The Happy Menopause

Ageing is something that inevitably starts to preoccupy us in midlife, because we all want to be as fit and well as possible as we grow older, and let’s be honest, we’d like to keep looking good too. As my latest guest Susan Saunders remarks, “We all know people who are ageing at different rates. Once you get to midlife, everyone starts to age in a very different way – a small part of that is genetic but a lot of it is down to lifestyle.”  Susan has made it her business to compile the very latest research on cellular ageing and some of things she flags up are a real eye-opener in this fascinating discussion on how to age well.

Susan Saunders is a TV producer, author and health coach. She's spent the last decade researching how to live a longer healthier, happier life and truly believes that we can change the way we age. The fruits of this research led to her co-authoring The Age-Well Project, a brilliant book on the science of ageing and she’s just published her new book The Age-Well Plan, which is full of simple strategies to apply the science in our everyday lives and help us all to lead a longer, healthier, happier life.

This episode is packed with fascinating information about cellular ageing and how we can slow it down to be the best possible version of ourselves as we move through midlife and into old age.  Susan is a fount of interesting information about how we can do some very simple things to get results quite quickly. The investment you make into your health now will reap benefits both immediately and in later life, so tune in to find out how you can lay the cornerstones for optimum health and happiness.

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

Following on from last month’s popular episode How Nutrition Can Help You Manage Your Menopause, I’m shining the spotlight on nutrition again for this World Menopause Day special as we look at the top 10 foods to support a healthy menopause. Get your notebooks ready so you can add them to your shopping list!

My usual pattern for the podcast is to interview an expert on a menopause related subject, but I’m flying solo for today’s episode, because it’s all about nutrition, which is my own area of expertise.  I’m a Registered Nutritional Therapist with a special interest in women’s health and the menopause and my WellWellWell nutrition consultations are available online. My new book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish came out just last week, so I've picked some of my favourite foodie tips for this podcast, to celebrate the launch.

Find out why leafy greens are a powerhouse of menopause-friendly nutrients, how they can support your bones, deal with that annoying twitchy eyelid and improve energy levels. We look at the best food sources of vitamin C and calcium, with some practical ideas of how to include them in your diet. You'll discover the different sources of hormone-balancing phytoestrogens; that you can have an egg every day if you want to and get the inside track on how your diet can help to reduce the risk of urinary infections, thrush and a whole host of other niggling menopause symptoms. I've included a lot of my best tips in this session, so tune in and take note - you won't regret it!

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

It’s World Menopause Day and this year’s theme is premature ovarian insufficiency otherwise known as premature menopause. It’s a condition which affects 1 in 100 women under 40, 1 in 1000 under 30, and 1 in 10,000 under 20. This is where the ovaries are unable to produce oestrogen and progesterone and the menopause happens many years before it naturally should. It can be incredibly stressful for the women concerned and requires specialist hormone treatment to negate the health risks of an oestrogen deficiency at such a young age. So I’ve reached out to Dr Rebecca Gibbs, who’s the perfect person to discuss this because of her professional specialism in obstetrics and gynaecology and her own personal experience of premature menopause.

It was a privilege to chat to Dr Rebecca Gibbs who is a consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist working at the Royal Free Hospital in London and at The Portland Hospital. Rebecca was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency in her early 30s whilst undergoing fertility treatment. She has used her experiences as both a doctor and a patient to volunteer for Daisy Network, the UK’s premature ovarian insufficiency charity and she’s full of great, practical advice on how to cope with this difficult condition and to live a positively child-free life.

We have a frank conversation about the health implications of a diagnosis of premature menopause, the devastating reproductive impact it has on girls and women, the appropriate treatment and how her own experience has changed the way Rebecca approaches all her menopausal patients. Rebecca talks about the excellent support from her GP after her diagnosis, the counselling she received to help her and her husband come to terms with it and how she has created a full, happy and positive life for herself over the past 5 years. We cover the unwitting lack of sensitivity that is often shown towards women who don’t have children and Rebecca is funny and forthright about how she deals with the inevitable: “And when are you going to start a family?” question. We also discuss her work with Daisy Network as their Advice Doctor and all the wonderful support that this charity offer women with premature ovarian insufficiency.

Tune in to hear more from this sparky, interesting and highly inspirational woman!

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

It’s October at last and my regular listeners will know that my new book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish comes out this month. This book has been burning away inside me for a long time now, as there simply isn't enough information out there to support women during this hugely transitional phase of life. So I've drawn on my clinical expertise as a nutritional therapist and included all the information about diet and lifestyle that you could wish for to empower you to build you own menopause diet and specifically target the symptoms that are troubling you. It really is the one-stop solution for every woman juggling her menopause with the daily challenges of a busy life.

This episode provides a sneak preview to some of the diet and lifestyle advice in the book and I’ve handed the reins of the podcast over to my colleague and friend Christien Bird of the excellent White Hart, because I’d like you to get the perspective of another health professional. Christien is a Chartered Women’s Health Physiotherapist and features in Season 1, talking about bone health. She’s a stickler for a proper evidence-based approach, so if she approves, then it’s definitely a good sign. I know she’ll take her usual forensic approach to questioning me, so that you can be sure to get an objective inside track on the book.

We discuss my favourite nutritional strategy for managing menopause symptoms and take a deep dive into the range of different symptoms that can affect women and how the right diet can make a material difference to how you feel in your 40s, 50s and beyond. Find out why this is really not the time for a crash diet and why magnesium is every menopausal woman’s best friend!

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

September is the perfect time to be thinking about new beginnings and of course midlife can often provide an opportunity for a whole new perspective too. As reproductive hormones subside, you’ll have the headspace to become more aware of yourself and to focus on your own choices, so it can be a time of big change. Many women decide to step away from the corporate world at this time to work independently or start their own business. So if you’re ready to do things differently and are looking for a new way to live and a little confidence boost to encourage you, this is the perfect episode for you. I’m speaking to Master Neuro Coach and Business Mentor Laurie Wright who’s made it her mission to ensure that nobody gets to the end of their life and has any regrets!

Laurie is also known as Not Your Average Grandma but there’s certainly nothing average about her! She’s a certified Master Neuro Coach and Business Mentor who focuses on helping empty nesters find passion, purpose and profit in their life. Queen of the Midlife Transformation, she’s drawn on her extensive experience of a busy corporate role and her own personal and professional journey in midlife to develop a highly successful coaching business. Laurie teaches women how to discover what lights them up and then how to create a business around that passion, so that they'll never dread another Monday. This could be the start of something big for you, so tune in for some brilliant advice from a fascinating woman.

We discuss Laurie's extraordinary journey and her own personal midlife transformation which will have you absolutely gripped! She's an absolute inspiration and a truly dynamic woman. One thing that especially struck me is when she said “Don’t ever use age as an excuse not to make your life better”. There’s a shot in the arm, if ever I heard one! Can you afford NOT to listen if you want to get your life onto a happy and fulfilling path through midlife and beyond? 

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

This interview is Part 2 of my exercise series and is full of brilliant advice from former Team GB rower, medallist and women’s health and fitness coach Baz Moffat on the best ways for women in midlife to exercise. It was actually recorded some months ago, just before lockdown, but much of the advice became irrelevant at that stage because we couldn’t access all those public spaces that we’d discussed. And so we recorded a lockdown special about exercising at home, which is Part 1 of this podcast and aired back in April. But now we’re out and about again and the gyms and fitness centres are open,  it's time to release this episode, so you can benefit from Baz’s brilliant advice as you launch your autumn fitness regime.

With a lifelong passion for sport and exercise, and a degree and a Masters in sports science and behavioural change, Baz is fully equipped to motivate and support us with our exercise challenges as we transition through the menopause. She specialises in supporting women in midlife and knows exactly what we need to be doing to get fit and stay strong, and how to motivate us to get there.

We discuss all manner of different types of exercise including dancing, swimming, yoga, resistance work and pelvic floor, as well as how to keep active when you’re deskbound.  Whatever your fitness status, Baz is full of simple, practical advice, so tune in for some excellent exercise analysis.

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show and join The Happy Menopause party.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

Welcome to Season 2 of The Happy Menopause podcast. We're kicking off with a fascinating episode which focuses on hair, because dry and thinning hair can be one of the most frustrating symptoms of the menopause. Of course, hot flushes, anxiety and fatigue can have a hugely negative impact on women, but there’s something about hair that is particularly emotive. I think many of us carry our identity as a woman in our hair and thinning hair and poor condition can often exacerbate that loss of confidence that hits some women in midlife.  So I’ve reached out for some expert advice in this episode from consultant dermatologist and hair specialist Dr Sharon Wong and what a revelation it was!

Dr Sharon Wong is a consultant dermatologist who specialises in treating hair and scalp disorders. After graduating with a first class honours degree in medicine and clinical genetics, Sharon pursued her specialist training at some of the most prestigious hospitals in London.  She went on  to set up a dedicated hair loss clinic at Homerton Hospital. Sharon now runs her private clinic at the HCA Outpatients Centre in the iconic Shard at London Bridge and is a sought-after speaker in her specialist area. In short, she’s a super-busy woman, so I’m thrilled that she found time to record this interview.

Get your notebook ready before you start listening, because you won’t want to miss a single second of her expert advice, as we discuss the impact of genetics, ethnicity, diet and lifestyle on the condition of your hair. Sharon is full of fantastic practical advice on hair products and how to look after your hair in midlife to deal with all the challenging  There really is nothing like listening to an expert talk about their subject. I learned a lot from Sharon and I think you're going to really enjoy listening to everything she has to say, and you might want to rethink your approach to hair care!

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show and join The Happy Menopause party.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

Summer is here and lockdown is easing in most places so I thought this would be a good time to start thinking about new adventures. Midlife is a time which can be transformational and enormously liberating because the hormones that have driven your decisions, approach and emotions for years start to subside and there’s some space for you to become more aware of yourself and consider life from a different perspective. Lockdown has also offered a period of reflection for lots of us. I’ve spoken to several people who are considering making changes to the way that they work or how they live, so this episode is a great opportunity to explore that a bit further. I’m speaking to the brilliant Jo Moseley a self-confessed midlife adventurer who says that you’re never too old to do something wild and it’s never too late to make a difference.

 Jo describes herself as a joy encourager, midlife adventurer & beach cleaner. In 2019 she embarked on a coast to coast challenge in the north of England, travelling along 162 miles of canals on a stand up paddleboard, picking up litter & raising money for charity. But life wasn’t always one big adventure for her. Several years ago, Jo was hit hard by the perimenopause, so tune in to find out how she went from sobbing in the supermarket to paddleboard pro!

Jo is an incredibly inspiring woman and it’s so interesting to hear her story. I really love that she’s done all this alongside her day job and bringing up her children. It just goes to show that you don’t have to make a drastic life change to introduce a bit of adventure into your life. I hope this episode gives you some food for thought to embark on your own midlife adventure.

This is the end of Season 1 of The Happy Menopause and I’ll be taking a break in August. This is a great chance for you to catch up with any of the episodes you haven’t listened to yet. I’ll be back in September with Season 2, which starts with a series of specials to kick things off. I’ll be speaking to more inspiring women and exploring more of those pesky menopause symptoms, so look out for episodes on skin, hair, nails and much more over the autumn.  In the meantime, I hope you have a great summer, full of joy and adventure!

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show and join The Happy Menopause party.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

In this episode, we hear from expert nutritional therapist and host of The Happy Menopause podcast, Jackie Lynch, as she explores a nutritional approach to managing stress. It’s been a bruising few months in lockdown and everyone has faced different challenges, which can’t have been easy. Whatever’s been going on with you, the chances are that your stress levels have been going through the roof at times and the combination of stress and menopause is an explosive one. That's why it seems to be a good time to focus on relieving stress and supporting resilience, and Jackie will take you through her favourite nutritional strategies to help you keep calm and carry on.

Some new research has revealed that women have been bearing the emotional brunt of the turmoil around Covid-19. It was absolutely no surprise to hear that women were more likely to be delivering essential front-line services in low-paid insecure roles; more likely to be leading on child care and home schooling, more likely to be caring for elderly relatives; more likely to have contacted someone lonely or vulnerable; more likely to have checked on family and friends and delivered supplies to someone who is self-isolating; more likely to have their employment impacted; more likely to have their employment impacted; more likely to be uncomfortable with the lifting of lockdown.

And this is the main problem for women: we’re hardwired to nurture, so at a time like this the pressure really is on and women are going into overdrive to check their family is safe and well, support those around them, keep everything and everyone in the household on an even keel, perform at work and as per usual put themselves at the very bottom of the list of priorities. Add that to the pressures of the menopause and you've got a toxic combination of challenges that could be having a very negative impact on you.

As lockdown starts to ease and we emerge blinking into this new world, you’re probably feeling a bit shattered by the experience which is why this episode focuses exclusively on food  and discusses nutritional strategies to reduce stress and support resilience in today’s podcast. Jackie draws on all her clinical experience to provide you with a range of practical tools to empower you to .

Tune in to find out about the power of protein, why vitamin C is crucial and discover the nutrient that is every menopausal woman's best friend. Jackie will also take you through a range of stress-busting ideas for meals and snacks so you have plenty of practical takeaways to add to your daily routine, so that you feel better equipped to cope with the pressures of daily life.

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show and join The Happy Menopause party.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places. 

Sleep can feel like the holy grail for women in midlife – something you’re desperately searching for which is incredibly hard to find. There are many reasons that sleep can be elusive during the menopause – hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations and anxiety can all play their part in disrupting our slumber. And when we don’t get enough sleep, this dramatically affects our health and well-being – leading to fatigue, irritability, poor judgement and loss of creativity; affecting mental health, immune function and even contributing to weight gain. But help is at hand with my latest podcast guest, as I speak to renowned sleep expert Professor Russell Foster who’s just the person we need to help us get our sleep back on track.

Russell is the Founder and Director of the Sleep & Circadian Research Institute and Head of Oxford University’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and has carried out decades of research into the science of circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. With multiple awards and worldwide recognition for his work and over 250 scientific papers on the subject, there’s no doubt that we’ll be receiving the very best advice to support our sleep.

Discover Russell’s 4-pillar approach to getting a good night’s sleep; learn why sleep apps are mostly a waste of time and understand the science behind our circadian rhythms and how exposure to morning light is the key to a good night’s sleep. Russell is full of fascinating insights and practical tips to make a material difference to the quality of your sleep, so tune in to hear what he has to say.

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show and join The Happy Menopause party.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. And if you're tired of feeling tired and grappling with brain fog, check out  my new book: The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy; Nutrition to Rejuvenate Your Brain & Body. It's available in all the usual places.