Is It Hot In Here? Midlife Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What do women, Doctors, and professionals keep getting wrong about menopause?

In this myth-busting episode of Is It Hot In Here?, Dr Naomi Potter takes on 13 of the most common menopause misconceptions—and sets the record straight.

From “HRT causes cancer” to “Menopause means the end of my sex life” and “Menopause starts at 50”, Naomi unpacks the facts behind the misinformation and outdated advice that too many women are still being told today.

Whether you’re just entering perimenopause or knee-deep in hot flushes and hormone confusion, this episode will empower you with clarity, science-backed answers, and a big sigh of relief.

Further reading:

https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/hormones-and-hrt
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/hrt-risks-and-benefits
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/signs-hrt-is-not-working
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/testosterone-and-menopause
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/contraception-in-menopause
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/hrt-and-breast-cancer
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/hrt-perimenopause
https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/blog/hrt-weight-gain

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:
Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Follow the podcast on Instagram @podcast_naomipotter

#menopause #perimenopause #hrt

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:23 Myth 1: Menopause doesn't start until 50
• 00:01:10 Myth 2: You ca only be on HRT for 5 years
• 00:02:18 Myth 3: You should just put up with menopause symptoms
• 00:03:08 Myth 4: Every women should be on HRT
• 00:04:19 Myth 5: You are not menopausal if you have no symptoms
• 00:04:59 Myth 6: You need a blood test to diagnose menopause
• 00:07:12 Myth 7: HRT causes cancer
• 00:09:43 Myth 8: You cannot use HRT if you have a family history of cancer
• 00:13:16 Myth 9: Testosterone is only for men
• 00:14:26 Myth 10: I cannot get pregnant once I start perimenopause
• 00:16:13 Myth 11: Menopause means the death of sex
• 00:16:54 Myth 12: I will gain weight during menpause
• 00:18:26 Myth 13: Quality of life goes downhill from menopause

Why does your gut feel different during menopause – and what can you do about it?

This week, Dr. Naomi Potter is joined by Dr. Megan Rossi – AKA The Gut Health Doctor – a dietitian and scientist leading the conversation on gut health.

From bloating and reflux to stubborn weight gain, Megan explains how hormonal shifts can disrupt digestion in midlife – and how smart, simple food choices can make all the difference.

Whether you're a kitchen novice or a seasoned cook, Megan’s tips are practical, science-backed, and doable for every budget.

Stay up to date with Is It Hot In Here? podcast on Instagram: @podcast_naomipotter

Follow Dr. Megan Rossi below:
Megan’s Instagram: @theguthealthdoctor
Megan’s TikTok: @theguthealthdoctor
Megan’s Website: https://www.theguthealthdoctor.com/

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:
Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/
Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#menopause #guthealth #guthealthdoctor

Ready to join the self love revolution?

In today’s episode of ‘Is It Hot In Here?’ Dr. Naomi Potter is joined by Lou Featherstone – or as she’s better known online, Lu in Luland.

Lou is a podcaster, life coach, and “accidental influencer” on a mission to help as many women as possible to find confidence during midlife.

Lou’s own self-love journey started when she went for a hike up a mountain in the USA. As she reached the summit, she felt “emboldened” and decided to snap a nude photo of herself in all her glory. It’s only now that she looks back at this moment that she realises this was “a cry for help” as “she needed to be seen”. She felt ignored in her marriage, she felt that her life was stagnating as she approached her 50s, and she was desperate for me! Aren’t we all?

You might not relate to the boldest of Lou’s own wakeup call. However, most women watching this will relate to aspects of this story. Of feeling lost within your 40s and 50s. Of trying to find who you are outside of being a wife or a parent or a caregiver. Of feeling that you’re getting older and leaving your confident, sexiest self in the past. Well, it doesn’t have to be like this.

Together, Lou and Naomi will be talking all about how to be the best version of yourself during midlife. Despite all the hormonal changes, menopausal night sweats, and other curveballs life throws our way, there is zero reason why you cannot love yourself and embrace life – no matter your age.

Further reading and resources:

People over 55 are the new “problem generation” with the most STDs: https://www.economist.com/international/2025/01/02/why-people-over-the-age-of-55-are-the-new-problem-generation

Survey about sex in menopause https://www.instagram.com/p/DBQinoRtUez/?hl=en&img_index=1

Follow Lou below:

Lou’s Instagram: @luinluland

Lou’s podcast The Self Love Revolution: https://open.spotify.com/show/5lIX9aMw18XRzsk2fX2R5o?si=5234206a4d6041c8

Lou’s website: https://luinluland.com/

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#loufeatherstone #luinluland #hotinhere

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:12 Introducing Lou Featherstone
• 00:13:54 How to find your voice
• 00:16:47 Menopause and rage
• 00:28:57 Lou's relationship with menopause
• 00:30:34 How to not get in your own way
• 00:37:25 Coping with criticism
• 00:43:39 Post natal depression
• 00:48:06 Lou's next chapter
• 00:50:28 What is self love?
• 00:51:47 Listener questions
• 01:03:19 Outro

If you are trying to balance parenting teenagers while experiencing your own hormone rollercoaster, you are not the only one.

In today’s episode of ‘Is It Hot In Here?’ Dr. Naomi Potter is joined by journalist, author, and podcaster Lorraine Candy.

Lorraine rose through the ranks on Fleet Street to become editor of Elle magazine and Sunday Times Style, but her biggest challenge was parenting four teenage/tweenage children while she was experiencing perimenopause—“It was just so hard.”

Her insomnia, rage, and brain fog were so extreme that she thought she had a brain tumour that ran up against her children’s hormones, so how did she find a way to keep peace at home?

Naomi and Lorraine discuss what happens when mid-life and adolescence collide and how “medical misogyny” has led to a lack of research into ways to help support women in mid-life and normalises the idea that they are less valuable than they once were. “We have a whole row of greeting cards saying we’re idiots” says Lorraine.

Together, Lorraine and Naomi shed light on how things are gradually improving and what needs to happen next.

Further reading and resources:

Workplace support with Amazing If: https://www.amazingif.com/

Job transition support with Careers Can Change: https://careerscanchange.co.uk/

Career coaching with Rachel Schofield: https://rachelschofield.co.uk/career-development

Women over 50 represent the fastest growing segment of the UK’s workforce: https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/hr/menopause-and-the-workplace/#:~:text=Women%20make%20up%20nearly%20half,someone%20in%20their%20immediate%20circle.

HRT protecting women from diseases such as heart disease: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9178928/#:~:text=Initiated%20in%20women%20%3C60%20years,lowering%20fail%20to%20do%20so.

Cardio Vascular Disease as a leading cause of death for women: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4834856/

Follow Lorraine below:

Lorraine’s Instagram: @lorrainecandy

Lorraine’s podcast Postcards From Midlife: https://www.postcardsfrommidlife.com/

Lorraine’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Lorraine-Candy/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ALorraine%2BCandy

Lorraine’s new YouTube series about parenting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTXUyXW-xCE&list=PL7hzTyTZynYc7IGdaXNq5UAVyKpbeLEXI

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter Naomi’s

TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#hotinhere #lorrainecandy #naomipotter

How did Dame Kelly Holmes go from a world-class runner to unable to do a single press-up?

In today’s episode of ‘Is It Hot In Here?’ Dr. Naomi Potter is joined by one of the UK’s most-loved athletes, two-time Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.

Kelly talks Dr. Naomi through her hormone journey – starting in the military, where women’s health was not discussed, and as an international athlete suffering from periods so excruciating she would be “crawling off the track” and “carried to the doctor’s.”

She also shares her struggles to accept the change in her body’s performance and, after years of strict medical monitoring in international athletics, why she rejected the idea of taking the hormones so many women rely on in mid-life.

Together, Dr. Naomi Potter and Kelly unpick the ups and downs of Kelly’s career and the resilience that has driven her to achieve greatness and how understanding the medical, physical, and emotional changes has helped her to regain her strength (both mental and physical) and embrace the future.

Follow Dame Kelly Holmes below:

Kelly’s Instagram: @damekellyholmes

Kelly’s TikTok: @damekellyholmes

Learn more about Kelly’s mission to empower more women with The Athena Effect: https://athenaeffectevents.co.uk/

Follow Athena Effects on Instagram: @athenaeffectevents

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#HotInHere #Menopause #KellyHolmes

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:16 Dame Kelly Holmes' early career
• 00:03:29 An Olympian's mindset
• 00:08:27 A fear of ageing
• 00:11:20 "I don't feel strong anymore"
• 00:14:41 Feeling weaker during menopause
• 00:18:27 Considering HRT
• 00:22:49 How much HRT should I be taking?
• 00:23:49 Bleeding after menopause
• 00:26:07 Feeling strong and healthy in midlife
• 00:32:18 How do I know if I need HRT?
• 00:36:14 Testosterone during menopause
• 00:40:22 Can you come on and off HRT?
• 00:43:25 Will past women's health issues affect your menopause?
• 00:45:38 Excruciating period pains during Olympic races
• 00:50:06 Preparing for midlife earlier
• 00:51:05 Does your ethnicity affect menopause?
• 00:54:04 What's next for Kelly?
• 00:56:01 Will your menopause experience by the same as your mum's?
• 00:58:17 Could menopause hide other symptoms?
• 01:00:12 Exercise recommendations during menopause
• 01:04:01 Outro

Welcome to the brand new podcast, Is It Hot In Here?

Be sure to follow so you'll be notified when new episodes drop!

Part open-clinic, part talk show, this podcast is for all the women seeking insight, reassurance, empathy and answers while navigating midlife. Your host is the woman's health and menopause specialist Dr Naomi Potter.

Each week, Naomi is joined by a high-profile guest in an open clinic. Together, they unpick the physical, mental and emotional changes that so many of us relate to, while Naomi’s guests share their personal stories, open up about their difficulties, and laugh about some of their more bewildering challenges. But best of all, Naomi and her guests offer explanations and solutions to issues experienced by so many women, but very rarely talked about.

They will also answer questions sent in by listeners with empathy, humour and medical insight.

Upcoming guests include Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes talking about the difficulty a world class faces when her body stops functioning the way it always has, former Hello! magazine editor Rosie Dixon explaining how she dealt with mid-life career burn out, broadcaster Lisa Snowdon on how an early menopause diagnosis hit when she was still considering whether to have children and many, many more. All with their own, unique stories.

Episode 1 will be out on Monday 24th February.

Follow now so you don't miss it!

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, go to: ​​https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

How can our diets help us through menopause and midlife?

Dr. Megan Rossi AKA The Gut Health Doctor explains.

Full episode with Dr. Megan Rossi will be out on the Is It Hot In Here podcast later this month!

We've released 10 episodes of Is It Hot In Here? so far, so today we're looking back at some of the biggest lessons our guests have shared.

Featuring Lorraine Candy discussing how community got her through menopause, Dame Kelly Holmes on top fitness tips for midlife women, and Lou Featherstone on body confidence.

#menopause #perimenopause #drnaomipotter

Feeling isolated in midlife? You’re not alone — and today’s guest, Nadia Nagamootoo, knows exactly how that feels.

Nadia is a chartered psychologist, CEO of Avenir Consulting Services, and host of the Why Care? podcast. In this episode, she opens up to Dr Naomi Potter about her long, emotional journey with fertility struggles — and how those years shaped not just her 30s, but her experience of perimenopause.

Doctors told Nadia she had a low ovarian count, which resulted in her struggles to conceive. So the question is: do fertility struggles also suggest that Nadia will have menopause struggles? Can the two be connected? Dr. Naomi Potter is here to explain.

Nadia confesses she was “in denial” about hitting perimenopause. Together, she and Naomi explore how hormone changes intersect with mental health, identity, and the weight so many women silently carry.

They also speak candidly about why menopause support needs to be more inclusive. As a South Asian woman, Nadia highlights how healthcare research and treatment often overlooks diverse experiences — and why that has to change.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt lonely, misunderstood, or overwhelmed in midlife. It’s a powerful, personal conversation — with practical insights and hope woven throughout.

Stay up to date with Is It Hot In Here? podcast on Instagram: @podcast_naomipotter

Follow Nadia Nagamootoo below:
Nadia’s Instagram: @nadianagamootoo
Nadia’s website: https://www.nadianagamootoo.com/
Nadia’s podcast Why Care?: https://www.nadianagamootoo.com/podcast

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:
Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#menopause #DrNaomiPotter #perimenopause

I see so many women, with so many symptoms and confusion about what is happening to them, and why, that I wanted to break it down for you. So here is a Clinic Cheat Sheet to help break it down for you!

In this episode of my Is it Hot in here? podcast, I break down the signs and symptoms we go through in clinic to establish if they are related to perimenopause, general ageing, or other medical conditions - be they psychological, physical or emotional – and clarify the different symptom management and treatment options. From brain fog and burnout to skin and hair changes, low libido, joint pain and allergies, we cover it all.

So whether you are wondering if what you’re feeling is “just ageing,” or you’ve already started HRT and want to understand more, this episode will really help.

Stay up to date with Is It Hot In Here? podcast on Instagram @podcast_naomipotter

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Is It Hot In Here’s Instagram: @hotinherepodcast_drnaomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18evLF7Fep/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For more information and support about menopause, you can go to: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/

Submit a question for Naomi to read at: naomipotterpodcast@gmail.com

#menopause #perimenopause #menopausesymptoms

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:23 What Dr Naomi asks women in clinic (are they perimenopausal?)
• 00:01:19 What are you currently experiencing?
• 00:01:52 Spotting menopause symptoms
• 00:02:33 Physical menopause symptoms (eye changes, hearing changes, skin changes, gut changes, libido etc.)
• 00:03:33 Psychological menopause symptoms (low mood, anxiety, dementia-like symptoms, brain fog etc.)
• 00:04:32 Rage in menopause
• 00:05:15 Other medical conditions alongside menopause
• 00:06:14 Medications alongside menopause
• 00:06:41 How your lifestyle impacts menopause
• 00:07:15 Family history and menopause
• 00:09:20 Hair changes during menopause
• 00:10:41 Skin changes during menopause
• 00:12:50 Libido changes during menopause
• 00:14:00 Loss of motivation during menopause
• 00:15:02 Brain fog during menopause
• 00:16:52 Allergies during menopause
• 00:18:12 Is it menopause or just ageing?
• 00:19:05 How to get help
• 00:19:57 What does HRT do in menopause?
• 00:20:37 Why you should take yourself seriously (you DO matter!)
• 00:21:19 What to do if you have more questions about menopause