The supply of HRT medication Utrogestan is being restricted by the UK government because of shortages amid increase demand.

Pharmacies will only dispense two months’ worth of Utrogestan 100mg capsules per prescription to help ensure continued access for women.

In this special episode, Newson Health pharmacist prescriber and menopause specialist Faiza Kennedy joins Dr Louise to talk about the restrictions, and where and how to seek advice and help.

They talk about the importance of taking a progesterone as part of your HRT regime if you still have a womb, as well as alternatives to Utrogestan, including progesterone in pessary form, the Mirena coil and combined forms of HRT containing both estrogen and progesterone.

Faiza’s top three tips: 

1. Only order the amount of Utrogestan you need to help everyone get through the shortfall
2. Be organised about ordering your HRT prescriptions. Do it about two weeks before you run out so you have time in case you have any difficulties getting your supply or need to seek an alternative
3. Reach out for help if you are struggling with your supply

Click here for a balance article for more information about the current Utrogestan supply restrictions, plus alternatives.

You can read more about Faiza here.

Bestselling author of Chocolat Joanne Harris joins Dr Louise Newson to talk about her latest book, Broken Light.

Broken Light’s protagonist is Bernie, a 49-year-old who has given her life to her family and friends, and feels invisible. But Bernie finds her supernatural powers as she reaches the menopause, which becomes a metaphor for the anger of women in later life who are too often silenced in art and reality.

In this episode, Joanne talks about her own menopause experience, and her and Dr Louise discuss their work in ensuring the voices of women are heard as they get older – and the progress that still needs to be made.

Joanne’s four reasons to read her new novel: 

1. Menopause is a universal experience that needs to be understood. The way women feel shapes our world and shouldn’t be ignored
2. Because if you are a woman you will experience the menopause
3. If you are man, menopause will also be part of your experience at some point, and you need to be informed
4. Because it is a fun read!

Click here to find out more about Joanne Harris, and follow her on Twitter at @Joannechocolat

Advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

Earlier this month Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week was marked across the UK. In this week’s episode Emma Hammond, an employment lawyer specialising in advising women who have experienced discrimination due to the menopause, generously shares her own story.

After a traumatic birth with her first child, Emma developed serious symptoms, including psychosis and not sleeping or eating, that ultimately led to medication and hospitalisation. While she wanted a second child, her periods stopped and she was told she was perimenopausal – but an unexpected development took place soon after she was admitted to a mental health hospital.

Here she and Dr Louise talk about the powerful role of hormones in women during pregnancy, birth and perimenopause, and how hormones can be overlooked by healthcare professionals caring for women struggling with their mental health.

This podcast follows an earlier episode with Emma where she talked about her career, and offered advice on menopause in the workplace.

Emma’s three tips: 

1. See your GP promptly if you are struggling with your mental health and don’t think you can fix everything yourself
2. Be honest and open with your family and friends about what you are going through so that they can support you
3. Think about life changes and holistic approaches as well as hormonal treatments or medication.

Read more about Emma here.

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123. 

In a special episode on the eve of International Nurses Day, this week’s guest is Sue Thomas, an advanced nurse practitioner with an interest in menopause who works alongside Dr Louise at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.

They discuss Sue’s 30-year nursing career, including her work in cardiovascular disease prevention, and talk about the vital role nurses play in raising awareness and treating women during the perimenopause and menopause.

And with figures showing nine out of ten UK nurses are women, and more than half aged over 41, Sue and Dr Louise discuss the impact of the perimenopause and menopause on the nursing profession, with Sue sharing her own menopause experience and the barriers she faced when trying to access HRT.

Sue’s three take home tips for fellow nurses and healthcare professionals are:

1. Look for more education about the menopause, such as the free Confidence in the Menopause course
2. If you are struggling with menopause yourself, be open with colleagues and line managers – we need to look after each other
3. Let’s make the menopause a positive thing.

Click here to read an advice article by Sue for healthcare professionals on coping with menopause in the workplace.

Making a welcome return to the podcast is menopause activist, author and documentary maker Kate Muir.

Kate is the author of Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (but were too afraid to ask) and the producer behind Davina McCall’s two award-winning menopause documentaries; her third documentary, investigating the contraceptive pill, is currently in production.

This week, after more than 200 episodes of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast, Kate is the one asking the questions. She asks Dr Louise about her hopes for HRT and menopause care over the next decade, and about the importance of hormones for healthy ageing and prevention of future disease.

They also discuss barriers to accessing HRT, the so-called natural approach to the menopause and tackle claims the menopause is being over-medicalised.

And in place of the usual top three tips, Dr Louise shares the four things in her handbag that she can’t live without.

For more about Kate visit her website

Follow Kate on Twitter @muirkate and Instagram @muirka

Kate Muir photo credit: Suki Dhanda

Dr Andrew Weber is Medical Director of the Bodyvie Medi-Clinic in London and has more than 40 years of experience as a GP and 25 years specialising in advanced medical aesthetics and cosmetic procedures.

In this episode, Dr Weber and Dr Louise Newson discuss the impact of the perimenopause and menopause on the skin and throughout the body, the importance of hormones and benefits of HRT, and why it is crucial healthcare professionals listen to their patients.

The episode also covers how HRT has advanced and the importance of individualising treatment to find the right dose – Dr Weber likens HRT to buying a bespoke, made to measure Savile Row suit, rather than an off-the-peg outfit.

For more about Dr Andrew Weber and the Bodyvie Medi-Clinic visit bodyvie.com

Follow Dr Andrew Weber on Twitter at @drandrewweber

Bone density for women can plummet around the time of the perimenopause and menopause.

An estimated one in two women over 50 (and who do not take HRT) worldwide will develop osteoporosis. This puts women at high risk of bone fractures, which can have a major impact on health and wellbeing.

Here Chicago-based Dr Kristi DeSapri, who specialises in bone health, joins Dr Louise Newson to talk about what can increase the risk of your bones becoming weak, the role of hormonal changes in this and what to do about it.

Hear what the latest research says about the valuable role that HRT can play in protecting bones to keep you fit and strong in the future.

Dr DeSapri shares her top three tips for listeners worried about their bone health:

1. Find out how healthy your bones are and whether you could be at risk of fractures.  This could include booking a bone density scan, or completing free online assessments and taking that information to your doctor
2. Increasing evidence suggests HRT can help protect bone health, so consider this treatment option to keep your bones strong
3. Find out about the importance of bone health so that you can be your own advocate - make sure you have the right information to make the right decisions.

You can follow Dr DeSapri on Instagram @boneandbodywh. Her website is www.boneandbodywh.com

Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar makes a welcome return to the podcast this week to talk about the chronic skin condition rosacea, and how it can be impacted by the perimenopause and menopause.

In a special episode to mark Rosacea Awareness Month, Dr Louise and Dr Sajjad discuss the physical and psychological effects of rosacea, as well as offering practical advice on avoiding triggers, and treatment strategies.

Dr Sajjad’s top three tops if you have or suspect you have rosacea:

1. Really look at your skincare routine and strip it right back to a gentle non-foaming cleanser and a light moisturiser containing ceramides.
2. Sunlight can be a trigger for rosacea, so block out the sun as much as you can.
3. Consider talking to your GP about trying active topical ingredients such as azelaic acid, metronidazole and ivermectin, because they can be a real game changer.

For more information about Dr Sajjad, visit www.midlandskin.co.uk

Joe Wicks really needs no introduction: he’s a fitness coach, presenter and bestselling author who kept the nation moving during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Joe is also one of the expert contributors in Dr Louise Newson’s new book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause.

In this episode, Joe and Dr Louise discuss the importance of keeping active, and finding the motivation and time to exercise during the perimenopause and menopause.

Joe offers tips on setting achievable goals, plus beneficial exercises, and they talk about how replacing hormones with HRT will help ease symptoms so women can also better focus on exercise and nutrition.

Joe’s top three tips if you are struggling with motivation to exercise:

1. Prioritise your sleep: see sleep as an investment to give you more energy to work out
2. Work out in the morning: working out earlier can be transformative to how you take on stress at work, and for your relationships too
3. Prep like a boss: meal prepping on a weekend will protect you against fast foods and convenience foods during the week.

Follow Joe Wicks on Instagram @thebodycoach

Find out more about the Body Coach app on Instagram @bodycoachapp and online at www.thebodycoach.com

Advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

In this episode, Jo shares a moving account of her menopause experience before finding the right treatment for her.

Struggling with numerous symptoms including vertigo, dry mouth and eyes, joint pain and vaginal dryness, Jo went from not visiting her GP for six years to monthly appointments. After being prescribed a cocktail of medication and spending thousands of pounds on dental treatment to no avail, Jo felt she was never going to get better.

She talks to Dr Louise about the effect of low hormones, and the transformative impact finding the right dose and type of HRT had on her mental and physical health.

Jo’s three top tips: 

1. Download a period tracker, such as the balance menopause support app, to track your periods. This will help you notice any changes and identify any patterns of other symptoms occurring.
2. Educate yourself: try to read as much as possible about the menopause so that you can understand what's happening with your body.
3. Reach out to friends: by being honest and saying how you're feeling, you can help others to open up too.

In this episode, Dr Louise is joined by Kat Keogh to talk about Dr Louise’s new book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause.

Packed with advice and information from leading experts, it is the definitive, accessible and evidence-based guide to help you navigate your perimenopause and menopause.

It covers key facts about hormones, family histories, the complete guide to HRT, libidos, mental and physical health, how menopause affects careers and relationships and so much more.

Kat, who works at Newson Health, shares her top three reasons to buy The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause: 

1. It gives clear, practical advice on talking about the menopause with your children.
2. If you’re starting, at any age, to feel like your hormones are off balance, buy this book to find out everything you need to know about the role of hormones in your health and how to manage that.
3. If you’re struggling and alone with the perimenopause or menopause, turn to this book for reassurance, support, knowledge and to be empowered.

Order your copy here

Dr Walter Rocca is a neurologist from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA, where he studies common neurological diseases as well as the aging processes between men and women. He has a particular focus on estrogen and the effects of menopause on health risks.

In this episode, Dr Rocca explains how sex hormones have a much greater role in many of the body’s functions than simply regulating the menstrual cycle and reproduction. He explains why it’s so important to treat women with hormone replacement after bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy or early menopause, especially younger women.

Dr Rocca’s three take home messages:

1. The ovaries are a tremendously important organ for healthy functioning of our heart, brain, bones, kidneys, lungs and more.
2. For healthcare professionals: be very careful when thinking about removing the ovaries and/or the uterus, unless there is a very clear clinical indication. The longer-term harmful effects of these surgeries are greater than the apparent short-term benefit to symptoms.
3. If a woman has a high genetic risk of ovarian cancer (>40% risk level), removal of the ovaries is appropriate, but she should be given estrogen therapy afterwards as the risk associated with this treatment is very low (including for BRCA carriers). If a natural menopause occurs early or prematurely, these women should also be offered estrogen therapy, unless there is a specific counterindication.

More about Dr Walter Rocca

Dr Namugga Martha Monicah is one of four female urologists in Uganda.

She recently completed the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons (FCS) exam at the College of Surgeons East and Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) exams, finishing top of her class. She was supported with a sponsorship from Newson Health.

This episode of the podcast, released on the eve of International Women’s Day which this year centres around equity for all, looks at women’s health and access to care in Africa.

Dr Monicah tells Dr Louise Newson about the barriers to women’s health in Africa, the shame surrounding it and the international support making a difference.

She also addresses the stigma around the menopause and the need to move past a ‘suffer in silence’ approach.

Guest’s three tips:

1. Anyone in the world who listens to the podcast, know that there is somewhere where menopause doesn’t have to be taken on humbly and that something can be done to improve your quality of life.
2. To the African girl child, know that despite all the challenges, the hurdles, you can still do it, you can still emerge victorious.
3. In whatever small way, any individual can do something to improve the life of another.

For more about Dr Namugga Martha Monciah, visit https://www.baus.org.uk/professionals/urolink/urolink_home.aspx.

Dorothy Byrne returns to the podcast this week to discuss her previous role as former Head of News and Current Affairs for Channel 4 television and the commissioning of and reaction to the menopause documentaries. She also updates us on her new role as president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University – one of only two higher education institutions in the UK for women only – and how she hopes to inspire young women especially in the fields of medicine and science.

During the conversation, Dorothy shares some of her experiences of how a menopausal lack of sleep affected her at work, why she continues to take HRT in her 70s, and the ongoing systemic gender discrimination in medicine and the workplace.

Dorothy’s advice to women who are struggling to get menopause treatment:

1. Go to your doctor and ask for accurate, up to date information about HRT, and if they are not able to provide this, ask to see another doctor
2. Don't think you just have to put up with your symptoms
3. Don't be embarrassed by anything related to the menopause. If something’s going on ‘down below’, find out what the cause of it is, it may well be the menopause and there are effective treatments available.

Nina McGowan is a visual artist and Bikram yoga practitioner from Ireland who discovered freediving while on holiday in Egypt when she was in her mid-forties. Shortly after she turned 50, Nina secured a world record dive of 43 metres that involved holding her breath for 2 minutes and ten seconds.

In this episode, Nina explains how her yoga practice helps her free diving and she outlines the benefits of eating well, sleeping well and clearing your mind to focus on your breath. Nina also shares some of her own personal experience with her hormone journey and seeking out the right support.

Nina’s three priorities for a positive lifestyle change:

1. Prioritise your sleep and protect that space
2. Make any diet changes slowly and one at a time
3. Have faith in yourself to take a step into the unknown and a bridge will appear across the chasm.

Follow Nina on Instagram

Emma Hammond is a lawyer with gunnercooke LLP specialising in employment law. Often assuming the role of Investigating or Grievance Officer, Emma leads enquiries into complex bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints for individuals and organisations. Emma has an interest in mental health and its impact on the workplace and she incorporates as much pro bono work into her practice as possible, specialising in advising women who have suffered discrimination due to the menopause.

In this episode, Emma chats to Dr Louise Newson about the effects of the menopause at work, the intricacies of legal protections for women suffering professionally because of menopausal symptoms, and they discuss some positive examples of working in a menopause confident organisation.

Read more about Emma Hammond here.

Breast cancer specialist, Dr Tony Branson returns to the Dr Louise Newson podcast two years since his first appearance. Tony is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne.

In this episode the experts discuss the current situations women can find themselves in when having treatments for breast cancer and experiencing the onset of menopausal symptoms. Tony supports the women he sees through some challenging decisions around managing the risk of cancer recurrence while for some, treating menopausal symptoms with HRT to improve the quality of their lives.

Two important issues for women come together in this episode of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast featuring guest Joeli Brearley. Joeli founded the charity Pregnant Then Screwed after she was fired from her job the day after telling her employers she was pregnant. Joeli wanted to create a space for others to share their stories of discrimination at work, which quickly grew into Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity dedicated to ending the motherhood penalty and campaigning for change.

Joeli shares a personal story of her own changing hormones in her late 30s; she recounts her struggle to be listened to by healthcare professionals and to find the right treatment for her symptoms that were exacerbated by progesterone intolerance.

Joeli’s three tips for women who think they might be perimenopausal:

1. Talk to other women, it’s a great way to find out really useful information
2. Keep going and don’t give up. Trust in yourself and how you know you’re feeling. Keep pushing for what you feel you need.
3. If you don’t feel well and feel like you’re going mad after having the Mirena coil fitted, tell your healthcare professional. You could have a sensitivity to the progestogen in it and there may be a better alternative method for you.

For more about Joeli’s work and her books, visit pregnantthenscrewed.com

Follow Pregnant Then Screwed on Instagram or Twitter.

Dr Louise Oliver, a GP and functional breathing practitioner and therapeutic life coach, joins Dr Louise Newson as a guest on the podcast this week. Louise Oliver has had a special interest in women’s health and menopause for many years and now incorporates her skills as a functional breathing practitioner to raise awareness of how breathing is altered by hormones, how this can lead to symptoms of inefficient breathing and how to improve the connection between our brain, body and breath.

Louise’s three tips to breathe more efficiently:

1. Be aware that your hormones affect the way you breathe and how you breathe affects your health and wellbeing. Learn more about breathing. The book ‘Breath’ by James Nestor and all Patrick McKeown books and podcasts are excellent.
2. Assess your breathing efficiency by observing your breathing at different times over the next week and see whether it matches the description of effective breathing as discussed.
3. Improve your breathing efficiency by learning the techniques and dedicating some time over a number of weeks and months to adjust your breathing style until it becomes more natural for you.

For more about Dr Louise Oliver, visit her website.

The video link mentioned in the episode from Mr Vik Veer, ENT consultant, to improve snoring and sleep apnoea can be found here.

Louise is on Instagram as @drlouiseolivertlc and on Facebook here.

Dr Marianne Tinkler is a respiratory consultant from Swindon. In March 2020, Marianne contracted Covid-19 and had to take a month off work with a severe cough and extreme fatigue. She returned to frontline work on the wards at the height of the pandemic but found it difficult due to ongoing symptoms of tiredness, breathlessness, a racing heart rate and significant brain fog. Later that year, when long COVID became more recognised and Marianne was continuing to experience severe symptoms, she was encouraged to take an extended break from work, and this gave her time to reflect on her hormonal journey as well as learning how to navigate life with long COVID.

In this episode, the experts discuss the relationship between long COVID and the perimenopause/ menopause, the barriers to accessing treatment and some of the benefits of diet, movement and HRT for those suffering with long COVID.

Marianne’s advice if you have long COVID:

1. Pace yourself carefully and don't ‘push through’.
2. Track your symptoms on the balance app and consider HRT if you think some of your symptoms may be due to perimenopause or menopause – even if you think you’re ‘too young’.
3. Look at your diet and activity levels and eat foods that are good for your gut microbiome. Try and get outside every day, even if your energy levels will only allow you to sit on a bench.

Mr Osama Naji is a consultant gynaecologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London and he leads the busy department of women’s cancer diagnostics at Guy’s Cancer Centre. Mr Naji specialises in early detection of pre-cancerous conditions and is an international expert in advanced gynaecological scanning, contributing significantly to scientific research in women’s gynaecological health.

In this episode, the experts discuss the complexity and influence of the menstrual cycle, bleeding on HRT and when it should be investigated further, and the safety of HRT with regard to gynaecological cancers.

Mr Naji’s three take home messages are:

1. The workforce of women is needed now more than ever, therefore we must invest in women’s health and wellbeing and paramount to this is education about HRT.
2. Endometrial cancer is on the rise but can usually be detected at an early stage and treated very effectively through raising awareness, identifying the causes, managing risk factors and engaging and empowering the patient.
3. HRT is the very last item on the list of risk factors for endometrial cancer, therefore believe and trust the patient on whether the bleeding is abnormal for them and work through the management process using a shared decision-making approach.

For more information on Mr Osama Naji, visit www.rylonclinic.com

GP and menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Ball, makes a record fifth appearance on the podcast this week to discuss her work exploring experiences of menopause care in women who have had breast cancer.

The experts discuss findings from a recent survey carried out by Sarah and the Newson Health team to highlight how things have improved in recent years and identify some of the ongoing needs.

You can read more about Sarah’s survey and other recent menopause research carried out by Newson Health here.

Follow Dr Sarah Ball on social media on Instagram and Twitter.

View the breast cancer booklet here.

Clinical Director of Newson Health, Dr Rebecca Lewis, returns to the podcast this week for a special end of year episode with Dr Louise Newson. The business partners and friends reflect on some of the positives over the last 12 months and discuss the continued challenges in trying to help more women with their experience of perimenopause and menopause.

Rebecca’s three hopes for 2023:

1. Testosterone needs to be licensed for women (and not just for low libido)
2. Treatment for significant and severe menopausal symptoms in the workplace to help keep women in work
3. Education about the perimenopause and menopause reaching out to other medical specialties so more healthcare professionals understand how it affects the patients they see.

 Follow Rebecca on Instagram at @dr.rebecca.lewis

Professor Chris Harding is a Consultant Urologist working at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne and at Newcastle University. He has a particular interest in bladder dysfunction, continence and urinary tract infections (UTIs). In recent years, his research has focused on non-antibiotic treatments for recurrent UTIs and developing targeted treatments for specific patient groups.

In this episode, Professor Chris talks to Dr Louise about the challenges of diagnosing UTIs accurately, the severe impact recurrent UTIs can have on your life, how antibiotics can be used appropriately, and how to prevent UTIs occurring. The experts share some of their plans to study the effects of systemic HRT and vaginal hormone treatments on UTIs in women.

Chris’s advice if you have recurrent UTIs:

You don’t need to put up with UTIs in the perimenopause and menopause; there are many proven treatments available

Acknowledge that current tests for UTIs are not 100% accurate. If you think you have a UTI, you probably have, even if your test was negative - the diagnosis can always be questioned

Discuss with your doctor how you can prevent infections if you have had 2 episodes within 6 months, or 3 within a year

Hormone replacement, particularly vaginal treatments, are significantly protective and preventative against UTIs.

Follow Prof Chris Harding on social media at @chrisharding123

This episode contains reference to suicide

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni is a psychiatrist working in Melbourne, Australia, specialising in women’s mental health and researching the role of estradiol in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. She founded and directs the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, a large clinical research group in Melbourne.  In 2022, Professor Kulkarni launched and directs HER Centre Australia – a Monash University Centre delivering Health, Education and Research in women’s mental health - dedicated to improving the quality of care for women with mental illnesses by developing specific treatments tailored to suit women’s needs.

In this episode, the experts discuss the different ways estradiol influences brain health and function, what this means for healthy brain aging and longevity, and they share some of their experiences when helping women with mental health changes during the perimenopause and menopause.

Prof. Kulkarni’s tips for women experiencing mental health changes:

1. Trust your instinct – you know you best. If you think it might be hormones, help is available.
2. Look at your background history. If you had premenstrual mood changes or postnatal depression in the past, this may mean you are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes.
3. Early life trauma (e.g. neglect or emotional/physical/sexual abuse) can disrupt hormone signals and brain chemistry and this may make you more vulnerable to mental illness.
4. Whatever your past history, there is help available in the form of HRT. See your local healthcare provider or a menopause specialist if needed.

You can find the Meno-D questionnaire here. This tool identifies the specific mood changes that are more typically present in perimenopause and menopause related depression.

For more information on Professor Kulkarni’s work and research, visit www.maprc.org.au

Dr Samantha Newman is a British doctor working in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. After training in obstetrics and gynaecology, a moving encounter with a patient led her to re-train as a GP and develop an interest in supporting women’s health and wellbeing. Samantha’s clinic, FemaleGP, was established in 2016 to improve access to focused healthcare for women including gynaecological and sexual health and treatments for perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, the experts discuss shared decision making with their patients, symptom improvements with HRT, and supporting women to ‘listen’ to their hormones. Samantha also shares some of her experiences working with women from the Māori community and culture.

Dr Samantha’s three tips:

1. See your hormones as a journey and not as separate, distinct phases of life. Find support along the way – wherever in the journey you find yourself.
2. For healthcare providers: see your patients as a whole person and as part of their families and find out their true thoughts and desires.
3. Be honest with your patients and encourage them to be honest with you. If they haven’t taken your advice, revisit things and find out what didn’t align with their values rather than viewing it as a negative.

For more information about Samantha’s work, visit www.femalegp.co.nz

Follow Samantha on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FemaleGP and https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-newman-34223b230

Dr Laurena Law is a general practitioner working in Hong Kong who has a special interest in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to improve healthy aging and prevent chronic illness. When Laurena gained personal experience of perimenopause and saw the impact it was having on her own life, she decided to learn more about hormone health and evidence-based treatments for the menopause so she could help herself and her patients.

In this episode, Louise and Laurena discuss cultural differences and similarities between British and Chinese approaches to menopause from both an individual and healthcare perspective. Laurena emphasises the importance of educating women so they know how to recognise their perimenopause or menopause and to empower them to make their own health needs a priority. She educates healthcare professionals in Hong Kong and further afield to ask women the right questions in consultations and to know how to prescribe body identical HRT.

Dr Laurena’s three tips for women:

1. Complete a menopause symptom questionnaire and repeat it every few months. This can form the basis of a conversation with your healthcare provider
2. Find a healthcare provider that is educated and updated in menopause care
3. Find a support group of women also going through the menopause to talk about the problems and challenges you’re going through – you’re not alone.

GP and menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Glynne, joins Dr Louise Newson on the podcast this week to discuss menopause care after breast cancer.  The experts share more about the breast cancer steering group established as part of the Newson Health Menopause Society that is working towards producing a consensus statement to support clinicians and improve the quality of life for menopausal women who have had breast cancer.

Dr Sarah Glynne discusses the importance of individualising the risk-benefit ratio for every woman when making decisions around treating the cancer and weighing this up with treating menopausal symptoms. Sarah emphasises the importance of talking through the implications of each of these considerations using a shared decision making process.

Sarah’s three tips for women after breast cancer:

1. Understand the risks and benefits of the drugs used to treat your breast cancer and what this means for you personally. Ask your oncologist for more information about your own breast cancer, if you are not sure. You can then use the PREDICT tool online for understanding more about your own cancer risks and what additional benefits any treatments may offer.
2. Read about non-hormonal options to help your menopause symptoms and cancer recovery such as diet, yoga, or acupuncture. Try various approaches to find the ones that may bring some benefit to you. Vaginal moisturisers and lubricants may also help and these do not contain hormones, and there are other medications your GP may be able to prescribe for some of your symptoms such as hot flushes.
3. If your menopause symptoms are severe and your quality of life is suffering, ask your clinician to explain the risks for you regarding your cancer prognosis if you decide to take HRT, versus the risks to your quality of life and long-term health if you choose not to take HRT. If you have genitourinary symptoms of soreness and dryness, vaginal hormones are very safe for improving these symptoms. Read information on the balance website and the book ‘Oestrogen Matters’ by Avrum Bluming, and make a choice that is right for you through discussion with your clinician using a shared decision making process.

In this episode, Sam shares her moving account of the journey she has been on for the last five years when, after a miscarriage and losing her father, things started to unravel and her mental health suffered. A difficult few years followed spent navigating depression, trialling several antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, and seeking help from psychiatrists to try and understand what was going on. At the time, Sam believed she was years away from becoming menopausal and through her own research sought treatment privately in the form of ketamine due to her desperation to feel better and function again. Through learning more about hormones and their effects on the brain and mental health, Sam has recently begun to take HRT and feels she has started on a more positive path to health and stability.

Sam’s three tips for those struggling with mental health:

1. Try and be assessed by a menopause specialist before accepting a diagnosis, medication or treatment from a psychiatrist – it may save you a lot of unnecessary suffering.
2. If you do start taking HRT, be patient. It can take time and the dose and type may need tweaking before you feel the beneficial effects.
3. Become as well informed as you can about your hormones and the menopause from good sources online. And talk to other women – you’re not alone.

Human beings are hard wired to adapt to unexpected life events but how do we manage this process alongside our natural need to control? Psychotherapist, Julia Samuel MBE has been interested in this question throughout her 30 year career supporting families with grief and bereavement. Julia founded the charity Child Bereavement UK and has worked extensively with families in the NHS and private sector as well as writing books on grief, family, and change.

In this episode, the experts discuss human nature and our response to adverse life events and times of transition. Julia speaks of the importance of love and connection with others and about the impact menopause can have on relationships, family life and work.

Julia’s tips for helping your relationship:

1. Be aware of how you’re communicating in your relationship and look at what has changed
2. Try and form a regular habit like going for a walk together to talk and listen to each other and make time to reflect
3. Be aware of your own inner critical voices and turn down the volume on those. Turn up the volume of self-compassionate voices and practice being kinder to yourself
4. Remember connection with others is key throughout our lives

For more information about Julia Samuel and her books, visit juliasamuel.co.uk

For support and information if you have experienced the loss of a child or care for a grieving child, visit www.childbereavementuk.org

Newson Health has recently appointed a Chief Medical Director to ultimately help more women improve their health. In this episode, Dr Magnus Harrison shares a whistlestop tour through his professional life so far as a Consultant in Emergency Medicine via New Zealand, Australia, and Manchester and his experiences in leadership at Stoke on Trent in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust’s ‘adverse mortality’ investigation. Via Harvard, USA and India, Magnus then oversaw the merger of Burton upon Trent and Derby NHS Trusts before the hardest time of his career to date – the COVID 19 pandemic where 8 staff members from his organisation lost their lives.

Magnus discusses with Louise what he hopes to bring to the medical leadership and management of Newson Health and the key values that underpin his mission.

Magnus’s aims for his leadership at Newson Health:

1. I will be humble and led by professional curiosity to learn how to help more women
2. I aspire to be a compassionate leader, will listen to understand, empathise and ask how I can help
3. Kindness is essential and should underpin all that we do.

The focus of this year’s World Menopause Day is cognition and mood. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Dr Clair Crockett, a GP and menopause specialist with an interest in mood, mental health and hormones. Clair’s interest in the topic stems from her own experience of escalating anxiety, low mood and intrusive thoughts in the premenstrual phase of her cycle during her mid-to-late 30s. Through her own research, she looked for ways to help her symptoms including through lifestyle changes, supplements and antidepressants. While these all helped some aspects of her mental health, it wasn’t until she began taking HRT that the premenstrual mental health symptoms eased.

The experts discuss the importance of considering hormones when helping women experiencing mental health problems and outline some of the ways they are working to improve education about menopause and mental health amongst healthcare professionals.

Clair’s tips to women with mental health symptoms in perimenopause and menopause:

1. Track your symptoms and periods, the balance app is a good way to do this. This will make it easier to relay to your healthcare professional when you see them. Ask who has an interest in women’s health in your GP practice so you can see the most appropriate person.
2. Tackling mental health in perimenopause and menopause is multi-faceted, it can take a while to get it right through a combination of taking HRT, your food choices, exercise, and doing work that inspires you.
3. Make peace with your body image and don’t let it stop your progress.

If you’d like to read more about Clair’s personal experience of mental health and hormones, you can read her story here.

On World Menopause Day, Dr Louise Newson has recorded this special edition of her podcast on her own. She describes her medical career to date and her reasons for doing what she is doing. She discusses her interest as an undergraduate and postgraduate and also talks about her lack of menopause training during this time.

Louise has a medical degree and also a degree in pathology which is even more relevant when thinking about the menopause as a systemic condition in which the low hormones, especially estradiol, affect all the cells and organs in the body. During this podcast she talks openly about her reasons for setting up a private menopause clinic and how the clinic has enabled her to finance the free balance menopause app and also the free Confidence in the Menopause education programme for healthcare professionals.

She clearly states this is the beginning of her journey and she has much more work to do. It will be very interesting to watch and see how the next year unfolds for menopausal women.

Her three take-home tips are

• Work as a team - communicate with others and share your knowledge and experience
• Ensure information you receive is evidence based - there is plenty of really good quality information both on the free balance app and the balance-menopause.com website
• Be positive – working together to make a change will enable women to have better future health

In this episode, Georgina talks openly about her struggles to get a diagnosis for her erratic periods since she was 15. In her early 20s, her concerns around fertility were brushed off and she acknowledges she didn’t have the strength and resolve to pursue the issue. Georgina then began to experience low mood, muscle fatigue, joint pains, hot flushes and night sweats. When her mental health dipped further, this became the tipping point and with the help of a supportive mother, Georgina pushed for a formal diagnosis and treatment for her debilitating symptoms.

Dr Louise Newson explains the impact of premature ovarian insufficiency and the risk a lack of hormones presents to your future health. Georgina shares the struggle she went through to access the right type and dose of HRT and reminds others to advocate for yourself to get the right help.

Georgina’s three tips to young women:

1. Talk openly with other women about periods, sex and vaginal dryness to understand what is and isn’t common
2. Do your own research about your symptoms and the menopause to get enough knowledge to advocate for yourself
3. Be patient with your HRT and give it time to work

Dani Binnington was diagnosed with breast cancer as a young mum at 33. For the next few years her life did not feel under her own control amidst countless medical appointments, treatments and surgeries. After discovering she carried the genetic BRCA1 mutation, Dani chose to have a double mastectomy and at 39 she opted to have both her ovaries removed as several family members had died from ovarian cancer.

Previously a jewellery designer, Dani then embarked on a change of direction towards yoga and healthy living, and she now offers programmes for women on menopause after cancer. Dani is on a mission to empower women to learn about their choices, seek out specialist menopause care and her goal is for every women to have the conversations with healthcare professionals that they deserve.

Dani’s tips for women after cancer:

1. Talk about it with the right group of people that understand what you’re going through
2. Make time for yourself to check and understand your symptoms
3. Continue conversations with your healthcare team and ask for specialist menopause care
4. Learn all your treatment options, including hormonal and non-hormonal treatments, complementary therapies, lifestyle management, and how to avoid triggers.
5. Don’t sit back, show up for yourself and be empowered. Be active in your own recovery.

Visit Dani’s website at www.healthywholeme.com

And follow her on social media at:

www.instagram.com/healthywholeme/

www.facebook.com/healthywholeme

The Menopause And Cancer podcast:

Listen here on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-menopause-and-cancer-podcast/id1631842514

Listen here on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3OhAwupemqzdI6sCXCZLSX?si=DsriNnCXSIee6i10Cd4kww

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide

Vanessa had always suffered with PMS and struggled with her mood and emotions after the birth of each of her children. After her fourth child was born, Vanessa’s mental health took a severe turn and she became suicidal. When her husband intervened and insisted she received specialist care, a psychiatrist realised how unwell Vanessa was and this was the beginning of an eighteen year journey of taking medication and receiving mental health support, including spells of inpatient care. It was all Vanessa could do to wake up every day and look after her children. Vanessa had wondered whether her mood was linked to her hormones as she would have 2 good weeks in every month before two bad weeks would inevitably creep in. In more recent years, friends persuaded her to see a menopause specialist and begin topping up her declining hormones and, as Vanessa explains, this has been lifechanging.

Vanessa’s advice:

1. You may not be well enough to go and ask for help yourself, allow family and friends to support you with this.
2. Don’t always accept everything you’re told by healthcare professionals, challenge thoughts and negative attitudes towards mental health and the link with hormones.
3. We develop lots of coping strategies to mask how we are really feeling. Don’t carry on hiding how you really are, speak to someone.

Help is available if you are struggling. Please contact the Samaritans by phone on 116 123, download the Samaritans Self-Help app or email jo@samaritans.org

Dr Taher Mahmud is a rheumatologist from London who has the ambitious plan of eradicating the bone weakening disease osteoporosis by 2040. Osteoporosis is a common disease, particularly for women around the time of the menopause, but with the right nutrition, exercise and hormone supplementation it is possible to prevent loss of bone tissue and even reverse osteoporosis if it has developed.

The experts discuss this worldwide preventable problem and some common misconceptions about bones. The discussion covers the challenges of current healthcare systems in getting accurate information about your bone health and the importance of raising awareness of how preventable osteoporosis is to all individuals.

Dr Mahmud’s tips:

1. Take time for yourself, think about your body and your health and value it
2. It is easy to diagnose osteoporosis and treat it, however…
3. It is far better to learn about your bone health and do what you can to prevent osteoporosis

To learn more about your own risk of osteoporosis, visit www.sticksandstones.org.uk

Dr Mahmud is based at the London Osteoporosis Clinic, for more information visit www.londonosteoporosisclinic.com

Janet Birkmyre began her career racing as a track cyclist in her mid-30s and won her first elite medal at the age of 40. She went on to win three elite National Championship titles and multiple masters World and European titles.  Now at 55, Janet is continuing to improve her times and fitness, and she is a champion of women continuing to enjoy and excel at sport at any age.

In this episode, the conversation covers Janet’s experience of perimenopause and menopause and taking HRT. As an elite athlete however, there are sanctions for Janet if she takes testosterone replacement as there are currently no exemptions to the regulations for therapeutic use in women, only for men. Janet shares her frustration at the unfair choice imposed on her of continuing with the sport she loves and excels in or replacing her low testosterone levels to help with her ongoing menopausal symptoms.

Janet’s three positive steps to improve health through exercise:

1. Enjoy being active – make it fun
2. Exercise with a friend – you will motivate and encourage each other
3. Don’t be self-conscious or compare yourself with others – we come in all wonderful shapes and sizes.

So whatever you look like, whatever you’re wearing, be active and enjoy it!

Follow Janet on Instagram @janbirkmyre_torq_track_cycling

Dermatologist, Dr Sajjad Rajpar makes his third visit to the podcast this week to separate the facts from the fiction about skin changes in perimenopause and menopause and debunk some of the messaging around recent skin products marketed for menopause.

Dr Rajpar explains the importance of estrogen for skin and how HRT can prevent and heal damage to skin tissue such as leg ulcers, for example. The experts discuss the negative impact of skin product marketing on initially younger women and now menopausal women, and unpick some perceptions about what a ‘menopausal’ face cream will and won’t do for your skin.

Dr Rajpar’s three tips for problematic skin:

1. For dry and irritable skin, avoid foaming and detergent based cleansers and use very gentle cleansing products or even a moisturising lotion to wash with. They may not lather or bubble but they do adequately remove dirt from your skin.
2. Use a good moisturiser once or twice a day, consider a lotion in the day as it is lighter and use a cream at night.
3. There are creams containing active ingredients that don’t have to rob the bank. Look for ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, and sunscreen.

You can visit Dr Rajpar’s website here www.midlandskin.co.uk and follow him on social media @dr.rajpar_dermatologist on Instagram.

This week offers a chance to revisit a previous podcast conversation – or perhaps hear it for the first time. Lucy Holtom is an experienced Ashtanga yoga practitioner who has a particular passion for helping with women throughout all cycles of life whether it’s to help manage the fluctuation of hormones during menstruation, postnatal recovery, or perimenopause and postmenopause.  In this episode, Lucy and Louise discuss the different types of yoga, individual practices and the benefits they can bring. Lucy explains how her interest and experience in well woman yoga evolved and how she supports women in the perimenopause and menopause.

Lucy’s 3 tips for those interested in trying yoga for the first time:

1. If you want to try a class, look for recommendations from others and chat to different teachers to find what’s right for you.
2. Wear comfortable clothing – you don’t need to spend money on new yoga outfits, just wear whatever you can move freely in.
3. Go with an open mind and enjoy!

Visit Lucy’s website at www.livingyouryoga.co.uk

Follow Lucy on Instagram @xxlivingyouryogaxx

This podcast episode was first released in October 2019

Advisory: we would like to apologise for the sound quality in this episode, which was due to technical issues experienced during recording.

Dr Pooja Saini is a Chartered Psychologist and Reader in suicide and self-harm prevention based at Liverpool John Moores University. Her work has a particular focus in suicide prevention in primary care and developing community-based interventions for high-risk groups.

Since connecting, Louise and Pooja have been discussing the impact of perimenopause and menopause on mood, mental health and suicide and the many research gaps and unanswered questions in this space. In this episode, Pooja explains more about what is known and unknown regarding the effect of hormones on suicidal thoughts and outlines the research plan for a PhD funded by Newson Health Research and Education.

Pooja’s tips for those with suicidal thoughts:

1. Early intervention is key; seek help as soon as you feel you are not yourself
2. Change your habits to do more of what you really enjoy
3. Talk to your loved ones, family and friends. Don’t try and hide or mask it.

If you need support, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 for free from any phone or email them at jo@samaritans.org

Pooja's Social Channels

Twitter

Work Website

Reference for BMJ article discussed:

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R, McIntyre J. Improve coding practices for patients in suicidal crisis. BMJ. 2021 Oct 15;375:n2480. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n2480. PMID: 34654729.

Dr Anna Chiles is a GP and works in an NHS practice in Gloucestershire and at Newson Health as a menopause specialist. In this episode, the experts discuss the range of symptoms that can occur in the perimenopause and menopause and the impact of these on daily life, and they highlight what can be done for women when symptoms persist for many years.

Anna’s 3 tips for women who have struggled with symptoms for many years:

1. It’s never too late to start HRT and have that discussion with your health practitioner. If you choose to try it, you don’t have to continue with it if you don’t like it.
2. You don’t have to stop taking HRT when you reach a certain age
3. It’s so important to keep active, for your independence, your balance, joints, and muscle strength. This goes hand in hand with hormone replacement.

Margaret Reed Roberts is an experienced social worker and educator who noticed a change in how she felt in her late 40s. Along with more obvious symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flushes and migraines, there came a deterioration in her cognition – she struggled to initiate, plan and complete daily tasks and the mental load became unmanageable. A friend suggested there may be more than perimenopause going on and questioned if Margaret was neurodivergent.

In this honest and insightful conversation, Margaret shares of the ‘relief and grief’ of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and the impact she now understands ADHD has on her daily activity, home life and relationships.

Margaret’s three tips for those who have ADHD or think they might have it:

(provided after the conversation)

1. Be informed. Knowledge is a game changer. You feel more confident when you understand and are better able to advocate for yourself. Challenge others where necessary, using your acquired knowledge and pass that information on.
2. Don’t be alone; join support groups, talk to empathetic friends and family.
3. Tell your story. You and your story are valuable, not everyone will listen or care, but the more we talk, the more we break taboos and stigma.

Follow Margaret on Facebook

Twitter: @geordiereed

Susie Crowe is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who is passionate about advocating for and empowering women to understand their bodies and supporting them to make choices about their medical care and their lifestyle.

In the midst of the pandemic, Susie noticed fatigue creeping in and put it down to burnout from her busy job. When she began having night sweats and saw her doctor, the menopause was the initial diagnosis suspected but there were no other symptoms of perimenopause occurring. Susie became more unwell and after months of having normal blood tests, further investigations revealed that she had non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. In this episode, the experts discuss women’s experiences of sudden onset menopause after treatments for cancer and the benefits and safety of HRT.

Susie’s advice to healthcare professionals:

1. Listen to your patients as they know their bodies best
2. Have empathy for a women’s menopausal symptoms (as they may be worse than those from the cancer or side effects from treatments) and she may feel very vulnerable
3. Prioritise personalisation and choice by providing the right information and encouraging your patient to make their own decision based on what’s important to them and their life.

Follow Susie on social media:

Twitter @susannacrowe

Instagram @theholisticobgyn

Farhana is an accredited family law specialist and mediator working with Family Law Partners in London. During her 20-year career, Farhana often noticed an unspoken element at play when helping women through divorce, but it wasn’t until she identified perimenopause within her peer group and those close to her that she appreciated the extent of the problem and was able to professionally decipher the impact of menopause on relationship breakdown. Farhana launched the Family Law Menopause Project to see whether any other colleagues in family law were factoring in this important element  and to raise awareness of perimenopause and menopause when it comes to family cases dealing with divorce, splitting the assets, children issues or domestic abuse.

Farhana’s tips for family lawyers:

1. Listen, enquire, and communicate. Look for cues and don’t be afraid to ask questions
2. If you think a client is experiencing peri/menopausal symptoms affecting their relationships and wellbeing, invite them to see their doctor
3. Factor the menopause into your cases. Pick a family process that suits the client, for example arbitration or mediation, and be sympathetic.

Visit Farhana’s family law practice at www.familylawpartners.co.uk

Follow Farhana on Twitter at @ShahzadyLaw @LawMenopause or lawmenopause on Instagram

Until a few years ago, Jill was in denial about her age, the menopause and what that meant for her future health. She had worked for 30 years as a fitness instructor and sports massage therapist; she was incredibly fit and had never given her heart health a moment’s thought. This abruptly changed in 2021 when Jill had sudden and severe pains in her chest and after some doubt and misdiagnoses by the medical team in A and E, she was found to have had at least one significant heart attack, possibly more. Since then, Jill has had ongoing intermittent chest pain, especially when having hot flushes, and she realised her continued cardiac symptoms were potentially linked to her changing hormones.

Dr Louise Newson explains the link with estrogen deficiency and cardiac symptoms, and the increased risk of heart attacks after menopause. Together they discuss gender bias in heart research, the difficulties diagnosing heart attacks in women, the possible reasons for poorer outcomes compared to men and the cardiovascular benefits of HRT.

Jill’s 3 tips to women if worried about your heart:

1. Listen to your body, you know it best
2. Do your own research, such as balance-menopause.com, Blood Pressure UK, British Heart Foundation websites
3. Have someone with you at appointments, or over the phone if not in person
4. If you know there’s something wrong with your heart, ask for a troponin blood test

You can read Jill’s story here

Dr Devika Patel joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode of the podcast to share how a chance encounter when overhearing an educational webinar on the menopause was a light bulb moment for her practice as a psychiatrist. Devika takes us through her journey of how this knowledge from learning about menopause has transformed the psychiatric care she now offers to her patients.

Devika’s 3 tips for those with mental health challenges who are in perimenopause/menopause:

1. Don’t forget the important lifestyle changes (healthy diet, exercise, reduce stress, improve sleep and have meaningful connections with others) apply to mental health just as they do with menopause.
2. When seeking help, go with your own data to your healthcare appointment. Track your moods with your cycle and really make any links clear to your clinician.
3. If you don’t feel your healthcare professional is the right match for you, see someone else and advocate for yourself.

Website/socials details – Instagram @drdevikapatel Twitter @drdevikapatel

Podcast: “Our Extraordinary Stories with Dr Devika Patel”

Victoria Jones is a community pharmacist at Bonnybrook Pharmacy in Coolock, Dublin. She received very little education on the menopause when training and became more interested in hormone health after her sister experienced severe symptoms at 40 and began taking HRT. The dramatic return of her sister’s health and wellbeing prompted Victoria to move away from running a chain of pharmacies to set up her own independent pharmacy with a focus on women’s health. When Victoria experienced her own perimenopause and she saw the profound benefits of HRT for herself, her passion escalated and Victoria now takes a very active role in raising awareness in her community with the public and local healthcare professionals, and in educating others through her social media.

Victoria’s advice to women:

1. Ask your pharmacist if they’ve done any training on the menopause and if not, mention the resources available such as on balance website and the Confidence in the Menopause course on fourteenfish.com. Find the right pharmacist for you.
2. Don’t be fobbed off by healthcare professionals, if you aren’t listened to the first time, go in more empowered with information the next time. Ask for a specific clinical reason why they will not prescribe HRT, and ask them to write it down for you.
3. Your pharmacist can explain how and when to take your HRT medication if your doctor wasn’t sure, or you didn’t have time to discuss thing fully.
4. Your pharmacist can also help with information on improving health through lifestyle measures such as nutrition and exercise.

Victoria’s pharmacy website is www.BonnybrookPharmacy.ie

Follow Victoria on Instagram and Facebook @The_menopause_pharmacist

Dr Heather Hirsch makes a welcomed return to the podcast this week. Heather is an internal medicine physician, specialising in women’s health and menopause care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts, USA. Her clinical work and research centres on inequalities or unanswered questions in the field of women’s health, specifically in menopause education.

In this episode the menopause experts discuss the bigger picture of menopause care as a gender issue, women’s role in society and in the workplace, perceptions of women’s suffering and the menopause as a medical specialty. Louise and Heather share the challenges they each continue to face to educate and inform the public and healthcare professionals on the perimenopause and menopause and the benefits and safety of HRT.

Heather’s 3 tips:

1. Know what’s going on in your body by keeping a journal and tracking your symptoms. I recommend the free balance app to my patients for this.
2. List your own priorities and what matters most to you, whether that is your sexual health, your hair or skin, your sleep and so on.
3. Understand the three strands of menopause management: lifestyle changes, non-hormonal treatments and HRT, and know the pros and cons for all to realise what choices are best for you.

Follow Heather at:

Instagram @hormone.health.doc

Website: heatherhirschmd.com

YouTube: Health by Heather Hirsch

Podcast: Women’s Health by Heather Hirsch

Dr Saira Hameed is a consultant endocrinologist working at the Imperial Weight Centre and at Imperial College London. Her work focusses on researching the drivers for appetite, obesity, and regulation of body weight to develop science-based interventions that help people manage their weight and lead healthier lives.

In this episode the experts discuss the impact of obesity on individuals’ health, on the NHS and wider society, and the science behind sugar, fats, and processed foods. Dr Hameed’s book, ‘The Full Diet’, explains the weight loss programme that is used in the NHS by clinicians and patients and was developed and trialled at Imperial College.

Saira’s 3 tips:

1. Short term – do everything you can to remove ultra-processed foods from your environment
2. Medium term – look at all the factors that contribute to your weight such as your stress levels, sleep, activity levels and seek to address those too
3. Longer term – be your own biggest fan. Feeling good about yourself will have a positive ripple effect on other areas of your life.

‘The Full Diet’ book is available now and published by Michael Joseph.

Find her on her social channels on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drsairahameed/ and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thefulldietbook 

Dr Sharon Malone is an eminent American physician who has worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist for over 30 years in Washington DC. After 15 years of working mostly as an obstetrician, Sharon changed to specialise in menopause care around the time of her own perimenopause. She is passionate about educating women to understand their own hormone journey and empower them with evidence based information about hormone treatments.

The experts discuss the challenges of influencing and persuading medical colleagues on the benefits of hormone replacement, the importance of patient choice and agency, and the lack of menopause research and need for government funding.

Dr Malone’s advice to women:

1. Find your community of women who will support you and understand what you’re going through
2. Be active, keep exercising regularly
3. Maintain a healthy diet and eating habits; processed foods negatively affect so many aspects of your health

To read or listen to Dr Malone’s Washington Post op ed, visit https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/28/menopause-hormone-therapy-nih-went-wrong/

Dr Malone is the Chief Medical Officer at US based menopause company Alloy, to find out more visit www.myalloy.com

Dr Clare Bailey is a GP and health columnist with extensive experience in helping people lose weight and improve their health. Dr Michael Mosley is a science presenter, journalist and executive television producer. Together, they have authored several bestselling books on weight loss, diet and diabetes and created the popular 5:2 and fast 800 diets.

In this episode, the guests describe the evidence showing the positive effects of incorporating principles such as the Mediterranean style diet and time-restricted eating into your lifestyle and how the fast 800 diet can dramatically improve your health outcomes, particularly in reversing type 2 diabetes. The ‘metabolic car crash’ of poor sleep, low hormones, poor diet and weight gain for women during the perimenopause and menopause are also discussed.

Clare and Michel’s top tips:

1. Enjoy olive oil. You don’t have to be stingy with it – it’s good for you!
2. Eat oily fish – remember SMASH: Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon, Herring.
3. Avoid snacks (especially in the evenings) or if you have to, reach for a few nuts.

For more information on Clare and Michael’s diet books and the fast 800 diet, visit thefast800.com

Follow Clare’s recipes on Instagram @drclarebailey

Rupa Lyall is a clinical pharmacist who works in a GP practice in Buckinghamshire seeing patients with minor illnesses and prescribing medications. In this episode she tells Dr Louise Newson how she became interested in the perimenopause and menopause and how, through the training on fourteenfish.com and resources on the balance website, Rupa now supports and educates other clinicians in HRT prescribing.

Their conversation covers raising awareness among professionals, working with patients from BAME communities, the importance of empowering women to improve their quality of life and the transformational effects of hormone replacement.

Rupa’s 3 tips for pharmacists interested in the menopause:

1. Go to fourteenfish.com and do the ‘Confidence in the Menopause’ course
2. Don’t be frightened of the menopause, learn more and talk to others
3. Speak to patients about their HRT, ask them how they’re doing, especially in the community. You will learn a lot by doing this.

In this episode, Dr Thulasi Naveenan talks to Dr Louise Newson about her experiences as a 3rd year GP trainee working in a central Manchester practice and learning on the job when it comes to HRT prescribing. The conversation covers working with patients from different cultures and with interpreters or family members, challenging misinformation, health risks after menopause and gender differences, and introducing the topic of hormones at 40-year health checks. Thulasi gives an honest and reflective account of what she has learnt about women’s health and hormones in her last 7 years of practising as a doctor.

Thulasi’s advice to clinicians learning about menopause:

1. Always have hormones in the back of your mind and there is no younger age limit cut off. Don’t be afraid to ask patients about their periods, vaginas and symptoms.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask about what you don’t know, use resources like the balance app and NHMS to find out more information. Find your local expert and seek out their knowledge and experience.
3. If you’re ‘junior’, don’t be afraid to challenge more senior clinicians – they may not be as up-to-date on the latest practice.

You can follow Dr Thulasi Naveenan on Instagram at @tnaveenan and on Twitter at @ThulasiNaveenan

Since the recording of this podcast, there has been further discussions with Cancer Research UK.

Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor Barbara Ryan and Clinical Dietitian Elaine McGowan are The Gut Experts, passionate about digestive health and helping women with debilitating bloating and irritable bowel symptoms.

In this episode, the experts discuss why more women are troubled by gut related symptoms compared to men, how gut and bowel problems have a very real impact on women’s lives, and why eating the right type, amount and variety of foods is so important for your gut health and overall wellbeing. The Gut Experts also talk about their new book written for women of all reproductive ages experiencing gut and bowel related symptoms.

Barbara’s tips for improving your future digestive health:

1. If you’re having digestive symptoms seek a correct diagnosis rather than self-diagnosing
2. Don’t look at your gut and digestive health in isolation, take a whole-body approach. Remember TEAMS: Total gut and body health, Exercise, Alcohol (reduce/cut out), Mental health, S

Elaine’s tips for improving your diet:

1. Fibre is a superfood for your gut microbiome – find the right amount of fibre intake for your own gut as everyone is different
2. Variety and diversity of foods is crucial, eat the rainbow, following a Mediterranean style diet.

Visit the Gut Experts website at https://thegutexperts.com/

The Gut Experts book, ‘What every woman needs to know about her gut’, contains solutions for bloating, IBS, and digestive symptoms and is out now, published by Sheldon Press.

Follow Barbara and Elaine on instagram @thegutexperts

Dr Rajvinder Khasriya is a urogynaecologist who leads the Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms clinic at the NHS Whittington Hospital in North London, and is also involved in research work at University College London.

In this episode, the experts discuss urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the role a lack of hormones play in their occurrence and ongoing recurrence. Dr Khasriya explains how common and debilitating UTIs can be for women in the peri/menopause, why traditional methods of testing and treatment are often unsuccessful, and she outlines the benefits of using vaginal hormonal treatments as part of a holistic approach for managing UTIs.

Dr Khasriya’s tips for women with UTIs:

1. As always, do your own research and find patient groups for support and information.
2. Understand all the factors that can contribute to UTIs such as weight gain, your general health, your diet and stress levels, as these are also important.
3. Be generous when using your vaginal estrogen, it is completely safe to use and in the long term.
4. Trust yourself, you know your body best.

The patient groups:

Embedded/Chronic UTI Support Group

Do you suffer from reoccurring UTIs? Many of us have been previously incorrectly diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis (IC) and have come to learn our condition is actually an embedded or chronic UTI...

Home - CUTIC

1 in 3. women will have a UTI by the age of 24 1. 90%. of chronic urinary tract infections are missed by the standard MSU culture test 2. 70%. the risk of recurrence within a year 3.

Bladder Health UK

Women asked if bladder drug should be available to buy. A pill to help treat an overactive bladder - which affects millions of women - could soon be available to buy in the UK without prescription.

Dr Jan Smith is a chartered psychologist, executive coach, author, campaigner and the director of Healthy You Ltd. She has over 15 years’ experience providing psychological support to those affected by injury and clinical negligence. In 2014, Jan developed a birth trauma service and campaigns to improve safety in maternity services for families and staff and provides training in the UK and internationally to maternity students and healthcare professionals on birth trauma and its impact.

In this episode, Jan describes to Dr Louise Newson how women can feel after a difficult birth or medical experience, and how trauma related emotions can resurface many years later at peri/menopause when psychological and genitourinary changes occur, often affecting relationships and intimacy.

Jan’s 3 pieces of advice:

1. If you had a difficult birth or healthcare related experience that affects how you feel about your genitals and intimacy, it is never too late to get help, even if it is years down the line.
2. Workplaces need to view women’s health as a continuum, not separate stand-alone events like pregnancy or menopause.
3. Think about ‘reaching in’ to help other women going through it – to listen, to validate and let them know they are heard and seen. This can be hugely beneficial for everyone’s mental health.

For more about Jan and Healthy You, visit https://healthyyoultd.co.uk/

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks to Dr Abbie Laing about why she now specialises in menopause care and what she has learnt through her research and writing on the subject. Together the experts discuss clinical hot topics where misinformation and misunderstandings are rife such as what the evidence shows about the risk of clots and breast cancer with HRT, and treating symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) with vaginal estrogen.

Abbie’s 3 tips for women with symptoms of GSM:

1. Seek help early and use vaginal estrogen; persist with treatment options if the first one doesn’t suit you. The benefits are huge, and treatment should be long term.
2. If you have recurrent UTIs, consider vaginal estrogen treatments .
3. For elderly, frail, or very busy women, the vaginal estrogen ring (Estring) is a very effective and safe option.
4. Vaginal estrogen treatments are very safe and do not have any associated risks, including for people who have had cancer.

To access the treatment pathways discussed in this episode, become an associate of the Newson Health Menopause Society at www.nhmenopausesociety.org

For more information on any of the treatments discussed, visit the balance website at www.balance-menopause.com

In 2004, Dave and Steve Flynn started a fruit and veg shop, with the aim to create a happier, healthier world. The Happy Pear now has vegan food products in nearly 1,000 stores in Ireland, 2 cafes and a farm, and their five cookbooks have all been no.1 bestsellers. The Happy Pear online health and lifestyle courses – in which they partnered with plant-based experts from across the globe – have helped over 50,000 people from 120 different countries.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson chats with Dave and Steve about how they came to realise in their early 20’s that eating plant-based and whole foods would transform their own lives and those in their community. The lads energetically describe the different ways in which they have helped others turn their lives around, reduce risk of heart disease, feel happier and lose weight.

Dave and Steve’s 3 tips to improve your diet and future health:

1. Try to eat more whole foods, if you don’t like many vegetables, start with fruit.
2. Be more intentional about your food choices
3. Find your community, create an environment around you that will support you to make healthy choices.

For more information about the Happy Pear cookbooks and lifestyle courses, visit https://thehappypear.ie/

Dr Robert Lustig is Professor emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. He specialises in the field of neuroendocrinology and his research and clinical practice focuses on childhood obesity and diabetes. Dr Lustig has led a global discussion of metabolic health and nutrition, exposing some of the leading myths that underlie the current problem of diet-related disease. He is the author of several books including the books Fat Chance and Metabolical: The truth about processed food and how it poisons people and the planet.

In this episode, Dr Lustig talks to Dr Louise Newson about the influence of sugar, fats, and processed foods on our brains and health, changing minds of the public and health professionals and challenging the food industry. And – just as with changing public perception of HRT – challenging misconceptions about sugar and processed food starts with education.

Dr Lustig’s 3 tips to improve your diet:

1. Yoghurt is good but make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar
2. Juice is not healthy. Fruit is healthy and has fibre which is the good part. It’s food for your microbiome.
3. Trans fats are not good for you at all, try and avoid them at all costs including watching what oils you cook with.

Dr Lustig’s website is https://robertlustig.com/ and you can find out more about all his books here.

Ava Vanderstarren is a performing artist, actor and public speaker. She is the co-author of Blossom Living With Premature Ovarian Insufficiency / Early Menopause Journal and is the co-founder of the charity Innocence Lost Foundation. She has over 10 years lived experience of POI & mental health maintenance.

In this episode, Ava discusses her experiences of her POI diagnosis when she was 17 and how confused and isolated she felt at the time. Ava has co-authored a supportive journal for young people to help readers through diagnosis of POI or early menopause and to provide clear information and help them feel less alone.

Ava’s 3 tips:

1. Advocate for yourself, even though its frustrating and exhausting
2. Remember self-care and your own health come first
3. Don’t underestimate the impact of hormones on your physical and mental health

For more about the Blossom Living with POI / EM Journal: https://amzn.to/3HZx4Cr

Connect with Ava on social media:

Instagram & TikTok: @avavanderstarren

Twitter: @AVAnderstarren

YouTube & Facebook: Ava Vanderstarren

Ava’s professional website: http://www.avavanderstarren.com/

Ava’s charity working with child soldiers in Sierra Leone https://innocencelostfoundation.com/  

Vicki is 39 years and has struggled with heavy periods and related pain since she was 10 years old. She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis at 22 but continued to suffer with severe pain, heavy bleeding and UTIs, despite treatments and multiple surgical interventions. As a last attempt to be pain free, Vicki chose to have a hysterectomy when she was 35. Even though her ovaries were not removed, she realised she was entering menopause after the operation when she began having night sweats, insomnia, anxiety and very dry hair and skin. The ‘cure’ Vicki was hoping for didn’t materialise – another battle just began instead, as it took 18 months to access the treatment she now needed for her menopause.

Vicki shares some of the struggles younger women have when trying to get help for endometriosis and/or a surgical or early menopause, and reflects on the decision she made and the lack of information provided to her at the time. Dr Louise Newson advises women in this situation to speak with their doctor about the likelihood of surgery triggering menopause and to find out about the symptoms and benefits of HRT in advance, so you are prepared.

Vicki’s tips if you have, or think you have, endometriosis:

1. Do your own research and be your own advocate, push for answers
2. Keep pushing your GP, make them listen to you, show them your pain diary and take someone with you who sees you when you have pain
3. Learn as much as you can about endometriosis; treatments are not just surgical, there’s exercise, diet, physiotherapy, and others
4. Understand that hysterectomy isn’t a cure for endometriosis but if it is the right decision for you, learn about the menopause and benefits of HRT in advance.

You can read more about Vicki’s experience here and follow her on Instagram

Vicki helped contribute to the booklet, ‘Endometriosis and You’

For more about endometriosis, visit Endometriosis UK

Jonathan Wolf is the CEO and co-founder of ZOE, a health technology company that focusses on personalised nutrition. ZOE runs the world’s largest nutrition science study with universities such as Harvard and King's College London, investigating the gut microbiome and how nutrition can improve overall health and wellbeing. During the COVID pandemic, their valuable technology was utilised to help scientists understand more about the virus. The COVID-19 symptom study app was designed at record speed and had a million users within 24 hours of launch.

Dr Louise Newson speaks with Jonathan about the latest understanding of how the gut microbiome affects our health and weight, how much our genes our to blame (or thank) for our body shape, and about ZOE’s latest study into the menopause and metabolic responses, nutrition and the microbiome.

For more information on ZOE’s research and products, visit https://joinzoe.com/

The podcast mentioned and hosted by Jonathan is ‘ZOE Science and Nutrition’.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by two women, Rhona and Tanya, who share their experiences of fertility support, pregnancy, and having symptoms of low hormones after the birth of their children.

Rhona asked the fertility specialists whether the hormone treatments she was taking to become pregnant would affect the onset of her menopause and she was told that it wouldn’t. 18 months after giving birth while still breastfeeding, Rhona experienced severe symptoms due to low hormones and spent 2 years suffering and seeking help before a friend suggested it could be her perimenopause. After seeing a menopause specialist and finding real improvements with HRT, Rhona wants other women to be aware that problems after childbirth might not simply be ‘baby blues’ but could be the start of perimenopause.

Tanya also had a child with the help of fertility treatments in her 40s, and during screening tests it revealed that indications of perimenopause had begun. The IVF was successful, but after the birth of her baby and a relocation, Tanya’s mood plummeted and she experienced a range of symptoms caused by low hormones. Her GP offered antidepressants, but Tanya didn’t think it was postnatal depression and knew her hormones were involved. Tanya is now pregnant again and is apprehensive about what will happen due to low hormones after her next birth.

Louise explains what is – and isn’t – known about hormones during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, and why this can affect women so much in the months and years after birth. She describes the benefits of topping up those hormones with HRT and the multiple improvements it could bring to women at this challenging time.

Rhona and Tanya’s advice for women thinking about pregnancy and perimenopause:

1. do you own research and seek medical help if you have perimenopausal symptoms
2. don’t be scared to try IVF, but know the possible effects of low hormones after birth, especially if you’re in your 40s
3. be aware of what your own body is telling you before you start fertility treatments, are there signs you could be in perimenopause?
4. If you choose to do extended breastfeeding, know that your hormones will be low and this may cause symptoms

For more information on breastfeeding and HRT, postnatal depression and another personal account relating to post-pregnancy hormones:

https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/breastfeeding-hrt/

https://balance-menopause.com/uploads/2022/02/What-is-reproductive-depressionfinal-with-links.pdf

https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/my-story-of-hormonal-depression-when-my-hormones-change-i-change/

Content warning: suicide

Peter Smith joins Dr Louise Newson this week in a difficult and emotional episode. Peter lost his wife, Victoria, to suicide a year ago after she experienced a sudden change in her mental health in her late 40s. In their quest to understand how things could have got to such a crisis point for Victoria, Peter and his family have learnt more about the menopause and mental health, and they’ve raised the question of whether Victoria’s perimenopause could have been responsible for, or at least contributed to, her sudden mental illness when she had never previously experienced any such difficulties.

Peter describes the series of events that led up to Victoria’s death and how healthcare professionals dismissed the possibility of hormones playing a part in the worsening of her mental health, both at the time and during a recent inquest. Louise explains the work she is now jointly involved in, with Peter’s help, to raise awareness of the link between mood and menopause both in Pete’s local NHS Trust and nationwide.

Peter’s advice for partners if your loved one is struggling:

1. Go with your partner to see a GP, and if needed, find someone that specialises in the menopause.
2. Talk about it with each other. Listen and try and understand what they’re going through, and support them as best you can.
3. Encourage them to talk openly with friends about it too.

Sarah Davies is an experienced business coach and trainer who previously spent over 15 years in senior international corporate roles and as a head-hunter for senior executives. Sarah supported her sister, Dr Louise Newson, as business manager, six years ago when Newson Health menopause clinic was launched. Seeing how devastating the consequences of the menopause affect personal and professional lives, Sarah set up Talking Menopause to educate and support men and women across all levels on the impact of menopause at work. 

In this episode, Louise and Sarah look back on starting their respective journeys into menopause care and support services, and discuss the real-life impact of the perimenopause and menopause in the workplace. Sarah shares some of the outcomes of her workshops and webinars and describes how Talking Menopause stimulates cultural change within organisations.

Sarah’s advice to workplaces:

1. Everyone should be aware of the peri/menopause and respond to it as a normal process for their employees and their partners.
2. Consider the practical side; where is the safe space for women to escape to? What are the practical solutions for women suffering at work?

And to women at work:

3. Don’t suffer in silence, talk to a friendly colleague, download the balance app and go and see your healthcare professional if you’re not getting the right level of support. There’s a lot of help out there.

You can learn more about Sarah’s work at www.talkingmenopause.co.uk

Simona Stokes is an experienced counselling psychologist who uses CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to help people with stress, depression and anxiety. After 20 years working in the NHS and voluntary sector, she then founded her own clinic in Birmingham, and has developed an interest and specialist knowledge in helping women with the emotional and psychological challenges of the peri/menopause. Simona’s personal experience of hormonal changes hit her hard and this led her to develop and successfully implement the psychological tools she had at her disposal to support her own journey and made her realise many women need help to understand the impact their hormones have on their moods, thoughts and emotions.

In discussion with Dr Louise Newson, Simona explains the power of estrogen as our primary fuel and the problems that can arise when estrogen falls. She explains the difference in perimenopausal depression compared to general depression, what CBT is and how it can help women at this time of life that can often be a pinch-point on our emotions. Simona advises how to look after yourself and your emotions and elaborates on why so many women feel a sense of loss of one’s role, of identity, and loss of purpose at this time.

Simona’s advice for women experiencing emotional challenges:

1. Menopause is unavoidable but suffering is optional. CBT helps us to change the narrative we create about the difficulties we’re facing, and allows us to let go of the struggle against the changes we’re feeling. An attitude of compassion, kindness and curiosity to yourself will help you understand your difficult emotion in a more helpful way than being harsh, self- critical, and just wanting a feeling to go away.
2. It’s really important to make peace with all your emotions. We’ve been conditioned to think that difficult emotions are undesirable and we must strive to feel happy and grateful. Increase your openness to difficult emotions and this will help you be more resilient and emotionally ‘fit’ to cope with your peri/menopause.
3. ‘Emotion follows motion’, so engage in physical activity, even if you don’t feel like it, as physical activity is a powerful tool to change how you feel. Use your body to calm down your mind either through breathing and relaxation techniques or getting out there and being active.

Simona’s clinic and website details can be found here.

The ‘Meno D’ rating scale to detect depression that Simona refers to can be found here.

If you would like to access psychological therapies via the NHS explore your options here.

You can find Simona on her social media pages a:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/menopausecbtclinic/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingBeyond40 

Dr Louise Newson met Dr Naomi Jiagbogu over a decade ago at Birmingham Medical School when Louise was mentoring students who were studying medicine as a post-graduate degree. Naomi subsequently qualified, began her GP training and moved to Manchester with husband, Aria, who was training to be a paediatrician. Louise and Naomi discuss their memories of the post-graduate course and reflect on how the students were older, from more varied backgrounds and had broader life experiences than you would typically find on an under-graduate course and how these factors enhanced the student’s skills and learning, especially when relating to patients.

After beginning her GP training, Naomi’s husband Aria sadly developed a brain tumour and after surgery, treatments and a yearlong remarkable recovery, the cancer returned and Aria died in 2020.  During his illness, Aria wrote two children’s books for their young son about sickness, loss and family, and he also wrote a memoir for adults titled, ‘Broken Brain: Brutally Honest, Brutally Me’. Together, Naomi and Louise discuss the importance of looking beyond the disease and connecting with the person not just the patient, and consider how personal suffering can transform the way you communicate as a clinician.

For more details about Aria’s story and books please visit his website https://www.ariatheauthor.com/

The books can be purchased from https://theendlessbookcase.com/authors/aria-nikjooy/

Or Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Brain-Brutally-Honest-Me

The royalties from Arias children's books are going to Brain Tumour Research, Royal Medical Foundation, Society for the Assistance of Medical Families and Royal Medical Benevolent Fund. 

If you have listened to Naomi’s story and would like read more and donate to Brain Tumour Research, please go to

https://www.braintumourresearch.org/stories/in-our-hearts/in-our-hearts-stories/aria-nikjooy You can follow Aria on Instagram at @ariatheauthor64

Medical oncologist, Dr Avrum Bluming makes a welcome return to the podcast this week to re-visit the hot topic of menopause hormone therapy after breast cancer. Avrum has spent decades studying the research on the benefits and risks of HRT in women with a history of breast cancer and is passionate about giving women clear, evidence-based information that dispels myths and combats the misinformation that has unnecessarily frightened women and clinicians for over 20 years.

In discussion with Dr Louise Newson, Avrum clearly explains what his recent review of the literature reveals about the safety of HRT and the benefits it brings for your future health. The experts highlight the gender disparities that are commonplace in how women with cancer are treated with regard to their hormones compared to men, and they also discuss the importance of patient-centred medicine and giving women choice.

Avrum’s 3 tips for women interested in exploring their menopause treatment options after breast cancer:

1. Speak to your oncologist. Tell them about your menopause symptoms, ask to discuss the possibility of starting HRT and have a conversation about the benefits and risk for you individually.
2. When it is available, take Avrum’s article that will be published in the ‘Cancer’ journal in May/June 2022, and show it to your oncologist and GP. Don’t accept a dismissal of your views – engage them in discussion.
3. ‘Oestrogen Matters’ (2018, published by Little Brown) is a book co-authored by Avrum that is for women and clinicians, including a chapter on HRT after breast cancer, and it is heavily referenced to show all the evidence behind the information given.

Links to Avrum Bluming’s upcoming journal article will be published on the balance-menopause.com website when it is released.

Dr Rupy Aujla was in his mid-20s and beginning his career as a doctor when heart problems caused him to re-evaluate what he thought he knew about health, nutrition and medicine. Having previously rejected his parents’ influences of traditional Indian medicine, Dr Rupy began delving deeper into some of those concepts and the science of nutrition that he wasn’t taught at medical school.

In this episode, he talks to Dr Louise Newson about the principles of healthy eating, how a busy lifestyle and your environment often make it challenging to find and choose healthy, affordable foods, and the experts share their concerns around childhood obesity, anxiety around food, and the particular metabolic changes faced by those going through peri/menopause due to a lack of estrogen.

Dr Rupy’s 3 tips for improving your nutrition:

1. Start with making a small change to your diet by adding just one more fruit, vegetable, nut or seed, at every meal if possible.
2. Have a back-up healthy meal that’s easy to prepare, or stored in the freezer, for those times when you are tired and lacking motivation.
3. Try to reflect what foods you really like but find a healthier version of it. For example, if you love pasta, add 3 different vegetables to any pasta recipe.

For details about Dr Rupy’s app, his books and recipe ideas, visit thedoctorskitchen.com

Kate Muir returns to the podcast to discuss her ground-breaking new book on the menopause, which she describes as the most difficult and complex subject she has investigated to date. Dr Louise Newson speaks to Kate about the shoddy science and lies that women have been told over the years and what Kate has learnt about past and current research from speaking to over 100 experts, and the real life impact on women from the conversations she has every week.

In this episode, discussion also turns to the ‘Davina effect’, referring to the impact of Kate’s Channel 4 documentary that was aired in May 2021, presented by Davina McCall, and has been a game-changer in raising the social and medical profile of menopause within primary care and in helping to inform and empower women to seek help.

Kate’s 3 wishes over the next 3 years:

1. A symptom list to be given out at your local GP practice
2. Good quality research into body identical estrogen and micronised progesterone
3. Research happening in the UK into Alzheimer’s and the role of estrogen and testosterone in women’s brains

Kate’s new book is titled ‘Everything you need to know about the menopause (but were too afraid to ask)’ and is published by Gallery UK. A second documentary about the menopause with Davina McCall will be released in May 2022.

Journalist and presenter, Mariella Frostrup, joins Dr Louise Newson for an energetic discussion and a whistle-stop tour through current insights and reflections on the way society approaches the menopause. Mariella talks about why she is ‘still banging on’ about the menopause, why you needn’t be afraid of HRT, and why it’s time to stop the silence and shame that surround it.

In 2018, Mariella presented one of the first documentaries on the menopause and broke the taboo of celebrities speaking honestly about their own experiences. Mariella’s recent book, ‘Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together’, separates the myths from the reality and offers expertise, hope and advice for all affected by the peri/menopause.

Mariella’s 4 hopes to improve the experience of menopausal women:

1. Knowledge is our armour; we each need be more informed individually so we can combat the myths and ignorance we will be faced with.
2. We need a trained menopause professional in every GP practice in the land and an invitation from the NHS for every woman to come for an appointment before the average onset of perimenopause, to let her know what will happen and how she can get help.
3. There should be menopause groups everywhere, so everyone can find support and we should all educate our daughters about it.
4. We need to ensure women are supported in the workplace so they can remain the valuable and experienced team members that they are.

Find out more about Mariella’s work at www.mariellafrostrup.co.uk

‘Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together’ is published by Bluebird.

Popular online personal trainer, James Smith, admits he only read Dr Louise Newson’s most recent book to check out the literary competition when their new books were released back-to-back. He bought a copy and read it on holiday and while he may have got some funny looks for his poolside choice of reading, James discovered many new insights about the perimenopause and menopause that he knew would really help his female clients in their quest to reach fitness and weight loss goals.

Louise and James discuss the common pitfalls many people go through when trying to exercise, perhaps out of obligation or to lose some of that midlife spread around the middle, and they warn against the plethora of misinformation on the internet about nutrition and training.

James’s 3 exercise tips for you:

1.  Ask yourself ‘how much do you want to train on a daily basis out of 10?’ If your answer is below a 5, don’t train but ask yourself ‘why?’ and tackle those things first, whether it be stress, lack of sleep or nutrition. Understand why you’re not motivated and fix that first.
2.   If you want to lose fat and/or manage your calorie intake, figure out your daily allowance and x7 for the week. You can overconsume on the weekend if you wish, but then divide what’s left by 5 for the days in the week and you’ll be surprised by how low it is. You will get a clear picture of how much you’re overeating on the weekend and it may make you think again about patterns of over-restricting then binging.
3.   Pick any exercise that you like and find rewarding, there isn’t a hierarchy of the ‘best’ ones, you have to enjoy it and want to do it.

For help with a personalised exercise programme and meal plans, check out James’ website at www.jamessmithacademy.com

James’ bestselling books, ‘Not a Diet Book’ and ‘Not a Life Coach’ are published by Harper Collins.

Dr Rebecca Lewis, Clinical Director at Newson Health, returns to the podcast for the first episode of 2022 to discuss the perimenopause with Dr Louise Newson. The experts explain what the term means, what’s happening to your hormones during this phase, and how it can be diagnosed. Rebecca offers practical advice on how to speak to your healthcare professional to convey the range of related perimenopausal symptoms and raise the issue of hormones.

Find out what your increased health risks are when your hormones change and what you can do to mitigate these risks. The perimenopause is discussed as an opportunity to take stock and consider introducing some small changes to your lifestyle that will improve both your physical and mental health.

Rebecca’s 3 top tips if you think you might be perimenopausal:

1. Take control and think about balancing your hormones and protecting your future health
2. Get a diagnosis earlier rather than later, download the free balance menopause support app and start tracking your periods and symptoms
3. Consider HRT to help your symptoms and feel better, and then you can look at making changes to your lifestyle that will benefit your future health and wellbeing.

Pharmacist, Jonathan Underhill is a consultant clinical advisor for the Medicines Optimisations team at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). His work is focussed on evidence-based medicine but, as he explains, this is more than simply telling people what to do. One of the particular focuses of Jonathan’s work is the process known as ‘shared decision making’ between the clinician and the patient and he’s interested in how you involve a person in choices and decisions about their own healthcare.

Jonathan outlines some of the reasons NICE was originally set up – to reduce uncertainty and variation in prescribing – and with Louise, he evaluates whether this has been the outcome 6 years down the line, after the release of the NICE guidelines on menopause diagnosis and management.

Jonathan’s tips for shared decision making as a patient:

1. It’s OK to ask questions.
2. If you need it, take someone with you that you trust who can listen and advocate for you

And for healthcare professionals:

3. David Haslam’s (former Chair of NICE) consultation skills advice for doctors were basically ‘shut up and listen, show empathy, and know something’. If you can do these 4 things well it will make a big difference
4. Practice your conversation skills as a clinician. You can learn to communicate better with your patients.

The NICE guidelines on menopause can be read in full here and more about shared decision making can be found here.

If you are a healthcare professional, the following link offers 4 hours of free online learning in shared decision making from NICE and Keele University:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng197/resources/shared-decision-making-learning-package-9142488109

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Lucy Chatwin, who is responsible for the not-for-profit organisation, Newson Health Research and Education. Lucy has had a portfolio career that has taken her through environmental science and operations, through human resources and management into health, in particular service improvement and transformation roles in the NHS. Her last role in the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network focussed on supporting the adoption of innovation into health services to improve health outcomes for people. Lucy is perfectly placed to bring together the often diverse worlds of industry, academia, and clinical organisations to drive improvements that will make a real difference to the lives of people in the perimenopause and menopause and those around them.

Lucy discusses the range of opportunities for innovation in menopause research, education and management and encourages those working in health and academia to ‘think hormones’ as an integral part of their practice. A key catalyst for this is the soon-to-be launched Newson Health Menopause Society that Lucy is leading on. The society will provide a global arena for integrating and energising research, driving education and upskilling professionals working in the field of menopause care.

Lucy’s tip for women is make time for yourself to unpick what is going on if you think you may be perimenopausal, don’t just assume it’s down to other things. Download the balance app at www.balance-menopause.com to help understand your hormones, the impact they’re having on you and how to get help for your symptoms.

Lucy’s tips for healthcare professionals:

1. Connect with other interested experts outside of your specialty, this is often the best way to expand your thinking
2. Make your mantra, ‘could it be hormones?’ If you treat women, don’t underestimate the influence of changing hormones in so many health conditions and presentations.

Register your interest in joining the Newson Health Menopause Society at www.nhmenopausesociety.org and follow them on Twitter at @NHMenoSociety or LinkedIn at Newson Health Menopause Society.

Dr Richard Hull teaches philosophy at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Due to a coming together of work life and home life in lockdown and his wife’s experience, Richard began thinking and writing about the menopause from an ethical and philosophical perspective. As an issue under our noses all the time, he was astounded that more isn’t written about it, and he queries the lack of ethical concern for women regarding this time of life and the impact on those around them.

Richard discusses with Dr Louise Newson the importance of raising awareness of perimenopause and menopause, sharing accurate information, training healthcare professionals and empowering women with the right knowledge to recognise what is happening to them and to get the help they need through treatment.

Richard’s 3 hopes for change:

1. Personal and public awareness of the impact of the menopause is crucial
2. For everyone to have the confidence to seek support in all its forms and find out about HRT
3. Talk more and spread awareness and knowledge with others. The more people are aware, the less it can be ignored.

You can read Richard’s article on the menopause here. Richard’s wife, Jaany, has written about her experience here.

Gaele Lalahy had a successful career in consumer electronics as Board Member and Head of Brand Communications & Olympic marketing at Panasonic. Having been with the same company for two decades, Gaele became fearful of not having tried a different career, so she decided to take the leap and leave her job without a plan in place. When the opportunity came up to run Dr Louise Newson’s balance menopause support app, it didn’t immediately grab Gaele’s interest because, as she admits, she knew nothing about the menopause or the scale of the problem facing women.

After doing her own research and realising hundreds of thousands of women were suffering and struggling to get treatment, Gaele came on board as the Chief Operating Officer for balance at the start of 2021. Since then, the app has grown ten-fold and is really helping to change the narrative around perimenopause and menopause and empower women with the information they need to get help from their local GP practices. Gaele shares some of the remarkable statistics that show how the app helps women get a diagnosis and treatment more efficiently, and she discusses plans for the app’s future that will make even more of a difference to people’s lives.

Gaele’s 3 reasons to use the balance app:

1. The balance app is a safe space to share and get support from like-minded people who also going through the peri/menopause.
2. All the information on the app is very easy to digest, all medically approved and based on the latest evidence.
3. Come to the app to figure out what is going on with your body and mind and join the dots. You will learn more about the many changes you may be experiencing and can then use this insight in discussions with your doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment.

Find out more information about the balance app on the balance-menopause.com website here.

Read about balance for healthcare professionals (HPs) or share with your HP on their website here.

Look out for balance+ coming in early 2022!

You can follow the balance app on their social platforms at:

Facebook @balanceMenopause

Instagram @balancemenopause

Twitter @balanceMeno

LinkedIn @balance-app

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by a long-time friend, retired consultant urologist, Steve Payne. Together they discuss Steve and his wife Jan’s experience of her breast cancer and subsequent treatment that led to estrogen depletion. Steve describes the decision-making process they went through as a couple when Jan’s quality of life deteriorated due to severe urine and kidney infections, as well as other symptoms relating to a lack of estrogen.

The experts talk about how some people’s experience in cancer care clinics can fall short of patients and their partners being given full and balanced information into how cancer treatments will affect your hormones and what this potentially means for your quality of life. Steve shares his honest reflections and insights about cancer care clinics and offers invaluable advice for those navigating these complex and confusing decisions at such a difficult time.

Steve’s advice for making decisions about cancer treatments:

1. Ask what the benefits, and especially the downsides, of the treatment are. It is key that you understand all the pros and cons of a treatment being recommended to you.
2. If it’s treatment for cancer, ask about the pure cancer survival rates – once deaths from other causes have been removed from the data – to make sure you know the actual level of survival benefit that the suggested treatment offers.
3. If you’re having side effects from breast cancer treatment due to a lack of estrogen, have a discussion about the pros and cons of taking HRT, for your particular type of cancer. Ask how taking HRT could improve your daily life and wellbeing and what benefits HRT offers for bone and heart health in the future. Ask how would taking HRT affect your pure cancer survival rate.

Steve has written more about his and Jan’s experience and offers practical advice here, along with a new factsheet about making informed decisions during cancer care.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson explains about an exciting new appointment for Newson Health and introduces Alistair Darby as the new CEO. Coming from a hospitality background, Alistair explains what led him to apply for the role of CEO of a menopause healthcare company, and he shares how his awareness of menopause increased after he witnessed the devastating impact on his wife 5 years ago.

Alastair and Louise discuss the problem of the menopause in the workplace and the resulting gap of female talent at the top. They talk through their joint mission to normalise getting treatment for the perimenopause and menopause and speculate on what a difference this would make to relationships, the workplace, healthcare and society.

Through his role, Alistair hopes to:

1. Get men to wake up and smell the (menopause infused) coffee! This is a huge gender inequality issue.
2. Work together to scale up what we do and give more women access to treatment and HRT than is currently the case. This will have a transformative effect on many more lives.
3. Help women to feel fitter, and more energetic as they grow older, so they can continue to make an amazing contribution – for them, their families, society and the economy.

Professor Isaac Manyonda is back by popular demand to discuss perhaps the most important issue for women considering and taking HRT; what is the risk of breast cancer if I take HRT? Professor Manyonda expertly takes the listeners through the different issues, one by one, including comparing the level of risks of breast cancer from HRT with lifestyle factors such as weight and alcohol intake. He outlines the risks according to different types of estrogen and progesterone, and explains the difference between estrogen receptor positive and negative breast cancers.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to be able understand – and clearly explain to others – the evidence-based picture around breast cancer and HRT, for both healthcare professionals and anyone interested in the topic.

Prof. Manyonda’s 3 take-home messages:

1. The strong evidence shows that estrogen does not increase the risk of breast cancer and it could even have a protective effect.
2. If you take estrogen and develop breast cancer you have a lower risk of dying from the cancer than women not taking estrogen.
3. The benefits of HRT extend way beyond the improvement of your symptoms and include protection of the cardiovascular system, your bone health, your immune system, and potentially prevention of dementia.

Menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Ball, makes a record 4th appearance on the Dr Louise Newson podcast this week, to talk about an important group of women that often feel marginalised when it comes to menopause care and treatment. One in seven women will experience breast cancer, and many more of us have a close relative who has had breast cancer. Thankfully, thousands more women are living longer after breast cancer, but this often means living with the menopause and symptoms of a lack of hormones.

The experts discuss the risk factors of developing breast cancer and the complexities of the association between hormones and breast cancer. Dr Sarah Ball has researched the experiences of menopausal women having breast cancer treatment and her findings reveal women are having to endure menopausal symptoms for an average of 7 years before seeking, or being given, help and treatment, and sadly, only 10% of the women surveyed felt they were involved in decisions about their care.

Dr Ball and Dr Newson are both passionate about helping women after breast cancer and believe it is essential that these women are listened to, that healthcare professionals discuss in full the treatment options for their menopausal symptoms, and that women feel empowered to make a decision that’s right for them, at that time, being aware of all the relevant information.

Sarah’s 3 tips for women after breast cancer:

1. Don’t feel guilty for how you feel about your menopause, you’re not complaining, or moaning or being ‘weak’. It’s really important that your symptoms are addressed. You are your whole body, not just your breasts. Don’t lose sight of the health of your heart, your bones, your skin, your sex life, your mental health and brainpower – these are important too.
2. Symptoms relating to your vagina, vulva and urinary function are treatable by using vaginal estrogen. This is safe to use after breast cancer and is not absorbed by the whole body in the same way as HRT. You can tackle these symptoms successfully, even if you feel you do not want to take HRT.
3. Understand you do have a choice. Guidelines recommend you should be listened to and have a say in decisions about treatments. Tell your healthcare professionals what is most important to you in terms of living your life, treating your menopausal symptoms, and managing the risk of cancer returning.

Follow Dr Sarah Ball on Instagram @drsarahmollyball and Twitter @sarahball14

Making decisions around your cancer treatment and menopause is often a complicated and overwhelming process. There is a new factsheet on balance website about making informed decisions about cancer treatments here, and a personal story written by the partner of a woman having worsening menopause symptoms after breast cancer treatment here.

Dr Nneka Nwokolo and Dr Martina Toby are both consultant physicians in sexual health and HIV medicine, and together they have joined forces to help educate and advocate for women of colour experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, the experts share what prompted them to set up the ‘Shades of Menopause’ Instagram group and the benefits of using social media to support women of colour. Together with Dr Louise Newson, they discuss some of the socioeconomic and cultural factors, as well as gender inequalities that affect a woman’s experience of healthcare, and the unfortunate lack of research around use of HRT in women of colour.

Nneka and Martina’s three tips to women of colour:

1. Do your own research and ask other women about their experience
2. See your GP for help. Ask who is the best person to see at your practice. Go equipped with knowledge already, and you will get a much better outcome.
3. You are not alone, millions of women like you are going through it. If you feel you can’t speak up, find a friend who is willing to do it for you. Your voice matters and needs to be heard.

Follow the podcast guests on Instagram @shadesofmenopause

Carolyn Harris MP left school at 16, had two children at a young age and worked as a barmaid. Her young son, Martin, was tragically killed in a road accident in 1989 and this changed her life forever. She sank into a black hole for the next few years but turned things around when at 34 she became the first person in her family to go to university. Carolyn never dreamt that 20 years later she would be the MP for her community, Swansea East, and although she continues to experience imposter syndrome regularly, once she has decided to fight for change, she does not give up.

Carolyn has campaigned on topics such as child funerals and gambling. She did not realise her collection of health problems were related to the menopause at first, but when she joined the dots and learnt more about the effects of the menopause, especially in the workplace, she set up an All Party Parliamentary Group on menopause and was successful in changing the law in Wales in removing the prescription fee for HRT.

Carolyn’s advice to women:

1. Be part of the menopause revolution. Find us on social media, there’s a template letter on the APPG website so you can write to your local MP, and contact my office or on Twitter if you’d like to get involved. Join us in London in Parliament Square for the Menopause Support Bill on the 29th
2. Dreams can come true. Don’t think you can’t achieve something. You are brilliant and strong. You can be what you want to be, you just need to be brave.
3. We are using our platforms to call for change, but you can go into your place of work, talk about your own experience, ask others about theirs, say ‘do you think this could be the menopause?’

Carolyn Harris MP details:

Website: www.carolynharris.org.uk

Twitter  @carolynharris24 and @AppgMenopause

Email: carolyn.harris.mp@parliament.uk

Maggie Honey was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome, which can be described as having ‘sticky’ blood that is prone to clotting. When she was 46 and a busy mum of triplets, Maggie began having insomnia, recurrent UTIs and dry eyes, skin and mouth. It wasn’t until her periods had stopped for a year and she felt dreadful all the time that she realised many of her symptoms might be related to menopause. When she sought help, she was given more diagnoses related to her blood condition but no help for her symptoms. Her blood disorder consultant at the time told her, ‘whatever you do, don’t go on HRT’. This was due to the inaccurate belief that all HRT holds a risk of clot.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks through all the issues that Maggie’s story illustrates, including explaining why HRT is usually safe for people at risk of clot, when estrogen is given through the skin via a patch, gel or spray. They discuss how beneficial HRT can be for your quality of life, and what lifestyle factors do actually raise your risk of getting a clot.

Maggie’s 3 menopause tips for people at risk of clot:

1. Listen to your own body, keep a symptom diary like the one on balance app. Trust your own instincts and don’t be fobbed off.
2. Find a menopause specialist as well as a sympathetic blood specialist doctor (haematologist). Encourage communication between your different doctors, including your GP.
3. Share information with friends, family and colleagues. The more we talk about it, the more help we can give to one another.

Read more about Maggie’s story here and for more information, read our booklet on Menopause and Clots.

Thrombosis UK is the charity mentioned in this episode for people at risk of, or living with, thrombosis (clots) and the website is www.thrombosisuk.org

In this special episode, released on World Menopause Day 2021, Dr Louise Newson talks to two women about their own experiences of menopause. Melanie is a midwife from Birmingham who talks about her ongoing challenges of coping with menopausal symptoms, getting the right support at work, and finding a treatment that works for her. Grace is in her 50s and went through an early menopause in her late 30s. She struggled over the years to be listened to by healthcare professionals and have her needs understood as a gay woman. After watching the documentary with Davina McCall, Grace felt empowered to push for the help she knew she needed.

Melanie and Grace’s conversation with Louise aptly illustrates what World Menopause Day is all about – raising awareness about the effects of menopause on women’s health and wellbeing globally, and elevating voices of those going through the menopause from all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientation. As Louise says, we cannot fully celebrate World Menopause Day until all women, all over the world are able to get the help and support they need.

Grace and Melanie’s top reasons for speaking out for WMD:

1. Educating others about the effects of the menopause is so important.
2. Women need support and to know they are not alone – it’s not that something’s wrong with them.
3. Get ready for the menopause, it’s inevitable, embrace it, and be empowered to deal with it when the time comes.
4. Regardless of your colour, religion, or sexual orientation, come together and support one another.

Healthy Eating Doctor, Dr Harriet Holme, joins Dr Louise Newson on the podcast couch this week to discuss the importance of nutrition for reducing long term risk of disease and improving your future health.

Before becoming a registered nutritionist, Harriet worked for ten years as a doctor before her interest grew in the link between what we eat and our health. She is passionate about sharing evidence-based knowledge to help people understand more about their own diets and health, and offers nutritional consultancy as well as lecturing on culinary science and nutrition.

Harriet’s four key ingredients for eating in the peri/menopause:

1. Calcium is key, try and get it from your diet as much as possible.
2. Balance your diet with a wide variety of wholegrains (brown bread and brown pasta, for example) fermented food (such as kimchi or kefir), lots of fruit and vegetables, and avoid sweeteners and fizzy drinks.
3. Top up your omega 3 by eating 2 portions of oily fish a week.
4. And last but not least, vitamin D. Take this one as a supplement especially in autumn and winter in the UK. If you’re vegan, also take a B12 supplement, but otherwise it’s always best to get nutrients from your diet rather than relying on supplements.

Listen to Harriet on her own podcast, ‘Eating for Health’ or visit her website: healthyeatingdr.com

Find Harriet on social media at:

Facebook = @healthyeatingdrcom

Twitter = @healthyeatingdr

Instagram = @healtheatingdr

Dr Zoe Hodson returns to the podcast this week to talk to Dr Louise Newson about the hormone testosterone. Zoe is a GP and senior doctor at Newson Health, and together they discuss the impact of low testosterone on your daily life, why it can be difficult to get hold of, and gender inequalities in healthcare provision when it comes to this particular hormone.

Zoe is on a personal mission to ask every local health commissioning group if their clinicians can prescribe testosterone and, if not, why not? Change is happening slowly within primary care and Zoe and Louise are committed to continue to push for testosterone to be regarded as an integral part of menopause care at a free, local level for all.

Zoe’s 3 asks for change:

1. We need to normalise testosterone in women, so please keep talking about it. If you take it already, tell people, and tell your healthcare professionals about the difference it makes to you.
2. Keep alerting your GP practice to the ‘Confidence in Menopause’ course on fourteenfish.com. It is now free for all healthcare professionals across the globe.
3. If you’re going to a menopause clinic and they haven’t mentioned testosterone, ask them about it.

Zoe would like to thank all her followers on social media for their wonderful support and encouragement to keep speaking up for women and trying to bring about change for good. You can follow Zoe on Instagram @manchestermenopausehive

Rachel was a very active 45-year-old, who loved the outdoors and her job as a specialist teacher when her fit and healthy body began suffering with one problem after another. Joint problems and crushing fatigue curtailed her hobbies of hiking, climbing and cycling. The following months saw her list of unexplained symptoms grow and grow from being in constant pain, migraines, and gum problems, to palpitations, dry mouth and eyes, anxiety and electric shock sensations. Within 2 years, she describes herself as ‘just a shell who couldn’t leave the house’, she had given up her job, and living with this version of Rachel had a huge impact on her husband and son. After multiple trips to the GP and blood tests, she was given a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

In this episode, Rachel tells her story to Dr Louise Newson and takes listeners through her journey, including self-diagnosis and battles to get the help she knew she needed. After beginning on estrogen replacement and seeing some mild improvements but still experiencing severe fatigue, she learnt about testosterone and its importance for energy and stamina. Now, 6 months after starting on testosterone, Rachel describes the improvement as ‘life-changing’. She feels a fully functioning human again, is able to work part time, and even manage a 5 mile walk.

Dr Newson explains what testosterone does, why we need it, and why it can be so hard to get hold of the hormone at your local GP practice. Louise reassures listeners that she is working hard with NHS England on this very matter and is hopeful that change will come.

Both Louise and Rachel agree that testosterone should not be described as the ‘icing’ on the HRT cake but a crucial ingredient of the cake itself.

Rachel’s top 3 tips:

1. Remember GPs aren’t trained in peri/menopause, so go armed with useful information and the NICE guidelines to help you have a factual conversation.
2. Don’t give up trying to get the help you need.
3. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body.

Note: Rachel had to see a menopause specialist to get her initial prescriptions for testosterone. After lots of persevering on her part, it has now been agreed to be prescribed via her usual NHS GP.

In this unique episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to her husband, who is a consultant urologist, about the lack of menopause training among medical professionals, the importance of urologists understanding the consequences of the menopause on urinary function and the benefits of HRT and vaginal estrogen.  

Paul Anderson explains some of his fascinating work as a highly specialist reconstructive surgeon, and together they discuss the rewarding aspects of each of their careers in transforming the quality of lives of men and women through surgery and menopause care respectively.

If you’ve ever wondered about what kind of man is married to Dr Louise Newson, this is the episode for you!

Paul’s 3 reasons why urologists should know about the menopause and HRT:

1. Simply because it will affect 50% of the population
2. Urologists need to know about conditions associated with Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause so they can adequately treat the urinary tract infections that they will encounter frequently in postmenopausal women.
3. We need to start recommending HRT to women as part of general health advice, just like you would suggest someone lose weight if it was impacting on their health. We should explain that the health risks of HRT have been overstated, and the benefits greatly outweigh the risks for the vast majority.

Professor Isaac Manyonda, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital in London, makes a welcome return to the podcast to discuss the important hormone, testosterone, with Dr Louise Newson. 

The experts discuss why awareness of testosterone in women is usually overshadowed by estrogen and they describe what type of symptoms can be greatly improved by replacing testosterone, as well as the different preparations available, licensing issues and challenges of accessing the medication on the NHS.  

Isaac’s top 3 tips if you’re considering testosterone: 

1. Understand that testosterone isn’t just a male hormone, it is a key female hormone, and tell your doctor this if they are unaware! 
2. Be clear (with your doctor) about what symptoms testosterone can help specifically that estrogen alone may not fully alleviate, such as brain fog, sleep disturbances, lack of energy, and low libido. 
3. If your usual doctor will not prescribe testosterone for you, look into what other NHS clinics in your region will, it can take a bit of finding out how to receive it. It should be something you can access via the NHS, but change is slow.

Dr Katy Munro was a GP partner in a Hertfordshire practice for many years and developed migraine in her 40s, around the time of her own perimenopause. This led to an interest in migraine and her involvement with the National Migraine Centre, first as a patient and then as a doctor. 

Katy now works as a GP Headache Specialist at the National Migraine Centre, a charity that raises awareness on migraine, shares information and advises how to manage it. In this podcast episode, she chats to Louise about what migraine is, dispels myths, and explains why migraine is not just simply a ‘bad headache’. The experts discuss the role of estrogen in migraine, other possible triggers, and ways to help minimise the onset, severity and frequency of migraine. This hugely useful conversation is a must-listen if you or a loved one experiences migraine. 

Katy has recently written a book on migraine, ‘Managing Your Migraine’, and it is available to buy now. 

Katy's 3 reasons to buy her book: 

1. Educate yourself on migraine and take control of it. 
2. There is hope, no matter what you’ve already tried there will be something else – you’re not at the end of the line. 
3. Migraine is genetic. Think about not just who you got it from, but who you’ll pass it on to. We need to learn more about how to help children who go on to develop migraine and there’s a chapter on this in my book.  National Migraine Centre - www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk  ‘Managing Your Migraine’, by Dr Katy Munro, is published by Penguin Life Experts and is out now.  

Dr Louise Newson’s new book, ‘Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause’ is now released by Penguin Life as part of the Penguin Life Experts series. Health journalist, Kat Keogh, worked with Dr Newson to write the book, and in this podcast episode they discuss the importance of creating factual and engaging information about the menopause, not just for women but their partners, children, friends and colleagues. 

Kat Keogh has worked as a health journalist for 15 years and currently writes for a nursing journal. She collaborated with Dr Newson on her first book in 2019, the Haynes Manual on the menopause, and Kat is passionate about writing to not only educate but empower women in their perimenopause and menopause journey. Now that she has all this knowledge from working with Dr Newson, she is better prepared for menopause than her grandmother was, whose only means of coping was to go and shout down a well at the bottom of her garden! 

Kat's 3 reasons to buy Dr Louise Newson’s new book: 

1. For women, it's all about empowerment. Have the knowledge to get the best treatment for you. 
2. For men, it’s a great window into understanding what’s happening in a woman’s life at this stage, whether that is your partner, friend or colleague. 
3. For a teenager, it will be an eye-opener. Teenage hormones and menopausal hormones can be an explosive combination. This book is very easy to read and can be digested in small chunks. 

'Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause' published by Penguin Life, is out now and has reached Amazon's Number 1 Best Seller on its launch day, 26th August.

Journalist, podcaster, and author Lorraine Candy, who is former Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan, Elle, Sunday Times Style, and Former Parenting Columnist for the Sunday Times Magazine. She co-hosts the chart-topping weekly podcast, ‘Postcards from Midlife’, with fellow journalist Trish Halpin. During lockdown Lorraine, 53, wrote the highly successful book, ‘Mum, What’s Wrong With You? 101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Know’, a family memoir of hilarious personal anecdotes and guidance from experts on adolescent mental health and parenting as a perimenopausal woman.

From teenage hormones to menopausal hormones, in this podcast episode Lorraine and Louise discuss the importance of educating women about the perimenopause and menopause, and revisit their experiences of battling the media to help bring the taboo topic to normality. Further in, Lorraine and Louise have an honest conversation about raising teenage girls in particular, and offer advice on how to keep your cool while keeping the channels of communication open.

Lorraine’s book is heartily recommended by Louise, a mum of teenage girls herself, and it is available to buy now, published by 4th Estate.

You can find Lorraine Candy on social at:

Instagram - @lorrainecandy

Twitter - @lorrainecandy

Facebook - @sundaytimesLorraine

World renowned Consultant Gynaecologist, Nick Panay, of Hormone Health, shares his past and current interests in hormone related issues such as menopause, pre-menstrual syndrome, progesterone intolerance and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

He describes ongoing areas within women’s hormone health where there continues to be huge unmet need and how, through training, he is seeking to overcome this, not just in the UK but globally through his work with the International Menopause Society.

Together, the experts discuss the importance of their roles in empowering women and supporting them to make their own choice about treatments and both agree that as a public health issue, the menopause requires a national approach that focusses on preventative rather than reactive medicine.

Nick’s 3 aims for global menopause care:

1. Women have ease of access to information about the menopause
2. Recommendations on hormone therapy and menopause care need to be updated and made applicable, globally, to all healthcare professionals
3. Receive funding for a definitive study on the best way to treat the menopause for all the benefits and no side effects or risks – that is the holy grail.

Find Nick on social media at:

Twitter - @HormoneHealth92

Facebook - @HormoneHealthClinics

Instagram - @hormonehealthuk

LinkedIn - Nick Panay

Website - https://hormonehealth.co.uk/

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Arabella Preston, co-founder of Votary skin company, about her background as a make-up artist and what prompted her to start creating cleansing and facial oils from her kitchen table.

Together they discuss how to best care for your skin and how to know what products to buy among the crowded skincare marketplace. Arabella discusses the almost taboo topic of female facial hair and how to deal with it. She also talks openly about recognising her own early signs of perimenopause and what she has learnt about the impact of hormone changes on the skin.

Arabella’s 3 top tips for looking after your skin:

1. Make sure you’re cleansing your skin properly using a non-foaming product and a proper face cloth, every day.
2. The best thing to do for your skin when it comes to anti-aging is to wear a good SPF (suncream) that suits your skin and wear it every day, all year round.
3. Explore active ingredients to help your skin, like retinol and retinoids, they are a vitamin A derivative and great for menopausal skin.

Find out more about Arabella’s cleansing and facial oils or her magic razors at the Votary website www.votary.co.uk

In this inspiring episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Anita Elawure, a women’s health advocate, who shares her startingly honest experience of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency since she was a teenager. After many years of trying to ignore her situation, she began to look into what it really meant, for her fertility and the impact of living in a postmenopausal state for the rest of her life. 

Anita decided to create a platform for her to share her experiences, in the hope that she and others wouldn't feel so alone, and provide a safe place that offered support and learning from others going through POI. Eighteen months ago, Anita founded Blossom Living with POI and, as her page says, “You have me. I have you. Together we blossom.” 

Anita’s top 3 tips: 

1. If you’re at the start of a journey with POI, find your support system. Get someone you can rely on emotionally, that can come to appointments with you or help you do research, because it’s so important. 
2. If you know someone facing POI, be there for them, tell them you’re here for them and ask what you can do to help. 
3. Sometimes it might feel like you’re going crazy. It’s OK. You’re not going crazy and your feelings are valid. Find ways to express yourself and take one day at a time. Advocate for yourself, understand your treatments, and know what you need to take care of yourself. 

Follow Anita and Blossom Living with POI on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube 

Gordan Lauc is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Chief Scientific Officer at GlycanAge. In this episode Dr Louise Newson feeds her inner geek and enjoys a fascinating conversation with Gordan as he describes his groundbreaking research into glycan molecules and their role in aging and disease processes. Even though scientist's understanding of the biological importance of glycans is still developing, ‘glycoscience’ has now become a vital field in life and medical sciences.

Aging is the accumulation of damage in your body over time, caused by a long-term over-activation of the immune system. Analysing your body’s glycan molecules is a way of discovering your biological age and helps you know whether your current lifestyle is optimal for good health as you age. It is possible to lower your biological age by changing your diet, exercise, sleep habits and stress levels.

Professor Lauc’s top 3 tips:

1. If you’re interested in finding out more about your biological age and future health, you can get a test from www.glycanage.com that uses a pinprick of your blood and analyses your glycans. You can receive a report that will advise you on healthier changes you might need to make to your habits and lifestyle.
2. Don’t be afraid of finding out more about your future health, it can be a very useful warning signal and potential negative changes to disease processes can be halted and reversed.
3. Nourish your health and take care of it. We were not made to live into our 80s or 90s, so invest in your health and do something about it. Do something today for the good of your health tomorrow.

GlycanAge is giving away a 15% discount to our listeners and donating a further 15% to @themenocharity for every test purchased with the code 'NEWSONHEALTH15'.

You can find Gordan Lauc on social media at:

Twitter: @gordanlauc

LinkedIn: gordanlauc

You can also find GlycanAge on social media at:

Instagram: glycanage

Twitter: glycanage

Website: https://glycanage.com/

Helen is a Functional Imagery Training (FIT) practitioner and weight loss coach who discovered FIT a couple of years ago and has been helping women to achieve lifestyle changes using this effective technique. FIT is a technique that supports behaviour change using mental imagery.

Coming from two decades of research showing that mental imagery is more strongly emotionally charged than other types of thought, FIT gives people a powerful tool to strengthen and sustain motivation to reach goals they value: weight loss, increased physical activity, or better sleep for example, which in turn leads to confidence and increased self-esteem. Women often experience weight gain, lethargy, or low mood around the perimenopause and the menopause which can lead to a negative cycle of poor choices, comfort eating and misery!

Living through the pandemic and associated lockdowns with all the extra stresses it has brought has also made healthy living harder for some. FIT uses mental imagery blended with motivational interviewing (a type of empathetic counselling/coaching) to help clients identify the health and fitness challenges they face now and how they would like to feel in the future. FIT is about mindset change, not a diet technique. It teaches people to imagine in a detailed way what it feels like and looks like to achieve their ideal selves and how that will benefit their health, and also benefit the people closest to them. FIT enables people to imagine in detail the steps they have chosen to reach their ideal selves. 

Helen's 3 take-home tips: 

1. Don’t see change in a negative way. We tend to focus on the things we have to give up when thinking about changes we need to make to lose weight, get fitter, have a more balanced sleep, work, or play routine. But if we can look more at the positive benefits to come out of changes to our lifestyle and plan manageable steps that don’t feel like we are denying ourselves everything we enjoy, the changes will be positive and enjoyable. 
2. Weight gain, along with symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause such as poor sleep, brain fog, or lethargy often leave women feeling depressed and self-critical. We can sometimes feel we have little control over the changes and beat ourselves up over what we may perceive as 'letting ourselves go'. Don’t beat yourself up, acknowledge that it can be a difficult time and it is not a weakness of character or an inevitable slippery slope. Talk to someone, a friend, an expert, a FIT practitioner or coach. You are not alone!
3. Prioritise yourself. In the words of RuPaul, ‘if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love someone else!’ We are used to putting family and others first and sometimes forget (or just don’t consider) our own needs. Try to put some time into your day when you just focus on yourself, take a walk, read a book, listen to music, but above all take a moment to ask yourself, ‘am I looking after myself? What do I need? How do I feel and how do I want to feel?’ After all, no one else can look after you as well as you can look after you.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Professor James Simon as they take a deeper look at our bones and discuss osteoporosis: what happens to your bone strength during the menopause, what are the risk factors for developing osteoporosis and what we can all do to try and prevent it. 

Professor Simon's 3 top tips for keeping your bones strong and healthy are: 

1. Have adequate calcium from your diet and if you're lactose intolerant (or vegan) you may need to take calcium supplements spread throughout the day. 
2. Take good care of your skin by using sun block and a hat, but try and get the vitamin D you need through time in the sun and from fortified foods. 
3. Do regular weight-bearing exercise that impacts through your bones as you hold your own body weight during the activity. 

If you have a male partner, this episode is definitely one for them too. Dr Jeff Foster is a GP and Men's Health specialist who shares an interest with Dr Newson in hormones and the effects of them - or lack of them - on our lives and future health.

Together they discuss what makes up the specialities of Men's Health and Women's Health, and explain why seeing the bigger picture - one that looks at the whole person - is crucial to understanding and treating hormone deficiencies. Dr Foster discusses testosterone in men and how symptoms of low testosterone can mirror some menopausal symptoms. They discuss the benefits of testosterone on wider aspects of health, and caution is shared about the worrying popularity in some young men to use steroids and newer unregulated drugs such as SARMs.

Dr Foster's advice to women is to look at the men in your life and see if they're struggling with similar symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, or low libido, and give them a nudge to speak to their doctor.

Dr Foster's 3 tips for men are:

1. If you think you may have low testosterone, fill in the Adam Score which is 10 simple questions that indicate whether this might be a problem. Fill in the Adam Score here.
2. Go and speak to your doctor if you are showing symptoms of low testosterone, don't be tempted to book a testosterone test yourself online.
3. If your test results come back normal but you continue to have symptoms, try and see a Men's Health specialist doctor for further investigation and discussion.

Dr Foster's website is www.drjefffoster.co.uk and you can follow him on social media:

Instagram @drjefffoster

Twitter @doctor_jef

The British Society of Sexual Medicine has some useful guidance for healthcare professionals on managing testosterone deficiency, read this here.

Emily Fisher had always known her mother experienced an early menopause and was wary the same could happen to her. When she went to the doctors with her concerns, she was merely given the advice to 'have children young', but she wasn't ready to take this step in her early 20s and decided to look into her fertility options. Investigations did indeed confirm her fears and with the help of a fertility specialist with an interest in POI, she was able to become pregnant. 

After having twins, Emily suffered with multiple symptoms that could have been explained away as related to post-pregnancy hormones, but she knew there was more to it. Specialists offered conflicting advice on how best to manage her very low mood, brain fog and hot flushes. With the help of a POI specialist, Emily had to advocate for herself to get the right type and dose of HRT, and she's now becoming more confident to talk to family and friends about what she has gone through and about the treatment she takes. 

 Emily's tips for young women who may have POI: 

1. Find out your family history, ask your mother, aunties, cousins, grandmothers what age they were when they started menopause. If any of them had it when young, try and speak to a healthcare professional about it. If you're having any trouble getting pregnant, act early and if you can afford it, see a fertility specialist that specialises in POI. 

2. Do not give up! If you think something's not right, see another doctor if you have to, or a nurse specialist.  

3. Talk to you partner, tell your friends and family. Don't be embarrassed, we need more women to speak about this. Doing this will help you feel less alone.

You can follow Emily on Instagram at @motheringandthemenopause 

Back for a second time on the podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by yoga teacher, Claudia Brown who runs workshops at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.  Claudia is an Om Yoga magazine columnist and runs classes, workshops and retreats in Cheshire and the West Midlands. She is currently launching, ‘The Ultimate Wellness Experience – Mindfulness and Menopause.’  She also works with professional footballers, teaching yoga at a number of football clubs!  Together, Dr Newson and Claudia discuss mindfulness, what it is and what it isn’t, why compassion and embodied cognition are so important during your menopause journey, and they discover that Louise is actually an advanced mindfulness practitioner!   

Claudia’s 3 Top Tips for your mindfulness practice are as follows, 

1. STOP.  Build time into your day / schedule to stop, breathe, move, and treat it like you would treat an important meeting. 
2. Make an event of it!  When you have decided what works for you (for eg, a mindful shower or a mindful walk) really make an event of it and take in all 5 senses, sound, sight, taste, touch and smell) 
3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF!  Tame that Inner Critic and remember, you can have awareness but without compassion it isn’t mindfulness. 

1. Greater recognition of the impact of perimenopause and menopause on women's lives
2. More education for women and healthcare professionals alike
3. Better support for women and professionals working with menopausal women.

This episode features a very open and honest account from GP and Newson Health doctor, Melanie Martins. Mel was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34 and, after a further diagnosis and chemotherapy, found herself 'flung' into the menopause with very little warning or discussion with the health professionals caring for her at the time. 

Dr Martins shares with Dr Louise Newson why she believes every woman's experience of breast cancer is unique to them and a 'one size fits all' approach must be avoided. She shares about her own quest for help with persistent and worsening genitourinary symptoms and the psychological process of navigating evidence and making a decision to take vaginal estrogen, when she had avoided contact with this hormone for years. 

Dr Martin's 3 pieces of advice for women experiencing menopause after breast cancer are: 

• Read this booklet and listen to the podcasts on menopause doctor website: https://d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/601/Been%20through%20breast%20cancer%20(with%20links).pdf

• If you're troubled by vulval and vaginal symptoms, stop using soap or shower gel and use an emollient wash instead. You can buy this over the counter in any chemist. These symptoms tend to worsen over time, don't struggle on and get desperate, seek help for them. Vaginal estrogen is safe, it can be used in the long term, alongside HRT, or on it's own. 

• Find accurate information about menopause and treatments after breast cancer. And then make a decision that's right for you and you alone. You need to be at peace with that decision, and remember it's not set in stone forever. We can only make decisions based on the information we have and how we feel at the time, so don't look back with regret about what you did or didn't decide to do. 

1. Go and see your doctor if you're suffering. Tell them you need to know more about your treatment options and get advice. Ask them to discuss HRT with you rather than it being quickly dismissed.

2. Not sleeping is a serious lifestyle and medical issue. Don't put up with it, the long-term effects on your health from a lack of sleep are considerable.

3. Going through the menopause and being an older woman can be great. You can be more confident, you receive less unwanted attention from men, you don't have to worry about getting pregnant, there are so many upsides. Don't accept the consequences of menopause when you can have another 20, 30, or even 40 years of a great life ahead of you.

Newson Health celebrates its 100th podcast episode with the Clinical Director of Newson Health, Dr Rebecca Lewis. When Dr Louise Newson began these podcasts with the aim of reaching more women, she didn’t envisage doing more than 10 episodes, let alone 100! 

In this emotional episode, Dr Lewis and Dr Newson reflect on their joint menopause mission to help women globally with the perimenopause and menopause, as they talk about how their worlds have dramatically changed from being GPs within the NHS, to owning and running the largest menopause clinic in the world. 

Their joint aims for the next decade:

1. See more women getting the right treatment for their menopause. Currently, only 14% of women in the UK take HRT despite it holding benefits for many more women. The Newson Health doctors would like to see 60 - 70% of women receive this safe and effective treatment.

2. Continue to raise the profile of perimenopause and menopause, not only medically but in society - especially in the workplace.

3. Raise the profile of menopause globally; many countries don't have a word for it let alone access to treatment.

Journalist and menopause activist, Kate Muir joins Dr Louise Newson in this podcast episode to discuss Kate's experience of her own menopause journey and what propelled her to make the Channel 4 documentary, Sex, Myths and Menopause.

Kate shares how she struggled to find the right information about her symptoms and HRT, and after an unsuccessful spell taking compounded bioidentical hormones, she was shocked to realise how little advice was out there and how limited healthcare professionals' knowledge is of up-to-date treatments. Kate thought if she, as an educated woman with an enquiring mind was fumbling in the dark, how much harder is it for other women from all walks of life to get the right menopause care and treatment?

Kate's 3 messages for listeners:

1. Body identical HRT saves your life, it saves your work, it saves your relationships, it makes your body work. It's fantastic.
2. The research on the long-term benefits of HRT is fascinating. If you're in a family with a history of osteoporosis, heart disease, or dementia, I would be paying very close attention to the evidence on the benefits of taking body identical HRT for your future health.
3. Tell your story. Every woman has a unique story to tell of their perimenopause or menopause. We need to talk about it more and more.

Davina McCall makes a welcomed return appearance to the Newson Health podcast to discuss what she has learnt from making Channel 4's taboo-smashing documentary, 'Sex, Myths and Menopause'. Dr Newson and Davina discuss a broad range of topics such as the role of estrogen in our bodies, types of HRT, the huge need for more research, and the gaps in menopause care across the country. 

If you listen to this episode when first released, please note Davina's documentary airs on Channel 4 on Wednesday 12th May at 9pm. 

Davina's 3 reasons to watch her documentary: 

• Someone you love, someone you know, or someone you work with will be going through what this programme is about. You may end up with a much greater understanding of that person 
• If you're pro-women, in any way, there are ways you can get out there and make a noise for positive change. 
• You will be informed about something that half the nation will go through. Everybody should know about it 

Dr Newson speaks with Professor Robert Langer in this episode. Robert Langer is Professor Emeritus in Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California in San Diego. He was also an investigator of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study. Together, they discuss how the WHI Study from 2002 turned the world upside down for women and how they have both been trying to right it ever since.

Professor Langer describes in detail what was understood about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy before the WHI study, how the notorious study came about and why it was finished prematurely and so badly misreported in the media. His unique account of how the events unfolded helps listeners to understand the bigger picture of why healthcare professionals and women remain unaware of the benefits of HRT and are often overly cautious of the perceived risks to this day.

Professor Langer's 3 top tips are:

1. All of the evidence shows that for women who are within 10 years of their menopause, or under the age of 60, if she has reason to take HRT, there is absolutely no need to be concerned about HRT. For these women the benefits strongly outweigh the risks.

2. There's no reason to stop taking HRT at any age, if you've been taking it from the time of your perimenopause or within 10 years of your menopause.

3. With a knowledgeable practitioner, there's no reason that a woman who is past her menopause or over 60, can't start taking HRT, as long as the clinician is aware of how to start slowly and get hormone levels to the right point.

Dr Newson has a fascinating conversation with Kay Anderson, a woman in her 80s who began taking HRT after a hysterectomy in 1972, when she was only 36. Kay remembers the frightening and devastating depression that suddenly engulfed her, as a mum with 3 young children, and how her gynaecologist agreed to use her as a 'guinea pig' and let her have some HRT.

They discuss the different types of HRT that Kay has taken and prescribing trends over the last 50 years, and Dr Newson explains how safe modern types of estrogen is through the skin, and how it can protect the health of your heart, bones and mind as you age. Kay has been the only one of her friends to take HRT and is also the only one who doesn't have to take any other medications!

Kay's top 3 tips:

1. See another doctor if they won't give you HRT or try and make you stop taking it.
2. Don't feel pressured to stop taking it, because if you do you will probably be right back where you started.
3. Tell your friends and family what you want, so they can support you to get the right help for you.

Lorraine Kelly joins Dr Louise Newson in this podcast episode and they discuss their shared experience of talking about the menopause on that infamous couch!

Lorraine talks openly about her own menopause and how treatment radically changed her work life, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Every time menopause is discussed on Lorraine's show, they have an overwhelming response from women who are struggling with their symptoms and can't get the help they need.

Dr Newson outlines some of the ways she is trying to counteract the misinformation around HRT and general lack of awareness from the public and healthcare professionals. They discuss how attitudes are slowly changing around menopause and share their frustrations at the uphill battle they face in trying to get more help for more women.

Lorraine's top 3 tips for women who are thinking about getting help:

1. Get all the information you can and read up on everything you might need to know.
2. Don't be fobbed off when you go and try and get help. Remember you're doing it for you, to feel better, but you're also doing it for everyone that loves you.
3. If you're given HRT and you don't think it's working , don't give up, keep trying with it, or discuss changing the dose or type, it might take a while to find what suits you. Just go for it and be empowered.

Follow Lorraine on Instagram - @Lorrainekellysmith

Just before her 40th birthday, Caroline was given the unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer. The grueling treatments brought on the menopause and she endured a miserable seven years as a 'functional wreck'. Nine years on, Caroline reflects on this experience. She describes her search for help for the awful menopausal symptoms that were making her feel so unlike her usual, outgoing self and shares how she came to the decision to take HRT, despite being surrounded by advice to the contrary. Dr Newson outlines the complex and little understood relationship between breast cancer and estrogen, and reminds listeners that once accurate information is shared, the choice about menopause treatments after breast cancer ultimately belongs to the individual.

Caroline's three tips:

1. Keep an honest record of how you are really feeling and look back on it. If you notice menopausal symptoms and you're just getting through the day, see your doctor. If they suggest antidepressants, don't agree straight away, find out more about how effective they are for menopausal women.
2. Talk to someone who specialises in the menopause, even better, someone who treats menopausal women who've had breast cancer. Then you know you're getting gold standard information.
3. Don't beat yourself up if all you're worried about is the cancer coming back. It's normal to feel like that. But also allow yourself the possibility of a better, brighter future. You need to know there is hope and help out there - you deserve it.

Food and health writer, Sam Rice joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode to discuss eating well in midlife. Sam tells of her unconventional route into nutrition and wellness, and how living in Bali inspired her to write the Midlife Kitchen with her good friend and best-selling author Mimi Spencer.

After the success of the Midlife Kitchen, Sam has recently published her follow up book, The Midlife Method, which supports women who have made the transition to healthier eating but struggle to shift the weight they would like to lose. She urges us to turn away from toxic diet cultures and worrying about our dress size, and focus more on our microbiomes, and having a healthy, happy gut.

Sam’s three top tips are:

1. Think about the balance of food you’re eating, you don’t need to cut out whole groups of food, just focus on your complex carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats.
2. In your regular exercise routines, don’t forget to include strength training with weights and resistance, as well as your cardio activities like walking or Zumba.
3. Embrace eating with awareness. Give yourself permission to eat well and allow yourself to enjoy food.

The Midlife Kitchen: Health Boosting Recipes for Midlife & Beyond

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midlife-Kitchen-health-boosting-recipes-midlife/dp/1784723185

The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight & Look Great After 40

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midlife-Method-weight-great-after/dp/147227893

Instagram: @midlifekitchen

Blog: http://www.midlifemethod.co.uk 

In this episode, Dr Newson has a lively discussion with Heather Hirsch, the Clinical Programme Director for the Menopause and Midlife Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Heather was shocked to see, during her fellowship, that what was being taught about menopause principles and care was actually wrong and realised that menopause was the biggest gap in women’s healthcare across America.

The experts discuss the problem of unregulated compounded bioidentical hormones and the reasons why 2-3 thirds of American women use this type of non-approved hormone treatment, rather than FDA approved body identical HRT that is prescribed by doctors in the UK. They reflect on the shift away from using HRT over the last 2 decades, and the devastating consequences to women’s health because of this, and offer practical advice on how to educate other healthcare professionals to unlearn the pervasive myth that estrogen is dangerous.

Heather’s three take away messages are:

1. Medical students should spend time with a menopause doctor and see how they help women.

1. Menopause care is a team effort and a global effort; everyone has to come together.

1. Tell a friend,  colleague or family member about evidence-based sources of menopause information such as podcasts, youtube channels, or social media. Help spread the truth about HRT.

IG @hormone.health.doc

Website: heatherhirschmd.com

YouTube: Health by Heather Hirsch 

Podcast: Women's Health by Heather Hirsch 

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to Hayley Etherington, a young woman who has been menopausal since the age of 14.

Hayley talks openly with Dr Newson about her experience and how, even though she was given HRT as a teenager, she has been struggling with many different symptoms for so many years. Hayley's GP didn't make the connection between her symptoms and her menopause diagnosis and never suggested that she may be on the wrong type or dose of HRT.

Since having a virtual consultation with Dr Newson at the Newson Health clinic, Hayley is now on a new regime of HRT and says she feels like a new person, one who feels well and is full of energy.

Hayley has decided that now is the time to speak out about her premature menopause which she held inside for 25 years, in the hope that it may help others who are experiencing something similar.

Hayley's Three Take Home Tips:

1. You know your body - not the doctor. Be persistent if you feel you are not getting the right help.
2. Get a second opinion, try other GPs or see a menopause specialist if you can.
3. Find your tribe of ladies. There is support out there for you - you are not alone.

Follow Hayley on Instagram: @prematuremenopause14

Read Hayley's blog: https://hayleysmenopause14.blogspot.com/ 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Rushna Mia about her menopause experience and how she is aiming to increase awareness of the menopause and support for women and their families within her local Asian community. 

Rushna works in a primary school, is a busy mother of 4, grandmother of a 3-year-old and helps run her family’s businesses. She is passionate about supporting women within her community and takes a lead in various women’s groups. Rushna describes the particular issue of the menopause as a taboo within Asian communities and says it is mostly swept under the carpet and not spoken about. 

It took Rushna around 8 years to recognise that the symptoms she was experiencing were due to the menopause and the doctors she saw did not raise this possibility either. After seeing Dr Sarah Ball at the Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre and feeling so much better on the right treatment, Rushna now wants other women to know the right help is available. 

Rushna's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Use social media, there’s lots of free information out there that can be really helpful regarding your symptoms. 
2. Speak to your GP or try the Nurse again, ask if there are any local women’s groups. 
3. Women should work together to help other women and their families. It's important that everyone knows that help and support is available. 

Professor Isaac Manyonda is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital in London with a major interest in the menopause.

In this very detailed discussion, Prof Isaac and Dr Newson talk about the huge benefits of oestrogen in HRT and how many ways oestrogen can improve future health and prevent disease. They discuss the misinformation and misunderstanding of HRT over the last 20 years and how this has led to so many women being inappropriately denied HRT.

Prof Isaac also speaks very eloquently about the perceived risks of HRT and also how oestrogen on its own can lead to a lower future risk of developing breast cancer and also dying from breast cancer. Dr Newson says that the information discussed in this podcast is evidence based and it is essential that all women listen carefully! 

Professor Isaac Manyonda's Three Take Home Tips:

1. HRT prevents many of the health problems that women can develop after the menopause and it does so in a very simple, cheap and effective way.
2. In terms of the menopausal symptoms that women often experience, there is no better intervention than HRT.
3. Here is a hormone that is essentially like  'magic bullet' - it really can help improve quality of life.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Chris Mann, a consultant gynaecologist and one of the world's leading experts in endometriosis. Chris has received extensive training in many countries in the surgical treatment of endometriosis from some of the world's leading laparoscopic surgeons. He talks to Dr Newson about this condition, which affects around 10% of women and explains how, for many women, it takes seven years for a diagnosis. Far too many women do not seek medical help and those that do are often dismissed and given inappropriate advice or treatment. 

Chris and Dr Newson talk about the different treatment options available for endometriosis and how women with endometriosis can be given different types of HRT during the perimenopause and menopause. He recommends that any woman who is not receiving adequate help should persevere and see another doctor. 

We are releasing this podcast the first week in March to coincide with Endometriosis Awareness Month. Taking place across the world, Endometriosis Month exists to help increase awareness and highlight the symptoms of this debilitating condition that affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide. 

Chris Mann's Three Take Home Tips: 

1. If you suspect that you may have endometriosis and the symptoms are negatively impacting your life then please seek help. Too many women suffer in silence.
2. If you are not getting anywhere with your GP then you can ask for a second opinion. If you still are not getting the right help then book a private consultation with a specialist, if you can afford it. A specialist can then write to your GP and advise them on your treatment going forward.
3. Don't give up! For too long, too many women have been fobbed off. It isn't something to just 'put up with' and there are now more of us out there that want to help.

Visit Chris Mann's website: https://www.theendometriosisclinic.com/christopher-mann/ 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is delighted to chat to Dr Tosin Taiwo who is a doctor currently in his third year of GP training. Dr Tosin has an orthopaedic background as he used to work as an orthopaedic registrar before changing to general practice. Since beginning his training as a GP, Dr Tosin has developed a keen interest in lifestyle medicine. 

Dr Tosin discusses menopause education for GPs and how much he learnt from Dr Newson's 'Confidence in the Menopause' online education programme with FourteenFish. He feels like it should be renamed the “epiphany video”!

Despite his busy career in General Practice, Dr Tosin also hosts his own Podcast series, called 'Dr Tosin's Podcast - Healthy Living Beyond Medicine.' 

Dr Tosin's Three Take Home Tips for fellow GPs in training:

1. Watch Dr Newson’s 'Confidence in the Menopause' video in the FourteenFish programme
2. HRT reduces the future risk of Cardiovascular disease in women who take HRT, within 10 years of the menopause, by up to 50% 
3. Always have perimenopause/ menopause in mind when seeing women in their mid 40s, especially those that present with non-specific symptoms or 'tired all the time' symptoms  

Listen to Dr Tosin's Podcast here

Find Dr Tosin on Instagram: @dioscuri2

YouTube: Dr Tosin

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson and Newson Health nutritionist, Emma Ellice-Flint discuss habits that might help with weight loss and general weight balance.  

During the UK’s third lockdown, many women are finding it difficult to feel motivated to exercise and eat well. Many are having to home school their children; some are working harder than ever due to the pandemic. Plus the UK’s winter weather discourages outside exercise and movement.  

Dr Newson and Emma discuss what a woman might do to try and help herself during this time. In particular they discuss the link between what a person eats and their mood and energy. Emma talks about prebiotic foods that help to feed the good gut microbes, such as rocket, garlic, onion, leek and more. They also discuss some healthy eating ideas and meals that the kids/teens at home might like too! 

Emma's Three Take Home Tips for Weight Balance:

1. Avoid snacking in the evenings - Eat a satisfying evening meal so that the craving for snacking into the evening is less. The habit of evening snacking is more likely to lead to weight gain, than at any other time. 
2. Avoid alcohol - Drinking alcohol regularly can contribute to weight gain.
3. Where possible, try to make your own food rather than buy in pre-prepared food. This way you can be in control of what exactly goes into your meals. 

Emma is a Nutritionist and former chef. She works at Newson Health seeing clients for nutrition/food, weight balance and gastrointestinal health related issues. She runs monthly online food and health workshops, plus she shares her recipes regularly on social media and on her website. 

Find Emma on Instagram here: @emmas_nutrition 

Facebook: @emmasnutrition 

 https://emmasnutrition.com 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Emma McAuley, a young woman who was thrust into a medical menopause at age 24, after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. 

Emma speaks openly to Dr Newson about her experience and how she was told very little about the menopause before her treatment. Emma expected a few hot flushes and instead experienced a vast range of menopause related symptoms and issues. 

Dr Newson and Emma also discuss their first meeting at an event held by young adult cancer support charity, Trekstock. Dr Newson was speaking at the event, titled 'Lifting the Lid on Cancer and the Menopause' and Emma talks about the effect it's had on her to finally feel safe enough to ask questions and be able to get the correct advice.

Emma's Three Take Home Tips:

1. In terms of hot flushes - layers are your friend! Even in the winter, wear items that are easy to take off and put back on.
2. Speak to everyone you can - whether that's your peers or a medical professional. Knowing you are not alone can be a huge help.
3. Even though other people around you may be complaining about their periods - it's okay to miss having your own. Talk to your friends about how you are feeling.

Take a look at this booklet from Dr Newson - 'A Young Woman's Guide to Menopause After Treatment for Cancer'

Dr Annice Mukherjee is a U.K. hormone specialist with almost 3 decades of experience in hospital medicine. From the early days, her specialism in hormones has always focussed on optimising quality of life in hormone diseases, imbalances and deficiencies. Her knowledge helped her hugely when she went through an early menopause due to a cancer diagnosis ten years ago.

Annice is the author of “The Complete Guide to the Menopause” which is hot off the press, having been published by Penguin Random House on 28th January. 

In this episode, Dr Newson and Annice discuss how different hormones in the body interact with each other and the importance of using holistic approaches in managing menopause alongside HRT, as well as for those of you who do not take it. She emphasises that in the context of today’s world, lifestyle approaches are all the more important and should be adopted by every women in menopause to optimise wellbeing and long-term health.   

Annice’s Three Take Home Tips:

1. Menopause affects every system in the human body and all hormones interact with each other. Improving your overall health can help with hormone balance and your menopause experience. Understanding how to do this is key. 
2. Stress is more prevalent and relentless in today’s world and acknowledging and addressing your stress, even with tiny lifestyle tweaks, downtime and applying selfcare can be transforming, both in terms of menopause symptoms and your overall health. 
3. Exercise, good nutrition, good sleep habits, stress management and some complementary therapies can work as well as, or better than the many of the alternatives to HRT and don’t have any of the down sides or side effects. 

You can buy Annice’s book here: https://linktr.ee/annicemd 

 Find Annice on Instagram:  @the.hormone.doc

Facebook: @thehormonedoc

Amanda Thebe is a personal trainer and nutrition coach, with nearly 3 decades in the health and wellness industry. She is the author of 'Menopocalypse: How I Learned To Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too!' Dr Newson actually helped Amanda with the HRT chapter in the book. Amanda (who is British) joins Dr Newson from her home in Texas, USA. 

In this episode, Dr Newson and Amanda discuss how menopause awareness differs across the Atlantic, yet despite our different medical organizations, women still are not being helped through menopause. Women are still being dismissed by doctors or misdiagnosed, so there is still much work to do. As well as a discussion about the role of HRT in menopause management, they discuss the importance of lifestyle changes that are integral to supporting menopause and bulletproofing women into aging against the major diseases like diabetes, CVD, osteoporosis and Alzheimers. 

They also discuss: 

• Living a movement based life vs a sedentary life. 
• Knowing there is an entry point into exercise for everybody. 
• Making small changes that develop into lifelong habits. 
• Simplifying nutrition to support your body. 
• Cutting through misformation in the health and wellness world 
• Adding things of benefit rather than deprivation and restriction. 

Amanda Thebe's Three Reasons to Buy Her Book:

1. It's giving you knowledge and knowledge is power!
2. There is a 12 week strength training programme in the book - it's great for during lockdown.
3. The book contains advice on how to age resiliently. This is about how to live your life based on your strengths!

Buy Amanda's book 'Menopocalypse' here: www.fitnchips.com/books/

Find Amanda on Instagram: @amanda.thebe

Chris Oglesby is the chief executive of Bruntwood, which remains a family-owned and run company founded on a belief that its success comes from the success of its colleagues, customers and the communities in which it operates. He works tirelessly helping cities such as Manchester to thrive in many ways including by improving health inequalities, funding research and by supporting cultural and community initiatives.  

Chris talks to Dr Newson about how his wife, Jane, really struggled during her perimenopause and menopause and how difficult it was for him to watch her experience various symptoms. He also speaks openly about his sister, who also found it difficult to receive adequate help and treatment for her menopause. 

Dr Newson and Chris explore ways in which menopause in the workplace can be addressed to improve organisations and also about how poor menopause care is a global health problem which urgently needs to be addressed. 

Chris Oglesby's Three Take Home Tips for employers:

1. Start with your own awareness, do your research and learn more about how the menopause may affect your staff. 
2. Then you can roll out a programme of awareness within your business to benefit all colleagues, both male and female.
3. Look at pathways into providing your female staff with high quality treatment and menopause advice.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dinah Siman who is a Yoga and Pilates teacher and the founder of Menopause Pilates.

Dinah chats to Dr Newson about the history of Pilates and how the method arrived in the UK with Alan Herdman, and how it is now established as a tried and tested system for functional body work.  Dr Newson shares her experience of Pilates during her last pregnancy and talks with Dinah about the huge benefits of muscle strengthening, bone loading, flexibility and proprioception it brings during menopause and beyond, and the focus on breathing and pelvic floor health. 

Dinah also talks to Dr Newson about the one-day Menopause Pilates course that she has have created for Pilates teachers and fitness professionals. The course contains evidence based information and exercise and educational resources and will be launching early in 2021. Dinah has been teaching Pilates to women in the menopausal transition for over 23 years, this combined with her own experience of menopause and passion for sharing menopause education has resulted in this unique one-day course.   

Dinah's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Try to view the menopause as an opportunity to learn Pilates, it will also benefit your long term health and fitness. 
2. If possible, start learning Pilates with a 1:1 session or shared private lesson for a bespoke approach, before joining a class.
3. And finally - give it time.  It can seem like learning a new language and that doesn't happen overnight, so have patience!

Follow Dinah on Instagram: @menopausepilates

Email: dinahsiman@gmail.com

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Kate Halfpenny, who was a celebrity stylist and designer for over 20 years. Kate now has a globally successful, British-made bridal brand, Halfpenny London, which she launched in early 2000.

Kate had her first and only child, Sylvester, at 40 and talks to Dr Newson about how her perimenopausal symptoms started a year or two after that. Now 45 and 6 months into her body identical HRT regime from Dr Newson and Newson Health, she has started to feel like the powerhouse she once was, managing to keep a few balls in the air again and not struggling as much to communicate and be the business woman/mother/wife/friend she knew she could be. 

Kate Halfpenny's three Take Home Tips and signs that you may have low hormone levels:

1. If you're experiencing unexplained fatigue even after a good night's sleep then it may be down to your hormones.
2. Another sign can be a lack of mental clarity, if you are struggling to multitask or concentrate on more than one thing at once.
3. Loss of libido - this is also a common symptom of the perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Nadia Sawalha. Nadia is a well-known British actress and TV presenter and has been part of Loose Women from the outset. While talking to Dr Newson, Nadia is very open and candid about her menopause experience and how frightened she was. She talks about how she has always been a very positive and outgoing person and found herself becoming very negative and argumentative. She has had some very dark thoughts which, understandably, were very scary to her. 

Nadia talks to Dr Newson about how little she knew about menopause in the past and how important it is that women have access to evidence-based information and treatment. Nadia is determined to talk more openly going forwards to educate more women about the symptoms and also the numerous health risks associated with low hormone levels. 

Nadia Sawalha's Three Take Home Tips:

1. As women we have to talk about it, share information and be open to changing our minds about the menopause and HRT.
2. Spread positive messages and don't be judgemental about the choices of other women.
3. We need to challenge the myths and negativity surrounding the menopause and HRT. 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Lavinia Winch, Ambassador for YES organic vaginal moisturisers and lubricants and a patient representative for all aspects of women’s gynaecological health, but especially for menopausal urogenital symptoms.  

Lavinia shares her story and talks openly about the 30 years of misdiagnosed vaginal and vulval symptoms which were eventually resolved by choosing responsibly formulated lubricants and vaginal moisturisers. Also touched on is Lavinia’s diagnosis of endometrial cancer, and the importance of recognising the signs and symptoms, of which the most common is post-menopausal bleeding.  

Dr Newson and Lavinia discuss the lack of progress since 2000 in terms of healthcare professionals’ training and treatment of menopausal symptoms, both for vaginal health and for the wider range of symptoms. 

The difference between bio-identical unregulated hormone therapy and the regulated body identical HRT available on the NHS is another topic covered, and the importance of women using self-knowledge and seeking evidence-based information in order to work collaboratively with GPs to reach individualised solutions. 

Lavinia’s Three Take Home Tips:

1. Be aware of the main menopausal symptoms but particularly those relating to urogenital function.
2. Learn about the make-up of our vaginas and vulvas and how to maintain a healthy intimate environment.
3. Seek out a GP or specialist who has a real interest in women’s health and continue until you get the help and support that’s right for you. Don’t give up! 

Tim Spector is a Professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College in London and also co-founder of Zoe. In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Tim about his newly published book, Spoon-Fed. This ground-breaking and informative book really leads the reader to question their current diet and their relationship with food.

Dr Newson and Tim discuss the importance of gut health and gut biodiversity, in particular with respect to our mental and physical health. Many diseases could be prevented by having the right knowledge of food and cooking from scratch rather than eating processed foods. They also talk about simple ways to improve health and nutrition. We are all individuals and our way of eating can be individualised to optimise our health. 

Tim Spector's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Try and eat 30 plants a week, that includes nuts, seeds and herbs. Think diverse!
2. Have some fermented foods every day. Think the Three K's: Kombucha, Kefir and Kimchi but also yoghurt and cheese.
3.  Look at fasting and the timing of how you eat. The longer you can rest your microbes overnight, the better your metabolism is. Trying to rest between 12 and 14 hours a night can really help you.

Click here to find out more about Tim's new book 'Spoon-Fed'

Find Tim on Instagram: @tim.spector

Twitter: @timspector

Dr Louise Newson is delighted to welcome Victoria Duddles, solicitor and Principal Associate at Weightmans LLP.  Dr Newson and Victoria Duddles first met when they were both guest speakers at a Birmingham CIPD event all about menopause in the workplace.

In this podcast, Victoria talks with Dr Newson about the employment law implications for employers when managing and supporting women in the workplace who are going through the menopause and in particular how the Equality Act 2010 may apply.

Victoria Duddles' Three Take Home Tips for employers:

1. Put in place menopause policies and training and communicate these with your workforce.
2. Make sure the menopause conversation is open for all staff, but especially for those during discussions about performance or absence.
3. There are lots of resources available for employers, from bodies such as CIPD and ACAS. As a manger or even supervisor, you can look at these and educate yourself on how to best support the women in your workplace.

Instagram: @weightmans_law

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Rebecca Gibbs, an Obstetrics and Gynaecological Consultant at The Royal Free Hospital in London. Dr Gibbs is also an ambassador for The Daisy Network, a charity dedicated to providing information and support to women diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

In this podcast, Dr Gibbs and Dr Newson have an in-depth conversation about the challenges of being diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (premature menopause) whilst going through fertility treatment. They also discuss the reality of menopause education for gynaecologists in the U.K. and why it’s so important that women take their HRT when diagnosed with the menopause younger than expected. 

Dr Rebecca Gibbs' Three Take Home Tips for women dealing with POI:

1. Take your HRT. You may well feel much better. 
2. Take your HRT. It’ll prevent long term health problems.
3. Don’t be afraid to push for the help that you need when dealing with healthcare professionals.

Find out more about The Daisy Network: www.daisynetwork.org

admin@daisynetwork.org.uk 

In this episode of the Newson Health podcast series, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Sarah Hillman, a GP and clinical lecturer in Primary Care at the University of Warwick.

Sarah talks about a piece of research she has recently published that looks at HRT prescriptions in England. The research shows that women in deprived areas are less likely to be prescribed HRT and Sarah talks to Dr Newson about why this matters. 

Sarah and Dr Newson also discuss a menopause event at Warwick University and how important engagement is within women’s workplaces. 

Dr Sarah Hillman's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Speak to your GP about your menopause, and ask which GP has an interest in women’s health.
2. Have a look online for evidence-based research. including the new Balance app.
3. Make time to think about your body and how to get help through the menopause, it’s hard to always find time, but you need to be well in order to look after others and function at work.   

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Kaye Adams, a radio and television presenter and regular panellist on ITV's Loose Women. Kaye has recently co-authored the book called Still Hot in which 42 women have written about their own menopause experiences. 

Kaye and Dr Newson talk about the ways journalists and the media obtain their information and how, for many years, any information they have obtained about the menopause has been incorrect. They also discuss how the incorrect prescribing of antidepressants is so common for menopausal women and how this can be reduced in the future. 

Kaye talks openly about her own menopause experience and the reservations she had. She talks about how she came to consider HRT because she's the type of person who needs to read and ascertain the research, which she found to be so different from what she, like many women, had wrongly been told in the past. 

Kaye's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Don't feel like you have to keep your head down and soldier on. 
2. Stand back and take the time to really assess how you are feeling and what you need to feel better.
3. Prioritise yourself and don't feel selfish for taking that time for you!

Follow Kaye on Instagram: @kayeadamsofficial

Twitter: @kayeadams

Facebook: @kayeadamsprogramme

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats with Vanessa Barnes, fellow trustee and Chief Executive of their newly formed Menopause Charity. 

Vanessa describes in detail her own menopause journey and her experiences of being perimenopausal and how she came to first meet Louise when trying to find treatment for herself over three years ago.  Louise and Vanessa discuss the lack of information, knowledge and awareness surrounding the perimenopause and menopause and the apparent stigma attached to it. There is a very real need for this to be addressed and Louise and Vanessa explain how The Menopause Charity can help to do this. 

Louise and Vanessa also discuss the wider impact of oestrogen deficiency and the general lack of information and knowledge about the very vital part that oestrogen plays in women’s health. The need for a menopause charity to be set up is something that Louise has been thinking about for some time and now, thanks to the collaboration and efforts from a wide variety of people who are working on The Menopause Charity team, Louise and Vanessa are hugely excited to be in the position where they have now received official registration as a charity from the Charity Commission! The whole team are looking forward to the future and getting the funding needed to get The Menopause Charity website built and to start the process of helping more women to get the support, information and help that they deserve. 

Click here to find out more about The Menopause Charity 

Vanessa’s Take Home Tips about why The Menopause Charity is essential: 

1. The Menopause Charity will benefit millions of women and will make a positive impact on the lives of so many perimenopausal and menopausal women (and indirectly on their partners!) 
2. The Menopause Charity has been set up by a very special team of people who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and skill sets but who are all united in their passion to improve the quality of menopause care are raise awareness about it. As a result of this collaborative effort, this expert team will work to ensure that The Menopause Charity will be the very best that it can be. 
3. The Menopause Charity is essential as it will raise awareness about the menopause and will help to remove the stigma attached to it.  Through the charity, we will encourage society to embrace the change! 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Claire Sanderson, the editor-in-chief for Women's Health magazine. Claire talks openly about her mental health and the struggles she has faced in the past in the past. She also talks with Dr Newson about the perimenopause and how so many women are incorrectly offered or given antidepressants for their low mood - a symptom that usually occurs as a result of changing hormone levels. 

Dr Newson and Claire discuss how HRT can be beneficial for so many women and they also explore the benefits of regular exercise and nutrition. Claire talks about ways that celebrities can help to empower women with knowledge about their perimenopause and menopause and give them confidence that taking HRT is not something to be scared of. Together, they also talk about sexuality and body confidence issues related to low hormone levels. 

Claire Sanderson's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Find evidence-based information, such as that on menopausedoctor.co.uk, and take it to your doctor. You can demand the right treatment, don't be deterred.
2. Look at your health generally, the changes you make now can benefit you for the rest of your life. Do you need help managing your weight, sleep etc? Put yourself first, preserve your armour so you're ready for battle!
3. Speak to your friends and the women around you. Lean on your squad and be open and honest - others around you may be struggling too and you can help each other.

Find Claire on Instagram: @clairesanderson

Twitter: @c_l_sanderson

www.womenshealthmag.com

In this podcast released on World Osteoporosis Day, Dr Louise Newson welcomes Julia Thomson, who manages the Royal Osteoporosis Society's Specialist Nurses Helpline.

Together, they discuss what exactly osteoporosis is and identify some of the major risk factors of osteoporosis. Julia and Dr Newson also talk about the various treatments options available for people at high risk of fracture; including hormonal therapies and non hormonal treatments such as bisphosphonates. DEXA scans are also an effective method of diagnosing osteoporosis and Julia discusses this along with the importance of a well balanced, calcium rich diet and regular exercise throughout life.

Dr Newson chats to Julia about her work at The Royal Osteoporosis Society and what the charity can offer people with concerns about their bone health and World Osteoporosis Day.

Julia's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Make sure you and your family are getting the nutrition you need to keep your bones healthy.  
2. Remember that bone likes to be exercised! Always try to keep as active as you can.
3. Talk to your GP if you feel you may be at risk of osteoporosis.

Find out more about The Royal Osteoporosis Society here.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Gregory Monk, a newly qualified GP.

Gregory chats to Dr Newson about his experience dealing with the menopause so far in his career and during his training. They go on to discuss Gregory's perspective of the menopause how this has changed during his time as a GP - particularly his perception of HRT and how Dr Newson's work has been a key factor in this.

Dr Newson and Gregory also talk about the importance of GPs learning and understanding more about the menopause and the need for HRT to be considered a low risk treatment with significant health benefits - rather than a high risk treatment surrounded by negativity and fear.  Gregory also stresses  that it should not matter whether your doctor is a man or woman; all doctors should be able to offer a good standard of menopause care to women. 

Dr Gregory Monk's Three Take Home Tips:

1. For Patients - Keep Knocking On The Door! There is increasing awareness of menopause in primary care and the health benefits of treating it. If you think you are having troubles related to the menopause, go and see your doctor!
2. For Health Professionals - You are never too experienced to put your hand up and ask for help. Information regarding the menopause, its diagnosis, treatment options and safety are getting more and more accessible. Take the opportunity to use some of the great resources out there and consider the benefits of treatments rather than just the risks .

3. For Everyone - Talk about it. The more you talk about it, the more doctors will talk about it and the more doctors talk about it, the better menopause care will be. 

When Ellie Waters was 14 years old, she was diagnosed with a soft tissue cancer that required intensive and lengthy treatment. The interventions saved her life, but they also stopped her ovaries working for good. With little menopause information or support from her medical team, Ellie found herself on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

In this episode, Ellie talks to Dr Newson about her story, what it was like going through the menopause at such a young age and how finding the right treatment has turned her life around.

In her own words, "At first, I was elated at the prospect of no periods, but as time went on, I realised that the menopause is much more than your periods stopping; I realised that it meant a life of suffering with night sweats, joint pain, vaginal atrophy and hot flushes. During a time when I was meant to be happy that I survived cancer, my mental health was spiralling with the burden of the menopause. But, thankfully, I got an appointment with Dr Newson and I am now receiving the HRT that I need. Before, I felt like I was 18 going on 80, but now I feel like superwoman!"

Ellie's Three Take Home Tips:

1. You are entitled to be referred to a menopause specialist, even on the NHS. Your doctor, surgeon or endocrinologist may not have sufficient information for you.
2.  Empower yourself with information - you know yourself and your symptoms the best so be your own advocate when it comes to healthcare professionals.
3. Entering relationships as a younger woman going through menopause can be difficult. Make sure you know your own worth and see yourself as a whole. You are more than your menopause.

Follow Ellie on Instagram: @teamellie_blog

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is talking with Professor James Simon about Genitourinary Syndrome of the Menopause which affects the majority of women after the menopause and can include symptoms such as vaginal discomfort, irritation, dryness and pain during sexual intercourse. However, only the minority of women currently receive treatment and this needs to change.

Treatment with localised oestrogen can be very effective for the majority of women and is very low risk. Other symptoms related to this condition include urinary symptoms and Prof Simon talks with Dr Newson about how common urinary infections and consequent sepsis can be and how this can be avoided by using vaginal oestrogen. 

Professor James Simon's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Bring it up with your health professional and be direct. Speak to them about about when you are experiencing pain.
2. If one treatment doesn't work for you - make sure you don't give up. Speak to your doctor about an alternative and remember that women often need more than the standard dose.
3. Remember that urinary tract infections and urinary symptoms are part of the whole syndrome. You can treat those symptoms and infections by taking care of the vagina and vulva as a whole.

Find out more about Professor Simon by visiting his website here.

Find Professor Simon on Facebook: @IntimMedicine

Twitter: @IntimMedicine

Instagram: @menopause.whisperer

Dr Louise Newson chats to Lindsey Beveridge, nutritional therapist and founder of Recovery Nutrition, in this episode of the Newson Health podcast series. Lindsey talks openly about her recovery from alcohol addiction in her late 40s and how that drove her to study nutritional therapy and then change careers.

Alcohol and sugar are both substances which affect our guts, brain health, as well as every other body system, but it’s hard to remove them as they are both so addictive. Quite often these self-destructive habits escalate in our 40s – a time when we are possibly experiencing bereavement, financial pressures or relationship challenges, as well as experiencing hormonal fluctuations, so we reach for substances that temporarily make us feel better.  It’s important to recognise patterns of destructive behaviour so we can make changes.  

Breaking habits and making changes require commitment and hard work, but also a degree of self-compassion and Lindsey and Dr Newson share some tools to help with this.

Lindsey beveridge's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Be honest with yourself! If you think you are drinking too much or having too much sugar then think about if it's still bringing you joy. If it's not then open your mind to change.
2. Educate yourself as much as possible.
3. Recognise that you don't need to do it by yourself - everyone struggles in some way and you can ask for help.

Find Lindsey on Instagram: @recoverynutrition

www.recovery-nutrition.co.uk

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is speaking with Sophie Strachan, director of Sophia Forum, Dr Nneka Nwokolo, honorary HIV clinician and menopause specialist, and Dr Jacqui Stevenson, researcher and advocate for Sophia Forum. Together, they talk about the charity Sophia Forum and their 'We Are Still Here' campaign which is calling for: 

• Opportunities to pass on experiences 
• Peer networks for older women 
• Holistic services and standards of care 

Dr Jacqui Stevenson recently carried out research exploring women’s experiences of ageing with HIV in London. Many of these women were experiencing menopausal symptoms yet were often receiving inadequate advice and help. Understandably, many women were worried that their symptoms were related to their HIV or their treatment and a large number of women expressed frustration in not receiving the right support or treatment. The expert guests in this podcast discuss how important it is for women to receive education about potential symptoms of the menopause and also health risks related to their low hormones. Jacqui talks in more detail about her research and ways of potentially improving access to evidence-based information worldwide to women living with HIV. 

Sophie Strachan, Dr Nneke Nwokolo & Dr Jacqui Stevenson's Three Take Home messages:

1. Women living with HIV should expect the same care and menopause support as women without HIV. These women should not have any less expectations that they can have their symptoms managed.
2. It's important that we break down the silence around issues like HIV and menopause and provide the space for women to demand the care, support and information that they deserve.
3.  In the context of health professionals, don't be afraid in how to look after your patients living with HIV. We are asking you to get educated about this condition as we have had to and start having menopause conversations with your patients when they are in their 30s - not 50s!

Find out more about Sophia Forum at: www.sophiaforum.net www.instagram.com/sophiaforum/ www.facebook.com/SophiaForum/

Click here for more information about the We Are Still Here campaign.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is speaking with Jon Hughes, a gynaecologist who specialises in fertility and endometriosis. Jon and Louise discuss the various reasons why women may have reduced fertility, including women who have an early menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). Jon talks about his work and details the possible ways that fertility can be improved.

Jon has recently joined the team here at Newson Health and is now offering individualised advice to women with fertility problems or potential fertility issues as a result of their early perimenopause and menopause.  

Jon is the lead clinician for Worcestershire Fertility, which is part of Oxford Fertility. Oxford Fertility is part of TFP, with 37 fertility clinics across the UK and Europe. 

Jon Hughes' Three Take Home Tips for young women with potential fertility issues:

1. When trying to start a family, try and live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Try to maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking and moderate any alcohol.
2. Talk to your mum, aunties, grandmothers, and find out if there is any history of POI or early menopause in your family. If so, it may be helpful to start thinking and talking to your GP about your fertility.
3. Keep an eye on the symptoms! If your periods are becoming irregular and you are planning on having a family, it may be worth getting everything checked out.

Find out more about Jon's clinic at Newson Health here.

In episode 63 of the Newson Health podcast series, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Stephanie Goodwin, a london-based GP, menopause specialist and specialist in Psychosexual medicine.

Together, Dr Newson and Dr Goodwin discuss the possible consequences of cancer treatment on women’s sex lives. Often sex isn’t discussed at the outset of treatment and it isn’t until much later that women have the opportunity to get advice. 

Dr Goodwin also speaks about vaginal changes during the menopause and the importance of intimacy and keeping channels of communication open with your partner if sex becomes difficult during this time. Vaginal dryness is a very common problem that is easy to treat so don't be afraid to seek out advice.  

Dr Stephanie Goodwin's Three Take Home Tips:

1. If you are having cancer treatment, ask for advice about the possible impact on your sex life at the start.  Find someone in the team who is comfortable discussing that with you.
2. There are lots of resources available that can be helpful - Macmillan, Cancer Research UK, The Daisy Network (for younger women under 40) and The Institute of Psychosexual Medicine.  
3. Don’t be afraid to ask if you need help! That’s not just for cancer patients but for any women having sexual difficulties.  If you don’t get help the first time, try someone else and keep asking. 

www.drstephaniegoodwin.co.uk

Find Dr Goodwin on Instagram: @drstephaniegoodwin

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to Dr Philippa Kaye - GP, journalist and author. Dr Kaye has just released a new book titled 'The M Word: Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause' and she talks to Dr Newson all about it and explains why she decided to write a book about this area of a woman's life.

Dr Newson and Dr Kaye discuss a number of women's health topics in this informative podcast, including safe sex, STD prevention and contraception around the time of the menopause and perimenopause - when you can stop, when you need protection and the different options available.

Dr Newson also chats to Dr Kaye about the taboo surrounding women's health in general and why it's important that we change the narrative surrounding the menopause. 

Dr Philippa Kaye's Three Take Home Tips about Contraception and Menopause: 

1. You probably need it no matter how old you are! You will need contraception up until 55 depending on when your menopause was and then afterwards as a barrier against STDs.
2. Some of that contraception can be used as part of HRT, such as the mirena coil.
3. Even if you are going or have gone through an early menopause, you may still need contraception. If you have the right menopause treatment and your libido improves, that's great! But we need to make sure we stay safe.

'The M Word: Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause' by Dr Philippa Kaye is available on Amazon and waterstones.com, as well as in most bookstores.

www.drphilippakaye.com

Find Dr Kaye on Twitter: @drphilippakaye

Instagram: @drphilippakaye

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Lindsey Lester who is a pharmacist with special interest in the menopause and founder of The Hormone Pharmacist. 

Lindsey set up The Hormone Pharmacist, after much encouragement from Dr Newson, to provide affordable expert menopause advice, which enables women to make an informed choice about the treatment they would like. Lindsey offers a 45 minute consultation which covers the risks and benefits of the treatments available, as well as general health advice which ultimately saves the time of women and their GPs and ensures they receive the safest, evidence based options. 

In this podcast, Lindsey and Dr Newson discuss the large number of women aged 40+ that are prescribed antidepressants and also older women receiving antibiotics repeatedly for urinary tract infections, both of which are often menopause related. 

Lindsey is a member of The British Menopause Society and she talks to Dr Newson about why it's so important that women make sure the health professional they speak to has undertaken specific training in menopause. In many cases, even a GP or Gynaecologist might not have had enough training to give  the right information or treatment. 

Lindsey Lester's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Talk! Talk to everyone; friends, family, daughters, nieces. It can be so helpful if your healthcare professional has an interest in the menopause - check their credentials first.
2. Don't suffer - there's no medal at the end! Find the right treatment for you, it doesn't have to be HRT just make sure you have all the evidence before you decide.
3. Take charge of your own destiny and be informed!

Lindsey is now offering consultations here at Newson Health, click here to find out more.

Find Lindsey on Facebook: @thehormonepharmacistUK

Instagram: @thehormonepharmacistUK

Dr Mark Coombe is the educational director of Fourteen Fish, a UK based company specialising in medical appraisals. They provide education for over 40,000 GPs and healthcare professionals in the UK.

In this podcast, Mark and Dr Newson talk about a new menopause education programme they are developing together which has just been launched and is available for healthcare professionals. Dr Newson has created the content with three other GPs with a special interest in the menopause, Dr Rebecca Lewis, Dr Alice Duffy and Dr Sarah Ball.

Frustratingly many healthcare professionals have little or no formal education in the menopause which results in women being given the wrong advice and treatment. Education for healthcare professionals needs to be done in an evidence-based and non-biased way. It is also important that healthcare professionals are monitored and assessed regularly for their education so this platform is ideal for launching the menopause education programme on. 

Dr Mark Coombe's Three Take Home Tips About the Menopause Education Programme:

1. This programme is evidence-based and current. The information is fresh and right up to date.
2. It is online and so easily accessible. You can pick it up and put it down whenever suits you and can focus on specific modules.
3. "We will be working towards helping you provide evidence in your appraisals so you can justify being looked upon as someone with a specialist interest in menopause and HRT."

www.fourteenfish.com

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Hannah Short, who is a GP and menopause specialist. She also has a particular interest in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) which is very common yet not well managed.  Many women need individualised advice and treatment which is often a combination of lifestyle changes and taking hormones. 

Hannah openly talks about her own experience of having a surgical menopause when she was younger. She talks to Dr Newson about ways of improving awareness of this condition so women do not have to suffer both physically and mentally as a result of inadequate support and treatment.  

Dr Hannah Short's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Track your symptoms by using apps or online downloadable trackers. 
2. Use the internet to find useful resources. Firstly https://iapmd.org/ which is a US based site and http://www.pms.org.uk/ to read the UK guidelines.  
3. You do not need to solve this alone, look for support. Be kind to yourself. 

https://drhannahshort.co.uk/

Find Hannah on Instagram: @dr.hannah.short

Read this booklet from Dr Newson for more information about PMS and menopause.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to one of Britain's best loved TV presenters, Davina Mccall. Davina talks openly and honestly about her own menopause experience and how she had no idea that she might start to experience symptoms when she was just 44.

Davina and Louise talk extensively about the perception of HRT in the media, how women are often needlessly scared and ashamed when they hear those three letters and why it's so important that this starts to change. It's essential that women have access to evidence-based menopause information - we all have the right to make informed choices about our own care and treatment. 

Davina Mccall's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Inform yourself! You have the right to choose the best treatment for you, but make sure you find out all the correct information beforehand.
2. Find a supportive community and exercise. Whether it’s a weekly class or an online platform like Own Your Goals – exercise can be great for your mental health.
3. Judgement is often a reflection of how we are feeling within ourselves. Every woman has a story and has the right to make their own choices without fear of judgement.

Find Davina on Facebook: @DavinaMccall

Twitter: @ThisIsDavina

Instagram: @davinamccall

www.thisisdavina.com

Click here to watch Dr Newson and Davina discuss 'All Things Menopause'

The Irish Menopause was set up by Sallyanne Brady and Claire Peel - two ladies who suffered horrendously with their own menopause symptoms and met in an online support group. Ireland was lacking in knowledge, support and evidence based information, for women in particular, so they founded The Irish Menopause in April 2019 and the group now has 2700 members! Sallyanne and Claire chat to Dr Newson about the stories they hear day after day that are heartbreaking and unnecessary and how they are striving for change in Ireland.

Sallyanne's Three Take Home Tips for women in Ireland:

1. Join The Irish Menopause - it's evidence-based support and you might find something you relate to.
2. Find a doctor - if your doctor doesn't listen or you're not happy with what they have said, go to the next doctor and keep trying!
3. Reach out - share, talk to others. You're not going mad, it's not just you, it's every other woman.

Claire's Three Take Home Tips on how women can help themselves:

1. Talk to other people, go online and find support groups like The Irish Menopause.
2. Look after yourself, don't feel guilty for taking time to yourself. Rest!
3. Give Yoga a try! It can do wonders during this time of your life.

Find The Irish Menopause on Instagram: @theirish_menopause

Sign #TheIrishMenopauseMission petition online here.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is talking with Jane Oglesby, whom she first met at Manchester University when they were both medical students together. Dr Newson and Jane then reconnected a few years ago when she visited the Newson Health clinic as she had been really struggling with menopausal symptoms and was unable to receive the right help and treatment. Jane now works a trustee for The Oglesby Charitable Trust and she is passionate about tackling health inequalities, amongst other issues, and she is also a Director of both Focused Care and the Shared Health Foundation. Jane has kindly personally donated money to enable us to develop and produce a brand new menopause app called 'balance' which has just been launched. The aim of this app is to provide evidence based and non-biased information about the perimenopause and menopause to as many women as possible worldwide. Dr Newson and her team have been working hard for the past year with the most incredible team at Magnetic North in Manchester and is really excited to announce that it is now available to download. 

Click here to find out more and download 'balance' today!

Jane Oglesby's Three Favourite Things About 'balance':

1. We have asked women what they want! The app has been designed with that as the main objective - it gives women what they have asked for.
2. The app is a free resource full of information. We want it to stay accessible for all women.
3. balance demonstrates a collaborative effort from a great group of women and I'm very proud of it!

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by online personal trainer, life coach and corporate wellbeing trainer Janette Cardy. Janette is a GB athlete and founder of Janette Cardy Fitness and she chats to Dr Newson about the physical and mental effects of exercise. Dr Newson and Janette also discuss how to find the right exercise programme for you and they share some helpful tips on how to build regular exercise into your daily life.

Janette Cardy's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Get support - find a trainer, a coach or someone who can help guide you in the right way.
2. Don't be persuaded to do exercise that you don't want to do. If you don't enjoy it, you won't stick to it. Find something that you love!
3. Remember that there is no right or wrong! It doesn't matter if you go the wrong way or can't get in the same positions as others - it's your journey so enjoy it.

Find Janette on Instagram: @janettecardyfitness

Facebook: @JanetteCardyFitness

www.janettecardyfitness.co.uk

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to friend and colleague, Dr Rebecca Lewis and together they talk all about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). They discuss the different types and ways of taking HRT, as well as the advantages of various preparations and different types of progestogens. Dr Newson and Dr Lewis also detail the numerous benefits of taking HRT and the possible risks. It is very important that women receive individualised care and treatment regarding their perimenopause and menopause and that they receive the right dose and type of HRT for them. Many women often find they have to try several different doses before they optimise how they are feeling. 

Dr Rebecca Lewis' Three Take Home Tips:

1. HRT will help your systemic symptoms.
2. HRT will help improve your future health.
3. There is no time limit on how long you can take HRT.

Find Dr Rebecca Lewis on Instagram: @dr.rebecca.lewis

Get more information about Menopause & HRT in this booklet from Newson Health.

Click here to learn the facts about HRT and uncover common myths.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Professor Philip Sarrel, Professor of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Sciences and also Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University. 

Dr Newson and Prof Sarrel discuss the importance of hormone replacement, not only to improve symptoms but also for disease prevention as Prof Sarrel talks about the increased risk of heart disease in women who have had an early menopause. He is the Founder and President of the Advancing Health After Hysterectomy (AHAH) Foundation, an organisation that focuses on educating women who have had a hysterectomy by age 60, a total of 15 million women in the USA! In the 1990s, around 80% of women received HRT following a hysterectomy and now the figure is around 15%. Yet women who have had a hysterectomy in the past and take HRT actually have a lower future risk of developing breast cancer. Professor Sarrel talks to Dr Newson about how many studies, including WHI (Women's Health Initiative), have found that taking HRT can control debilitating symptoms including hot flushes, sleep disturbance and fatigue, and reduces the risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and heart attacks, and vaginal atrophy and sexual dysfunction.  

Professor Sarrel talks about menopausal symptoms being the “canary in the coal mine” as ignoring symptoms leads to an increased risk of many diseases including heart disease and osteoporosis. The financial costs of these diseases is huge and a new article in the Menopause Journal has reported consequent medical expenditures for five of the diseases which reduced when women age 50 to 59 take HRT - coronary heart disease (CHD), breast cancer, bowel cancer, hip fracture, and stroke. When the costs for all of these conditions have been added together the expenditure consequences for untreated vasomotor symptoms in the USA in a single year is estimated in billions of dollars. In addition, around 20% of Medicare dollars in the USA is spent on Alzheimer’s disease – which is more common in menopausal women. 

Find out more about Professor Sarrel's research here.

Professor Philip Sarrel's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Take charge of your menopause! Improve your knowledge and learn from reliable sources.
2. Ask yourself about any symptoms you are experiencing – make a diary and record any symptoms.
3. Find a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable who can really help you. It's okay to get a second or even third opinion. 

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is speaking to Professor Jim Simon, a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Reproductive Endocrinology at George Washington University in Washington DC. 

Dr Newson and Professor Simon talk about the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study and more specifically about the different types of progestogens and progesterone. He clearly describes and explains how body identical progesterone is the safest to take as well as the benefits women often experience when taking body identical progesterone. Jim also explores and explains the evidence regarding the reported risks of breast cancer with HRT and he and Dr Newson also talk about how important it is that women receive the best care and treatment during their menopausal years. 

Professor Jim Simon's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Listen to your own body - it will tell you the truth! Address each of your symptoms with a healthcare profession and know your treatment options. Your symptoms are not 'a right of passage' that you have to put up with.
2. You are likely to live a very long life, take the big picture into account and try to practice preventive medicine.
3. Remember that whatever you decide on with your healthcare professional, doesn't have to be for the rest of your life. Make the best choice for you today and live it out until things change - you can always make a different choice if it's warranted tomorrow.

Find out more about Professor Simon by visiting his website here.

Find Professor Simon on Facebook: @IntimMedicine

Twitter: @IntimMedicine

Instagram: @menopause.whisperer

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Dr Tony Branson, a consultant oncologist who specialises in giving cancer treatments to women. Dr Branson and Dr Newson discuss the menopause in women who have had breast cancer in the past and the various ways of managing symptoms. Some women also experience menopausal symptoms as a result of their hormone treatment and Dr Branson shares some advice on how to manage this. This podcast also covers what risk means regarding taking HRT with a history of breast cancer and reasons why some women still choose to take HRT despite having breast cancer in their family or having had it themselves in the past.

Dr Tony Branson's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Whoever you see (hopefully a specialist) make sure to ask about your options. You may be able to stop your hormone treatment for a short time and see how you are.
2. If that helps and you are considering HRT - find someone that will have a reasonable discussion with you about the relative risks and benefits, instead of just saying "no you can't!"
3. Don't take no for an answer! Be clear with your healthcare professional about what really matters to YOU. 

In the 50th episode of the Newson Health podcast series, Dr Louise Newson chats to Liz Earle MBE about how they first met and the work they have done together. Liz is very open and candid about her own menopause experience and admits how little she knew about the perimenopause and menopause before meeting Dr Newson. She is now a great advocate for women receiving evidence-based menopause advice and treatment. Liz and Dr Newson also discuss ways that women can become more empowered and receive the right advice and treatment. Liz works tirelessly to help women to improve their knowledge and is always campaigning for improved menopause care in the future.

Liz Earle's Three Take Home Tips:

1.  Knowledge is power! Take a look on menopausedoctor.co.uk and if you are experiencing menopausal symptoms then fill out the Menopause Symptom Questionnaire - you can then print it off and take it to your GP.
2. Go to your appointment armed with knowledge, be secure in that knowledge and understand that you may even know more than your GP about the menopause.
3. Don't be afraid to ask for a second or even third opinion. It's your body and your life, don't give up if you don't get the right help straight away.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to John Stirling, the technical director of Bionutri. John speaks openly about his experience with immunotherapy treatments for his melanoma that was diagnosed when he was in his 20s. This experience started his real interest into disease prevention and healthy living. He is currently writing a book about anti-ageing and talks openly about different ways of slowing the ageing process. Many of these methods include reducing inflammation in the body and improving health. Dr Newson and John talk about the important role diet, exercise, supplements and hormones have when it comes to improving our future health. 

 John Stirling's Three Take Home Tips for Disease Prevention and Anti-Ageing:

1. Stress can be a huge factor - manage your stress and find time every day to have some quiet time to yourself.
2. Don't over-complicate your diet, keep it simple but nutrient rich and don't overeat.
3. Get moving! Gentle exercise such as a daily walk can be very beneficial.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Zoe Hodson who is the lead doctor at the North West branch of Newson Health. Zoe has worked as a GP and GP trainer for over 15 years and has encountered many hurdles when trying to deliver menopause care; from lack of training as an undergraduate and postgraduate to being told that there wasn't any funding for a GP led menopause clinic in her area.  

Dr Newson and Zoe discuss many of the frustrations that GPs and their patients face as well as the work that is being done by Newson Health in areas such as GP education and the provision of evidence based, accessible information for women throughout the world. 

The team here at Newson Health believe that menopause consultations should be based on shared decision making and they discuss the importance of women and doctors being able to fully understand the long term health benefits and improved quality of life that HRT and holistic menopausal care can deliver.  

Dr Zoe Hodson's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Read or listen to as much evidence-based information as you can about the menopause before booking an appointment with your healthcare provider.  
2. Share a symptom checker with anyone who will listen - we have to start joining the dots and this is a cheap, easily accessible way to start. 
3. Gather your soapboxes! We need everyone to be sharing and signposting to correct, evidence based information.

Find out more about Dr Zoe Hodson and our new North West clinic in this video.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Emma Ellice-Flint, a very knowledgeable nutritionist, all about fermented foods. Emma takes it right back to basics and explains the importance of good gut health and how eating and drinking fermented products can be beneficial for our gut microbes as well as our overall health. Emma and Dr Newson also discuss sauerkraut, kefir and the variety of different ways we can boost our gut microbes - as well as the ways our gut health can worsen due to our diets. 

Emma's Three Take Home Tips for better gut health:

1. Buy some kefir, try having two tablespoons a day. It's a great place to start!
2. Bring as much fibre-rich food as you can into your diet - but introduce it slowly.
3. Don't be put off by how overwhelming it can seem! Simple, small changes can vastly improve your gut health.

https://emmasnutrition.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/emmas_nutrition/ 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Mandy Garland and Specialist Nurse, Sharon Hartmann - together they discuss nurse education for menopause and HRT in primary care. 

Both Mandy and Sharon chose to develop their own skills and knowledge in menopause by completing the accredited training through the British Menopause Society. They are currently waiting to submit their final log book; following an intensive 2 years of study, specialist visits and practical assessments. 

In this podcast, Dr Newson chats to Mandy and Sharon about how they have used evidence based practice to develop a pathway of care, offering patients at their busy NHS surgery a holistic service founded on NICE guidance; such as initiating and reviewing a patient’s use of HRT. This has been particularly challenging due to the lack of funding their surgery receives for management of the menopause. Mandy and Sharon hope that the long term benefits will be evident, with the improved quality of life women experience when on appropriately prescribed HRT, and that nurses all over the UK will receive the same opportunity to study at a higher level.

Mandy Garland, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Menopause Specialist and Nurse Prescriber - @garland_mandy

Sharon Hartmann, Specialist Nurse: Integrated Sexual Health, Menopause Specialist and Nurse Prescriber - @hartmann_sharon

Mandy and Sharon's Three Take Home Tips for nurses who want to gain a better menopause education:

1. Menopause is a complex, in-depth subject and should be seen as a Holistic Medicine.
2. During your training, find a like-minded nurse or professional that you can work with and study alongside.
3. Attend as many clinics as you can within the local area and work with your local pharmacy.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Petra Coveney, Founder of Menopause Yoga - the UK’s first specialist style of yoga to support women going through the menopause. 

Petra, who is a member of the British Menopause Society (BMS) for health practitioners and a senior yoga teacher and trainer, developed Menopause Yoga to meet the physical and emotional needs of women going through menopause. Last year, due to demand from women and yoga teachers, she launched the world’s first Menopause Yoga Teacher Training course at Newson Health, which is accredited by the UK’s main governing bodies the British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance Professionals. Her aim is to train a yoga teacher in every town so that women across the country can practice locally where they live. The course has drawn teachers from all over the world, many of whom have trained at Newson Health. In April 2020, she piloted the first online Menopause Yoga classes and in May she is launching the first online Teacher Training course, which includes Dr Louise Newson as a Guest Speaker. Dr Newson’s book on the Menopause is a core course reading text.  

In this podcast, Dr Newson and Petra discuss: 

• Petra’s own menopause journey,  
• What inspired her to develop Menopause Yoga, 
• Combining western medical science with eastern Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, 
• The Chinese concept of post menopause as a woman’s ‘Second Spring.’ 
• How yoga, breathwork and meditation can support women to transition positively through menopause, 
• How to reduce stress levels, master your hot flushes and change your perception of menopause. 
• Why it is important to educate women about the menopause, to feel empowered and embrace post menopause. 

Petra Coveney's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Stressful thoughts exacerbate all menopause symptoms. Learn simple breathing exercises to calm your mind and tap into your parasympathetic nervous system that helps you to Rest & Digest. 
2. Writing a daily journal will help you to release negative, stressful thoughts and recognise which foods, drinks, activities, thoughts, etc trigger your menopause symptoms. Every woman is unique. Gaining insights into your triggers will aid your self-growth. 
3. Nourish & Nurture yourself. Eat well, Sleep well. Pamper yourself.  

Petra will be returning to Newson Health later in the year to run women’s workshops here at Newson Health. You can find out more on her website: www.menopause-yoga.com   

Instagram: @Menopause_Yoga 

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to Cari Rosen; author, writer and editor of Gransnet.com.

Gransnet was set up following the success of Mumsnet. Gransnet has 320k users, bringing in 3 million page views a month. Many perimenopausal and menopausal women feel socially isolated and alone when they experience symptoms that often they don't even realise are related to their reducing hormone levels. It can be very useful to share symptoms and also discuss experiences with other women. Increasingly, women are turning to platforms such as Gransnet where they can be frank and open with people they don't know and seek out support at various times of the day and night. In this podcast, Dr Newson and Cari discuss the various ways women can support each other during the perimenopause and menopause, as well as dispelling some myths about the menopause and HRT along the way. 

www.gransnet.com

Cari Rosen's Three Take Home Tips and reasons to visit Gransnet:

1. Know you're not alone - there is always someone to talk to.
2. Share your experiences. It can be so helpful to talk to someone who has gone through something similar and come out the other side.
3. If you are feeling frustrated, it's good to share those frustrations with others that aren't your nearest and dearest.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined (virtually!) by Lorraine Candy - co-founder of the podcast series 'Postcards from Midlife'. Lorraine and Dr Newson chat about the stigma surrounding the word “menopause” and how we need to work together in order to break that down and really empower women so they can receive the correct help and treatment. They also discuss menopausal symptoms such as anxiety and fatigue and how they can have a massive, negative impact on women's lives if left untreated. 

Dr Newson and Lorraine also talk about how important it is for women to receive the right dose and type of HRT. Many women wrongly think that HRT is a single treatment, whereas in fact, there are different hormones available and also different doses. The importance of exercise, nutrition and wellbeing is also discussed. Lorraine also talks very openly about her own experience and how she struggled for several years before receiving the right help. 

www.postcardsfrommidlife.com

Follow Lorraine on Instagram:

@sundaytimeslorraine

@postcardsfrommidlife

Lorraine Candy's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Feel your power - you have lived an amazing life and have an enormous amount of experience. Don't let that inner voice tell you you don't have the confidence.
2. Arm yourself with information before any visits. Seek out the facts and write them down so you don't forget.
3. Talk to your friends, family and other women about what you're going through. Let's spread the word!

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Kate Irvine and together they discuss Kate's online perimenopause and menopause survey, The Big M. 

Kate began her survey as a way to find out how women really feel about the perimenopause and menopause, including which aspects of the Big M women find the most difficult, whether they felt they could discuss it with anyone and whether they had any help getting through it. Kate hopes to be able to use the information given to help other women in the future. Kate also intends to compile the detailed responses into a  book which helps women to feel better about what they are going through, she and Dr Newson discuss how the idea for the book came about, and how Kate hopes it will work. 

During this podcast, Dr Newson and Kate touch on several different topics which the survey highlighted, such as realising you are perimenopausal, how helpful GPs can be (or otherwise), women leaving the workforce because of their symptoms, the over-prescribing of anti-depressants and symptoms such as vaginal atrophy. Ultimately they agreed that talking is vital and makes you feel better, and Kate hopes that (if published!) reading her book will be like having a chat with friends about a common issue. 

The survey is still open for responses, or if you just want to email her about any aspect of your menopause experience you can reach her at: kate@thebigm.net 

Kate Irvine's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Don't feel alone! Don't be frightened to talk about it - communicate with your friends.
2. Look for helpful evidence-based advice such as the resources on menopausedoctor.co.uk and the British Menopause Society website
3. If your GP hasn't been the most helpful, look for a doctor that specialises in the menopause. They should be better informed.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Kathryn Pinkham, Founder of The Insomnia Clinic, the UK’s largest insomnia service. 

Kathryn, along with her team at The Insomnia Clinic, help people who suffer with poor sleep and insomnia using NHS recommended techniques. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia is a structured programme which helps people to identify and change unhelpful behaviours and thoughts which maintain poor sleep. 

In this podcast, Dr Newson and Kathryn discuss:

• Why sleep is important but how putting too much pressure on sleep can cause us to get even less 

• How sleep hygiene can make a sleep issue worse for poor sleepers 

• The cycle of insomnia and how to break it

• Tips to strengthen your sleep drive to fall asleep faster and wake less but also how to improve quality of sleep 

• The importance of managing anxiety in boosting energy levels 

• Techniques to manage anxiety 

Kathryn Pinkham's Three Take Home Tips to Aid Sleep:

1.  Shorten your time in bed - go to bed later and get up earlier. Even if it's just by half an hour.
2. Set your alarm and then turn it over. When you wake up in the night, resist the urge to look at the clock.
3. Spend time managing your worries and anxieties instead of focusing on your lack of sleep. If you focus on lowering your stress levels then your sleep should improve too.

 https://www.instagram.com/theinsomniaclinic

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Emma Ellice-Flint, a clinical nutritionist and former chef. Emma works alongside Dr Newson at her clinic, Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre and treats patients with all conditions, but digestive wellness and hormone balance are topics close to her heart. 

In light of the outbreak of Coronavirus, Emma chats to Dr Newson about the different things we can do to help support our immunity and keep our bodies healthy. Emma describes the certain foods, drinks and nutrients that are beneficial for our overall health as well as those that can strengthen our immune systems.

Emma has also written this informative article explaining how we can all adopt immunity boosting changes and habits.

Emma Ellice-Flint's Three Take Home Tips for Staying Healthy:

1. Rice is a family favourite! For a healthier alternative, try swapping it out for brown rice instead
2. Broccoli, cabbage, garlic and onions are prebiotic, immune boosting vegetables and are great if you can eat them everyday
3. Wherever possible, try and keep up your exercise during this time - in any shape or form!

Website: www.emmasnutrition.com

Instagram: @emmas_nutrition 

Facebook: @emmasnutrition 

Avrum Bluming was a clinical professor of medical oncology at the University of Southern California and spent four years as a senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute. For more than two decades he has been studying the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy administered to women with a history of breast cancer. He is also the co-author of the book “Oestrogen Matters”. 

In this podcast, Dr Newson talks to Avrum about the numerous health benefits of oestrogen in women, including reducing future risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia. It is a very sobering thought that as many women die from osteoporosis as breast cancer, yet so many women are denied oestrogen in HRT for the wrong reasons. Avrum's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer many years ago and he talks about treatments for breast cancer which can lead to an early menopause. 

 https://estrogenmatters.com 

Avrum Bluming's Three Take Home Tips About HRT:

1. If every woman in the US started HRT, the median life expectancy of women would extend by 3.3 years
2. If you ever hear "If you must take hormones, then take the smallest dose possible for the shortest period of time" - there is no scientific support for this! Women can take HRT for as long as they need.
3. Some of the benefits of HRT, particularly for your bones, last as long as you continue to take it. If you stop taking the hormones, bone degeneration occurs at an accelerated pace.

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Lauren Redfern, a researcher who has been exploring the experiences of women using testosterone as part of their HRT treatment. Lauren has been spending time at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre over the past year observing many different aspects of women’s care; from the moment they make contact with the team right through to their consultation. She is interested in hearing stories from women first hand about their treatment journey and is particularly interested in the gendered aspects of hormonal care. Lauren hopes that her work will provide insight into the realities facing women negotiating menopausal care in the UK today; something that she feels is currently vastly underrepresented in both social and public health research.  

If you would like to know more about Lauren’s research you can visit her website www.laurenredfernwrites.com or follow her on Instagram @laurenredfernwrites where she posts about everything from the history of hormones to updates on her research.  

Lauren's Top Three Facts about Testosterone and Menopause care:

1. Time is an underestimated benefit in healthcare. Women need longer than 10 minutes to adequately explain their symptoms to a doctor.
2. Menopause isn't just hot flushes and something to "get through" - the symptoms can have a massive impact on a woman's life.
3. Testosterone is not just the male hormone, it is essential for re-balancing female systems, just as it is for men. 

Newson Health Research & Education

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by yoga teacher, Claudia Brown who runs workshops at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.  Claudia is an Om Yoga magazine columnist and runs classes, workshops and retreats in the West Midlands. She also works with professional footballers, teaching yoga at Doncaster Rovers Football Club! Together, Dr Newson and Claudia discuss ageing well and the menopause, demystifying meditation, how yoga is more than physical postures and why everyone should give it a try. 

Claudia's Top Three Tips for beginning your yoga journey:

1. Just do it! Don't be afraid to start, ask for recommendations and try different classes to find the right teacher.
2. Don't get caught up in buying the right outfit or equipment. You can practice yoga in just about anything!
3. Don't talk yourself out of it because of your body size - it isn't relevant to your strength or how your body moves. You will always be among friends in a yoga studio.

www.yogabyclaudia.com 

Twitter – yogabyclaudia 

Instgram – yogabyclaudia 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/yogabyclaudiauk/ 

To find out more about Claudia's yoga workshops at Newson Health, or to book your place, click here.

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson talks openly and candidly to Samantha Evans about sexual problems and the menopause. Sam Evans is a sexual health and pleasure expert, with a nursing background. She is also co-owner of the company www.jodivine.com

Together, Sam and Dr Newson discuss the various ways in which libido and sexual difficulties can arise during the menopause. There are various treatments depending on the underlying cause and these are explored in detail in this episode. Too many women are not experiencing the right help and advice to improve their sexual relationships with their partner and clearly this needs to change. 

Samantha Evans' Top Three Tips for sexual wellbeing during the menopause:

1. Talk to your partner about your symptoms - communication is key!
2. Invest in a good sexual lubricant and/or vaginal moisturiser. Don't forget to check the ingredients.
3. Invest in a simple sex toy, maintain the intimacy with your partner and have fun!

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is speaking with consultant dermatologist, Dr Sajjad Rajpar all about hair. Hair changes can be very common during the perimenopause and menopause. Dr Rajpar eloquently explains how our hormones are important with respect to hair growth and also hair texture. They discuss in detail reasons why women experience hair loss and the importance of having a holistic consultation to explore reasons why hair changes. Dr Rajpar talks about the different treatment options and provides some simple advice which will help us all regarding our hair.

Find out more about Dr Sajjad Rajpar here: https://belgraviadermatology.co.uk/

Dr Rajpar's Three Take Home Tips to help reduce hair loss:

1. Avoid any tight hairstyles. If you can leave your hair down, it will help.
2. Think about the health of your scalp too, it may be drier due to low oestrogen levels during the perimenopause and menopause.
3. If you are suffering with brittle hair then by sensible with heat and styling tools.

Dr Nighat Arif is a GP with a specialist interest in women’s health, based in Buckinghamshire. In this week's podcast, Dr Nighat Arif talks openly with Dr Newson about her work educating and empowering women from different ethnic groups about the menopause. Many women from ethnic minorities think the menopause is a condition that only affects Caucasian women or it is a western phenomenon. However, it is well known that many women are experiencing symptoms such as pains in their bodies, “head to toe pain”, low mood and anxiety which are being misdiagnosed and inappropriately managed as these symptoms are not being linked to the menopause. Although language is often a barrier to consultations with a healthcare professional, there are also many cultural differences that need to be explored. Many women’s health issues, including the menopause, are kept “under the veil” and not spoken about. In this episode, Dr Newson and Dr Arif also talk about other taboo subjects such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and how that affects marital relationships in a conservative community. 

Dr Nighat Arif offers three take home tips in Punjabi to help break down barriers and empower women from South Asian Communities to not accept their menopausal symptoms and suffer in silence.  

Dr Nighat Arif's Three Top Tips:

1. For all women, please keep a symptom diary. No symptom is silly and this is useful to your doctor during the 10-minute consultation.
2. Never deny yourself treatment, there are always risks and benefits to every treatment and only your health and wellbeing will suffer if you don't seek help.
3. Don't suffer in silence!

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Professor David Reid, Consultant Rheumatologist and Osteoporosis Specialist at the University of Aberdeen. Professor Reid is also the Senior Medical Adviser and Fundraising Ambassador for the Royal Osteoporosis Bone Research Academy.

Bone density reduces as our hormone levels lower, as a result of the perimenopause and menopause. Around one in three menopausal women will have a osteoporotic hip fracture so it is essential we are all thinking about ways of improving bone density and reducing future risk of developing osteoporosis. In this episode, Dr Newson and Professor Reid talk about what osteoporosis is, how to diagnose it and also ways of increasing our bone density. 

Professor David Reid's Three Top Tips for Bone Health:

1. For people in their 20s and 30s, don't worry too much about your bone health - take plenty of exercise and eat well, this is the best way to prevent any future problems.
2. For women going through the menopause, now is the time to start thinking about your bones. Take preventative measures such as reducing your alcohol intake and stop smoking. Consider a DEXA scan to measure your bone density.
3. For elderly people, try regular weight bearing exercise and get the required amount of Vitamin D and Calcium, be careful to ensure your home is safe from trip hazards that can result in fractures. 

In this week's podcast, Dr Louise Newson has an open discussion with her mother, Ann Newson, about her personal views regarding taking HRT. Over 30 years ago, Ann was experiencing symptoms of severe fatigue which were negatively affecting her ability at work, prompting her GP to give her a prescription for HRT. Ann was then told that she was going through “The Change” but had no idea what that meant! The menopause was never spoken about at that time and she was given no information about it. However, taking HRT gave Ann her life back and her energy levels vastly improved. Fast forward to today and Ann is delighted to have learnt so much about the menopause from her daughter, Louise. In this episode, Ann also explains how many of her friends have developed breast cancer over the years despite none of them taking HRT. She strongly feels that women should be given a choice regarding hormone therapy and how she plans to stay on her HRT forever! 

Ann Newson's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Carry on! If you're happy with your HRT then you don't have to stop taking it
2. If you are feeling low, don't think that you're not menopausal just because you aren't experiencing hot flushes and night sweats.
3. Don't be frightened of HRT, it can be life-changing!

This week, Dr Newson is joined by Jane Simpson, a continence nurse specialist who works from The London Clinic in Harley Street. 

In this episode, Jane and Dr Newson discuss all aspects of pelvic floor health relating to the menopause, including stress incontinence, an overactive bladder (key in the door syndrome!), vaginal dryness/atrophy, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation and the bowels and last but not least the pelvic floor and how menopause can affect our sex lives. 

You can find Jane at www.thepelvicfloorbible.com and on Instagram @jane_thepelvicfloorbible.

Jane's Three Take Home Tips for pelvic Floor Health:

1. Make sure you are exercising the correct muscles
2. Once you're sure that you are, make sure you do it regularly
3. If you are unsure or think there could be a problem, then please seek help!

In this week's podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Sarah Ball, a GP with a special interest in the menopause. Together, they talk all about early menopause and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) which affects women under 45 years. In the UK, around one in 100 women under 40 experience an early menopause yet many of these women are not diagnosed nor do they receive evidence-based advice and treatment. It is essential that these women receive replacement hormones at least until the age of 51 (the average age of the menopause) unless there are medical contra-indications to taking hormones. Dr Newson and Dr Ball discuss the health risks of untreated early menopause and POI and also the different ways in which women can receive individualised help and treatment. 

Dr Sarah Ball's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Early menopause is a different experience - it is essential to replace your hormones
2. Your fertility still does need to be considered
3. Don't feel isolated! Find some support, there are others out there experiencing the same thing.

Click here to watch Dr Louise Newson discuss early menopause and POI.

In this week's podcast, Dr Louise Newson is speaking to journalist Kirsty Lang about her experience with Breast Cancer and how life has been since her recovery. Together, they discuss the treatment that Kirsty received and the side-effects that she experienced from some of the medication, particularly those that blocked the effects of estrogen in her body. Kirsty talks openly about her menopausal symptoms relating to vaginal dryness and reduced libido and Dr Newson explains the effective treatment options available for these symptoms. They also talk about the differences between information given to men who have prostate cancer and women who have breast cancer. Men are usually given far more information than women, especially regarding the sexual problems that can arise during cancer treatment, and clearly this needs to change. 

Click here to listen to Kirsty Lang talk about breast cancer in Liz Earle's weekly podcast.

Kirsty's Three Take Home Tips for dealing with menopause after cancer:

1. Try local vaginal oestrogen for vaginal dryness
2. If you are struggling massively, go to your GP/surgeon/oncologist and don't be afraid to ask for help
3. Don't feel like you have to struggle just because you've survived breast cancer. It's not true, there is help out there for you!

In this week's podcast, Dr Louise Newson is talking with one of her closest friends, Kate Parr, about her reasons for setting up Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre. Kate encouraged Dr Newson to start educating women about the perimenopause and menopause by hosting a lunch in her house a few years ago, to which many of their friends were invited. Both ladies were really surprised with how eager women were to learn about menopause and how little they knew about something that they will all experience. This inspired Louise to continue to educate and empower women with the right knowledge, so that they can make evidence-based decisions regarding their future health during their menopause. In this episode, Louise and Kate also discuss why talking about menopause to our friends and families is so important. 

Kate Parr's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Be informed! Find out everything you can about the menopause, from reliable sources.
2. Talk to your girlfriends and support each other.
3. Mothers - talk to your sons and daughters about how you are feeling. Educate them so that, in the future, they know what to expect and know that it's okay to talk about it.

In this week's podcast, Dr Louise Newson is talking to leading consultant dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar. Together, they discuss all about the skin and how it can change during the perimenopause and menopause. The low hormone levels that occur during the perimenopause and menopause often have a negative effect on the collagen in the skin, which can lead to changes in appearance and elasticity. As well as this, skin concerns such as dryness and acne are a common occurrence during this time of our lives. Dr Newson and Dr Rajpar also discuss HRT and the effectiveness of giving oestrogen through the skin as a patch or gel.

More information about Dr Rajpar, including his serum, is available here: https://belgraviadermatology.co.uk/ 

Dr Rajpar's Three Take Home Tips for Healthy Skin:

1. Avoid soap and use gentle cleanser, moisturise twice daily.
2. Be sensible with the sun - wear factor 50.
3. Stop smoking! Nicotine can have a very negative effect on your skin.

In this week's episode, Dr Louise Newson chats to her good friend, Dr Rebecca Lewis, who is also a clinical director at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre. Together they discuss surgical menopause. Surgical menopause can often be very different to a natural menopause because it happens very suddenly. Women who have their ovaries removed during an operation are plunged into the menopause straight away. In addition, women who have a hysterectomy without their ovaries being removed still have a higher risk of an early menopause. Dr Newson and Dr Lewis discuss the most effective ways of treating surgical menopause.

Dr Lewis' Three Take Home Tips:

1. Think about menopause before your surgery - be aware of the symptoms you may experience.
2. Discuss HRT with your surgeon before surgery.
3. Have a solution and treatment plan in place before the operation.

In this week's episode, Dr Newson chats to Katie Taylor. From the age of 43 Katie suffered for four years with debilitating perimenopausal symptoms, which had been misdiagnosed as depression by her doctor.   It was only when her father, a breast cancer professor, suggested that he thought her symptoms were more likely to be hormonal, did she finally get the right diagnosis from her gynaecologist. Within a month of being on the right treatment (HRT) and off the antidepressants, she felt like her old self again.  

It was her anger and frustration at having wasted so many years of precious life, that led her to set up an online virtual coffee shop: The Latte Lounge (Top Tips For Women Over 40), to share her experience with others. Katie and Dr Newson discuss how commonly women are misdiagnosed and then are not receiving the right treatment for their symptoms. 

www.lattelounge.co  

Katie Taylor's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Print off this symptom checklist and the NICE menopause guidelines and go to your doctor feeling empowered and armed with information.
2. Know that HRT should be the first-line treatment, not just anti-depressants.
3. Remember you're not alone! Join the Latte Lounge or Menopause Support and talk to like-minded women.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson chats to Yvonne Bruton, a chief inspector at West Midlands Police who currently heads up the Violence Reduction Unit. Yvonne is also the chair of her Women in Policing association. Dr Newson and Yvonne have worked closely in the past and shared a journey over the last few years; Dr Newson has shared her passion and expertise and Yvonne has shared the problems that are experienced, not only by women in the workplace, but also by trying to design organisational responses to these within a challenging working environment! Policing is about improving people’s lives and protecting them from harm – but they need to look after the workforce to enable them to get out there and do that. Dr Newson has helped support and champion the work that West Midlands Police have been doing with menopause in the workplace and in this podcast they discuss Yvonne's inspirational work and how other organisation's can follow their lead. 

Yvonne's Three Take Home Tips for Menopause Support at Work:

1. Find someone to talk to - that could be a colleague experiencing similar problems or a peer support group.
2. Find an organisational advocate within your workplace.
3. Don't be afraid to make noise! 

In this podcast, Dr Newson is speaking with Nicola Mulkeen, a very experienced and knowledgeable pelvic floor physiotherapist. Together they discuss what exactly the pelvic floor muscles are and what they do in our bodies. Nicola talks about the importance of regular pelvic floor exercises and how to perform them. Dr Newson also asks Nicola about different types of urinary incontinence and how women experiencing symptoms should be receiving the right help and treatment.

Find out more about Nicola here: https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/holistic-therapies/physiotherapy

Nicola Mulkeen's Three Take Home Tips for Pelvic Floor Health:

1. Don't suffer in silence - get a referral from your GP if you have any concerns.
2. Prevention is better than reacting to symptoms once they occur, so it's always a good time to start thinking about your pelvic floor health.
3. Don't be embarrassed to talk about bladder and bowel problems or sexual health.

Partners of menopausal women are often neglected. In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Leigh, a partner of one of her patients who vividly describes how worried he was when he saw the changes in his wife and had no idea what was going on. They discuss potential ways of improving education to men and partners. It is really important that partners are involved and understand potential symptoms. Partners can often have a pivotal role in diagnosing the perimenopause and menopause and can help seek the right advice and treatment. 

Click here to take a look at this booklet, created by Dr Newson, which is a helpful guide specially created for partners to help a loved one manage the menopause: https://bit.ly/2NJkNXs

Leigh Goulding's Three Take Home Tips for partners:

1. Hold your tongue - any arguments you may be having may simply be due to perimenopaue and menopause.
2. Do your research and make sure to check the sources of whatever you read.
3. "Happy wife, happy life!"

In this episode, Dr Newson chats to Saska Graville, co founder of Mpoweredwomen.net; a community of doctors, wellbeing experts and brilliant women, to power you through menopause. Despite a career in women’s magazines, including being the deputy editor of Red, Saska had no idea that anxiety and loss of confidence were classic perimenopause symptoms. Hot flushes were the extent of her knowledge, and she’d never had one. She blamed her anxiety and loss of confidence in her late 40s on a career change.  MPowered Women ensures that no woman has to struggle and be uninformed about what the hell is going on with her physical and mental health, and what she can do about it. With no subject off limits, MPowered Women has her back. 

www.mpoweredwomen.net

Saska Graville's Three take Home Tips:

1. Don't panic!
2. Don't believe the headlines - search for factual, evidence-based advice.
3. Take someone with you to your doctor's appointment if you're feeling nervous, and before you visit, look at the Menopause Doctor website and arm yourself with information and advice. Also, visit the Menopause Support website and download the 'Ten things your GP should know about the menopause'.

Kim Goulding is one of Dr Newson's patients here at Newson Health. In today's episode, Kim talks about her own experience with the menopause how she was offered antidepressants. She has always been the driving force behind her family and became socially withdrawn and very low in her mood. She had no idea initially what was happening to her and her life had really changed. She talks to Dr Newson about how she tried to receive the right treatment and her experience taking HRT.

Kim's Three Take Home Tips:

1. It can be difficult when struggling with severe symptoms, but go and find the right help. If your GP can't help you then go private if you can.
2. Women should not have to pay for good quality menopause care, but getting the right treatment is priceless!
3. Get informed and search for evidence-based resources, such as menopausedoctor.co.uk.

Sheona Khan is a medical writer who has been working closely with Dr Newson for several months. In this weeks episode, Dr Newson and Sheona have an open discussion with about how much she has learnt regarding the perimenopause and how little she knew about it until recently. They discuss ways of improving knowledge for women about the perimenopause and the menopause and also the importance of women receiving evidence based and non-biased information. Sheona asks Dr Newson questions about changing hormones, making a diagnosis and HRT and Dr Newson explains why she feels that younger women should be equipped with the right information regarding their future hormone health. 

www.skmedicalwriting.co.uk

Sheona Khan's Three Take Home Tips about Perimenopause:

1. Talk about it - make those conversations happen. You could be going through the same thing as a friend!
2. If you are in your 40s and are experiencing tiredness, forgetfulness or stress - don't dismiss it, start thinking about your hormones.
3. Don't wait for your symptoms to get really bad before you consider HRT. The earlier you start replacing your hormones, the better!

Find Sheona on:

Twitter - @khansheona

Instagram - @sheonamedicalwriter 

Facebook - Sheona Khan Medical Writing

Professor Geoffrey Hackett works as a consultant in Urology and Sexual Medicine. He is a prolific writer and educator about men's health and has a particular interest in low testosterone in men. In this episode, Dr Newson and Professor Hackett talk about how having a low testosterone level can affect men, how common it is and how men can receive help and treatment. Around 20% of men in the UK have low testosterone at some time in their life but few of these men are being diagnosed and treated. This is due to lack of awareness by patients and doctors, especially as symptoms are vague and often subject to incorrect diagnosis. Erectile problems can be a sign of cardiovascular disease so it is really important that men have the appropriate tests and receive the best treatment to improve their future health. 

Professor Geoffrey Hackett's Three take Home Tips:

1. Having erections and sexual activity is great for men's health. Regular sex can reduce the risk of heart failure and can prolong life.
2. The quality of sex can matter more than the quantity.
3. Erectile dysfunction is down to heart problems until proven otherwise. Don't just put it down to stress, age etc.

Lucy Holtom is a yoga teacher who works closely with Dr Newson here at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre. Lucy runs 'Living Your Yoga' and her classes encourage attendees to take time to connect with their inner world through ancient Yogic practices. These practices include co-ordinating the breath with movement; attention to alignment; seeking focus and balance; and finding comfort in challenging the body to open and release the accumulation of tension from life’s day-to-day habits. In this episode, Lucy talks to Dr Newson all about how yoga can nourish, restore and release physical, mental and emotional constraints, whilst building inner strength and confidence. 

www.livingyouryoga.co.uk

Lucy's Three Take Home Tips for Yoga Beginners:

1. If you want to try a class, look for recommendations from others and chat to different teachers to find what's right for you.
2. Wear comfortable clothing - you don't need to spend money on new yoga outfits, just wear whatever you can move freely in.
3. Go with an open mind and enjoy!

Edward Joy has over 20 years’ experience as a complimentary healthcare practitioner, as an ethnobotanist Edward spends much of his time studying the components of plants in an aim to understand their nutritional benefits but he also adopts naturopathy into his practice.  

Edward contributes regularly to articles for Only Natural and Holistic Therapist magazines. His  informal lectures and herb walks are attended by health professionals in the UK and throughout Europe from Ireland to Italy. 

For the past 12 years Edward has worked closely with the Naturopathic Supplements Company, Bionutri, where his work includes procurement and product development. Working with an ingredient is one thing, ensuring the ingredient has benefit is Edward’s particular point of interest.  

In an informal conversation with Dr Louise Newson, Edward Joy discusses the way herbs influence our health, particularly when integrated into the diet. 

Edward Joy's Three Take Home Tips:

1. When it comes to the menopause, don't deny it. Don't look for foods and herbs that can 'turn back the clock', look for ways to support and facilitate this time in your life.
2. Think about supplements but do your research and look for the best quality.
3. Be true to yourself! Be honest about your diet and nutrition and the areas you might be able to improve.

Diane Porterfield-Bourne is a Nurse Practitioner with over 30 years nursing experience. She runs www.bourne2care.co.uk and provides menopause education talks in the workplace and through organised events. She is committed to raising menopause awareness and feels very passionately about women's health and how menopause can affect women physically and emotionally. In this episode, Diane talks to Dr Newson all about her work as well as the ways she works with menopausal women from different ethnic minorities. 

Diane Porterfield-Bourne's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Read up on the menopause and discover how it may affect you.
2. Talk to your GP and arm yourself with the correct, evidence-based information.
3. Be open and honest with your families. Explain how you are feeling so they can support you.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks with Diane Danzebrink, both very passionate campaigners on the subject of improving menopause education for women. The two experts discuss the current HRT shortages and media reports following the recent HRT scare and give women the real facts, talking about their grave concerns that women are going to be denied HRT by their doctors for the wrong reasons and how women need to be given the right information to challenge this.

Diane Danzebrink's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Don't panic!
2. Don't believe the headlines - go find factual evidence-based advice
3. Take someone with you to your doctor's appointment if you're feeling nervous, and before you visit, look at the Menopause Doctor website for information, visit the Menopause Support website and download the 'Ten things your GP should know about the menopause'

In this episode, Dr Newson is joined by Liz Earle MBE and together they discuss the recent research that was published in the Lancet, concerning the link between HRT and breast cancer. They talk about what this research means to women and discuss other evidence regarding the benefits of taking HRT.

www.lizearlewellbeing.com

Liz Earle's Three Take Home Tips about HRT:

1. Don't believe everything you see in the headlines - do your research and don't panic!
2. Read up on the subject and listen to experts.
3. Look at all of your symptoms - menopause is so much more than hot flushes and it doesn't need to affect your quality of life.

In this episode Dr Newson and qualified nutritionist and chef Emma Ellice-Flint, talk about gut matters, microbiome research and what foods can make a difference to the gut and whole body health. Topics discussed include:

• Control how you feel through what you eat, bidirectional communication to/from gut and the brain.
• The time it takes to make a change to your gut microbiome through what you eat.
• Fecal transplants, what it is and some recent research.
• Different types of prebiotics and probiotics and what they are, including kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi.
• Getting variety into everyday eating, making vegetables the center of your dish.
• Which good fats to especially eat - extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, seafood.
• Digestion and the anticipation of eating on digestion.
• Fasting and ways of doing it.
• Variety - pushing out your food choices to include more varieties of fruit and vegetables.
• Individual - what suits one person may not suit another, learn to understand what works best for you.
• Sleep - good habits around sleep and what you might be able to improve to have a better night's sleep.

Read more about Emma on her website here and follow Emma on Instagram and Facebook. Read about Emma’s cookbooks here.

Emma's Three take Home Tips for Gut Health:

1. Variety is important! Especially when it comes to vegetables - try to mix it up and try new things.
2. We are all individual and what works for one person when it comes to weight loss, bloating, hormone balance etc might be different for another. Find out how your body works!
3. Sleep is so important. We make better food choices when we are well rested.

In this episode, Dr Newson is joined by former music industry PR guru Meg Mathews. Together, they discuss Meg's reasons for creating her website, MegsMenopause, and why she has worked so hard to improve menopause education for women. Meg talks very openly about her dreadful menopause experience and how she had no idea what was happening to her - as indeed so many women don't. Thankfully she is so much better now, taking the right dose and type of HRT. Meg works tirelessly to educate women (and men) about the menopause and how it can affect their lives. In this podcast, Dr Newson and Meg discuss the different ways women can receive the right help and advice. 

Meg's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Share with your family! Your symptoms may also affect those closest to you so it could be helpful to share how you are feeling and why.
2. If you have an inkling of any menopausal symptoms, fill out this questionnaire - if you have 5 or more symptoms then you may want to go and see your GP.
3. Self love! Things can feel so overwhelming during the menopause so take time for yourself and put yourself first.

www.megsmenopause.com

Athena Lamnisos is the Chief Executive of the Eve Appeal which the only UK national charity raising awareness and funding research into the five gynaecological cancers – womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal. In this episode Dr Louise Newson and Athena talk about the importance of diagnosing these cancers early which leads to better outcomes for women. Many women are ignoring signs of potential cancer such as vaginal bleeding due to fear or denial which needs to change. Athena talks about ways the charity is working to improve early detection of cancers and also with the research they are involved in and the discussion also includes managing menopause in women who have had treatment for their cancer and how important it is for them to receive the right treatment and advice.

Athena's Three Take Home Tips for Understanding your Gynae Health:

1. You need to know your menstrual health and cycle and know what's normal for you. If you no longer have periods, you need to know when your last one was.
2. We need to break down the stigma and taboo around gynaecological health. Learn and use the correct terminology for your body parts so you can describe any symptoms properly.
3. Know your body! Have a look at your vulva and know what is normal for you. This will help so much should you have to explain anything to a medical professional.

https://eveappeal.org.uk/

Migraines and worsening headaches can be a very common symptom of the perimenopause and menopause. In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Dr Sarah Ball who explains why this can occur and ways of managing migraines for women who have changing hormone levels. Many women wrongly believe they cannot take HRT if they have a history of migraine, so this myth is discussed and the correct advice given. In addition to taking HRT, there are numerous lifestyle measures that can improve migraines which are also discussed.

Dr Sarah Ball's Three Take Home Tips About Menopause and Migraines:

1. Look back at your reproductive cycle as a whole, particularly when your periods first began and when on different contraceptives. Are there any patterns?
2. Keep a headache diary - this can be so helpful!
3. Always look at your lifestyle first as there are lots of helpful changes that can be made. However, don't forget to consider your hormones as this could well be the source of the problem.

Learn more about Dr Sarah Ball

Diane Danzebrink is a psychotherapist, menopause expert, wellbeing consultant and also a great friend of Dr Newson. She is tirelessly campaigning for improved care and support for menopausal women having personally had a dreadful experience of the menopause after an operation to remove her ovaries to the extent she became suicidal. Diane always promised her husband that if she ever improved then she would campaign and fight so that other women do not suffer in the way she did.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson and Diane discuss the #makemenopausematter campaign Diane has introduced, which now has an impressive 27,000 votes. The aims of this campaign are to improve menopause education amongst doctors and to raise awareness of the menopause within the workplace. The third aim of the campaign has been achieved – which is discussed in this podcast! Dr Newson and Diane also talk openly about the challenges they are experiencing in improving menopause care and education globally.

Diane's Three Take Home Tips for Getting the Right Menopause Care:

1. If you are in your early 40s, educate yourself and get a general understanding of what menopause is and what it might bring.
2. Menopause does not have to be negative! This time in your life should be for reflecting on your life and re-setting your goals for the future.
3. If you're listening and are currently going through the perimenopause or menopause, you are not alone! There are places, such as Menopause Support, where you can talk to like-minded women and get support. There are also so many resources such as menopausedoctor.co.uk where you can find evidence-based advice.

Visit the Menopause Support website here

Dr Newson talks with Meg Mathews & Athena Lamnisos, CEO of charity Eve Appeal, about best times to discuss menopause with women & children. Menopause being on the curriculum has had a mixed response, but as it can cause many different symptoms, which can go unrecognised for years, it’s essential we start the conversation early so children can recognise potential symptoms in themselves & others & become aware of the health risks of the menopause & optimise health.

The Eve Appeal

Meg's Menopause

Dr Louise Newson discusses changing hormones with Nurse Tracy Rutter, who has had an interesting & varied career as an army nurse & a school nurse. Tracy talks about changing hormones in adolescent girls & comparisons with changing hormone levels in perimenopausal and menopausal women, her own experience of surgical menopause, how balancing her hormones really improved the quality of her life & her experience of working in the Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.

Tracy's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Don't put yourself on the back burner any more! Be brave and seek the right advice and treatment.
2. That 'me time' is really important - remember to take care of yourself.
3. Start keeping a diary to record your symptoms and how you are feeling. It can be helpful for your own mind and also when you visit your GP.

Learn more about Nurse Tracy Rutter

Menopause education is not mandatory for healthcare professionals. Dr Newson discusses the importance of menopause education with Menopause & Wellbeing Centre Practice Manager, Sarah Baker who previously worked in a private hospital and ran educational events for doctors on various subjects. Sarah describes how women’s health events were always popular and, in her experience, doctors have a real thirst for knowledge regarding the menopause and safe prescribing of HRT. 

Sarah Baker's Three Take Home Tips to Help You on Your Menopause Journey:

1. Do your research! There are so many great resources available, such as menopausedoctor.co.uk, and if you have the right information it will help when you visit your GP.
2. Be brave and talk to other people - you may find a lot of your friends are going through the same thing and you can help and support each other.
3. Talk to your family and involve your partner. You are not on your own and there is help out there!

Learn more about Sarah Baker

Symptoms of depression commonly occur during the perimenopause/menopause. Here, Dr Newson is joined by Dr Rebecca Lewis and together they discuss why symptoms can occur & ways of managing them with the right treatment. For many menopausal women, these symptoms are incorrectly diagnosed as depression; research shows around 70% of perimenopausal/menopausal women are inappropriately offered/given antidepressants. There is no evidence that antidepressants are beneficial for the low mood associated with changing hormone levels.

Dr Rebecca Lewis' Thee Take Home Tips about Menopause and Depression:

1. Low mood is a very common symptom during the menopause - you are not alone!
2. There is a great treatment available and the right type and dose of oestrogen can really help these symptoms.
3. HRT is safe and can be so beneficial for our mental health, as well as cardiovascular health and bone health.

Find out more about Dr Rebecca Lewis

In this episode, recorded in conjunction with the Primary Care Women's Health Forum, Dr Newson talks with PCWHF Director, Karl Hamer about Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing Centre and her passion and determination to improve education about the menopause. 

Primary Care Women's Health Forum

In this first episode of a new podcast series recorded by Dr Louise Newson, founder and menopause specialist GP at Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing Centre, Dr Newson discusses the symptoms and experiences of different patients with fellow GP and menopause expert, Dr Sarah Ball.

Find out more about Dr Sarah Ball