What’s in a name?

How MPowder began.

Very soon, MPowder will have a new name. Please know, our multi-award winning formulations, wrap-around customer care, community and masterclass programmes will remain the same.

But the truth is, MPowder was never chosen. It was just the name of the folder that contained the early formulations for what would become Peri-Boost. It was the ‘code name’ for the Product Impact Study pouches sent to our first community testers too - a group of phenomenal women we came to call our ‘Makers’, and who continue to be our biggest cheerleaders today.

And, before all that? it was the folder for my personal exploration of botanicals and interventions when I was at my lowest. MPowder got me well again. And for that I’m incredibly grateful.

‘Have you ever driven a dehydration machine?’

At the age of 43 my body and mind demanded a fundamental reset. I’d been struggling with unexplained symptoms for months and they were now impossible to ignore. My doctor told me I was burned out and teetering on the edge of a deep depression. I knew that the anti-depressants offered were not right. Although I struggled with crippling anxiety, imposter syndrome and an overwhelming sense some days that I should just go away from my life, I also had days when I could easily have run a small country! Something else was happening. It was cyclical.

And so began my personal journey to the discovery of a life-stage no one told me about, a long-list of associated symptoms and implications for my long-term health, and the decision to take a sabbatical and to turn my researcher’s curiosity towards becoming a student of my own biochemistry.

Lesson 1: Nothing works well if we don’t take time to address how we digest stress.

I’d proudly embraced my ‘type-A’ personality as a signal of resilience. Learning that my hormones were not just being impacted by my lifestage but external stressors too was a light-bulb moment for me. My MPowder folder held my notes on the science behind breathwork, cold water therapy, journaling, yoga, emotional freedom technique and more. I started trialling practices, suspending easy cynicism and cultivating a new sense of curiosity. Meditation, particularly, started to work. Slowly. After a month I noticed on the days I didn’t practice. After 2 I actively craved it. I felt that I had a new tool in my toolbox. It was more powerful than coffee! And it was free!

Lesson 2: Food is our foundation layer.

I became fascinated about the role of food in supporting our bodies and minds. But quickly discovered that the therapeutic dosage levels cited in clinical studies were difficult to squeeze onto my plate. Some of the more exciting botanicals showing promise tasted really bad too! So, I started dehydrating whole foods and herbs in my kitchen, blitzing them in my Nutribullet and adding them to my morning breakfast bowl or soup. It became a ritual. A daily reminder of the relationship I had lost with nature and the role of food to nourish our bodies and minds. I began to feel significantly better.

Lesson 3: This journey is one best travelled together.

As I began to recover my health, the researcher in me began to wonder if other women had experienced the same challenges. If so, what had worked? What didn’t? And what did they wished they’d known or discovered sooner? So, I tiptoed onto social media. MPowder felt like as good a name as any to ask for feedback. I didn’t expect many people to respond. Time is precious. Why would a stranger share their learnings with me?

What I hadn’t factored in was the generosity of females - particularly when getting to grips with our unique biochemistry. It is the stories we share that help us navigate life. The flares of those that have gone before that light our way. I was inundated with insights, reflections, tips. And the more I learned, the more I realised that what the female health space was missing was females. And that, if we could smash together the wisdom that each of us carries in our bones with the latest scientific thinking and protocols, we could support each other in being well, at every transitional stage of our lives.

I interviewed more medical doctors, complementary practitioners, nutritionists, naturopaths and herbalists than I can remember. All passionate about sharing how we can transform the way we experience menopause.

Then I met Dr Martins. Her love of plants and her scientific rigour blew my mind! Together, we started to explore whether we could take my early formulations to create whole-food led, research led solutions to deliver real impact. With the best experts in their respective fields, I’ve the most amazing team of extra milers offering health concierge support, customer service, research initiatives and beautifully designed products and communications too.

3+ years’ on from that first Product Impact Study, you continue to power this community forward. Tracking your symptoms. Voting on the topics we explore together in our monthly Masterclasses. Supporting each other. And supporting our philosophy and ambition for good change too.

Thank you for making this such a supportive and important space. Together, we are reframing what Part 2 can be. I can not wait to continue the next stage of the journey with you.