The Perimenopause Gutsy Talk podcast

Christel Lyell- Gut Health Dietitian
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The Perimenopause GUTSY TALK podcast is for women in midlife who are done with bloating, brain fog, and unpredictable digestion—and want real-life support that actually helps. Hosted by Gut Health Dietitian Christel Lyell, each episode dives into the real reasons your gut feels off in midlife—from hormone shifts and food reactions to stress, constipation, and more. If you’ve been told it’s “just IBS” or “part of getting older,” this show is your safe space to feel seen, supported, and empowered to take back control of your gut and your life.

  1. 3h ago

    Should You Take a Probiotic in Perimenopause? What They Are, What They're Not, and How to Choose One

    A client came to Christel with three different supplements from the same brand — one for gut health, one for bloating, one for energy. She'd spent a small fortune trying to work out which one she actually needed. When Christel checked the ingredients on the back, all three were identical. In this episode, Christel unpacks what's actually inside a probiotic capsule versus what's promised on the front of the packet — building on last episode's garden analogy, where taking a probiotic is a bit like adding a new plant to soil you've already been tending. She explains what a probiotic really is, what it isn't, why the exact strain (not just the species) is the single most important thing on the label, and what the newest research says about probiotics, perimenopause and menopause specifically. This episode reframes how to choose a probiotic sensibly — without needing to become a researcher in the supplement aisle. In this episode you'll learn:What a probiotic actually has to do to work — genuinely alive, in the right amount, and able to survive the journey all the way to your large bowelWhy the exact strain matters more than the brand — and an easy way to spot one on the labelWhat a probiotic isn't: not a miracle cure, not the same as a fermented food, and why UK regulation is looser than most people assumeWhy adding a probiotic is a bit like adding a new plant to a garden — and why the wrong one won't thrive, however good it looked on the shelfWhere the evidence is genuinely strong — and why each strain has to earn its own evidence rather than borrowing it from anotherWhat the newest research says about probiotics and menopause — hot flushes, mood and vaginal dryness — and why it's promising, not provenHow to actually choose one if you decide to try it: evidence, quality, strain, CFU, and a fair trial periodFree downloadFREE DOWNLOAD: What to Eat for a Calmer Gut in Midlife A simple, practical food list built around what you CAN eat — not another list of what to avoid. Gentle, doable ideas for calmer digestion in perimenopause and beyond. 👉 Download FREE HERE  And if today's episode has you thinking about plant diversity too, the Plant Diversity Guide and a few other free resources are also available on the website. Read moreREAD MORE: Episode 25 — Should You Take a Probiotic in Perimenopause? What They Are, What They're Not, and How to Choose One 👉 Read More Book a free discovery callIf you've been managing gut symptoms for a while and want to understand what's actually driving them — let's talk. 📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL HERE  Resources mentionedEpisode 24: Still Bloated After Cutting Everything Out? What Your Gut Actually Needs in Perimenopause Episode 10:  How your gut microbiome affects your perimenopause symptomsConnect🌐 christellyelldietitian.com 📷 @christel.gutsydietitian About ChristelChristel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with nearly 30 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and beyond. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. Music credit🎵 Music Credit: “Exciting Corporate” by ElevateMusica 🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  2. Jul 10

    Still Bloated After Cutting Everything Out? What Your Gut Actually Needs in Perimenopause

    You’ve cut out gluten. Then dairy. Then onions. Each time things felt better briefly — and then your symptoms came back. And now you’re eating less than ever, and your gut still isn’t right. In this episode, Christel uses her own Welsh farmhouse garden — three years of clearing overgrowth, learning the space, and gradually tending what’s there — to explain why clearing alone never creates lasting change. Something always grows into the space you’ve created. The question is whether it’s what you wanted. She explains what gut diversity actually is in plain English, why it tends to shift during perimenopause, and why the real starting point isn’t adding expensive new things — it’s feeding and strengthening the community that’s already there. This episode reframes everything. In this episode you’ll learn:Why cutting foods out often leads to symptoms returning — and why this isn’t a failureWhat the gut microbiome actually is, explained in plain EnglishWhy gut diversity tends to shift during perimenopause, and what the latest research says about diet’s role in thatThe 30 plant points framework: where it comes from, what it means in practice, and why it changes the question entirelyWhy the first priority is feeding and strengthening what’s already in your gut — not adding new things on topA brief word on probiotics and why exceptions always existWhy this takes seasons, not weeks — and what consistent tending actually looks likeFree downloadFREE DOWNLOAD: Your Plant Diversity Guide — 30 plant points for a calmer, more resilient gut in perimenopause A list of gut-friendly plants — including options easier on a sensitive gut — organised by category so it’s simple to spot where you could add something new. Includes a seven-day meal plan showing what a higher-diversity week actually looks like. Simple, practical, and the ideal next step after this episode. 👉 Download FREE HERE  Read moreREAD MORE: Episode 24 — Still Bloated After Cutting Everything Out? What Your Gut Actually Needs in Perimenopause 👉 READ HERE Book a free discovery callIf you’ve been managing gut symptoms for a while and want to understand what’s actually driving them — let’s talk. 📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL HERE Resources mentionedEpisode 8: Still Bloated in Perimenopause? Fibre Troubleshooting GuideEpisode 10: How your gut microbiome affects your perimenopause symptomsEpisode 19: What actually helps calm your gut in perimenopause (and why quick fixes don’t)Connect🌐 christellyelldietitian.com 📷 @christel.gutsydietitian About ChristelChristel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with nearly 30 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and beyond. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. Music credit🎵 Music Credit: “Exciting Corporate” by ElevateMusica  🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  3. Jul 3

    Why Some Women Get Gut Symptoms for the First Time After Menopause

    You sailed through perimenopause without major gut problems. And now, years later, something has changed. Bloating you never had before. Bowels that have become unpredictable. A gut that just doesn’t feel quite right — and you can’t work out why. In this episode, Christel explains why gut symptoms can develop for the first time long after menopause. She covers why the pattern is often so gradual you barely notice until things have really shifted, why cutting foods out can sometimes make things harder rather than better, and what post-infectious IBS is and why it’s more common in this group than most people realise. If your gut was fine before and isn’t now — this one is for you. In this episode you’ll learn:Why a gut that coped well through perimenopause can still change years later — and why that doesn’t mean something is seriously wrongThe slow, gradual pattern Christel sees most often in postmenopausal women with new gut symptoms — and why it’s so easy to missWhy cutting foods out, and the low FODMAP diet without proper support, can leave things worse than beforeWhat post-infectious IBS is, why it’s more common than people realise, and how to know if it applies to youWhat actually helps when your world around food has got smaller, not biggeWhy new gut symptoms after menopause always need a GP check first — and exactly what to look out forFree downloadFREE DOWNLOAD: 5 Easy Steps to Banish Bloat and Feel Like Your Old Self Again If your diet has got smaller and more complicated and you’re not sure where to start — this guide brings you back to the foundations. How you eat, regular meals, gentle fibre, movement, hydration. Simple, practical, and a genuinely useful place to reset from. 👉 Download HERE Read moreREAD MORE: Episode 23 — Why Some Women Get Gut Symptoms for the First Time After Menopause Book a free discovery callIf your gut symptoms are new, your diet has got complicated, and you’re not sure what’s actually driving things — let’s talk. 📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL HERE Resources mentionedEpisode 22: Why Is My Gut Still Bad After Menopause?Episode 21: Perimenopause Bloating — Why Your Gut Is So UnpredictableEpisode 14: Menopause and ConstipationEpisode 4: Movement for Gut HealthBlog: Constipation in PerimenopauseBlog: Fibre 101Blog: How do I know it's IBS:  Symptoms and DiagnosisConnect 🌐 christellyelldietitian.com 📷 @christel.gutsydietitian About Christel Christel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with nearly 30 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and beyond. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. Music credit 🎵 Music Credit: “Exciting Corporate” by ElevateMusica  🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  4. Jun 17

    Why Is My Gut Still Bad After Menopause?

    Gut symptoms after menopause are more common than most women expect — and more common than most content actually talks about. In this episode, Christel answers the question she has been getting in her inbox: I'm on the other side now. Does any of this still apply to me? Whether you finished menopause two years ago or ten, this one is for you. Christel explains why bloating, constipation, and unpredictable bowels can persist long after menopause — or even get worse over time — covering the physiology, the lifestyle shifts that often go unnoticed, and the one pattern she sees most in clinic that tends to make things harder, not better. In this episode you'll learn:Why oestrogen staying consistently low affects your gut differently from it fluctuatingHow your gut microbiome changes in postmenopause — and why that matters for bloating and regularityThe lifestyle shifts that quietly contribute to gut symptoms and are easy to missWhy the pelvic floor matters more for bowel health after menopause than most people realiseThe one thing most postmenopausal women do when their gut plays up — and why it often backfiresWhen symptoms need a GP, not a diet changeFree downloadFREE DOWNLOAD: What To Eat When Everything Bloats You — a gentle five-day reset for when your gut feels overwhelmed and you are not sure where to start. No complicated protocols, no long lists of foods to cut out. 👉 Download HERE I also mentioned the Free guide:  The No Bloat Fibre Method 👉 Download HERE Read moreREAD MORE: Episode 22 — Why Is My Gut Still Bad After Menopause? Book a free discovery call📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL: If your gut has been struggling since menopause and you are not sure what is actually driving it — let's talk. 👉 Book your free introductory call HERE Resources mentionedBlog: Constipation in PerimenopauseBlog: Fibre 101Episode 21: Bloating in Perimenopause — Why Your Gut Is So UnpredictableEpisode 14: Menopause and ConstipationEpisode 4: Movement for Gut HealthConnect🌐 christellyelldietitian.com 📷 @christel.gutsydietitian About ChristelChristel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with nearly 30 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and beyond. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. Music credit🎵 Music Credit: "Exciting Corporate" by ElevateMusica 🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  5. May 29

    Perimenopause Bloating: Why the Same Food Bloats You One Day and Not the Next

    Perimenopause bloating isn't just about what you ate — and understanding why changes everything. In this episode, I share what I believe is the most important piece of the bloating puzzle: why your gut becomes more sensitive during perimenopause, not just slower. I explain why the same food can feel fine one day and cause bloating the next, and what to do about it. I also share Anna's story — a client whose bloating wasn't being driven by the foods she'd been cutting out for months. It was being driven by something she couldn't see until we looked at her food diary together. In this episode you'll learn: Why bloating follows that morning-fine, afternoon-bloated pattern The gut sensitivity insight most women (and most advice online) completely miss Why cutting more foods usually makes bloating worseWhat to eat right now if you're bloated today How to eat day to day for a calmer, less reactive gut Why your nervous system matters as much as your diet When it's time to get proper supportFREE DOWNLOAD: What To Eat When Everything Bloats You;  gentle meals for a sensitive gut in perimenopause — no restriction, no complicated recipes.  👉 Download HERE READ THE FULL GUIDE: Perimenopause Bloating: What to Eat (and What to Avoid) for Relief  📞 BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL:  If your bloating has been going on for months and your diet is getting smaller, not bigger — let's talk.  👉Book your free introductory call HERE  RESOURCES MENTIONED:  Blog: Fibre 101 Blog: Constipation in Perimenopause Blog: Best Bread for IBS Episode 4: Movement for Gut Health Episode 12: The Menopause Gut Health Plate Episode 20: IBS and Bloating in PerimenopauseCONNECT: 🌐 christellyelldietitian.com 📷 @christel.gutsydietitian About Christel Christel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with over 28 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and perimenopause. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. 🎵 Music Credit: “Exciting Corporate” by ElevateMusica  🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  6. Mar 9

    IBS and Bloating in Perimenopause: What Your Gut Needs Right Now

    If your gut symptoms feel unpredictable in perimenopause, you’re not alone. Many women find themselves constantly searching for the next thing that might finally “fix” their digestion — new diets, supplements, or foods to avoid. But often the real question isn’t what to try next. It’s what your gut actually needs right now. In this episode of The Perimenopause Gutsy Talk Podcast, dietitian Christel Lyell explains how to recognise whether your gut needs more rhythm, structure, or personalised support — and why doing more isn’t always the answer. If you’ve been feeling stuck in cycles of flare-ups, food changes, and temporary relief, this episode will help you step back and see the bigger picture. In this episode we explore: Why gut symptoms often feel unpredictable during perimenopauseWhy constantly changing foods or trying new solutions can keep the gut unsettledThe difference between rhythm, structure and personalised gut supportHow to recognise what your gut might need right nowWhy consistency often helps more than trying harder Related episodes Episode 18 – Why Gut Symptoms Keep Coming Back in Perimenopause Episode 19 – What Actually Helps Calm Your Gut in Perimenopause (and Why Quick Fixes Don’t) Coming next In the next episode we’ll look at one of the most common symptoms women experience during perimenopause: Bloating. Why it happens — and what can genuinely help. About Christel Christel Lyell is a UK-registered dietitian with over 28 years of clinical experience specialising in gut health and digestive symptoms in midlife and perimenopause. She helps women who feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck with their gut find calmer digestion through evidence-based, food-first care. Find more episodes You can explore the full podcast and episode list here: www.christellyelldietitian.com 🎵 Music Credit: “Exciting Corporate” by ElevateMusica  🎵 Download | Artist: ElevateMusica on YouTube

  7. Feb 6

    What actually helps calm your gut in perimenopause (and why quick fixes don’t)

    If you’ve stopped over-reacting to every gut flare but still don’t feel settled, this episode looks at what actually helps the perimenopause gut calm long term. In Episode 19, Christel explains why quick fixes and elimination approaches often bring short-term relief but don’t last — and why structure and predictability matter more than effort in midlife gut health. This episode focuses on building steadiness, reducing constant reacting, and understanding what helps digestion become more resilient during perimenopause. ⭐ In this episode, we cover: Why quick fixes don’t create long-term gut calmThe difference between calming a flare and building resilienceHow perimenopause affects gut tolerance and recoveryWhy elimination diets often fall short in midlifeWhat “structure” really means for gut healthHow predictability helps the gut settle over time⭐ The Gut Reset The principles in this episode form the foundation of The Gut Reset — a structured, food-first framework designed for women in perimenopause whose guts feel unpredictable. You can read more about it here: 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com/gutreset ⭐ Who this episode is for: Women whose gut symptoms are manageable but unpredictableAnyone tired of cycling through quick fixesWomen who want fewer food decisions, not more rulesListeners looking for calm, sustainable gut health strategiesAnyone who wants progress without restriction⭐ Links & Resources The Gut Reset: 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com/gutreset Work with me 1:1: 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com 📻 Related Episodes: Episode 18: Why Gut Symptoms Keep Coming Back in Perimenopause Episode 20: Is a Gut Reset What You Need? ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode Please follow the podcast, leave a review, or share this episode with someone who might find it helpful.

  8. Jan 30

    Why gut symptoms keep coming back in perimenopause

    Gut symptoms that improve, then flare again, are incredibly common in perimenopause — even when you’re trying hard to eat well and look after yourself. In this episode, registered gut health dietitian Christel Lyell explains why gut symptoms so often keep coming back in perimenopause, and why this is not a sign that you’re failing or doing something wrong. We explore how hormonal changes, stress and repeated over-correction can make the gut more reactive in midlife, and why trying harder can sometimes make symptoms worse rather than better. This episode is about understanding patterns, reducing pressure, and making sense of why your gut feels so unpredictable during perimenopause. ⭐ In this episode, we cover: Why gut symptoms often become more unpredictable in perimenopauseHow hormonal fluctuations affect digestion and gut sensitivityWhy trying harder doesn’t always help the gut settleThe link between stress, restriction and gut flaresWhy symptoms improve, then return againHow to think about flares without panic or over-correction⭐ The Gut Reset (waitlist) If your gut feels unpredictable and you’re tired of constantly reacting to symptoms, you may want to explore The Gut Reset — a structured, food-first approach designed to help calm the gut before moving forward. You can join the waitlist here: 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com/gutreset Joining doesn’t commit you to anything — it simply means you’ll hear about it first when it opens. ⭐ Who this episode is for: Women in perimenopause whose gut symptoms keep flaringAnyone stuck in cycles of restriction and over-correctionWomen who feel confused or frustrated that symptoms keep returningListeners who want understanding, not another dietAnyone wanting calm, evidence-based gut health support⭐ Links & Resources Learn more about The Gut Reset: 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com/gutreset Work with me 1:1 (UK-wide online): 👉 www.christellyelldietitian.com 📻 Related Episodes: Episode 17: Why Your Gut Keeps Flaring Episode 19: What Actually Helps Calm Your Gut in Perimenopause ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode Please follow the podcast, leave a review, or share this episode with someone who might find it helpful. Your support helps more women find calm, evidence-based gut health guidance.

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About

The Perimenopause GUTSY TALK podcast is for women in midlife who are done with bloating, brain fog, and unpredictable digestion—and want real-life support that actually helps. Hosted by Gut Health Dietitian Christel Lyell, each episode dives into the real reasons your gut feels off in midlife—from hormone shifts and food reactions to stress, constipation, and more. If you’ve been told it’s “just IBS” or “part of getting older,” this show is your safe space to feel seen, supported, and empowered to take back control of your gut and your life.

Information

  • Creator
    Christel Lyell- Gut Health Dietitian
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Perimenopause Gutsy Talk podcast
  • Show Website
    The Perimenopause Gutsy Talk podcast