Welcome to thefifty1percent – where women over 30 come for honest health conversations. We move away from copying what others do and focus on your body, your circumstances and your environment, because no two women are the same. Expect expert insight and real women’s stories that help you make meaningful changes on your terms. No noise, no one-size-fits-all advice. Follow for episodes and sign up to our emails for updates on our events and much more. https://www.thefifty1percent.com/
What Menopause Does to Your Muscles and Joints | Dr Sam Botchey
There is one thing that might lower your risk of arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and fractures. It protects your joints, preserves your independence and keeps you strong for decades.
It is not a supplement. It is not a medication. It is exercise. And most women are still not doing enough of it.
Dr Sam Botchey is a Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine who works with everyone from elite athletes to everyday women who want to stay mobile and independent for as long as possible. In this episode, he explains the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause — a cascade of changes including frozen shoulder, accelerating muscle loss and rapid bone-density decline that most women are never warned about.
He also reveals why single treatments consistently fail, why the exercises your physio gave you are not optional, why GLP medications carry a hidden risk of lean tissue loss, and why knowing your body composition baseline could be one of the most important health decisions you make this year.
His message is clear. Muscle is the organ of longevity. And the window to protect it is earlier than most women realise.
This episode is for you if:
— You are in perimenopause or menopause and noticing joint pain, stiffness or reduced strength
— You want to understand what strength training actually protects against
— You are considering a DEXA scan or want to understand your body composition
— You have been told to rest when what your body actually needs is to move
— You want to build the kind of strength that protects your independence for decades
📊 BOOK A DEXA SCAN — SCANLETICS (affiliate link)
https://scanletics.co.uk?ref=Shreya+&fpr=thefifty1percent (https://scanletics.co.uk?ref=Shreya+&fpr=thefifty1percent)
🔗 FOLLOW DR SAM BOTCHEY
Website: www.drbotchey.com (http://www.drbotchey.com)Clinic: www.thesportsbiologicsclinic.com (http://www.thesportsbiologicsclinic.com)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbotch/ (https://www.instagram.com/drbotch/)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambotchey/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sambotchey/)
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30 Sept 2026
Silent Endometriosis, 5 Rounds of IVF & The Breakdown Nobody Talks About | Anita Guru
⚠️ This episode contains discussion of endometriosis, IVF, ectopic pregnancy, complex PTSD, psychiatric hospitalisation, suicidal thoughts, grief and trauma. Support is available at samaritans.org (116 123) and mind.org.uk (0300 123 3393).
Five rounds of IVF. Five laparoscopies. An ectopic pregnancy. Emergency surgery. A psychiatric hospitalisation. And years of silent endometriosis that nobody caught.
This is Anita Guru's story. And she is telling it so that other women do not have to carry theirs alone.
Anita is the founder of The Mind Coach. She is a psychotherapeutic counsellor, mindset coach and motivational speaker featured in Vogue, The Times, The Telegraph and BBC Radio London. She left a 20-year career at Deloitte and Coca-Cola to advocate full-time for women's health, fertility, trauma, and mental well-being.
In this conversation, she traces a decade of compounding loss. A stage-four endometriosis diagnosis she kept entirely private. IVF rounds that each felt like grief. An ectopic pregnancy that triggered complex PTSD. And a psychiatric hospitalisation that became one of the most important chapters in her healing.
She speaks honestly about South Asian cultural pressure around motherhood. She shares the bus-stop analogy for watching others have children while being unable to get on that bus. And she describes the moment she realised she needed permission to stop.
She also talks about what helped. Group therapy. Speaking publicly. Shame reduction. And the belief that has carried her through everything.
"The shame is not ours to carry".
This episode is for you if— You are navigating endometriosis, fertility or IVF and feel emotionally invisible to the system— You have experienced pregnancy loss or repeated failed treatment— You are a South Asian woman carrying cultural expectations around motherhood— You need to hear that someone has been where you are and come through
⚠️ SUPPORT
Samaritans: 116 123 | samaritans.orgMind: 0300 123 3393 | mind.org.ukEndometriosis UK: endometriosis-uk.orgMiscarriage Association: miscarriageassociation.org.uk
🔗 FOLLOW ANITAWebsite: anitagurumindcoach.com (anitagurumindcoach.com)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_themindcoach_/ (https://www.instagram.com/_themindcoach_/)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitaguru/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitaguru/)
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23 Sept 2026
What's Really in Your Skincare — Microplastics & the Truth | Giulia Ippoliti
Your moisturiser might contain microplastics. Your fragrance contains compounds that are never disclosed on the label. And that recyclable packaging almost certainly is not being recycled.
Giulia Ippoliti holds a Master in Biomedical Engineering with Neurotechnology and a PhD in Bioengineering — and she is the founder of SUS Wellbeing, a science-led holistic beauty brand that blends botanical power with rigorous formulation science. In this episode, she brings her full scientific training to the questions the beauty industry would rather you never thought to ask.
We cover what microplastics actually are, how they enter beauty products and what the research says about their impact on the body. We go into how the skin barrier really works — what absorbs and what does not — and why fragrance is one of the most underscrutinised ingredients in any product. We also break down greenwashing in detail — the difference between packaging marketed as recyclable and packaging that is actually recycled — and explain why black plastic and mixed materials rarely make it through the process.
Giulia also shares the ingredients that are genuinely backed by science — niacinamide, retinol, bakuchiol, willow bark, allantoin, snail mucin, hyaluronic acid, green tea and grape seed — explains how to read an ingredient list from top to bottom and gives every listener the practical tools to make better choices at the shelf without needing a science degree to do it.
🎁 Use code 51PERCENTSUS15 for 15% off at suswellbeing.com
This episode is for you if:
You want to understand what is actually in the products you put on your skin every day
You have heard about microplastics and want a clear science-led explanation of the real risk
You are trying to make more sustainable beauty choices but find greenwashing confusing
You want to know which skincare ingredients are genuinely backed by evidence
You are done being misled by marketing and ready to read a label with confidence
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
(00:35) Giulia Introduces SUS Wellbeing and Her Science Background(01:44) Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering(02:11) The Lipsi Island Moment That Sparked the Brand(03:34) Beauty's Contribution to Plastic Waste and Microplastics(05:25) What Microplastics Are and How They Affect the Body(07:21) How Skin Barriers and Absorption Work(08:47) Chemicals, Endocrine Disruptors and Product Concerns(10:10) Microplastics from Ingredients and Packaging(11:06) Why Packaging Is Part of the Product(12:27) Luxury Versus Affordable Skincare(13:28) Greenwashing in Recyclable Packaging(14:55) Marketing Costs and Hidden Water Content(15:53) Why Product Labels Can Be Misleading(16:47) Using Product-Scanning Apps In-Store(17:44) Why Fragrance Is Difficult to Evaluate(19:04) Perfume on Clothing Versus Skin(20:02) Long-Term Exposure and Longevity Thinking(21:05) Why Natural Products Often Cost More(23:01) Glass Packaging Reuse and Biodegradable Labels(24:28) Quality Versus Quantity in Skincare(25:26) How Giulia Builds Formulas in Synergy(26:25) Niacinamide and Retinol for Skin-Barrier Support(27:23) Bakuchiol Willow Bark and Allantoin(27:52) Ethical Sourcing of Snail Mucin(31:13) Why Formulation Can Take Years(32:12) White Label Private Label and Control Over Formulation(34:12) Marketing-First Products Versus Science-Led Products(37:33) Quick Consumer Checks Before Buying Skincare(38:31) Reading Ingredient Labels from Top to Bottom(39:55) Why Natural Is a Vague Marketing Term(40:52) Why Synthetic Does Not Always Mean Bad(42:16) SUS Wellbeing's Approach to Synthetic Ingredients
🔔 Subscribe — new episodes every week on women's health that actually mattersFollow Giulia -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sus.wellbeing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sus-wellbeingWebsite: https://suswellbeing.com/pages/newsletter-signupFollow Shreya - LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/thefifty1percent
Who has been a guest on EmpowHER with Shreya Parekh
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Kreena Dhiman
Thorrun Govind
Caroline Roodhouse
Dr Phoebe Ajayi
Emily Forbes
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
853
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 83 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
94
Social presence
90
YouTube
66
Engagement
71
Contact EmpowHER with Shreya Parekh
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