Real Menopause Talk

How could we all have NOT known? ⁠ ⁠ Dr Heather Hirsch recently appeared on @oprahdaily to discuss Menopause with Oprah herself, Drew Barrymore, Maria Shriver and Dr Sharon Malone and this proved to all of us that there are still millions of women out there who are just as unaware as we all were when we started experiencing Perimenopause. ⁠ ⁠ In this episode we talk about education and she actually puts the onus on the medical community to learn about this life stage. We also discuss her new book 'Unlock Your Menopause Type' in which she demonstrates personalising your treatment plan, going through many symptoms individually and offering a variety of solutions. ⁠ ⁠ If you want to know some more about HRT / MT / MHT this is an interesting listen as Heather breaks down her opinion on the 'window of opportunity'.⁠ ⁠ She also really nails long term self care and reveals the number 1 essential ingredient for great health. ⁠ ⁠ 'Unlock Your Menopause Type' is out on June 6th 2023.⁠ ⁠ You can find Dr Heather on IG @heatherhirschmd and her website heatherhirschmd.com and on all social media with the same handle.⁠

Lavina Mehta MBE is a very busy woman so I was delighted when she agreed to have a chat and share her expertise, her success and of course her personal experience of Menopause with me.⁠ ⁠ Lavina’s story is one of giving and she continues to give to all. Starting her online workouts during lockdown with her family, from her youngest son to her elderly grandparents, her ‘exercise snacks’ lead her to be recognised with an MBE. ⁠ ⁠ Today she talks about her Perimenopause, why she became an ambassador for Menopause Mandate, how her mum is such an inspiration in the kitchen and how she is such a great role model for the South Asian community.⁠ ⁠ Her aim is to bring simple, easy, do-able Menopause and health management that work with you and your schedule no matter how pressed for time you might be. ⁠ ⁠ You can find Lavina on IG @feelgoodwithlavina on her website feelgoodwithlavina.com and on all social media with the same handle. ⁠

Kate Oakley went from 25 years in Human Resources to becoming a Personal Trainer. She credits Perimenopause for the shift in thinking from, “I’m too old” to “Why the hell not?!” Her experience of this life phase hasn’t been plain sailing and she shares her retrospective of body temperature changes, insomnia, anxiety and dramatic mood changes and like SO many of us, she was caught unprepared and unaware of what was happening to her. Kate is now happier with her own level of ambition than she was in her twenties, feeling great, following her passion and helping women feel and look their very best. In this episode we discuss weight management, the surprising progress that can easily be made, the power of the scales and how to ditch them for better mental health and what really works. You can find Kate (soon) on her website https://yourfuturefit.com and you can see her workouts and message her on IG @yourfuturefit

Amy Anthony is one of America’s top certified Aromatherapists and self-proclaimed Aromatic Gardner, currently based in New York City. Working in a corporate environment was a success in many ways for Amy but eventually, the plants found her and lead her to become the sought after voice she is today on how essential oils can support our health, connect us with nature, enhance mental clarity and help cope with life’s overall challenges. Today, Amy shares with us how she supports her clients to find relief from their symptoms, she talks about supporting hormones, oils for energy, sexual wellness and getting into your body. She also shares her personal and very current discovery of fibroids and what she is doing to care for herself at this time. Being so open and telling of her experience re-enforces the power of conversation, especially when it comes to women’s health. You can find Amy on her website https://nycaromatic.com and on IG @nycaromatica

Claire Hattrick is on a roll! Mum to twin girls who are now fully grown, accomplished adults, once a car sales executive turned beauty therapist, she is educating as many people as she can as Menopause Advocate. Clipboardclaire.com started off as a family run project and is now a full fledged business helping women understand Peri to Post Menopause and navigate their way through this time of life and its potential pitfalls. Claire openly shares her truly extraordinary story of the loss of joy that so many of us experience and find difficult to explain, insomnia and extreme joint issues, and when I say extreme, I mean extreme. She takes us step by step through the nine and a half years she endured before diagnosis of Menopause and subsequent recovery. She is a deeply passionate and well loved campaigner, striving to end the mystery around Menopause. You can find Claire on her website https://clipboardclaire.com @clipboardclaire on IG @clipboardclair3 on Twitter and Claire Hattrick on LinkedIn

Pauline has extraordinary knowledge of the human body and women’s health. How we operate and what we need to operate at our best, is her day to day and she is clearly passionate about every aspect of what she does. This is another jam-packed episode. Here, Pauline gives us a thorough lesson in understanding the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone in how they work and what they do for us. We discuss the ketogenic diet, metabolic flexibility, how to get the best from intermittent fasting, weight management and how to overcome the evening snack-attack. As you may agree, Menopause shines a light on how we take care of ourselves, where we need to alter our priorities and even where we need to heal. Pauline is all too aware of this and supports women through the process of cleaning this up, especially from their 40’s onwards. As a heads up, we talk in some depth about emotional eating as a coping mechanism from adverse childhood experiences and eating as filling an emotional gap all of which is a sensitive subject for many. “It’s not you. You’re fighting a primal instinct.” And as a friendly reminder to everyone, the best of you is yet to come. You can find Pauline on her website https://sowandarrow.com @paulinejcox on IG

Post Cancer & Surgical Menopause are two huge and hugely important subjects. Dani has experienced both. She is a mum to 3 girls, a nutrition coach, yoga teacher and many more wonderful things. She is also a delight to talk to. Surviving Breast Cancer at 33, she then had her ovaries removed aged 39. That’s a lot to take in. If you are a Cancer Survivor or are undergoing treatment, if you know someone who is a Cancer Survivor or is undergoing or about to have treatment, please listen to Dani’s episode or pass it on. Today, Dani shares her whole experience from diagnosis through to her current plans. She is wide open about asking questions, finding your tribe, what to eat, the mistakes she made along the way, menopause treatment options and what has been a success for her. We talk about using certain drugs as treatment for symptoms they may not be widely known for - not re-appropriation as such, more like use with knowledgable application. We also discuss how our body may have different needs Post Menopause, questions to ask your medical teams and so much more…even her husbnd’s love of fish & chips! “Give it a go! There’s always a real chance it might really work for you!” You can find Dani on her website https://www.healthywholeme.com/ @healthywholeme on IG @Dani Binnington on LinkedIn

Katie Isles is delightfully easy company and so willingly open about all the ups and downs that go along with living a life! This is the blueprint for a normalised, run-of-the-mill conversation that we should all be able to have. Like so many of us, Katie hadn’t a clue when Perimenopause hit her, aged 45. She suffered crippling fatigue, anxiety, mood swings and was in denial for as long as she could be because she didn’t feel like the Menopausal woman portrayed in the media. She entered what she has called, ‘The Perimenopause Wilderness’. Katie shares her hugely relatable story about her woeful lack of knowledge- which I say with zero judgement, especially having been in the same position - and how she has pulled herself out of the depths. She is living proof that there are many parts to the jigsaw puzzle which include mindset and sheer determination. “You will have superwoman days & days where you just want your elasticated jogger & Ginger Nuts.” You can find Katie using #madformidlife and @katieisles on IG @isleskate on Twitter

Jay Courtney is the most fantastic role model for Post-Menopause and clearly a great friend to many. She shares with us a fascinating insight into life in the 1970’s, when many of us were growing up which provides an added perspective on Menopause and women’s self belief. It has certainly spurred me on even more to embrace the awakening and spirit of change at this time of life. ‘Juicy Crones’ is a most energising and uplifting look at yet another part of life that is overlooked: the. ‘what next?’ after retirement and indeed Menopause and the ensuing discovery of Self. “Embrace Ageing! And have fun for goodness’ sake!” This episode reminds me of my Mum and her friends who she would talk to about all the juicy parts of life - straight in, no smalltalk, just the most fruity, raunchy naked truth! So I dedicate this to all of you Juicy Crones xoxo. You can find ‘Juicy Crones - Free for the Strangest Adventures’ where ever you buy books and for a giveaway at time of release - check us out on Instagram.

Nicola is all about the easy fix - not the quick fix! - the easy, simple strategy that you can implement seamlessly into your already busy life to make it better. She and I actually met about 25 years ago (ever have that moment where you stop and think, ‘25 years?? God that’s a long time) but knew each other in the realms of a very social group and media. It is now an absolute joy to reconnect in the midlife, women’s health and menopause arena. Nicola has many brilliant and high powered cards to play when in comes to solutions for women’s health. She is a registered nutritional therapist, clinical hypnotherapist, a Master Practitioner for eating disorders and a member of The Institute for Functional Medicine. All of which come in handy when addressing hormonal imbalances of Peri to Post Menopause in midlife. In this episode we talk about her health and Perimenopause, nutrition and optimising hormones, cleaning out excess hormones, bowel movements, collagen, stress and island life. You can find Nicola on IG @urbanwellnessuk and her website information go to: https://urbanwellness.co.uk/