Menopause is talked about like a punchline, a secret, or something to “just endure”, but the reality is far more complex and far more important for long term health. I’m joined by Dr Joyce Igwekwe BK, a medical doctor, lifestyle medicine practitioner, and certified menopause practitioner, to shine a clear light on what menopause actually is, how perimenopause can last two to ten years, and why so many women do not realise their symptoms are connected until they are already overwhelmed.

We get practical about the real world signs: broken sleep at 2am, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, night sweats, palpitations, joint pain, abdominal weight gain, and the genitourinary symptoms that can quietly damage confidence and intimacy. Dr Joyce explains why diagnosis is often clinical rather than a single definitive test, especially if you are on contraception or a coil, and why women in Black and African communities can face longer and more severe symptoms alongside cultural pressure to stay silent.

We also go beyond symptom management into prevention. We talk heart health, hypertension risk, bone loss, osteoporosis, and why lifestyle medicine matters whether you choose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or not. Dr Joyce breaks down the fear around HRT, what has changed with modern preparations, and why local vaginal oestrogen can be a game changer for vaginal dryness. We end with support that actually helps: bringing partners into the conversation, finding community, and treating self care as a daily practice, not a rare luxury.

Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more women and families can find menopause education that is honest, culturally aware, and actionable.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

We name what makes a relationship toxic and why it feels so confusing when disrespect shows up as jokes, favours, or “normal” family pressure. We also share the practical steps we use to spot the pattern, rebuild self-worth, and set boundaries that protect your peace.

• toxic relationships defined as repeated patterns rather than one-off conflict
• signs of emotional blackmail, neglect, disrespect and feeling unsafe
• why fear of loneliness, childhood toxicity and people pleasing increase risk
• friendship red flags such as exclusion, name-calling framed as humour and being used financially
• how dream-killing comments and constant minimising erode confidence
• patterns like gossip, public humiliation, hot and cold behaviour and gaslighting
• practical next steps: honesty, self-compassion, self-work and consistent boundaries
• letting yourself grieve while reconnecting to who you are

Before you go, have you subscribed yet? Like, share, and comment or resonate with you so far on this episode. If you have not done so, why don't you just click that button now?

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Silence can look like strength, but in pregnancy it can be a serious risk. We sit down with Olamide Shalanke, a nurse, midwife of 15+ years, and senior lecturer in the East Midlands, to talk about what she sees too often in UK maternity care: Black women and other ethnic minority women pushing through pain, fear, and emotional strain because they feel they have to be the “strong one”.

We unpack why pain is not just “discomfort” but clinical information that helps clinicians spot danger signs such as pre-eclampsia, blood clots, bleeding, or placental abruption. Olamide explains how communication changes outcomes, what it means to advocate for yourself in real time, and how to escalate if you feel unheard, including asking for the shift co-ordinator and using Martha’s Rule to request a second opinion when you feel unsafe. We also talk about birth plans: why the key conversations should happen around 34 to 36 weeks, how to think through place of birth and pain relief options, and why flexibility matters when labour does not follow the script.

The second half goes deep on perinatal mental health, from common warning signs like severe sleep loss and not eating, to more serious risks such as postnatal psychosis and maternal death linked to mental health. We cover support routes after traumatic birth, miscarriage, or bereavement, including hospital debriefs, specialist bereavement midwives, GP talking therapies and CBT, and occupational health for counselling and reasonable adjustments when returning to work. If you’ve ever felt pressure to cope quietly, this conversation gives you language, options, and permission to ask for help early.

Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review telling us what stood out for you most.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Friendship can be one of the best parts of adult life, yet it can also be the place we feel most misunderstood, used, or blindsided. We sit with the real question many people are quietly asking: why do some adult friendships end in backbiting, betrayal, and frustration, while others feel safe, steady, and life-giving?

We start by unpacking the hidden patterns we bring into friendship, especially attachment styles. We talk through secure attachment and what it looks like when someone can handle closeness and space without panic. We also explore anxious attachment (overthinking texts, fearing exclusion, rushing intimacy), avoidant attachment (protecting yourself through distance and independence), and fearful avoidant attachment (hot and cold connection). These patterns do not just shape romance; they influence how we communicate, what we assume, and how we respond when someone changes.

From there, we get practical about the real-world reasons friendships fade: values misalignment, growth mindset clashes, one-sided benefits, mixed expectations, and emotional labour imbalance. Then we share a simple framework that makes everything easier to hold: the friendship tree. Some people are leaves for a season, some are branches with limited but meaningful support, and a rare few are roots who show up in a crisis and keep your trust. We close with the non-negotiables that keep adult friendships sustainable: boundaries, honest communication, and refusing to run on assumptions.

If you want calmer, healthier adult friendships and fewer painful surprises, press play, share your biggest takeaway with us, and subscribe, share, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

If you’ve ever ignored a lump, a change, or a nagging symptom because you didn’t want to “say it out loud”, this conversation is for you. We’re joined by Laura Urubo, Founder and CEO of Cancer Care Diaspora, a Manchester-based charity supporting Black and other ethnic minority individuals, families and carers affected by cancer across Greater Manchester. Laura’s work starts from lived experience, and it turns into a practical guide for getting help sooner and feeling less alone.

We talk honestly about cancer stigma in the community, how faith can be a comfort without replacing medical care, and why silence can lead to late diagnosis. Laura explains what she sees again and again: people waiting until pain forces them to seek help, symptoms being misunderstood, and patients feeling dismissed. We dig into self-advocacy at the GP, using clear language for symptoms, and why cultural competence in the NHS can make the difference between reassurance and the right referral.

You’ll also hear what support can look like beyond hospital appointments: peer-led support groups, help understanding letters, phone support, home and hospital visits, and care that includes nutrition, gentle exercise, mental health, and practical support for carers. We also discuss why ethnic minority representation in cancer research and clinical trials matters, so future treatments work for everyone.

If this speaks to you, subscribe, share it with someone you love, and leave a review so more people can find these life-saving conversations.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Someone once told you you’re too loud, too quiet, too intense, too talkative, too stubborn, too much. Those words can either shrink a person for years or become the spark that wakes them up. We sit with that tension and ask a bigger question: what if the trait people criticise is the very place your child’s gift is hiding?

I explore character and personality traits through real examples and everyday parenting choices. We look at how confidence is built or broken at home and at school, why labels like “unteachable” often say more about the system than the child, and how different learning styles shape the way children absorb information. Along the way I reflect on stories of Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, William Kamkwamba, Philip Emeagwali, Marie Curie, Miles Munroe, Chinua Achebe, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, drawing out what changed their trajectory: advocacy, curiosity, resources, and the freedom to practise.

We also talk about gender expectations, the pressure to live out a parent’s abandoned dream, and why education does not stop at the classroom door. If your child loves drawing, building, storytelling, singing, baking, coding, caring for younger kids, or debating every point, we discuss how to guide that energy into growth rather than shame, so “too much” becomes skill, purpose, and healthy self-expression.

If this speaks to you, subscribe, share it with a parent or mentor, leave a review, and tell me what trait you want to nurture more boldly in your home.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Kindness can look beautiful on the surface and still be a transaction underneath. We talk honestly about the moment “being kind” turns into a strategy: a way to climb, to be seen, to get access to certain rooms, or to polish a personal brand. If you have ever watched someone’s warmth disappear the minute your status changed, you will recognise the pattern and you will also recognise why it leaves people feeling used, confused, and guarded.

We unpack what sustainable kindness actually looks like when nobody is watching. We share practical, grounded examples: paying for a struggling parent’s groceries, welcoming the new colleague who sits alone, checking on the friend who has gone quiet, donating uniforms and toys, or clearing snow so others can walk safely. We also explore why kindness can be hard to receive, how suspicion is sometimes a scar from past experiences, and why it takes courage to stay open-hearted after you have been taken for granted.

Then we bring it closer to home: do we treat the receptionist with the same respect as the CEO, and are we kind to ourselves on the days we fall short? We reflect on self-talk, boundaries, discernment, and the ripple effect of kindness across families and communities. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

An introvert builds a reading club for adults and suddenly 8 people become 74. That is not a “social media trick” story, it is a story about courage, consistency, and doing the work so well you are proud to put your name on it.

We sit down with Adedoja, founder of Read with Doja, to trace how her relationship with books starts with longing and limited access, then turns into a community that reduces isolation and strengthens confidence. We talk about the real benefits of reading for mental health and wellbeing: stress reduction, empathy, relaxation, better sleep, and keeping your mind active. More importantly, we explore how a book club structure creates accountability for busy adults who say they “used to read” but cannot stick to it anymore.

Doja shares the methods that help her lead while protecting her energy as an introvert: separating personality from purpose, staying anchored to a clear why, and setting boundaries so she can rest without guilt. We also get practical about group leadership: creating awareness when you are naturally discreet, handling inconsistency without taking it personally, checking in with members as humans first, and leading by example with regular reading prompts. Plus, we dig into how books can spark creativity and action, turning reading into mindset change and even new business ideas.

If you want to build a reading habit, start a book club, or lead a community with quiet confidence, this one will give you tools you can use today. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push to start, and leave us a review. What is the idea you are going to birth after listening?

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abiessonia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8aAtpN2BN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==