Lady Bites Podcast

We’re back with a special round-up episode from the British Menopause Society Annual Scientific Meeting!
Join us as we discuss the key themes, latest research, and the clinical updates that caught our attention. From new evidence and evolving guidelines to practical take-home messages for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, we break down what matters most in an accessible and engaging way.
Whether you’re looking to stay up to date with the latest in menopause care or simply curious about what’s new in women’s health, this episode is packed with insights, discussion, and our reflections from one of the year’s most important menopause conferences.
Tune in to hear our highlights, what surprised us, and what we think will shape menopause care in the months ahead.Thanks as always to our friend Jeremy Roske for his track, A Little Love.

The new season of Lady Bites opens with a conversation a lot of us feel awkward talking about. In this episode, Aoife, Ciara and Louise discuss bowel cancer, including the key risk factors, common signs and symptoms to look out for, and the importance of screening in detecting cancer at an early stage when treatment is most effective.

They also explore the concerning rise in bowel cancer diagnoses among younger adults, examining what current research tells us and why awareness of symptoms is important regardless of age.

Thanks as always to our friend Jeremy Roske for his track, A Little Love.

With the new year upon us, we’re talking women’s health, not unrealistic resolutions.

In this episode, we dive into the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine and how they support women’s wellbeing and hormonal health. Think nourishment, movement, sleep, stress, connection, and habits that truly work in real life.

https://www.islm.ie/six-pillars

We would like to wish all our listeners a very Happy New Year, Ciara, Louise and Aoifex

Thanks as always to our friend Jeremy Roske for his track, A Little Love.

If Santa had a medical degree, what would we be asking for this Christmas? In this festive episode, we share what we’d love to find in our stockings, from a women’s health and wellbeing perspective.

With plenty of laughs, light-hearted banter and evidence-based insights, we chat through our personal wishlists and the health reasons behind them. It’s fun, festive, and a reminder that looking after women’s health might just be the best gift of all.

Merry Christmas everyone, Louise, Ciara and Aoife x

Thanks as always to our friend Jeremy Roske for his track, A Little Love.

Red cheeks? Random flushing? Skin acting like it has a mind of its own? In this episode of Lady Bites, your hosts get into rosacea — what it is, why it happens, how to calm it down, and why women in particular keep bumping into it.

Aoife, Ciara, and Louise break it all down in a friendly, accessible chat and wrap up with some myth-busters to set the record straight.

Resources:

• HSE Rosacea

• NHS Rosacea

• Dermnet Rosacea

October is Menopause Awareness Month, and in this episode, we're focusing on contraception during perimenopause.

While much of the conversation around menopause centres on managing symptoms, it's important to remember that contraception may still be needed during this stage. May women also worry that hormonal contraception isn't safe after 40, but is that really true?

Our three hosts explore this and other common myths, discussing the wide range of contraceptive options available to women in their 40s and 50s.

Resources:

• HSE Contraception and Menopause
• Sexual Wellbeing.ie
• Women's Health Concern factsheet on contraception for the older woman

Special thanks to Jeremy Roske for the soundtrack, A Little Love

Why does weight seem to shift during perimenopause and menopause - even when nothing else changes? In this episode we're joined by dietitian Gillian McConnell from Inside Out Nutrition to cut through the confusion and talk evidence, not quick fixes.

We explore what's really happening with hormones, metabolism, muscle and stress - and how practical nutrition, sleep and strength training can help you feel stronger and more balanced. Gillian shares simple, sustainable tips on protein, fibre, colour and mindset, plus her take on supplements and weight-loss injectables.

Resources:

• Inside Out Nutrition
• British Dietetic Association: Menopause
• Women's Health Concern Weight Gain and Menopause

Special thanks to Jeremy Roske for the soundtrack, A Little Love

Why does weight seem to shift during perimenopause and menopause, even when nothing else changes?

In this episode, we’re joined by registered dietitian Gillian McConnell from Inside Out Nutrition to cut through the confusion and talk evidence, not quick fixes.

We explore what’s really happening with hormones, metabolism, muscle, and stress, and how practical nutrition, sleep, and strength training can help you feel stronger and more balanced. Gillian shares simple, sustainable tips on protein, fibre, colour, and mindset, plus her take on supplements and weight-loss injectables.

Resources mentioned:

• Inside Out Nutrition

Follow Lady Bites for more bite-sized women's health episodes! 🎧
Special thanks to Jeremy Roske for the soundtrack, A Little Love.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, but awareness is still low. This September the Irish Heart Foundation ran the Her Heart Matters campaign, raising awareness of this often overlooked issue.

In this episode, Louise, Ciara, and Aoife explore the symptoms of heart attack in women, how to start real conversations about heart health, and share tips to empower and protect your heart.

Resources:

• Irish Heart Foundation Her Heart Matters

In this first episode of Season 3, we sit down with acclaimed Irish artist Anna McKeever.

From training in medicine to finding her true calling in art, Anna shares how creativity became both a career and a lifeline. Ahead of her solo exhibition Full Beam at Gormleys Gallery, she talks about mental health, confidence, and grounding her work in connection and ancestry.

Resources:

• Anna McKeever Artist
• Full Beam at Gormley's Gallery
• Professor Daisy Fancourt: Mental Health and Arts