Magnificent Midlife

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.

Maryon Stewart is known as the pioneer of the natural menopause movement. She created a non-drug but scientifically based program to overcome issues associated with menopause and has helped thousands of women. She's written 28 books and is also a campaigner for education around drugs. She's made it her mission to ensure women have all the information they need to manage menopause effectively without the need for medication in most instances.

We talk about:

-What it means to manage your menopause naturally

-Why HRT isn't the magic solution to hormonal issues

-The need for a midlife refuel

-The biggest nutritional deficiencies seen in midlife women

-The most common issues women present with who come to consult with Maryon

-The most embarrassing issues women are coping with

-Maryon's advice for low libido and vaginal dryness

-How we can improve our diet and what it helps

-Bloating in midlife and how to fix it

-Why we can get more urinary tract infections and what to do about that

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.

In this solo episode, host Rachel Lankester introduces a brand-new special season of the Magnificent Midlife Podcast: Menopause Matters.

With World Menopause Day around the corner, Rachel is shining a spotlight on some of the inspiring menopause conversations from the Magnificent Midlife archives. She shares her own early menopause diagnosis story, why lifestyle (as) medicine (the theme of this year's World Menopause Day) is so powerful, and what listeners can expect from this empowering rerun series.

She talks about:

-Why she has created a dedicated menopause season

-Her own early menopause diagnosis at 41

-The theme of lifestyle as medicine for World Menopause Day

-Nutrition, fitness, culture, stress, and relationships etc. during menopause

-Revisiting expert voices including Maryon Stewart, Karen Newby, Jackie Lynch, Karen Arthur, and Breeda Bermingham and more!

-How these timeless conversations support hormonal health through perimenopause and beyond

-Why menopause isn't an end point, but an ongoing journey

-Her passion for the Women's Rugby World Cup and the fantastic influence this is having on female body positivity – a bit random!

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.

Want to add something fabulous to your life? Meet Melissa Talago, a serial entrepreneur and portfolio careerist with a single minded passion: to live a life less ordinary. She runs Hoomin, providing content marketing and communications leadership to tech companies. She's also the founder of Glamoraks, a global community for women who hike. She wrote a book on how to divorce amicably and in her spare time, works for adventure travel company Water by Nature, taking guests on sailing trips. This is Melissa's second appearance on the podcast, as I wanted to catch up on all the exciting things she does to make her life less ordinary.

We talk about:

- Melissa's inspiring journey and career transformation

- Balancing her career and personal life

- Her insights from Glamoraks

- Her backpacking adventures

- How to live a life less ordinary

- Overcoming challenges and embracing change

- The power of travel and human connections

- Encouraging all of us to take action

- Living a life with purpose

And much more!

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

Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can 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.

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.

Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, author, and science communicator passionate about making brain science accessible and practical. With a PhD in neuroscience, she specializes in exploring the female brain and its transformations across life stages. Her books, The Women's Brain Book and Baby Brain, delve into the neuroscience of health, hormones, and motherhood. She's also the director of The Neuroscience Academy, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and everyday life.

We talk about:

- Dr McKay's passion for science communication

- Her inspiration for writing her books

- Understanding the brain and menopause

- Advancements in menopause research

- Challenges in menopause research and communication

- The impact of menopause on cognition and mood

- Menopause in the workplace

- The need for reliable data and room for nuance

- Lifestyle and menopause management

- The need for humor in menopause

- Future directions in menopause research

And lots more! If you want to understand what happens to our brains in midlife, this podcast is a must listen.

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

Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can 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.

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.

Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and women's health advocate with over 25 years of clinical experience. Lara has written Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual. Her latest book, Metabolism Repair For Women, a compassionate, science based guide to balancing insulin, losing weight and improving health, empowers women to understand and heal their metabolism for lasting health. Lara is also one of my co-founders at MenoClarity.

We talk about:

- The inspiration for and differences in Lara's books

- The importance of understanding metabolic dysfunction

- The role of hormones like insulin, estrogen, and testosterone in metabolic health and how they interact during different life stages

- The impact of our modern lifestyle

- Challenges in balancing blood sugar

- Defining metabolic dysfunction and its manifestations

- The impact of insulin resistance on women's health

- Strategies to restore metabolic balance

- The role of circadian rhythm

- Practical tips for improving metabolic health

And lots more!

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

Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can 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.

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.

Tracey Yarad is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist who transformed personal heartbreak into powerful storytelling. After a devastating betrayal in midlife, she channelled her pain into her one-woman musical show All The Pretty Things, now touring in Australia and the UK. Through raw honesty, humour, and music, she's helping others heal while reclaiming her own voice. So powerful and inspiring!

We talk about:

- Tracey's journey and the birth of her show

- The betrayal and its impact

- The aftermath and healing process

- The evolution of her show and its emotional depth

- The role of meditation and celibacy

- Her move to New York and new beginnings

- The creation of her book and its impact

- The power of forgiveness and letting go

- Broader lessons and connections

And lots more!

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

Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can 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.

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.

Rebekah Rotstein is the creator of the medically endorsed Buff Bones® system, providing bone health, education and exercise to manage and prevent bone and joint issues for people of all ages. She's an industry leader in Pilates, bone health and movement education. Rebekah was diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 28 and has been helping people improve their bone health ever since.

She talks about:

• Her osteoporosis diagnosis
• The impact of exercise and diet on bone health
• Midlife prevention and bone health awareness
• Understanding osteoporosis and misconceptions
• Primary and secondary osteoporosis
• Bone health beyond density
• The Buff Bones® program and movement education
• The importance of strength training and impact exercises
• Cultural differences in bone health awareness

And lots more!

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

Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel's book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book

The paperback can 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.

Recommended by the Sunday Times.

Feedspot #3 in best midlife podcasts and #14 in best women over 50 podcasts worldwide.

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.