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Everything They Told You About Menopause Weight Loss Is Wrong | Ailsa Hitchens on Insulin, Protein, Sleep & Metabolism

In this High Tea with Lady V year-in-review episode, the host revisits a conversation with UK menopause nutritionist and coach Ailsa Hitchens about her book, Everything They Told You About Menopause Weight Loss Is Wrong. They challenge the “eat less, move more” approach and discuss menopause weight gain as a metabolic and hormonal issue involving insulin, blood sugar spikes and crashes, inflammation, stress, sleep, and gut health. Hitchens emphasizes protein-rich breakfasts, fewer snacks and proper meal spacing, food order to blunt glucose spikes, and lifestyle basics like planning, strength training, and guided meditation to reduce stress. They also cover risks beyond weight—cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s—plus the role of estrogen/progesterone balance, detox via regular bowel movements, and practical habit-building tools like journaling.

00:00 Welcome and Season Tease

01:12 Menopause Weight Loss Myths

02:29 Why the Book Hits Home

03:27 Glucose Spikes and Prediabetes

05:42 Medical Advice Gone Wrong

06:54 Why She Wrote This Book

09:10 Midlife Weight and Health Risks

12:39 Making Change Stick

16:00 Calories Myth and Protein

17:57 Breakfast and Food Noise

23:31 Stop Grazing Start Resetting

27:13 Metabolic Health and Longevity

32:13 Gut Bacteria and Fiber

35:25 Food Variety and Journaling

39:19 Seasonal Mood Triggers

40:30 Rewriting Your Health Rules

42:35 Cycle Syncing Food Exercise

45:00 Estrogen Balance And Gut

46:49 Everyday Detox Basics

50:29 Self Care Without Guilt

55:18 Stress Metabolism Explained

59:27 Meditation And HRV Tracking

01:04:01 Testing Versus Basics

01:06:57 Sleep Planning Tipping Points

01:12:02 Protein Breakfast For Stability

01:14:21 Wrap Up Resources Disclaimer

www.AilsaHichens.com

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Louise Wilkinson’s Unbelievable Journey: Adoption Truth, a Life-Saving Brain Aneurysm & Her Daughter’s Hit-and-Run Survival

In this episode of High Tea with Lady V, Kate interviews her close friend Louise Wilkinson (host of How to Hack Your Heartbreak, speaker, life coach, and performing arts school owner) about a series of defining life events. Louise recounts divorcing as a young mum of two while relocating her business, then receiving a letter that revealed for the first time she was adopted under a closed government process that replaced her birth certificate; she later met her birth mother and father and discovered strong family and physical connections while staying close to her adoptive family. Louise also shares being diagnosed with a large, unruptured brain aneurysm discovered during stroke testing, facing delays in the regional system before urgent open brain surgery in Sydney. Finally, she describes her daughter Bella being hit at high speed while traffic controlling in July 2024, suffering a pulverized pelvis and long recovery, with both later diagnosed with PTSD, and Louise beginning assessment for ADHD.

00:00 Welcome to High Tea

01:10 Meet Louise Wilkinson

02:03 Divorce and Single Mum Life

04:00 The Letter Under the Door

05:29 Learning She Was Adopted

06:37 Family Loss and Belonging

08:32 Searching for Birth Parents

10:40 Meeting Birth Mum

12:37 Finding Birth Dad’s Family

16:28 Aneurysm Bombshell

20:08 Diagnosis and What It Means

23:13 Rushed to Sydney Surgery

24:39 Family Rallying Together

25:06 Brain Surgery Risks

26:02 ICU Reunion After Surgery

28:21 Aneurysm Close Call

29:25 System Failures And Delays

31:57 Bella Hit By Car

36:31 Recovery And PTSD

39:04 ADHD Diagnosis Journey

42:08 Medication And Focus Tools

44:02 Sharing Stories Matters

45:28 Teapot Question Finale

46:25 Outro And Disclaimer

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Pregnancy Bloat Without Being Pregnant: Hormonal Hump Day Gut Talk

On Happy Hormonal Hump Day, I’m talking about that wild “pregnancy bloat” feeling when you’re definitely not pregnant—yet you eat something tiny like a cracker and suddenly your belly looks like you’re housing a nine-pounder. It’s the kind of bloating that makes you feel like you could tip over and looks so dramatic it’s basically like you’re about to have a baby.

00:00 Hormonal Hump Day Intro

00:05 Pregnancy Bloat Talk

00:11 Cracker to Nine Pounder

00:18 Basically Having a Baby

Thanks for listening! What topics do you want to delve into? Let us know at v@highteawithladyv.com

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