Is It Hot In Here? Midlife Podcast

Can menopause really change the way you run – and can running change the way you experience menopause?

🤝 Get your own personalised menopause support from Dr Naomi Potter and her team: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihih

Susie Chan didn't start running until she was 35. She was a smoking, self-described idle single mum with zero sporting background. Fast forward to now, and she's completed four Marathon des Sables – a gruelling six-day ultra across the Sahara Desert – run 100-mile races, and built a career as one of the UK's most beloved endurance runners and Peloton coaches.

But when perimenopause arrived, even she found her world shifted beneath her feet.

In this episode, Dr Naomi Potter is joined by Susie for an honest, funny and genuinely inspiring conversation about running later in life, what menopause actually does to your body when you're an athlete, and why it's never ever too late to start moving. 

Topics include:
• How Susie went from complete non-runner to desert ultramarathon competitor
• The perimenopause symptoms that hit hardest: joint pain, fatigue, anxiety and brain fog
• Why menopause symptoms can be so easy to miss or misattribute
• How HRT – including testosterone – has helped Susie continue competing
• Why women in midlife may actually be built for endurance sport
• How menopause affects fuelling, energy and performance during long-distance running
• The mental strength required to run ultras – and how perimenopause tests it• Advice for women who want to start running in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond
• Why you should never compare yourself to who you were before perimenopause
• Listener questions: is 66 too old to start running? And how do you keep going when perimenopause kills your motivation?

Follow Susie Chan below:
Susie's Instagram: @susie_chan_
Susie's TikTok: @susie.chan

Follow Dr Naomi Potter below:
Naomi's Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi's TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

0:00 Meet Susie Chan: From Museum Curator to Ultra Endurance Runner
1:32 How Running Started: From One Half Marathon to a New Life
8:00 Joining the Ultra Running Community
17:54 Becoming a Full-Time Running Coach at Peloton20:09 Why Women Excel at Long-Distance Running
26:08 Menopause and the Physical Toll of Running
33:01 Hormones, HRT and Performance: Oestrogen, Testosterone and Thyroid
39:48 Starting Running Later in Life: It's Never Too Late
44:58 Life After Menopause: What to Expect
51:00 Listener Q&A: Age, Knee Pain and Motivation

#menopause #perimenopause #running

Today, we're looking back at our conversation with former fashion editor and columnist, Stacey Duguid.

Stacey worked with the likes of Elle, Prada, Armani and more. She divorced her husband back in 2022. Since then, she has spoken openly about her turbulent experience navigating perimenopause – alongside living with ADHD – which inevitably led to the crumble of her marriage.

If you enjoyed this snippet, you can listen to the full episode with Stacey here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2dgl8cSiJPxrqd6PAxIfHb?si=tPFUV9P_Sxe0qJgAmEqhUQ

#menopause #perimenopause

Why are my allergies suddenly worse in perimenopause?

🤝 Get your own personalised menopause support from Dr Naomi Potter and her team: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihih

Have you suddenly developed hay fever, itchy skin, rashes, food sensitivities or reactions to things you've tolerated your whole life?

In this week's solo episode, Dr Naomi Potter explores the surprising connection between menopause, histamine and allergies. She explains why hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can make some women more sensitive to foods, alcohol, environmental triggers and even HRT itself.

If you've ever wondered why your symptoms seem to come out of nowhere, this episode will help you understand what's happening and what you can do about it.

💬 Topics include:
• Why allergies can worsen during perimenopause
• Histamine intolerance and menopause
• The role of mast cells and hormonal changes
• Common food triggers including wine, tomatoes and fermented foods
• Why keeping a symptom diary can help
• The "histamine bucket" theory explained
• Hay fever, itchy skin, rashes and digestive symptoms
• How HRT can affect histamine sensitivity
• When to seek medical advice
• Practical ways to reduce allergy symptoms

Follow Dr Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

00:00 – Allergies in perimenopause and menopause explained
00:31 – Histamine sensitivity, mast cells and menopause symptoms
01:24 – Common histamine triggers: food, alcohol, stress and temperature
02:23 – The histamine bucket theory explained
03:07 – Antihistamines and HRT for menopause allergies
05:06 – How to start HRT if you have histamine sensitivity
06:43 – Do menopause allergy symptoms get better over time?
07:30 – How to identify and manage histamine intolerance in menopause
08:14 – When to see a doctor about menopause allergies

#menopause #perimenopause #allergies

Today we're revisiting our episode with author, coach, and former editor of Hello! Magazine, Rosie Nixon.

Rosie opened up about the burnout that hit her in midlife – which was only exacerbated by hormonal turbulence in perimenopause – and how this did, in fact, lead to the biggest and best transformation of her life.

If you enjoyed this snippet, you can listen to the full episode with Rosie here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zWwGun1xjFISmV2hI6FHY?si=6YNgHbLARgePL1NrjkuU1g

#menopause #perimenopause #burnout

Can you go through menopause in your 30s?

🤝 Get your own personalised menopause support from Dr Naomi Potter and her team: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihih

This week, Dr Naomi Potter is joined by actress and national treasure Dani Harmer (best known as Tracy Beaker) for a very honest conversation about early menopause, HRT, exhaustion, brain fog and trying to parent young children while completely running on empty.

Dani opens up about the symptoms that made her realise something was wrong, how her partner first spotted the signs of perimenopause, and why finally starting HRT made her “feel like herself again”. Naomi also explains why women who go through menopause young may need extra support for their bones, heart and long-term health.

💬 Topics include:
• Early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)
• Perimenopause symptoms in your 30s
• HRT for younger women
• Why DEXA bone scans matter in early menopause
• Brain fog, exhaustion and menopause fatigue
• Hair loss during menopause
• The role of nutrition and protein in menopause symptoms
• Menopause rage, anxiety and low mood
• Parenting young children during perimenopause
• How partners can better support menopause

llow Dani Harmer below:
Dani’s Instagram: @missdanijharmer
Dani’s TikTok: @daniharmer

Follow Dr Naomi Potter below:
Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

00:00 – Dani Harmer on early menopause at 34
03:18 – The early menopause symptoms nobody warned her about
06:17 – Diagnosed with perimenopause in her 30s
09:23 – What is premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)?
12:05 – Why younger women may need higher HRT doses
15:50 – Why Dani still feels exhausted despite HRT
18:16 – Hair loss in menopause: hormones or nutrition?
21:14 – The menopause fatigue cycle explained
24:00 – Simple menopause nutrition changes that could help
27:06 – Can menopause cause hair thinning and hair loss?
29:14 – How Dani's partner supported her through menopause
32:30 – The right way to talk about menopause with your partner
34:21 – Dani's advice if your GP won't listen
37:03 – Feeling isolated with early menopause? What helps
38:32 – Parenting young children during perimenopause
41:04 – Why more women need to talk about early menopause

#menopause #earlymenopause #hrt