Menopause: Why don’t my Peri-Menopause symptoms feel better with HRT?
Navigating Perimenopause: Understanding and Managing Symptoms Perimenopause can be challenging to treat because, unlike the flat low estrogen levels that occur after menopause, hormone levels during perimenopause fluctuate significantly. This rollercoaster of hormones, with peaks sometimes higher than normal and troughs lower than normal, causes many of the symptoms associated with perimenopause. The Hormonal Rollercoaster […]
Menopause: Anti-depressants have evidence for helping multiple conditions… not just depression
The Versatility of Anti-Depressants: Beyond Depression Certain anti-depressants have been shown to decrease symptoms in various conditions, including hot flashes, chronic or nerve pain, PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), urinary incontinence, migraines, smoking cessation, and more. However, patients are often hesitant or completely resistant to consider these medications because they are also used to treat depression. […]
Athlete Health: Iron deficiency in athletes
Iron Deficiency in Athletes: What You Need to Know Athletes, particularly female endurance athletes, are more prone to iron deficiency for several reasons. Exercise impacts the body’s ability to absorb iron by increasing a hormone called hepcidin, which blocks iron absorption. Additionally, athletes lose iron through sweat and can experience “foot strike haemolysis,” where red […]
National Lung Cancer Screening Program will begin in July 2025
Lung Cancer Screening: A New Hope for Early Detection Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia, despite not being the most common cancer. This is due to its poor prognosis and the fact that it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The Importance of Lung Cancer Screening I was delighted […]
Bone Health: Should I take a calcium supplement for my bone health
The Importance of Calcium for Bone Health Calcium is crucial for maintaining bone health throughout our lives. In Australia, the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for calcium is 1000mg for adults and 1300mg for women after menopause and people over 70. This is similar to US recommendations but lower than the UK’s NICE guidelines, which recommend […]
Thyroid Dysfunction: Thyroid supplements usually make your thyroid health worse
The Truth About Thyroid Supplements: What You Need to Know The supplement industry is largely non-evidence-based and often wastes people’s money. While I occasionally recommend supplements for specific conditions such as Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, and sometimes B6 or Omega-3, there are certain supplements I never recommend—especially those marketed for thyroid health. Ironically, these […]
Metabolic Health: Five non-wanky and not too difficult health tips for 2025
Practical Health Tips for a Better Life Here are some pieces of advice I give my patients and try to incorporate into my own life: 1️⃣ Have a Regular GP Good healthcare is a teamwork process between the patient and the practitioner. Like any team—whether in sports, work, or relationships—we see the best results when […]
Athlete Health: Women runners are twice as likely as Men runners to experience a stress fracture
Understanding Bone Stress Injuries in Women Runners Did you know that women runners are twice as likely as men to suffer from bone stress injuries? This increased risk is due to a variety of factors, including hormonal differences, bone size, biomechanics, and more. One major risk factor is going more than six months without a […]
Metabolic Health: Replacing the BMI with clinical vs pre-clinical obesity
Rethinking BMI: A Comprehensive Approach to Health Body Mass Index (BMI) is a common tool in medicine, calculated by dividing a person’s weight by their height in meters squared. While BMI can be useful for classifying patient groups in research or as a communication tool among clinicians, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of an […]
Athlete Health: Testing and treating iron deficiency
Understanding Iron Deficiency: A Comprehensive Guide Iron is essential for our bodies, playing a crucial role in making haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. But its functions don’t stop there. Iron is also found in muscle myoglobin and is vital for immune function, energy production, and cognitive performance. The Impact of Iron Deficiency […]