HHHK 422: Examining Iron in Pregnancy with Elly McLean

In today’s episode I am very excited to introduce you to Nikki Williams from Mentwell. Nikki shares with us her own personal health and wellness journey and how this led her to her purpose – changing lives with empathetic gifting. We talk about mental health and the stigmas we still face, the role of therapy versus other modalities including somatic therapy, empathetic as opposed to material gifting, how you can be involved in her mission to save lives globally and so much more. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/481 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by our new TNN practitioner, Steph Pearson to explore endometriosis, or endo. Steph shares with us her personal journey with endo from a young age and how this played out under a conventional medical model. We explore the potential root causes of endo, including inflammation, estrogen and LPS, the common symptom presentation, the role of progesterone, pelvic ultrasounds, the significance of adequate pathology testing and interpretation, a whole food nutritional approach, key supplements and so much more. Steph is a wealth of knowledge and extremely passionate about women’s health, and I hope you will join me in welcoming her to our team.  Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/439 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Dr Stacy Sims, international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. We have such a wide-ranging conversation under the banner of her famous tagline, “women are not small men”, including research, nutrition, training, the menstrual cycle, periods, endometriosis, perimenopause, elite sport and so much more. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/479 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Megan Haralampou otherwise known as The Biomedical Naturopath. We explore many aspects to fertility – adequate testing, macronutrients, micronutrients, key supplements, the importance of a healthy microbiome, how to optimise an IVF journey and so much more. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/478 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we turn the tables and Solaine interviews me on a much awaited topic – low iron, pregnancy and why Matlofer or an iron infusion isn’t the answer. We explore the role of iron in pregnancy, the importance of haemoglobin, our misdirected obsession towards ferritin, the problems with conventional pathology reference ranges, my concerns with Maltofer, Ferro-grad C and high saturation, all about hepcidin, iron infusions plus what you can do and so much more. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/396 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Kira Sutherland, to discuss fasting for women. We consider traditional Naturopathic models of fasting in comparison to the popularised versions of our current day, our concerns around long-term fasting and nutrient intake, fasting and training, the role of coffee in fasting, how to truly fast like a woman and so much more.   Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts476 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Solaine Douglas to explore weight loss versus fat loss, Ozempic, PCOS and more. We explore weight loss versus body composition changes, our concerns with nutrient deficiencies and the long term implications of traditional diet culture, proper testing and interpretation for PCOS, insulin resistance, thyroid diagnosis and treatment, the importance of tracking your intake for health and fat loss and so much more.   Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/475 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Stella Ladikos, fierce mental health advocate, counsellor, speaker, and huge believer in therapy to discuss mental health. We explore “mental health first aid” and the importance of us all becoming “everyday heroes” and developing skills in empathy and listening versus our default “fix-it mode”. Stella teaches us what we can say to help our loved ones, how to approach a loved one who appears to be struggling with their mental health, the importance of holding space, her thoughts on the stigmas around mental health in 2024 and so much more.  This is such a powerful conversation that I hope you truly listen to today. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/474 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Dr. David Harper, to uncover the dark side of the class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogs, with the most well-known being Ozempic. We explore weight loss versus fat loss, our concerns with long term caloric restriction, the mild and serious potential side effects of these pharmaceuticals, our issues with the lack of regulation surrounding social media influencers, prescribing doctors and now, purchasing websites where no prescriptions are required. Let’s dive straight in. Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/473 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.

In today’s episode we are joined by Thea Doyle to teach you how to fuel your cycle. We cover the importance of understanding your menstrual cycle and the four key phases, including how and what to track, the significance of ovulation and the role of ovulation predictor kits. We then examine the follicular and luteal phases and uncover the key differences in macronutrient utilisation, performance, exercise intensity, hydration and so much more. This is not just for athletes, this is for every woman who wants to optimise her health, performance, fertility and longevity. To join Thea’s incredible masterclass, Fuelling Your Cycle, head to the show notes for more information.   Masterclass: Fuelling Your Cycle - book your ticket here.   Head to https://www.stephlowe.com/podcasts/472 for show notes, episode transcripts and more.