I'm delighted to welcome back Keren Etkin to the podcast! Keren is a gerontologist, entrepreneur, and author of The AgeTech Revolution – a fascinating book about the intersection of technology and ageing.

I love that she describes herself as an AgeTech evangelist – it captures her passion perfectly. Keren is also the founder of The Gerontechnologist and The AgeTech Academy, both dedicated to helping us understand and shape the future of ageing through innovation.

We talk about how technology is reshaping the way we age, the opportunities and challenges ahead, and what it all means for those of us in midlife and beyond.

We also talk about:

-Tech adoption by older adults

-Motivation and digital literacy

-Challenges in healthcare technology

-Making technology accessible

-Addressing scams and digital literacy

-Robotics and caregiving

-Age-inclusive societies and technologies

-The future of technology and personal reflections

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

You can read a blog about this podcast episode here.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

Alison Larkin is a bestselling author, comedian, producer, and narrator of over 250 audiobooks. Her acclaimed autobiographical novel The English American tells the story of an adopted English woman who finds her birth parents in America. She's also the creator of the hit one-woman show Grief… a Comedy and author of the book of the same name.

Rachel first saw Alison perform at London's Soho Theatre and knew she'd be a perfect podcast guest. This conversation is funny, heartfelt, and full of insight about identity, creativity, and finding humour in life's toughest moments.

We talk about:

-The journey of love and loss

-Finding joy after grief

-Exploring love beyond death

-Embracing clarity in midlife

-The power of storytelling

-The life of a comedian

-Alison's journey of comedy and fundraising

-Multiple voices and identities

-Fiction vs. memoir

-The craft of writing

-Grief and connection

-Intuition and spirituality in life's journey

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

You can read a blog about this podcast episode here.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

Want to rethink everything you thought you knew about menopause? I'm thrilled to welcome back Tania Elfersy, someone I really admire and a woman with a truly refreshing take on this stage of life. This is a conversation between two women who care deeply about the state of the menoverse today!

I first came across Tania while writing my book and was immediately struck by her wisdom and insight. The last time she joined me on the podcast, our conversation about menopause was very feisty – and this one is just as spirited.

Tania brings such clarity, compassion and common sense to the menopause conversation. I can't wait for you to hear this episode – it's sure to challenge, inspire and maybe even transform how you think about current menopause narratives.

We talk about:

-How fear-based menopause marketing took root in the UK and spread globally

-Why so much hormone therapy research is being misunderstood, misrepresented, and selectively used

-The real impact of celebrity endorsements and influencer-led "menopause awareness" campaigns

-How the pharmaceutical and wellness industries are profiting from women's insecurities

-What's missing from the current menopause conversation – and why context matters

-How women are being encouraged to medicalize a natural transition

-The dangers of cherry-picked data and the confusion between relative and absolute risk

-The quiet manipulation happening behind so-called "menopause revolutions"

-Why women deserve full, unbiased information before making health decisions

-How to separate fact from marketing spin in an age of social media misinformation

-Why questioning, staying curious, and trusting your intuition are radical acts of self-care

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

You can read a blog about this podcast episode here.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're bringing back another powerful episode for our special Menopause Matters Season - this time with the fabulous Karen Newby.

Karen is a nutritionist who's been practising nutritional therapy for over a decade, specialising in women's hormonal health - particularly menopause. She's the author of The Natural Menopause Method, a brilliant nutritional guide to perimenopause and beyond, and her brand-new book The Natural Menopause Method Cookbook is out now.

In her new book, Karen has compiled 60 simple, flavour-packed recipes designed to help combat and minimise the most common menopause symptoms. These are meals made for time-poor menopausal women who still want to eat well — full of nutrition and bursting with taste. From Salmon Traybake with Tarragon Pesto to 'Stop Feeling 100' Joint Rejuvenation Smoothie, these recipes tackle issues like fatigue, hot flushes, brain fog, irritability, and sleeplessness — showing how food can truly be medicine for this stage of life.

In our conversation, Karen brings a wealth of knowledge about how nutrition can support our hormones and overall wellbeing through this transition.

Here's what we cover:

-How we can best prepare ourselves for perimenopause

-The first signs of perimenopause and what can be done about them

-Good and bad estrogens

-What we can learn from other cultures in terms of food and hormones

-The importance of phytoestrogens

-Food as medicine

-How to stop sugar cravings and why they happen

-Why modern life can make menopause worse

-Why women may get heavier periods as they move into perimenopause

-The importance of maintaining blood sugar levels

-The role of the adrenal glands

-Why we need to get better at managing stress

-Why there's no quick fix when it comes to menopause

-Six simple nutritional shifts to support perimenopause

-Why we need to start putting ourselves first

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're bringing back another great episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the fabulous Tania Dalton.

Tania is a healthy aging coach and fitness trainer, known for her inspiring approach to redefining what's possible as we age. She's passionate about showing that menopause isn't an ending, but the beginning of a whole new chapter.

Since we first recorded this episode, Tania has continued her mission, working as an online health coach helping women over 50 regain their energy so they can thrive in their careers and their lives. She's also launched an exciting new venture — the Midlife Women's Clinic, an online service for Australian women navigating perimenopause. The clinic provides education and connects women with GPs, Nurse Practitioners, Naturopaths, Psychologists, Nutritionists, and other experts who specialise in perimenopause.

Tania brings such inspiration and practical wisdom to this conversation, sharing how lifestyle choices can transform how we age and how midlife can be the most empowering time of all.

Here's what we cover:

-Why Tania became so interested in how lifestyle impacts aging

-Why she's determined to show women menopause isn't the end so much as a whole new beginning

-Simple and effective ways to transform life

-Staying active despite osteoarthritis

-Training for an ironman challenge (she since completed this!)

-Being willing to try things while accepting you may not be able to complete them

-Why Tania feels menopause has been the best thing to happen to her

-The importance of prioritizing sleep

-How Tania manages stress

-The importance of getting outside a lot, especially first thing in the morning

-How living more simply can help with health

-How Tania has accepted her aging self

-Optimal nutrition in midlife and beyond

-Increasing variety in your diet to assist your microbiome

-The importance of strength training and getting clear on what we need to do

-Incorporating HIIT sessions where possible

-Incidental exercise – staying mobile throughout the day

-The impact of stress on increasing belly fat in midlife

-How to simply incorporate meditation

-Not letting perfectionism stop her from going for things

-What Tania most wants women to know

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're bringing back another ground-breaking episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the inspiring Karen Arthur.

Karen is an educator, fashion designer, dancer, podcaster, broadcaster, author and artist. She's the host of the Menopause Whilst Black podcast, which she created to amplify the voices of Black women going through menopause. Karen brings such honesty, creativity, and joy to this conversation. She reminds us that menopause isn't one size fits all and that midlife can be a time to set boundaries, honour ourselves, and open up to what's possible. And that representation matters.

Here's what we cover:

-How the Black Lives Matter movement inspired Karen to create her podcast

-Why menopause isn't one size fits all

-The importance of workplace support through menopause

-The different menopause experience of Black women

-How to actually make a difference around racial injustice

-Karen's personal journey with depression

-Her realization she was going through menopause and how it changed her life

-Experiences with therapy and the importance of doing it when you're ready

-Knowing when to seek help and when to say no

-Establishing boundaries with yourself and your body

-Honouring the ageing process and embracing midlife

-What menopause can truly give us

And so much more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're bringing back another great episode for our special Menopause Matters Season – this time with the brilliant Angela Counsel.

Angela is a naturopath, kinesiologist, and mindset coach working with women in midlife. Like me, she's on a mission to spread the word that menopause doesn't have to be a struggle. It can be a time of stepping into your wisdom and falling in love with yourself and your life.

This conversation was recorded at a time when Covid-19 was very much part of our everyday lives, so we talk a lot about how to support both our hormonal balance and our immune systems in that context. Angela shares deep knowledge and practical tips, all grounded in her belief that midlife is a time of empowerment, not decline. This conversation is very much grounded in Lifestyle Medicine.

Here's what we cover:

-How our jobs can impact our health

-How a miscarriage led Angela to study naturopathy

-The impact of stress on women's bodies and how it can cause early menopause

-The importance of hormonal balance at all stages of our lives

-How it's not normal to experience lots of symptoms around the time of menopause, if we do that means there are issues that need to be dealt with

-The many unnatural products in our lives that can impact our health

-The impact of stress on our immune systems and immune -related health issues

-If you struggle to get over a minor illness such as a cold then your immune system isn't working properly

-Never getting sick is not necessarily a good thing either

-The body's natural response to viral illness and how we can get in the way of that

-Our over reliance on taking a pill to get better

-Eating better, cleaner food to avoid pesticides

-Vinegar can help to remove waxy coatings on fruit and pesticides

-Eating organic if you can, especially if soft like broccoli and berries

-Stress, fear and toilet paper

-Alcohol, stress and the impact on menopause

-The impact of vitamin D levels on people's Covid response

-Why Australia has coped comparatively well with the pandemic

And lots more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're bringing back another episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the wonderful Clarissa Kristjansson. She's a Mindfulness and Menopause expert, author of The Mindful Menopause, and host of the Thriving Thru Menopause podcast. Clarissa is passionate about changing the way women think about menopause and aging. She brings such warmth and wisdom to this conversation, showing how mindfulness and a truly holistic approach can transform our experience of midlife. Her work continues to challenge unhelpful narratives and empower women to take charge of their own journey.

Here's what we cover:

• Why Clarissa became so passionate about menopause
• The power of mindfulness and a truly holistic approach
• Busting myths and unhelpful menopause narratives
• How women can take charge of their own experience
• Menopause, ageism, and the challenges of the workplace
• The potential impact of toxins in our lives
• Clarissa's best tips for thriving through midlife and beyond

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

We're revisiting another brilliant conversation for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the inspiring Breeda Bermingham. She's a social entrepreneur, founder of the Midlife Women Rock Project, and author of Midlife Women Rock: A Menopause Story for a New Generation. A former midwife and nurse, Breeda went back to full-time education at 49, completing both a psychology degree and a master's in sociology. Impressive doesn't even begin to cover it!

This was such a moving conversation — Breeda's wisdom and passion continue to have a profound impact on me. With more and more fear around menopause conversations, Breeda's call to action on menopause is just as timely as ever.

Here's what we cover:

-Why she wrote her book and the urgency of changing menopause narratives

-Breaking taboos and giving women's voices space to be heard

-The legacy of Feminine Forever and the medicalization of menopause

-Her Menopause Cafés in Ireland and the power of shared stories

-What it was like returning to full-time study at 49

-Practical ways women can take more control of their experience

-Why sleep is so critical for long-term health

-Celebrating how amazing women are before, during, and after menopause

And so much more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.

This is a re-release episode with the brilliant Jackie Lynch, Registered Nutritional Therapist and author of The Happy Menopause. I just love that title! Jackie's work is all about how nutrition can help us flourish in midlife and beyond.

✨ Book news! Jackie's latest book The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy: Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body is now out. While her original book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish is a symptom-by-symptom guide you can dip in and out of, this new sister copy takes a different approach. It's essentially a journey through one of her clinical programmes in book form.

So many of the women Jackie sees in her clinic struggle with physical and/or mental energy in midlife, so she decided to take a deep dive into the subject. In this new book, she guides readers through a step-by-step process to regain mental clarity, physical stamina, and overall vitality. It helps you pinpoint what's draining your energy and create a tailored action plan to rejuvenate brain and body. Available now in book, ebook, and audio form, in all the usual places.

If you'd rather read a summary transcription of this podcast episode, you can do that here.

We talk about:

-Why Jackie believes menopause is a transformational time in a woman's life (in a good way)

-Estrogen as the biddable, nurturing hormone

-Why some women suffer badly in menopause and others don't

-The massive importance of diet and lifestyle in midlife and beyond

-How the manner in which we lived when younger can impact our menopause experience

-The impact of stress and the myth of having it all

-How I got my periods back after a diagnosis of early menopause

-The importance of maintaining stable blood sugar levels

-How the body produces stress hormones when blood sugar levels are not stable

-How menopause may not be to blame for what's happening to us

-How our thoughts and beliefs can impact our experience of menopause

-The importance of eating more protein with every meal and snack

-Getting magnesium, calcium and iron from leafy green vegetables

-How phytoestrogens mimic the actions of estrogen in the body

-The wonder food that is flaxseed

-The physiological stress we can put on our bodies through diet and lifestyle

-Understanding whether HRT is right for you and how to balance that with diet and lifestyle

-Why HRT is not a quick solution and still needs a good diet for the best support

-How I weaned myself off HRT at 51

-How just small nutritional changes can make a huge difference

-Jackie's own midlife reinvention

And more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening.

Order Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond, recommended in The New York Times as one of seven top books about menopause at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

US & Canada: https://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/

You can listen to all the other episodes and get the show notes at magnificentmidlife.com/podcast.

Podcast recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #9 in 40 Best Midlife Podcasts and #7 in 60 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts

You'll find lots of strategies, support, and resources to help make your midlife magnificent at magnificentmidlife.com.

Check out Rachel's online Revitalize Experience, a 6-week intensive small group mentoring experience or 1-1 Midlife Mentoring.