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Welcome to Empower Your Menopause, the podcast where we talk all things health, hormones, and happiness for women over 40. In this episode coaches Juli and James are joined by a special guest to tackle a topic that’s written all over our faces. Literally.

As hormones shift in midlife, so does our skin — texture, tone, dryness, and elasticity all start to change, often making our old skincare and makeup routines work against us. But the good news? With a few smart tweaks, that glow you thought was gone for good can come right back.

We’re thrilled to be joined by Dawn Pfingsten, creator of Just Doing My Best, to talk about real skin and real life — no faff, no filters. Dawn’s all about helping mature women find simple, affordable solutions for makeup and skincare that work for aging skin.

Dawn is a wife, mom, grandmother, military veteran, and sheep farmer, living her best life while fixing up an old farmhouse — proof that beauty and real life can absolutely coexist.

If your foundation’s settling faster than you can say “perimenopause,” this one’s for you.

Follow Dawn for more skin, makeup, and fashion tips:

• Instagram
• YouTube
• Website
  
  

From us:
If you’re ready to get a clearer picture of what’s really going on with your body, take our Menopause Impact Assessment — the perfect first step to understanding your symptoms and feeling like yourself again.

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Welcome back to Empower Your Menopause — the show all about health, happiness, and hormones for women 40+ with coaches Juli Madacey and James Ellis.

In this Hot Flashes & Hot Topics episode we’re cutting through the noise to decode the latest menopause headlines — so you don’t have to waste your time doom-scrolling and second-guessing what’s true.

Here’s what we’re diving into this month:

• US regulators are revisiting those scary HRT warning labels
• A non-hormonal medication for hot flushes just got UK approval
• There’s finally real money flowing into women’s health
• UK doctors are warning against home hormone testing

We’ll unpack what’s behind each story, why it matters, and what you actually need to know — no hype, no nonsense.

👉 Share this episode with one friend or colleague who needs evidence, not noise.

👉 Send us your story or question for the next Hot Flashes & Hot Topics — email james@fabulousbeyond40.com

👉 Book your Menopause Impact Assessment Call: a 45-minute session where we’ll review your symptoms using a validated questionnaire, set goals, and identify the key changes that will help you feel better fast. You’ll walk away with a personalised plan that works for you.

https://impact.fabulousbeyond40.com/

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In this episode of Empower Your Menopause, James and Juli are joined by Jackie Crawford — image consultant, style queen, and all-round confidence booster.

We first spotted Jackie at a Yorkshire Ladies Link convention earlier this year. She stood out immediately — bold colours, effortless style, and a presence that radiated confidence. We didn’t get to chat on the day, but when we found out she was an image consultant, we knew we had to bring her on the podcast.

Jackie helps women stop fighting their bodies and start expressing who they truly are — through fashion, mindset, and self-acceptance. This conversation is full of energy, practical wisdom, and a refreshing take on how style can support your midlife journey. Don’t miss it.

To find out more about Jackie and her work, visit: jackiecrawford.co.uk

Book a Menopause Impact Assessment call

And if you’re ready to stop guessing about your own health, book a Menopause Impact Assessment call with us. In just 45 minutes, you’ll get clarity on your symptoms, goals, and next steps — so you can start making real progress that lasts.

See impact.fabulousbeyond40.com to book.

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In this episode we’re talking bones — why osteoporosis risk rises in midlife and, more importantly, what you can actually do about it. Around 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, but that doesn’t have to be your future.

In this episode, we dig into why menopause is a key time for bone health, how oestrogen affects bone density, and the lifestyle factors that make things better or worse.

Most importantly, we’ll share the practical, everyday steps that can help you keep your skeleton strong, supportive, and ready to carry you through the decades ahead.

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Welcome back to Empower Your Menopause, the podcast where we talk about health, hormones, and happiness for women 40+.

In this episode we’re joined by Milica Jelenic to navigate the menopause maze of sex and sexuality. If your libido’s gone missing, your body feels different, or you’re wondering whether lube is only for your car, you’re in the right place.

Milica Jelenic a Sex & Intimacy Coach and host of The Pleasure Zone. With a background in psychology and over 20 years in holistic healing, she blends bio-physics practices, somatic bodywork, and energy modalities to help clients create safer, more pleasurable relationships with their bodies and partners. Milica is known for her playful, stigma-free way of talking about sex—clear, kind, and refreshingly practical. When she’s not coaching or on-air, she’s with her family on their Southern Ontario homestead.

Want more Milica?

For more on Milica and to grab her Yes, No, Maybe list she mentions on the podcast, see https://www.milicajelenic.com/

Join Club Fabulous Beyond 40

The doors to Club Fabulous Beyond 40 are officially open. It’s our membership for women 40+ who want science-backed coaching, practical support, and a safe space for the messy middle. You’ll get access to guest experts like today’s fabulous Milica every month, plus live coaching, resources, and community.

See https://club.fabulousbeyond40.com/

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Bloaty, backed-up, or brain-fogged? Your gut’s not just about “what went in” — it’s an ecosystem chatting nonstop with your hormones, immune system, and brain.

In this episode, Juli and James break down what changes in midlife (hello, oestrogen), why your poo is useful feedback (yes, the Bristol Stool Chart is real), and the simple habits that actually help.

In this episode:

• Gut basics, minus the fluff: what the microbiome is and why diversity beats any “superbug.”
• Hormones + digestion: the estrobolome’s role in handling oestrogen — and why midlife can bring bloat, reflux, and “why are my jeans tighter?”
• The gut–brain hotline: vagus nerve 101, serotonin production, and how gut grumbles show up as mood dips, fog, and poor sleep.
• What actually works: fibre (25–30g/day), plant diversity (aim for 30 plants/week), hydration, daily movement, and stress management. No teas that promise miracles in a mug.

Links & next steps

• Join the free 360° Feel Better Challenge (starts Monday, 15 Sept): five days, five pillars, one doable action a day — plus a prize draw for a 3-month VIP spot in Club Fabulous Beyond 40. Sign up: 360feelbetterchallenge.com
• Curious about microbiome (stool) testing? Get in touch with us to discuss whether it’s a good fit and how we interpret results in real-world coaching.

Questions for a future episode? Send them our way — we read them all.

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Menopause is already a lot. Add chronic stress and your body’s “alarm system” can get stuck on loud — nudging appetite up, sleep down, and storage towards the waist. In this episode, Juli and James break down how stress messes with midlife metabolism and what you can actually do about it without living like a monk or counting almonds.

What you’ll learn

Why short bursts of stress are fine — but living there all day tilts you towards snacky, central weight gain

How the midlife oestrogen shift changes your “storage postcode” (hello, tummy)

The sleep–stress–snack loop and why willpower isn’t the answer

Five high-leverage habits: protect your sleep window, a two-minute “circuit breaker” before raiding the kitchen, protein + fibre guardrails, lift + move (NEAT counts), and pre-commit simple meals

Where HRT may (or may not) fit

Join the free 360° Feel Better Challenge

Five days. Five pillars — how you think, eat, move, relax and sleep — with short daily lives and one doable action a day. Starts 15 September. There’s a prize draw too, including a three-month VIP spot in Club Fabulous Beyond 40.

Grab your place: https://360feelbetterchallenge.com/

Next week

Episode 60: The Gut Connection — Why Digestive Health Affects Everything.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education only and isn’t a substitute for personalised medical advice. Discuss your individual health decisions — including HRT — with your healthcare professional.

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In this episode of Empower Your Menopause, James and Juli from Fabulous Beyond 40 delve into a topic that might make you wonder how it’s related to menopause, and then will likely surprise you when you see how closely the two are linked. This week is all about Decluttering, and why it’s not just about your wardrobe.

We’re diving into how the stuff around us affects the stuff inside us, whether that’s our hormones, stress, brain fog, our emotional wellbeing, or all of those things together.

If you consider yourself to be a bit of a clutterbug or even a borderline hoarder sometimes, there’s no shame. We’re here to share some insight, empathy, and ideas to help you feel a little lighter, inside and out.

Join our 360° Feel Better Challenge

Starting on September 15th, 2025, we’ll be hosting our new, free 360° Feel Better Challenge.

Now that summer’s over, the kids are back at school, and routines are settling in again, it’s the perfect moment to focus on you. And that’s exactly what this challenge is designed to help you do.

Over five days, we’ll cover the five key pillars of feeling better in midlife — how you think, eat, move, relax, and sleep. Each day you’ll get a short live training with us, a small but powerful action to put into practice, bonus content, and an action guide to keep you on track — all inside a private Facebook group where you’ll be supported every step of the way.

And because we love a bit of fun, there’s also a prize draw. Complete your action guide scorecard, send it back to us, and you’ll be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes, including a three-month VIP membership of Club Fabulous Beyond 40, worth almost £500 or $650.

If that sounds like what you need right now, head over to https://360feelbetterchallenge.com/ to grab your free spot