Hot & Healthy Menopause

What if we prepared women for menopause the way we prepare them for pregnancy? Imagine announcing to your family and closest friends that you've entered perimenopause. Instead of awkward silence or jokes about hot flushes, they respond with, "Congratulations. How can we support you?" It may sound radical—but should it? In Part 2 of this series, Nicole explores what it might look like if menopause...

What if menopause isn't the end of something... but the beginning of something profound? After attending a fascinating presentation at HerbFest on the major stages of human life, Nicole noticed something extraordinary. The speaker explored birth, puberty, coming of age, reproduction, old age and death—but one of the biggest transitions in a woman's life was completely missing. Menopause. In this t...

Have you found yourself feeling unexpectedly angry in midlife? Not irritated. Not frustrated. Angry. In this episode, Nicole explores the surprising connection between creativity, anger, and the menopause transition. Drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking book Women Who Run With the Wolves by PhD Clarissa Pinkola Estés, she challenges the idea that anger is something to suppress or fix. What...

Cellulite. Sagging skin. Loss of firmness. If you've noticed these changes in perimenopause or menopause, you're not alone — and it's not your fault. In Part 2 of this Hot & Healthy Menopause series, we move beyond what's happening… and into what actually works . As your Menopause Coach , I'll walk you through the real reasons cellulite and sagging become more visible in midlife — and the holistic...

Has your skin suddenly become dry, itchy, sensitive — or started sagging — and you're wondering what changed? In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , we go beneath the surface to understand what's really happening to your skin during perimenopause and menopause . This is Part 1 of a 2-part series where I explain the science behind midlife skin changes — so you can stop guessing, stop wasting...

Your mouth might be trying to tell you something about your menopause — but most women don't realise it. Burning tongue. Dry mouth. Bleeding gums. Clicking jaw. Shifting teeth. These aren't random. They can all be linked to hormonal changes in perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, we unpack what's really happening inside your mouth — and why declining estrogen affects your saliva, gums, ja...

Many women notice their anxiety increasing during perimenopause and menopause — and a nightly glass of wine can feel like the easiest way to calm the nervous system. But what if that coping strategy is actually making things worse? In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole explores the surprising link between anxiety, alcohol, hormonal changes, and bone health — and why the "wine to unwi...

Many women are surprised when anxiety suddenly appears during perimenopause and menopause — even if they've never struggled with it before. Racing thoughts. A sense of dread. Heart palpitations. Feeling overwhelmed by things that never used to bother you. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole explores why anxiety becomes more common during the menopause transition and what's actually...

Have you ever noticed that some foods leave you feeling calm, focused and energised — while others leave you anxious, foggy or flat? It's not in your head. What you eat directly influences your mood, brain chemistry and emotional wellbeing. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , we explore the powerful connection between food, inflammation, hormones and mental health during midlife. Research...

Feeling tired, foggy, inflamed, or like your body just isn't responding the way it used to? It may not be "just hormones." It may be what your cells are missing. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , we break down the six essential nutrients your body cannot make on its own — and why they matter even more during perimenopause and menopause. You'll learn: • Why protein becomes non-negotiable...

Have your eyes started feeling dry, irritated, or more sensitive to light in midlife? Are you updating your glasses prescription more often — or struggling to wear contact lenses comfortably? You're not imagining it. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause don't just affect your mood, sleep, and metabolism — they also impact your eyes. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , we exp...

Have you noticed your mood changing in ways that feel sudden, intense, or completely out of character? One minute you're calm, the next you're overwhelmed, irritable, teary — or irrationally annoyed by chewing, pen-clicking, or breathing . In this episode of the Hot & Healthy Menopause Podcast , Nicole van Hattem breaks down what's really happening in your brain during perimenopause and menopause...

Have you noticed a sudden dip in confidence during perimenopause or menopause — even though nothing about your capability, intelligence, or experience has changed? You're not imagining it. And you're definitely not alone. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , we unpack one of the most common yet least talked about menopause symptoms: loss of confidence . Not just self-doubt — but that unset...

Hormones can explain a lot — but they're not a free pass for bad behaviour. In this raw, compassionate, and deeply honest episode, Nicole dives into one of the most uncomfortable — and necessary — conversations of perimenopause and menopause: emotional responsibility without shame. Yes, the hormone rollercoaster can be brutal. Mood swings, rage, tears, exhaustion, brain fog — it's real. But blamin...

You can eat well and exercise perfectly — but if stress and poor sleep are running the show, your body will struggle to heal. In the final episode of this 3-part series, Nicole explores the often-overlooked drivers of weight gain and fatigue in midlife: cortisol, chronic stress, broken sleep, and self-worth. This episode is about nervous system regulation, rest, boundaries, and learning to treat y...

What if the problem isn't your metabolism — but the way you've been taught to eat? In Part 2 of this series, Nicole helps you break free from diet culture and step into a more nourishing, sustainable relationship with food, your body, and your hormones. This episode shifts the focus from restriction and guilt to nourishment, strength, and balance — especially in perimenopause and menopause, when y...

If your body feels unfamiliar in perimenopause or menopause — despite doing "all the right things" — this episode is for you. In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Nicole unpacks the real reasons weight gain feels so different in midlife. We explore the role of fluctuating hormones, cortisol, stress, gut health, inflammation, and ageing — and why this is not a personal failure or lack of willpower. We...

If urinary leaks, urgency, or fear of UTIs have changed how you move, travel, exercise, or live — this episode is for you. In Part 2 of this series, we shift from understanding why urinary changes happen to what actually works to restore bladder control, strength, and confidence in perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, you'll discover: How the bladder and pelvic floor can be retrained at a...

Urinary leakage, urgency, and recurrent UTIs are not just "part of getting older" — and they're not something you have to quietly put up with. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we unpack what's really happening inside the body during perimenopause and menopause that affects bladder control and urinary health — and why so many women are caught off guard. In this episode, you'll learn: How declinin...

Are you waking at 2am wide awake, tossing and turning with night sweats, anxiety, or a racing mind — or feeling exhausted no matter how long you sleep? In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole van Hattem unpacks why sleep becomes one of the most powerful — and most disrupted — health tools during perimenopause and menopause . Sleep isn't just about feeling rested. It's when your body: R...

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in Australia — causing three times more deaths than breast cancer — yet it's still rarely talked about in menopause conversations. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole van Hattem explores the powerful and often overlooked connection between hormones and cardiovascular health in midlife. As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause a...

Ever noticed cellulite becoming more visible during perimenopause or menopause — even if your weight hasn't changed? You're not imagining it. And it's not a willpower issue. In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole van Hattem breaks down the real science behind cellulite in midlife , why hormonal changes play such a big role, and what actually helps reduce the appearance of cellulite —...

🎙️ Collagen Confessions — Do Supplements Actually Work? Collagen supplements are everywhere — in coffees, smoothies, skincare routines, and midlife conversations. But do they actually work… or are we just swallowing expensive hope? In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Menopause Coach Nicole van Hattem breaks down the real science behind collagen supplements — without hype, shame, or unreal...

Ever walk into a room and forget why you're there? Lose your words mid-sentence in a meeting? Feel mentally slower than you used to? You're not imagining it — and you're not "losing it." In this episode of Hot & Healthy Menopause , Nicole van Hattem unpacks one of the most frustrating symptoms of perimenopause and menopause: brain fog . You'll learn: Why fluctuating estrogen and progesterone affec...

Let's get practical — and honest. In Part 2 of this Hot & Healthy Menopause series, Nicole van Hattem focuses on solutions for vaginal atrophy, dryness, and low libido — including vaginal moisturisers, lubricants, pleasure, and comfort-first intimacy. This episode is for you whether: • Sex feels uncomfortable or painful • Your libido has changed or disappeared • You're single, partnered, or not se...