Who Am I?

I’m Dr. Heike Franz, and I specialize in guiding women over 50 through the wild ride of menopause and beyond. Let’s be honest – when people talk about menopause, it’s usually with a grimace and a sense of doom, right? Hot flashes, sleepless nights, the expanding waistline and the sinking feeling that it’s all downhill from here.

But hold on! Who said the zest for life is gone for good? Not me. I’m here to help you flip the script, take charge of your health, and embrace this next chapter like the queen you are. Together, we’ll work on getting you in your best physical and mental shape yet, so you can strut confidently into the last (and best!) third of your life. Spoiler alert: the best really is yet to come.

My journey to these topics is deeply personal: from battling anorexia in my youth, which nearly cost me my life, to years of struggling with food and health, culminating in my later academic focus on nutrition.

After a career in a global company and exciting experiences abroad, I fulfilled my dream of studying nutrition more intensely in the USA.

What started as a few courses turned into a master’s degree, and eventually, I completed a second doctorate – this time on a topic that truly inspires me.

Today, I bring all these experiences and knowledge to my work, guiding women through this unique life phase.

I am a childless dog lady, and you will meet my great Dane occasionally in my course material. I love reading and I admit, my work is also my favourite hobby.

My Path to Purpose

When I chose the topic for my doctoral thesis, I was already in my early 40s. It was clear I wanted to explore menopause – a phase that becomes a challenge for so many women.

In my early 20s, I frequently heard complaints from customers in the fashion store, where I worked part time: “Darling, no matter what I do, nothing helps and I am gaining more and more weight” Ten years later, I ran into an old acquaintance who said the same thing after gaining weight during menopause. I was truly shocked and (yes, I admit it) scared, that this might happen to me, too. This woman was my idol, when I was younger….

These experiences inspired me to research what’s really behind those seemingly unchangeable “menopause pounds.”

My doctoral supervisor put it plainly: “Don’t expect to discover a miracle cure”. What I did find out:  with a targeted and varied approach, we can tackle the challenges of menopause.