#112 Why Have I Put On Weight That Won't Budge? What Can I Do?

Nicky Pellegrino is a best-selling author in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. She writes delicious novels about Italy and her stories are filled with food, friendship, and love. And the kind of people who will feel like they’re your friends.

If you’ve never read one of her Italian novels we recommend you do with a full tummy and prepare to have your passport ready.

Nicky's also the author of Don’t Sweat It: How To Make ‘The Change’ A Good One. It's a candid, honest and warm guide to perimenopause and menopause. Nicky wrote it after perimenopause crept up on her and threw her usually-together self into turmoil.

The empowering book tells the story of Nicky's own experience from rage to missing libidos. It also includes other women's stories and the latest research on perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Nicky’s currently writing her 15th novel which increasingly features women in midlife. Her latest release is P.S. Come To Italy.

Born in Liverpool, Nicky’s half Italian, and spent her childhood summers in Italy, hence the Italian flavour of her novels. She’s been based in New Zealand for 30 years after meeting her husband at a wedding.

Well known for wisdom and the wit of her storytelling she’s also a former editor and currently a freelance writer on a diverse range of subjects including health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Writing about a hot flush when you haven't had one (4:08)

• Coming of age - what is midlife (4.37)

• Pushing back against invisibility (6:20)

• Why it's a bad idea to write a book about menopause when you're in peri and why she did (7:25)

• Stumbling into peri and the beauty of post- (12:00)

• Imposter syndrome (14:12)

• Throwing out bras and other body changes (15:15)

• Wine and coffee - BFF no more (16:10)

• A missing libido (16:57)

• Recurring themes in menopause with loss of confidence reigning high (19:01)

• Lack. of knowledge - are there better ways? (24:00)

• There aren't any roadmaps (25:00)

• The importance of self-care, mental health, friends, and laughter (26:00)

• Laugh more, it's good for you!

• The Italian Experience and culinary tour (28:36)

• What she wished she'd known about perimenopause and menopause (32:00)

• Despite the hype, HRT isn't the be-all and end-all (31:26)

• Advice to women (36:55)

• Suggestions for aspiring novelists (41:28)

  
  

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Episode Resources:

• You can follow Nicky Pellegrino on Instagram here

• And on Facebook here

• Or visit her website here

• To find out more about her culinary tours to Italy click here

• For a manuscript assessment click here

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

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As we head into Season 2 of Women On Fire® we have some interesting topics ahead for your knowledge base.

The lid has cracked open on the menopause conversation (1:38)

Even as early as our mid-30's shift can occur (2:16)

Some common symptoms (2:50)

Menopause may not be as far off (in terms of age) as you think! (3:10)

What is perimenopause (3:22)

What we're covering this season (3:52)

Who's our guest for episode 2? (6:08)

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

• Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here

• Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here

• Visit the website here

• Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here  

  
  

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

In case you're wondering, EDC stands for endocrine-disrupting chemicals and they, along with xenoestrogens, can play havoc with hormonal balance. Therefore, they have the potential to magnify perimenopause/menopause signs and symptoms.

In this episode, Jenna explains them more.

In this episode, she talks about:

• We live in a toxic world (0:09)
• Explaining EDC's (0:53)
• About xenoestrogens (2:43)
• Examples of EDC's and xenoestrogens (4:07)
• Detox your life (5:58)

Episode Resources:

• Environmental Working Group here 
• Skin Deep Database here 
• Book: Toxic Bodies 
• Book: Non Toxic: Guide To Living Healthy In A Chemical World 

We were excited to debut at number 45 of the Top 60 Menopause podcasts recently.

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

• Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here
• Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here
• Visit the website here
• Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here 

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®.

Disclaimer: Our Mini Pauses are for information purposes only. They come from a holistic vantage point and from collating (often conflicting) scientific data if it’s available. They should not take the place of medical advice.

Even though it's no longer swept under the covers, the life stages of perimenopause and menopause can be confusing. And post-menopause needs its own toolkit.

Additionally, there can be an overwhelm of information out there so how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?

Jenna explains some basic facts that every woman should know.

In this episode, she talks about:

• How the conversation has opened up (0:14)
• Fact #1: how do you know you're in menopause? (0:54)
• Fact #2: it doesn't happen overnight (but it will happen!) (4:17)
• Fact #3: the most common signs and symptoms (6:30)
• Fact #4: your WOF is due (11:05)

Episode Resources:

• Episode #103 with Dr Linda Dear aka Menodoctor here  
• Australasian Menopause Society here  
• Book: Menopause Manifesto by Dr Jen Gunter 
• The 34 Symptoms Of Menopause 
• Episode #113 Queen Menopause with Ali Daddo here 

We were excited to debut at number 45 of the Top 60 Menopause podcasts globally recently.

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

• Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here
• Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here
• Visit the website here
• Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here 

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®.

Disclaimer: Our Mini Pauses are for information purposes only. They come from a holistic vantage point and from collating (often conflicting) scientific data if it’s available. They should not take the place of medical advice.

Alison Brahe Daddo - or Ali as she is commonly called – was only 16 when she burst onto the Australian modelling scene in the mid-80’s. 

Many of us, in both Australia and New Zealand, grew up seeing her gorgeous face on the pages and covers of Dolly, Cleo and Cosmopolitan magazines and as a model for companies like Portmans, Nivea, Covergirl and Jacqui E.  

Ali went on to marry TV presenter, actor and heartthrob Cameron Daddo in her early 20s and the
couple moved to the United States for Cam’s career. While there, Ali left the modelling industry and fulfilled her dream of becoming a mother to three children. She’s also worked as an educator, teaching Bodyfulmind exercise and heading up a program that prepared couples for birth, labour and post-partum. She went on to earn her teaching degree in Early Childhood from UCLA and has
trained in Rudolf Steiner Education.  

Since returning to Australia in 2017, she and Cam – now married for over 30 years - co-host the hit podcast “Separate Bathooms” and Ali is also a writer on parenting, relationships and the joys of being a woman. She’s also a patron of RizeUp Australia, a charity that assists domestic abuse families into new homes and safe lives. 

Her first book, Queen Menopause, Finding Majesty In The Mayhem is wonderful. Described as a friendly, frank, compassionate and comprehensive companion for any woman experiencing menopause, it truly is! 

In this episode, we talk about:

• Introducing Ali (0:8)
• Coming up with the name Queen Menopause (3:20)
• Reframing people pleasing (5:33)
• Models have self-doubt and insecurities too (8:47)
• Marrying young and relocating to America for 25 years (11:04)
• Juggling moving home, perimenopause, family and ageing parents (12:42)
• Who am I becoming? Menopause can be a time of vulnerability (17:51)
• Mr Worry & Miss Negative, how our brains can be impacted (21:00)
• The health benefits of menopause (22:28)
• Relationship challenges and how to navigate them (27:52)
• Menopausal divorce and suicide (31:06)
• The positives of post-menopause (35:04)
• Looking at the woman in the mirror (38:12)
• The wise women of the world (39:01
• Educating family, partners and workplaces (41:11)
• Ali's message to women in - or coming up to - perimenopause (45:44)
• Ali's message to women in post-menopause (48:10)

Episode Resources:

• Ali's book: Queen Menopause, Finding Majesty In The Mayhem  
• Ali and Cam's podcast: Separate Bathrooms
• Rebecca Ray psychologist 
• Menopause @ Work Australia - Thea O'Connor 

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

• Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here
• Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here
• Visit the website here
• Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here 

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

Do you feel like you've put on weight overnight? Especially around the belly?

And do you feel like no matter what you do, you can't budge it?

It's common and there can be a lot of reasons behind it. But just as importantly there's a lot you can do. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• About menopausal weight changes (1:16)
• Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat (1:46)
• It's complicated (2:18)
• Sleep and weight (2:32)
• Growing older (3:05)
• Insulin and blood sugar (4:20)
• Thyroid and thyropause (5:19)
• What you can do about it (6:42)

Episode Resources:

• Weight, Shape and Body Composition Changes At Menopause 
• Weight Gain and Menopause 
• Fat Mass Changes During Menopause 
• Effect Of Menopausal Status On Body Composition and Abdominal Fat Distribution 
• Blog: 10 Reasons You Could Be Putting On Weight 
• Blog: How To Lose Weight Using The 80/20 Rule 
• Email Jenna here
  

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

• Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here
• Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here
• Visit the website here
• Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here 

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

Disclaimer: Our Mini Pauses are for information purposes only. They come from a holistic vantage point and from collating (often conflicting) scientific data if it’s available. They should not take the place of medical advice.

Vinka is a functional nutritionist, whose mission is to help everyone feel their best. 

She uses modern and traditional diagnostic tools including blood work analysis, genetics, hormone testing and the symptoms of the body to diagnose root cause issues for her clients. 

Vinka's a self-professed science geek who loves learning about the human body. She says
she gets a buzz helping her clients set and reach their health goals by learning how to implement realistic diet and lifestyle changes.  

In this episode, we talk about:

• What is a functional nutritionist? (1:47)
• Let's talk thyropause (4:02)
• What a thyroid test should encompass (5:04)
• Breathwork tools (14:50)
• Signs and symptoms of thyroid disorders (16:04)
• Perimenopause is a window of opportunity for health (20:50)
• How to look after your thyroid with food (24:23)
• The importance of soil for our food (28:18)
• You are what you absorb (30:28)
• How's your poop? (31:37)
• Fermented foods for your gut (32:25)
• About bloating (36:15)
• Do you have food sensitivities? (37:54)
• Cravings, what gives? (39:57)
• Cholesterol (41:42)

Episode Resources:

• The Thyroid Debacle 
• Wild Fermentary 
• Turmeric Soda recipe 
• Seaweed Chips 
• 40+ Club For Ageless Goddesses

Find Vinka:

Visit the website here
Follow Vinka on Instagram here 

Follow Vinka on Facebook here 

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here

Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here

Visit the website here

Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here 

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

Holly Zachan was 40 years old, juggling a business and being mum to two young children when she was blindsided by a diagnosis of hypoactive (underactive) thyroid disease.

After reacting to her medication, she started to connect the dots with some of her symptoms and perimenopause.

From there, she realised she needed to take stock and reassess her life.

Holly shares her story.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Introducing Holly (1:00)
• On being diagnosed with hypothyroidism (2:00)
• Hypothyroidism treatment and a rude awakening (5:24)
• Learning to stop and change her attitude (7:37)
• How things change after 40 (9:06)
• Macronutrients and the importance of carbohydrates (10:00)
• Discovering perimenopause (11:48)
• Putting the pieces back into a stable place (15:40)
• Lessons learned to share with other women (22:02)

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here.

Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here.

Visit the website here.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here .

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

Lisa Tamati is a woman in menopause.

She's also a former endurance athlete, best-selling author, and a health optimisation, longevity, high performance and mindset coach.

Lisa is relentless and wrote a book of the same name. It tells of the highs and lows and the sheer tenacity it took to help her 74-year-old mother recover from an aneurysm and subsequent brain damage. 

Indeed, Lisa doesn't take no for an answer because she believes nothing is impossible. Even when she's told it is!

In this episode, Lisa shares her story and her journey with menopause. In addition, she imparts wisdom about DNA, epigenetics, hormone methylation and perimenopause/menopause and post-menopause.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Introducing Lisa (1:01)
• Lisa's book Relentless (3:15)
• Running ultra marathons around the world (4:31)
• Breaking free and finding positivity (11:53)
• Physical shifts and turning 40 (13:51)
• Nothing is impossible (16:23)
• Hormones, perimenopause and fertility (21:48)
• Grief, fertility, IVF & surrogacy (22:22)
• DNA, epigenetics, ageing & hormones (29:23)
• The birth control pill (34:51)
• DNA, genes & hormone methylation (36:02)
• Supplementation/HRT (38:00)
• Perimenopause/menopause/post-menopause lifestyle overhaul (39:44)
• Stacking habits and micro changes (41:58)
• Fatter or leaner in survival mode? (47:04)
• The information age & AI (48:29)
• Women helping women (50:50)
  

Episode Resources:

• Relentless - How A Mother And Daughter Defied The Odds  
• Lisa's website - lisatamati.com 

Follow Lisa:

On Facebook here 

On Instagram here 

On YouTube here 

On LinkedIn here 

Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe®

Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here.

Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here.

Visit the website here.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here .

We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®. 

If you would like to contribute to Women On Fire please contact jenna@meno-me.co.nz  for more information.