"Dear Mariella, My children are all at university, and suddenly I don't need to cook meals every night. But I feel I've lost my mojo. I want to be healthy, especially as I am VERY menopausal, but where to start?"

First of all, congratulations on a job well done. My second is just off to university, and it's a rite of passage that's both a relief and a sadness . Embrace the freedom! I always think that this is an optimal time of year for reinvention – back to school or university, leaves falling, seasons turning, etc. Autumn feels far more significant than New Year's Eve and all its New Year, New You tropes. Becoming a better version of me can wait until I turn the central heating off.

Mariella congratulates our reader on the freedom soon to enter their life

Embracing healthier habits

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