This is the last episode in this season, it's hard to believe we've done 25 episodes, but here we are.

So I thought I’d wrap things up as I began back in February by telling you a bit about me and where I’m at in my menopause journey and what I've learnt along the way by talking to the amazing, vibrant , funny women I've had on the Pod, the wonderful Dr Katie and all my other brilliant experts.

I've upped my movement, concentrated on what and how I eat and tweaked my HRT. Obviously each of our Menopause journeys are as unique as we are and this is just a snap shot of mine (so far!). I know it isn't over, it's a marathon not a sprint and sometimes it feels like a daily uphill struggle. But thanks to making this Pod and gaining the understanding of what's happening to me and what I can do to help myself, I am in a far better place than I was a year ago. I hope listening has helped you to.

See you back here for Season 2.

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 5th inspirational Orca - Kate Muir, creator and producer of the “Davina Documentaries” for Channel 4 and author of the incredible book “Everything you wanted to know about the Menopause but were afraid to ask”. 

Kate as you can imagine, doesn’t shy away from tackling the big stuff, our chat ranges from HRT and whether we need Testosterone, the racial and socio-economic injustice and misogyny that’s rife in medicine, to the glorious reboot menopause can and should be.

She’s just so knowledgeable and passionate about the menopause, I adored chatting to her. She's a force to be reckoned with that isn't done with the fight yet. Thank god for us all we have people like her in our corners.

Kate's website https://katemuir.co.uk/

Book she mentioned "Divided: Racism, Medicine and why we need to Decolonise Healthcare" Dr Annabel Sowemimo

The Smile Starter @thesmilestarter - Jill McLaggan

Menopause charity https://www.themenopausecharity.org/

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking eye health with optometrist Harps Kular and how our fluctuating hormones can affect our eyes. She’s seen a huge rise in the number of menopausal women coming to her with dry eye (which surprisingly isn’t what you’d think) and how her own struggles with perimenopause and not being taken seriously by her GP, has allowed her to really connect with her patients and give them the space to be heard about their menopausal symptoms. 

Harper & Cooper Opticians  https://www.harperandcooper.co.uk/our-team

Balance app https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and more tips on navigating your menopause

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we navigate this time of our lives it becomes clear that looking after ourselves is more and more important. What we eat is vital and can even help with our symptoms. 

In this episode I’m talking to Menopause Nutritionist Karen Newby, author of the brilliant The Natural Menopause method. We discuss how just tiny shifts in our lifestyle and diet can make huge changes in the way our bodies cope with our fluctuating hormones to help us sail through our Menopause.

She's full of really down to earth, practical advice. With no fad diets and no lecturing!

You'll find her book, "The Natural Menopause Method: a nutritional guide to perimenopause and beyond", information about her 1:1 Clinics, her fabulous day retreats and so much more at https://karennewby.com/

Or follow Karen on Insta @karen.newby.nutritionist

Supplements we talked about - Biocare, Viridian, Bionutri, Vivo Life, Bare Biology, Cytoplan, Wild Nutrition, Higher Nature, Biotics Research Corporation.

Neither Karen nor myself are affiliated with any of these companies.

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more tips on navigating your menopause

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I get all political and fired up with Diane Danzebrink founder of the Make Menopause Matter campaign and Menopause Support, a not for profit organisation, full of help and resources. We’re joined by Andrea Swan, her office manager, to talk about how they’ve gone from chats round Andrea’s kitchen table to lobbying Parliament and educating future generations. Would that we all had their passion and determination.

Let's pick up Diane’s fight to push women’s health further up the agenda and the urgent need for a Public Health Campaign so we can all be armed with the information we need to deal with our own Menopause.

The easiest way is to sign her petition, click on the change.org link below to add your voice, so that future generations are taught what to expect and get the care they need from medical professionals. 

Sign the Petition https://www.change.org/p/make-menopause-matter-in-healthcare-the-workplace-and-education-makemenopausematter

Menopause Support - amazing website with so many resources https://menopausesupport.co.uk/

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode of BMO. I was approached by an amazing organisation, Family Action, who help to transform lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across the country. 

They asked me to be part of their World Menopause Day and I leapt at the chance.

1 in 10 women leave their jobs because of their menopause symptoms. That’s a truly shocking statistic and I’m sure that the majority of those would have stayed if they’d had the right support at work. 

That’s why I’m so thrilled that Family Action have chosen to highlight the importance of understanding the Menopause and helping their staff navigate it. In this episode I’m joined by colleagues Nicola and Sue to talk about their experiences. 

They've both gone down the non HRT route to deal with their symptoms but from very different starting points.

Family Action  https://www.family-action.org.uk/

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m talking to my 4th inspirational Orca, Emma Kennedy, author, actress, former lawyer, brilliant cook, downright renaissance woman!

After being hospitalised with heart palpitations she realised her Menopause, which she smugly thought was done and dusted, wasn’t done with her yet. She was wearing a heart monitor as we spoke! She has decided even with her family risk of Breast Cancer to go on a low dose of estrogen and it’s changed her life. We also talk about discovering she's got high cholesterol which has meant her love affair with cheese and wine is finally over, but it’s opening up a brighter future. 

6 pack revolution https://thesixpackrevolution.com/ 

Emma's Drink recommendations

0.0 Guinness

Lyre Dry London spirit

Clausthaller - lager 

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m continuing to discuss breast cancer with Dani Binnington who started her brilliant Podcast and organisation Menopause & Cancer after her diagnosis at the age of 33. We talk about how she coped with her very aggressive triple negative cancer and a young family, how the discovery of her BRCA gene led her to decide to have a double mastectomy and later surgery which brought on a medical menopause. 

She learnt to self advocate and went from being mute in her doctors appointments to being an empowered patient with her tool box of movement, nutrition, hormonal and non hormonal medicines and above all taking care of her mental health.    

Dani's brilliant Pod https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-menopause-and-cancer-podcast/id1631842514

Menopause & Cancer website https://menopauseandcancer.org/

Facebook Chat Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub/

Professor Annice Mukherjee - Complete Guide to the Menopause

Future Dreams, Breast Cancer Charity https://futuredreams.org.uk/

Trek Stock, supporting young people with cancer https://www.trekstock.com/

Peaches Trust, Womb Cancer Charity https://peachestrust.org/

Macmillan https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

Breast Cancer Now https://breastcancernow.org/

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m back talking to the wonderful Dr Katie as we carry on looking more closely at Menopause and Breast Cancer. She explains how to give yourself a proper breast exam, which I’m certainly guilty of not doing and we look again at the risks associated with being on HRT. 

We discuss the difficulties that can be brought about by a medical or surgical menopause and how we need to make sure that women going through this can have a conversation with a Menopause Specialist so they know what’s likely to happen. We also look at the non hormonal treatments as no-one should feel there aren’t any options available to them and we (excitedly) discuss the new NK3 receptor drugs which could be a total game changer for non hormonal treatment of hot flushes and vasomotor symptoms. 

FDA Approve NK3 Receptor Antagonists https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-drug-treat-moderate-severe-hot-flashes-caused-menopause

Breast Screening Unit search https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/breast-screening-services

NHS leaflet Breast Cancer and How To Spot it https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/03/Easy-read-breast-cancer-leaflet.pdf

BMS TV https://thebms.org.uk/publications/bms-tv/

WHC Breast Cancer Fact sheet https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/01-WHC-FACTSHEET-BreastCancer-NOV2022-C.pdf

Daisy Network for early Menopause https://www.daisynetwork.org

If you want to join in and Be More Orca, head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca for my Menopause Diary and much more

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the first of 4 episodes looking more closely at Breast Cancer and the Menopause. I’m talking to the irrepressible Suzanne Bull MBE about her estrogen positive breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 and being thrown into a medical menopause. How all that coupled with her disability made it doubly hard to pick apart her symptoms and add a global pandemic into the mix, it gave Suzanne some really tough conversations and hard choices. But as ever, she came out fighting. 

Suzanne is founder of Attitude is Everything, a charitable organisation which connects disabled people with music & live events industries to improve access together.  www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk

Find Dr Liz O’Riourdan here https://liz.oriordan.co.uk/

BMS article on NK3 receptor antagonist treatment https://thebms.org.uk/2020/07/new-non-hormonal-treatment-for-hot-flushes/

Disabled women’s collective https://www.sisofrida.org/

If you want to Be More Orca head to https://www.bemoreorcapod.co.uk/

or follow me @be.more.orca 

Presented and Edited by India Fisher

Produced by James Whittlesea

Artwork by Damian & Becky Jones @ Big Picture Studio

Music by Scott Billings

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.