Episodes (13)
The Sex Series: Part 03 with Karen Bester
The Sex Series: Part 02 with Karen Bester
The Sex Series: Part 01 with Karen Bester
Sleep Series: Part 03 with Dr Alison Bentley
The Sleep Series: Part 02 with Dr Alison Bentley
In this episode, Mandy wraps up her conversation with Karen Bester, diving into how to get the help and support you need during perimenopause and menopause. From advocating for yourself in the doctor’s office to embracing the confidence and clarity of “menopausal zest,” this is an empowering finale to our three-part series. Expect: How to […]
In this episode, Mandy continues her conversation with Medical Training Manager at Lamelle Research Laboratories, Karen Bester but this time looking at what we can do to keep intimacy alive in menopause and perimenopause. From lifestyle shifts to medical interventions, it’s about taking charge of your sexual health now to protect your future self. Karen […]
In this episode, Mandy chats to Medical Training Manager at Lamelle Research Laboratories, Karen Bester, about sex, sexuality, and the menopause years and why our Gen X upbringing shaped how we think about intimacy, and what’s really going on with our bodies and brains. Expect: Why Gen X women grew up with a conservative view […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin wrap up the Sleep Series with Dr Alison Bentley, one of South Africa’s top sleep specialists and the woman who just might save you from another 2am internal TED Talk. Expect: The truth about the eight hours of sleep myth and why your brain might only want five How […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin are back with Dr Alison Bentley for part two of the Sleep Series and this one is a total eye-opener. They’re talking sleep apnea, restless legs, and why bad sleep isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous. Expect: Why untreated sleep apnea can speed up diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and more […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin kick off the Sleep Series with Dr Alison Bentley, GP, sleep specialist, and the woman who’ll finally explain why you’re wide awake at 2am plotting your grocery list and escape. Expect: Why your hormones aren’t the only reason you can’t sleep Restless legs, snoring, and the hidden epidemic of […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin are back with the final episode of the HRT Series with Dr. Sumayya Ebrahim to decode the chaos around bioidentical hormones, blood tests that don’t work, and tubs of cream with mysterious vibes. It’s the HRT chat that clears the fog (and confirms your rage is valid). Expect: What […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin sit down with Dr. Sumayya Ebrahim, gynaecologist, menopause warrior, and HRT expert, to pull apart the big fears and even bigger facts about HRT. Like, did you know the most-feared HRT study got a lot wrong? Or that modern oestrogen might actually help prevent breast cancer, not cause it? […]
In this episode, Mandy and Tamsin sit down with Dr. Sumayya Ebrahim, gynaecologist, menopause warrior, and HRT expert, to ask the big questions: What is HRT? Do we need it? Will it make us grow beards or just help us sleep? Expect: Oestrogen in a patch, gel, or oral Testosterone for your libido and your […]
In this episode, we dive headfirst into the oestrogen void with Dr. Chrissy du Plessis and discover that menopause has no official end. Expect: Zombiefied lady parts (hello, atrophy) Brain fog and brittle skin Heel pain and itchy ears Mood swings courtesy of progesterone And zero fanfare when it’s theoretically over Basically, your body’s running […]
In this episode, we bring in actual medical muscle — Dr. Chrissy du Plessis — to answer the big questions: what’s the difference between perimenopause and menopause, and why is your period ghosting you? Expect: Sleep chaos and rogue hormones Mood wobbles and menopausal maths Puberty flashbacks (sorry) HRT and hot takes While Chrissy is […]
In this episode, your hosts Mandy Collins and Tamsin Mackay try to figure out what menopause actually is with no medical training, but plenty of personal trauma. Expect: Brain fog and midnight wees The Golden Girls The menopause stalk (not a typo) Saggy bits and survival skills Get in touch: whatthemenopause@gmail.com More chaos here: https://whatthemenopause.substack.com/
In this episode, your hosts Mandy Collins and Tamsin Mackay wonder if they’re losing their minds, their hormones, or just their patience. Expect: Doctors who say “It’s just stress” Estrogen vs Progesterone: Dawn of Confusion Get in touch: whathemenopause@gmail.com or visit us on Substack: https://whatthemenopause.substack.com/
From smartwatches to fitness trackers, more of us than ever are monitoring our health in real time. With just a glance at our wrist, we can check our step count, sleep quality, heart rate and, more recently, something called HRV. But what do these numbers actually mean? And more importantly, how can we use them […]
What if the healthy habits you’re tempted to dismiss are already changing your body? You planned three workouts but finished two. You ate well most of the day, but dinner went sideways. You walked three times instead of every day. When the week wasn’t perfect, you decided it didn’t count. But it did count. In […]
Have you ever looked back at a relationship and wondered, how did I lose myself like that? In this powerful episode, Wendy sits down with Jessica Anne Pressler — a Columbia-trained psychotherapist, hospice grief counselor, and author of the new psychological suspense novel Traitor Within — to talk about self-abandonment, trauma bonding, and the hidden […]
I’ve completely changed my mind about how I approach fat loss for women in menopause, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. I used to believe slow, steady weight loss was the best and only sustainable approach. But I kept watching women struggle to maintain a calorie deficit for months, then […]
In this episode of Begin Again Moments, Simon Squibb and psychotherapist Kathleen Saxton examine how the behaviour of a parent can shape the person you become long after childhood is over. Simon shares the reality of growing up with a mother he describes as a narcissist, from being left to find his own way home […]
How can you really support someone you love when they’re going through unimaginable loss? In this moving episode of Begin Again, Mint Velvet co-founder Liz Houghton joins Davina McCall and shares the heartbreaking story of losing her 20-year-old son Will after a cycling accident, and the moment she learned his injuries were unsurvivable. She opens […]
Your BFF for the years when you and your body go WTF!