Niki Bezzant is a New Zealand writer, journalist, editor and commentator who has built a reputation for translating complex health and science jargon into easy-to-understand information for everyone over more than 20 years.
A trusted advocate and sought-after speaker on menopause, perimenopause and midlife, Niki is passionate about women’s health, especially empowering midlife women to become vibrant, kick-ass old ladies. She now spends much of her time on menopause education and awareness in workplaces and communities.
Niki’s first, and bestselling, menopause guide This Changes Everything was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. Her new book The Everything Guide: health, hormones and happiness in midlife and beyond will be released in May 2024.
Niki’s career in publishing saw her found and edit Cuisine online, and as founding editor, she took Healthy Food Guide magazine from indie start-up to New Zealand’s top-selling food magazine, a position it held for over a decade. She is a frequent contributor to New Zealand’s top print, online and broadcast media including the NZ Listener, RNZ, Good magazine and Newstalk ZB.
Talking Points
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING: What you need to know about menopause, perimenopause and your midlife health
In this inspiring and empowering talk, Niki shares what she’s learned in two years of research into the latest science and Kiwi women’s experiences for her bestselling book, This Changes Everything: the honest guide to menopause and perimenopause. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING: What you need to know about menopause, perimenopause and your midlife health
You’ll learn:
Could this be me? How to know if you’re in perimenopause (it could be earlier than you think!)
Common symptoms and what to do about them, including flushes, brain fog, mood issues, sleep problems and more
The lowdown on HRT - good or bad? What does the science say?
Menopause myths busted: what works and what doesn’t (despite the hype)
Nurturing your health: what to do NOW for a vibrant and healthy second half
Menopause at work: how to have a menopause-friendly workplace
PLUS: your questions answered - no such thing as a silly question!
This talk can be tailored to your group and and event.
Menopause in depth
A follow-up to Niki's first menopause talk (This changes everything), this talk digs deeper into menopause: hormones, body changes, mental and physical challenges, and what you can do about them. Menopause in depth
You’ll learn:
-What you need to know about your peri/menopausal hormones - what’s going up, what’s going down, what’s worth testing and what’s not
-What’s the latest on HRT (hormone therapy) - what it can do, what it can’t; HRT myths busted; who should and shouldn’t try HRT; how to talk to your doctor about it; testosterone and vaginal oestrogen explained; when to go on and off HRT; HRT alternatives
-Mental health challenges: menopausal depression and anxiety; mood changes and what you can do about them
-Body changes: body composition and weight changes; what’s really causing these; can you do anything about them and should you try that diet you saw on Instagram?
-Whole body health: Why it’s really important to think beyond hormones: brain, heart, gut and bone health
Menopause for managers
A specialised session for leaders and managers of people in perimenopause and menopause. Here’s what you need to know to not only offer empathetic support but also to empower your people through this important life stage without compromising their mental or physical health, workplace wellbeing or career trajectory. Menopause for managers
You’ll learn:
-Menopause 101 - menopause and perimenopause basics: what is it; what are the symptoms; menopause myths
-How menopause may impact your workplace
-How to have a conversation about this tricky topic
-Practical steps you can take to make your workplace/team more menopause friendly
-How to work with people in menopause who are struggling
Positive ageing: Re-framing midlife, menopause and beyond and future-proofing your health
Menopause and perimenopause are being talked about more and more. Women - and everyone - are talking about this important life stage; learning about it and sharing their experiences to bring it out of the shadows. What it means to be a woman in menopause has changed from previous generations; GenX women know menopause is not a crisis; it’s not the end of life as we know it! Positive ageing: Re-framing midlife, menopause and beyond and future-proofing your health
If menopause has changed, so too has ageing. Women are embracing getting and being older in new ways, and challenging old assumptions and gendered ageism.
In this talk, Niki brings together her decades of research and writing about food, exercise and health with the very latest, evidence-based expert advice in an informative, practical and fun talk about what it means today to grow older - and the tools we need to feel our best for the rest of our lives.
You’ll learn:
-Why 50 now looks different from our mothers’ generation
-The pressures women still face to ‘do’ menopause and ageing right
-Gendered ageism - at work, in society and in relationships
-Ageist language we (all!) need to ditch
-Tackling mental health and body image challenges in menopause and as we get older
-Looking beyond menopause: how to eat, move and think for a healthy second half of life
-How to find yourself again - and how to find the joy!
Video
Carrots and cupcakes: healthy eating made simple | Niki Bezzant | TEDxQueenstown
Even though we’re surrounded by healthy eating advice, we seem to be getting more confused about how to eat - and less healthy. But the basics of healthy eating are simple: all we really need to know are six things about how to think about our food. Niki Bezzant is a nutrition and food writer and the founding editor, now editor-in-chief, of Healthy Food Guide magazine (New Zealand’s top-selling food magazine). She is a weekly columnist for the Herald on Sunday, regularly blogs at healthyfood.co.nz and is a regular contributor to TV and radio.It was an absolute pleasure to have Niki as keynote speaker for the Potatoes NZ biennial conference. Her talk 'Do potatoes have an image problem?' was very well received by growers, agronom ... keep reading Potatoes NZ Inc
The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of having Niki speak at one of the Chamber’s 2016 major events. Niki’s inspirational and informative presentation around ‘Healthy Eating Made Easy’ was humorous and provided delegates with relevant messaging and easy tips on how to improve their quality of life through healthy eating and lifestyle. We appreciated her vibrancy and motivational presentation as well as her authentic presence
Niki presented with huge knowledge and in a very down to earth way, ensuring no embarrassment for anyone. Attendance at this session was the largest we have had, with our male and female employees of all ages attending, representing a genuine desire to learn more about how to cope and how best to support those going through menopause - whether it be a mum, partner, colleague or friend. Feedback from the session was extremely positive and it’s been great to break down such a taboo topic and make it a much more open and supportive conversation in our workplace
Great to be a part of this event and gain a deeper understanding of the menopause journey through Niki Bezzant’s expertise and insights and how better we can all support those going through these natural life changes, enabling open and comfortable korero within Westpac and our wider whanau.
