The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

088 - Endometriosis and the Menopause - Chris Mann & Dr Louise Newson

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/ 

087 - Menopause Education for GPs - Dr Tosin Taiwo & Dr Louise Newson

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

086 - Lockdown & Weight Loss - Emma Ellice-Flint & Dr Louise Newson

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 

 

085 - Medical Menopause - Emma McAuley & Dr Louise Newson

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'

084 - Menopause and Health - Dr Annice Mukherjee & Dr Louise Newson

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

083 - The Importance of Lifestyle During the Menopause - Amanda Thebe & Dr Louise Newson

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

082 - The Personal & Professional Costs of the Menopause - Chris Oglesby & Dr Louise Newson

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.

081 - Pilates & the Menopause - Dinah Siman & Dr Louise Newson

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

 

080 - ”How My Work Was Affected by the Menopause” - Kate Halfpenny & Dr Louise Newson

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.

 

079 - Media & the Menopause - Nadia Sawalha & Dr Louise Newson

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.