In this episode, Laura explores why dating so often feels exhausting, confusing, or discouraging, particularly when one person is ready for commitment and the other is not in the same place.

Drawing on insight from Mairead the Matchmaker, the conversation looks at how timing, life stage, and emotional readiness shape modern relationships. It reflects on patterns that come up again and again, including men waiting until life feels secure before committing, women staying open to connection despite setbacks, and how early communication often sets the tone for what follows.

Rather than offering quick fixes, this episode focuses on clarity and self understanding, recognising when a situation is not aligned with what you want, and trusting that dating should not require you to minimise yourself. It is a thoughtful, grounded conversation for anyone navigating modern dating with honesty and intention.

Readiness matters more than chemistry

Strong attraction does not lead anywhere if two people are not emotionally or practically ready at the same time.

Men and women often date differently

Men often wait until life feels stable before committing, while women tend to stay open to connection.

Communication sets the tone early

How someone communicates at the beginning usually reflects how they will communicate long term.

Dating is a numbers game, without being unkind

Meeting the right person requires consistency while still treating people with respect.

Not every relationship should last

Staying in something unhealthy can be more damaging than leaving.

The right relationship allows you to be yourself

A healthy partnership feels supportive rather than constraining.

00:00 – Introduction and why dating feels difficult

03:30 – Why people are marrying later in Ireland

08:00 – Readiness and timing

12:00 – When one person is ready and the other is not

16:00 – Using dating apps properly

19:30 – Communication patterns and early red flags

26:00 – Dating as a numbers game

33:30 – Confidence built through action

39:30 – How the wrong relationship affects wellbeing

43:00 – Five questions to assess a relationship

49:30 – Knowing when to walk away

56:00 – Staying open without burnout

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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Laura is joined by dental hygienist Eimear for a clear, practical conversation about oral health and why it connects to the rest of the body, not just your teeth. They talk about plaque, tartar and gum disease, what causes bleeding gums, and why brushing your teeth without brushing your gums misses half the problem.

Eimear explains why interdental brushes work better than floss for most people, how electric toothbrushes remove far more plaque than manual ones, and why soft brushes are better than hard ones. She also talks about mouth breathing, tongue scraping, night guards for grinding, and what happens when plaque is left to harden under the gums.

The conversation then moves into some of the less expected links between oral health and things like menopause, pregnancy, arthritis, diabetes and cancer treatment. Throughout it all, Eimear keeps coming back to prevention, showing how small, realistic habits can reduce risk and protect your teeth and gums over the long term.

Most people are not cleaning where it matters most

Bacteria sits along the gumline and between the teeth, which is why brushing only the visible surfaces leaves disease behind.

Plaque becomes harmful when it is left too long

Soft plaque hardens into tartar and creates a protected space where more aggressive bacteria can grow and damage gums and bone.

Tools matter more than people realise

Electric toothbrushes and interdental brushes remove far more bacteria than manual brushing and flossing.

Saliva plays a major role in oral health

Dry mouth, common during menopause, illness and medication use, changes the balance of bacteria and increases the risk of decay and gum disease.

Gum disease is not just a mouth problem

Inflammation and bacteria are linked with conditions like diabetes, arthritis, pregnancy complications and Alzheimer’s.

Grinding and clenching cause real damage

Night-time grinding can shorten teeth, irritate gums and strain the jaw.

Consistency beats perfection

Regular, simple habits protect the mouth better than occasional intense cleaning.

00:00 – Why gum disease is linked to Alzheimer’s

01:00 – Porphyromonas gingivalis and how it damages the brain

02:00 – The vicious cycle between Alzheimer’s and oral health

03:00 – Why dentists avoid scaring patients with the 70% statistic

17:00 – Diabetes, arthritis and bidirectional gum disease

22:00 – Menopause, hormones and dry mouth

26:00 – Teeth grinding, night guards and jaw damage

28:00 – Mouth breathing and gingivitis

30:00 – Tongue scraping and bad breath bacteria

45:00 – Mouthwash, chlorhexidine and staining

56:00 – Adapting dental care for people with extra needs

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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In this episode of The Laura Dowling Experience, Laura is joined by Ciara Mangan, founder of Beyond Surviving. Ciara reflects on the gaps in long-term trauma support, the challenges survivors face once formal services fall away, and why survival is so often treated as the endpoint rather than the beginning of healing.

She speaks about navigating the justice process, the emotional toll of prolonged legal proceedings, and the ways trauma can ripple through families and relationships. Ciara also explores post-traumatic growth, describing how meaning, connection, and purpose became possible over time - without minimising the pain that came before.

This episode centres on healing beyond crisis, the importance of survivor-led support, and the understanding that recovery is deeply personal and looks different for everyone.

Survival is often treated as the finish line

Ciara reflects on how recovery is expected to be complete once immediate danger has passed, even though healing is only beginning for many survivors.

The gap in long-term trauma support

She speaks about feeling lost once formal services fell away, highlighting how many survivors are left without guidance or connection after crisis support ends.

The emotional toll of the justice process

Ciara shares the impact of navigating prolonged legal proceedings and how systems intended to protect can sometimes retraumatise survivors.

How trauma ripples through families and relationships

The conversation explores the long-term effects of trauma on trust, intimacy, and family dynamics.

Post-traumatic growth without minimising pain

Ciara discusses growth as something that can emerge slowly over time, without pressure to reframe trauma as a positive experience.

The importance of being believed

Validation from family, professionals, and the justice system is shown to be central to rebuilding self-worth and safety.

Why survivor-led support matters

Ciara explains the value of spaces shaped by lived experience, where understanding, safety, and choice are prioritised.

Turning lived experience into purpose

The episode closes on Ciara’s decision to found Beyond Surviving, using her experience to support others navigating life after trauma.

Beyond Surviving – Survivor-led charity supporting healing beyond crisis. https://beyondsurviving.ie/

Beyond Surviving – Survivors Hub – Resources + community support. https://beyondsurviving.ie/survivors-hub/

Rape Crisis Ireland – 24-hour helpline + links to local support. https://www.rapecrisisireland.ie/

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) – Support services and info. https://www.drcc.ie/

00:00 – Opening reflections on survival and recovery

06:20 – Reaching the end of crisis support

12:40 – Workplace response and social fallout

18:00 – Telling her parents what happened

25:40 – Deciding to pursue justice

30:10 – The trial process

35:50 – Being believed and legal validation

38:40 – Why survivor-led spaces matter

44:10 – The origins of Beyond Surviving

45:20 – Exploring post-traumatic growth

50:30 – Relationships and rebuilding self-worth

57:00 – Closing reflections on healing

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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🎧 Episode Description

In this reflective episode, Laura sits down with Kathryn Thomas to talk about change - the kind you choose, the kind that’s forced upon you, and the kind that quietly reshapes you over time. Kathryn shares her journey through career transitions, from national broadcasting to creative independence, and what it’s like to make bold decisions in midlife while balancing motherhood, identity, and self-trust.

Much of the conversation centres on health and how our understanding of it has evolved. Kathryn speaks openly about her years on Operation Transformation, the backlash she faced, and why she felt compelled to explore the science and controversy around GLP-1 medications and Ozempic through documentary work. Together, they unpack how the obesity conversation has shifted, including the role of biology, food environments, and access in shaping long-term health.

The episode also moves into ageing, menopause, sleep, aesthetics, and longevity. Kathryn reflects honestly on contradiction - wanting to age well while questioning the systems that profit from fear - and on the small, practical changes that have made the biggest difference to her wellbeing. Grounded, thoughtful, and deeply human, this is a conversation about agency, perspective, and learning when to let go of certainty.

🔑 Key Points

Choosing change later in life

Kathryn reflects on making major career decisions in her mid-40s and stepping outside long-established systems.

The cost of visibility

Public scrutiny, online criticism, and resilience are explored through Kathryn’s lived experience.

Operation Transformation revisited

A nuanced look back at the show’s evolution, cultural impact, and the stigma that surrounded it.

Rethinking obesity

The conversation moves beyond willpower, focusing on biology, metabolic adaptation, and prevention.

Food deserts and ultra-processed foods

Kathryn and Laura discuss how access, environment, and the dominance of ultra-processed food shape health outcomes, particularly for children, highlighting why individual choice alone is an incomplete explanation.

GLP-1 medications and Ozempic

Kathryn explains why open, responsible discussion around these treatments matters.

Health, hormones, and sleep

Menopause, exhaustion, and the underestimated power of routine and rest are discussed honestly.

Ageing, aesthetics, and contradiction

From Botox to longevity science, the episode holds space for complexity rather than judgement.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introductions and setting the tone

03:00 – Career longevity and public visibility

06:00 – Leaving RTÉ and taking a midlife leap

09:30 – Operation Transformation and public scrutiny

13:30 – How the weight conversation has changed

18:00 – GLP-1 medications and Ozempic

23:30 – Metabolic adaptation, food environments, and prevention

30:30 – Food deserts, inequality, and access

35:00 – Ageing, aesthetics, and contradiction

40:00 – Longevity, medicine, and living well

46:00 – Menopause, sleep, and routine

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donal O’Shea has spent a lifetime working at the sharp end of endocrinology- and in this conversation, he brings that perspective with clarity and honesty. Laura and Donal explore how dramatically medicine has changed, from early diabetes care rooted in fear and compliance to modern treatments that prioritise quality of life and long-term health.

The discussion moves through hormones, obesity, and the rise of GLP-1 medications, examining how new treatments exposed long-held misconceptions about appetite, behaviour, and responsibility. Along the way, they confront stigma, access to care, and the cultural tendency to reduce complex conditions to willpower. Thoughtful and grounded, this episode invites a more humane way of thinking about health- one led by evidence, humility, and compassion.

How diabetes care used to work - and why it didn’t

Donal reflects on fear-based approaches from earlier in his career and contrasts them with today’s technology-driven, compassionate care.

Hormones quietly run the show

The episode unpacks how chemical messengers regulate appetite, mood, energy, and long-term health.

GLP-1s changed more than blood sugar

Originally developed for diabetes, these treatments revealed unexpected effects on appetite and behaviour.

Why “eat less, move more” falls short

Obesity is explored as a biologically regulated, chronic condition rather than a failure of willpower.

When medicine collides with culture

Laura and Donal discuss how effective treatments risk being misunderstood in a thinness-obsessed world.

Access isn’t equal

Cost and prescribing rules shape who receives care and who is left behind.

Weight loss doesn’t erase identity

The psychological impact of changing bodies is often overlooked.

OSheaHoganLabs - Donal’s educational presence on TikTok and Instagram addressing medical misinformation

00:00 - A lifetime inside changing medicine

04:10 - Diabetes before technology

07:30 - Why fear was never good healthcare

12:00 - GLP-1 and a shift in understanding obesity

17:45 - Appetite, behaviour, and biology

23:30 - Stigma, thinness, and misuse of treatment

30:15 - Identity after weight change

36:40 - Menopause, hormones, and long-term thinking

43:20 - Battling misinformation online

50:00 - Who gets treatment - and who doesn’t

57:00 - Looking to the next generation

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

This conversation traces the path that brought Eoin Cluskey to where he is today- not only as the founder of Bread 41, but as someone who thinks deeply about community, responsibility, and the kind of impact a business can have. He talks openly about struggling through school, finding his footing in kitchens abroad, and eventually discovering purpose through business.

Eoin also reflects on the parts of his story that don’t get talked about as often- the pressure of building something from nothing, the moment his partner told him the work was breaking their family, and the shift that followed. His stories from his work in prisons, schools, and the community show a consistent thread of noticing people who are often overlooked, and making small interventions that can have big impact.

🔑 Key Points

School never fit, but it pushed him to think differently

Eoin explains how feeling behind in education stayed with him and later influenced how he approaches people who struggle in traditional systems.

Finding belonging through craft

Food became a place where he could build discipline, confidence, and a sense of identity.

The personal cost of ambition

Eoin names the moment he realised that relentless work was pulling him away from his family and needed to change.

Understanding dignity through prison work

His experiences with incarcerated men opened his eyes to circumstance, accountability, and the meaning of opportunity.

What teachers experience behind the scenes

Spending time with educators gave him a clearer picture of the pressures and expectations they carry.

Encouragement as a turning point

The schoolboy who doubted his own ability shows how a few honest words can change someone’s trajectory.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Bread 41 / Breaducation Programme

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Eoin’s Background

04:10 – Growing Up Outside the System

08:20 – Finding Direction in Kitchens Abroad

14:25 – Lessons from Ballymaloe

18:40 – Starting Bread 41 from Scratch

24:30 – A Family Wake-Up Call

29:45 – Rethinking Ambition and Balance

32:10 – Experiences Inside Mountjoy Prison

42:30 – Teachers, Pressure & the Breaducation Programme

48:25 – A Small Moment That Changed a Young Person’s Path

54:10 – The Responsibility of Being a Business That “Sees” Peopl

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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This episode is an emotionally rich, thoughtful exploration of motherhood, storytelling, friendship, and addiction. Sophie reflects on how her podcast began long before podcasting was popular- born out of frustration and a desire for honesty. Instead of curated perfection, she and co-host Jen offered chaos, humour, truth, and community and thousands of women saw themselves reflected, often for the first time.

Sophie also shares deeply personal experiences with mental illness, alcoholism and self-loathing, describing how shame can follow us from childhood into adulthood until compassion interrupts the pattern. Through laughter, vulnerability, and storytelling, she shows how honesty can become a form of healing.

⸻

🎙 Podcasting with No Blueprint- A movement born from instinct, not strategy.

👭 Friendship as Creative Foundation- Trust, humour, and emotional safety.

👶 Motherhood Without Filters- Breaking away from curated Instagram motherhood.

🧠 Postnatal Depression & Mental Health Struggles- Real emotional aftermath of motherhood.

🍷 Addiction & The First Drink at 13- Relief, identity, and survival.

✨ Compassion Through Seeing Children Clearly- Realising nothing was her fault.

📢 Women’s Voices & The Power of Being Heard - Solidarity and storytelling.

⸻

Mother of Pod / Stop the Madness Podcast

⸻

00:00- How the podcast unexpectedly began

05:10- “Be my pod wife” moment

08:40- Building Patreon & creative freedom

13:20- Irish storytelling culture

18:10- Postnatal depression & emotional reality

23:50- When listeners share their truth

30:20- Addiction & first drink story

33:00- Breastfeeding pressure & guilt

40:00- Addiction, breakdown & survival

52:30- Women’s safety & public space

59:00- Parenting, screens & doing our best

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.