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While women have long complained about the negatives of menopause, Kelly Ripa has recently discovered one benefit of going through the process. In a recent episode of her podcast, Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa, the Live With Kelly and Mark host discussed an under-appreciated aspect of menopause that she recently experienced herself. “I love not getting my period,” Ripa, 53, told her podcast guest and her real-life hormone doctor, Dr Erika Schwartz. The TV personality said that she experienced the beginning of menopause during the Covid-19 pandemic. Menopause, according to the Mayo Clinic, marks the time in a person’s life when their menstrual cycle ends and they no longer get their period. However, Ripa recalled the moment she learned of a main upside to menopause - the ability to wear white pants without fear of getting her period. “My first Memorial Day through Labor Day after menopause… it was the summer of the white pants because I never had to worry about wearing white pants,” Ripa recalled. The All My Children alum went on to speak with Dr Schwartz about the misconceptions of menopause, and how many people still consider the topic to be taboo. “People still whisper the word menopause,” she said, adding that “the information is still so hidden”. Her hormone doctor agreed, noting that “we’re still in the Dark Ages” when it comes to menopause and described the process as “like a bad secret”. Ripa said that even her friends of the same age are in denial going through menopause. She revealed that some of her friends routinely “tell me they still get their periods regularly”, while others consider the process to be “embarrassing”. “They’re talking to me, an open book, and still cannot bring themselves to talk about having gone through menopause. It is too scary for them to acknowledge,” she said. Dr Schwartz maintained that some women have trouble opening up about menopause because they feel it’s a sign that they’re “no longer useful” in society. “Because, in this day and age, there’s still a lot from yesterday’s day and age that has permeated the society and culture,” the doctor said. “And we think that being aged beyond menopause, we’re no longer useful.” “The moment you’re no longer fertile, you’re not useful,” Dr Schwartz continued. “I think you’re very useful. That’s when you have the information, the experience. You have so much to bring to the table, that I think every woman should feel great about herself.” Ripa has been married to husband Mark Consuelos since 1996. The longtime couple share children Michael, 26, Lola, 22, and Joaquin, 20. The TV host previously revealed that when she first started going through menopause, she mistakenly thought that she was pregnant. Speaking to Haute Living about her book, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, in 2022, she recalled the moment she believed her husband had accidentally “got [her] pregnant”. “I started taking pregnancy tests daily, but then Mark sort of gingerly said: ‘Could there be another reason why you’re not getting your period?’ and me saying: ‘What other reason could there possibly be?’ He really had to walk on eggshells here [by explaining to me that I was probably going through menopause],” Ripa said. However, she ultimately felt relieved that she wasn’t pregnant. “I was really grateful that I was not going to have to explain to my kids that they were about to meet their new sibling,” she joked. Read More Kelly Ripa says she thought she was pregnant when she first started going through menopause Viewers applaud Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos’s ‘great chemistry’ after Live co-hosting debut Kelly Ripa says she worked out of a janitor’s closet for years before ABC gave her a permanent office Teenager received a ‘zero’ at school because he didn’t have class supplies As transphobic hate crimes rise by 11% in a year, how to be a better ally All the big-ticket celebrity donations to Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit

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Reusable water bottles are beneficial in so many ways. Helping keep you hydrated, they also cut down on single-use plastic, and save you money every time you refill instead of buying a new bottle of water. Plus, with all the chic stainless steel flasks and glass bottles on the market – not to mention sporty carrying straps – they’ve become something of a fashion accessory. Trying to hit the NHS-recommended eight glasses of water a day for adults is an excellent idea, of course, but did you know there’s one way your refillable bottle could potentially be detrimental to your health? According to a study from waterfilterguru.com, reusable water bottles contain an average of 20.8m colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria, which equates to 40,000 times more than the microbes on a toilet seat. So what might be the consequences if you continuously sip and refill without washing your bottle properly between uses? We asked health experts to talk through the risks… Bottling up bacteria “A common misconception when it comes to reusable water bottle hygiene is that as you’re typically filling it with pure water and it’s only coming into contact with your own mouth, there’s little need to clean it often,” says Dr Donald Grant, senior clinician at The Independent Pharmacy. However, every time you drink from the bottle, you’re transferring bacteria from your mouth, which can then multiply in the container. “Anything that is reusable can be prone to accumulating dirt, dust or debris and, as a result, bacteria,” says private GP Dr Suhail Hussain. “This is exacerbated by the fact water bottles are the ideal environment for harbouring bacteria due to being moist.” Hard to reach crevices – for example, inside a screw top or under a flip-up straw – could also develop mould, and then there’s contamination from other sources. “When you store it in a gym bag, for instance, it can pick up bacteria from the interior of the bag or anything else stored in it, while you can also transfer bacteria from your hands to your bottle,” says Grant. “If your bottle has a valve cap, you may need to lift or twist it with your fingers, and this can transfer bacteria you may have picked up from touching other objects or surfaces.” What types of microbes are found in water bottles? “These might be simple commensals such as streptococcus and staphylococcus, which normally live in symbiosis with their host (i.e. us) but can become problematic if they accumulate, or the individual is under the weather,” Hussain says.“Bacteria such as E. coli – a common cause of urine and bowel infections – can often colonise the water bottle following repeated handling, such as taking the cap on and off.” These bacteria can potentially cause a variety of issues. “You may become sick and develop gastric illness, such as diarrhoea or vomiting,” Hussain continues. “Gram negative rods – another common bacterium found in unwashed bottles – can lead to urogenital tract infections and pneumonia.” Grant warns: “If there’s a build-up of mould inside the bottle, this can cause allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, or red and itchy eyes. Symptoms might be more severe for someone with asthma.” How often should you wash your reusable water bottle? “To minimise your risk of getting sick, you should ideally clean your water bottle after each use,” Grant says. “As a minimum, you should aim to wash it thoroughly at least a few times a week.” Hot water and washing up liquid are all you need to banish bacteria on the daily. “Fill the bottle with hot soapy mixture and swill around, or leave to soak in a detergent mixture,” Hussain advises. “Remember to pay special attention to lids/caps and screw top regions – use a clean brush [to scrub them].” If you’ve neglected your bottle for a few days and it needs a deeper clean, Grant suggests: “Soak your bottle overnight in a solution of half vinegar and half water. Rinse the bottle and let it dry fully before using it again.” Storage is also important to help minimise nasty microbes. “Where possible, you should keep your water bottle out of germ-rich environments such as your gym locker or sports bag,” Grant says. “You should also avoid filling your bottle with anything other than water, such as protein shakes, energy drinks, or sugar-rich liquids, as sugar can stimulate the growth of bacteria.” Hussain adds: “Don’t leave water bottle in the sun for long periods of time or siting in the cup holder in the car – the mixture of warmth and moisture is likely to make bacterial overgrowth worse.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Prince George visits Eton with parents Prince William and Kate Middleton King Charles and Queen Camilla ecstatic after getting their first Royal Ascot winner As Elon Musk calls cis ‘a slur’ – what does the term cisgender actually mean?

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