Coinciding with World Osteoporosis Day this special episode features two fabulous people: Sarah and Paul McGee - who have an incredible story to share (and have been instrumental in my own journey after a ‘diagnosis’ of Osteoporosis).
In the episode Sarah shares her journey from an osteoporosis diagnosis at 53 after two stress fractures and her journey supported by husband Paul, a sports therapist, packed with science-backed practices that took her from osteoporotic to osteopenic in just 5 years.
In the episode we discuss the differences in the REMS scanner vs DEXA, learn more about fragility scores and discuss the exercise that supports bone density health - especially for women in perimenopause.
I know this episode will inspire and empower other women (as the McGees did for me) to challenge everything you thought about osteoporosis being inevitable or irreversible.
After seeing the polarized menopause space in 2018, Ann Marie McQueen (founder of Hot Flash Inc) has dedicated 5 years to interviewing 150+ experts and cutting through the noise. Her mission? Help women make informed decisions without handing over agency to someone else.
Some of the discussion points we touch upon:
HRT vs MHT - Why Words MatterThe Authority Bias ProblemThe Information Cherry-Picking Crisis
The Double Stack Trend
One of the many things that Ann Marie so expressively shared was, "Your body is exquisite - it's an ecosystem. When you mess with one thing, there's a chain reaction."
This is a great episode and truly inspiring for women in mid-life to inform and education yourself. As Ann Marie explains: Don't outsource decisions. Learn enough to know what YOU'RE doing - it affects the rest of your life.
This episode features two powerhouse practitioners joining me to discuss why nutritional therapy needs to reclaim it’s heart alongside the science.
Dawn Waldron and Emma Beswick talk about their own personal journeys that lead them to nutrition, nutrigenomics and functional health.
Despite knowing these two women well, lucky me - they are friends as well as colleagues, I learnt a lot from this conversation as we delved into the central role of the mitochondria and metabolism in health, and how this understanding has shaped Dawn's work in integrative oncology. Emma explains how her Metabolics Report aims to provide practitioners with a comprehensive view of mitochondrial function and cellular energy production.
We openly talk about our shared belief that we've lost the therapy in nutritional therapy. The rush to order tests (gut, hormones, adrenals) means we're not listening to the information sitting in front of us - the client's story. Tests should illuminate, not replace, clinical reasoning.
Emma’s musical analogy has been ringing in my brain since we recorded - our genes are the sheet music, but nutrients, movement, and circadian rhythm are the performance instructions - they tell your genes HOW to play.
Both Emma and Dawn share more gems of insights, reminders that as practitioners, we're meant to hold space for the art AND science - not just prescribe based on data reports.
Emma & Dawn are also (of course) on my Expert Panel of Beyond The Lesions: Unravelling The Endometriosis Puzzle Livestreamed Masterclass 3rd November (booking details 🔗).
Meet Dr. Kirsty Holland - a powerhouse practitioner who combines Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathy, Functional Medicine, and Environmental Health into one integrated approach.
Her personal story of navigating PCOS, hypothyroidism, and eating disorders as a young woman - only to be offered quick fix mentality approaches like the pill, shaped her mission to support women who fall through the cracks of conventional medicine.
We discuss:
✅ the cognitive dissonance of shutting down young women's hormones while turning up older women's
✅ Why "society has normalized women feeling terrible"
✅ The evolutionary mismatch we're living in today
✅ Dr Kistey's take on GLP-1
✅ and another of our shared passions - why proper hormone education should start in schools.
I particularly LOVED her whole approach taken from her father's wisdom: "You can't afford to buy the cheap one” and how this applies to health too. Quick fixes break down, requiring sustainable approaches instead.
Season 6 Episode 2 of The Best in Health podcast is LIVE today 🎉 and for the majority of practitioners, this may challenge what we think we know about Endometriosis
This conversation with @larabriden was a difficult but necessary one as Lara shares her "penny drop moment" that revolutionized how she views endometriosis diagnosis and treatment. Research suggests up to 43% of asymptomatic women have superficial lesions. This raises critical questions about diagnosis based solely on these findings.
Listen in to hear us discuss how SOME women may be getting the wrong diagnosis for their pelvic pain. Ultimately, medical understanding continues to evolve, therefore, we owe it to women experiencing pelvic pain to question, investigate, and ensure they get appropriate care.
Listen to the full conversation - it’s a full frank and honest conversion, and perhaps an apt time for us o question how we support women with pelvic pain / Endometriosis.
Don’t forget, if you join my Endometriosis masterclass next month, either in person, or the recordings package - you’ll get the opportunity to join an online Q&A with myself and Lara to continue the discussions.
Meet Dr. Kirsty Harris, a clinical psychologist who has written an incredible book about living with endometriosis - sharing both her professional expertise AND her lived experience of a 20-year journey to diagnosis.
During the episode we explore why endometriosis is truly a whole-body condition, the psychological impact of chronic illness and medical dismissal Kirsty experienced, how compassion-focused therapy can help break "tricky loops" of shame and self-criticism, and the isolation of this largely invisible condition.
This episode is a huge insight about why we need to break the misconceptions about periods and endometriosis.
I so passionately believe Kirsty’s book should be read and a reference on every practitioner's desk and in the hands of anyone navigating this condition. Her timeline spanning two pages of symptoms and appointments is both heartbreaking and validating.
"I wanted to write the book I wish I'd had when I was 15." - Dr. Kirsty Harris
Kirsty is also the author of Coping with Endometriosis: Bringing Compassion to Pain, Shame and Uncertainty. This book has been written as part of the 'Coping with' series with ACP-UK
On season 6 I am delighted to share real women's stories starting with the incredible Paula Rastrick
One little-known side effect of menopause and perimenopause - they may make or reveal / unveil ADHD symptoms or harder to manage. Paula shares her personal journey from seeking support, hitting rock bottom and taking the lead in advocating for her own wellbeing post menopause.
*Paula's personal story may be triggering relating to her mental health* but I promise you, it's inspiring. Her drive now to research, joining the dots and speaking to other women to understand the science of hormonal sensitivity needs to be heard!
Welcome to the final episode of the Best in Women's Health Season five.
This episode is like no other because it is an interview that I conducted live while on a recent trip to Australia, where I had the absolute pleasure of visiting a truly exquisite in integrative health practice - Vera Wellness.
I speak with founder gynecologist Dr. Peta Wright and her colleague, who is also a leading gynecologist, Dr. Thea Bola.
We debunk some of the overriding myths around endometriosis and chronic pain, and explore how they have seen as gynecologists a traditional approach of laparoscopies that is failing so many women with endometriosis and chronic pain.
We talk about the importance and the necessity of an in integrative approach to chronic pelvic pain and supporting women with a diagnosis of endometriosis, including the terminology and how diagnosis is delivered to women.
It's an incredibly powerful and unique episode because it's live, but also because these two women are absolute pioneers in changing the shape and our attitude to women's menstrual health in general.
In the penultimate episode of season 5 in my podcast, I speak to the brilliant Rachel Jessey. She talks to us about how she has over the years leveraged her extensive experience with long covid and post-viral conditions to explore and illuminate the complex interactions between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems.
We also talk in quite a lot of detail about quantum physics! But please don't be scared by that, you are going to be in love with it especially as she illuminates the concept of structured water.
This week’s podcast guest should be no stranger to most of you and is current in front position to feature on all of my podcast seasons to date - the spectacular Robyn Puglia.
Robyn is a functional nutritionist and a fully certified IFM practitioner who has a particular specialist interest, passion, and immense understanding of the immune system and the area of autoimmunity.
In this episode, we talk about this entirely complex system, but as you will learn, Robin has just such an innate understanding of her work that she's able to take really complex conversations and provide illumination to this subject matter. And we talk about one specific component that is really interesting - the very important difference between the term autoimmunity and autoimmune disease.
Calling all practitioners - you will not want to miss this episode and I guarantee it will leave you with so many moment you can relate you and will also give you elements for learning too.
PLUS I’m delighted to share that Robyn will be joining as a guest speaker on my Affiliate Mentoring programme for 2025.
There is no greater area where we have been demanding the deserved attention to be heard than women’s health. It is undeniable that women’s life stages & female specific conditions have, until recently, been neglected & woefully underfunded in research.
But there are amazing clinicians who are at the forefront of women's health research - in this episode, I interview and talk to Dr. Leah Hitchman, who is a globally respected naturopathic clinician specializing in fertility, pregnancy, and holistic reproductive health.
In this particular episode, I asked Leah if we could focus on just the ovaries rather than the entire menstrual cycle. And boy did we go really deep… The conversation is so illuminating
I cannot wait for you to listen to this. There are some real clinical pearls - let me know if there are elements in this episode you’d like to delve into further!
Dawn Waldron is an expert in integrative health, specialising in a functional approach to cancer. This week’s episode is a real treat, as Dawn joins me to talk about what she set up her bestselling Substack account Uncoupling Cancer, and how she draws on almost three decades of personal and professional experience as both a breast cancer survivor and nutritionist in supporting women with cancer.
We explore and talk in detail about taking a metabolic approach to cancer and surviving cancer, and she talks to me about how we can harness nature's benefits to support recovery. This is a fascinating episode. You will learn a huge amount and you will be so enthralled listening to her, as I was!
If you enjoyed this podcast …… Beginning on Friday 15th November for three consecutive Friday mornings, Dawn is delivering a webinar series called Dynamic Metabolism, with Emma Beswick, co-founder of LifecodeGx looking at the subject of metabolism and nutrigenomics in the context of cancer: https://www.lifecodegx.com/training
Spending time speaking with Professor Jerilynn Prior is a humbling experience that always gives me new insight - and this week’s podcast episode does not disappoint.
Jerilynn is a professor of endocrinology and metabolism from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and she has dedicated her career to the study of menstrual cycles and the effects of cycles in their changing estrogen and progesterone hormone levels on women's health. In 2002, she founded the Center for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research Center, better known as CeMCOR. And this houses a wealth of information.
Jerilynn is also the director of the British Columbia Center of of the Osteoporosis study, which was studying osteoporosis fractures and bone mineral density, and has followed over 9,000 women and men across the country for 19 years plus a thousand younger women.
In this episode, we focus on discussing osteoporosis. She shares with us her ABCs of osteoporosis prevention and treatment. We also, of course, talk about HRT and why she and I both believe that this term should no longer be used.
We also delve into the misnomers around using DEXA scans to diagnose osteoporosis.
This week, I welcome back to the podcast for the third time, the most world renowned naturopathic doctor Lara Briden. Lara is the author of the Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual, and in this episode we talk in great detail about her latest book, Metabolism Repair for Women. This is a compassionate science-based guide to balancing insulin, facilitating weight loss, and most importantly, improving and optimising health.
Laura and I first up delve into what metabolism actually means. We discuss metabolic flexibility, how if you have metabolic inflexibility and what this actually means for health. We also talk in quite a lot of detail about what the key movers and shakers are in terms of the metabolic hormones and how you can talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about assessing those.
This is a really illuminating and fundamental conversation to be having with Lara, and I know that you are going to absolutely love every minute of this episode.
Perfectly timed for the lead in to World Menopause Day tomorrow, Dr Nicky Keay joins me to talk about her new book The Myths of Menopause - and I can honestly say, this book (I’ve seen the proof) will be a mastery of a resource for women and healthcare professionals. ,
We delve into talking about myth number 1 of many! - “Menopause only happens in middle-aged women. “
Discuss everything from what perimenopause is, how to know if a woman is in perimenopause and about HRT (how could we not)!
Nicky shares a truly unique perspective as a medical doctor but also as a woman who has experienced the challenges of navigating perimenopause and menopause and leaving with a perspective on how we can help women approach this in a more positive way - to build up women’s confidence.
Myths of Menopause is available for pre order now using discount code (appropriately) Athena via: https://www.sequoia-books.com/catalog/menopause/
To register for the free book launch event at UCL on
4th December 2024 from 6-8pm where YOU can meet some of contributors, ask questions, discuss - book here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/manage/events/1014503225457/details
There has been so much discussion around this programme aired last week... I taken time to watch myself and bring together my thoughts, shared here with you.
Ultimately we all need to reflect on our working hypothesis and put ourselves in a position to re-learn what we thought we knew and properly advocate for women's healthcare.
The finale of Season 4 with special guest Dr Fiona McCulloch ND features an in depth conversation around PCOS and diagnosis - this is a must-listen for all nutritionists and functional medicine practitioners!
As a woman with PCOS Fiona is passionate about health education and advocacy for women with PCOS, and serves on the medical advisory committee of the PCOS Awareness Association and as an expert on IVF.ca. She is also a medical advisor to Open Source Health and frequently lectures to professionals at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Fiona gives us a unique insight to the PCOS updated diagnostic criteria and practice guidelines as well as her own experience of supporting diagnosis with adolescents and adults.
This week my guest is the impressive Henrietta Norton: nutritional therapist, author of the best selling book: Take Control of Your Endometriosis, founder of visionary food supplement brand - Wild Nutrition, and I’m very lucky to not only count Hen as a colleague but also a friend.
I couldn’t invite Hen back on the podcast without asking her to share more about her Food-Grown® supplements - which have revolutionised the supplement industry for the better…. We discuss the groundbreaking Perimenopause Report that Hen wrote to change the way our daughters experience perimenopause and this theme continues throughout the episode discussing perimenopause symptoms and support, the challenges of managing perimenopause as a woman, the importance of education, the art of listening to our bodies, the value of rest in regulating our nervous system.
There are so many wonderful golden nuggets within this podcast episode and Hen is a dream to talk with and so inspiring to listen to.
Have you heard of spermadine?
If not (and even if you have 😉) this week’s podcast episode should be a real educational delight for you. I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with @lesliesnewprime an Oxford-based entrepreneur born in California and a graduate of Berkeley and Harvard Business School. Leslie is founder of Oxford Healthspan, a Longevity Expert with plenty of life experience and evidence-based science as her basis.
Leslie shares her personal story of a diagnosis of an array of autoimmune conditions in the 30’s (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism) drove to the reject the dire prognosis and instead immersed herself in studying with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition on a quest for a more holistic solution.
Leslie shares how her specialist interest in spermadine and it’s use in her own journey to wellbeing, developing her brand of spermadine / Primeadine® as well as diving into how our body makes it, and get it from our diet and how it increases longevity and results she’s seen when embraced by women from perimenopause into menopause.
Another incredible podcast episode ready for your listening pleasure this week - Lara Briden was so generous to gift me an hour of her time to talk about metabolism with women in perimenopause and through menopause.
We discuss what effects metabolism - from genetics and weight resistance, to the impact of epigenetics, the relationship of oestrogen therapy and insulin resistance, and how evolutionary mismatch means modern women approaching menopause are not recalibrating our metabolism like our ancestors.
Lara is a dream to listen to - she effortlessly describes the influence of oestrogen on satiety, what metabolic inflexibility is and provides a really logical approach to the latest intermittent fasting craze.
I honestly cannot recommend this episode enough for practitioners and anyone who was interested in Lara & Nicky Keay’s talk last year.
