The Arc Woman Podcast

🎙️ Acne is almost never one thing, and the wellness industry on the internet keeps selling it as one. In this conversation, Sarah sits down with naturopath Lindsay Braid, who specialises in acne and PMOS.🧬 Why jawline and chin acne is so often androgenic and why SHBG and free testosterone tell you more than a total testosterone result. Plus why skin flares before your period, and how insulin resistance pushes the ovaries to make more androgens.🥛 We discuss diet and food fear, specifically: IGF-1 and the dairy debate, why goat’s and sheep’s dairy can behave differently, and what a low glycemic load approach actually looks like.🫀 What about the liver and gut? We chat through how fatty liver lowers SHBG and why juice cleanses and herbal “liver detoxes” can backfire.💊 We also cover the medical side, from why the pill clears skin and the androgen rebound that can follow when you stop it, to when spironolactone and isotretinoin make sense, which tests are worth your money, and why Vitex can make acne worse in PMOS.💛 Plus the mental health toll of acne, why your skin is often the last system to catch up, and why sometimes the answer really is a good dermatologist and skin barrier repair.🔗 Want to go deeper on stress? Listen to Cortisol, The Stress Cycle & How To Close The Loop.If you would like to book in with Lindsay, you can find her at Sanatio Naturopathy. All sources are in the accompanying article on Substack and Patreon.🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ One in three women describe their birth as traumatic, but the trauma often isn’t about what happened. In this episode with Dr Melanie Jackson, we unpack what actually causes birth trauma and what would prevent it, in light of the NSW birth trauma inquiry and rising caesarean rates.🧠 We discuss why “birth trauma” and “obstetric violence” are contested, and why trauma can be physical, psychological, or both.💬 Why women with identical births on paper can have very different outcomes, and how the role of listening to the mother’s needs plays a huge role.🤝 Designing care that actually protects women: knowing what you want before you walk in, why continuity of care is the strongest predictor of low trauma, choosing a care provider whose approach aligns with yours, and why “going with the flow” in a hospital means a medicalised birth by default.🛡️ How to protect the birth space with eye covers, headphones, and a support person who can say no for you, why a partner may not be your best advocate, and more.⚖️ Why presenting one option isn’t informed consent, how coercion shows up in routine practice, and what a recent Australian Supreme Court case reveals about vaginal examinations and consent.🌱 Plus the first weeks postpartum, why debriefing isn’t a formula (and who should lead it), and how birth stories evolve over time.All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ Your boyfriend could be hurting your health, and science backs it up. We’ll break down how a typical heterosexual relationship, from moving in to midlife, can cost women sleep, money, and well-being. Everything here is based on real research, not just opinions.🛒 Stage one: moving in. First, we discuss the “split everything 50/50” talk, even though it rarely works out that way. Studies show women lose sleep sharing a bed with a guy (and often sleep better with their dog). We also look at new research on women doing all the emotional work, and the burnout it causes.🏠 Stages two and three, long-term and kids. We cover the 7 extra hours of housework a week, kinkeeping, sleep divorce, and the mental load of noticing and checking.🩺 Here’s the tough midlife truth: If a woman gets seriously sick, she’s six times more likely to be left than a man. Older women also face a bigger super gap and more housing insecurity.🛠️ We talk fixes, too: split bills fairly, try the Fair Play method, use separate blankets before separate rooms, let snorers face the music, and more.💛 Not all men are like this of course, but also no gold stars for the bare minimum. This is a love letter to the men who show up, and a wake-up call for the women whose partners don’t.All references are in the full article available on my Substack: substack.com/@arcwoman and Patreon: patreon.com/arcwoman🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🧸 A teddy bear for a one-year-old must meet at least five safety standards before it can be sold in Australia. Vibrators, on the other hand, have no such requirements. In this episode, we look at the rules for children's toys compared to those for vibrators and dildos, and explore why sex toy regulation is an overlooked women's health issue.⚖️ We compare how Australia, the US, EU, and UK handle sex toy regulations. Why Australia has no mandatory chemical limits or lab testing for sex toys, how the "therapeutic claim trapdoor" lets the industry dodge TGA oversight by never mentioning health, why "medical grade" is the sex toy equivalent of "all natural," and how the EU caps phthalates at 0.1% by law.🧬 We discuss why no study has ever measured how much phthalate a person absorbs from an inserted toy and the limited research about phthalates, heavy metals like cadmium, and what's still untested, from silicone to jelly to TPE.🦠 What about hygiene? HPV DNA can be found on porous toys even after cleaning. We talk through the link between shared and uncleaned toys and bacterial vaginosis, and 18,500 vibrator injuries in US emergency departments over two decades. Plus connected toys, data privacy, and the hacked app cases.🛒 Learn which materials to favour, red flags for plasticisers, how to clean and store your toys, what to ask brands, and how to report an unsafe product to the ACCC (or your local equivalent) so the regulation conversation actually moves.All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon. 🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ In this episode I'm joined by Adelle Sushames, clinical psychologist, late-diagnosed AuDHDer, and founder of Nurture Clinical Psychology a specialist in diagnosing and supporting autistic women and girls across the lifespan. This one is personal for me, and I think a lot of you are going to hear yourselves in this conversation.🧠 We cover why the diagnostic criteria were built on young white boys, what the female presentation of autism actually looks like, why girls become expert maskers before anyone even suspects a diagnosis, and how perimenopause can completely flip the way autism and ADHD show up in your day-to-day life.⚡ Adelle breaks down the colour wheel model of autism, why high/low functioning language causes harm, what misdiagnoses women receive most often before getting an accurate one, and why "everyone's a little bit autistic" is not the supportive statement people think it is.🩺 We also get into autistic burnout versus depression, spoon theory, the upcoming NDIS changes and what they mean for women with level one diagnoses, self-identification, and what Adelle wants every woman to know in the week after she receives a positive diagnosis.Find Adelle at neurodivergentally.com and @neurodivergent_aly on Instagram. Her card decks NDM and Spoon Thieves and Spoon Savers are available on her website and work across all ages.arcwoman.com.au🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🔬 In this episode I'm joined by Alice Molloy endometriosis researcher at the University of Edinburgh, research technician on the landmark Endo1000 project, and someone who started reading peer-reviewed papers at 16 from her post-surgery bed because no one would tell her what was happening in her own body.🧬 We get into the full science, the three subtypes of endometriosis, why lesions manufacture their own local estrogen supply, progesterone receptor loss, how the immune system is actively recruited to protect lesions instead of clearing them, and why the co-occurrence of autoimmune conditions, histamine intolerance, and gut dysfunction is mechanistically predictable.⚡ Alice breaks down what's actually coming in treatment the precision peptide just approved by the FDA for human trials, dichloroacetate and the Epic 2 randomised trial currently underway at Edinburgh, the androgen biomarker finding showing a specific 11-ketotestosterone signature in over 95% of endometriosis patients, and where the saliva microRNA test actually sits in the peer review process.📰 We also talk about The Telegraph's "disability is trendy" article, why online chronic illness communities are a survival mechanism not a lifestyle choice, and what nine years average diagnostic delay becomes for women of colour.Find Alice at @earthwithalice on Instagram and TikTok, and @wombdecoded for the fully referenced science content. Support or join the Endo1000 project at endo1000.comarcwoman.com.au🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ Everything you need to know about laparoscopies, with fertility specialist and surgeon Dr. Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor. Mostly framed around endometriosis, but still relevant if you're heading into a lap for PMOS or any other reason.⚕️ A look at exactly what happens inside the theatre, from how a diagnostic lap differs from an excision, the gas-and-gravity technique surgeons use to get a clear view of the pelvis, and the infamous shoulder tip pain.🩺 You’ll learn all the useful tips for pre-surgery prep like why iron and blood sugar control change your surgical risk and recovery, the ultrasound vs MRI conversation, and the discussion that every patient deserves to have before they’re on the table regarding fallopian tubes.😰 The parts nobody prepares you for: what the theatre actually feels like, why patients describe feeling exposed, and why Dr Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor stands beside her patients right until they go under.📅 We’ll discuss the 72 hour red flags that mean call your doctor immediately, what week one actually looks like (and why most people try to do too much), and what changes by week two, including when it's safe to return to exercise, driving, intercourse, and trying to conceive again.🔬 Plus the excision vs. ablation debate, what it means when your lap comes back clear, and why surgery treating inflammation isn't the same as guaranteeing you'll be pain-free.👩‍⚕️ Dr. Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor practices at Stellar Fertility, find her there for surgical or fertility consultations.All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon. 🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ In this solo episode I'm sharing the 10 things I come back to again and again in clinic the foundational steps I ask every woman to work through before seeking specialised help, because a specialist will most likely get you to do all of these first anyway. Think of it as clearing the muddy waters so you actually know which systems need more support.🍳Macronutrients properly explained why carbohydrates are not the enemy, how your carb needs track with how much you train, why most women are eating half the fibre they need, why protein requirements are individual and not a flat 120g rule, and why your morning meal choices matter more than you think for insulin sensitivity and circadian rhythm.🩸 The three minerals worth testing and why iron, zinc, and magnesium plus vitamin D's specific role in ovarian and endometrial tissue.💪 Why eating enough is the single biggest lever in clinic right now, especially in the current under-eating and Ozempic culture. Plus the case for resistance training over Pilates, why muscle mass becomes non-negotiable as you age, and why daily pleasure is part of the protocol.🩺 If you'd like more support after working through these steps, you can join the Arc Woman clinic waitlist hereWant to work with me 1:1? Book in with me here!🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ On this episode of the podcast, we discuss the various things that take place in your body as soon as you get a cold or flu, why symptoms appear in the order they do, and which cures are actually worth it while others are merely based on tradition.🦠 We go through the full infection timeline: why viruses target your nose first, the "hook and scissors" mechanism every respiratory virus uses to invade and escape cells, why influenza specifically hijacks your own cell's genetic tagging system, and why Tamiflu only works within a 48-hour window.🔥 We look in detail at interferon and the entire chain of effects that come after, such as fever, aches, and a loss of appetite.❌ Does dairy really make mucus worse? Does garlic up the nose clear an infection? Does menthol actually open your airways? How do honey, zinc, and vitamin D play a role? This episode covers all of that.🤰 Plus flu in pregnancy and why the risk is genuinely different past 20 weeks, and why it's worth a same-day call to your GP, not a wait-and-see.🩸 And what's actually happening with iron during infection, why your body deliberately hides it from a virus, and what that means for your cycle and ovulation timing if you get sick mid-month.All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️In this episode of the podcast we discuss miscarriage and take a look at just how common it really is, examine what causes it, and clarify what actually can and what cannot be prevented. As a brief note, this episode only addresses first and second trimester losses (up to 20 weeks).📊 The figure for real numbers is that 15.3% of known pregnancies result in miscarriage (Lance), but when early, undetected losses are taken into account, the rate rises to nearly 1 in 3. We go through why so many different statistics have been heard, what is considered to constitute 'recurrent loss' according to Australian guidelines as compared to those of ESHRE and RCOG, and why the majority of first-trimester losses are due to random chromosomal errors in the egg rather than anything you did, ate, or lifted.🧬 We look at the genuine risk factors and give them actual figures: those related to maternal age and the genetics involved, the health of male sperm, smoking, alcohol, caffeine in amounts over 200mg a day, and body weight.💊 Then comes the issue of treatable causes: thyroid disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, and the use of vaginal progesterone in women who have early bleeding and a previous loss. We’ll discuss what is actually worth testing for and what is often overhyped.👨 And the other half of the picture that rarely is spoken about: male sperm health, the 74–90 day window to optimise it before trying again, and why some popular pre-conception herbs (vitex, black cohosh, red raspberry leaf) should be avoided.💛 If you're going through a loss at the moment, this episode is intended to be educational and not a substitute for professional care. You should contact a general practitioner or a specialist, and if you'd like to speak to someone, 1-800-RESPECT is available.All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands