watch the masterclass: 'master your hormones in your 40s'

It's important to know that as we approach our late 30s but ESPECIALLY our 40s, our hormones start to change quite significantly, and it's all to do with the communication between your brain and your ovaries, which in your 40s can go a little haywire (sigh). The diagram below shows the typical ebb and flow of oestrogen and progesterone throughout an average 28 day (natural) cycle. It's perfectly normal for these two hormones to fluctuate all month and dance their delicate dan