The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

Professor Sarah Berry has been conducting research at Kings College London for the last 25 years, and leading studies into how dietary components influence cardiovascular disease risk. She is also Chief Scientist at nutrition science company ZOE, and in 2024, they released their findings from a study that looked at the links between personalised nutrition plans and the severity of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. In this episode, Sarah breaks down their findings, highlighting key points that are of interest to all women at the midpoint, including; how when you eat is just as important as what you eat for women in this phase of life, how improving the diet of the study’s participants (increasing whole foods, decreasing ultra processed foods) led to a 35% reduction on average in their menopausal symptoms, and how taking a food based approach - thinking about the type of food that your fats or carbohydrates are delivered in - can have a profound effect on how healthy you feel. You can learn more about the study’s findings at https://www.morressier.com/o/event/6655b1890ec964e1cccef602/article/6671b57ac9b69e0de564d19e

It’s been a while since the Logans were on the podcast together, but this week Kenny’s back to talk about the cycling challenge that he has just completed in honour of his former Scotland teammate, Doddie Weir, raising vital funds for research into the disease which claimed his friend’s life. Kenny talks about how moving it was to meet people along the way who are living with Motor Neurone Disease, and how it kept the physical brutality of the challenge in perspective and kept Kenny and the team pushing on - and up those Irish hills! They discuss how challenges like these take you beyond what you thought was possible, and how powerful a change of mindset can be when overcoming other challenges in midlife. Gabby and Kenny also catch up on all the family news since Christmas, including how they’ve been getting used to an empty nest, Gabby’s feelings about being one of the new Match of the Day presenters, and why Kenny is hiding his pants somewhere in the house!You can still donate to the Doddie'5 Lions Challenge Ireland here or get started with your own fundraiser by visiting www.myname5doddie.co.uk/fundraising-support 

Comedian Russell Kane is on the cusp of 50, and here to spill the beans on all he’s learned about staying youthful. He tells Gabby what it was like trying to break into comedy - an industry that’s famously a young person’s game - in his thirties, and the ways he used his already keen interest in biohacking to appear younger than he was. Russell speaks about his refusal to believe that aging is predestined, and what he does to slow down the process on a mitochondrial level. They also speak about his later in life diagnosis of ADHD, as well as his main worries as a father - that children are growing up over exposed to the digital world and under exposed to the real world. As you’d expect from someone who is famous for posting his rants online, this “raver reader” is not about to enter his fifties quietly! Russell mentions Shakespeare North, and you can find out more about what’s on at www.shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk Check out his upcoming stand up dates at www.russellkane.co.uk/tour-dates

Entrepreneur and star of Dragon’s Den, Sara Davies MBE tells Gabby how she started her hugely successful crafting business from her university bedroom, simply by identifying an envelope related problem and finding a solution. After putting her all into her work for many years, she talks about how her business ambitions have changed now she’s in her forties, and why she’s zoning in on what’s really important to her. Sara also talks about being a home girl and deciding to stay in the North East; getting into healthy habits before the menopause; and having accountability angels which help her to stay on track with her health goals. For more on what Sara has learned about business, check out her new book The Six-Minute Entrepreneur.

Comedian, writer, and actor, Jessica Knappett, talks to Gabby about how making people laugh by accident at a school cello recital was her first foray into comedy, and they swap stories from performing at the Edinburgh Fringe in their student days. Jessica is also very honest about some of the darker realities she has had to confront over the course of her career in comedy. She also chats about living in Los Angeles and her decision to move back to West Yorkshire, as well as accepting the realities of being a working parent - it’s a work in progress! As you'd expect, this episode is full of laughs about everything from communes to perfect days, growing cress to parenting hacks.Warning: There are some references to sexual assault in this episode. 

Dr Sally Harris is a qualified medical doctor with over 30 years experience, whose interest in people and the way that stress affects their health has taken her on a very interesting journey. These days she works in the private sector combining general practice with health screening, and has also been the advising doctor to the League Managers Association - the professional body that represents all football managers in the English leagues - for the last 9 years. Through her work, Sally has learned many things about what high achievers have in common, and the key principles for maintaining health in a fast-paced life. In this episode, she speaks about her belief that we need a certain level of stress to build resilience but that too much stress is definitely harmful; the importance of health screening based on your own risk factors and not gathering health data for the sake of it; and why consistency is the key principle that underpins everything. Dr Harris is also passionate about women’s health, so of course Gabby asks her for her thoughts on the best way to get through the menopause - listen to the end for her top tip.

Warning: This episode contains some strong language. Nutritionist and author of The 30g Plan, Emma Bardwell, joins Gabby to talk about a different way of building your meals that may help you feel healthier and happier in midlife. Emma has come up with new recipes to try and help you get 30g of protein per meal, 30g of fibre per day, and to eat 30 different plants per week, and in this episode, she explains why these portions are important for optimal health. Emma also talks about protein stacking to ensure we are safeguarding our muscle - or as she describes it, the organ of longevity! - and how to reintroduce fibre-rich foods into your diet so that you can tolerate them better and enrich your gut. She also takes your questions on everything from how much is too much when it comes to protein, and which types of protein supplements are best.

This week, broadcaster and now author Naga Munchetty, joins Gabby to talk about her journey to the midpoint. As Naga explains in this episode, it wasn’t until midlife that she was diagnosed with adenomyosis and realised that, despite what she had been told her entire adult life, her periods had always been far from normal. It motivated her to understand more about what is going on in women’s health and why women’s reproductive issues are not better diagnosed or understood. She has put all of this into her new book It’s Probably Nothing, and here she shares some of the anecdotes and advice from it; for example, how best to prepare for a medical appointment in order to get the help you need. They also talk about how Naga found exercise in midlife, how fortunate she feels to be doing a job she loves, and the pros and cons of not letting her condition curtail her life and passions.

Fashion designer Amanda Wakeley OBE talks to Gabby about how her grandmothers were her early style icons; how taking ownership of her career in midlife has been incredibly liberating and exciting; and what it was like dressing Princess Diana. Amanda also talks about pivoting her business and losing her brother at the same time, and how grief really is something you have to work hard at. She also shares some of her expert style advice for those of us at the midpoint in life, and which high street brands she thinks are getting it right.You can listen to Amanda’s podcast StyleDNA here or wherever you get your podcasts.