The Menopause Sisters

WARNING: The topic of child loss is discussed Sarah Newman is a Cancer & Exercise specialist and Breast Cancer Rehab Coach. Sarah founded her company Get Me Back to offer specialist fitness training for women affected by cancer. Experiencing first-hand the benefits exercise had on her own cancer recovery, she wanted to create an accessible place where women could feel safe and empowered exercising following their diagnosis. She aims to provide clear and specialist advice for those in need, offering a positive place to share experiences, and regain body confidence and strength.Earlier this year, Sarah launched the UK’s first online fitness app run by specialist cancer trainers, for women to rebuild their strength and fitness after treatment. Membership includes access to live classes, on-demand video workouts and recovery programmes, physiotherapy clinics and supporting nutritional and lifestyle advice, all relating to cancer recovery and menopause. Available online and via an app, Sarah hopes to help women across the UK and beyond to safely rebuild fitness and strength after cancer.Follow Sarah on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube @getmebackukwebsite: www.getmeback.uk

https://healthinmenopause.co.uk/Dr Alison Macbeth is a Breast Speciality Doctor in an NHS Breast Unit in Glasgow and is passionate about meeting the often overlooked needs of women in all stages of treatment and recovery from breast cancer, and also those with a high-risk family history of breast cancer. She was inspired to start a menopause clinic within her NHS breast unit after seeing patients who were now cancer-free but were suffering greatly from the menopausal side effects of treatment. She believes all women, including those treated for breast cancer, deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based menopause care and treatment and that every woman should be empowered to seek help and support, including those who may previously have been told they could never have HRT. Her approach is holistic and empathetic, and she is committed to individualised care for every woman. She has been a GP with a special interest in Women’s Health and Genito-Urinary medicine since 1999, and now spends the majority of her time specialising in Breast, Menopause and Women’s Health. She has completed her Advanced Menopause Certificate in Menopause Care from the British Menopause Society (BMS) and is an Accredited British Menopause Society Menopause Specialist, a member of the British Menopause Society, International Menopause Society and North American Menopause Society, and also the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum. She also provides menopause workshops for Maggie's and Breast Cancer Now.LINKS: www.healthinmenopause.co.ukwww.acog.org/topics/menopauseDani Binnington podcast: www.healthywholeme.com/menopause-and-cancer-podcastwww.bssm.org.uk

The Knowledge is an inclusive women’s health guide from a female GP, women’s health care specialist, educator, campaigner, broadcaster and advocate for underserved communities Dr Nighat Arif.Dr Nighat Arif is a GP specialising in women’s health and family planning with over 16 years of experience in the NHS and private practice. She is based in Buckinghamshire and is able to consult fluently with patients in Urdu and Punjabi. Dr Nighatis a medical educator and provides teaching to local trainee GPs as well as at national and international conferences. Dr Nighat was nominated for the National Bevan Prize for Health and Wellbeing to acknowledge her exceptional commitment to advancing wellbeing in her community. Dr Nighat has worked to raise awareness on menopause and women’s healthcare in Black and Asian women, she presented her clinical work at the Menopause in the Workplace Parliamentary Committee hearing.She has also worked with Team Halo, a United Nations (UN) initiative to bring an end to the pandemic and presented at the G7 Global Vaccine Confidence Summit which led to her being awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Science at London City University for Women’s Health, Public Health and Inclusion. Dr Nighat is the recipient of the Point of Light Prime Minister’s Award for her exceptional service to Women’s Health and she is also the recipient of the Honorary SHE Award for her outstanding work around Women’s Health.Dr Nighat is the resident doctor on BBC Breakfast and ITV This Morning, and she hosts her own Sunday Breakfast show on BBC3 Counties Radio. She was also a contributor on the Channel 4 documentary ‘Davina McCall: Sex, Lies and the Menopause’ and has made guest appearances on numerous podcasts tackling taboos around women’s health. Dr Nighat has regularly written for various publications including Stylist, HELLO, Red magazine, Good Housekeeping and Women in Medicine Magazine and her work around menopause has been featured in British Vogue. She is also the ambassador of global charity Wellbeing of Women, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, The Good Grief Trust, HerSpirit, Sikh Forgiveness and Upon Noon.https://linktr.ee/drnighatarif

Dr Claire & Caroline talk to Dr Ali Rismani about the overall risk of blood clots, the risk with HRT and how to reduce your risk of blood clots.Dr Rismani is a Consultant Haematologist and clinical Lead for haematology based in London. He graduated from Imperial College Medical School in 2001, completing his specialist haematology training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge and University College London Hospitals. He is also an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University College London (UCL).Dr Rismani specialises in the diagnosis and management of blood cancers and general haematology, with special interest in treating myeloma, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Rismani also has particular expertise and research interest in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinaemia, also known as Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma. He has been part of several international trials investigating this rare type of non-Hodgkin B cell lymphoma and has had his work published in several peer-reviewed journals.

Dr Claire & Caroline talk to Alexandra & Sjanie about Menstrual Cycle Awareness, getting 'fit' for menopause and the positivity of this transition. Their recently published book Wise Power champions the brilliance of menopause and how it holds the key for awakening and instating women leaders of the future.They discuss how it is time to redefine menopause and how this pivotal time of life is often mistakenly viewed as a health condition and can be an opportunity yo illuminate the power and potential it offers. Pioneers of the menstruality revolution and the founders of Red School, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer explain how to embrace menopause as a sacred rite of passage, an initiation that grows your authority, steeps you in purpose and awakens you to great power and wisdom.Alexandra Pope works as a women's leadership coach and facilitator, with background in education and psychotherapy. She is also the author of a number of books. For over thirty years she has been developing and pioneering a ground–breaking approach to women's physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing based on the power of the menstrual cycle and the journey from menarche to menopause. She has experienced life in a number of countries, including the US, Japan and Australiaand now resides in the UK where she is continuing to develop this innovative work.Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer was born in South Africa and now lives in Worthing,UK with her husband and two young daughters. She is a published author and expert in the field of women's health and spirituality. She is founder of The Fertile Body Method, a mind-body approaches to fertility problems' and co-founded Blossom and Be fertility support community. Sjanie is an apprentice Movement Medicine Teacher with a strong interest in the healing affects of movement and dance.

Dr Claire & Caroline talk to Dr Sarah Glynne about the link between link between Covid-19 and female hormones.Sarah graduated from Imperial College in 1999 and became a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 2002 and then switched to general practice, becoming a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 2006. In 2016 she completed a Master of Science degree in allergy.She has been developing an interest in the menopause since 2018 and is on the Advisory Board, as well as the Editorial Board, of the Newson Health Menopause Society. She is particularly interested in the link between Covid-19 and female hormones, and believes that covid-19 induced hormonal perturbations are a barrier to recovery in many female patients with long Covid, unless treated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).  Dr Glynne is also interested in the management of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors. She is co-chair of a newly established breast cancer working group that is currently developing a consensus statement to raise awareness about the risks and benefits of HRT for women with a history of breast cancer. The consensus statement will hopefully be available in early 2022. More information can be found here:https://www.nhmenopausesociety.org/newson-health-menopause-society-establishes-a-breast-cancer-working-group/Other resources mentioned in this episode:https://balance-menopause.com/uploads/2022/05/LC-diet-and-hormones-final.pdfhttps://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/long-covid-and-female-hormones-factsheet/ https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/female-hormones-and-covid-19/https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/hrt-and-long-covid-patient-story/To book an appointment with Dr Sarah Glynne:https://www.clairemellon.co.uk/dr-sarah-glynne

Dr Claire & Caroline talk to Tracee Stanley, the bestselling author of Radiant Rest and Empowered Life Self-Inquiry Oracle. A spiritual teacher for over two decades, Tracee weaves a sacred alchemy of Yoga Nidra, self-inquiry, meditation, ancestor reverence, Tantra, and devotion to create spaciousness for clarity, inner wisdom, and the innate luminosity that is the source of our true power. Tracee is currently writing her second book for Shambhala Publications which will be released in 2023.Yoga Nidra can be an invaluable tool to invite deep rest and relaxation into your life and in turn supporting menopause symptoms. By resting well and reducing stress in the body, many peri/menopause symptoms are reduced in severity. It can be a very helpful practice for those who suffer with insomnia.traceeyoga.com  radiantrest.comempoweredlfecircle.com

Dr Claire & Caroline talk to Nicki Williams award winning nutritionist, author, speaker and a leading expert in women’s health and hormones. She is thefounder of Happy Hormones for Life. Her book It’s not you, it’s your hormones; The essential guide for women over 40 to fight fat, fatigue and hormone havoc covers everything from oestrogen, cortisol, thyroid and insulin to the liver and gut as well as diet and lifestyle. After failing to find any medical help for her health issues herself in her early 40’s, Nicki discovered that she could turn things around using diet, lifestyle and natural supplements. She is now an helping women of all ages to rebalance their hormones, reclaim their health and feel better than ever. www.happyhormonesforlife.com