The Cyclist

What if the answers to your period pain have been hiding in your gut, your diet, and your environment all along?

In episode two of our period pain miniseries, Jess sits down with Loula George, one of New Zealand's most respected naturopaths, with over 30 years of experience specialising in women's health. Loula is the kind of practitioner whose name gets whispered in reverent tones across the women's health community, and after this conversation, it's easy to understand why.

Loula opens up about how she found her way into naturopathy, from a childhood in a traditional Greek family where food and herbs were medicine, to an ecology degree, to a chance encounter with a naturopathy prospectus on a coffee table at 28 that changed everything. Three decades later, she says it's the women themselves who have taught her everything she knows.

This conversation covers a lot of ground. Loula explains exactly where naturopathy sits within the broader women's health landscape, why the time and depth of a naturopathic consultation can uncover things a 10-minute GP appointment simply cannot, and why she sees her role as much about education and advocacy as it does about treatment.

She walks us through the naturopathic view of period pain, how the gut, hormones, stress, pelvic floor, trauma, and genetic factors can all play a role, and why the estrobolome (the bacteria responsible for estrogen metabolism in the gut) is one of the most important and undertalked pieces of the period pain puzzle. We get into the histamine connection with endometriosis, the foods that consistently aggravate inflammation, and why gluten and dairy elimination doesn't have to be forever, just long enough to find your individual triggers.

Loula also shares the herbs and nutrients she returns to again and again for period pain, including magnesium, PEA, Don Quai, Motherworth, and Ashwagandha, and explains how to know when supplements are working and how long to stay on them. She gives her honest view on the contraceptive pill as a first-line treatment for period pain, and why putting teenage girls on the pill before their endocrine system has even fully developed can create a whole other set of problems down the track.

We also go deep on endocrine disrupting chemicals, plastics, non-stick cookware, synthetic fragrances, polyester clothing, and why the load of these in our everyday environment matters more than most of us realise. Kat recommends the Netflix documentary My Plastic Detox, which follows six fertility-struggling couples and shows just how measurably reducing plastic exposure can shift the picture.

This is episode two of five of The Cyclist's period pain miniseries. All episodes are available now.

Find Loula George and her team at their Auckland clinic. Loula is also listed on The Cyclist's practitioner directory at wearethecyclist.com.

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Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play. Your body has been trying to tell you something. This episode might help you understand what.

This is where the period pain conversation gets real.

In the first episode of our Period Pain Mini-Series, Kat sits down with Dr Praveen De Silva, a New Zealand-born gynaecologist, endometriosis surgeon, and Clinical Lead for Endometriosis and Laparoscopic Surgery at Te Whatu Ora Waitemata. He was also the name our community called out overwhelmingly when we asked who they wanted to hear from on this topic. And after this conversation, it's easy to see why.

Dr Praveen opens up about his own journey into women's health, from a passion for obstetrics to completing a two-year fellowship at the world-leading Sydney Women's Endosurgery Centre, and why period pain became the area he chose to dedicate his career to.

Together, we unpack one of the most important distinctions in women's health: period pain is common, but significant period pain is not normal. 

Dr Praveen walks us through what that actually means, what's happening in the body during a painful period, and at what point symptoms cross the line from manageable to something that deserves medical attention.

We also get into the reality of navigating the New Zealand health system with period pain, the delays, the frustration, and what self-advocacy actually looks like in both the public and private sectors. Dr Praveen shares what a specialist appointment looks like from his side of the table, why he approaches each patient as a collaborative brainstorm rather than a one-size-fits-all prescription, and why he'll be the first to admit he doesn't have all the answers.

From pain medication and hormonal contraception to the multidisciplinary team approach, surgery, and the long-overdue shift toward diagnosing endometriosis without requiring an operation first, this conversation covers the full picture. Including the stat that still stops us in our tracks: it takes an average of seven to eight years to receive an endometriosis diagnosis in New Zealand.

If you are pushing through period pain and wondering whether what you're experiencing is normal, this episode is for you. Part one of five in this deep dive into period pain. All episodes of the mini-series are available now.

Find Dr Praveen De Silva at Auckland Gynaecology Group in Newmarket, Waitemata Surgeons in Takapuna, and in Whangārei. Online consultations available from anywhere in New Zealand.

Website: drpraveendesilva.com 

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Instagram: @wearethecyclist

Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Hello, and welcome to The Cyclist Period Pain miniseries. We are so glad that you're here. Before we get into the episodes, we wanted to sit down and talk to you about why we made the series, because honestly, it comes from a really personal place. 

In fact, I don't think The Cyclist would exist without period pain. It was a huge pivotal part in our journey that led us to realise we need more in women's health.

Period pain has been one of the biggest things in our lives, not a minor inconvenience, not something we just push through quietly. For us, it has been years of not knowing, of being dismissed, of wondering whether what we were experiencing was normal. And if you're a Cyclist listener, which you clearly are, we're pretty sure that a lot of you have been experiencing this too.

So this year, we made the decision to not only do our bi-weekly episodes, we also wanted to go  deeper. We wanted to create a mini series that let you really immerse yourself in a subject, hear from multiple perspectives, and walk away feeling like you actually understand something you didn't before.

In The Period Pain mini series, we cover everything from what period pain actually is, to how to navigate the medical system, to what the research says about natural approaches, to the very real psychological toll of living in a body that hurts.

We speak to gynecologist Dr. Praveen De Silva, naturopath Loula George, pelvic health physio Caitlin Frizz, psychologist Andy Leggett,  and we hear the real and raw story of Ella Cunningham, who has lived it firsthand. 

We have dropped all the episodes of the mini series today, so you can listen at your own pace, in your own time.

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Instagram: @wearethecyclist

Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play. We hope this series makes you feel a little less alone.  

Almost two years on, and this conversation goes even deeper.

Ellie Fitzgerald was the very first guest on The Cyclist, and she's back. In this raw and honest catch-up, Jess and Ellie revisit everything that has unfolded since Ellie shared her ruptured ectopic pregnancy story, nearly two years ago now. What started as a check-in becomes one of the most vulnerable conversations we've had on this podcast.

Ellie opens up about where she and her partner are at today, a place she describes as possibly child-free, though she's still unpacking whether that's a decision from the heart or a response to trauma. She talks honestly about the grief that doesn't follow a timeline, the moments that still catch her off guard, and what it's like to navigate those questions from family and friends when you haven't figured out the answers yourself.

She also shares the deeply personal way she holds Binki in her memory, something we've never heard before, and what the approaching two-year due date brings up for her each year.

The conversation moves through therapy, which Ellie is only just beginning, and why she's waited this long. She reflects on the unexpected ways the ectopic pregnancy has changed her body, her cycle, her pain, and her hormones, and gets honest about her relationship with her body, which she describes as the hardest it's ever been. From blaming her body through three years of infertility, to losing Binki, to navigating weight changes and self-worth, this is a conversation about what it really looks like to carry grief in your body, not just your mind.

Ellie also shares why she recently made the decision to rename her platform from Loving Ellie's Belly to simply Ellie Fitzgerald, and what that change meant for her sense of identity.

This one is tender, funny, deeply real, and a reminder that grief has no deadline.

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Instagram: @wearethecyclist

Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play. And if you haven't heard Ellie's first episode, start there: Endo, Infertility & Losing Baby Binkie with Ellie Fitzgerald.

Here’s the link on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wy5McIgaGR4Lyb3XQvz9Q

We're back! And it feels so good to say that.

In this episode, Jess and Kat reunite for an honest and overdue catch-up after a longer break than either of them planned. Life has been full. A new baby, a return to work, new products, and some deeply personal health journeys that kept unfolding in the background.

Kat opens up about returning to work after six months of maternity leave with baby Louie, navigating the beautiful chaos of breastfeeding, and the sleep regression that hit two nights before her first day back. She shares what imposter syndrome really feels like when your brain isn't firing, and why she's redefining what success looks like at this season of life.

Jess gets honest about where she's at with her panic disorder, now two years in, and the decision she put off for a long time: going on medication. She talks through what finally changed her mind, the realities of tapering onto sertraline while trying to conceive, and the Mel Robbins moment that helped her zoom out and find hope again. She also shares an update on her cycle and what she's noticing as she continues her trying to conceive journey.

They also talk through what's been keeping them busy behind the scenes. The team have had three new Cadence product launches, including Period Comfort, Head Ease, and Hydro Babe. Then they pull back the curtain on what The Cyclist looks like in 2026.

The Cyclist also has an exciting new format: Biweekly episodes, miniseries (the first of which will be a deep dive on period pain), in-person community events, and a vision to make The Cyclist the go-to library for women's health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This one is warm, real, and a very welcome return.

P.S., If you’d like to check out the breast pump Kat has, here it is: https://lacevo.com/products/wearable-breast-pump-set?country=AU 

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Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play. We've missed you. And we're so glad to be back!

A raw and honest end-of-year conversation reflecting on everything 2025 asked of us.

In this final episode for the year, Jess and Kat sit down for an unfiltered chat about the highs, the heartbreaks, and the behind-the-scenes reality of the year that was.

We speak openly about Jess’ battle with anxiety, the moments we felt completely overwhelmed, and the times we genuinely questioned whether we could keep going. We reflect on launching not one but two brands, the pressure that came with it, the pinch-me moments, and the lessons that only come from doing hard things in real time. This episode is about growth, boundaries, resilience, and what it really takes to build something meaningful while navigating your own health and nervous system.

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Instagram: @wearethecyclist
Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play for an honest close to the year, and a reminder that you are not alone in the messy middle.

We can't wait to be in your ears again in 2026!

This week we sit down with fitness trainer and psychology graduate Britt McNabb, known online as @mindbody.britt, for a powerful conversation on healing your relationship with movement and the body you call home.

Britt shares her own 40kg weight loss journey and how it shaped the unique mind body approach she uses with women today. Her work blends nervous system education, fitness, and deep self compassion to help women create lasting change without punishment or shame.

In this episode we talk about the bridge between mind and body, what real self love looks like beyond aesthetics, how to rebuild trust with yourself, and the emotional reality of learning to appreciate a changing body. It is wise, raw, grounding, and deeply supportive for anyone who has ever felt stuck in their health journey.

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@wearethecyclist
wearethecyclist.com

Welcome to the conversation. Hit play and join the journey.

This week we sit down with Elbee to talk about the health changes that arrived after birth and the journey to finally being taken seriously.

Elbee is a beauty, lifestyle and parenting creator who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis postpartum, later undergoing endometriosis surgery in 2023 and facing unexpected complications with the Mirena.

We speak about the early signs that something was not right, the emotional toll of managing chronic illness while parenting, and how her relationship with her body shifted through weight changes and recovery. Elbee shares what helped her advocate for herself, what she wishes more women were told after birth, and how she is learning to trust her body again. This is a gentle and honest conversation for anyone moving through symptoms that feel dismissed or unexplained.

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@wearethecyclist
wearethecyclist.com

Hit play and join the journey.

We sit down with the incredible Jess Thompson, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 26 years old. What started as a gut feeling that something wasn’t right led to a diagnosis that gave her only one to two years to live.

Jess walks us through her journey, the symptoms she pushed for answers on, navigating a healthcare system that didn’t always take her seriously, going through chemo and major surgery, and what it felt like to stare death in the face. She shares the moment she was told she was in remission and how that changed her relationship with her body, her priorities, and her sense of purpose.

But Jess’s story doesn’t end there. Shortly after celebrating being cancer free, her partner was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. She opens up about how they processed this together, what resilience looks like now, and the lessons she carries forward every day.

This conversation is raw, grounding, and full of courage.
It’s a reminder that listening to your body can save your life, and that even in the darkest moments, there can still be light.

Follow and connect:
@wearethecyclist
wearethecyclist.com

Hit play and join us for this powerful episode.

A real, honest conversation about anxiety, panic attacks, and the overwhelming moments so many of us quietly carry.

This week we’re joined by Dr Victoria Thompson, clinical psychologist, to dive deep into anxiety in all its forms.

Jess opens up about her own recent experience with anxiety and panic attacks, sharing what those moments have actually looked and felt like behind the scenes. Together, we unpack what anxiety really is, how to recognise when it’s becoming unmanageable, why panic attacks happen, and how health anxiety shows up, especially for women navigating chronic symptoms or complex health journeys.

We also explore the link between women’s health conditions and anxiety, and the practical tools that can help you come back to safety, calm, and self-trust.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, spiralled into fear, or wondered “is this normal?”, this episode will feel like a breath out.

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Instagram: @wearethecyclist
Website: wearethecyclist.com

Hit play and join the journey.