Is there a blood test I can do that can establish how far I am with menopause? My 2 biggest issues are 1) not able to maintain sleep throughout the night and 2) weight gain - even though I'm eating right and I walk every day - still gaining

You can ask your doctor to test your hormone levels but it is not always accurate as it does depend on your hormonal balance on the day. Usually you are considered through the menopause after not having had any periods for 2 years so you can often gauge from that as to how far along you are. In the meantime you may find Dormeasan helpful for sleep. Unfortunately, falling oestrogen can cause a problem with carbohydrate metabolism in some women making it very easy to put on weight and practically impossible to lose regardless of how little you eat or how much exercise. You may find cutting carbs right down and increasing protein and veg helps here, have a look at the Low GL Diet for more info on this see Amazon.

Eileen Durward