It’s time for us to start talking about the menopause.

“It’s high time we renovated and elevated this life change. Despite centuries of speculation and propaganda, we are not overheating or inherently cold, we are not hysterics or boiling vats of toxic poisons, we are not dried up or washed up – we are simply menopausal.”

Straight-talking broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, and award-winning health journalist Alice Smellie – authors of the groundbreaking, no-holds-barred guide to ‘Cracking the Menopause’ – join us as they impart their wisdom, experiences, and insight. Delivering all the information you could ever need, with characteristic, wry humour.

Want to join us in person? Get your ticket here.

Fora | Restore22

A wellness festival for the mind, body, and soul.

One of our foremost menopause campaigners, Presenter and Journalist, Mariella first wrote about the subject back in 2015 when she first took HRT and became aware of the misinformation and myth surrounding the subject of menopause. In 2018, she made her acclaimed BBC programme ‘The Truth About The Menopause’, questioning why it was such a toxic subject and looking at the symptoms and solutions.

Currently helming her own daily afternoon show on Times Radio, Mariella combines her TV and radio careers with that of a prolific journalist. She writes a weekly dilemma column for The Sunday Times Magazine and a monthly travel column for The Telegraph.

Recently named one of Vogue’s 25 most influential women in the UK, she is a co-founder of campaign group Menopause Mandate, and has spoken and written widely about the importance of menopause education, equality and informed choice around the subject.

She says: ‘My experience of perimenopause is that of so many women - I had no idea what was happening! For two years in my late forties, I suffered from insomnia, anxiety, stress, changes in mood (grumpier) and I had the grand sum of two hot flushes.

Once I finally decided to take action it took months to get a diagnosis. I was offered anti-depressants by my NHS GP and then a private GP did blood tests and diagnosed (variously), both peri AND post-menopause. Eventually I saw a wonderful gynaecologist who finally pin-pointed peri and put me on HRT. I look back and am staggered that it took so long to get a resolution. I’ve subsequently interviewed and read about hundreds of women who have suffered for years. We need education for health professionals and for women so that we can recognise perimenopause and make choices about treatment and lifestyle.’ Her book Cracking The Menopause is co-authored with health journalist Alice Smellie.

Alice Smellie is a British journalist and author specialising in health and beauty (and menopause). She writes extensively on the subject for national newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail and Marie Claire. She is co-author of Cracking The Menopause with Mariella Frostrup and a co-founder of the campaign group Menopause Mandate.

About her own experience of perimenopause, she says: ‘Even though I had written about the subject, I had no idea that awful PMT in my early forties, lasting for ten days and accompanied by - let’s call it ‘increased irritability’ - along with irregular periods, were signs of perimenopause.

My biggest peri symptom was anxiety. This kick off age 46 on top of the appalling PMT. I only endured this very briefly (two cycles), but it was hideous, and an insight into how much other women truly suffer. My confidence in my ability to do my job was shattered, and my mind was filled with worst case scenarios for everything.

Fortunately, I go running with Mariella and another friend who is a menopause nurse. When I mentioned this sudden anxiety, they both - thankfully - pointed out that it was almost undoubtedly perimenopause and I went to see my (excellent) GP. Understanding that it was my hormones was extremely reassuring, and as well as taking HRT, which almost completely alleviated it, I also made diet and lifestyle changes which have helped with sleep and overall mood.’

Get your copy of 'Cracking The Menopause' here.

ALL TICKET PROCEEDS WILL GO TO OUR PARTNERED CHARITY, MAGIC BREAKFAST.

Magic Breakfast provides healthy school breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the UK. Today Magic Breakfast provides healthy breakfasts to over 200,000 children in England and Scotland during normal term time, in over 1000 primary, secondary and Special Educational Needs schools, plus Pupil Referral Units.

https://www.magicbreakfast.com

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