Zoe had already swapped her usual morning caffeine hit for warm water with lemon before Karen Newby arrived, reporting back that she felt noticeably less "jangly" by the afternoon, even though she admitted she still caved and had a coffee later. Jo, meanwhile, confessed she's been too scared to touch the jars of sauerkraut and kimchi sitting unused in her fridge, prompting Karen to explain that kimchi is best fried into rice with an egg rather than eaten raw, "because we want to keep that live bacteria alive."
The pair read out listener questions sent in by the "diggers". Charlie from Hove wrote in to say he feels forgotten in menopause conversations because he can't take HRT after breast cancer treatment, and Karen talked through grounding, protein-rich foods and minerals like zinc and magnesium as alternatives, stressing "HRT is the medical solution. It's not the only solution." Natalie asked whether menopause really does make hangovers worse, which Karen confirmed, blaming fluctuating hormones and liver enzymes, while Kathleen's question about sudden hair loss led to advice on iron, thyroid support and bone broth.
Karen also had a warning for supplement shoppers, telling Jo and Zoe to check ingredient lists rather than marketing claims: "I don't want to take a supplement that has talcum powder in it." Her new book, The Post-Menopause Method, is out now.
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