Self-Advocacy & Vitamin D
Episode Summary
🎙️ EPISODE DESCRIPTION:What if something as important as your bone health was changing long before you knew to look for it?In this episode, I’m speaking with Nicole Cassey, founder of HeraVita, about her unexpected diagnosis of osteopenia at just 36, her strong family history of osteoporosis, and why women need to think about preventative health much earlier.We also explore bone health, menopause and women’s health, including the role of strength training, vitamin D, hormone therapy and self-advocacy.Nicole shares how her own changing body through midlife led to HeraVita and a national study using 3D body scanning to better understand the bodies of Australian women and challenge the way clothing and fit standards have traditionally been designed.This is a conversation about looking beyond the number on the scale, understanding your changing body and focusing not simply on lifespan, but health span. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:How Nicole discovered osteopenia at just 36Why family history can be an important part of the bone health conversationThe difference between osteopenia and osteoporosisWhy bone health deserves attention before later lifeHow menopause and declining oestrogen can affect bone healthWhy strength training becomes increasingly important as we ageThe role of vitamin D in supporting healthWhy midlife women have historically been under-researchedHow women’s body shape and proportions change through midlifeHow HeraVita is using 3D body scanning to help improve fit standardsWhy understanding your body and advocating for your health matters ABOUT NICOLE CASSEY:Nicole Cassey is the founder of HeraVita, a research-first women's wellness initiative dedicated to understanding how women's bodies change through midlife and advocating for the products, fit standards, and honest conversations that have never been built around them. Diagnosed with osteopenia at just 36, she experienced first-hand how easily women fall through the gaps in screening, and how often they're told the things that matter far too late. Twenty years after launching the award-winning baby sleepwear brand Bubbaroo, her work has come full circle. Through HeraVita, she's now leading a national study, using 3D body scanning to better understand the changing bodies of more than 500 Australian women and help shape the future of women's health and apparel. CONNECT WITH NICOLE CASSEY:Web: www.heravita.com.auInstagram: @heravita_official OFFERS AND RESOURCES:Become a HeraVita Founding Member Participate in HeraVita’s research into the changing bodies of midlife womenLearn more about the national study using 3D body scanningAccess HeraVita’s private women’s community at www.heravita.com.au CONNECT WITH HOST TERRI BATSAKIS:Web: https://terribatsakis.com.au/ Instagram: @terri.batsakis Facebook: @terribatsakis YouTube: @terribatsakis
