Season 3
Wednesday 15th December 2021
Dr Ginni Mansberg
The M Word
How to Thrive in Menopause
For the final episode of Season 4, I am joined by Dr Ginni Mansberg, a sought-after speaker and regular host and medical expert on Australian TV. A forerunner of the Menopause conversation in Australia, she is the author of today’s book choice, The M Word: How to Thrive in the Menopause which offers sound advice for women going through Menopause, as well as a way to excel in this new stage of life.
Ginni has been a GP for over 30 years and she is passionate about the importance of giving women what they need to help take agency of their Menopause, especially when it comes to vagina’s, bladders and their sex lives.
Join us for a straight-talking conversation about Vaginas and the importance of recognising and seeking help for any symptoms related to Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) which affects the function of the bladder, vagina, rectum and uterus and the knock-on effects to sexual pleasure and desire.
- The importance of not delaying treatment If you notice any changes to your vagina and vulva that are you causing you pain, discomfort or distress, it will only get worse, not better.
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) and Menopause – If you have just 3 UTI’S in a calendar year, that is classed as re-current and you need to look at preventative treatment.
- Sex and incontinence – Do you wee when you have an orgasm or at the point of penetration? You are very much not alone, do not let it become a block to having a healthy sex life, it can be easily treated.
- Constipation – do not ignore it.
- The need to insist on a Dr who will listen to you and examine you so you can get your health needs met.
- There is no magic supplement or medication. We know that Lifestyle advice is the best advice, we know it works, why don’t we advocate it more?
- Hypo Sexual Desire Disorder – do you fulfil the criteria? Inability to orgasm? Lost interest in masturbation and sex? Hormonal Testosterone treatment could be the key.
- Australia may be behind us in the UK with the Menopause conversation and Menopause awareness, but they are way ahead with their compounded Testosterone therapy. Currently the only country in the world that has a compounded and licensed testosterone formulation specifically for women.
- The complexity of women’s sexuality. Testosterone therapy isn’t a panacea, it won’t fix a broken relationship or make a poor relationship better. BUT for many women, it can be life-changing for their relationships and self-esteem.
- Why it’s important that FIRST we fix any symptoms of Vaginal GSM and then we work on fixing our libido.
Ginni’s book choice’s
Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins
My Life by Golda Meir
You can find out more about Ginni here
Wednesday 8th December 2021
Josie Lloyd
The Cancer Ladies Running Club
Sometimes We Need Our Friends To Help Us Find Our Feet
In the penultimate episode of Series 3 I am joined by Josie Lloyd author of fifteen bestselling novels (as both Josie Lloyd and Joanna Rees), including the number one hit Come Together, which she co-authored with her husband Emlyn Rees, and the bestselling parody We’re Going On A Bar Hunt.
This episode is dedicated to her latest book The Cancer Ladies Running Club. A fictional tale, based on Josie’s own experience of surviving Breast Cancer.
1 in 7 women will get Breast Cancer and 1 in 2 of us will develop Cancer in our lifetimes, and in Josie’s own words ‘Cancer needs debunking and we need to talk about it more”
In this episode, Josie talks openly about;
- Receiving her diagnosis and coming face to face with her mortality.
- How journalling helped her to feel physically better. The cathartic process of getting all the unpleasant thoughts out of her head and onto paper.
- The importance of keeping fit during cancer treatment and the real-life Cancer Ladies Running Club.
- The two types of breast cancer. Ductal, the most common and easiest to detect, and Lobular which doesn’t show up on mammograms and counts for 15% of all Breast Cancer cases.
- How it took her Cancer diagnosis to recognise the importance of self-care.
- Josie’s mental commitment to being well. Letting go of fear takes constant work.
- Finding her tribe. The Cancer Ladies Running Club is also a story of female friendship and women supporting women.
- Being thrown into early Menopause. Unable to take HRT she managed hot flushes with the Menopoised magnate and sea swimming, which became her salvation.
Josie’s Book Choice
More Than A Woman by Caitlin Moran – I am in total agreement, this is a great read!
You can follow Josie on Instagram
Wednesday 1st December 2021
Susan Saunders
The Age Well Plan
The 6-week programme to Kickstart a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life
My guest from S2 Jackie Lynch author of The Happy Menopause chose The Age Well Plan as her book choice, and so we have her to thank for this episode where I meet and talk to Susan Saunders Health Coach, Writer, TV producer and author and author of, The Age Well Plan.
Susan has spent the last decade researching how to live a longer, healthier life and she’s passionate about giving people clarity on what to do to age well and how that fits into a busy life and to stay motivated.
The Age Well Plan draws on her extensive research into longevity and shows you simply and clearly how to make the changes, big and small, that support healthy ageing.
Join us as Susan shares her story of being an only child, working full time, raising her own family and at the same time, caring for her mother with dementia. The diagnosis of which led Susan to research and learn how she could reduce her risk of developing a chronic disease of ageing.
We also discuss:
- Lifestyle choices,
- Cellular ageing,
- Genetic testing
- The hidden plastics and pollutants in our homes that can have a serious impact on our long-term health.
- And a topic close to my heart at the moment, foot pain and the importance of looking after our feet, the foundation of our mobility as we age.
Susan’s book choice – Lifespan by David Sinclair
Wednesday 24th November 2021
Dr Sara Gottfried
Women, Food and Hormones
Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight and Feel Like Yourself Again
For this episode, I am joined by Dr Sara Gottfried Harvard-educated Physician-Scientist and New York Times bestselling author. In Her latest book Women, Food and Hormones, Dr Sara explains the science behind the relationship between weight loss and hormones and in doing so provides a revolutionary new plan that helps women balance their hormones so they can lose excess weight and feel better.
Join us as we discuss:-
- The gender bias and the importance of recognising that dietary plans researched and tested on men work differently on women because of their hormones.
- The Importance of self-education. We need to step into our power and own and understand our hormonal changes, so we can get a sense of what is going on and what our hormones are telling us.
- Why addressing the ‘root cause’ rather than the ‘symptoms’ results in much more effective treatment.
- Millions of us are being offered anti-depressants when we are not depressed. Why are women are not getting their reality taken seriously or their symptoms validated?
- Cultural shifts. Saying ‘no’ to the prescriptions for antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, sedatives. Not accepting being dismissed, but asking for an alternative when we know that medication is not the right route to take or in line with how we are feeling.
- Why many women fail on the traditional Keto diet and the benefits of The Gottfried Protocol. It’s not about diet culture, women being thinner, more obedient with their food or berating themselves, it’s about metabolic health, which allows us to live disease-free as long as possible.
- The emerging and fascinating data and research into Psychedelics and how they can be used to treat trauma, a major root cause of hormonal imbalance.
Dr Sara’s book choice
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Paulin
You can find out more about Dr Sara here
Wednesday 17th November 2021
Charlotte Bauer
How To Get Over Being Young
A Rough Guide to Midlife
I think it is so important that those of us going through Perimenopause draw on the insights and experiences of women Post Menopause. Hence, I was delighted to have as my guest Charlotte Bauer Journalist and Author of the funny and thought-provoking How to Get Over Being Young.
In this insightful and deeply personal episode, Charlotte shares with me her experience of Menopause and the seismic changes it bought.
We discuss the importance, of giving our ‘younger’ selves a proper send-off, acknowledging that change is happening and welcoming in the next phase of our lives.
How do we get rid of the old standard of Menopause? The stereotype of the middle-aged women hot flushing and forgetful. How do we educate the world to see Menopause as so much more in-depth, the urgent need for it to be taken seriously and with respect. It is “complex and life-changing.”
We also manage to fit in the important relationships that have shaped Charlotte’s life, her incredible role models when it comes to ageing – her mother and aunt. And the complicated but unconditional bond she has with her sisters.
And let’s not forget the benefits of designer trainers and why we all need a ‘F**k It’ List because we are way too young for a Bucket List.
Charlotte’s book choice’s
Rachel Kuchner The Mars Room and The Hard Crowd
Follow Charlotte on Instagram @charlottembauer
Wednesday 9th November 2021
Kimberley Wilson
How To Build A Healthy brain
Reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain
To kick off season three of The Merry Menopause Bookclub podcast I am delighted to be joined by Kimberley Wilson Chartered Psychologist and author of How to Build a Healthy Brain.
Kimberley believes the way we think about mental health – as separate from physical health – is flawed. Her philosophy of Whole Body Mental Health is a comprehensive approach to mental health care; integrating evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle factors with psychological therapy.
Kimberley co-hosts the podcast Made of Stronger Stuff on BBC Radio 4 and her own podcast Stronger Minds and is often recognised as a former finalist on the Great British Bake Off! She has been the mental health expert on several Channel 4 documentaries and is a regular contributor to Lorraine on ITV.
In this fascinating episode Kimberley reveals the shocking fact that depression is the leading cause of disability across the world and dementia and Alzheimer’s are the leading cause of death in the UK, overtaking heart disease and diabetes. With this in mind, we need to start looking at an holistic and preventative approach to mental health, acknowledging the relationship between the brain and the body rather than thinking of the two as separate.
We discuss the long term use of anti-depressants and why we should be reassessing the causes of depression. What is making people feel bad for so long? And the importance of diet, exercise, community, optimism and resilience on our short and long term brain health.
This episode is a must-listen if you want to understand how important it is that we look at how we live day to day and the impact that has on our mental health. We forgot that our brain is an organ and we need to take care of it as much as we take care of our heart.
Kimberley’s book choice
Lisa Feldmen Barrett , Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
You can find our more about Kimberley at https://www.kimberleywilson.co
