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Menopause - The Real Deal

Menopause - The Real Deal

By: Michelle Rowlinson
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"Menopause - The Real Deal" is your go-to podcast for honest, expert-driven conversations about perimenopause and menopause. Hosted by Michelle, a senior Physiotherapist, Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner, and best selling author, this podcast dives deep into the real experiences of women navigating this transformative stage of life. Each episode features insightful interviews with health professionals, business leaders, corporate women, and past clients who share their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. We debunk common myths, explore the impact of menopause on health and work life, and provide practical advice to help you manage symptoms and thrive. Whether you’re approaching perimenopause, in the midst of it, or supporting someone who is, "Menopause - The Real Deal" offers the education and support you need to embrace this phase with confidence. Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Beyond the Scale: Protecting Your Bone Density and Body Composition in Menopause

    Beyond the Scale: Protecting Your Bone Density and Body Composition in Menopause
    Jun 24 2026
    Have you ever felt like your body is rewriting its own rules without your permission? Today’s episode isn't just about hot flashes and sleepless nights. It’s about reclaiming your strength and confidence. Today I’m joined by the amazing Kym, a health and fitness expert, who’s here to unpack the many ways in which you can take back control of your body, your weight and your health, no matter what stage of life you’re in. We also talk about the impact that menopause can have upon our wellbeing, our confidence, and our body composition. If you’re struggling to reconcile the body you’ve got with the body you’d like, then this week’s show is definitely for you. Kym Reveals Standard training and diet advice tailored for younger bodies often fail to support the unique hormonal needs of women navigating menopause. Beyond the commonly discussed hot flashes, fluctuating hormone levels significantly impact tendon strength, soft tissue recovery, and emotional resilience. There remains a significant shortage of comprehensive education for personal trainers and health professionals regarding the physiological realities of menopause. Body-identical, plant-based HRT offers a nuanced approach to managing changes, yet awareness and ease of access remain major hurdles for many women. BEST MOMENTS “Women are losing performance that they'd worked years to build and being told that their efforts were either attitude or 'eat less or work harder, train harder'" “You can train as a twenty-year-old, but your body's not the same” “Your periods, your cycles are different now, and as women back then, we would all just push through." “There's always something new popping up, it's the changes. Those wonderful ladies that went before me, they are right. Absolutely." EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/kym-australia-33aaa7301/ HOST BIO Michelle is a highly respected Physiotherapist and Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner with over two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry. After experiencing seven years of debilitating symptoms herself before realising it was perimenopause, Michelle has since dedicated her career to helping other women navigate this transformative stage of life. Her personal journey fuels her passion for educating and empowering women, as well as training businesses and health professionals through her specialised menopause and wellbeing workshops. A best-selling author and sought-after speaker, Michelle combines deep clinical expertise with relatable, real-world experience. Through her podcast, "Menopause - The Real Deal," she offers evidence-based guidance, authentic conversations, and practical strategies. Listeners trust Michelle for her empathetic understanding and her commitment to helping women thrive, making her a leading voice in the menopause space. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelle.kimp.9/ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag Website www.panaceapause.co.uk
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    47 mins
  • Beyond the Hot Flush: Karen Gibbard on Identity, Brain Fog, and Finding Yourself Again

    Beyond the Hot Flush: Karen Gibbard on Identity, Brain Fog, and Finding Yourself Again
    Jun 17 2026
    What if the reason so many women feel frightened, overwhelmed, or like they are losing themselves during perimenopause is because no one prepared them for just how much it can affect the brain, body, emotions, and identity all at once? Today I am joined by Karen Gibbard, a menopause coach, change management practitioner, and integrative support advocate who discusses her personal perimenopause experience, which began at the age of 41 and brought severe cognitive changes that left her fearing she had onset dementia. We explore the profound emotional toll of menopause, including the loss of confidence, identity shifts, and the grief that can accompany this transition. Karen also shares how her professional background in change management helped her reframe menopause as a major life transition, and we discuss why women who cannot take HRT often feel excluded from the conversation, highlighting the vital need for holistic and community-based support. Karen Reveals Menopause can begin in a woman's early 40s (or even 30s) with severe brain fog, memory lapses, and psychological shifts long before any changes occur in her menstrual cycle. Viewed through the lens of change management, menopause is one of the most significant biological, psychological, and emotional transitions a woman will experience, impacting relationships, work, and identity. The transition brings a profound sense of loss; of confidence, loss of self, and a deep sense of grief, particularly surrounding the end of fertility, which requires dedicated emotional support. For women who cannot or choose not to take HRT, there is a critical need for accessible, alternative support systems, including lifestyle adjustments, workplace policies, and community-based safe spaces. BEST MOMENTS "I honestly thought that I had early-onset dementia, and it was terrifying. You get to a point sometimes where you barely remembered your own name." "There's nothing bigger than this in terms of change management. No bigger transition, I don't think, exists." "Don't settle for 'no.' Don't settle for 'there is nothing I can do to help you.” "I think what's most missing is that ability to listen. To truly listen. It's that ability to validate another human being" EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.instagram.com/karengibbardmenopausecoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmgibbard/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582032600965 www.karengibbard.co.uk HOST BIO Michelle is a highly respected Physiotherapist and Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner with over two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry. After experiencing seven years of debilitating symptoms herself before realising it was perimenopause, Michelle has since dedicated her career to helping other women navigate this transformative stage of life. Her personal journey fuels her passion for educating and empowering women, as well as training businesses and health professionals through her specialised menopause and wellbeing workshops. A best-selling author and sought-after speaker, Michelle combines deep clinical expertise with relatable, real-world experience. Through her podcast, "Menopause - The Real Deal," she offers evidence-based guidance, authentic conversations, and practical strategies. Listeners trust Michelle for her empathetic understanding and her commitment to helping women thrive, making her a leading voice in the menopause space. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelle.kimp.9/ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag Website www.panaceapause.co.uk
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    51 mins
  • Menopause Symptoms That No One Warns You About

    Menopause Symptoms That No One Warns You About
    Jun 10 2026
    Have you ever experienced one symptom, then another, and thought, “What on earth is going on with my body?” In this episode, I explore some of the lesser-known symptoms that can occur during perimenopause and menopause and why they can leave women feeling confused, worried, dismissed, or searching for answers in all the wrong places. You aren’t losing your plot, and you certainly aren’t alone. Your hormones are simply sending your body off-script, and it is time we joined the dots. Michelle Reveals Hormones influence virtually every system in the body, which means fluctuating levels can trigger a massive range of unexpected physical and emotional responses. Conditions like Burning Mouth Syndrome, formication (the sensation of insects crawling under the skin), and unexplained vocal changes are deeply unsettling but entirely tied to changing hormone levels. Many women are dismissed by professionals or given ineffective localised treatments because their symptoms don't fit the classic textbook definition of menopause. Understanding the physiological "why" behind these symptoms helps women move past confusion and anxiety, empowering them to advocate for better care and support. BEST MOMENTS "Nobody really sits women down and explains that hormones influence virtually every system in the body." "The problem is that when those symptoms appear, they don't arrive with a little label attached saying, 'Hello, I'm from perimenopause.'" "Not because symptoms aren't real, not because they're imagining them, but because nobody is joining the dots." "Sometimes the scariest part isn't the symptom itself. It's not knowing why it's happening." HOST BIO Michelle is a highly respected Physiotherapist and Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner with over two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry. After experiencing seven years of debilitating symptoms herself before realising it was perimenopause, Michelle has since dedicated her career to helping other women navigate this transformative stage of life. Her personal journey fuels her passion for educating and empowering women, as well as training businesses and health professionals through her specialised menopause and wellbeing workshops. A best-selling author and sought-after speaker, Michelle combines deep clinical expertise with relatable, real-world experience. Through her podcast, "Menopause - The Real Deal," she offers evidence-based guidance, authentic conversations, and practical strategies. Listeners trust Michelle for her empathetic understanding and her commitment to helping women thrive, making her a leading voice in the menopause space. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelle.kimp.9/ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag Website www.panaceapause.co.uk
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    20 mins
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