This reflective solo episode marks a special milestone: the 120th episode of the Prescribing Lifestyle podcast and the close of 2025.

I share openly about my professional growth, personal health journey, and the challenges and wins that have shaped this year.

What's inside this episode Professional growth and expansion

  • How Melbourne Low Carb Clinic has grown from 1 to 5 physical locations across Melbourne (Wantirna, Pascoe Vale South, South Yarra, Beaumaris, Canterbury) plus telehealth across Australia.
  • Collaborations with like‑minded clinics and practitioners, including Aston Rx, Core Foundation, and Lymph & Floor Physio.
  • Deepening expertise in menopause care:
    • Attending multiple menopause and hormone therapy conferences
    • Integrating evidence-based menopause hormone therapy with lifestyle medicine
    • Learning from and collaborating with other clinicians in the metabolic, menopause, and lifestyle space

Book, speaking, and visibility

  • Writing and publishing my book Prescribing Lifestyle: A Doctor's Prescription for Lasting Weight Loss and Vibrant Health
    • Celebrating its launch alongside my 50th birthday
    • Hearing how readers are sharing it with family and friends
    • Becoming an Amazon bestseller
  • Growing into the role of speaker:
    • Talks at OsteoStrong South Melbourne & Hawthorn, Rotary, 10X Speakers Tribe, and community events
    • Keynote on menopause and lifestyle medicine for the WINE (Women in North East) group in Mansfield
    • Entering Next Top Speaker competitions and making the Top 100 twice
    • Refining and repeatedly delivering my "Creating Vibrant Health" message

My personal health and menopause journey

  • Entering perimenopause myself:
    • Irregular cycles, night sweats, sleep changes, body composition shifts
    • Starting menopause hormone therapy (estrogel and Prometrium) to support symptoms, insulin resistance and long‑term health
  • Exploring and applying circadian health:
    • Attending the Regenerate Health Retreat with Max Gowhane
    • Learning about light exposure, blue light reduction, breathwork, sleep optimisation and stress management
    • Bringing circadian rhythm practices into my daily routine and into patient care

Fitness, strength and acceptance

  • Acknowledging changes in my endurance and running capacity with age, hormones and a busy life
  • Continuing consistent movement:
    • Three run‑walk sessions per week
    • Strength training twice per week
    • Fortnightly posture and movement training with Core Foundation
  • Focusing on glute activation, alignment, and efficient strength work rather than chasing old performance benchmarks

Setbacks, resilience and honesty

  • Candidly sharing that I have faced another professional complaint this year
    • How this has tested my resilience, mindset and emotions
    • My commitment to work through the process, learn what I can, and keep serving
    • Trusting that, whatever the outcome, I can pivot and keep living my purpose

Motherhood, family and balance

  • Parenting two teenage boys (14 and 17) as they move into young adulthood
  • Trying to balance:
    • Clinical work
    • Business growth
    • Speaking, writing and creative projects
    • My own health and wellbeing
  • Feeling both stretched and deeply grateful for the growth, grounding, and joy that family brings

Gratitude and what's next

  • Reflecting on 2025 as a year of massive growth in:
    • Professional identity
    • Clinical scope
    • Personal evolution
    • Resilience and courage
  • Gratitude for:
    • Patients and clients who trust me with their health
    • Collaborators who have welcomed me into their spaces
    • Listeners who tune in, share episodes, and send messages
  • Announcing a short podcast break and a fresh return in February 2026
    • With new guests, deeper conversations on metabolic health, menopause, lifestyle, breathwork, circadian health and mindset
    • A continued mission: helping you create vibrant health through realistic, sustainable lifestyle medicine

If this podcast, my clinic, my book or my talks have supported you in any way this year, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out, leave a review, or share an episode with someone who needs it.

Prescribing Lifestyle will be back in 2026—let's keep growing, learning and creating vibrant health together.

 

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