The Cyclist

Avsnitt

• From Severe Bloating to Nomu Matcha: Tessa Stockdale on Chronic Gut Issues and Healing as a Founder 07.07.2026 52min

  Two gut girlies sit down to talk.In this episode, Jess is joined by Tessa Stockdale, co-founder of Nomu Matcha, the award-winning New Zealand ceremonial matcha brand she built with her mum Karen, for a conversation that started, fittingly, over a shared obsession with gut health.Tessa takes us back six years to when her gut issues first started showing up in her mid-twenties. She was in advertising, early mornings, late nights, plenty of alcohol, high-intensity exercise on an empty stomach. The kind of lifestyle that looks pretty normal from the outside but, she now knows, was putting enormous stress on her body. What followed was months of severe bloating so extreme her mum asked if she was pregnant, constipation, brain fog, thunderclap headaches, and a histamine response that felt like boiling water in her gut.She walks us through the medical journey, the gastroenterologist referrals to rule out stomach and ovarian cancer, the $250 specialist appointments, the lack of holistic perspective in the system, and then the moment she drove to Hamilton to see applied kinesiologist Kate Moffat out of sheer desperation. The session that changed everything, where the pressure of a hand on her leg identified leaky gut, an estrogen imbalance, IBS, and candida overgrowth, and finally gave her somewhere to start.Tessa shares what the anti-candida diet actually looked like, how twelve weeks of eating nothing from a packet during COVID lockdown taught her more about food and inflammation than anything else had, and why the healing process, while transformative, also came with unexpected consequences. Developing a peanut anaphylaxis allergy. New intolerances she hadn't had before. A fear response around food that nobody warned her about. The exhausting mental tax of navigating every meal, every restaurant, every dinner with friends.The conversation moves into the gut-brain connection, why 90 to 95% of serotonin is made in the gut, why anxiety and gut issues are so deeply intertwined, and why Tessa's move from Auckland to Mount Maunganui last year has given her something she says she's never had in her adult life: a balanced nervous system.And then there's Nomu. Because Tessa's caffeine sensitivity, a direct result of her gut journey, is what led her to matcha, and a blunt comment from a barista at 7am who raised an eyebrow at a decaf order is what started it all. She and Kat talk about building a business while managing a chronic health condition, why hustle culture is not the only path to success, and why showing up well for yourself is actually what makes you show up better for your business.This is an episode for anyone who has spent years trying to figure out what's wrong with their gut, anyone running a business while managing a chronic health condition, and anyone who has ever felt like healing one thing just opened the door to something else.Find Tessa and Nomu Matcha at nomumatcha.com and on Instagram @nomumatcha_Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. And maybe make yourself a matcha first.
• Jess Is Pregnant! The Full Story: Miscarriage, Sertraline and a Very Positive Pregnancy Test 23.06.2026 44min

  There’s a third person in the room in this episode with Kat and Jess… Jess is pregnant! In this episode, Jess and Kat talk about baby number two and share the full journey of how they got here. This is the conversation Jess says she has dreamt of recording, and it's everything. Honest, emotional, funny, and deeply real.Jess takes us back to the beginning. After a two-year journey to fall pregnant with Marla, a loss along the way, and a more recent miscarriage that hit harder than she expected, Jess and Todd made the call to take six months away from trying. She opens up about what it's like to try for a baby when you're already living with a panic disorder, the internal conversations around medication, the question of whether it was irresponsible to grow a family when she wasn't in her best space, and the fear that the panic disorder might never fully end.She talks candidly about going on sertraline, the two years she resisted medication because pregnancy was on the horizon, and the guilt of knowing the research said it was safe while still carrying a quiet doubt in the back of her mind. The decision that finally shifted things: realising she wasn't able to enjoy the life she'd worked so hard to build, and that a healthy mum was the most important thing she could give her family.Then there's the trying-to-conceive reality, the scheduling, the long cycles, the months of negative tests, the switch that flips when you've had a loss and every negative brings it all back. The moment Todd came down with man flu on what turned out to be their last window for a 2026 baby. The password on Jess's laptop. The morning she snuck into the bathroom to take a test she was expecting to be negative, and wasn't.Kat shares what it was like to watch from the outside, holding her tongue through the hardest months because she had a feeling it was going to happen, and not wanting to say that out loud in case she was wrong.They also go into the pregnancy itself, the four emergency scans, the breakthrough bleeding that sent Jess to the hospital at eight weeks, the anxiety of standing up slowly every single time and checking for blood. The moment at the studio, ten minutes before a podcast interview, when Jess came to Kat and said she was bleeding and had to leave. And through all of it, the mindset she kept coming back to, miscarriage is never anyone's fault, and worrying about it won't change the outcome.Jess is now in her second trimester, due in early December, and not finding out the gender. Baby's working name is Pickle. Marla has been told there's a baby in mummy's tummy and has asked whether it's in her boobies too.This one will stay with you.Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. And congratulations, Jess!
• PCOS Has Had A Name Change! Here's What PMOS Means for You with Dietitian Sara from Your Monthly Club 09.06.2026 40min

  She's had a rebrand. And it's been a long time coming.In this episode, Jess sits down with Sara, New Zealand registered dietitian, women's health expert, and founder of Your Monthly Club, to unpack one of the biggest developments in women's health in recent years. PCOS has officially been renamed PMOS, Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, and Sara is here to explain exactly what that means, why it matters, and what it changes for the one in ten women living with this condition.Sara breaks down the name change from the ground up. Why the word "cysts" was always misleading, why so many women were being misdiagnosed or dismissed because they didn't have cysts visible on ultrasound, and why the new name is a far more accurate reflection of what PMOS actually is. A full-body, metabolic, endocrine experience, not just a reproductive one. She explains why the change took over 14 years of global consultation to get right, and why the online community's response felt, in her words, like a feminist moment.They go deep into insulin resistance, the driving force behind 70 to 90% of PMOS symptoms and Sara dismantles some of the most common nutrition myths that women with PCOS have been living by for years. Cutting carbs, going gluten-free, skipping meals, and fasting. She reframes the conversation entirely. It's not about taking foods away, it's about what you add alongside them. Her practical rule of four (protein, fat, fibre, and carbohydrate together) is one of the most accessible and genuinely useful pieces of nutrition advice we've had on the show.Jess shares her own experience of years of unexplained weight gain before her endometriosis diagnosis, the self-blame, the guilt, the constant comparison to friends who seemed to lose weight easily, and Sara explains exactly why that experience makes complete biological sense for women with insulin resistance, and why the weight loss advice most women receive is actively working against their physiology.They also touch on inositol and its role in improving insulin signalling, GLP-1 medications and Sara's honest and nuanced view on their place in PMOS management, and what she hopes the name change will actually change in terms of how women are diagnosed, informed, and cared for long term.This is a rich, reassuring, and genuinely eye-opening episode for anyone who has a PCOS or PMOS diagnosis, suspects they might, or has ever been made to feel like their symptoms are their own fault.Find Sara at yourmonthlyclub.co.nz and on Instagram @yourmonthlyclubFollow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Your hormones aren't broken. You just haven't been given the full picture yet.
• What a Childfree Life Can Look Like with Danni Duncan 26.05.2026 50min

  Not every woman's path looks the same. And that's exactly the point.In this episode, Jess sits down with Danni Duncan, content creator, community builder, and founder of The Others Club, for a conversation that's a little different from our usual. Danni has spent years building one of the most engaged childfree communities in Aotearoa and beyond, and this episode is for every woman who has ever felt like the path laid out in front of her wasn't quite the right fit.They start with acne, something Danni has navigated since her teenage years, through cystic breakouts, two rounds of Roaccutane, and the complex relationship between skin, hormones, stress, and self-worth. She shares what's finally helped her reach a place of consistency with her skin, why simplifying her routine made more of a difference than any trending product, and the honest truth that she still doesn't know exactly what fixed it, and has had to make peace with that uncertainty.Then the conversation opens up into childfree life. Danni shares the full arc of her journey, from assuming she'd become a mum one day, to the two years she spent on the fence in her early 30s, paralysed between two paths and feeling completely alone in that experience. She talks about what finally shifted for her, why she started sharing online when there was nobody else in her life who understood, and how that vulnerability turned into a community of hundreds of thousands of people who felt exactly the same way.They talk about the messy, tender parts of this conversation that don't often get airtime, the friendships that shift when you're the only one without kids, the unspoken expectation that childfree women are somehow the flexible ones, the people who've been told they're "taking something away" from their partners, and why Danni believes the only way through that tension is to talk about it rather than bottle it up.Danni also introduces The Others Club, the online community and platform she launched two months ago that already has almost 200 meetups listed across New Zealand, Australia, the US, UK, and Europe. It's not just for childfree-by-choice women. It's for anyone who doesn't quite fit into the parenting world, whether that's by choice, by circumstance, by loss, or by the kind of not-quite-sure that so many women quietly carry.There's a beautiful moment in this conversation where Jess admits she has FOMO about the meetups, and realises she can't actually remember what her hobbies are. It's one of those moments that will quietly land for a lot of people listening.This is a warm, funny, thought-provoking episode that we think will offer something for almost everyone in The Cyclist community, whether you're choosing a childfree life, questioning what you want, navigating a woman's health journey that's made that decision complicated, or simply craving a conversation that isn't about anyone's sleep schedule.Find Danni at @danniduncan__ on Instagram and The Others Club at theothersclub.comFollow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Whatever your path looks like, there's a place for you here.
• Progesterone, PCOS, Endometriosis and Miscarriage: Naturopath Francesca Lyon on the Hormones Changing Everything 12.05.2026 50min

  What if the key to your mental health, fertility, and longevity was sitting quietly in one hormone most women have never been taught to protect?In this episode, Jess sits down with Francesca Lyon, degree-qualified Naturopath and Medical Herbalist from Auckland, now based in Amsterdam, and Director of Nutrition at Future Woman, a UK-based at-home hormone testing company. Francesca has spent over 13 years specialising in women's health, hormones, fertility, PCOS and perimenopause, and this conversation is one of the most wide-ranging and genuinely eye-opening we've had on The Cyclist.It starts with progesterone, the hormone Francesca is perhaps most passionate about, and why protecting ovulation is the single most impactful thing a woman can do for her mental health, sleep, pain levels, brain health and longevity. She explains what happens when progesterone breaks down in the body, how it communicates with GABA, our calming neurotransmitter, and why so many women in their 30s experiencing anxiety, rage, sleep disruption and low mood are being handed anxiety medication when what they actually need is more progesterone.Francesca shares her own story of burnout, cystic acne, a miscarriage, and a brain AVM, an arteriovenous malformation, that was diagnosed after she developed daily debilitating migraines two weeks postpartum. She had suspected the AVM for years before her diagnosis, having studied them in her psychology degree and had a gut feeling she had one, only to be told not to be silly. The moment she was finally diagnosed, her first thought was: I told you.They go deep into miscarriage, what Francesca believes about why they happen, why she would never wait for three before investigating, and what she thinks about the deeply underfunded and underinvestigated space of pregnancy loss. She talks honestly about the grief of a lost pregnancy, the anxiety of trying again, and the client she worked with who had eight miscarriages in a year before a progesterone deficiency was finally identified and addressed.The conversation moves through PCOS, which Francesca believes is reversible in every case when the root drivers are properly investigated, and endometriosis, which she approaches as an autoimmune and inflammatory condition, often triggered by a microbial infection. She shares her views on the gluten and dairy question for endo, the link between environmental toxins and PCOS, and why unexplained infertility is really just uninvestigated infertility.There's also a genuinely practical section on sleep, two of Francesca's top sleep hygiene tips for hormone health, and an honest conversation about the food noise and control that can come with managing a condition like endometriosis, and when the stress of avoiding a food is worse than just eating it.Francesca is also co-founder of Future Woman, an at-home hormone testing service using the Dutch test, with expert interpretation and a personalised protocol included, making comprehensive hormone testing accessible without the cost of multiple practitioner appointments.Find Francesca at flnaturopathy.com and Future Woman at future-woman.comFollow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Your hormones have been trying to tell you something. This episode might be the one that finally makes it click.
• Period Pain: The Pain I Learned To Normalise with Ella Cunningham 05.05.2026 40min

  We're closing out our period pain miniseries the way it started. With a real story.In the final episode of the Period Pain Mini Series, Jess sits down with Ella, founder of Els Lovers, a New Zealand-made brand creating wearable heat packs designed specifically for endometriosis and period pain relief. Ella takes us right back to the beginning to a musical theatre rehearsal camp, three days before her 14th birthday, when her very first period arrived and brought her to her knees. From that day forward, eight-day heavy periods, severe pain, and chronic exhaustion became her norm. Because her mum had always suffered the same way, Ella assumed that's just how it was for her too.What followed was years of dismissed symptoms, a GP who attributed her chronically low iron to her plant-based diet rather than the blood she was losing every month, and a gynaecologist at family planning who told her that heavy periods were an opinion. It wasn't until a nutritionist connected the dots, low iron, low B12, IBS-like symptoms, painful heavy periods, and said the word endometriosis, that Ella finally had somewhere to start.She shares what it took to push for her diagnosis, what her endometriosis surgery in February 2024 actually involved, and why the year and a half she spent with a Mirena afterwards was the most painful of her life and how trusting her body and getting it removed was the decision that finally started turning things around.Ella also opens up about having to leave her first full-time job out of university at just 21 because her pain had become too unpredictable to manage, and how that painful chapter led her to create Els Lovers. Handmade in Aotearoa from 100% natural cotton, Els heat packs were born out of Ella's own search for something wide enough, long enough, and weighted enough to actually wrap around the places that hurt.This is the episode we want every young woman who is quietly pushing through to hear. Because how the hell are you supposed to know if your period pain isn't normal if nobody is talking about it?This is episode five of five of The Cyclist's period pain miniseries. All episodes are available now.Find Ella and Els Lovers at elslovers.com or on Instagram @elsloversFollow and connect Instagram: @wearethecyclist Website: wearethecyclist.comHit play. And if you know someone who needs to hear this, send it to them.
• Period Pain: The Part No One Talks About with Psychologist Andy Leggat 05.05.2026 45min

  Your pain is real. And your brain is trying to protect you.In episode four of our period pain miniseries, Jess sits down with Andy Leggat,  registered Health Psychologist and Fertility Counsellor with over 15 years of clinical experience, for one of the most validating conversations we've had on this podcast. Andy is a returning Cyclist guest, and if you haven't heard her first episode on the emotional side of infertility, we'd highly recommend going back to that one too.If you've ever been told your pain is in your head, been referred to a psychologist and felt confused or even insulted by that, or spent years quietly gaslighting yourself into thinking you're just not coping, this episode is for you.Andy explains why psychological care isn't the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff when it comes to period pain. It's a core part of the picture. She breaks down how the brain actually processes pain, not as a simple tissue-based experience, but as a deeply contextual one shaped by the nervous system, past experiences, trauma, environment, and the relationship we have with our own bodies. Two people with the exact same diagnosis can experience pain in completely different ways, and this conversation explains why.They get into pain memory and how significant pain experiences shape future ones, the cyclical nature of anticipatory anxiety around periods, and why years of chronic dismissal, from doctors, from family, from ourselves, can create deeply entrenched thought patterns that spill over into health anxiety, hypervigilance, and conditions like panic disorder. Jess shares honestly that this conversation hit close to home, describing how she was body scanning and messaging her husband in a spiral just minutes before they sat down to record.Andy unpacks self-gaslighting, what it is, why it's concerningly common, and why it makes complete sense when you've spent years being told your pain is normal. She talks about the grief that quietly sits underneath chronic pain, the grief of missed career milestones, changed relationships, and lost trust in your own body, and why naming it as grief can be one of the most validating things a person can do.There's practical guidance throughout, too. How to navigate period pain conversations in the workplace, how to raise children who feel safe talking about their bodies without amplifying anxiety, and exactly what a first session with a health psychologist looks like so there are no surprises before you walk in the door.This is episode four of five of The Cyclist's period pain miniseries. All episodes are available now.Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Your body is working hard to keep you safe. This episode will help you understand how.Listen to Andy’s episode, Infertility Unfiltered: The Emotional Side of Infertility with Psychologist Andy LeggatHere’s the link to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1S5M8ob4zVC0kDGi1J44wi
• Period Pain: What Your Pelvic Floor Has To Do With It with Pelvic Health Physio Caitlin Fris 05.05.2026 39min

  Your pelvic floor has more to do with your period pain than you might think.In episode three of our period pain miniseries, Jess is joined by Caitlin Fris, pelvic health physio, founder of Unity Studios, The Cyclist's resident pelvic health expert, and the woman behind @thevaginaphysio on Instagram. Caitlin has been on the podcast before and if you haven't heard her first episode, Pelvic Health Demystified: Pain, Pleasure & Power, we'd highly recommend going back to that one too.This conversation starts with something deceptively simple, the term "painful periods", and why Caitlin thinks it does a disservice to everyone who experiences them. When the language we use doesn't capture the full picture, it becomes easier for symptoms to be dismissed, minimised or misunderstood. And that has real consequences.Caitlin shares her own experience of uterine fibroids and the moment she dropped to the ground mid-Pilates class, flooded with blood and excruciating pain, and why that moment changed how she thinks about the language around period pain entirely. She explains what normal period pain looks like versus what warrants investigation, and why the addition of symptoms like painful sex, bladder pain, or bowel pain alongside period pain should always prompt further investigation.We get into what a pelvic health physio assessment actually looks like from start to finish,  so there are no surprises before you walk in, and why the majority of that first hour is simply talking. Caitlin explains the central sensitisation picture, how the nervous system gets turned up in volume after months or years of chronic pain, and why that's not weakness or drama, it's biology. She also walks us through the connection between a hypertonic pelvic floor and period pain, explaining how up to 70% of people with endometriosis will experience pelvic floor dysfunction, and why learning to relax the pelvic floor is often much harder than learning to contract it.There's also a beautifully simple breathwork exercise in this episode that Caitlin takes us through live, something anyone can do at home, including a visualisation technique involving a rosebud that we won't spoil here.They also go deep on painful sex, how it presents, what structures might be involved, when it's entry pain versus deep pain, and why even one negative experience can set up a pain cycle that takes time and the right support to unwind. And Caitlin finishes with honest advice for anyone who has been told their pain is normal when it really doesn't feel that way: get a second opinion, write everything down, and find someone who will actually listen.This is episode three of five of The Cyclist's period pain miniseries. All episodes are available now.Find Caitlin at Unity Studios or follow her on Instagram @thevaginaphysio. She's also listed on The Cyclist's practitioner directory at wearethecyclist.com.Follow and connect Instagram: @wearethecyclist Website: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Your pelvic floor will thank you.Listen to Caitlin’s episode, Pelvic Health Demystified: Pain, Pleasure & Power with Caitlin Fris Here’s the link to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PMxhbNRBoKocQifgy4QC9
• Period Pain: What Conventional Medicine Leaves Out with Naturopath Loula George 05.05.2026 41min

  What if the answers to your period pain have been hiding in your gut, your diet, and your environment all along?In episode two of our period pain miniseries, Jess sits down with Loula George, one of New Zealand's most respected naturopaths, with over 30 years of experience specialising in women's health. Loula is the kind of practitioner whose name gets whispered in reverent tones across the women's health community, and after this conversation, it's easy to understand why.Loula opens up about how she found her way into naturopathy, from a childhood in a traditional Greek family where food and herbs were medicine, to an ecology degree, to a chance encounter with a naturopathy prospectus on a coffee table at 28 that changed everything. Three decades later, she says it's the women themselves who have taught her everything she knows.This conversation covers a lot of ground. Loula explains exactly where naturopathy sits within the broader women's health landscape, why the time and depth of a naturopathic consultation can uncover things a 10-minute GP appointment simply cannot, and why she sees her role as much about education and advocacy as it does about treatment.She walks us through the naturopathic view of period pain, how the gut, hormones, stress, pelvic floor, trauma, and genetic factors can all play a role, and why the estrobolome (the bacteria responsible for estrogen metabolism in the gut) is one of the most important and undertalked pieces of the period pain puzzle. We get into the histamine connection with endometriosis, the foods that consistently aggravate inflammation, and why gluten and dairy elimination doesn't have to be forever, just long enough to find your individual triggers.Loula also shares the herbs and nutrients she returns to again and again for period pain, including magnesium, PEA, Don Quai, Motherworth, and Ashwagandha, and explains how to know when supplements are working and how long to stay on them. She gives her honest view on the contraceptive pill as a first-line treatment for period pain, and why putting teenage girls on the pill before their endocrine system has even fully developed can create a whole other set of problems down the track.We also go deep on endocrine disrupting chemicals, plastics, non-stick cookware, synthetic fragrances, polyester clothing, and why the load of these in our everyday environment matters more than most of us realise. Kat recommends the Netflix documentary My Plastic Detox, which follows six fertility-struggling couples and shows just how measurably reducing plastic exposure can shift the picture.This is episode two of five of The Cyclist's period pain miniseries. All episodes are available now.Find Loula George and her team at their Auckland clinic. Loula is also listed on The Cyclist's practitioner directory at wearethecyclist.com.Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. Your body has been trying to tell you something. This episode might help you understand what.
• Period Pain: Is Your Pain Being Taken Seriously? It Should Be. Says Gynaecologist Dr Praveen De Silva 05.05.2026 45min

  This is where the period pain conversation gets real.In the first episode of our Period Pain Mini-Series, Kat sits down with Dr Praveen De Silva, a New Zealand-born gynaecologist, endometriosis surgeon, and Clinical Lead for Endometriosis and Laparoscopic Surgery at Te Whatu Ora Waitemata. He was also the name our community called out overwhelmingly when we asked who they wanted to hear from on this topic. And after this conversation, it's easy to see why.Dr Praveen opens up about his own journey into women's health, from a passion for obstetrics to completing a two-year fellowship at the world-leading Sydney Women's Endosurgery Centre, and why period pain became the area he chose to dedicate his career to.Together, we unpack one of the most important distinctions in women's health: period pain is common, but significant period pain is not normal. Dr Praveen walks us through what that actually means, what's happening in the body during a painful period, and at what point symptoms cross the line from manageable to something that deserves medical attention.We also get into the reality of navigating the New Zealand health system with period pain, the delays, the frustration, and what self-advocacy actually looks like in both the public and private sectors. Dr Praveen shares what a specialist appointment looks like from his side of the table, why he approaches each patient as a collaborative brainstorm rather than a one-size-fits-all prescription, and why he'll be the first to admit he doesn't have all the answers.From pain medication and hormonal contraception to the multidisciplinary team approach, surgery, and the long-overdue shift toward diagnosing endometriosis without requiring an operation first, this conversation covers the full picture. Including the stat that still stops us in our tracks: it takes an average of seven to eight years to receive an endometriosis diagnosis in New Zealand.If you are pushing through period pain and wondering whether what you're experiencing is normal, this episode is for you. Part one of five in this deep dive into period pain. All episodes of the mini-series are available now.Find Dr Praveen De Silva at Auckland Gynaecology Group in Newmarket, Waitemata Surgeons in Takapuna, and in Whangārei. Online consultations available from anywhere in New Zealand.Website: drpraveendesilva.com Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. You don’t have to go through this alone.
• Welcome to the Period Pain Mini Series! Here’s what to expect 05.05.2026 2min

  Hello, and welcome to The Cyclist Period Pain miniseries. We are so glad that you're here. Before we get into the episodes, we wanted to sit down and talk to you about why we made the series, because honestly, it comes from a really personal place. In fact, I don't think The Cyclist would exist without period pain. It was a huge pivotal part in our journey that led us to realise we need more in women's health.Period pain has been one of the biggest things in our lives, not a minor inconvenience, not something we just push through quietly. For us, it has been years of not knowing, of being dismissed, of wondering whether what we were experiencing was normal. And if you're a Cyclist listener, which you clearly are, we're pretty sure that a lot of you have been experiencing this too.So this year, we made the decision to not only do our bi-weekly episodes, we also wanted to go  deeper. We wanted to create a mini series that let you really immerse yourself in a subject, hear from multiple perspectives, and walk away feeling like you actually understand something you didn't before.In The Period Pain mini series, we cover everything from what period pain actually is, to how to navigate the medical system, to what the research says about natural approaches, to the very real psychological toll of living in a body that hurts.We speak to gynecologist Dr. Praveen De Silva, naturopath Loula George, pelvic health physio Caitlin Frizz, psychologist Andy Leggett,  and we hear the real and raw story of Ella Cunningham, who has lived it firsthand. We have dropped all the episodes of the mini series today, so you can listen at your own pace, in your own time.Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. We hope this series makes you feel a little less alone.  
• Ellie Fitzgerald on Child-Free by Choice, Circumstance, or Something in Between 28.04.2026 51min

  Almost two years on, and this conversation goes even deeper.Ellie Fitzgerald was the very first guest on The Cyclist, and she's back. In this raw and honest catch-up, Jess and Ellie revisit everything that has unfolded since Ellie shared her ruptured ectopic pregnancy story, nearly two years ago now. What started as a check-in becomes one of the most vulnerable conversations we've had on this podcast.Ellie opens up about where she and her partner are at today, a place she describes as possibly child-free, though she's still unpacking whether that's a decision from the heart or a response to trauma. She talks honestly about the grief that doesn't follow a timeline, the moments that still catch her off guard, and what it's like to navigate those questions from family and friends when you haven't figured out the answers yourself.She also shares the deeply personal way she holds Binki in her memory, something we've never heard before, and what the approaching two-year due date brings up for her each year.The conversation moves through therapy, which Ellie is only just beginning, and why she's waited this long. She reflects on the unexpected ways the ectopic pregnancy has changed her body, her cycle, her pain, and her hormones, and gets honest about her relationship with her body, which she describes as the hardest it's ever been. From blaming her body through three years of infertility, to losing Binki, to navigating weight changes and self-worth, this is a conversation about what it really looks like to carry grief in your body, not just your mind.Ellie also shares why she recently made the decision to rename her platform from Loving Ellie's Belly to simply Ellie Fitzgerald, and what that change meant for her sense of identity.This one is tender, funny, deeply real, and a reminder that grief has no deadline.Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. And if you haven't heard Ellie's first episode, start there: Endo, Infertility & Losing Baby Binkie with Ellie Fitzgerald. Here’s the link on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wy5McIgaGR4Lyb3XQvz9Q
• We’re back! Sertraline, breastfeeding & a new era of The Cyclist 14.04.2026 29min

  We're back! And it feels so good to say that.In this episode, Jess and Kat reunite for an honest and overdue catch-up after a longer break than either of them planned. Life has been full. A new baby, a return to work, new products, and some deeply personal health journeys that kept unfolding in the background.Kat opens up about returning to work after six months of maternity leave with baby Louie, navigating the beautiful chaos of breastfeeding, and the sleep regression that hit two nights before her first day back. She shares what imposter syndrome really feels like when your brain isn't firing, and why she's redefining what success looks like at this season of life.Jess gets honest about where she's at with her panic disorder, now two years in, and the decision she put off for a long time: going on medication. She talks through what finally changed her mind, the realities of tapering onto sertraline while trying to conceive, and the Mel Robbins moment that helped her zoom out and find hope again. She also shares an update on her cycle and what she's noticing as she continues her trying to conceive journey.They also talk through what's been keeping them busy behind the scenes. The team have had three new Cadence product launches, including Period Comfort, Head Ease, and Hydro Babe. Then they pull back the curtain on what The Cyclist looks like in 2026.The Cyclist also has an exciting new format: Biweekly episodes, miniseries (the first of which will be a deep dive on period pain), in-person community events, and a vision to make The Cyclist the go-to library for women's health in Aotearoa New Zealand.This one is warm, real, and a very welcome return.P.S., If you’d like to check out the breast pump Kat has, here it is: https://lacevo.com/products/wearable-breast-pump-set?country=AU Follow and connectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play. We've missed you. And we're so glad to be back!
• 2025 Wrapped: Anxiety, Babies & Big Dreams with Jess & Kat 16.12.2025 50min

  A raw and honest end-of-year conversation reflecting on everything 2025 asked of us.In this final episode for the year, Jess and Kat sit down for an unfiltered chat about the highs, the heartbreaks, and the behind-the-scenes reality of the year that was.We speak openly about Jess’ battle with anxiety, the moments we felt completely overwhelmed, and the times we genuinely questioned whether we could keep going. We reflect on launching not one but two brands, the pressure that came with it, the pinch-me moments, and the lessons that only come from doing hard things in real time. This episode is about growth, boundaries, resilience, and what it really takes to build something meaningful while navigating your own health and nervous system.Follow & ConnectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play for an honest close to the year, and a reminder that you are not alone in the messy middle. We can't wait to be in your ears again in 2026!
• The Mind Body Approach Every Woman Needs with Britt McNabb 09.12.2025 1h 5min

  This week we sit down with fitness trainer and psychology graduate Britt McNabb, known online as @mindbody.britt, for a powerful conversation on healing your relationship with movement and the body you call home.Britt shares her own 40kg weight loss journey and how it shaped the unique mind body approach she uses with women today. Her work blends nervous system education, fitness, and deep self compassion to help women create lasting change without punishment or shame.In this episode we talk about the bridge between mind and body, what real self love looks like beyond aesthetics, how to rebuild trust with yourself, and the emotional reality of learning to appreciate a changing body. It is wise, raw, grounding, and deeply supportive for anyone who has ever felt stuck in their health journey.Follow and Connect@wearethecyclistwearethecyclist.comWelcome to the conversation. Hit play and join the journey.
• Endometriosis, Ulcerative Colitis & Learning to Love a Changing Body with Elbee 02.12.2025 53min

  This week we sit down with Elbee to talk about the health changes that arrived after birth and the journey to finally being taken seriously.Elbee is a beauty, lifestyle and parenting creator who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis postpartum, later undergoing endometriosis surgery in 2023 and facing unexpected complications with the Mirena.We speak about the early signs that something was not right, the emotional toll of managing chronic illness while parenting, and how her relationship with her body shifted through weight changes and recovery. Elbee shares what helped her advocate for herself, what she wishes more women were told after birth, and how she is learning to trust her body again. This is a gentle and honest conversation for anyone moving through symptoms that feel dismissed or unexplained.Follow and connect@wearethecyclistwearethecyclist.comHit play and join the journey.
• Hearing ‘It’s Bowel Cancer’ at 26 with Jess Thompson 25.11.2025 46min

  We sit down with the incredible Jess Thompson, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 26 years old. What started as a gut feeling that something wasn’t right led to a diagnosis that gave her only one to two years to live.Jess walks us through her journey, the symptoms she pushed for answers on, navigating a healthcare system that didn’t always take her seriously, going through chemo and major surgery, and what it felt like to stare death in the face. She shares the moment she was told she was in remission and how that changed her relationship with her body, her priorities, and her sense of purpose.But Jess’s story doesn’t end there. Shortly after celebrating being cancer free, her partner was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. She opens up about how they processed this together, what resilience looks like now, and the lessons she carries forward every day.This conversation is raw, grounding, and full of courage.It’s a reminder that listening to your body can save your life, and that even in the darkest moments, there can still be light.Follow and connect:@wearethecyclistwearethecyclist.comHit play and join us for this powerful episode.
• Anxiety, Panic Attacks & Women’s Health: Jess and Dr Victoria Go There 18.11.2025 56min

  A real, honest conversation about anxiety, panic attacks, and the overwhelming moments so many of us quietly carry.This week we’re joined by Dr Victoria Thompson, clinical psychologist, to dive deep into anxiety in all its forms.Jess opens up about her own recent experience with anxiety and panic attacks, sharing what those moments have actually looked and felt like behind the scenes. Together, we unpack what anxiety really is, how to recognise when it’s becoming unmanageable, why panic attacks happen, and how health anxiety shows up, especially for women navigating chronic symptoms or complex health journeys.We also explore the link between women’s health conditions and anxiety, and the practical tools that can help you come back to safety, calm, and self-trust.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, spiralled into fear, or wondered “is this normal?”, this episode will feel like a breath out.Follow & ConnectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comHit play and join the journey.
• Laura Henshaw on Pregnancy, Period Pain and Why Your Body Isn't a Trend 11.11.2025 1h 2min

  This week we are joined by Laura Henshaw, co-founder of Kic.In this conversation, Laura opens up about her experience with painful periods, navigating pregnancy & her decision to have children, and how her relationship with cycle syncing has evolved over time. We also dive into the cultural moment of GLP1s, SkinnyTok, comparison culture and the pressure to change or control our bodies in order to fit in.Laura shares what has helped her stay connected to herself, soften self judgment, and find confidence in a changing body. This is an honest, spacious and deeply human chat about identity, womanhood and coming home to your body.Follow & ConnectInstagram: @wearethecyclistWebsite: wearethecyclist.comPress play, we cannot wait for you to hear this one.
• Daisy Dagg: Vulvodynia, Endo & Life After a Hysterectomy 04.11.2025 58min

  This week on The Cyclist, we sit down with Daisy Dagg for one of the most open and powerful conversations we’ve had yet.Daisy shares her story starting from her cervical cancer diagnosis in her early years, through the confusing and painful journey that eventually led to her vulvodynia diagnosis. She opens up about what it’s really like to live with chronic pelvic pain, from how it affects intimacy and relationships, to the emotional toll of constantly being dismissed.We then talk about her experience with endometriosis and the decision to have a hysterectomy, diving into the mix of grief, relief, and hope that can come with it.This is an honest, brave, and necessary conversation about the realities of living in a body that’s constantly in pain, and finding a voice through it all.Follow & Connect:@wearethecyclist | wearethecyclist.com