Self Care Club - The Midlife Edition

This episode is sponsored by Welbeck – providing beyond better healthcare. Hormones affect far more than our reproductive health. They influence our brains, metabolism, mood and many other bodily functions. Yet when it comes to women's hormones, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, misinformation, fear and conflicting advice around HRT can make it difficult to know what to believe. In this episode of Self Care Club: The Midlife Edition, Lauren and Nicole are joined by consultant endocrinologist Dr Saira Hameed to cut through the confusion, challenge common hormone myths and explore what women really need to know about their changing bodies. Sairas explains what happens when oestrogen levels fall, why menopause can affect the whole body and why some women experience profound changes in their mood, sleep, memory and anxiety. They also explore the idea of the “invisible woman” and why women's symptoms have historically been dismissed or misunderstood. The conversation also tackles one of the biggest questions in midlife health: What is the truth about HRT? After years of fear surrounding hormone replacement therapy, women are now hearing increasingly positive messages about its benefits. But where does the evidence actually stand? Saira explains what HRT can and cannot do, what we know about its risks and benefits, and why it is important to distinguish between treating menopausal symptoms and claiming that hormones can prevent every health problem associated with ageing. They also discuss the relationship between menopause, oestrogen and the brain, including the growing debate around HRT and dementia risk. What do we know about brain health, does the age at which you start HRT matter, and should women be worried about the type of hormone treatment they use? And what about the booming business of hormone balancing? From supplements and private hormone tests to programmes promising to restore hormonal harmony, Saira separates the medical evidence from the marketing. The conversation also examines testosterone for women, including the claims that it can improve energy, muscle strength, mood, confidence, libido and brain fog. Who might benefit from testosterone, what does the evidence support, and what are women being promised that it cannot deliver? If you have ever wondered whether your symptoms are hormonal, felt confused by conflicting advice about HRT, or questioned whether the latest menopause trend is backed by science, this is an essential conversation about understanding your body and making informed decisions about your health. In this episode, we discuss: What hormones actually do and how they act as the body's communication system Why menopause affects much more than reproductive health HRT explained: benefits, risks and common misconceptions Oestrogen, menopause and the brain HRT and dementia: what does the evidence really say? Whether the age at which you start HRT matters Perimenopause, anxiety, brain fog and sleep changes When to investigate symptoms rather than assume they are caused by menopause Hormone balancing, private hormone tests and supplements Testosterone for women: evidence, benefits and limitations Why menopause affects every woman differently Three things Dr Saira Hameed wishes every woman knew about her hormones About Dr Saira Hameed Dr Saira Hameed is a consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Welbeck, and an honorary clinical senior lecturer at Imperial College London. She is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling book The Full Diet and her latest book, Signals, which explores the power of hormones and why understanding the body's communication system matters more than ever. Find Saira Hameed here: https://welbeck.com/find-a-specialist/dr-saira-hameed Please Note: This episode is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Speak to your healthcare professional about your individual symptoms and treatment options. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would you do if you weren't afraid?  This week on Self Care Club, Lauren and Nicole are exploring fearlessness in midlife and why, despite having considerably more life experience than we did in our twenties, we can still find ourselves held back by fear, self-doubt and worrying about what other people think. From the fear of failure and success to the anxiety of being a beginner again, we look at the everyday ways fear influences our decisions. Why do we spend so much time imagining what could go wrong before we've even tried something? Why are we so frightened of looking foolish? And why do we sometimes reject ourselves before anybody else has had the chance? We explore the powerful connection between courage and vulnerability, including Brené Brown's work in Daring Greatly. It's a reminder that the people who deserve the credit aren't those standing on the sidelines judging everyone else, but those prepared to get into the arena, take a risk and have a go. We also discuss why midlife can be such a challenging time to embrace change.  In this episode: Why fear can become more powerful in midlife. How fear of judgement and other people's opinions holds women back. Brené Brown, vulnerability and the courage to get into the arena. Why being a beginner again can feel so uncomfortable in your forties and fifties. Overcoming the fear of failure, rejection and starting again. How to embrace change and stop using age as an excuse. What would you do if you weren't afraid? Are you genuinely not interested in doing something, or are you simply frightened of trying? You don't have to be fearless to begin. You just have to be brave enough to take the first step. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Ad⏐AG1's best ever deal currently at under £50 per month when you take a quarterly subscription. Try AG1 for 90 days and see how it can help support your energy, mood and focus at: https://drinkag1.com/selfcare All orders include a Welcome Kit with scoop, shaker, canister, 5 travel packs and a bottle of VitaminD3K2. You can find all the details on the health benefits via the link. Study results are held by AG1, 2023. If you’re ready to launch your business before Black Friday, go to Shopify.com to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if turning 40 is about finally becoming brave enough to ask what do I actually want? This week on Self Care Club: The Midlife Edition, we’re talking fearlessness, resilience, reinvention and what happens when you stop living according to someone else’s expectations. Our guest is Vicki Anstey - who is an inspiring example of midlife reinvention, resilience, identity, courage and pushing your own limits. A double world record-holding adventurer, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, human performance coach and author. After a career in marketing and building a successful fitness business, Vicki’s life changed dramatically at 40. She ended her marriage, entered SAS: Who Dares Wins, rowed unsupported across the Pacific Ocean and cycled 3,000 miles across America as part of record-breaking teams. But this conversation isn’t really about rowing oceans or cycling across continents. It’s about fear  and what happens when you stop letting it make your decisions. We talk about confidence and ageing, resilience, failure, friendship under extreme pressure, starting again in midlife, and whether women have been taught to settle for smaller lives than they actually want. Vicki also tells us about her brilliant book, Other People Are Like The Weather: Stop Managing the Forecast, Start Mastering Yourself  and why learning to manage ourselves rather than trying to control everything around us might be one of the biggest lessons of midlife. In this episode: What fear really feels like when you’re doing something terrifying How to build resilience Why confidence can come from experience What women underestimate about themselves as they get older Living according to someone else’s “forecast” Failure, setbacks and learning to trust yourself Why women need to stop asking for permission You can learn more about Vicki here: https://vickianstey.co.uk/  Instagram: @vickianstey Other People Are Like The Weather: Stop Managing the Forecast, Start Mastering Yourself is available now. Instagram: @selfcareclubpod Email: [email protected] Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Get in touch with us: Self Care Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is saying no so hard for women in midlife? Your kids, your partner, your parents, your friends, your work and the school WhatsApp all want a piece of you — and because you're so capable, everyone assumes you'll say yes. This week on Self Care Club: The Midlife Edition, Nicole Goodman and Lauren Mishcon talk about why saying no might be one of the most important forms of self-care in your 40s and 50s — and how to actually do it without guilt. In this episode: Why women are conditioned to people-please — and why midlife is the moment to stop "What you tolerate, you allow": how being capable makes people assume you'll do everything The joy of JOMO — why you don't have to go to everything anymore Why a genuine no is kinder than a fake, resentful yes The simple pause that stops the automatic yes Every no is a yes to something else You don't need an excuse — how to say no honestly and briefly Saying no to the request, not the person Curating your friendships and letting other people be disappointed Where to start if you really struggle with setting boundaries If you've ever got to Friday night completely exhausted from a week of things you didn't want to do, this one's for you. If you’re ready to launch your business before Black Friday, go to shopify.com to start your free trial. Join The Midlife Club on Substack for exclusive extras and everything we mention on the show: substack.com/@themidlifeclub Read our book, Have You Tried This? by Nicole Goodman and Lauren Mishcon. Self Care Club: The Midlife Edition is a British Podcast Award-winning show about midlife, menopause, wellbeing and self-care for women in their 40s and 50s. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by Welbeck – providing beyond better healthcare. Welcome to Ask The Doctor. In this special bonus episode, we put your midlife health questions directly to a medical expert  and this time, we're talking about bladder issue, urinary incontinence, prolapse and UTIs.  We put your questions to consultant urological surgeon Neha Sihra. She specialises in the investigation and treatment of male and female urinary incontinence, bladder dysfunction, neuro-urology, bladder pain and urinary tract infections and performs a range of surgical procedures for these conditions.  Got a question for a future Ask The Doctor? Keep an eye on our socials for details of how to send yours in. We'd love to hear what you've always wanted to ask a medical expert. Email: [email protected]: @selfcareclubpod Find Neha Sihra here: https://welbeck.com/find-a-specialist/miss-neha-sihra Please note: Self Care Club is for entertainment purposes and not personal medical advice. If you have symptoms or concerns about your bladder, urinary health or pelvic floor, please speak to a qualified healthcare professional. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by Welbeck – providing beyond better healthcare. On today’s show we’re talking about something that affects millions of women but that we still find surprisingly difficult to talk about: our bladders. Urinary incontinence, recurrent UTIs, pelvic floor problems and prolapse are incredibly common, particularly as women move through their 40s, perimenopause and menopause. But how much of it is actually "normal", how much should we put up with, and when should we get help? This week we are joined by Miss Neha Sihra, Consultant Urological Surgeon, to answer the questions women are often too embarrassed to ask. We talk about why childbirth, perimenopause and menopause can change your bladder, whether low oestrogen can cause urinary symptoms even without vaginal dryness, and whether needing to wee more frequently or waking up several times a night is simply part of getting older. We get into urinary incontinence, including stress incontinence and overactive bladder, why women leak when they laugh, sneeze, run or jump, and what treatments are actually available. Then it's time for UTIs. Why do some women suddenly start getting recurrent infections in midlife? How can you tell the difference between a UTI, overactive bladder and menopause-related urinary symptoms? Can you have UTI symptoms without actually having an infection? And does cranberry really help? We also tackle pelvic floor health and prolapse. What does a prolapse actually feel like? Can you have one without knowing? Does running, lifting weights or playing sports make it worse? And what's the difference between a weak pelvic floor and one that's actually too tight? Finally, Neha explains which bladder and urinary symptoms women should get checked rather than simply putting them down to ageing or menopause, and the symptoms she wishes women would stop ignoring. If you've ever crossed your legs before sneezing, planned your day around toilet locations, had a UTI at the most inconvenient possible moment or wondered whether that sudden need to wee every five minutes is "just your age", this one's for you. In this episode we discuss: Women's bladder health Urinary incontinence and menopause Stress incontinence Overactive bladder Recurrent UTIs UTIs and perimenopause Vaginal oestrogen and urinary symptoms HRT and bladder health Pelvic floor problems Pelvic organ prolapse Bladder problems and sex Exercise and urinary incontinence When to see a urologist Which urinary symptoms should be checked by a doctor Find Neha Sihra here: https://welbeck.com/find-a-specialist/miss-neha-sihra Please note: Self Care Club is not medical advice. If you have symptoms or concerns about your bladder, urinary health or pelvic floor, speak to a qualified healthcare professional. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diagnosed with ADHD at 40, Kate Moryoussef explains what ADHD really looks like in women over 40, why so many reach midlife before spotting it, and how perimenopause, oestrogen and HRT can change your symptoms. If you've ever wondered whether your forgetful, overwhelmed, emotionally intense brain is more than "just your personality", this episode is for you. Kate is the host of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, author of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, an EFT practitioner and mum to four neurodivergent children. IN THIS EPISODE:In this episode we discuss: ADHD in women and why it is often diagnosed later in life ADHD symptoms in women over 40 ADHD and perimenopauseOestrogen, hormones and ADHD symptoms ADHD and HRTBrain fog and forgetfulness ADHD and anxietyRejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)Emotional regulation and overstimulation ADHD and workProcrastination and executive dysfunction ADHD burnout and masking ADHD-friendly self-careSensory regulationSleep, movement, food and caffeine Getting an ADHD diagnosis in midlife 🔗 Find Kate: https://www.adhdwomenswellbeing.co.uk/ 🎧 Listen to the podcast: [link] 📱 Instagram: @selfcareclubpod ✉️ [email protected] Self Care Club is not medical advice. If you have concerns about ADHD, please speak to a qualified professional. Try AG1 at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare for £20 off your first order + 5 Travel Packs, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 and the Welcome Kit free, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. #ADHDinWomen #Perimenopause #MidlifeWomen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever heard us mention a pair of jeans, a hair product or a recipe in passing and wished you'd written it down? That's exactly why we've started The Midlife Club on Substack. It's our home for everything behind the episodes: the products, recipes, clothes and bits and pieces we chat about on the show, all in one place, plus extra content you won't hear anywhere else. Come and join us: https://substack.com/@themidlifeclub See you in the club x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Nicole's daughter Daisy went off to uni — and it's brought up every contradictory feeling going: pride, relief, grief, liberation, and the sudden silence of a house that used to be full of noise. In this episode, Lauren and Nicole dig into what it really means to become an empty nester (or, as they'd rather call it, a "free bird") — without turning it into either a tragedy or a celebration. Because you're allowed to feel whatever you actually feel. We cover the emotional whiplash of drop-off day, what you're really grieving when the house goes quiet, the identity shift of no longer being needed the same way, navigating phone calls and contact without guilt-tripping, why the empty nest doesn't actually stay empty, and how to rebuild your relationship with your partner once the parenting dynamic changes. If your kid has just left, is about to leave, or you're dreading it already, this episode is your permission slip to feel it all. Get in touch with us: Self Care Club Instagram: @selfcareclubpod Email: [email protected] Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the midlife confidence crisis isn't about losing confidence; but about outgrowing what used to create it? In today’s episode Lauren and Nicole unpack why confidence feels harder to access in your 40s and 50s, even when nothing's "wrong." They break confidence down into six areas: identity, capability, body image, desirability, agency, and belonging and do a confidence audit asking the questions most women never stop to ask themselves. In this episode we discuss: Why the confidence markers that worked in your 20s and 30s stop working in midlife The link between perimenopause symptoms (brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep) and feeling "less capable" Body image and attractiveness in midlife -  what actually changes Why confidence often comes after action, not before it Rebuilding friendships and finding "your people" in midlife How evidence, not perfection, builds real confidence If you've ever felt like you don't recognize yourself lately, this episode is for you. Get in touch with us: Email us: [email protected] Instagram @selfcareclubpod  Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices