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 the guilt or overwhelm – and explains why the key to thriving through menopause is focusing on real, whole foods rather than calorie counts. Plus, as the author of Air Fryer Cookbook and The Unprocessed Air Fryer, she reveals her favourite time-saving kitchen hacks and why your air fryer might just be the ultimate tool for healthy home cooking.

If you’ve ever wondered what all the fuss about ultra-processed foods is really about, this episode is packed with empowering, down-to-earth advice you can actually use.

If you love The Happy Menopause, please tell your friends and family, and don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe and to give it a 5-star rating on your favourite podcast platform. It makes a huge difference to the algorithms that decide whether more women get to find the show - after all, every woman deserves to have a happy menopause!

Join me for a FREE live webinar bringing together the two pillars of menopause management – nutrition and HRT. I’ll be joined by GP and bestselling author Dr Ellie Cannon to share practical strategies, answer your questions, and help you navigate perimenopause and beyond with clarity and confidence. Book your place here: https://bit.ly/42SrPAx.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

For ad-free listening, bonus episodes, a monthly live nutrition Q&A and a whole host of other exclusive content, join The Happy Menopause Club at TheHappyMenopause.com for just £6 per month.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my latest book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. It's available in all the usual places.

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 management, healthy relationships, and avoiding harmful substances — and how they apply specifically to perimenopause and postmenopause. From the power of protein for energy, muscle and mood, to the benefits of leafy greens, vitamin C, and phytoestrogens, I’ll share practical diet tips that can ease symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog, low mood, weight gain, and poor sleep.

But lifestyle medicine is about more than food. We’ll also explore the role of exercise for bone health, cardiovascular fitness and hormone balance, why stress management is so crucial for symptom control, and the sleep strategies that can help you finally get some rest. These small steps don’t replace medical treatments, but they work beautifully alongside them, helping you to address the root causes of symptoms and protect your long-term health.

Whether you’re just starting your perimenopause journey, navigating postmenopause, or supporting someone you love, this episode is packed with evidence-based advice to help you feel stronger, more resilient and more in control.

If you love The Happy Menopause, please tell your friends and family, and don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast platform. It makes a huge difference to the algorithms that decide whether more women get to find the show - after all, every woman deserves to have a happy menopause!

Join me for a FREE live webinar bringing together the two pillars of menopause management – nutrition and HRT. I’ll be joined by GP and bestselling author Dr Ellie Cannon to share practical strategies, answer your questions, and help you navigate perimenopause and beyond with clarity and confidence. Book your place here: https://bit.ly/42SrPAx.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

For ad-free listening, bonus episodes, a monthly live nutrition Q&A and a whole host of other exclusive content, join The Happy Menopause Club at TheHappyMenopause.com for just £6 per month.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my latest book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. It's available in all the usual places.

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 caring for someone with dementia. But while dementia is a focus, the practical tips and emotional insights she shares apply to anyone caring for an elderly loved one.

We discuss the emotional impact of caring, the early signs that someone might need more support, and how to communicate with empathy and confidence when things get difficult. Sabina explains why it’s so easy to lose yourself in the caring role and shares practical strategies to protect your own health, manage stress, and avoid burnout or compassion fatigue. We also talk about the guilt so many carers feel — and how to handle it in a constructive way — as well as her top tips for staying resilient and hopeful in the face of such a demanding role.

If you’re caring for an elderly loved one in midlife, this conversation offers clarity, comfort, and a wealth of practical advice to help you look after yourself while caring for someone else.

Join me for a FREE live webinar bringing together the two pillars of menopause management – nutrition and HRT. I’ll be joined by GP and bestselling author Dr Ellie Cannon to share practical strategies, answer your questions, and help you navigate perimenopause and beyond with clarity and confidence. Book your place here: https://bit.ly/42SrPAx.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

For ad-free listening, bonus episodes, a monthly live nutrition Q&A and a whole host of other exclusive content, join The Happy Menopause Club at TheHappyMenopause.com for just £6 per month.

Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my latest book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish. It's available in all the usual places.