When a woman’s body begins to change in midlife, the advice she’s often given is to eat less, try harder, and push through. Harriet Hills offers a very different message. As a Certified Nutrition Coach, membership owner, speaker, event host, and wellness entrepreneur, Harriet specialises in supporting women through hormonal shifts with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based nutrition. Her approach moves away from restriction and diet culture and instead focuses on nourishment, blood sugar balance, nervous system support, and realistic habits that fit real lives. In this interview, Harriet shares what truly supports women in midlife, not just to manage symptoms, but to feel steady, energised, and at home in their bodies again.

You specialise in nutrition for women navigating hormonal shifts. What are the most common mistakes you see midlife women making with food when their bodies start changing?

One of the biggest mistakes I see is women believing that “eat less and move more” is the answer when their bodies start changing – which, as a huge foodie myself, genuinely saddens me that women are missing out on wholesome meals! It often leads to overly restrictive, low-calorie dieting that increases stress, disrupts hormones, and worsens symptoms.

There’s also a common misconception that avoiding fats is the answer. When in reality, healthy fats are essential for hormone balance, brain health, and steady energy levels. It’s actually the combination of carbs and sugars in excess that causes weight gain over time.

I also see women avoiding weight-bearing exercise and relying heavily on cardio, when strength training is one of the most powerful tools for women in midlife. Many women reduce their food intake in midlife to manage their weight, yet often feel more tired, foggy, and inflamed. From a nutritional perspective, what’s going wrong?

One of the biggest gaps I see is a lack of omega-3 fats, which are essential for brain health, inflammation control, and hormonal signalling. Foods rich in healthy fats, such as oily fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, are often the first to be removed due to fear of calories, yet they are crucial for hormone balance, steady energy, and reducing inflammation. Another major gap is a lack of complex carbohydrates, the body’s primary source of fuel. When carbs are overly restricted, energy drops, brain fog increases, and stress hormones rise.

How do perimenopause and menopause alter the way women process carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and how should nutrition adapt in response?

During this life stage, declining oestrogen and progesterone change how women process macronutrients.

• Carbohydrates: Low oestrogen reduces insulin sensitivity. As a result, carbohydrates are processed less efficiently. Pairing complex carbohydrates such as sweet potato, sourdough bread or wholegrain rice with lean protein, healthy fats and fibre can reduce cravings and enhance digestion.
• Fats: Healthy fats become especially important in midlife as they manufacture our hormones, reduce inflammation, and nourish brain health. Foods such as avocado, oily fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil should be included daily to support energy, mood, and hormonal balance.
• Protein: muscle loss accelerates in midlife, so protein needs are increased. Adequate protein (approx. 1g per kg body weight per day) supports metabolism and insulin sensitivity. It also helps regulate appetite and stabilise blood sugar.

Blood sugar balance comes up often in conversations about energy, mood, and weight. Why is it so central for women in their 40s and 50s?

Diets high in processed foods and sugar and low in protein and fibre drive erratic blood sugar spikes, leading to cravings, irritability, energy crashes and often difficulty losing weight.

Blood sugar balance is especially important in midlife because hormonal shifts reduce insulin sensitivity. This makes the body less resilient to spikes and crashes, directly affecting energy, mood, sleep, fat storage, and cravings.

A simple tip for balancing blood sugar is to include protein with every meal and avoid snacking (I advise 3 main meals + 1 optional snack per day).

Diet culture has left many women disconnected from hunger cues and body trust. How do you help clients rebuild a healthy, intuitive relationship with food?

One of my favourite and most effective strategies is establishing regular meal timings. Many women believe skipping breakfast helps with weight loss, but stabilising blood sugar with protein and fats in the morning (and not just a coffee) when cortisol is naturally at its peak, is key for sustained energy and appetite regulation throughout the day.

I also strongly encourage mindful eating. In a world of constant digital distraction, this can feel challenging at first, but simple changes make a big difference: stepping away from your desk, putting your phone down, and truly sitting to enjoy your meal.

The brain needs to register that we’re eating to properly digest food; when we’re distracted, that process is disrupted and may lead to overeating.

Stress, cortisol, and inflammation are major players in midlife health. What nutritional strategies genuinely help calm the nervous system rather than overstimulate it?

To calm the nervous system in midlife, nutrition and lifestyle should focus on reducing stimulation and supporting daily rhythm.

Limit caffeine to 1–2 cups per day, avoid it on an empty stomach, and have none after midday to prevent cortisol spikes and sleep disruption.

Sadly, alcohol offers no nutritional value and is toxic to the body. As soon as it’s consumed, the body prioritises eliminating it, a process that can take up to 72 hours via the liver. During this time, sleep is disrupted, cortisol rises, and metabolism is slowed, alongside an intake of excess empty calories.

Sleep is foundational. When sleep is poor, the hunger hormone ghrelin rises, driving cravings for sugar and refined carbs. I always say to my clients that a good night’s sleep starts in the morning with early daylight exposure to regulate the circadian rhythm, alongside a calming evening routine that reduces tech and light exposure.

Prioritising magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and legumes helps calm the nervous system and support muscle relaxation.

Supplements are everywhere, and women often feel pressured to take dozens. How do you decide what’s supportive versus unnecessary?

Supplements are highly personalised to the individual, and most of the time, less is more. I always advise women living in the Northern Hemisphere to supplement with Vitamin D during the winter months, along with a good-quality multivitamin.

Sadly, we are bombarded by magic pills that will cure all, but I always encourage a food-first approach. You can’t out-supplement a bad diet, unfortunately. Also, some supplements can negatively interact with each other and medication, hence the importance of seeking professional advice.

Many women juggle careers, caregiving, and limited time. What does realistic, supportive nutrition look like in everyday life, not on an ideal day?

The juggle is a lot, and I completely sympathise with the busy women I work with. I help them simplify nutrition by focusing on planning, which removes decision fatigue and prevents bad choices from being made in the moment. Batch cooking as much as possible or habit stacking is extremely helpful. Ideas I suggest would be boiling eggs or making a chia pudding while dinner cooks, so breakfast is sorted.

The foundations are simple: prioritise protein at every meal and snack, include plenty of vegetables (5-7 portions a day), complex carbohydrates, stay well-hydrated (around 2 litres daily), and allow 3-4 hours between meals.

Practically, this might look like protein and healthy fats at breakfast (eggs with avocado, a chia pudding with berries and seeds, or a protein-rich smoothie), a colourful lunch with leafy greens, oily fish, and sweet potato, and a balanced dinner with lean protein, such as chicken with Mediterranean vegetables. 

Simple snacks such as fruit with nuts, yoghurt with dark chocolate, carrot sticks with hummus, or olives, nourish the body, reduce cravings and balance blood sugar. 

How do you guide women who feel they’ve “tried everything” and are losing hope that their body will ever feel like home again?

My first focus is helping her feel seen, understood, and supported. Personalised nutrition: ideally guided by a certified nutrition coach who understands the female body is key, as no two women have the same hormonal, metabolic, or lifestyle needs.

Alongside this, I gently encourage self-acceptance. Our bodies are designed to change with age, and working with those changes rather than fighting them is often deeply freeing. I often say to the women I coach that I’m here to support their mind, not just their menu, as dismantling negative beliefs and body-shaming thought patterns is a huge part of the process in sustainable, long-term changes.

There is absolutely hope, but things do take time, and patience and consistency are everything.

If you could leave midlife women with one nourishing truth about food, hormones, and self-care, what would it be?

If I could leave midlife women with one nourishing truth, it’s this: your body isn’t broken, it’s asking to be supported differently.

Prioritise a high-protein, high-fibre, colourful diet, limit alcohol and added sugar, strength train regularly, keep your body gently moving (7–10K+ steps daily), and calm your nervous system through practices like yoga or breathwork.

When these foundations are in place, the body feels safe, and when the body feels safe, it begins to work with you, not against you.

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What Harriet reminds us throughout this conversation is both simple and radical: your body isn’t broken, it’s asking to be supported differently. In a season of life where so many women feel tired, inflamed, or disconnected from their bodies, her work gently brings the focus back to safety, nourishment, and consistency. From prioritising protein and healthy fats to calming the nervous system and letting go of perfection, Harriet’s message is one of reassurance and hope. When we stop fighting our bodies and start listening to them, change becomes possible and sustainable.

If you’d like to explore Harriet’s work further, you can connect with her on Instagram at harriethills_nutrition. She also offers a free Smart Kitchen Guide, designed to simplify everyday nutrition and remove decision fatigue. Get your guide here.

And if you’re craving an in-person reset, Harriet is hosting the Re-Set | Re-Nourish: Luxury Wellness and Detox Day at the beautiful Sopers House, a day created to restore, educate, and nourish body and mind. Full details here.

If my words have helped you, a small contribution here will allow them to continue reaching the women who need them most. Also, don't forget to join me on Substack, where I share my Love Notes, a gentle pause in your week to reflect, realign, and reconnect in midlife. It’s not just another newsletter; it’s an intimate circle where I offer fresh intentions, soulful prompts, and simple but powerful shifts to inspire purposeful, creative living. Together, we’ll uncover the small but meaningful changes that help you design a life that feels beautifully your own.