MPOWDER FOUNDER, REBEKAH BROWN
Our series continues, where we ask leading specialists, about themselves and their field.
Meet Rebekah Brown, Founder of Mpowder, the first powdered food supplement brand designed to support the 3 bio-chemical stages of menopause. Read on to find out why Rebekah created Mpowder, what it is, and why you should know about it.
Watch Rebekah here giving some top tips on how to 'meno-well' particulary around sleep.
You can try Mpowder with a special 15% off discount code.
Use code CUCUMBER_FAMILY. Valid from 21st May, 2021 for one month.
What is Mpowder? Why Mpowder?
MPowder is a small artisanal brand with big ambition. The first powdered food supplement brand designed to support the 3 bio-chemical stages of menopause, it was born out of my own confusion around what I should and could be doing to support my body better as I headed into peri-menopause and the worrying lack of choice available to us in midlife. Our powders are plant-based. And packed full of ingredients - with over 24+ different components in every blend. We work with medical doctors as well as naturopaths and herbalists to create recipes with ingredients that have shown real potential in trial settings and in their work with women in midlife. We then test and refine everything with women in our community. They track the impact our powders have on their symptoms for 2 months. They help us develop smoothie ideas and breakfast bowls (although the cheerios edition is ALL MINE and probably not to be replicated!). They give feedback on solubility, taste and texture. They make us better. Our tracking continues once our powders are on sale too. Every pouch comes with the offer of a free symptom tracking service. And every time we produce a new batch, we use the insight shared to refine our recipes further. This commitment to continuous improvement means we can only commission small production runs. But it ensures we deliver BIG impact. And that, to us, is everything.
And, why MPowder?
Well, that is very simple. Reaching menopause, finding so little in terms of support - both within and outside the GP surgery - and wanting honest, high quality, complete supplements that I could measure and an environment where I could learn about other tools to nourish my body and mind - I created what I couldn't find. Today, we're a team of medical doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, yogis, breathwork specialists, cold water therapy practitioners, meditation guides, coaches...all working to encourage a curious mindset in midlife - and sharing the fundamental belief that Part 2 should be magnificent.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
My family (and more practically, my dog which has a really annoying habit of waking up approximately 45 minutes before my alarm, regardless of when I set it)
My happy place is….
Anywhere just after the rain, when the world is saturated and slowly being dried by the sun. I've discovered the beauty on my doorstep over the last 14 months - and the privilege of being outside, whatever the environment. I ensure I get at least an hour walking before I start work and it's been transformative to my mental health. As a team, we've also instigated a weekly Wonder Walk. We work across Europe, remotely. But each Tuesday, we log off, put on our coats, plug in our earphones and dial into an audio call, share one win, one challenge and one ask of each other - and then take a photo of where we find ourselves to share with each other. Walking together has brought us closer. It's kept us healthy too.
I never leave home without….
Currently my mask. But usually it would be lip salve and my Chilli's thermal mug.
I’m most proud of….
the opportunity to contribute to something I needed but couldn't find. MPowder is a product range but it is also a community. Our products and programmes are co-created with the women who need them. It's a warm, welcoming space where we will each other on. We share this adventure together. And shining a spotlight on menopause. It's a lifestage 51% of the population will go through. It unites us as women unlike any other lifestage. And it is transformational. We need to talk about it. We need to understand it. And we need the support to manage it well.
Best advice I’ve been given…
'Remember, it's just a phase'. My mum told me that in the early days of being a first time mum. It applies to parenting. It applies to work. It applies to life. It applies to everything.
Mid-life is…
A stepping up point rather than a stepping down point. Too often we focus on what we 'lose'. But letting go, moving on and past, allows us to welcome new elements in. It's the milestone where, with the right support around us we get to push ourselves up the priority list, to work out what (and sometimes who!) we love. We develop empathy. We carry wisdom. We're more likely to start new businesses (and succeed). We're more likely to feel comfortable in our own skin. And that, to me, is truly beautiful.
My best tips for ‘positive ageing’
Nurture a curious mind. Try new things. Discover new passions.
Find communities and friendship groups where you instinctively feel you fit. In our younger years, we spent a lot of time trying hard to remould ourselves to 'fit in'. Make it your goal to find the places that have a 'you-shaped-hole'. You've earned it. The world should come to you now.
Seek out new frames of reference that depict aging as it should be - a beautiful privilege. There are so many publications, feeds and individuals out there celebrating life and aging well. Shut out the stuff that perpetuates the myth that age is to be dreaded. Find a new narrative.
Know your own body. We're not taught about the brilliance of the female body in school. Post puberty and fertility (how to have a baby and how not to have a baby), the lessons cease. But our bodies are phenomenal. And our hormones are at the heart of this brilliance. Learn how to harness them. From what you eat as you age, to smart supplementation, moving with your cycle, tapping into your hormones to plan how and when you work. Our complexity is our superpower.
Where next for Mpowder?
MPowder Post Boost goes into community testing soon. Then we hope to focus our attention on a range specifically for women with a history of hormone sensitive cancers. We want to grow - in the right way - through continual refinement and recipe improvement in our blends and through community feedback on our programmes. I hope that we're able to agitate for change - from the amount of medical research funds that go into female reproductive health (just 2% of public funds in the UK currently) to the amount of VC investment that goes into innovations specifically designed to support women, at all life stages. From lobbying for doctors to get adequate training on the lifestage, to corporates recognising that menopause is a diversity and equality issue and a mental health issue as well as a biological event. There is a lot to be done. But one thing I am very certain of is that midlife women, when they come together, are capable of anything.
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PERFECT PRESS UPS WITH CUCUMBER
Join Cucumber's PT Imogen for this speedy perfect press-up session. 5 minutes and you're good to go!
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By the time you read this many of of us will have shared a meal with friends and family - inside! We're feeling fairly joyful and hope you are too. Happy May!
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