The Happy Menopause

What exactly are ultra-processed foods – and could they be making your menopause symptoms worse? Nutritionist and bestselling cookbook author Jenny Tschiesche joins Jackie to unpack the truth about what’s really in our food, how it affects our hormones, mood and metabolism, and why those clever additives can make it so hard to stop eating once we start.

Jenny shares simple, practical ways to cut back on ultra-processed foods without...

October is Menopause Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is Lifestyle Medicine — a subject that’s right at the heart of my work as a nutritionist. In this solo episode of The Happy Menopause, I’ll be exploring how simple, sustainable changes in the way we eat, move, sleep, and manage stress can transform your menopause experience.

We’ll look at the six key pillars of lifestyle medicine — nutrition, movement, sleep, stress managem...

Caring responsibilities often fall heavily on women in midlife. You’re juggling work, family life, menopause — and now, the care of ageing parents or elderly relatives too. It’s a huge emotional and physical load, and it can take a real toll on your wellbeing.

In this episode of The Happy Menopause, I’m joined by psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan, author of Still Me, a compassionate, evidence-based guide for anyone c...

Feeling stuck in a style rut as you navigate perimenopause or menopause? You’re not alone. Changing bodies and shifting skin tones can make getting dressed feel like a bit of a minefield, and before you know it, you’re hiding behind a sea of black, shapeless clothes.

In this episode of The Happy Menopause, award-winning personal stylist Chantelle Znideric joins us to share her expert tips on what really works for midlife women. From...

Nutritionist Jackie Lynch explains how to use supplements safely in menopause, covering multivitamins, minerals, omegas, probiotics, and essential tips.

Supplements can be a minefield in menopause —in this solo episode, Jackie explains how to navigate them safely and effectively. Jackie stresses that a nutrient-rich, balanced diet is your foundation, but she also explains why getting every nutrient perfectly from food alone is harde...

Season 6 is a wrap, and I wanted to say a big thank you for all your support, and share a quick summer update! In this mini bonus episode, I’m reflecting on how far the podcast has come, sharing some exciting news about my new book The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy, and letting you know how to enter a prize draw for a 1:1 menopause nutrition consultation with me. Plus, there's fresh new content every month over in The Happy ...

What do you do to relax? It’s a question I ask all the time in my nutrition clinic, because making time to decompress from the daily stresses and strains can have a profound effect on how you experience the menopause. And yet, you’d be surprised how often it’s met with a slightly awkward pause, as someone tries to remember the last time they consciously made space to relax.

In this final episode of Season Six of The Happy Menopause,...

In this episode, I explore one of the simplest, most overlooked tools for boosting our health – walking.

We spend a fortune on gym memberships, personal trainers, and high-tech fitness gadgets – yet sometimes forget that our bodies are already brilliantly equipped for one of the best forms of exercise out there. 

My guest is researcher and author Annabel Streets who’s just released her latest book, The Walking Cure. Drawing on a weal...

Hot flushes have been the butt of not very funny jokes for years, but it’s no fun when it’s happening to you. A hot flush can cause huge distress, especially if it catches you in a professional or social situation, where you might already be feeling a bit vulnerable.

In this episode, I’ll be diving deep into the science and solutions behind hot flushes and night sweats – those classic menopause symptoms that can leave you flustered,...

Do you experience a range of unexplained symptoms - eczema, skin rashes, fatigue, headaches, IBS, joint pain, poor sleep, or random allergic reactions with no clear trigger? If HRT isn’t helping - or even making things worse - or if your blood tests keep coming back normal but you still feel awful, histamine intolerance could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

This little-understood condition is tricky to diagnose but more common t...

Do you have a dream? I bet you do - most of us do! But do you dare to make it happen? It’s easy to feel stuck at this stage of life and wonder, Is this it? The truth is, it’s never too late to make a change, whether big or small.

My latest podcast guest, Sally Evans, is living proof of that. An award-winning wine producer with a small vineyard near Bordeaux, France, Sally turned her life upside down at 52. When her youngest child le...

In this episode, we’re talking about strength - not weight, not size, but pure, functional strength. Because let’s be honest, we can spend way too much time worrying about one and not nearly enough about the other!

Strength is vital at any age, but as we hit midlife and beyond, it becomes essential. It boosts confidence, protects our bones, and keeps us active for longer. After all, what’s the point of making it to 90 if you’re too ...

Weight loss can feel like an uphill battle for us midlife women. What worked before no longer seems effective, and that’s often due to a slowing metabolism. Years of yoyo dieting may have played a role, but this shift is also a natural part of this life stage. If your body is stuck in fat-storage mode, no amount of eating less will bring the results you’re after.

But there’s hope! In this episode, I’m joined by Petronella Ravenshear...

Feeling a little apprehensive about the festive season? It’s not just one day, is it? The celebrations seem to start in early December and go on... and on. Your calendar fills up fast – often with events you’re not even excited about!

And let’s face it, most of these involve endless food and drink, which can take a toll on your waistline, sleep, and overall wellbeing in just a few weeks.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sharin...

The build-up to Christmas can be hectic and stressful, and the thought of carving out a full hour for a yoga class (or any workout) when there’s so much to do can just add to the pressure. 

This is the 2nd in my 3-part series to help you cope with the challenges of the festive season, and it's a goodie!

In this episode, I chat with menopause yoga expert Libby Stevenson, who’s full of tips to help us stay calm and balanced during...

Christmas can be a lot of fun and create some wonderful memories. But let’s face it, all that festive joy doesn’t happen by accident. Behind the scenes, pulling all the strings and juggling all the plates, there’s usually a woman making the magic happen. We really do take on a lot at this time of year. So, if you’re already feeling overwhelmed by all the planning, shopping, wrapping, prepping, and cooking that lies ahead, don’t wor...

 For many of us, alcohol is woven into our lives, whether it’s a glass of wine at dinner or a night out with friends. It provides the backdrop to most big occasions, both happy and sad. 

But how does it affect us during menopause, when our bodies are changing in so many ways? And how does it influence our hormones and our health? 

The festive season is fast approaching, and with that can come a lot of pressure, because there’s always...

This is a special episode which shines a spotlight on nutrition to celebrate World Menopause Day, It’s actually a re-release of one of my most popular episodes, which I thought you might like to discover or rediscover, because it’s packed with useful information and foodie tips. 

I thought it was important to focus on foods to balance out my other special, which is on this year’s WMD theme of HRT. In that episode, BMS menopause spec...

HRT (or MHT) isn’t natural territory for The Happy Menopause podcast, but as it’s the theme for this year’s World Menopause Day, I thought it would be remiss of me not to cover it.

HRT has become a pretty contentious issue in recent years, with a lot of people being very entrenched in the strongly for or strongly against position. And amongst all that there are quite a lot of self-styled experts, who are anything but expert in the m...