The Happy Menopause

Exercise is a non-negotiable for women in midlife. It can make a material difference to bone density and muscle tone which both decline significantly during and post-menopause, and of course it’s also crucial for heart health, mental health and stress management. And with self-isolation now part of our daily lives, it’s more important than ever at the moment, for our overall well-being. In this episode I speak to Baz Moffat, former Team GB rower and women’s health & fitness coach, who thinks we all need to move more and she’s absolutely right!

The UK is in Corona virus lockdown right now, so I speak to Baz remotely from her She Shed! She’s an exercise specialist and all-round inspiration with a fascinating story and she’s made it her business to support women in midlife with her Strong To The Core exercise programmes. A lifelong fan of sport, she put the groundwork in with a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science, followed by a Masters at Bristol University, where she became fascinated by the psychology of health-related behaviour change, in other words: how can you get people to do something consistently that they fundamentally don’t want to do, even though they know it’s good for them? Does that sound familiar?! I’m sure we could all benefit from her magic touch in the exercise arena, especially now we’re all stuck at home. Her new online programme, Strong With Baz, could be just what we need in these times of self-isolation!

We discuss the importance of exercise for optimum health in midlife and beyond, and Baz is full of helpful advice about how to motivate yourself to exercise effectively at home during this time of lockdown, as well as looking ahead to a time when we can go back to our gyms, parks and pools. We explore the types of exercise that are most relevant for women in midlife and how to practice “body literacy”, so that you apply the approach that’s most appropriate for you and learn when to push through and when to go easy on yourself.

I really enjoyed chatting to Baz, she’s full of good suggestions and useful insights. One of the things that really chimed with me was her comment that women will be hit especially hard by the Corona virus, taking on more caring responsibilities, home schooling, worrying about food supplies, nutritious meals and the overall well-being of everyone else around them. If that sounds familiar, then there’s no doubt that this episode will be very relevant to you!

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. 

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It’s all about getting the message out there and enabling and empowering women to make a difference to their lives. So I thought it was the perfect opportunity to interview Rachel Weiss, the founder of Menopause Café, a grassroots project to support women in midlife and raise awareness in local communities. It’s an inspirational tale of how a light bulb moment can become a global movement!

Rachel Weiss is an accredited counsellor, coach and entrepreneur, plus full-on menopause champion. Her work has made a tangible difference to women in midlife when she was inspired to start Menopause Café after watching a TV programme about the menopause in 2017. It’s taken off in a big way, expanding across the UK and a whole range of countries, helping to support women in local communities. She’s also founded the annual Menopause Festival (aka #Flushfest), a celebration of women in midlife which features everything from health and wellbeing workshops, arts and crafts activities and midlife-themed cabaret and stand-up comedy. Tune in to find out more about this incredibly dynamic woman and to hear the Menopause Café story. 

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. 

The menopause might be the end of a chapter, but it’s also an opportunity for a whole new one. This stage of life can actually be transformative and enormously liberating on a number of levels, because the hormones that have driven your decisions, your approach and your emotions since puberty start to take a back seat. It’s an opportunity for a whole new perspective and a new start, where you can become more aware of yourself and have the confidence and head space to focus on your own choices.

So that’s exactly what we explore in this episode, as I speak to the inspirational Camilla Sacre-Dallerup. One of her many wise comments in this interview is that “Confidence is like a muscle that we go to the gym and train” – find out how you can increase your self-confidence and boost your motivation so that you’re as happy and fulfilled as you deserve to be for the next phase of your life. 

Camilla is the perfect person to talk to about transformation and new beginnings. Some of you may know her better as a hugely talented and much-loved star of Strictly Come Dancing in the UK, but she’s talking to us in her other professional capacity. After winning the show in 2008, Camilla changed direction and decided to pursue a lifelong interest in psychology. She’s gone on to launch a successful business as a life coach, hypnotherapist and meditation teacher and has just published her 3rd book: It’s Not You, It’s Me: How to Heal Your Relationship With Yourself And Others. There is no better person to speak to about building your confidence and taking care of yourself so that you can transform your life:- not only has she done it herself, but she has all the motivational and mind tools to help you do it too! 

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. 

Low libido is one of those extra little gifts from the menopause which you may not have expected. As sex hormones start to decline, it can have a very real impact on your va va voom and there are lots of ways this might affect you – vaginal dryness might make sex too painful; you may lack body confidence – it’s hard to feel desire for your partner if you’re not feeling very desirable yourself; fatigue or headaches – classic but very real reasons for saying “no thank you” to a nudge from your partner. Low mood, depression or anxiety will directly affect your motivation and all of the above may impact your relationship. If any or all of these are an issue for you, there’s very little chance that any bedroom action is on the cards, but help is at hand with the latest episode of The Happy Menopause. 

This podcast is full of simple and practical advice to get your intimate life back on track, as I have a frank conversation with Tracey Cox, who’s one of the world’s foremost writers on sex and relationships. She’s just the woman we need for this subject, because she’s been writing, researching and talking about sex for thirty years and has toured the world as an international sex, body language and relationship expert. Her multiple books include the best-selling Hot Sex: How to Do It and her brand new book Great Sex Starts At 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido simply has to be the go-to sex and relationship manual for women in midlife!

Tracey has so many brilliant and practical tips that you're sure to find the solution to whatever challenges you're facing in the bedroom, and I throw in some nutrition advice to help you tackle low libido.

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. 

It’s that time of year when you might be looking to lose a few pounds which isn’t an easy task for women in midlife. As if the menopause wasn’t tough enough, with all the different symptoms you experience, the gradual increase in weight that comes with the menopause can often feel like the last straw! This is the time in life where even women who’ve never had to watch their weight may start to notice that the pounds are creeping on and most women find that it takes a lot more effort to shift a spare tyre than it used to. But help is at hand with this month's guest: the brilliant Dr Zoe Harcombe joins me to talk through her tips for successful weight loss.

Zoe is a researcher, author and specialist in weight management and obesity. It’s an area she’s always been passionate about, even when she was working full-time as a senior executive for a large blue chip organisation, where she somehow found time to publish 3 books on the subject! In 2007, she left to become a full-time researcher, and this culminated in the publication of The Obesity Epidemic: What caused it? How can we stop it? Zoe has also published numerous academic papers and her Harcombe Diet Club is an online community for people who are seeking support in developing a healthier lifestyle. Her advice is definitely worth listening to, so tune in to hear what she’s got to say!

You'll discover Zoe's 3-step approach to successful weight management, learn why fat is your friend during the menopause and discover a brilliant new tip to stop to snacking in the evening.

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. 

Hot flushes can be a real nightmare for some women during the menopause. They're disruptive, embarrassing and uncomfortable, especially at work, in a social situation or at night. So what can we do about it? There are lots of ways that diet and lifestyle can pro-actively address hot flushes, and there are also some fabulous clothes out there that can help you keep your cool when you’re temperature is soaring. In this episode I take a look at some practical food and fashion solutions which will make a real difference to the way that you look and feel.

Tune in for The Happy Menopause Top Ten countdown of diet and lifestyle tips to relieve your hot flushes and discover a fabulous fashion collection designed to keep you cool, no matter how bad your night sweats. Meet Nancy Zeffman and Eileen Willett, two inspiring women who set out to change the face of fashion for menopausal women when they founded their brand Cucumber Clothing just two years ago. Using clever tech fibres and drawing on Eileen’s fashion background, they’ve produced some truly gorgeous clothes. Their mission is to keep you looking and feeling cool, so that you’re happy and confident during the day and much more comfortable at night. Any woman who struggles with hot flushes and night sweats will definitely want to hear what they’ve got to say.

Forget everything you thought you knew about natural fibres being the best and discover a whole new world of femtech clothing which are specially designed to make you look and feel good throughout the menopause. And it's not just about looking good! Cucumber Clothing has a strong sustainable ethos at every level, from the sourcing through to the packaging and labelling. It's a truly impressive story of what two determined women can achieve!

Listen in to get your promotional code for 15% off the Cucumber Clothing range, so you can treat yourself this Christmas. Check the Show Notes for this episode on my website for more information and Terms & Conditions. 

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. 

Do you spend most of your time thinking about and looking after other people? It’s something women seem hardwired to do, but how good are you at looking after yourself and putting your health and happiness first? Our nurturing gene seems to have a blind spot when it comes to our own wellbeing, yet the menopause is the very time when self-care is incredibly important. “Your health in those 10 years before the menopause can actually affect how easy your transition is through it.” Wise words indeed from this month’s guest! 

In this episode I speak to Dr Louise Wiseman, a former GP, now health writer and motivator for women, whose first book “Your Best Life - A Doctor’s Secret Guide to Radiant Health Over 40” is due for release in Summer 2020. Louise has researched and written about all aspects of women’s health alongside the process of healthy ageing and has worked with specialists at the forefront of their fields. She’s interviewed 45 prolific women for the book to see how 'real women think' and what influences their attitudes to health and life over 40.  The result is a fascinating snapshot of female life now, alongside evidence-based information to empower you to live your best life possible whatever your age!

Louise and I discuss the importance of self-care and empowering women to put themselves and their health at the top of the list, because this is your time and both you and your loved ones will benefit if you’re feeling strong, happy and confident. 

For more information about Louise and the work that she does, as well as helpful resources related to this episode, check out the Show Notes on my website.
 
If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps the show get found by new listeners who will really benefit.
 
 

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 today and we’re celebrating women in midlife with this special episode. There’s no better day to be busting the taboo about discussing the menopause and raising awareness of the different symptoms women experience and the range of solutions available to them, which is why I’m speaking to the brilliant team from Pausitivity. They’ve made it their business to get menopause information out there and have been having a lot of fun long the way. It’s a great story, so tune in and enjoy!

In this episode, I speak to three very different women, who’d never met before and who still haven’t met in person. They came together through social media due to their frustration with the lack of menopause information available for women and their determination to do something about it. Karen Kenning, Elizabeth Carr-Ellis and Clare Shepherd are the founders of the Pausitivity poster campaign. They always say, if you want something done ask a busy woman, and the Pausitivity women have certainly got things done! They’ve taken Twitter by storm and are doing quite an amazing job of raising awareness about the menopause. 

Listen to their fascinating stories and learn about their journey to get their Know Your Menopause symptoms poster in every doctor’s surgery. Their #PosterSelfie campaign is causing a real stir, receiving support from GPs, MPs, health campaigners and celebrities. They’ve even managed to get several guys on board, including Tony Hadley and Jeremy Vine! It's a very inspiring story and a real testament to the power of positivity and friendship.

For more information about this episode and to find helpful links in the show notes, visit my website. 
 
If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps the show get found by new listeners who will really benefit.

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, so we are celebrating women in midlife and shouting about the menopause in all its glory. Over the past year, the taboo around discussing the menopause has been gradually chipped away, which is encouraging, but there’s very little portrayal of the menopause in the arts, so I’m excited to tell you all about new play called Mid Life which is coming to the Barbican in London in February 2020. We have 2 free tickets to give away, so tune in to find out how you could be the lucky winner.

In this episode, I speak to award-winning author Sheila Chapman who has written a play called Mid Life which charts the experiences of three very different women and their journey through the menopause. Dr Isabel De Salis is also joining us remotely and her research project is an important part of the picture. The play aims to bust myths about midlife and the menopause, and Sheila drew on some of the key themes of Isabel’s interviews with menopausal women to develop the script and to give the characters a truly authentic voice. I’m pretty sure you’ll recognise several of the challenges they face, so that you’ll laugh and cry along with them if you go to see the play!

Sheila has big ambitions to extend the show and the important messages it contains beyond the theatre to reach a wider audience. She’d like to put on shows for free in community centres, places of work and in libraries and host discussions which capture the diverse voices of all kinds of different women, which could be incorporated into future iterations of the show and also into a book that will be published next year. If you’d like to support this brilliant work and help Mid Life go on tour, you can make a donation via Sheila’s crowdfunder. 

For more information about this episode, details of the crowdfunder and how to win tickets to see the play at the Barbican, check out the show notes on my website.
 
If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps the show get found by new listeners who will really benefit.

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. 

Have you ever had a little wee when you sneeze, cough or exercise? Honestly? Because it wouldn’t be surprising. It’s called stress incontinence and it happens to 1 in 3 women, yet it’s the one thing we never speak about. 40% of women are too embarrassed to consult their doctor about it and just accept what the media has coyly termed “whoops” moments as an inevitable part of ageing. But it doesn’t have to be that way – for many women, the issue can be corrected in as little as 6 weeks with the right support.

In this episode, I speak to women’s health physiotherapist Myra Robson, who specialises in pelvic health at Lewisham Hospital in London, supporting women with stress incontinence and prolapse. She’s absolutely passionate about getting the message out there and is part of the Pelvic Roar campaign team which raises awareness about pelvic health. She’s also the founder of the awarding-winning Squeezy app, to help us all keep on track with our pelvic floor exercises.

“Common, not normal” is her view on leaking and she unravels the mysteries of the pelvic floor, so you understand exactly what’s going on when you leak and how you can stop it.

There’s an awful lot of help out there, once you know where to look, and in many cases the solution can be very simple, so there’s no reason to assume you’ll have to pad up for the rest of your life. Myra explains how to do your pelvic floor exercises correctly, so join us for a ‘squeeze-along’ and find out what inspired her to create the brilliant Squeezy app, which I think every woman should have on her phone. It certainly helps me to keep on track with my exercises.

Resolving your pelvic floor issues can be life-changing and make for a happier and healthier midlife and old age. Follow Myra’s advice and you’ll be able to laugh, sneeze and run to your heart’s content and never have another whoops moment.

For more information about this episode and links in the show notes visit http://www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast. 

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave a review on Apple iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts as it helps the show get found by new listeners who will really benefit.

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.