Sleep really is your body's superpower, yet it's often one of the first things to suffer when we hit perimenopause or menopause.

I know this one personally. When my anxiety was high and my sleep was poor, everything felt harder, I was more emotional, more tired, and constantly running on empty. What I didn't realise at the time was how much poor sleep was affecting not just my energy, but my hormones, my appetite, and even my digestion.

Here's the truth: if you don't sleep well, you can eat around 300–400 extra calories a day without even realising it. Your brain drives you to look for quick energy, and that usually means sugar and caffeine.

In this episode, I'll share:
• Why sleep is essential for hormone balance, energy, and emotional wellbeing
• How your digestion and gut repair themselves overnight
• The role of sleep in laying down memory and improving focus
• Simple, practical ways to improve sleep quality in midlife - from evening routines to nutrition and calming habits

Sleep isn't a luxury, it's your most powerful reset. Support your body with good sleep, and everything else feels easier.

👉 Resources & Links

• Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets
• Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme
• Glucose monitor - find if your sleep is affected by what you eat - link

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active's Sleep Complex — formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support relaxation and quality rest. Use code Wendy10 for 10% off at checout

We can’t avoid all toxins, but we can reduce our exposure to the ones that interfere with our hormones and overall wellbeing.

During menopause, our bodies are already working hard to rebalance. Add in the extra load from plastics, cleaning products, skincare, and environmental chemicals, and it can tip things in the wrong direction. The good news? Small, consistent changes really do make a difference.

In this episode, I’ll share:
• Where hormone-disrupting chemicals show up in everyday life (and how to spot them)
• Simple swaps for home, body, and kitchen that reduce your exposure
• How to support your body’s natural detox pathways through food and lifestyle

Fab Female Gem: focus on small swaps, not perfection, every little reduction lightens your body’s load and helps your hormones find balance.

Resources & Links:

• Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets
• Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme: hillstart.me.uk/transformation
• Yuka App - scan products to find cleaner options - apple link
• Tropic - clean beauty products - my link

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Revive Active’s MenoActive - formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women through this stage of life.

When we think about health, we often focus on exercise, but in menopause, it’s how you move your body every day that really counts.

At this stage of life, long hours of high-intensity training can sometimes do more harm than good, raising stress hormones and leaving you feeling depleted. What your body needs is a balanced approach: daily movement to keep joints supple and energy flowing, combined with the right type of exercise to protect bone, heart, and muscle health.

In this episode, I’ll share:
• Why daily movement is just as important as formal exercise in menopause
• The types of activity that help balance hormones and reduce stress
• How I shifted from punishing workouts to movement that feels nourishing and sustainable
• Practical ways to build more movement into your everyday life, without needing hours in the gym

✨ Fab Female Gem: focus on adding small movements throughout your day, adding calming movement as well as cardio and weight bearing exercise - this is the gem for mid-life

Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active’s MenoActive — formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women during this stage of life. www.reviveactive.com

Lets be real - stress isn’t something we can avoid, but how we respond to it can make or break our menopause journey.

When I hit perimenopause at 40, anxiety and overthinking became part of my daily life. I didn’t recognise it at the time, but my nervous system was in overdrive. Once I learned how to manage my stress more effectively - through nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and self awareness, everything started to feel lighter and more manageable.

In this episode, I’ll share:
• How stress hormones like cortisol affect your weight, sleep, and mood in midlife
• Why perimenopause makes your nervous system more sensitive to stress
• Practical, realistic ways to bring calm back into your day, even when life is busy

✨ Fab Female Gem: you don’t need to eliminate stress, instead focus on adding in small, calming practices that change how your body responds to it.

👉 Resources & Links
• Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause:
• Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Revive Active’s MenoActive - formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women through this stage of life.

This is the final episode in my special anniversary series - where I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned as a woman, a nutritionist, and the host of the Fab Female Nutrition podcast for the past 6 years.

In this episode, I’m talking all about testing - and what I’ve discovered about my own health through tools like genetics, gut testing, and omega-3 analysis. Some of the results surprised me (yes, even as a nutritional therapist!) But they’ve helped me support myself more effectively, and better understand the women I work with.

This episode is all about clarity, compassion, and cutting through the noise. Because understanding your body is powerful.

I’ll cover:
• Why testing isn’t a quick fix - but can offer game-changing insights
• What I’ve learned about my stress response, histamine, detox and nutrient needs
• How magnesium, omega-3, and B vitamins became key to feeling better
• Why food first always wins - but personalisation helps it work

💛 Listener action: If you’re ready to start uncovering what your body needs, my 28-Day Transformation Programme is the perfect place to begin.
Start anytime at www.hillstart.me.uk/transformation – just £89 with 50 days’ access.

🎙 Huge thanks to our sponsor Revive Active — I now take their Magnesium daily and love it for stress, sleep, and nervous system support.

In your 20s and 30s, movement is often about keeping going - more cardio, more effort, more pushing through. But in this episode, I’m sharing how everything changed when I slowed down, tuned in, and started listening to what my body actually needed.

I’ll tell you how qualifying as a yoga teacher at 51 reshaped my mindset, why mindful movement supports hormones and nervous system balance, and how walking, paddleboarding, and even open water swimming now bring me more joy (and better results) than punishing workouts ever did.

Whether you’re feeling stiff, burnt out or just disconnected, this episode is your permission slip to move in a way that feels good - and still gets results.

🎙 Huge thanks to our sponsor Revive Active - I love their Joint Complex for supporting joint comfort and mobility. With 5g of collagen, it’s become one of my essentials. Remember to use codde Wendy10 to get 10% off at checkout.

In this episode, I’m reflecting on how my relationship with food has changed over the years - from piling up toast and pasta just to feel full, to learning how to fuel myself properly for energy, mood, and hormone health.

You’ll hear how my training in my 40s changed everything, how I approach food with joy (not guilt), and why eating well means you don’t need to snack your way through the day. I’ll also share how a simple test revealed my omega-3 levels were way too low - and what I did about it.

💛 My 28-Day Transformation Programme is now live! It’s been refined after guiding over 100 women through the process, and it’s available for just £89 until the end of the year. Fab Female Members get a discount!
Learn more

Curious about your own omega-3 levels? The Omega Balance Test is now available:
hillstart.me.uk/product/omega-balance-test

🎙 Thanks to our sponsor Revive Active – I now take their Omega-3 daily and wouldn’t be without it.

This month marks 6 years of the Fab Female Nutrition podcast, and I’m kicking off a special series by sharing what I wish I’d known in my 20s and 30s (and even 40's) about hormones, energy, and how to actually feel good in your body.

Back then, I was powering through life on a contraceptive implant, ignoring my cycle, dealing with bloating and fatigue, and assuming it was all just part of being a woman. But through training, testing, and years of working with clients, I’ve learned so much about how we can support our bodies - and how important it is to tune in, not shut down.

In this episode, I’m sharing:
• Why ignoring your cycle might be costing you energy and clarity
• How your symptoms are messages - not annoyances
• What I’d say to my 30-year-old self (and what I want you to hear too)
• Gentle steps to start reconnecting with your health today

My Fab Female Membership is just £69/year and includes 200+ recipes, meal plans, coaching, members-only clinics and more. It’s incredible value, and where I share all my knowledge to support you in your journey - join us at www.fabfemale.co.uk

With thanks to our amazing sponsor Revive Active — nutritional support for women at every stage. Use code Wendy10 for 10% off a checkout www.reviveactive.com