Episode 31: What Women Were Never Taught About Their Bodies with Elena Riu

Welcome to the Things I want my Daughters to Know Podcast. I’m Jacqueline Rose—Menopause Educator, Coach, and creator of the Menopause Informed Training Program for Practitioners. I support women on their menopause and midlife journey, helping them heal hormones, manage symptoms, and feel amazing in this powerful stage of life. This podcast is where we redefine women’s health and midlife through honest, unfiltered conversations. Each week, I sit down with leading women's health experts and real women to talk about everything from PMS to menopause, aging to body image, hormonal health to the limits of conventional medicine—and what it really means to feel empowered in your own skin. In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Things I Want My Daughters to Know, I’m joined by Elena Riu for a conversation about women’s health education — and the critical gaps that still exist across generations. We explore how so many women move through life without truly understanding their bodies — from menstrual cycles and ovulation to contraception, perimenopause, and menopause. Elena shares her work in body literacy and highlights how early experiences with menstruation shape a woman’s relationship with her body for decades to come. Together, we unpack the impact of cultural conditioning, medical systems that treat the body in isolation, and the over-reliance on quick fixes like the contraceptive pill — often without informed consent or true understanding. This conversation is an invitation to reconnect with the body, to bring awareness back to natural rhythms, and to start having the conversations that were never had — especially with the next generation. 🌿 In This Episode We Discuss Why so many women lack basic education about their bodies The importance of body literacy: understanding your menstrual cycle and ovulation How early menstrual experiences shape lifelong health and identity The contraceptive pill and the lack of informed consent for young women Why cycle tracking is a powerful tool for health awareness Cultural shame and misinformation around menstruation Societal pressures, inequality, and their impact on women’s health Creating safe spaces for girls and women to understand their bodies 🎙️ If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast—it helps more women and practitioners find these conversations. ✨ Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode: Book: https://elenariu.co.uk/book Menstrual tracking bracelet: https://elenariu.co.uk/moon-girl-mens... My Dear Self Postcards: https://elenariu.co.uk/om-yoga-show/ The Embodied Musician / Performer: Yoga & Breathwork For Musicians Online: https://elenariu.co.uk/the-embodied-p... ✨ Connect with Jacqueline Rose 📌 Join my Newsletter: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1... 💜Learn more about my Menopause Informed Training Program: https://www.jacquelinerosehealth.com/... Follow Me: 🖥️ Website: https://www.jacquelinerosehealth.com/ ▶️ Youtube:    / @jacquelinerosehealth   🌐 LinkedIn:   / jacquelinerose-womenshealth   🏷️ Facebook:   / theyogaroom120   🔔 Instagram:   / jacquelinerose_womenshealth