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.

Discover more about Vera Wellness here.

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

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

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.

Metabolism Repair for Women is available to purchase here.

Find out more about Lara Briden here.

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.