What do you do to relax? It’s a question I ask all the time in my nutrition clinic, because making time to decompress from the daily stresses and strains can have a profound effect on how you experience the menopause. And yet, you’d be surprised how often it’s met with a slightly awkward pause, as someone tries to remember the last time they consciously made space to relax. In this final episode of Season Six of The Happy Menopause , we’re exploring a wonderfully creative and therapeutic way to ...
Jul 03, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 17
In this episode, I explore one of the simplest, most overlooked tools for boosting our health – walking. We spend a fortune on gym memberships, personal trainers, and high-tech fitness gadgets – yet sometimes forget that our bodies are already brilliantly equipped for one of the best forms of exercise out there. My guest is researcher and author Annabel Streets who’s just released her latest book, The Walking Cure . Drawing on a wealth of scientific evidence, Annabel explores how different lands...
Jun 05, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Hot flushes have been the butt of not very funny jokes for years, but it’s no fun when it’s happening to you. A hot flush can cause huge distress, especially if it catches you in a professional or social situation, where you might already be feeling a bit vulnerable. In this episode, I’ll be diving deep into the science and solutions behind hot flushes and night sweats – those classic menopause symptoms that can leave you flustered, exhausted and very miserable. I’ll be unpacking what’s really g...
May 01, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 15
Do you experience a range of unexplained symptoms - eczema, skin rashes, fatigue, headaches, IBS, joint pain, poor sleep, or random allergic reactions with no clear trigger? If HRT isn’t helping - or even making things worse - or if your blood tests keep coming back normal but you still feel awful, histamine intolerance could be the missing piece of the puzzle. This little-understood condition is tricky to diagnose but more common than you might think. For some women in menopause, an underlying ...
Apr 03, 2025•37 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Do you have a dream? I bet you do - most of us do! But do you dare to make it happen? It’s easy to feel stuck at this stage of life and wonder, Is this it? The truth is, it’s never too late to make a change, whether big or small. My latest podcast guest, Sally Evans, is living proof of that. An award-winning wine producer with a small vineyard near Bordeaux, France, Sally turned her life upside down at 52. When her youngest child left home, she sold her property, studied winemaking, and before s...
Mar 06, 2025•39 min•Season 12Ep. 13
In this episode, we’re talking about strength - not weight, not size, but pure, functional strength. Because let’s be honest, we can spend way too much time worrying about one and not nearly enough about the other! Strength is vital at any age, but as we hit midlife and beyond, it becomes essential. It boosts confidence, protects our bones, and keeps us active for longer. After all, what’s the point of making it to 90 if you’re too frail to enjoy it? To explore this, I’m joined by the brilliant ...
Feb 06, 2025•38 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Weight loss can feel like an uphill battle for us midlife women. What worked before no longer seems effective, and that’s often due to a slowing metabolism. Years of yoyo dieting may have played a role, but this shift is also a natural part of this life stage. If your body is stuck in fat-storage mode, no amount of eating less will bring the results you’re after. But there’s hope! In this episode, I’m joined by Petronella Ravenshear, nutritionist and author of The Human Being Diet . She shares h...
Jan 02, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Feeling a little apprehensive about the festive season? It’s not just one day, is it? The celebrations seem to start in early December and go on... and on. Your calendar fills up fast – often with events you’re not even excited about! And let’s face it, most of these involve endless food and drink, which can take a toll on your waistline, sleep, and overall wellbeing in just a few weeks. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sharing some of my best tips and tricks to help you keep on track, so...
Dec 19, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 10
The build-up to Christmas can be hectic and stressful, and the thought of carving out a full hour for a yoga class (or any workout) when there’s so much to do can just add to the pressure. This is the 2nd in my 3-part series to help you cope with the challenges of the festive season. I’m releasing them on Thursdays through December or you can listen to all of them straight away, by signing up at www.TheHappyMenopause.com In this episode, I chat with menopause yoga expert Libby Stevenson , who’s ...
Dec 12, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Christmas can be a lot of fun and create some wonderful memories. But let’s face it, all that festive joy doesn’t happen by accident. Behind the scenes, pulling all the strings and juggling all the plates, there’s usually a woman making the magic happen. We really do take on a lot at this time of year. So, if you’re already feeling overwhelmed by all the planning, shopping, wrapping, prepping, and cooking that lies ahead, don’t worry—help is at hand. In this episode, I’m chatting with Chartered ...
Dec 05, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 8
For many of us, alcohol is woven into our lives, whether it’s a glass of wine at dinner or a night out with friends. It provides the backdrop to most big occasions, both happy and sad. But how does it affect us during menopause, when our bodies are changing in so many ways? And how does it influence our hormones and our health? The festive season is fast approaching, and with that can come a lot of pressure, because there’s always a lot to do, and our social schedule can fill up alarmingly. So, ...
Nov 07, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 7
This is a special episode which shines a spotlight on nutrition to celebrate World Menopause Day, It’s actually a re-release of one of my most popular episodes, which I thought you might like to discover or rediscover, because it’s packed with useful information and foodie tips. I thought it was important to focus on foods to balance out my other special, which is on this year’s WMD theme of HRT. In that episode, BMS menopause specialist Kathy Abernethy debunks some of the myths and mysteries ar...
Oct 18, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 6
HRT (or MHT) isn’t natural territory for The Happy Menopause podcast, but as it’s the theme for this year’s World Menopause Day, I thought it would be remiss of me not to cover it. HRT has become a pretty contentious issue in recent years, with a lot of people being very entrenched in the strongly for or strongly against position. And amongst all that there are quite a lot of self-styled experts, who are anything but expert in the matter! I’ve been concerned to see the impact this has had on wom...
Oct 18, 2024•36 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Aromatherapy is much more complex than just lighting a scented candle. The essential oils of flowers, plants, wood, nuts or seeds can have a powerful effect on the body. In this episode, we explore how aromatherapy might support us in midlife, menopause and beyond. My guest is Amy Anthony, a certified aromatherapist and aromatherapy educator who’s an expert in this intricate area. She practices as an aromatherapist in New York City and has taught at the former New York Institute for Aromatherapy...
Oct 03, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Tune into this short message for some VERY exciting news. I’m going to introduce you to The Happy Menopause Club, which is where all the cool midlife women hang out! There’s loads of great content on there for you that I’ve prepared especially for you and I tell you all about it in this short clip. If you can’t wait to find out about it, visit thehappymenopause.com and sign up straight away. I can’t wait to see you there. This month in the club: - A members-only podcast episode on Best Breakfast...
Sep 05, 2024•4 min
Medicinal herbs have been used for centuries to support our health and wellbeing. In fact, some Chinese and Egyptian texts about the use of herbs date back to 3000BC. In this episode I explore the role of herbs in menopause, and how to introduce them into our self-care programme to manage those pesky symptoms. My expert guest is medical herbalist, Hannah Charman. She brings 25 years of clinical experience to the podcast and supports her patients with a combination of herbal medicine, coaching an...
Sep 05, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Premenstrual disorders can make life incredibly miserable. Any woman who’s struggled with PMS will know that, and I covered that specific issue in the closing episode to Season 5. This episode is a follow-on from that, as I drill down into PMDD – premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Although it occurs in the 2nd half of the cycle, this isn’t just a severe form of PMS. It’s a hormone-based mood disorder caused by a severe reaction to the natural fluctuations of oestrogen and progesterone which can le...
Sep 05, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 2
September is a good time for new beginnings, so if you’re thinking about how to build up your strength and fitness if you’ve let things slide a bit this summer, this is the episode for you. In this episode I chat to the brilliant Cara Metz. She’s an absolute testament to the transformative power of healthy living. A dancer from a very early age, she went on to become the Latin American British Open champion and developed a career as an international dancer, coach and teacher. Following her retir...
Sep 05, 2024•40 min•Season 6Ep. 1
You know when it’s coming don’t you? That time of the month, when people start to tiptoe around you and discretion is definitely the better part of valour amongst your loved ones. Woe betide the fool that dares to suggest you’re a little hormonal – especially if it’s a man! Yep, I’m talking about PMS, premenstrual syndrome, which is the focus of this month’s episode PMS can make life miserable, and it can affect different women in different ways, because the symptoms can include irritability, lo...
Jul 04, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Do you ever wonder what you came upstairs for, forget where you’ve parked the car or find yourself grappling for the right word that just won’t come? These are all common concerns for women in midlife because brain fog is one of the classic symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. In my latest Best Bit to celebrate half a million downloads for The Happy Menopause podcast, I’m focusing on brain fog because all that hormonal turmoil plays havoc with the oestrogen receptors in your brain. The resul...
Jun 20, 2024•16 min
Chronic insomnia can be very stressful – not only are you feeling tired and worried about how you’ll cope the next day, but you’re probably also worrying about all those stories you’ve heard about the potential long-term health impact of not sleeping. And that means that you’re even less likely to get to sleep! Women are generally much more prone to sleep disorders than men, and when we reach the perfect storm of midlife, things can get very tricky. In this episode we focus on the potential bene...
Jun 06, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Welcome to my latest Best Bit, part of my series to celebrate half a million downloads for The Happy Menopause podcast, and the chance for you to catch up on some of the brilliant episodes you may have missed. This edition focuses on vaginal dryness, which is rather the Cinderella of the menopause. In recent years, we’ve become more confident about discussing our menopause – some women will mention their hot flushes without turning a hair, and the common mental health symptoms such as anxiety an...
May 16, 2024•15 min
Are you ready for an adventure? Midlife is a time when we can get itchy feet and want to explore new horizons, but sometimes niggling doubts and a lack of confidence can get in the way of that. So in this episode, I’m chatting to adventurer Alice Morrison, who’s just the woman we need to give us the encouragement to take that first big step. Alice is an adventurer, TV presenter and author, who’s currently living in a little village in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. I met her at The Travel Show ...
May 02, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Welcome to my latest Best Bit, part of my series to celebrate half a million downloads for The Happy Menopause podcast and the chance for you to catch up on some of the brilliant episodes you may have missed. This edition focuses on anxiety, which is one of the most underestimated and unexpected symptoms of the menopause, and yet it’s so common. So many of the women in my nutrition clinic struggle with anxiety during the menopause and it often takes them by surprise. This is why I called upon Ra...
Apr 18, 2024•20 min
Our relationship with food can be complex and it’s very often determined by a whole host of different experiences. Some of us might describe ourselves as emotional eaters and find that this can get in the way of a healthy lifestyle, affecting our weight and our body image. The whole arena can be a bit of a minefield. In fact, it’s a specialist field in clinical work, so I’ve reached out to an expert in this area, Dr Romi Ran. Romi is a Clinical Psychologist; Coach and Author who specialises in f...
Apr 04, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Welcome to my latest Best Bit, part of my series to celebrate half a million downloads for The Happy Menopause podcast and to give you the chance to catch up on some of the brilliant episodes you may have missed. We’re looking back at the launch episode for Season 2 for this edition and we’re talking hair! My guest is consultant dermatologist and hair specialist Dr Sharon Wong, who is incredibly generous with her advice. Dr Sharon Wong specialises in treating hair and scalp disorders and she’s a...
Mar 17, 2024•18 min
Are you a sloucher? Do you spend too much time pinned to your desk? Have you started to get a few niggles in your lower back, neck or shoulders? If it’s yes to all of the above, this episode is the one for you, because it’s all about posture, movement and alignment and it’s packed with practical advice to help with all those lurking issues you may have been ignoring or simply putting up with. My guest is Kerrie-Anne Bradley, former economist turned expert pilates teacher. It was her own experien...
Mar 07, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Welcome to another of my Best Bits to celebrate the amazing milestone of 500,000 downloads for The Happy Menopause podcast. This time, I’m diving right back into the archive to Season 1 for this one, because my chat about sleep with Professor Russell Foster was absolutely fascinating, and even in this pared-down version, there is a wealth of excellent advice. Russell is the Founder and Director of The Sleep and Circadian Research Institute and Head of Oxford University’s Nuffield Laboratory of O...
Feb 28, 2024•16 min
This is the first of a series of Best Bits to celebrate the amazing milestone of 500,000 downloads. Huge thanks to all of you for making this possible by listening! Looking back over the past 5 seasons, there are so many great moments of advice, insight and inspiration from my brilliant guests that it’s hard to choose, but I’ve decided to start with some fascinating extracts from my interview with Dr Catherine Walter. Catherine is an Emeritus Fellow in Applied Linguistics at Oxford University, b...
Feb 19, 2024•14 min
In this episode, we talk about vaginas, vulvas, sex and sex toys, because we can! As young people we all tend to assume that older people don’t have sex, but we midlife women know better, don’t we? It may be more complicated for us, for a variety of reasons, but women in mid and later life are still sexual beings and we have every right to enjoy our intimate life just as much as we did when we were younger. But we all know that there can be obstacles to this, such as dryness, pain, recurrent inf...
Feb 01, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 11
