more” is a great way to get your head bitten off.

HRT gave me the capacity to start making changes.
It gave me the energy to hit the gym again, the mood stability to make better food choices, and the brain power to refocus on me.
It gave me the ability to show up to the naturopath and actually follow through with herbs, a detox, and stress support.
To take my vitamins and supplements consistently.
To get my gut health back on track.
To lift heavy, walk more, eat more protein and fibre, sleep better, manage stress, and actually self-care again.

So yes, I advocate for the choice to use HRT.
But no, it’s not the entire solution.
It’s just part of mine.

And I want more women to feel like they have that option — without shame.

Because this is not just about symptoms.
This is about women surviving midlife.

This week alone, I’ve heard of two women who took their lives in the depths of this stage.
And two more who confided that they nearly did — before they got help.

These are not isolated stories.

And no, I don’t buy into the “women have done this for centuries without help” narrative anymore.

Because some of those women also died younger. Or they died longer — meaning the quality of life declined for decades.

Many have said they suffered but were silenced, or didn’t have the language or understanding to know what that shit show in their life was because of.

Some say they were told their rage or memory loss was just “all in their head.”

They didn’t have access to what we have.
And if they did?
They would’ve used it.

We can honour nature and still say yes to science.

We can love herbs and yoga and still need a patch.

We can respect our bodies and support them.

There is no prize for suffering.
No badge of honour for toughing it out.

Just women — brilliant, bright, burnt-out women — who deserve options, care, compassion, and the freedom to choose the path that works for them.

And if that includes HRT?
That’s okay, too.