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Hot flushes are one of the most common — and most disruptive — symptoms of menopause. For some women they’re mild and fleeting. For others, they interfere with sleep, mood, confidence, and quality of life.

In this episode of Opt to Thrive, Dr Corina Sims explains why hot flushes happen, what’s actually going on in the brain and body, and what truly helps — separating evidence-based options from myths and misinformation.

In this episode, we cover:

• What hot flushes are and why they feel so intense
• How declining oestrogen disrupts the body’s temperature control system
• The impact of hot flushes on sleep, brain fog, mood, and wellbeing
• Common triggers and practical strategies to reduce symptom severity
• Medical treatment options — hormonal and non-hormonal
• What the evidence really says about “natural” and complementary therapies
• Why some popular treatments don’t work — and may not be safe

Key takeaway:

Hot flushes are real, common, and treatable. You don’t need to wait, push through, or suffer in silence — and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Let’s Stay Connected:

• Get your free Midlife Health & Body Reset Guide: Here
• Find out more about the Midlife Reset Program: Here
• Join the Opt to Thrive mailing list: Here
• Follow Dr. Corina on Instagram: @drcorinasimsopttothrive
• Connect on Facebook: Opt to Thrive (Dr Corina Sims)
• Opt to Thrive official website

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend who may enjoy it too.🫶

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In this short Mindful Moment episode, I’m sharing a story from a recent family dinner — where a simple conversation question led to a much deeper reflection on emotions, thoughts, grief, and what it really means to “feel our feelings.”

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life is that our feelings are created by our thoughts — but as I discovered while talking with my son, that idea can sometimes be misunderstood.

There are emotions we are meant to feel — grief, sadness, heartbreak, disappointment — especially in times of loss. Those feelings are not problems to be solved or avoided. They are part of being human, and they need space to be processed.

But there is also another kind of suffering — the unnecessary pain created by unhelpful or untrue thoughts, rumination, self-criticism, and the stories our brains tell when they run on autopilot.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• the difference between necessary emotional pain and unnecessary suffering
• why resisting uncomfortable feelings often makes them stronger
• how grief and sadness need to be allowed — sometimes only a little at a time
• the seductive pull of “wallowing” days and familiar sad music
• how confirmation bias can spiral a bad day into overwhelm
• why acceptance can ease suffering — even when circumstances can’t change
• gentle ways to get curious about the thoughts underneath emotional discomfort

And I share a few simple questions you can ask yourself when a dark-cloud day appears:

• What am I feeling — and can I allow it instead of fighting it?
• What thought might be contributing to this feeling?
• Is that thought true… and is it helpful?
• Is there a kinder, more compassionate thought available to me right now?

Some days we can shift perspective.
Some days we simply sit with the feeling and let it soften with time.

Both are okay. 💛

If you’ve ever had one of those heavy days where nothing is “wrong,” but your mood just feels flat, tender, or heavy — this episode is for you.

Let’s Stay Connected:

• Get your free Midlife Health & Body Reset Guide: Here
• Find out more about the Midlife Reset Program: Here
• Join the Opt to Thrive mailing list: Here
• Follow Dr. Corina on Instagram: @drcorinasimsopttothrive
• Connect on Facebook: Opt to Thrive (Dr Corina Sims)
• Opt to Thrive official website

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend who may enjoy it too.🫶

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Happy New Year — and welcome to the first episode of the year! 🎉

As we step into a fresh new year, it’s the perfect time to think about preventative health, staying well, and making sure you’re up to date with the screening tests that genuinely help women live longer, healthier lives.

In today’s episode, I’m walking you through the big screening programs we have in Australia, what they’re designed to do, when they’re recommended — and where we don’t have screening (and why that matters).

This episode covers:

• ✔️ Cervical Screening Test — what changed, why it’s every 5 years, and when a self-collected swab is appropriate
• ✔️ Breast cancer screening & mammograms — who needs screening, how family history affects screening frequency, and why symptoms need investigation (not screening)
• ✔️ Bowel cancer screening & FOBT — why the starting age has lowered to 45, how the kit works, and why early detection saves lives
• ✔️ Ovarian cancer — why there is no effective screening test, what symptoms to be aware of, and when to investigate
• ✔️ The new Australian lung cancer screening program — who it applies to and how it works

You’ll also hear a little New Year life update from me — family time, fig harvest, French backpackers, and reflecting on a big year of growth personally and professionally 💛

My hope is that this episode helps you:

• understand what each screening test is actually trying to achieve
• know when screening applies vs when symptoms need investigation
• feel more confident asking questions and making informed choices about your health

👉 If you’re not sure what breast-cancer risk category you fall into, you can try the iPrevent risk calculator (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), then discuss your results with your GP

Let’s Stay Connected:

• Get your free Midlife Health & Body Reset Guide: Here
• Find out more about the Midlife Reset Program: Here
• Join the Opt to Thrive mailing list: Here
• Follow Dr. Corina on Instagram: @drcorinasimsopttothrive
• Connect on Facebook: Opt to Thrive (Dr Corina Sims)
• Opt to Thrive official website

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend who may enjoy it too.🫶