Wise Women Conversations

Today’s guest on the Menopause Conversations Podcast is Dr Alyssa Dweck. Dr. Alyssa Dweck is a practicing gynaecologist and the Chief Medical Officer of Bonafide. She has been an Ob/Gyn for over 25 years with a special interest in menopausal health and training in female sexual health. Dr. Dweck is the co-author of three books and has appeared on The Today Show and Good Day LA. She contributes regularly to multiple in print and online media outlets. She has been voted “Top Doctor” in New York Magazine and Westchester Magazine. When she’s not helping women improve their health, Dr. Dweck enjoys time with her husband, two sons and “girly” English Bulldog. She is an avid runner and sports car enthusiast. In this episode we discuss: Vaginal Health The difference in the terms ‘vulva’ and ‘vagina’ The main causes of the common symptom’s women experience as their hormones drop What you can do about these symptoms The use of topical oestrogen to alleviate symptoms The importance of looking after your pelvi

Every single day you receive messages from your body, some messages are louder than others. Have you ever heard them? The only way in which your body can communicate with you is through symptoms, these are the messages from your body. The human body spends its entire life trying to stay in balance, this is what we call homeostasis. When your body is out of balance you will experience symptoms while the body tries to re-balance itself again. If you don’t listen to the messages and the situation doesn’t change your symptoms will get worse and worse until you have no choice except to stop and make change (or you die!) As women go through their menopause transition, they often start to experience new symptoms that appear to come out of nowhere. They haven’t come from nowhere and they are not caused by your hormones. In fact, hormones are simply messengers that pass messages between different cells in your body. Your reproductive hormones are quite protective and as these hormone levels come down you start to lose

Everyone has tried diets that didn’t work or have found out that what used to work doesn’t work now.  Every woman’s experience of menopause is different  some have hot flashes and night sweats and others don’t some put on weight and others lose it some have excruciating joint pain and others don’t there are so many different symptoms associated with menopause and no 2 women have the same experience Your experience of menopause is unique to you, this is why what works for others might not work for you.  It is time to get rid of the cookie cutter approach when it comes to menopause and start seeing every woman as the unicorn that they are.  This is what personalised health is all about, recognising your uniqueness and creating a solution that will work for you So what makes you different to every other woman on the planet – your genes? (except for identical twins but I will get to that in a minute) Your genes determine How tall or short you are What your natural hair, skin and e

Statistics show that women over the age of 45 are the largest consumers of alcohol in Australia and I would assume that these stats are similar in other western countries. We live in a culture that tells us that alcohol is required to be social, to relax, to have fun, to be part of the group. But there is another side to alcohol consumption, particularly when it comes to women as they are moving through their menopause transition. The changes in women’s bodies and their hormones means that there is less tolerance to the impacts of alcohol than there was in the younger years. Some of the common symptoms that are associated with alcohol consumption are: Alcohol creates stress in your body and causes symptoms such as: hot flushes and night sweats joint and body pain weight gain around tummy sleep problems low energy foggy headedness mood swings depression and anxiety Have a listen to the episode to get a better understanding of what happens to your body when you drink that glass of wine and why

Our special guest on this week’s episode of Menopause Conversations Podcast is Fiona Keary from Style Liberation. I have shared Fiona’s work before on an earlier episode any I thought it was time to have Fiona on to have a deeper conversation around how the clothes that we wear tell a story about ourselves. To be honest this was also an opportunity for me to get a personal styling session as Fiona answers some of my questions about how you can determine the best style of clothes to wear and how to create particular shapes with your clothes. Fiona admits that she used to be a real ‘style tragic’, she loved clothes but had no idea how to put them together in a way that looked great. She obviously has learnt a lot since those early days and now she loves working with women who are over the age of 40, helping them to dress to suit their changing body shape and their changing hair colour. In this episode Fiona shares: The concept of Style Personalities and when you understand what your Style Personality is how e

The menopause is a time of change. One of the biggest changes that many women experience is weight gain. You might have gained weight despite your best efforts to exercise regularly and pay attention to your nutrition, especially in the hard to lose Meno-Belly region. But the issue is the former weight loss strategies that used to work for you typically cease working once you enter menopause. Women's hormone levels begin to fluctuate in their early 40s. Along with other variables, these hormonal changes play a big part in menopause weight gain. As women progress through menopause, they may gain weight for a variety of causes (often a mix of these). Lowered Thyroid Function Insulin Resistance Stress Oestrogen Receptors Dietary Choices The good news is that you can shed those excess kilos, but it will require some effort on your part. Understanding how your body functions can help you take the actions that will have the biggest impact. You may have noticed that not everyone responds well to a particul

One of the symptoms associated with menopause that is least discussed is joint and body pain. I had continual pain for approximately 2 years when I was in peri-menopause. Although I don't often use painkillers, there have been a few times when I needed to take Panadeine just to fall asleep. Since this generation of women leads more active lives than our mothers and grandmothers did, joint and body pain have not historically been a common symptom associated with Menopause. But there are several factors that need to be considered here. The drop in Oestrogen, diet and ordinary wear and tear all contribute to the pain. Any underlying inflammation will become visible when Oestrogen levels drop, and collagen levels decrease. Inflammation is most frequently brought on by our food, but there are other causes as well. Collagen is what keeps our skin appearing smooth and young, it also keeps our ligaments and tendons working properly. So, when collagen levels decline, we may become stiffer and less flexible. Meanwhile,

At the age of 47 Tania Dalton started to wonder what would happen if she lived a short life like her Dad, what would she miss out on? Tania decided that she was going to train to run a marathon even though she says she didn’t consider herself an athlete, didn’t like running and she wasn’t fast. Peri-menopause hit Tania quite hard with lots of symptoms such as hot flushes, weight gain and debilitating joint pain. But she didn’t give up. Tania completed the marathon in a faster time than she thought was possible. But that wasn’t end of physical challenges for Tania, she then decided to complete a full Ironman event. It took her 3 years of training, while her menopause symptoms were getting worse due to the stress that she was putting her body under and then along came covid and threatened to derail everything that she had trained for. Tania kept training but she knew there was a chance that she wouldn’t make the cut off for the event or even be able to travel interstate as border closures came in virtually over

This week is the final episode in the Understanding Hormones series and in the episode, I am talking about the hormone Insulin and specifically something that is known as Insulin Resistance. Insulin Resistance is one of the key factors when it comes to weight gain in peri-menopause and beyond. In this episode you will discover: - What the role of insulin is in the body - What insulin resistance is - How the shift in your reproductive hormones can trigger insulin resistance - The other factors that you need to consider when it comes to insulin resistance - What you can do to reverse insulin resistance and get rid of your meno-belly If you want a better understanding of why you put on weight as you move through peri-menopause and beyond why not download a copy of the free Secret to Getting Rid of Your Meno-Belly Ebook. You will find further information about Insulin Resistance, Thyroid Concerns and other causes of your weight gain and most importantly you will discover the steps that you can take you reduce you

In this week’s episode of Menopause Conversations, I have Clarissa Kristjansson as my guest. Clarissa is a Mindful and Menopause Expert, Author of the bestseller The Mindful Menopause and the host of Thriving Thru Menopause Podcast. Clarissa believes that life transitions give women the opportunity to explore life differently. In this episode we discuss the important topic of menopause in the workplace and how you can not only keep your job but thrive. Some of the topics that we cover in this episode include: - Why it is important to take a kinder approach to ourselves through peri-menopause and beyond - How to shift from blaming and criticising ourselves to self-acceptance - Clarissa shares her journey through menopause while she was in a high level corporate role - Some mindbody practices to help you to manage your symptoms To follow Clarissa and learn more about the work that she does visit Website Email LinkedIn Instagram Podcast If one of your concerns around menopause is weight gain that won’t shift reg

It is time to get a better understanding of the role that the thyroid plays in some of t he symptoms that are often associated with menopause, particularly weight gain.  In this episode of Menopause Conversations, you will discover: - The role your thyroid plays in keeping you healthy - The specific nutrients you require for a healthy thyroid - Why the liver plays such an important role in keeping your thyroid functioning well - How you can support your liver through food and nutrition Weight gain is one of the most common symptoms that women complain about when it comes to menopause and while the thyroid might be playing a role there are several other factors that are also impacting your weight and importantly your ability to lose the extra kilos.  This is why I have written an ebook called The Secret to Getting Rid of Your Meno-Belly, you can grab your free copy HERE.

Sandy Davies is the creator of the menopause balm called Happy Pause and is affectionately known as the Vag Queen. Sandy is on a mission to open the conversation around vaginal health as women age. Sandy is also full of life and vitality; this conversation was so much fun to have. Join us as Sandy shares her story around menopause, what her beliefs were and how much they have changed now that she has moved through her own menopause transition. This menopause conversation goes in many different directions, just like menopause itself really. The underlying message from Sandy is that menopause and midlife are opportunities for women to connect to their inner wisdom and embrace their next stage of life. This is not a time of life to be held back by conditions such as vaginal dryness and whether you experience dryness or not every woman deserves to feel great ‘down there’. Why not take the Happy Pause Challenge that Sandy speaks about in this episode, to learn more visit www.happypause.com.au. You can also follow

This is the next episode in the Understanding Menopause series and today I am chatting about the role that your liver plays in keeping your hormones balanced and you looking and feeling great. Most women don’t realise the importance of optimal liver function when it comes to balancing their hormones. This is something that most doctors don’t talk about probably because they don’t fully understand the link between your liver and your hormones, or they simply don’t think that it is important enough to talk about. Most women understand that the liver is where you get rid of toxins from your body, but it also plays an important role in the manufacture of new hormones and the break down of old hormones. You could say that your liver is a manufacturing and re-cycling plant all in one. How amazing is that! Some of the common signs that your liver is not functioning at an optimal level are: - Weight gain - Foggy headedness - Skin rashes - Digestive issues - Hot flushes and night sweats - Sleep problems - Joint pain -

From the very first moment of this podcast Rachel Lankester and I are talking about a controversial topic – the conversation around menopause that is currently taking place in the UK. With the push to get more and more women in the UK taking HRT and which has resulted in a shortage of HRT that has left many women feeling abandoned. Rachel jumps on her ‘soapbox’ to share her view on what is happening and her sadness that the dominant conversation around menopause is one of struggle and horror. Rachel was diagnosed with early menopause when she was trying to fall pregnant, as you can imagine this was a complete shock to her especially when she didn’t really think there was much wrong with her hormones. After following some great advice around her diet and lifestyle Rachel was able to reverse the ‘early menopause’ diagnosis but sadly didn’t go on to fulfil her dream for another child. This experience sent this avid researcher on a mission to learn more about menopause and the midlife experience that many women g

It is easy to blame symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain, moodiness or sleep problems on Menopause or even your hormones but neither are the “real” cause of your symptoms. In this episode of Menopause Conversations, I bust through the common myth about what the cause of your symptoms are. Menopause is not the cause because it is simply a stage of life and not a physical thing. Hormones are messengers, they receive messages from various cells and tell other cells what to do. Hormones simply react to the nutrient status of the body and other external inputs. If you can’t blame menopause and hormones, then why is that sometimes you feel terrible as you move through your menopause transition? To find the answer you need to look below the hormones to what the hormones are reacting to. In this episode I share with you the 3 primary causes of all symptoms that are commonly associated with menopause and the best thing is that you can control each of these causes with your choices. If you are struggling to get ri

Many women are looking for change as they move through mid-life, whether it is their job, their relationship or just the way in which they show up in the world. In this episode of the Menopause Conversations podcast I have Juliet Dyer (Leadership Coach) as my guest. This episode is a recording of a masterclass that was delivered to my embrace Inner Circle members. Some key points from Juliet: - If you invest in yourself, you can create anything in life so long as you back yourself - The difference between natural talents and strengths - Traditionally we have looked to find out what is wrong so that we can “fix” it rather than focussing on our strengths and natural talents - Everyone has a talent; it is the essence of who you are being - To turn a talent into a strength o Name your talent o Claim your talent o Seek ways to actively put your talent into practice until it becomes effortless - Don’t ignore your weaknesses, be aware of them and own them and lean on your natural talents to overcome your weaknesses

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the need for HRT to manage symptoms associated with menopause but is this really your only option? Plus, I have heard that some Drs tell women that if they stay on the oral contraceptive pill that they will not go through menopause, this is simply not true. In this episode of the Menopause Conversations podcast I share some of the history around HRT as well as what really happens to your body when you take the OCP. The topic of taking HRT can be a very divisive one with women sometimes being very rude to each other as they take one side or the other. This situation saddens me mainly because it is being driven by pharmaceutical companies who have a big agenda when it comes to the sale of HRT. Prior to the controversy around HRT a few years ago, HRT was the highest sold prescription medicine in the world. Then the Women’s Health Initiative study stated that synthetic hormones increased the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. As you can imagine this put a b

In this week’s episode of Menopause Conversations, I am chatting with Ange Sinclair the Digestive Detective all about gut health and hormones. Ange had lifelong issues with her gut but it wasn’t until she started to change the food that she was eating that she started to get improvements. Some of the key points that we cover in this episode are: - The importance of specific gut bacteria to metabolise oestrogen - How we can manipulate our gut bacteria to influence our hormone levels - The connection between poor gut health and conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis and breast cancer - The difference between probiotics and prebiotic foods and why it is essential to include more prebiotic foods in our diet - The importance of a diverse diet that is high in plant foods and includes all colours of the rainbow - Switching your meals to be primarily vegetables with the meat as a ‘side’ or condiment portion - Investigating some traditional diets and how our ancestors ate food One of the key take aways that Ange share

In this episode of the Menopause Conversations Podcast I discuss some of the other hormones that are important to consider as you move through your menopause transition. It is not only oestrogen and progesterone that are impacting the way that you look and feel there are also other hormones at play. These hormones include - Testosterone - TSH, T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) - Cortisol (stress hormones) - Ghrelin and Leptin (appetite and hunger hormones) Understanding the role of the hormones in your health wellbeing will help you to know the correct steps that you can take to navigate your menopause transition with ease. If you want to learn more about your hormones and more importantly what you can do to re-balance your hormones so that you can navigate your menopause transition with ease why not put yourself on the waitlist for the next round of the Secret to Thriving in Menopause Workshop. During this 5 day workshop not only will you discover the real cause of your symptoms and weight gain (and it is not all

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Erica Webb from the Self-Kind Hub. Erica is a mindful movement coach who uses Somatic Exercise, Yoga and Mat Pilates to support women to shift tension and reconnect with their body through a lens of self-kindness and curiosity. Erica’s approach to movement is one that centres simplicity and gently moving beyond our subconscious habits. She believes that movement doesn’t have to be complicated to ‘count’ and is a big fan of using bite-sized movements to bring more movement into the everyday. This conversation with Erica went in many different directions including - The difference between exercise and kind movement - Learning to trust that your body is doing exactly as it is meant to, even if that isn’t what we want it to be doing - Taking responsibility for self- healing rather than outsourcing this to others - How to use somatic movement to tune into your body and to heal your body You can connect with Erica here: Website  Instagram Podcast: SelfKind with Erica W