Take A Breath

Today is World Menopause Day so I decided to do an EXTRA episode this week to mark it. I answer some of your questions about sleep, dementia and how to know if it's perimenopause or not.   I also have a bit of a ramble about menopause and why I do what I do.  Come and have a listen! To register for my FREE online workshop on Thursday go to: https://www.pollywarren.com/workshop To dowload a fr...

This week I talk to award-winning nutritionist and author, Jackie Lynch. Jackie specialises in women's health and menopause and is founder of the WellWellWell nutrition clinic which was recognised as Menopause Nutrition Clinic of the Year in 2021 and 2022! Jackie has so much to wisdom to share about how we can manage our menopause naturally  and how food is big part of that. In this episode,...

Back in August I did something I thought I'd never do.  I lay in a bath FULL of ice for 2 minutes! Having always had a dislike for the cold, it was only after I'd read about the benefits of cold water therapy, particularly for women going through menopause, that I thought I'd see what it's all about so when I saw that there was a Wim Hof workshop happening locally, I signed up....

In this week's episode of The Positive Perimenopause Podcast, I speak to Dr. Ron Eaker, a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist from Augusta, Georgia.   As well as being a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,  Dr. Eaker is the author of three books including his most recent “A Woman’s Guide To Hormone Health”, a book on everything menopause. Dr Eaker is a...

My morning routine is something which I truly cherish and which has a big impact on my day and my life!  I also think it has had a major part to play in helping me transform my menopause experience. Big claims, I know!  But I do believe how you start your day has a knock on effect to every aspect of your life - your health, your relationships, your productivity, your happiness. Today, my morning r...

Sadly, it didn't surprise me when I discovered that divorce rates peak for couples in their late forties. There are of course a myriad of reasons why couples separate or divorce in midlife but often menopause can act as a catalyst, exposing and magnifying existing cracks in a relationship. But could some of these divorces or break ups be prevented if there was more awareness as to how menopau...

This week I talk to two inspiring women, Michele Smith and Loretta Dignam, who were brought together through their own negative experiences of peri/menopause and who both have a super positive vision for the future. Both women felt completely unprepared for their own menopause and were determined to stop this happening for others.  They want to shatter the stigma around menopause and improve menop...

This week my guest, Zoe Swan, shares her inspiring story of how, during her forties,  she transitioned from multiple award winning Senior Law Lecturer to  a Kundalini Yoga Teacher and Health Coach.   Zoe always attributed the anxiety and recurring sickness she experienced in her forties to stress but now, with hindsight, she thinks it may also have been due to perimenopause, although that was comp...

Feeling tired and exhausted is probably one of the most common symptoms we have during perimenopause.   Let’s face it midlife is probably THE busiest time of our life and mix that with our fluctuating hormones, it’s no surprise really that our energy levels on the floor.  This week is a solo episode where I share some of the easy proven lifestyle tools I use to boost my energy but which I know wil...

This week I chat to Petra Coveney, the founder of Menopause Yoga - the UK's first specialist style of yoga to support women going through menopause. After feeling let down by the support offered to her during her menopause experience, Petra felt called to find a way not only to manage her own menopause but to help others through theirs too. Petra became a member of the British Menopause Socie...

This week I chat to Hillary Baggett who in late 2020, after the lowest of lows and midlife hormonal fluctuations,  nearly ended both her marriage and her life.   Thankfully she sought professional help but soon discovered she needed a total hysterectomy and 4-way reconstructive surgery which sent her into full blown menopause. While on the path to recovery, Hillary realised there are millions of o...

Here in the UK, there is currently a lot of talk about menopause and how to manage it, although a lot of the guidance being given is about taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).   The problem with this is that some women aren't able to take HRT and many simply don't want to. The great news is there's another way.  This week I chat to  world-renowned healthcare expert Maryon Stewa...

As so many of us enter perimenopause, our body shape starts to change and rather than embrace these changes we often punish ourselves with restrictive diets and/or feelings of low self worth. In this week's episode I chat to registered Dietitian and Naturopathic Doctor Dr Jenn Salib Huber.  Jenn helps women find food freedom and escape the diet culture by teaching them how to eat in a way whi...

Today's episode is a solo episode where I talk about personal growth and things which are a little bit woo woo! During my journey through perimenopause, I've become completely obsessed with all things to do with personal growth, with energy and with mindset and I want to share it with you because it has helped me feel more confident, more fulfilled and generally so much happier. Basicall...

We all know that exercise is important for our general health and wellbeing but it's never been more important than at perimenopause.   So many of us continue moving (or not moving) our bodies in the same way as we did in our 20s and 30s but our changing bodies at midlife means that the type of movement we are doing also needs to change. This week I chat to personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham.   K...

Poor sleep is one the most common symptoms of the perimenopause with 40-60% of women reporting difficulties staying asleep and waking more during the night.  Often this leads to extreme tiredness during the day and aggravates a whole host of other symptoms such as irritability, anxiousness and low mood. In this episode, I talk to sleep expert Sally Garozzo.  As well as being the founder of The Sle...

Andrea has been a qualified Shiatsu Practitioner and Chinese Medicine Therapist for over 15 years and has a menopause specialist clinic in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.  In 2017, at the age of 46, Andrea was shocked to find out she was in perimenopause.  However, she resolved her symptoms by using the holistic principles of Chinese medicine, rebalancing her energy and addressing her underlying heal...

One of the recommended treatment methods for perimenopause and menopause symptoms here in the UK is HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), yet 79% of women have never tried it! Public confidence in HRT plunged after a study in 2002 which misreported some of its findings, particularly the risks associated with breast cancer.  Today many women still worry about taking HRT, and if they do decide they wan...

So far on this podcast there have been lots of tips of things you can do to help you have a positive perimenopause e.g. what to eat, meditate, move your body, track your cycle etc. However, it’s one thing knowing what you SHOULD be doing but another thing actually doing it and putting it into practice .  Having the knowledge helps but it doesn't always equal  behaviour change. On today's...

Talking about perimenopause used to be a huge taboo but thankfully times are changing!  Talking to others helps.  We all know this so it seems crazy that for so long nobody talked about menopause.   However, back in 2017, Counsellor Rachel Weiss wanted to change this and set up the first menopause café.  Rachel was passionate that everyone, men and women, should be able to talk openly about all th...

So many of us go through perimenopause at an extremely busy time of life.  Many of us have careers, young or teenage children and ageing parents.  Often we find ourselves pulled in all directions, often leaving us feeling run ragged and stressed out, making our perimenopause symptoms even worse.  On top of all that, fluctuating hormones at perimenopause, which can cause increased anxiety and low m...

In this episode I chat to Nutritional Therapist, Karen Newby.  Karen specialises in women’s hormone health, especially perimenopause and menopause.  Karen’s worked with hundreds of women experiencing menopausal symptoms over the past 11 years and seen first hand how powerful food is treating symptoms such as sleep problems, mood changes, hot flushes, weight gain and anxiety.    Although Karen beli...

This week’s guest is Emily Barclay.  Emily created The Perimenopause Hub three years ago and now has 40,000 members.  Emily is also a personal trainer and a dog lover! Emily’s passion to support other women in a way which is supportive and practical shines brightly throughout this conversation.  In this episode we talk about:   How Emily was the fittest she’d ever been at 39 and how she’d been tra...

Perimenopause can be a time when our confidence drops to new lows.  There are many reasons for this but our changing bodies,  brain fog, increased anxiety and lack of energy certainly don’t help!    In this episode, I talk to Lu from Luinland about how finding confidence has helped her thrive during her 40s and into her 50s.  Lu’s positive energy, courage and optimism is palpable throughout this c...

Welcome to my very first episode!   In this episode you'll get to hear about:  My perimenopause journey Why I left my teaching job  What perimenopause is Why it’s so difficult for women to join up the dots of what’s happening How Perimenopause symptoms are a wake up call What I did to get back to feeling like myself again My relationship with HRT How what we do now impacts our future health M...