The Laura Dowling Experience

🎧 Episode Description

How many women have been told that pain is just part of being a woman?

For many women, painful or heavy periods become something they learn to live with. In this conversation, periods are reframed as something far more important - a vital sign that reflects what’s happening across the whole body, not just a monthly inconvenience.

Through real clinical stories, we hear how women can spend years feeling exhausted, run down, or unwell without ever realising the root cause. These symptoms are normalised, when in reality they need to be recognised and supported much earlier.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Mary shares how early intervention can prevent long-term conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. The discussion also expands into menopause, hormone therapy, and the importance of lifestyle - from nutrition and sleep to stress and daily habits - in supporting the body.

Alongside the science, the episode reflects on modern life - the pressure to do too much, the importance of boundaries, and the need to delegate and share the load.

At its core, this episode is about listening to your body, questioning what doesn’t feel right, and giving yourself permission to take your health seriously.

🔑 Key Points

Your period is a vital sign
Your menstrual cycle reflects overall health, yet many women are never taught what is normal and what isn’t.

Severe pain and heavy bleeding aren’t normal
Symptoms like prolonged periods, extreme pain, or vomiting are often dismissed, but they signal underlying imbalance that should be investigated.

Early intervention changes everything
Addressing irregular periods in teenage years can prevent long-term conditions like PCOS and endometriosis.

Hormones affect the whole body
Imbalances don’t just impact periods - they influence energy, mood, weight, skin, and long-term health outcomes.

Lifestyle is the foundation of hormone health
Nutrition, sleep, exercise, and gut health all play a key role in regulating hormones and supporting the body.

Conditions like PCOS are often missed
Weight gain, acne, and irregular cycles are common early signs, yet many women go undiagnosed for years.

Hormonal support can restore balance
Treatments like progesterone and metformin can help regulate cycles and improve symptoms when used appropriately.

Women are doing too much
Chronic stress, over-responsibility, and lack of boundaries can impact hormone health and overall wellbeing.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

It’s Probably Your Period by Mary Ryan
Mary’s book focused on understanding menstrual health and early intervention

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
A hormonal condition that can affect periods, weight, skin, and fertility

Endometriosis
A condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus, often causing severe pain

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause by replacing hormones

Progesterone
A hormone involved in regulating the menstrual cycle and supporting pregnancy

Metformin
A medication commonly used for type 2 diabetes, also used in managing PCOS

Insulin Resistance
A condition where the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin, often linked to PCOS

Prostaglandins
Hormone-like substances that can cause inflammation and menstrual cramps

⏱️ Timestamps

01:00 – Periods as a vital sign
02:30 – What a normal period looks like
04:00 – Severe pain and inflammation
06:30 – Early intervention and prevention
08:30 – PCOS, weight gain and acne
11:30 – Treatment and metformin
14:30 – Hormone balance and long-term health
16:30 – Menopause and progesterone
18:30 – Spotting, flooding and hormone changes
20:30 – HRT and hormone therapy
22:30 – Testosterone and brain fog
24:00 – Fibroids and prevention
25:30 – Women doing too much
27:00 – Delegation and sharing the load
28:30 – Relationships, stress and health impact
30:00 – Raising resilient children
31:30 – Loss, grief and perspective
33:30 – Life lessons and self-worth
35:00 – Final advice for young people
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

Hannah Daly talks openly about the long path to understanding her brain. Growing up, she knew she experienced the world differently, but dyslexia and dyspraxia seemed to explain enough at the time. It wasn’t until much later that she began to question whether there was more to it.

A period of intense physical and cognitive symptoms during perimenopause became a turning point. As her ability to cope and mask began to unravel, it led her to seek answers - and eventually to diagnoses of ADHD and autism. What follows is a process of looking back, reinterpreting her life, and starting to understand herself in a completely different way.

🔑 Key Points

Growing up feeling different without the language for it
Hannah describes always experiencing the world differently, but early diagnoses of dyslexia and dyspraxia seemed to explain enough at the time.

Masking and the effort of trying to fit in
Much of her life was shaped by adapting to environments and expectations, often suppressing her own needs.

Perimenopause as a turning point
A sudden wave of physical and cognitive symptoms made it harder to cope and brought everything to the surface.

The link between hormones and neurodivergence
Hormonal changes intensified underlying ADHD and autistic traits, including memory issues, overwhelm, and sensory sensitivity.

Late diagnosis of ADHD and autism
Through seeking answers, Hannah went through an assessment process and received both diagnoses.

Looking back with new understanding
She began to reinterpret her life, recognising patterns that had always been there but previously misunderstood.

Unmasking and redefining identity
Diagnosis allowed her to move away from people-pleasing and start living more in line with who she is.

Understanding your brain as self-compassion
Learning how her brain works helped her develop better strategies and a more supportive way of living.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
A neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control, and energy regulation.

Autism (Autism Spectrum Condition)
A lifelong condition affecting communication, sensory processing, and social interaction.

Perimenopause
A hormonal transition phase that can impact mood, cognition, and physical wellbeing.

ADHD, Autism, and Hormones (Emerging Research Area)
Growing research explores how hormonal changes can intensify neurodivergent traits.

ADHD Ireland - Support & U-Map Programme
Resources and support for ADHD in Ireland.

Autism and Menopause (Further Reading)
Explores how menopause can affect autistic individuals.

Odd Girl Out - Laura James (Book)
A memoir about late autism diagnosis.

Dr Mary Doherty - Autistic Doctors International
Advocate and founder supporting autistic professionals.

Wim Hof Method
Breathing and cold exposure techniques.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Asking for accommodations and sensory needs
02:30 – What masking looks like in everyday life
04:00 – Growing up feeling “othered”
07:00 – Finding purpose through occupational therapy
10:30 – Writing her book and sharing her story
11:30 – Sudden health episode and onset of symptoms
14:30 – Perimenopause, HRT, and turning point
17:00 – ADHD and autism diagnosis
19:00 – Reframing her life after diagnosis
23:00 – Sensory needs, routines, and daily coping
27:00 – ADHD traits, focus, and conversation style
31:00 – Energy, burnout, and pacing
36:00 – Managing overwhelm and regulation strategies
42:00 – Sleep, routines, and nervous system support
47:00 – Parenting, relationships, and support systems
52:00 – Medication, exercise, and what helps
56:00 – Final reflections and helping other women
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

This conversation with Ger Killian offers a thoughtful and honest look at what it really means to feed children in today’s world. As co-founder of The Lunch Bag, Ger has spent years navigating the realities of school meals - from supply chains and budgets to the emotional responses of parents and children alike.

What emerges is a story not just about food, but about trust. Trust from parents who want reassurance their child will eat. Trust from children learning to try new things. And trust in a system that is still evolving, trying to balance immediate needs with long-term impact.

This episode gently challenges assumptions, reminding us that meaningful change takes time. It invites us to think more deeply about how we support children - not just nutritionally, but emotionally and socially too.

🔑 Key Points

Why “safe foods” matter
Removing familiar foods like chicken goujons revealed how important predictable meals are for children, especially those under stress.

The complexity of feeding children at scale
Delivering meals involves logistics, cost pressures, regulations, and nutritional standards that most people never see.

The unintended consequences of a welfare model
Targeting meals at certain children can create stigma and affect how children engage with food in school.

The role of culture in what children eat
Historical and cultural influences shape how children respond to unfamiliar foods and new meals.

Parental instinct and food security
Parents often send extra lunches not out of distrust, but from a deep instinct to ensure their child is fed.

The importance of education around food
Without teaching children what they are eating, meals can feel unfamiliar and disengaging rather than supportive.

A long-term opportunity for change
School meals have the potential to improve not just nutrition, but equality, behaviour, and future outcomes.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

The Lunch Bag
A leading Irish school meal provider delivering fresh, nutritionally balanced lunches to schools nationwide.
Website - https://www.thelunchbag.ie/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelunchbag_/

Healthy Ireland Guidelines
National nutritional standards that define what a balanced school meal should include in terms of protein, vegetables, and overall health.

World Food Programme
A global organisation that highlights how access to school meals, particularly for girls, can improve education and long-term outcomes.

EU Child Guarantee
A European initiative focused on ensuring children have access to essential services, including nutritious food and education.

Ballymaloe
An Irish food producer and cookery school that supported the development of nutritious sauces for school meals.

Spice of Life (Cork)
A food supplier that helped create large-scale, nutritionally balanced sauces for school meal programmes.

Willowbrook (Belfast)
A supplier providing fresh fruit and vegetables used in school meals across Ireland.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Ger and The Lunch Bag
03:00 - Building a school meal service from scratch
07:00 - The rollout of free school meals
10:00 - Welfare vs progressive school meal models
13:00 - Why children disengage from meals over time
18:30 - How school meals are produced and delivered
27:00 - Food culture and food neophobia in Ireland
32:00 - The chicken goujon controversy
36:00 - Reformulating “safe foods” for children
40:00 - Nutrition, lentils, and hidden improvements
48:00 - Food waste and misunderstanding the system
54:00 - What needs to change moving forward
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

This episode traces Dr Andy Hogan’s path into immunology, from a childhood curiosity to a career exploring how the immune system shapes our health. Growing up in a challenging environment, the Access Programme gave him a route into higher education - highlighting the impact of support and opportunity.

Alongside his story, Andy explains the immune system not just as a defence against illness, but as something deeply involved in everyday health. He explores how obesity, ageing, and chronic inflammation affect immune function, and how these links connect to conditions like diabetes, cancer, and infection.

There’s also reflection on COVID-19, vaccines, and the future of medicine - from why pandemics were expected to how immunity develops over time. It’s a conversation that blends scientific insight with real-world impact.

🔑 Key Points

A single opportunity can reshape a future
The Access Programme gave Andy a pathway into higher education.

A childhood moment led to a scientific career
Early curiosity about genetics sparked a lifelong interest in biology.

The immune system shapes everyday health
It regulates metabolism, tissue health, and overall balance - not just infection.

Obesity and immune ageing are linked
Obesity can accelerate immune decline and affect disease response.

COVID-19 exposed immune vulnerabilities
The pandemic showed how differently populations respond to new threats.

Medical research is opening new possibilities
Immunology is unlocking new treatments for complex diseases.

Vaccines protect communities, not just individuals
They play a key role in protecting the most vulnerable.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Access Programme – Supports students from underrepresented backgrounds into higher education.
Donal O’Shea – Endocrinologist focused on obesity and metabolic health.
Fiona Walsh – Researcher in antibiotic resistance and global health.
GLP-1 medications – Drugs that regulate appetite and blood sugar.
NK cells & macrophages – Immune cells that destroy threats and clear debris.
CAR-T therapy & CRISPR – Technologies advancing cancer treatment and gene editing.
HPV – Virus linked to several cancers; preventable through vaccination.
Spanish flu, SARS, MERS, H1N1 – Major outbreaks shaping our understanding of pandemics.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Andy’s work in immunology
01:30 – Obesity and immune health
02:30 – GLP-1 therapies
04:00 – Early life and biology
06:00 – Access Programme
10:30 – Finding immunology
14:30 – Immune system basics
18:30 – COVID-19 insights
21:00 – Age and immune response
24:00 – Vaccines
28:00 – Future of medicine
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

Occupational therapist Martina Tierney joins the podcast to share how something as ordinary as a chair can profoundly shape a person’s health, independence and dignity.

After witnessing older people being sold expensive but inappropriate equipment, Martina set out to change the system. What followed was the creation of Seating Matters, a company grounded in clinical evidence, compassion and respect. In this conversation, she explains how posture affects breathing, swallowing, pressure injuries, cognition and even a person’s sense of self.

From the woman who could finally lift her head and make eye contact, to the man who believed he would die in bed until he was helped into a supportive chair and wheeled outside, this episode is a powerful reminder that dignity is often found in the smallest details.

🔑 Key Points

From Frustration to Innovation
Martina recognised that people were being sold expensive equipment without proper assessment, sparking the creation of Seating Matters.

The Woman Who Could Finally Lift Her Head
A properly fitted chair restored eye contact, safety and dignity to someone previously slumped and disengaged.

“I Thought I Was Going to Die in Bed”
A hospice patient’s simple wish to sit outside highlighted how seating can transform end of life experience.

The Psychological Power of Sitting Upright
Being out of bed shifts someone from passive patient to active participant in their own care.

Reframing Dementia Behaviours
What is labelled as aggression may be sensory disorientation. Understanding this changes how we respond.

Health Consequences We Overlook
Poor seating can contribute to pressure injuries, swallowing difficulties and recurrent urinary infections.

Equity in Equipment
People of size deserve equipment that fits them properly and respectfully.

Family, Loss and Perspective
Martina reflects on building the business with her husband and the importance of not postponing life.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Seating Matters - A global seating and posture company founded by occupational therapist Martina Tierney, focused on improving dignity, independence and clinical outcomes through proper supportive seating.
https://seatingmatters.com/gb-ie

Pressure Injuries - National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) - Also known as bed sores, pressure injuries occur when prolonged pressure reduces blood flow to skin and underlying tissue, most commonly around bony areas such as the sacrum and coccyx.
https://npiap.com/page/PressureInjuryStages

World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) - The international body representing occupational therapists worldwide, promoting the role of OT in enabling independence, participation and meaningful daily life.
https://wfot.org/

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - From Frustrated OT to Founder
06:00 - “What Matters to You?” The OT Philosophy
12:00 - A Family Business Is Born
15:10 - The Man Who Thought He Would Never See Outside Again
18:45 - The Woman Who Could Finally Lift Her Head
21:10 - Why Getting Out of Bed Changes Everything
27:20 - Understanding Dementia Differently
33:00 - Designing Chairs for People of Size
40:45 - Losing James and Rethinking Work
51:10 - What Really Matters in Life
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.