IMAGE The Check-in

In this episode of IMAGE The Check-in, host Ellie Balfe is joined by Claire O’Brien, a functional medicine nutritional therapist, for an insightful and grounded conversation about women’s gut health, nutrition and the deep interconnectivity of our body’s systems.

Together, they explore how gut health, hormones, metabolism, stress and energy levels are all linked, and why looking at the body in isolation via single symptoms rarely gives us the full picture.

Claire shares what she sees most often in her clinic, including fatigue, digestive issues, hormonal symptoms and the pressure many women feel to ‘get it right’ with food. She explains why striving for perfection can actually work against our health, and why balance, consistency and self-awareness matter more.

The conversation covers nutrition across the life stages, including menstrual cycles, fertility, perimenopause and menopause, highlighting how our needs change over time and why what worked once in terms of nutrition may not always work later.

This is a reassuring, informative listen for any woman who wants to understand her body better, support her health with confidence, and move away from overwhelm around nutritional choices.

IMAGE The Check-in is part of the IMAGE Women’s Health Clinic and proudly empowered by Boots and sponsored by Samsung and Waterstone Clinic

In this episode of IMAGE The Check-in, host Ellie Balfe is joined by Dr Aisling Loy, Consultant in Sexual Health and Genitourinary Medicine at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.

This is an interesting, informative and vital conversation about sexual and genitourinary health, an area of health that affects all of us, yet is still too often surrounded by shame, silence and misunderstanding.

Together, they talk about what sexual health really means across a lifetime, why STI rates are rising, and how modern sexual health care has evolved. Dr Loy also explains why removing stigma is so important for both physical and emotional wellbeing, and how open, judgement-free care leads to earlier diagnosis, better outcomes and greater peace of mind.

This episode is about knowledge, reassurance and empowerment. It is an invitation to see sexual and genitourinary health as a normal, essential part of looking after yourself.

IMAGE The Check-in is part of the IMAGE Women’s Health Clinic and proudly empowered by Boots and sponsored by Samsung Ireland and Waterstone Clinic

In this episode of IMAGE The Check-in, Ellie is joined by Dr Harriet Treacy from Beyond BMI for a thoughtful and compassionate conversation about weight, health and longevity.

*** A gentle note for listeners that conversations about weight can be emotionally tender. Healthy weight looks different for everybody, and this episode is grounded in health, wellbeing and longevity rather than appearance. If you are living with or recovering from disordered eating, please take care while listening and feel free to step away if needed. ***

This is not a discussion about aesthetics or chasing a number on the scales. Instead, it explores what healthy weight management actually means from a medical perspective. The conversation also covers the role of medication, where appropriate, always framed within evidence-based, compassionate care, and how we need to break the cycle of shame surrounding weight.

This episode is for anyone who wants a clearer, kinder and more medically grounded understanding of metabolic health, and reassurance that wellbeing is about far more than what we see on the outside.

IMAGE The Check-in is part of the IMAGE Women’s Health Clinic and proudly empowered by Boots and sponsored by Samsung Ireland and Waterstone Clinic

Do you know the menopause symptom that distresses women the most?

In this episode, guest host Leonie Corcoran is joined by GP and women’s health expert Dr Caoimhe Hartley  to decode the hormonal shifts that define every stage of a woman’s life.
From the confusion of "brain fog" and the "loss of self" in perimenopause to the truth about HRT and pelvic health, this conversation shares the info and the insight to help women advocate for themselves when they are struggling to find the right words. 
Caoimhe’s extensive knowledge and compassionate approach was honed through almost a decade specialising in women’s health in Alberta, Canada. She returned to Ireland (with her husband, three small children and dog) to set up the Menopause Clinic in Dalkey, Co Dublin, and she now brings her high-level clinical expertise to Blackrock Health and the complex menopause clinic at the Rotunda Hospital.
In this episode, we discuss:
Cognitive shifts: Why your brain feels different and how to manage it.

HRT & bone health: Navigating treatment options with confidence.

Incontinence: Why bladder issues are common but not normal.

Self-advocacy: How to get the medical support you actually deserve.

Alongside this, Caoimhe provides the clinical evidence and practical advice you need to stop tolerating symptoms and start thriving . . . and we have an extra little guest who demonstrates the multi-tasking reality of so many women.
Listen now to unlock a better understanding of your body and stay tuned to the end for an inspiring and upbeat finish that will put a pep in your step!

IMAGE The Check-in is part of IMAGE Women’s Health Clinic and is proudly empowered by Boots and sponsored by Samsung and Waterstone Clinic.

Is your body speaking a language you don’t understand?
To open Season Two of IMAGE The Check-in, guest host Leonie Corcoran talks to nutritional therapists and founders of Gigi Supplements Jennie Haire and Lisa Hughes about cycle syncing, sleep foundations, post-partum nourishment and breaking the hustle culture stress cycle. 
Key highlights:
The Stress Trap: Why your brain treats an inbox like a predator.

Cycle Syncing: Making hormones your greatest strength.

Red Flags: Decoding pain and post-partum nutrition.

Don’t just survive the year, unlock some small changes that will lead to big benefits for 2026 with this conversation.
IMAGE The Check-in is empowered by @boots.ireland and sponsored by @samsungireland and @waterstoneclinicireland