Meet the founder: Rebekah Brown of MPowder
Olivia Perl
Health
Reading time: 4 minutes
MPowder founder Rebekah Brown chats to Boots about how her menopause journey inspired her to create her own supplement range & how her experiences led to a renewed sense of purpose
Menopause is something that happens to every person with ovaries but, even now, education is limited and signs and symptoms may be misunderstood or mistaken. In a survey conducted by The Fawcett Society of 4,000 participants, more than half stated that they hadn’t spoken to their GP about their signs and symptoms and 31% said it took several appointments before their GP realised they were experiencing menopause or perimenopause. As a result, going through these life stages can feel overwhelming and isolating for some.
But there’s also a flipside. As we explored in our piece featuring the menopausal journeys of four women, for some, it can be the beginning of a new chapter. And when Rebekah Brown started noticing changes to her body and mood but wasn’t sure why, she leant into her experiences and background in research and consumer insights to create MPowder, a plant-based supplement designed to support women going through perimenopause and menopause, to help them reframe midlife.
Here, she talks to Bootsabout her personal menopause journey, how she hopes to support other women and how her experiences gave her a renewed sense of purpose.
What was the transition into menopause like for you?
“My transition began in my early forties. The challenge for me was that perimenopause simply wasn’t a word or life stage familiar to me. Over a period of about six months, I went from being aware that I wasn’t dealing with everyday stress in the same way any more to feeling really worried that something was very wrong with me.
“I couldn’t sleep, my brain wouldn’t focus and I couldn’t find the words. My clothes were all tight and my stomach felt bloated. My skin was suddenly behaving like a teenager’s again. But perhaps the most damaging thing of all was that I began to doubt myself. I doubted my ability to do my job and my capacity to find joy again.”
The most damaging thing of all was that I began to doubt myself
How did your personal experiences lead to the creation of MPowder?
“The more I read, the more I realised that if women had access to insight about our biology, there was an awful lot we could do to harness our hormones in midlife, too. But I felt that - with the exception of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – much of the intervention advice in the menopause space lacked robust data. On top of that, the more I spoke to women in midlife, the more I realised the value of our individual learnings and how important it was to share ‘what worked for you.’
“So I started thinking, what if we could co-create as a community and deliver innovative tools and products by smashing together the brilliant minds of academics, medical doctors, functional doctors, holistic practitioners and complementary therapists with women’s lived experiences? From this, MPowder was born.”
Are general attitudes towards menopause improving in your opinion?
“It’s fantastic that this life stage is now a part of the curriculum in the UK and that it’s getting ongoing media attention, too. It’s also great that it’s now discussed in parliament. My worry is that the picture we paint can make many of us want to step away from learning more.
“We need to talk more about the positive aspects of menopause. Research tells us we’re more likely to become comfortable in our own skin and we can acquire new depths of empathy. We can often find a renewed purpose that inspires us. For me, that led to me finding success as an entrepreneur.”
We have to recognise the challenges but we also have to recognise the opportunity our bodies and minds bring
“But I feel that we, as patients, can sometimes have learned behaviours that don’t aid the menopause conversation. I believed that I could only talk to the doctor about one key thing, so I didn’t share everything I was feeling, which then meant my doctor didn’t join the dots. Instead, I was told I was likely to have depression or be suffering from burnout.
“To really revolutionise female health, we have to recognise the challenges but we also have to recognise the opportunity our bodies and minds bring.”
How has MPowder been created to help those experiencing menopause and perimenopause?
“Our formulations are designed to support the body and mind as they transition from perimenopause into the post-menopause years. They are powdered, in part because you can’t squeeze the 29+ vegan ingredients at the dosage levels we deliver into a pill, but also because our research showed that we tire swiftly of a morning tablet routine, so we’re less likely to continue taking tablets for this whole life stage.”
What makes MPowder unique?
“Co-creation. We collaborate with the very best experts, as well as consumers, who give us invaluable feedback on real-life impact. That insight means we can continue to learn and innovate.”
How do you recommend using MPowder?
“Consistency is key. Delivering our blends as a powder means it can become part of an existing breakfast routine because you can chuck it into your morning shake, mix it with your milk of choice, stir into a yoghurt or even make protein pancakes.
“But also look at what else you may need. Speak to your doctor (if you haven’t already) and ask about using MPowder*. Explore how you experience and process everyday stress. We encourage our community to adopt a curious mind and apply a researcher’s mindset.”
What’s your favourite product from the range?
“Meno-Boost because I am inherently lazy, so I simply stick two tablespoons in a jam jar, add a slosh of almond milk and shake to make my morning drink.”
Try: MPowder Meno-Boost
• Size: 600g (30 servings)
• Designed for women 45+ and post menopause
• Vegan friendly
• Suitable for adults only
Make like Rebekah and add this menopause-specific powder to a morning smoothie, breakfast bowl or yoghurt to get the benefits of 36 wholefood-led ingredients, including ashwagandha and vitamins such as magnesium and B12.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
“Learn about the brilliance of biology now and view ageing as a privilege.”
