High Performance Health

If you've been told that perimenopause and menopause inevitably lead to permanent cognitive decline and "brain fog," the neuroscience says otherwise. In this episode, neurologist and Neuroscience Academy founder Dr. Sarah McKay explains what actually drives cognitive changes during midlife and why temperature regulation, sleep disruption, and constant smartphone distractions matter far more than t...

If you've been told that menopause means muscle loss, weight gain, and declining strength are inevitable, the science says otherwise. In this episode, world-renowned strength scientist Dr. Eric Helms explains what actually drives body composition changes during perimenopause and menopause and why progressive strength training, good sleep, and consistent nutrition matter far more than chasing the l...

In this Bitesize episode, we revisit a key conversation on why resistance training and fat loss need to be treated as two separate goals — and why blending them usually backfires. This short-form cut pulls together the core science on training for muscle/strength versus training for calorie burn, why "lifting to near failure" matters more than the weight on the bar, and a practical progression tow...

Sarah Kennedy of Calocurb explains why food noise spikes in perimenopause: falling estrogen raises cravings while the hindbrain overrides forebrain willpower under stress or poor sleep. She contrasts natural appetite hormones (GLP-1, GIP, CCK, PYY) with pharmaceutical GLP-1 agonists, which run at roughly 3,000% physiological levels versus the body's natural 300% rise - explaining rebound hunger af...

Most of us have heard that we need to exercise more, but today, exercise physiologist Dr Stacy Sims digs into what kind of training actually moves the needle for women — and why longer, slower workouts may be leaving results on the table. We get into the real difference between high-intensity interval training and sprint interval training, why the Norwegian 4x4 is one of the most efficient tools f...

Most of us assume that if we look healthy on the outside, our heart is fine on the inside, but today, preventive cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein explains why that's exactly the assumption that gets women into trouble, especially through perimenopause and beyond. We get into the two numbers your doctor probably isn't checking, ApoB and Lp(a), the first five diet changes Michelle makes wi...

In this episode, Angela is joined by Brad Currier from Timeline to explore why mitochondrial health may be a missing piece of the puzzle for women struggling with energy, recovery and performance in perimenopause. They discuss the role of mitophagy, the process of clearing out damaged mitochondria, and how exercise and Urolithin A work to support cellular renewal. The conversation also reviews res...

Most women think poor sleep is inevitable as they get older. It isn't. It is your stress hormones, your cortisol cycle, and a specific stage of deep sleep called N4, and all three can be addressed.  I sit down with Dr. Juliane Hellhammer, a psycho-neuro-endocrinologist specialising in stress and sleep, and what he shares will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about rest and recovery...

Why Wearing Sunscreen All Day May Be Doing More Harm Than Good for Women Over 40 In this thought-provoking episode, Angela Foster sits down with renowned beauty expert and author Liz Earle MBE to challenge conventional wisdom about sunscreen and sun exposure. Liz discusses why current public health messaging around universal, all-day SPF use might be too extreme, potentially robbing us of vital Vi...

Most women in perimenopause are training hard, eating well, and still dealing with joint pain, stiffness, and injuries that never fully heal. Juliet Starrett, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of The Ready State, joins me to reveal why the joint pain and stiffness so many women write off as ageing is actually a specific syndrome nobody warned you about. We get into what 30 minutes o...

Whittling your diet down to five "safe" foods isn't healing your gut — it's masking a deeper imbalance that declining estrogen may be driving. Nutrition expert Cynthia Thurlow joins Angela Foster to unpack why so many women suddenly can't tolerate foods they once ate freely, and what's really happening behind the bloating, palpitations and brain fog. The conversation explores the link between estr...

You're training consistently, eating well, sleeping as best you can and yet the energy isn't there, recovery is taking longer, and something just feels off.  Brad Currier, one of the leading researchers in mitochondrial science, gets into why mitochondrial decline is the hidden driver behind low energy, slower recovery, and reduced muscle performance in women over 40 and what the latest clinical r...

Navigating midlife body changes can feel like waking up in a completely different body, even when your routine hasn't changed. Around 15% of active women transition through menopause without experiencing significant weight gain, finding that standard calorie deficits and exercise still work. However, the vast majority notice that previously effective fitness and nutrition habits suddenly stop yiel...

Brain fog in perimenopause isn't inevitable decline. Brain fog in perimenopause isn't inevitable decline. It's a systems puzzle, and once you understand what's actually driving it, you can do something about it. In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Sarah McKay, neuroscientist and author of The Women's Brain Book, and we break down the real neuroscience behind why your brain feels different in midlife...

Health expert and Parsley Health founder Dr. Robin Berzin joins host Angela Foster to discuss a proactive approach to managing perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Berzin emphasises the importance of listening to our bodies, tracking whole-body symptoms over time using tools like the Parsley Symptom Index, and utilising continuous blood work to catch early hormonal shifts before standard symptoms like...

What if the key to looking and feeling 20 years younger wasn't another supplement stack, but something you could get for free, starting tomorrow morning? Liz Earle's biological age is over 20 years younger than her chronological age, and in this episode she breaks down exactly why. It comes down to three things most women in their 40s and 50s have never considered: circadian rhythm and the light y...

Angela presents a bitesize episode inn which she explores the physiological changes behind midlife weight gain, focusing on the role of cortisol and the hormonal shifts occurring during perimenopause.  They highlight how the decline and fluctuation of oestrogen and progesterone lead to a redistribution of body fat from the hips and thighs to the abdominal area, as the body transitions out of its f...

If you are eating well, exercising, and still gaining belly fat, losing mental sharpness, and waking up exhausted, your mitochondria are likely the missing piece. This is not a willpower problem. It is a cellular energy problem, and it starts earlier than most doctors will tell you. In this episode, I sit down with Siobhan Mitchell, neuroscientist and mitochondrial health researcher, to explore ho...

Why does belly fat suddenly increase in perimenopause, even when you’re eating well and exercising? In this episode, Angela Foster speaks with Cynthia Thurlow about the real drivers behind midlife body composition changes, from hormones and muscle loss to stress, inflammation, and gut health. They explore why cortisol and nervous system dysregulation play such a major role in abdominal fat storage...

Most women doing everything right in perimenopause still feel exhausted, foggy, and frustrated by belly fat that won't shift. This is not a willpower problem. It is an estrogen problem, and most women are being told to wait when they should be acting now. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Robin Berzin, founder of Parsley Health, to explore why belly fat accumulates around the middle as estrogen...

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified obstetrician-gyneacologist, explores the physical and biological shifts women experience during perimenopause and menopause. She discusses the common issue of visceral belly fat and its health implications, emphasising the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fibre and whole foods over a weight-centric focus.  Dr. Haver also addresses digestive c...

If you're in midlife and doing everything right but still battling fatigue, brain fog or bloating, this episode will change how you think about why. I'm joined by Jessica Kane, cellular health expert and co-owner of Body Bio, to explore how cell membrane health drives energy, hormone signalling, and gut function, and what you can actually do to improve them. This is a grounded, science-backed conv...

Dr. William Li explores the fascinating science of brown fat, a specialised type of fat that acts like a cellular furnace to burn off harmful visceral fat. He reveals how a simple daily habit, like eating a single ripe tomato an hour before lunch, can trigger this fat-burning mode, potentially shrinking waistlines and reducing inflammation.  From the historical discovery of brown fat in hibernatin...

Women’s gut is not just a digestive organ. In perimenopause, it is the control centre for your hormones, your mood, your weight, and your brain. If you are bloated, exhausted, gaining weight around your middle, this episode explains what is actually happening in your gut during perimenopause and what you can do to fix it.  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN • Why is my gut health getting worse in perimenopause? •...

Angela is joined by Sarah Berry to talk about the complex relationship between visceral fat and insulin resistance, particularly during the menopause transition. They discuss how these two factors influence each other in a cyclical manner, making it challenging to pinpoint a clear starting point for weight gain and metabolic issues. They highlight the various symptoms women experience during menop...