Life After Menopause

Menopause is a challenge in and of itself but when you add in the fact that thyroid issues are likely to appear during peri/menopause, it takes things to a whole new level.

One day you're feeling on top of the world, the next, your thyroid decides to throw a wild party, leaving you exhausted, irritable, and wondering where your energy disappeared to.

We can look at the symptoms of peri/menopause as being solely due to those hormonal changes, but those changes have an impact on all our body's systems... or maybe it's vice versa, maybe the body's systems affect the menopause symptoms... we just don't know.

What we are sure about are the results: weight gain, our metabolism takes a nosedive, our energy levels plummet, sleep becomes a distant memory, and we go from cold to sweating like a marathon runner in the blink of an eye.

All of these symptoms can be caused by peri/menopause. But they can also be caused by thyroid problems.

Emma Drady, a naturopath who specialises in female hormonal and thyroid issues, gives us an insight into what is and isn't a thyroid problem, what symptoms there may be and how to best deal with them. With the right treatment and a bit of perseverance, Emma assures us that we can navigate this thyroid (and menopausal) rollercoaster. 

 

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep191


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Here's the question: since there's been a big rise in childhood obesity in recent years, should governments have more of an involvement in what children do and don't eat?
 
Should they be monitoring the foods they're given? Should they be monitoring the food we're all given, beyond just the safety regulations they currently have in place? What are the problems that might result from a heavier government involvement?

While there's definitely a need for government involvement in our diets, particularly that of children, the question is where to draw the line around that involvement. What does the optimum government involvement look like?

Whilst we want protection as consumers, should governments be banning us from eating things like McDonald's more than once a week? Should they be making people buy fruit and veggies and banning the more unhealthy pre-prepared foods? Should they be ensuring we all eat as well as we can?

The problem is ready made meals and fast foods are often cheaper and much more readily available than fresh foods, plus with our work hours getting longer each year, we have less time to devote to meal preparation. On top of that, overregulation can result in a black market for unhealthy foods, promoting illegal trade and potentially unsafe products and it may stigmatise certain foods, leading to an unhealthy relationship with food and the development of eating disorders, exactly the kind of thing the regulations would be trying to prevent.

Join me in conversation with Ryan O'Connor as we look at diet, weight issues, body image, obesity and discrimination and the need - or not - for more government involvement.

 

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep190

Have you ever stopped to consider the potential of a heartfelt letter to the most intimate parts of yourself? Let's face it, you probably haven't but it might just be the missing piece in your life.

Firstly, think of the therapy it could provide. Pouring out your thoughts and feelings onto paper, addressing them to your lady bits, could be a cathartic experience like no other. It's like having a deep, meaningful conversation with yourself.

Secondly, imagine the self-discovery that awaits. As you pen your thoughts, you might uncover hidden desires, discover new sensations, or even stumble upon a few giggles. Your vagina might even surprise you with a response – though, be forewarned, deciphering its cursive might be a challenge!

Danielle Dal Cortivo believes that writing this letter can transform our whole lives and is passionate about the changes it can bring to women. Listen to the conversation and then sign up for the workshop, let your creativity flow, grab a pen, and unlock the hidden power of penning a love letter to your vaginal wonderland. Who knows what delightful surprises await?

 

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep189

Women face numerous barriers when trying to achieve many things in life, but when they enter politics, those gender biases and stereotypes go up to a whole new level.
 
From discrimination and harassment, both online and offline, to traditional gender roles and societal expectations, to media focus on female politicians' appearance, when women enter politics their experience is completely different - and much more challenging - to that of their male counterparts.

In Australia recently, there's been a lot of focus on gender bias and inequality in government at all levels and what's become obvious is that women are much better represented in the Labor Party than in the Liberal Party. This is mainly due to the work of EMILY's List.

EMILY's List was originally started in the US in 1985 by activist Ellen Malcolm that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favour of abortion rights to office. EMILY's List Australia was founded in 1996 by Leonie Morgan and its founding members include Joan Kirner and Australia's first (and only) Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

Join me in conversation with the CEO of EMILY's List Australia, Pamela Anderson, as we discuss the unique challenges aspiring female (and minority) politicians face and what support is needed and given to help overcome those challenges.

We also have a good conversation about why it's so important that our government representatives are a true reflection of society and the different kinds of misogyny that women face in the workplace today.

Because ultimately, achieving gender equality in political representation is not just a matter of fairness; it is a prerequisite for creating a truly democratic and inclusive society.

 

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep188 

The menopause years, where we become experts in the fine art of standing up for ourselves. It's like getting a Ph.D. in being an unstoppable force.

When you reach a certain age, it seems like we're surrounded by people who think they can dismiss our opinions because we don't know what we're talking about.

Unfortunately for them, they quickly find out that we've got the ultimate weapons in our arsenal: a lifetime of experience, a low tolerance of bull**** and a sharp tongue.
 

Whether it's politely reminding someone that we have an opinion and we're not afraid to share it when required or whether someone thinks they can steamroller us into doing something that isn't quite what we wanted to do, we menopausal women know how to make our presence known. 

The problem is we can often feel like we're doing that alone when that need not be the case. It's time to build the village around ourselves. Join me and Liza Baker in conversation about the benefits of growing older and how we can connect and support each other.

    

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep187 

I wonder how many people if they were being completely, 100% honest with themselves would admit that somewhere in the dark, hidden recesses of their minds, they believe, even just a little bit, that obesity is the result of laziness.

Our minds are incredible things but we process so much information constantly that it's necessary to create ready made boxes that we can easily fit people or situations into. It saves us time and energy, it allows us to build on our past experience, and it also helps us to make decisions much more quickly.

Unfortunately, these boxes also result in unquestioned beliefs and prejudices.

When was the last time you sat and questioned something that you believe? Probably not that recently, nor are you likely to do that frequently, because it's hard work. Life is much easier if we can glance at something, apply a label to it and shove it into the relevant box. It takes effort to look at something with fresh eyes and mind and really see things from a different perspective. 

I mean, let's face it, most of us aren't even aware that these boxes exist, that we have these little labels and preconceptions that we unthinkingly apply to everything in our lives.

Join us as we delve into the world of judgement, prejudices and discrimination.

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep186

When you're not feeling good about yourself but you also want to get back into shape, going to the gym can be a challenge, to say the least.

Most gyms are places where people go to show off their abs, their biceps, their glutes, they're not places where anyone who doesn't feel amazingly good about themselves feels comfortable.

And then there's the fact that some of us don't like going to the gym at all so even just getting there is a major achievement.

Like most of us, Tracy Taylor knew that she needed to go to the gym, she knew that she needed to lose weight and get into shape. But just getting to the gym can be a major challenge and when you do get there, the gym junkies with their toned bods and perfect, skimpy, body hugging outfits can be very intimidating.

Being a natural rebel, rather than trying to fit in and compete, Tracy decided to create her own set of gym wear, clothes that allow you to step to one side and not feel like you have to compete with everyone else. And it's called...

CBF Clothing. CBF stands for "Can't Be F*cked"

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep185

Overhearing a conversation between two male relatives as a child where they're discussing the fact that it was a shame that you were born a girl because with your personality and gifts, you should have been born a boy, will have a huge impact on how you view yourself and your gender.

The fastest growing age group for divorce is in the over 55's and recently I've had personal experience in why that's the case.

Devoting yourself to others should be a role that gives us the highest respect, yet it isn't. I've had several conversations with experts about the growing divorce rate of couples as they head towards retirement age is caused by the women realising that they've had enough of being treated like a second rate person. 

Unfortunately, it generally takes their husbands/partners completely by surprise because they're in the space of, "well, she's done this for years, why can't she just carry on being happy with it?"

Listen and watch the episode and then let me know your thoughts and experiences.

    Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep184

You might not think of peri-menopause or painful periods as being traumatic, but any woman who's experience one or both knows how debilitating they can be both mentally and physically.

The brain fog, the forgetfulness, the lost work days, the concern that you're losing your mind, the stress about all these weird symptoms you're suddenly experiencing, the ridiculously heavy periods, the pain. All of these things lead to one thing: stress. And stress leads to mental and physical sickness.

Chana Studley talks to us about how we hold trauma and stress in our bodies, how our natural human tendency is to focus on that stress / pain / trauma, and how much that negatively impacts on our lives.

She also talks about how we can move beyond all that! This is fascinating, insightful and informative listening. Come and join us and let us know what your thoughts are on what we talk about.

Listen, watch and find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep183