Ask Rebekah Brown, founder of MPowder, “what is middle age?” and her answer is clear: “This is when the good stuff happens”. We couldn’t agree more. Midlife is when we are at our most confident and powerful (give or take the brain fog and hot flushes).
Rebekah’s mission with MPowder is to provide women with a range of plant-based powders to nourish them through the three stages of menopause: Peri-Boost, Meno-Boost and Post-Boost.
“We, as women in midlife, are just beginning,” says Rebekah, who shares her Midlife Survival Kit with us here (a daily dose of MPowdered included, of course).
So next time you see the question “what is middle age?”, you know what to say.
Bolder by Carl Honore, £9.99
One of the things I’ve consciously looked to do as I entered midlife, is look at the growing body of research that exists into the process of ageing. And how to do it well.
This book presents the stats to reframe ageing beautifully. From debunking the myth that the most successful entrepreneurs are male, and around 21…and wearing flip-flops in a garage somewhere (spoiler alert; they’re much more likely to be women over 45 with the wisdom, experience and empathy to build something new and needed), to exploring the societal value of old people, it weaves research and science with human stories. I return to it whenever my resolve or conviction wavers.
Dyson Hot + Cool Fan Heater, £398.99
I practice hot yoga and have missed the warmth of the studio when practicing at home. My saviour has been the Dyson Hot+Cool coupled with the very beautiful spaceship shaped ‘Fred’ humidifier from Stadler Form.
I turn both on 20 minutes before I want to start yoga, and my room becomes a sweaty hot box. It makes me very happy.
Manilife Nut Butter, £3.99
I think I may be half woman, half peanut butter. This is my favourite brand by far. They apply the same attention to roasting a peanut as the best coffee master tasters do to their beans.
Go for the deep roast crunchy blend. I purchase it in large buckets and add it to porridge, smoothies, toast. And sometimes, when needs must, I spoon it straight from the jar.
MPowder Peri-Boost; Bio-Stage 1, £69
MPowder started as a personal journey to get well as I entered perimenopause. I still take the Peri-Boost every morning. It has over 24 plant based ingredients and is designed with naturopaths, nutritionists and doctors to deliver that foundation layer our bodies need as they transition through midlife.
I take it first thing to take full advantage of the energy boost it gives me. Unlike some women in our community who drink it ‘neat’ with cold or warm water, I need it sweeter. I simply chuck it in the blender with a few dark cherries, some oat milk, 1/2 a banana and a Brazil nut, then blend.
Apple Watch, from £379
I can be an incredibly single-minded person and my love of research often takes me deep into rabbit holes. My favourite thing about the Apple Watch is that it reminds me to breathe. Literally. I’ve decided to obey it.
It has resulted in me finding a new motivation to run, to meditate and to stand up and move in the day. It even tells me when to go to bed.
But perhaps the best thing about having a lighter touch device on your wrist has been the fact that I increasingly leave my phone behind. I can completely power down from texts, emails and social media in the evenings and weekends knowing that people I want to prioritise in my free time will simply call.
