Vaginal dryness, burning, recurrent UTIs, painful sex, chafing, tearing, “something feels off” but it’s hard to describe. These aren’t niche complaints, and they’re not something we should shrug off as “just ageing”. We’re talking about genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), the very real tissue and microbiome changes that can arrive through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond, and why so many patients don’t mention them until they’re truly miserable.

We are joined by degree-qualified naturopath Jessie-Anne, who specialises in menstrual, hormonal, and sexual health. Together we map the physiology: the oestrogen drop that reduces glycogen in vaginal tissue, the knock-on loss of lactobacilli, the pH becoming more alkaline, and the increased risk of irritation and infection. We also talk about the clinical reality: shame, taboo, and why practitioners need clear, confident questions to uncover what’s really happening.

Then we zoom in on one of our hero ingredients: sea buckthorn oil. We unpack what makes it unique (hello omega-7 and omega-9), the broader nutrient profile (beta-carotene for vitamin A, vitamins C and E, antioxidants and polyphenols), and what the human research actually shows. Jessie-Anne shares the key outcomes from a randomised controlled trial using 3 g per day orally over 12 weeks, plus emerging data on intravaginal use, and how we think about topical vulval application in real-life practice (including the very practical staining warning). We finish with how we monitor outcomes, when we reassess, how sea buckthorn can sit alongside oestrogen cream or MHT, and when symptoms suggest a need to refer and investigate further.

Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more practitioners can find the show. What’s one GSM symptom you wish more people felt comfortable naming out loud?

Shownotes and references are available on the Designs for Health website


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DISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health

AI has made health marketing ridiculously fast, but compliance hasn’t gotten any easier. If you’re a naturopath, nutritionist, integrative GP, or you run a clinic and you’re using AI to write social posts, blogs, emails, or website copy, there’s a new reality to face: the same AI that helps you create content can help regulators find it.

We sit down with Chris Sarandis, founder of CompliGuard, to break down what’s actually happening in Australia right now across TGA advertising compliance, AHPRA advertising guidelines, and Australian Consumer Law. Chris explains why this is no longer just a “knowledge problem”, it’s a velocity trap, and why enforcement is shifting from complaint-driven to proactive scanning. We also walk through high-risk scenarios practitioners deal with every week: gifted products and unboxing posts that quietly become testimonials, how to use the ARTG to stay inside approved indications and disclaimers, how to talk about PCOS and other conditions without linking claims to products or services, what to avoid when sharing functional testing, and why before and after content is so fraught.

We also unpack the practical side: a simple five-step workflow for safer publishing, and how CompliGuard fits inside your content process by rating risk, flagging the exact clauses at issue, suggesting compliant rewrites, storing an audit trail, and offering human escalation for nuanced cases. If you want to try it, you can set up an account and access two free reviews, and our listeners can use the code DFH for three months at half price.

Subscribe, share this with a practitioner friend, and leave a review so more clinic owners can market with confidence and stay compliant.

Shownotes and references are available on the Designs for Health website


Register as a Designs for Health Practitioner and discover quality practitioner- only supplements at www.designsforhealth.com.au

Follow us on Socials

Instagram: Designsforhealthaus

Facebook: Designsforhealthaus

DISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health

You’ve probably heard kiwifruit mentioned for constipation, but the real story is bigger and more precise. We’re joined by Ping Ong, Nutritional Scientist and Researcher for Livaux at Energenics, to explore how a patented New Zealand gold kiwifruit powder is being used as a precision prebiotic to support keystone bacteria and the metabolites that drive real gut function.

We unpack why Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (FPR) keeps showing up in the research as a marker of a healthy gut microbiome, and why it’s so hard to target with standard probiotic approaches (it’s extremely oxygen sensitive). From there, we follow the butyrate trail: how this short-chain fatty acid fuels colon cells, supports mucus and tight junctions, and helps regulate inflammatory signalling pathways that can influence far more than digestion. We also talk about what it means when symptom improvement lines up with measurable microbiome change, and why that combination can give practitioners and patients more confidence than symptoms alone.

If you work with IBS, bloating, or sensitive guts, we get practical about fermentation speed, gas production, and why complex kiwifruit pectin may ferment more slowly across the colon than inulin, FOS, or GOS. We also discuss dose and compliance, supply chain quality control (including sourcing from Zespri-approved orchards), and how Livaux may pair with probiotics to support butyrate production and a more favourable gut environment.

Subscribe for more evidence-informed gut health conversations, share this with a practitioner or friend who’s curious about targeted fibre, and leave a review with your biggest question about precision prebiotics.

To learn more, visit:

• www.livaux.com
• www.anagenix.com

Shownotes and references are available on the Designs for Health website


Register as a Designs for Health Practitioner and discover quality practitioner- only supplements at www.designsforhealth.com.au

Follow us on Socials

Instagram: Designsforhealthaus

Facebook: Designsforhealthaus

DISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health