Wild Sessions Henrietta Norton

I took a trip down memory lane for this very special episode, revisiting conversations to compile some of my favourite clips around perimenopause and menopause. And there’s some absolute gold in these! Our Head of Nutrition, Lorna Driver-Davies, discusses the transformational changes that can happen even if our periods are regular as clockwork. ‘The Queen of Skin’, Abigail James, shares some great advice on a holistic approach to aging well. And menopause fitness coach Kate Rowe-Ham, talks about the importance of strength training as we approach our mid-life transition.

“Perry is a sisterhood for the perimenopause years. It’s all about the connection,” explains Laura Crain, CEO of heyperry.com, the app that’s uniting perimenopausal women across the globe. Acknowledging the confusion and, sadly, the taboo that still exists around perimenopause, Laura adds: “There’s this huge peer to peer trust in our community.” I loved speaking with Laura, she’s created something really wonderful - a safe space for women to find solidarity and, more often than not, the answers they crave.

“I went to the doctor six times. They kept saying ‘Are your periods still regular?’ And I’d say yes and they’d just move on. No one said to me, ‘You may be perimenopausal.’” Heather Jackson is a founding partner of GenM, the movement uniting brands to mobilise change around perimenopause and menopause. In this gloriously diverse conversation, Heather and I discuss how this period of life isn’t - yet - authentically represented or respected but the tide is slowly turning. And it all begins with grass-roots education.

“Suddenly you feel like all those tent pegs that were holding you down start to loosen or change”. In this very personal account of the onset of perimenopause and menopause, personal trainer Katie Weir describes - beautifully articulately - the pendulum swings from feeling bionic to crashing on the sofa for days at a time. This intimate conversation lays bare the very human aspect of this life stage and how, in her 40s, Katie has learned to navigate the symptoms.

“Strong, sexy and empowered” aren’t words typically associated with perimenopause but Dr Shahzadi Harper, The Perimenopause Doctor, firmly believes perimenopause is a time to be the best version of ourselves. “Women are designed to have this pause to reevaluate and reassess.” In this enlightening conversation, we discuss how perimenopause is an experience that goes far beyond the ovaries. By embracing psychological, emotional and spiritual factors - alongside diet, sleep, exercise and supplements - we can pave the way for an empowered and enlightened transition to menopause.

Such a pleasure to talk healthy ageing with Abigail James, dubbed ‘The Queen of Skin’ by The Times. “Our skin reflects what’s going on inside” she says, precisely why her approach to ageing goes more than skin-deep. Author of two books - The Glow Plan published in June 2022 - Abigail and I discuss holistic skincare in depth: collagen supplements, skincare routines, diet, skin supplements, sunscreen protection and how our emotional, physical and mental environment can affect the way we age.