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Ian O'Brien was 38 when a neurologist told him, within a couple of minutes, that he had Parkinson's disease. For about a year before that he had been on antidepressants for anxiety and depression, and for two years he had been finishing sentences with his left hand holding his right. His first question was whether Parkinson's could cause the anxiety and depression. When the answer was yes, he says it felt like a weight off his shoulders. Now 46 and nearly ten years in, Ian, who co-founded EOPD Ireland, tells Laura what early onset Parkinson's is really like: medication that now lasts him about an hour, switching "off" like a light, planning his day around tablets and protein, and the evenings his daughters help him get ready for bed. He talks about telling his eldest with a poem and letting her interview him on camera, and about Parkinson's being one of the factors in his recent separation. He also explains dopamine in plain language, the gambling and compulsive behaviour dopamine agonists can trigger in some people, deep brain stimulation, why exercise should be the first thing a neurologist mentions, and why talking to other people with Parkinson's has been his best education of all. 🔑 Key Points Depression came first His first symptoms were anxiety and depression, and he spent about a year on antidepressants before a physio friend told him to ask his GP for a neurologist. The movement signs he missed For around two years his handwriting shrank and stopped mid-sentence, and he would reach across with his left hand for the keys in his right pocket. A diagnosis can bring relief Ian says he almost wanted something physically wrong with him to explain how he was feeling, and he walked out of the neurologist's office feeling better. Medication is a daily balancing act Levodopa now lasts him about an hour, and eating close to a dose, especially protein, can stop it working, so he plans tablets, meals and work around the times he needs to be on. Exercise should come first He says neurologists don't always lead with it, but high-intensity exercise made him feel almost as if he didn't have Parkinson's, and he has got worse since slowing down. Your whole family gets Parkinson's He regrets being a bit selfish at the start and sees the condition as one of the factors in his recent separation, though he and his wife still raise their girls together. Telling his daughter with a poem Ian read his eldest a poem about Parkinson's, then a week later let her interview him on camera with questions she wrote herself. Life isn't over He knows people living well 20 to 30 years after diagnosis, and his advice to anyone newly diagnosed is that you just need to make adjustments. 📚 Resources EOPD Ireland the charity for people with early onset Parkinson's that Ian co-founded Parkinson's Ireland the national charity supporting people with Parkinson's The Michael J. Fox Foundation the Parkinson's research foundation Ian mentions Samaritans Ireland free support, any time, if you are struggling ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome back to the podcast 02:17 — Anxiety and depression came first 04:16 — "It was like a weight off my shoulders" 06:30 — The movement signs he missed 09:18 — Why exercise should come first 10:22 — Parkinson's and dopamine, explained 12:17 — Levodopa and planning the day 14:40 — Telling his daughter with a poem 17:15 — Dopamine agonists and compulsive behaviour 24:59 — Playing soccer for Ireland 28:15 — The whole family lives with it 33:44 — Deep brain stimulation 37:00 — Setting up EOPD Ireland 38:52 — "Life isn't over" 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Lynn Mac explains how her sensitivity works, how it once left her overwhelmed by other people's emotions, and how healing and boundaries let her choose when to switch it on. Ever been told you're too sensitive? Lynn Mac used to think so too, until she realised it was never a weakness. Here's how she learned to protect her own energy without shutting herself off. 🔑Key Points • Lynn describes her gift as a heightened version of the sixth sense everyone already has, like a gut feeling • She used to absorb other people's emotions so heavily it felt overwhelming, especially early on • She names this as being an empath: soaking in the energy and emotions of everyone around her • Her people-pleasing meant she gave endless support to others until she couldn't cope anymore 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

Dr Louise Newson, GP, menopause specialist and founder of Newson Health and the Balance app, joins Laura Dowling for a frank conversation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the barriers women face in accessing treatment and the criticism she has faced for challenging established approaches to menopause care. Louise traces her advocacy back to the 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study and the publication of NICE's first menopause guidance in 2015. She explains why she believes the risks of HRT have been misunderstood, why prescribing remains low, and why the distinction between different types of hormones matters. Laura and Louise discuss testosterone for women, starting HRT later in life, individual responses to estradiol, and difficult questions around hormone treatment following breast cancer. Louise also explores progesterone, PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and postnatal depression, including the influence of Dr Katharina Dalton's work. These are complex areas where treatment decisions require individual medical advice. Louise speaks openly about professional opposition, BBC Panorama, correspondence involving the British Menopause Society and the scrutiny of her clinic. She reflects on the personal cost of speaking out, why she continues to campaign for better menopause education and what she hopes will change for women's healthcare. 🔑 Key Points HRT prescribing fell off a cliff after 2002 Louise kept prescribing HRT as a GP for decades and only realised after NICE's 2015 guidance that many colleagues had stopped, while her friends were being given antidepressants instead. Guidelines are only a guide She says the NICE guidance mentions risk 22 times more than benefit and groups synthetic and bioidentical hormones together, which leaves busy clinicians confused. The over-60 risk came from synthetic hormones The heart attack signal in the Women's Health Initiative study was in women given horse-derived oestrogen and a synthetic progestogen, not the estradiol and progesterone she prescribes. Testosterone has a long history in women It was prescribed in the 1940s and '50s for period problems and menopausal symptoms, and she says its reputation comes from the synthetic anabolic steroids of the '60s and '70s. Some women need more than the licensed dose Skin varies in how much estradiol it absorbs, and her clinic's published data shows about a fifth of patients need a higher than licensed dose. Progesterone changed her thinking on PMDD A colleague's own postnatal illness led Louise to Katharina Dalton's work, and her clinic now prescribes progesterone for PMS, PMDD and postnatal depression. Ten years of being targeted Louise says the emails she obtained show people trying to silence her, and the pressure on her and her family brought her close to giving up. Only 5% of menopausal women get HRT Every menopause guideline calls HRT first-line treatment for most women, yet she says only 14% of menopausal women in the UK and 5% globally are prescribed it. 📚 Resources Newson Clinic The hormone clinic Louise co-founded with Dr Rebecca Lewis Balance Louise's free app for tracking symptoms and learning about hormone health Confidence in Hormones The hormone health education programme for doctors and healthcare professionals ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to The Laura Dowling Experience 03:47 — Rereading the WHI study after NICE's 2015 guidance 11:18 — Why HRT is scrutinised like no other medicine 15:43 — Testosterone's forgotten history in women 20:43 — Starting HRT after 60 24:43 — "A body of people trying to take me down" 29:33 — If she were a male gynaecologist 32:07 — Are her doses too high? 35:45 — HRT after breast cancer 39:43 — Progesterone, PMDD and postnatal depression 42:16 — The Care Quality Commission inspection 45:47 — Running a private clinic 48:27 — Has the pendulum swung too far? 53:02 — Advice for young people and the meaning of 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Dr Clare Cromwell explains why muscle is just as important as bone in midlife, and lays out a simple twice-weekly strength routine that protects against falls and fractures. We talk a lot about protecting our bones in midlife. But what if the real key to staying steady on your feet, and even to your brain health decades from now, is your muscles? 🔑Key Points • As oestrogen drops, bone density naturally declines, but muscle loss speeds up too, especially after menopause • Strong muscles improve balance and reaction time, so you're less likely to fall, and better protected if you do • Aim for at least two strength sessions a week: roughly three exercises for your upper body and three for your lower body, a few sets of moderate reps • It doesn't need to be heavy lifting or a gym membership; a couple of dumbbells at home can be enough, as long as you feel it 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

Veterinary surgeon and founder of Village Vets, Charles Cosgrave, joins Laura to share what every pet owner should know about keeping their animals healthy, happy and safe — from neutering and pet insurance to behavioural problems, emergency care and the realities of life as a vet. Growing up on a dairy farm in County Meath, Charles watched his father answer veterinary calls at all hours, even on Christmas Day. After qualifying from UCD and working in the UK, he returned to Ireland and helped build Village Vets, which has grown to 35 locations, including three 24-hour emergency centres. Charles takes us behind the scenes of veterinary medicine, explaining what happens during overnight emergencies, why children can provide the most useful information about a sick pet and how veterinary care has evolved to include specialist treatment for conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Laura also asks the questions many dog owners have: Should you neuter your dog? What should you look for in pet insurance? How can you prevent behavioural problems? And what needs to change to tackle puppy farming in Ireland? They explore the responsibility of pet ownership, the importance of early training and socialisation, the challenges of treating seriously ill animals and the difficult decisions surrounding end-of-life care. Alongside the practical advice, Charles shares the challenges of growing a family business, the shortage of vets in Ireland and why, despite running 35 practices, he still misses working directly with animals. 🔑 Key PointsNeutering and pet health: Charles discusses neutering male dogs, potential health concerns and factors owners should consider with their vet. Pet insurance: Why Charles recommends insurance, what to check before choosing a policy and how switching providers can affect cover for existing conditions. Training and behaviour: The importance of socialising dogs early, establishing routines and helping them adjust to people, noise and unfamiliar environments. Puppy farming and microchipping: Charles discusses dog breeding in Ireland, existing microchipping requirements and the challenges of tackling irresponsible breeding. When pets become seriously ill: How vets manage chronic conditions including diabetes and epilepsy, treat cancer and approach difficult end-of-life decisions. Inside veterinary medicine: From overnight emergencies to specialist care, Charles explains the pressures facing vets and the growing demand for veterinary services. 📚 Resources Village Vets Charles's practice group, 35 clinics across Ireland and three 24-hour emergency centres UCD School of Veterinary Medicine where Charles trained, and still the main route into the profession Dog microchipping what's required in Ireland, and the measure Charles says would curb puppy farming ⏱️ Timestamps 02:37 – Growing up with a vet for a father 05:36 – How vets treat different animal species 07:30 – Building Village Vets 10:00 – Veterinary education and the shortage of vets 13:44 – Inside 24-hour emergency veterinary care 15:45 – Why children notice changes in sick pets 17:00 – Pet ownership and rehoming 19:20 – Neutering male dogs 21:09 – Puppy farming and microchipping 23:30 – The responsibility of owning a dog 26:30 – Unusual pets and animal stories 29:30 – Cats, dogs and different personalities 31:54 – Dog training and socialisation 33:41 – Pet insurance and switching providers 35:25 – Diabetes, epilepsy and chronic illness 37:20 – End-of-life decisions and cancer treatment 40:20 – Why Charles misses being a practising vet 43:00 – Growing Village Vets while maintaining quality 50:15 – Be bold, be brave and back yourself 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Meghan O'Neill, online content creator and mother of two explains how she holds firm boundaries for herself, then how she is teaching her young children about consent, from everyday moments like a kiss or a tickle through to the bigger conversations about porn and never being with someone who is drunk. What if the most important thing you teach your kids about sex has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with the word no? 🔑Key Points • Meghan will not be pressured into anything; she can walk away right up to the last moment if something does not feel right • She wants her kids to know porn is not real, because no one ever told her that • At home, her kids can say no to a kiss or a tickle, and that no is respected straight away • She is direct with her son: never sleep with someone who is drunk, because they cannot consent 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

#AD - This episode is sponsored by AstraZeneca Dr Tonya Leonard was a GP when she found a lump she was sure was a cyst. By half past nine that morning, she was being told it was breast cancer and asked to decide by the following week whether she had finished her family. Her twin boys were just 18 months old. Sixteen years, a second primary cancer and a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer later, Tonya joins Laura alongside Helen Forristal, Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation, for an honest conversation about living with advanced breast cancer. They discuss metastatic or secondary breast cancer, breast cancer recurrence and the signs and symptoms women should be aware of, alongside treatment, scans, scanxiety, cancer fatigue and the difficulty of planning life beyond the next result. Helen explains why advanced breast cancer remains largely invisible in Ireland, with no official count of how many women are living with it, and discusses the importance of specialist cancer support. Tonya shares the reality of living life in three-month segments, navigating mental health after diagnosis and learning that palliative care does not only mean end-of-life care. The conversation is part of Living Loudly, Dying to be Heard, a campaign by AstraZeneca and supported by the Marie Keating Foundation, highlighting the experiences of people living with advanced breast cancer. 🔑 Key Points Advanced breast cancer means it has spread The cancer has moved from the breast to another organ; in Tonya's case, to lesions on her lung and under her arm. Life in three-month segments With a scan every three months, Tonya finds it hard to plan past the next result, the anxiety Laura calls scanxiety. Fatigue is not the same as tiredness Tonya describes cancer fatigue as like an injection of horse tranquilliser: once she feels it rising, she has minutes to lie down. Women are living longer with it Helen calls it the long middle, moving through lines of treatment; one woman in her group has lived with advanced breast cancer for 21 years. Nobody is counting Recurrences aren't recorded the way first diagnoses are; Helen's estimate is around 30% of women with primary breast cancer, and a University of Limerick project has started counting. Know the signs of a recurrence Symptoms depend on where it spreads, from a cough and breathlessness to weight change or bone pain; if something hasn't settled in three weeks, ask your doctor, "Could this be cancer?" Mental health support needs to be specialist Tonya waited eight weeks to see a psychologist; psycho-oncology services now run in Ireland's eight cancer centres. Palliative care is not only for the end of life Palliative teams help manage symptoms and support families, and the CLIMB programme supports children aged 5 to 12 who have a parent with cancer. 📚 Resources Living Loudly. Dying to be Heard A campaign by AstraZeneca and supported by the Marie Keating Foundation Positive Living The Marie Keating Foundation's support programme for people with advanced cancer CLIMB The HSE programme for children aged 5 to 12 affected by a parent's cancer ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome 01:52 — Helen Forristal and the Marie Keating Foundation 02:51 — Dr Tonya Leonard’s breast cancer diagnosis 06:21 — Advanced cancer support and Positive Living 09:28 — Scanxiety and living between results 12:08 — Living longer with advanced breast cancer 17:14 — Cancer fatigue 22:58 — Fertility and “Have you finished your family?” 29:17 — How many women are living with advanced breast cancer? 30:41 — Signs and symptoms of recurrence 37:57 — Mental health and psycho-oncology 46:45 — What palliative care really means 51:40 — Family, milestones and living with uncertainty 56:28 — 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Dr Clodagh Campbell shares two client stories about reclaiming time for yourself, then walks through the Four Ds, a simple way to sort an overwhelming to-do list into what to delete, delegate, delay or do. When your life feels too full, the answer isn't to try harder. It's working out what can give. Psychologist Dr Clodagh Campbell shares two client stories and a simple tool for figuring out what to drop. 🔑Key Points • When life feels too full, the question isn't how to cope better, it's what can change and what can give • Alice, a successful business owner, worked herself into the ground out of a deep fear of letting her parents down • By the end of their work together, Alice had hired a manager, taken a three-month sabbatical and learned that rest could be as simple as walks on the beach • Nikki, a mother of three, couldn't imagine one hour a week for herself, until a small boundary around one yoga class let her husband step up too 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

Dr Dan McCartney, dietitian, lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and Programme Director of the Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme at TU Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, joins Laura to discuss the vitamins and minerals many of us simply aren’t getting enough of — and why that matters for our health. Drawing on Ireland’s national food intake data, Dan reveals striking levels of inadequate intake across essential nutrients including vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, magnesium and selenium. At least half of the Irish population have inadequate intakes of magnesium and selenium, while more than 40% have inadequate vitamin C intakes. Laura and Dan also discuss the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and proposals to lower or restrict the levels of certain vitamins and minerals available through supplements. Dan questions the rationale for reducing these levels when nutrient intakes are already low, discussing proposed levels for vitamin D, as well as restrictions affecting magnesium and the importance of vitamin C. He explains why he believes a restrictive, one-size-fits-all European approach may not meet the nutritional needs of the Irish population. They also explore whether some recommended daily amounts are focused more on preventing severe deficiency than achieving optimal health, including vitamin C recommendations based around preventing scurvy and vitamin D recommendations historically centred on bone health rather than immune function. The conversation returns to Dan’s early research into vitamin D and COVID-19, before moving into nutrition and immunity, healthy ageing, dementia, pregnancy and epigenetics — and why the nutritional choices we make today can influence our health decades into the future. 🔑 Key Points Half the population are falling short on key nutrients Dan discusses inadequate intakes of magnesium, selenium, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc in Ireland. Why are nutrient intakes so low? Poor diet quality, low fruit and vegetable intake, low wholegrain consumption and highly refined diets. EFSA and proposed supplement restrictions Laura and Dan discuss EFSA and proposed European changes affecting vitamin and mineral supplements, including vitamin D and magnesium, and why Dan is concerned about further restrictions. Are recommended intakes actually optimal? Dan questions whether some guidelines focus on preventing severe deficiency rather than supporting optimal health. Vitamin D, immunity and COVID-19 Dan revisits the research that led him and Dr Declan Byrne to propose a link between vitamin D deficiency and severe COVID-19 in 2020. Nutrition across a lifetime From pregnancy and epigenetics to ageing and cognitive health, Dan explains why nutrition today can affect health decades later. 📚 Resources Optimisation of Vitamin D Status for Enhanced Immuno-protection Against Covid-19 Dan and Declan Byrne, Irish Medical Journal, 2020 Vitamin D Deficiency and ARDS after SARS-CoV-2 Infection Faul et al., Irish Medical Journal, 2020 Autocrine vitamin D signaling switches off pro-inflammatory programs of TH1 cells Chauss et al., Nature Immunology, 2022 Nutrition, immunity and COVID-19 Philip Calder, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2020 European vitamin D supplementation trials, meta-analysis Rupprecht et al., Nutrients, 2023 ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open 02:07 — Meet Dr Dan McCartney 04:03 — Vitamin D and COVID-19 06:10 — The 2020 research 13:49 — Why vitamin D levels run low 19:08 — Vitamin D and immunity 32:00 — Ireland’s nutrient inadequacies 34:02 — Poor diet quality 35:09 — Zinc, magnesium and selenium 37:24 — Are nutrient guidelines out of date? 38:03 — Scurvy vs optimal health 45:48 — EFSA and proposed supplement restrictions 46:24 — Vitamin D supplement levels 50:11 — Magnesium restrictions 51:03 — Nutrition guidelines for Ireland 54:35 — Primates and vitamin D 55:51 — Ageing and dementia 57:39 — Pregnancy and epigenetics 1:02:43 — Why good habits compound 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Dr Denis O'Driscoll, pharmacist working in the HSE addiction services gives a straight, compassionate answer on how hard it is to come off drugs and stay off, and why staying stable on treatment counts as success too. Is staying on treatment for life a failure, or is that thinking part of the problem? Dr Denis O'Driscoll gives an honest answer. 🔑Key Points • Coming off drugs and staying off is never easy, and that is worth saying out loud • Recovery is not one straight line; staying stable on treatment is a positive outcome, not something to be ashamed of • Coming off completely is wonderful when it happens, but it is very challenging, and it is not the only measure of success • Relapse is part of recovery, not a failure, and the priority afterwards is getting people back into support quickly 💛 If you or someone you love needs support, the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline is there on 1800 459 459. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

Kenneth Keavey has a PhD in chemistry and spent his early career in pharma and biotech. He now grows organic vegetables on twenty-five acres outside Galway, and he's the first to point out the irony: he was an organic chemist, and now he's an organic farmer. In this episode he takes Laura through what's actually on the food we eat, and how little of it we're told. Around 95% of conventional fruit and veg has had some treatment or another. Citrus is dipped or sprayed after harvest in waxes containing quite toxic, in some cases carcinogenic, chemicals to stop fungus growing on the skin. Most of it is legal, disclosed somewhere, and almost never read. Then comes the detail that stops the conversation. In the EU you're allowed 10mg of glyphosate per kilogram of wheat and 20mg per kilogram of oats — twice as much of a probable carcinogen in your porridge as in your toast. Kenneth and Darina Allen went to the Department of Agriculture to ask why. They were told that people eat less porridge than they do toast. It isn't all alarm. Kenneth refuses to scaremonger and is as clear about what isn't known as what is. He's also quietly hopeful: his own land is full of insects and birdsong, and he has watched how fast nature comes back when you let it. 🔑 Key Points He was an organic chemist before he was an organic farmer His PhD is in chemistry and his first career was in pharma and biotech, which is where the caution comes from. Around 95% of conventional fruit and veg has had some treatment Post-harvest waxes on citrus contain toxic and in some cases carcinogenic chemicals, and some produce carries up to fifteen applications. You're allowed twice as much glyphosate in porridge as in bread The EU limit is 10mg per kilogram of wheat and 20mg per kilogram of oats. Kenneth and Darina Allen asked the Department of Agriculture why, and were told people eat less porridge than they do toast. The safety data usually comes from the manufacturers Unlike medicines, pesticide safety data is largely supplied by the companies selling the chemicals, and permitted limits have risen since the 1990s as application increased. 80% of the world's insect biomass is gone A test anyone can run from memory: a windscreen after a night drive used to be covered in insects, and now there's virtually nothing on it. Ireland has gone from 600 vegetable growers to about 60 The sector has hollowed out in twenty years, we import 85% of our fresh fruit and veg, and vegetables are the one thing that hasn't risen in price — which is why a 39c bag of carrots is a problem, not a bargain. Nature comes back faster than you'd think His farm is full of insects and birds, with nine native Irish honeybee hives that out-produce every other apiary his beekeeper runs. 📚 Resources Green Earth Organics Kenneth's organic farm and nationwide home delivery service in Co Galway Silent Spring Rachel Carson's book on the effects of blanket pesticide use, discussed in the episode IARC (World Health Organization) The classification of glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans ⏱️ Timestamps 01:26 — Twenty years of Green Earth Organics 02:35 — From a PhD in chemistry to organic farming 03:57 — Around 95% of conventional fruit and veg has had some treatment 06:34 — Glyphosate, the most applied chemical in history 06:59 — Twice as much allowed in your porridge as in your toast 07:17 — What the Department of Agriculture said when they asked why 10:39 — Silent Spring, and the year the birdsong stopped 12:25 — 80% of the world's insect biomass is gone 22:15 — From 600 vegetable growers to about 60 50:06 — Five summers of farm work, three sheep, and the leap 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Prof Robert Kelly admits he lost his own balance after a TED Talk and book launch, then shares the pillars-of-life exercise and a patient's story that helped him refocus on family and friends. What happens when a cardiologist looks at his own heart health and realises the answer isn't his diet, it's his diary? 🔑Key Points • A busy run of a TED Talk, a book launch and Christmas left him with no space in his day for three months • Taking one full week off showed him just how stretched he had become • He learned a pillars-of-life exercise from another doctor's podcast: financial health, family, friends, own health and work • Looking at his own pillars, he realised work was crowding out everything else, especially his own health 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Siobhan Murray, psychotherapist and burnout strategist explains why she has banned the phrase self care, and shares the small daily habits, walks, box breathing and a mindfulness trick called the purple alien, that she uses instead to avoid burnout. What if self care isn't a retreat or a spa day at all, but something you can do in the two minutes it takes to boil the kettle? 🔑Key Points • Siobhan bans the phrase self care and replaces it with care of self, something practised daily, not as an occasional treat • A one-off pilates class, a retreat or getting your nails done is maintenance, not care of self • She does four ten-minute walks every day without fail, even in the rain, simply to change her physical state • She practises box breathing, in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, while making a cup of tea 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. 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.

Laura is joined by Dr Cillian Keogh, a GP and co-founder of Dublin City Clinic, for a frank and surprisingly funny conversation about haemorrhoids — what they actually are, who gets them, and why almost nobody wants to say the word out loud. Cillian explains that haemorrhoids are anal cushions that swell under increased pelvic pressure, and goes through who is most at risk: pregnancy, obesity, chronic coughs, straining, long hours sitting and heavy lifting in the gym. He also describes a newer group he sees far more of now, people staying on the toilet much longer than they need to because their phone is in their hand. From there, he walks the treatment ladder. Creams like Anusol and Preparation H settle a flare-up but, in his words, only paper over it. At the far end sits the haemorrhoidectomy, a hospital operation with weeks of recovery — the thing he says, with his GP hat on, you want to avoid. In between is the electrotherapy his clinic offers, where a small current constricts the blood vessel feeding the haemorrhoid so it shrinks, with no real downtime. Underneath it all is why the episode matters. Haemorrhoids are, as Cillian puts it, the last taboo of healthcare, and people live with them for years rather than mention them. He also makes the case, carefully, that bleeding is worth having looked at rather than assumed. 🔑 Key Points Haemorrhoids are not a growth, they are cushions under pressure Cillian describes them as anal cushions that become engorged and swollen when pelvic pressure rises, which is where the bleeding comes from. Almost everything that causes them works the same way Pregnancy, obesity, chronic coughs, straining, long hours driving and heavy lifting in the gym all raise pelvic pressure. Phones on the toilet are a genuinely new risk factor Cillian sees a group he did not see ten years ago, people sitting far longer than they need to because they are still reading the headlines or scrolling. They can sit there silently for years Internal haemorrhoids often go unnoticed until a flare-up, while thrombosed ones stay permanently outside, lose their blood flow and come close to a medical emergency. Creams and suppositories only paper over the problem Anusol, Preparation H and the prescription versions settle a flare-up without treating the cause, and once you have had them the threshold for getting them again drops. The operation is the thing worth avoiding A haemorrhoidectomy means a general anaesthetic, a hospital stay and weeks lying on your front, which is exactly why Cillian would rather catch it earlier. Electrotherapy sits in the gap between creams and surgery A small electric current constricts the blood vessel feeding the haemorrhoid so the tissue shrinks over a few weeks, and you go back to work the same day. The real barrier is embarrassment, not treatment Cillian calls it the last taboo of healthcare, because people cannot imagine raising it without being met with an eye roll. 📚 Resources Dublin City Clinic Dr Cillian Keogh's clinic in Dublin 2, where the electrotherapy is carried out eXroid The non-surgical electrotherapy treatment discussed throughout the episode BowelScreen Ireland's national bowel screening programme ⏱️ Timestamps 04:19 — What a haemorrhoid actually is 04:58 — Who is most at risk 05:12 — The newest risk group: phones on the toilet 08:33 — Anusol, Preparation H and the limits of creams 09:19 — Where electrotherapy sits on the treatment ladder 10:05 — The haemorrhoidectomy, and why you want to avoid it 11:40 — “The last taboo of healthcare” 17:54 — What applying an electric current actually does 24:06 — Bleeding, bowel cancer and when to get checked 29:01 — The privilege of being let into people's lives 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.

In this episode, former Connacht rugby player Fergus Farrell tells Laura what happened after he lifted a metal bench in his own yard in October 2018 — and severed his spinal cord by ninety per cent. He was paralysed from the ribcage down and told he had a five per cent chance of walking again, on the condition he moved within seventy-two hours. He didn’t move. Instead he lay in a bed for twenty-one days and built a picture in his head: a circuit board for his brain, a light switch for his big right toe, and a wire he had to run between them. At half two in the morning on day twenty-one, the toe flickered. When the doctor came round, he watched it move three times before he’d call it anything other than a spasm. Fergus is candid about what recovery costs — pain around the clock, no balance, no feeling from his feet to his waist, and the hidden disability nobody sees in a big man walking down the street. He talks about the businesses he lost, the family who carried it, the guilt of being one who got back on his feet, and why he now calls the accident the best thing that happened to him. In August he set out from Brooklyn Bridge to walk 4,500 kilometres to Santa Monica Pier for Spinal Injuries Ireland — six million steps, and each one as important as the next. 🔑 Key Points The injury came from lifting, not impact He carried a 60–80kg bench about fifteen metres, dropped it, took a breath and lifted it again. The second lift ruptured a disc into his spinal column and severed the cord by 90%. The five per cent came with a condition A 5% chance of walking again if he moved within 72 hours. He didn’t. The toe moved on day twenty-one. Visualisation was a tool he already had He’d used it to win selection and to build his business. In hospital he made it concrete: a circuit board as his brain, a switch as his toe, and the work of wiring them together. The doctor called it a spasm — twice Dr Cullen made him move it three times before saying “that’s most unexpected, Fergus.” Not every disability is visible He walks, so people assume he’s fine. Zero balance, no feeling from his feet to his waist, constant pain on 3,000mg of gabapentin a day. The people around an injury carry it too His then-wife finished the house, worked and raised three young children. “The person that’s left behind injured affects so many different people.” He never visualised himself walking He started with the smallest thing he could actually see: one toe, with the blanket off. Setting the finish line at walking would only have set him up to fail. The walk is the same method at scale Brooklyn Bridge to Santa Monica Pier, 4,500km, six million steps, 75 days as a target rather than a deadline. 📚 Resources Fergus Walks Fergus’s walk across America for Spinal Injuries Ireland Spinal Injuries Ireland The only Irish organisation dedicated solely to supporting people living with a spinal cord injury and their families Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Supporting the American leg of the walk National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire Where Fergus did his spinal rehabilitation Fergus Farrell on Instagram Following the walk day by day ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 02:10 — Lifting a metal bench in his own yard 05:35 — The disability nobody can see 06:44 — Pain 24/7, and refusing it attention 08:46 — A five per cent chance, and the seventy-two hours 10:00 — The circuit board, the switch and the wire 12:04 — Day twenty-one, half two in the morning 13:11 — Dr Cullen: “these could be involuntary spasms” 17:50 — The guilt of getting back on his feet 19:42 — What it did to his family 21:53 — Losing the businesses 25:09 — Walking across America 30:56 — “Every day is a new day to improve” 32:42 — Advice for young people, and the meaning of 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.