Understanding HRT: A Practical Guide for Women 40+ | Ep 94

The Henpicked Podcast

March 9, 2026 ∙ 29 mins
Episode 3

About

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) remains one of the most talked-about — and often misunderstood — aspects of menopause.

In this expert-led Henpicked Lunch & Learn, Deborah Garlick is joined by menopause specialist Dr Clare Spencer to answer the most frequently asked questions about HRT — clearly, calmly and based on current medical evidence.

From understanding what HRT actually does in the body, to exploring risks, benefits, cancer concerns, blood clot history, different product options and what to do if the first type doesn't suit you — this episode provides practical, balanced guidance.

You'll hear:

  • What HRT is and how it works during perimenopause and postmenopause

  • Why some women need progesterone alongside oestrogen

  • The different types of HRT available today (patches, gels, sprays, tablets and coils)

  • The real risks of HRT — including breast cancer and blood clots — explained in context

  • The proven long-term benefits for bone and heart health

  • What to consider if you've had cancer, endometriosis or other medical conditions

  • When to seek specialist referral

  • Why finding the right type and dose can take time

This is a grounded, evidence-based conversation designed to help you separate myth from medical fact — and feel more confident discussing your options with a healthcare professional.

About Dr Clare Spencer

This episode features Dr Clare Spencer, GP and menopause specialist at My Menopause Centre.

Dr Spencer has extensive experience supporting women through perimenopause and menopause and is part of the clinical team at:

🌐 My Menopause Centre
https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/our-team/dr-clare-spencer/

📱 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mymenopausecentre/

My Menopause Centre is CQC-rated Outstanding and provides specialist, evidence-based menopause care.

About Henpicked

Henpicked has been supporting women and working with organisations to create more inclusive, informed workplaces for over 13 years. Through expert-led Lunch & Learn sessions, accreditation programmes and trusted resources, Henpicked continues to drive menopause and women's health awareness in workplaces and beyond.

To join future free Lunch & Learn sessions, visit:
https://henpicked.net

Information

Podcast

The Henpicked Podcast

Episode

3

Date

March 9, 2026

Length

29 mins
You may also like

Golden Tails & Trails | Canicross,Trail Running With Dogs & Weight Loss for Women

Welcome to Golden Tails & Trails — the dog podcast for women who want to feel healthier, happier and more connected through life on the trails with their dogs. I’m SJ, a women’s fitness and Canicross coach, joined by my two golden retrievers, Skye and Daisy — your four-legged co-hosts bringing muddy paws, real life […]

Christianity Health & Fitness
placeholder

We Talk Menopause

We Talk Menopause is a podcast about all things perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Whether you are at the start of your journey, part way through or finally at the end, this is the place to be to get answers to the menopause questions you didn’t even know you had! The podcast is hosted by Eileen […]

Education Health & Fitness

Menopause Makeover⎮Belly Fat, Strength Train, Lose Weight, Hormone Imbalance, Mindset

Lose Weight Through Hormone Driven Health Strategies. Are you tired of making the best choices, doing all the right things to lose weight, and finding nothing is working anymore? Tired of struggling to get your jeans buttoned? Rocking the Trim Healthy eating plan only to see the digits on the scale go up instead of […]

Fitness Health & Fitness

The Henpicked Podcast

Menopause, it’s always been around, as long as they’re been women on this earth and they’ve lived long enough, there’s been the menopause. Yet we still have outdated mindset and too little awareness, education and support. Today, we’re in a different time – we’re living for longer, working for longer, and too many of us […]

Health & Fitness Medicine

Itchy and Bitchy Podcast

Meet Doc Itchy (Dr. Keith A Hnilica, DVM, MS, DACVD), a veterinary allergist allergic to Nonsense, and Dr. Stephen Miller, DNP, ACNP-BC a data-driven acute-care cardiology Brainiac with a low tolerance for medical BS.Together, they poke the swollen ego of healthcare, question sacred cows, mock wellness garbage, and translate confusing medicine before the system bills […]

Health & Fitness Medicine
US

The Mel Robbins Podcast

You can change your life and Mel Robbins will show you how. The Mel Robbins Podcast is the #1 podcast on the globe for a reason: Mel’s simple, research-backed advice has changed millions of people’s lives, and in every episode, she’s giving you all her hard-fought secrets, science-backed tools, and deeply personal stories, so you […]

Education Health & Fitness

Take A Breath

A podcast for creating practical calm in the messy middle of midlife. This is your space to pause.  Because life in midlife is full-on. Between work, family, menopause, and the mental load, your nervous system can easily end up in constant overdrive — leaving you feeling exhausted, reactive, and overwhelmed by even the smallest things.  […]

Alternative Health Education

Age Better with Liz Earle

I’m on a mission to change the conversation around ageing. Women’s health – particularly as we age – has been underfunded and overlooked for far too long. And frankly, it’s time we pushed back. Through this podcast, I want to share the knowledge and tools that can help you thrive in later life by taking […]

Arts Education
UK

Golden Tails and Trails | Canicross Running and Weight loss for women | Lose weight, get fit and stay motivated through running and canicross with your dog

Welcome to Golden Tails & Trails, the podcast where I am here to help you lose weight, get fit and stay motivated through running and Canicross  — with my two four-legged co-hosts, Skye and Daisy, trotting right alongside us. I’m SJ, a women’s fitness and Canicross coach, and together with my dog buddies, I’m here […]

Fitness Fitness & Nutrition
UK

Wise Divine Women Podcast: Menopause • Libido • Breast Care • Oh MY! The unfiltered truth for Women

Welcome to the Wise Divine Women Podcast! I’m Dana Irvine, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and Breast Health Educator. On the show we discuss hormone balance, lymphatic health, estrogen detoxification, inflammation reduction, and practical everyday tools to help women feel vibrant again. In practice I offer in-depth thermography imaging, holistic breast care strategies, gut and hormone testing, […]

Alternative Health Alternative Medicine

  • What They Never Taught You at School: Harnessing the Power of Your Menstrual Cycle | Emily Smith from MOONCUP | EP 99

    What They Never Taught You at School: Harnessing the Power of Your Menstrual Cycle Did you know your hormones shift through four distinct phases every month — and that understanding those shifts can genuinely change how you work, rest, move, and feel? In this Lunch & Learn session, Deborah Garlick is joined by Emily Smith, […]

  • What Men Get Wrong About Menopause — And How to Get It Right | Rob Kemp & Joe Warner | EP 98

    Menopause affects all of us. Half the population experiences it firsthand — and the other half through the people they love. Yet most men feel completely lost when their partner goes through it. In this Henpicked Lunch and Learn session, we’re joined by authors Rob Kemp and Joe Warner, who share what drove them to […]

  • Endometriosis in the Workplace: Symptoms, Support & What Employers Must Know | Ep 97

    Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women worldwide. Yet for many, it takes years to be diagnosed—and even longer to be understood. In this Henpicked Lunch and Learn session, we’re joined by Dr Vickie Williams, who shares both her personal experience and research-led insights into endometriosis and its impact—particularly in the workplace. Dr Vickie Williams recently […]

  • Autism, ADHD & Menopause: Why Symptoms Can Suddenly Intensify | Dr Clare Spencer | Ep 96

    Autism, ADHD and menopause are being talked about more than ever — but this is still a developing and often misunderstood area of women’s health. In this expert-led Henpicked Lunch & Learn, Deborah Garlick is joined by menopause specialist Dr Clare Spencer to explore how neurodiversity and menopause intersect — and why symptoms can feel […]

  • Why Periods Are Still a Workplace Taboo | Menstrual Health with Talycia Nayee | Ep 95

    In this episode of the Henpicked Lunch & Learn podcast, host Sally Leech is joined by menstrual health educator and speaker Talycia Nayee to explore why periods are still surrounded by silence in many workplaces. Despite periods being a normal and natural part of life for millions of people, conversations about menstrual health often remain […]

  • Understanding HRT: A Practical Guide for Women 40+ | Ep 94

    Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) remains one of the most talked-about — and often misunderstood — aspects of menopause. In this expert-led Henpicked Lunch & Learn, Deborah Garlick is joined by menopause specialist Dr Clare Spencer to answer the most frequently asked questions about HRT — clearly, calmly and based on current medical evidence. From understanding […]

  • How Ethnicity Impacts Menopause and Menstrual Health – Dr Radhika Vohra | Ep 93

    In this Henpicked Lunch & Learn session, we explore how ethnicity shapes experiences of menstruation, menopause and access to healthcare — and why understanding these differences is essential for equity, wellbeing and support at work and in life. Sally Leach from Henpicked is joined by Dr Radhika Vohra, NHS and private GP, menopause specialist, and […]

  • Living With Adenomyosis: Understanding Symptoms, Diagnosis & Support | Ep 92

    Living With Adenomyosis is a Henpicked Lunch & Learn session focused on understanding a common but often misunderstood menstrual health condition that affects millions of women — yet frequently goes undiagnosed for years. In this episode, Deborah Garlick, Founder of Henpicked, is joined by Henpicked’s menstrual health expert Sally Leach to explore what adenomyosis is, […]

  • 219: A Perfect Birth… Then a Deadly Heart Attack

    (00:00:00) 219: A Perfect Birth… Then a Deadly Heart Attack (00:00:11) Welcome to the Itchy and Bitchy Podcast (00:00:42) Doc Itchy Medical Pets Supplements (00:01:04) A Tragic Case of Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (00:02:31) Understanding Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (00:06:43) Risk Factors and Statistics (00:08:36) Treatment and Recovery for Mothers and Babies (00:14:39) Quick Break Announcement (00:15:06) Legit or […]

  • 204 | The Truth About High Cortisol, Recovery, and Weight Loss After 40

    Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right with your workouts… but you’re still exhausted, inflamed, sore, and struggling to lose weight? If so, your body may not need more effort. It may need more recovery. In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most overlooked tools in midlife fitness: the deload week. […]

  • Why Certain Exercise Intensities Work for You (and Others May Not)

    This episode is sponsored by Bluesky CBD and Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist. Bluesky CBD: Get to sleep faster, experience more restorative sleep and save 30% with code FLIPPING50 at https://www.bluesky-cbd.com/discount/Flipping50. Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist.- Become a health & fitness coach who finally speaks midlife women’s language. Learn how to design workouts that balance […]

  • Episode 212: 'Menopause was the most important event of my life'

    🌿 Grab my new expanded and improved free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List. 🔥 Get on the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy: A Journalist’s No-BS Guide to the Lay of the Land (in Under 3 Hours) – it drops June 15. Luce Beaulieu is a certified menopause coach, researcher-turned-guide, and founder of […]

  • Could building muscle add years to your life? – with Dr Gabrielle Lyon

    Muscle doesn’t just keep us strong and toned – it’s also an essential longevity tool. Physician and bestselling author Dr Gabrielle Lyon joins Liz to explain how lifting weights protects your bones, regulates blood sugar and promotes healthy ageing – and why it’s never too early or late to start. In this episode, Liz and […]

  • Ep #195: GLP-1 and Muscle Loss in Perimenopause: What to Eat to Protect It with Natalie Bean

    If you're on a GLP-1 and nobody told you how to eat on it, this one's for you. We get into it in depth. Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, bestselling author of Nourishing Menopause, 7x published menopause researcher, menopause educator, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with nutrition and fitness coach Natalie Bean, who is GLP-1 certified […]

  • Rewind Time: The Breakdown That Made Hello! Magazine's Editor Walk Away – And Reinvent Herself

    Today we're revisiting our episode with author, coach, and former editor of Hello! Magazine, Rosie Nixon. Rosie opened up about the burnout that hit her in midlife – which was only exacerbated by hormonal turbulence in perimenopause – and how this did, in fact, lead to the biggest and best transformation of her life. If you enjoyed […]

  • The Tamsen Show podcast image

    Melinda French Gates: Inside Her $600 Million Mission for Women's Health

    Melinda French Gates joins Tamsen with a major announcement, a huge new donation toward women’s midlife and menopause care, and she’s making it right here on The Tamsen Show.  Melinda has pledged $2 billion to women and families in her lifetime, and this new commitment expands her women’s health work into menopause for the first […]

  • Why We Struggle With Consistency In Midlife And How To Fix The Struggle | 285

    You know what to do. You have known for a long time. So why does doing it — actually doing it, consistently, week after week — feel so much harder than it used to? This episode is the honest answer to that question. And it is not the answer most of us have been giving […]

  • 72 – ADHD in women: the hidden role of hormones

    Why are so many women only discovering they have ADHD during perimenopause? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by wellbeing coach, author and host of the ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, Kate Moryoussef, for an important conversation about ADHD in women and the often overlooked role hormones can play. Kate shares how she was […]

  • Your Summer Reset for More Energy, Fun, & Happiness (Backed by Science)

    This episode will help you hit reset on the rest of your year and make your life feel like yours again. In today’s personal solo episode, Mel will help you pause, reconnect with yourself, and ask you two powerful questions that can change how you experience the rest of the year. Because somehow, the year […]

  • #243 Depleted to Replenished The Mineral Blueprint for Healing & Vitality with Caroline Alan, CEO of Beam Minerals

    What if the missing piece to your energy, gut health, sleep, and resilience… wasn’t another diet or supplement—but minerals? In this deeply honest and eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Caroline Alan—health survivor, mineral educator, and co-founder of BEAM Minerals—to explore how rebuilding your body at the cellular level can change everything. After a high-pressure career in […]

  • Book Club Meets: Tradwives and the manosphere, with Caro Claire Burke

    Natalie Heller is a tradwife influencer online. She’s got the perfect life: a brood of beautiful children and a handsome cowboy husband who eat her homemade bread and jams in their gorgeous red barn. What her millions of followers don’t know is that she’s got a whole army of hidden staff and industrial kitchen appliances […]

  • Thursday Thoughts – How Well Do You Know Yourself?

    On this week's Thursday's Thoughts, Lucy and I are asking the question ‘How well do you know yourself? So many of us spend our lives reacting to what’s happening around us that we lose touch with what we actually need. We discuss what gives us energy, what drains us and the importance of living a […]

  • Foot Health in Menopause: Common Problems & Practical Solutions with Jubilee Thobejane, Podiatrist. S7. Ep14.

    Did you know menopause can affect your feet? From plantar fasciitis and unexpected hard skin to changes in foot shape and structure, hormonal shifts can have a surprisingly significant impact on foot health – and it's something many of us (including me!) have never really thought about. In this episode, I'm joined by registered podiatrist […]

  • The Hidden Shift In Midlife: Hormone Decline, Muscle Loss, and Healthy Aging During Menopause

    The Menopause Mastery Show | The Hidden Shift In Midlife: Hormone Decline, Muscle Loss, and Healthy Aging During Menopause | Episode 281 with Jerry Mixon, MD 🌿Welcome to The Menopause Mastery Show!  🚺Why do women lose muscle during menopause? And, what happens next?  In this episode, Dr. Betty Murray sits down with Dr. Jerry Mixon […]

  • 203 | High Cortisol? 5 Ways to Support Your Body This Summer

    Ever feel like life is moving at 100 miles an hour and your body is paying the price? Between vacations, graduations, appointments, caregiving, work, church activities, and all the responsibilities that come with midlife, many women find themselves stuck in a constant state of stress. And while you may be doing all the “right” things, […]

  • The Tamsen Show podcast image

    The Hormone Doctor: The Truth About Cortisol, Estrogen and Balancing Your Hormones

    Most of what you’ve heard about hormone balance, perimenopause symptoms, and hormone therapy online is wrong. That misunderstanding is costing women years of unnecessary suffering through puberty, pregnancy, and menopause stages when effective solutions like testosterone for women already exist and can make a real difference. Endocrinologist Dr. Gillian Goddard is joining Tamsen Fadal on […]

  • Nourishing Menopause: Food, Stress, Sleep, Supplements & More with Andrea Donsky, RHN

    There’s a lot of advice out there on how to fix, cure, hack, medicate, and manage menopause. Often, what we really need is nourishment, says this week’s guest Andrea Donsky, RHN, author of Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition and Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best. Andrea’s 14‑year journey through perimenopause led her to blend naturopathic and […]

  • Morgan Fairchild: Glamour, Grace & Great Stories

    On this week’s episode, we step into the glamorous world of Morgan Fairchild, one of television’s most iconic leading ladies. Morgan is a celebrated actress known for portraying powerful, sophisticated women on hit series including Search for Tomorrow, Dallas, Flamingo Road, Paper Dolls, Falcon Crest, Friends, and Murphy Brown. We explore her remarkable career and […]

  • Women Are Not Small Men: Dr. Stacy Sims on Exercise, Nutrition, and Menopause

    Everything you’ve been told about exercise and nutrition was probably based on male physiology. For women in perimenopause and menopause, that gap is costing us. Stacy talks with Dr. Stacy Sims — exercise physiologist and leading researcher in female-specific science — about why women lose power before muscle, how the gut microbiome shifts in the […]

  • Episode 220 – What are my rights? Working with cancer and menopause

    Do you know your rights to work after a cancer diagnosis and with ongoing menopause symptoms? From navigating time off, to returning to work, to managing menopause symptoms in the workplace, it can feel overwhelming to know what your rights are and what support you should expect. I’m joined by Barbara Wilson, from Working With […]

  • 330 🌿 Find Your True Nature: Ayurveda, Mind-Body Types & Midlife Resilience with Heather Grzych

    In this fascinating episode of The Midlife Makeover Show, Wendy Valentine sits down with Heather Grzych — author, Ayurvedic medicine teacher, past president of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, and host of the globally ranked Wisdom of the Body podcast. Heather shares how she went from a high-powered corporate career to becoming one of the […]

  • placeholder

    5 Reasons Menopause Feels Harder Than It Did for Our Grandmothers

    Are you wondering why menopause feels harder today than it did for our mothers and grandmothers? In this podcast, I explore 5 important reasons why modern women may experience more intense menopause and perimenopause symptoms. Many women are told that previous generations “just got on with it”, but the reality is that women today are […]

  • image of woman with dark hair named Mary Claire Haver

    GLP-1s, Hormones, and Why You Can't Calorie-Count Your Way Out of Menopause with Dr. Michelle Gordon

    In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Michelle Gordon, a board certified obesity medicine physician and diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, with surgical fellowships from the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Through her practice Thrive Span Medical, she works with […]

  • The Link Between Creatine, Brain Health & Longevity

    This episode is sponsored by Bluesky CBD and AquaTru. Bluesky CBD: Get to sleep faster, experience more restorative sleep and save 30% with code FLIPPING50 at https://www.bluesky-cbd.com/discount/Flipping50. AquaTru – Go to https://AquaTru.com/ now for 20% off (your purifier) using promo code FLIPPING50. AquaTru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting water guarantee. Other Episodes You Might […]

  • Ep. 221 – The New Rules of Women's Health with Meghan Rabbitt

    In this episode of Not Your Mother’s Menopause, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes award-winning journalist Meghan Rabbitt, author of The New Rules of Women’s Health. Meghan shares how her own health journey—from dismissing severe symptoms to discovering a uterus full of fibroids—led her to write a comprehensive guide for women. She explains why the old “bikini […]

  • Ep 530: MVP: The Freedom Of No Longer Feeling Controlled By Food with Michelle

    Do you feel like food has too much power over you? In this deeply personal conversation, Michelle shares how years of stress, overwhelm, food rules, and self-criticism kept her stuck in a cycle that felt impossible to break. Like many women in menopause, she believed her struggles were caused by stress and cravings. What she […]

  • 71 – What’s your skin telling you about your hormones?

    So many women notice changes in their skin and hair duringtimes of hormonal change, yet hormones are rarely discussed as part of the conversation. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by consultantdermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar to explore the powerful relationship between hormones, skin health and ageing. Together they discuss why the skin is […]

  • Feeling Off Balance? A 20-Minute Reset for Calm and Clarity

    Have you been feeling a little out of balance lately? In this special episode of Take a Breath, I'm sharing one of the guided breathwork sessions from my REWIRE programme—a course designed to help you gently retrain your nervous system and create a calmer, steadier baseline. Before we begin, I'll walk you through the structure […]

  • 218: Itchy and Bitchy ClinicCrawl – Give the medicine, Respect the worms; Vomiting LungWorms

    (00:00:00) 218: Itchy and Bitchy ClinicCrawl – Give the medicine, Respect the worms; Vomiting LungWorms (00:00:06) Welcome to Itchy and Bitchy (00:00:10) The Itchy and Bitchy Podcast Introduction (00:00:40) Introducing the Hosts and Disclaimer (00:00:52) Clinic Crawl: The Wormy Cat (00:04:58) Dock Itchy Nutrisugical Supplements for Pets (00:05:24) CPR Training for Cardiac Emergencies (00:07:48) Closing […]

  • The Tamsen Show podcast image

    Shannon Elizabeth: The American Pie Star on Starting Over & Getting Her Power Back

    Shannon Elizabeth was the it girl of the early 2000s… American Pie, Scary Movie, Love Actually, That 70s Show. What we didn’t know was how much Shannon was carrying underneath all of it. In this personal and unfiltered episode, Tamsen sits down with her cousin Shannon Elizabeth, for the first time with a microphone between […]

  • How to Handle Difficult People: 7 Psychological Tricks to Read Anyone, Spot a Liar & Stay in Control

    In today’s episode, a former secret service agent shares exactly how to read body language, handle difficult people, and know when someone is lying. You’ll also learn psychological tricks to spot manipulation, master your emotions, gain respect, and get what you want without being pulled into other people’s drama. Today, Mel is bringing back one […]

  • Mary Berry: "I didn't want to leave the house!" How gardening helped me through grief

    Mary Berry has been married for 60 years and says she and her husband have never had a cross word. Her secret? Do a lap of the garden before saying the thing you might regret. In this chat with Fearne, Mary shares the simple principles that have guided her life: be kind, contribute to community, […]

  • Is the contraceptive pill failing young women?

    While midlife women can be prescribed body-identical hormones on the NHS, their daughters and nieces are being given synthetic hormones that may carry more side effects and risks. Liz unpacks the differences between the two – and what every woman should know about her hormone healthcare, whether she’s weighing up the pill or navigating menopause. […]

  • Diagnosed At 34: Dani Harmer Holds Nothing Back About Early Menopause (Tracy Beaker)

    Can you go through menopause in your 30s? 🤝 Get your own personalised menopause support from Dr Naomi Potter and her team: [https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihih](https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihih) This week, Dr Naomi Potter is joined by actress and national treasure Dani Harmer (best known as Tracy Beaker) for a very honest conversation about early menopause, HRT, exhaustion, brain fog and […]

  • I can't think of a better demographic for rapid fat loss than a 50+ menopausal female.

    Have you ever felt like you're doing everything right in menopause and the scale still won't budge? In this episode of Mastering Menopause, I'm pulling back the curtain on the Rapid Fat Loss approach I've been using with my clients and on myself. After months of travel, stress, inflammation, and feeling "off," I decided it […]

The Henpicked Podcast

Menopause, it’s always been around, as long as they’re been women on this earth and they’ve lived long enough, there’s been the menopause. Yet we still have outdated mindset and too little awareness, education and support. Today, we’re in a different time – we’re living for longer, working for longer, and too many of us […]

00:00
/
00:00