Begin Again with Davina McCall Everything You Need to Know About The Menopause!
Oct 9, 2025
Kate Muir, a journalist and dedicated menopause campaigner, shares her personal journey through menopause and advocates for women's health. She discusses the emotional and relational impacts of perimenopause, exploring how hormonal shifts often lead to life transformations. Kate emphasizes the importance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its potential to reduce Alzheimer's risk. She also touches on dating at midlife, navigating grief, and the power of self-compassion in rebuilding one's life after significant change.
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Perimenopause Hormone Rollercoaster
- Perimenopause typically begins in your 40s and can last several years with hormones fluctuating unpredictably.
- Progesterone falls while oestrogen spikes and crashes, causing mood, sleep and behaviour changes.
The Menopause Brain Rewires
- The brain rewires three major times: puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause, altering cognition and emotion.
- Gray matter and white matter connectivity dip during perimenopause then recover later.
From Memory Fears To Recovery
- Kate experienced dramatic memory lapses and feared Alzheimer's after her mother's diagnosis.
- Starting HRT cleared palpitations and restored memory within days to weeks.
