The Metluma Edit from Dr Nic: WIN a Garmin Watch + Unpacking Alcohol & Peri-/menopause Stigma
5 minute read
If you’ve hit June feeling heavier than you expected – not just in jumpers and jackets, but in your mind and body – you’re in good company.
Midlife has a way of quietly piling on layers: the mental load at home, extra responsibilities at work, worry about ageing parents or teens, symptoms you’re “just pushing through”.
Sometimes we’re carrying so much we don’t even realise how weighed down we are until we stop and ask the question: what layers are you wearing that no one can see?
The expectations you’ve set for yourself, the stories you tell yourself about needing to cope perfectly, the habits (like that extra glass of wine in the evening) that started as comfort and now feel a bit like armour.
Winter is a natural time to slow down and take stock – to notice what’s actually keeping you warm and supported, and what’s just heavy.
At Metluma, our work is about helping you sort through those layers with evidence-based care and a lot of compassion, so you’re not trying to untangle it all on your own.
May was a big month for us with some exciting developments that will shape how we support you through perimenopause, menopause and beyond – from new data to new ways of delivering care.
To hear more about what we’ve been up to, watch my short video in this newsletter, and if it resonates, hit reply or comment and tell me: what have you been unknowingly carrying into winter?
Warmest,
Dr Nic, Specialised GP
Metluma Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer
⌚️ WIN* a Garmin Watch
Complete – or re-complete – our UMA40 Free Symptom Tracker this June for your chance to win a Garmin watch valued at over $300. As the seasons change, we want to understand how your symptoms are shifting – your insights help us improve care for everyone.
*Terms and conditions apply. One entry per person. A complete UMA40 submission received from 1-30 June equals one entry. Open to new and existing UMA40 users. Winner will be contacted via email and/or phone before 7 July.
Join me live
🎤 Free Upcoming AMA: Stigma Squared – When peri-/menopause and alcohol intersect
📅 Thursday, 25th June 2026 | 12:30PM AEST | Live on StreamYard | FREE
Brain fog, broken sleep, anxiety, weight changes — in perimenopause these symptoms don’t arrive alone when alcohol is involved.
In this AMA, we’ll unpack the biology of how hormones drive overlapping symptoms and why it hits a bit harder, in plain language, with zero judgment.
We’ll unpack:
The intersect between peri‑/menopause hormones and alcohol – and why the same amount of alcohol can hit harder than it used to.
How alcohol affects longer‑term health in menopause
Simple, realistic strategies if you’re looking to reduce your alcohol intake
Hosted by Dr Nic Avard, with special guest:
🩺 Dr Bronwyn Hudson, Addiction Medicine Physician at Clean Slate Clinic
Lean in with curiosity. Explore the biology of how peri-/menopause and alcohol intersect — and leave with the understanding to decide, in your own time, what feels right for you.
Did you catch last month’s AMA with Prof Sharon Naismith on Brain Health? If you’re a woman aged 40-55 and going through menopause, join the Healthy Brain Ageing Program’s Menopause & Brain Health Study by expressing your interest here.
As part of the research, you may offered free cognitive, sleep and brain health assessments and receive personalised feedback on your brain health.
👩⚕️ Introducing our Annual Care Membership — a personal invitation to stay connected, all year long
Here at Metluma, we’ve been growing – thanks to the incredible support from women like you – and we’re expanding our medical team to meet the demand for personalised, exceptional care.
But we don’t want you to have to repeat your story to a new doctor, or feel like you don’t have a care team that truly knows you.
Our new Annual Care Membership is how we do that.
It keeps you on my books between appointments. It keeps your chat access open, so you can reach out when something changes or you need guidance. And it means that when you do need us, you’re coming back to a team that already knows your story.
No reintroductions. No retelling everything from the beginning. Just connected care, on your schedule.
Limited memberships are now available, until our books fill up.
What’s coming up
🗣️ Upcoming community workshops
Join our free community workshops this month for practical, evidence-based support designed to meet you where you’re at.
No pressure.
No fixing.
Just community, education and choice.
⌚️ Aging Well & Wearables
🗓️ Monday, 15th June | 6:30PM
💊 Supplements
🗓️ Monday, 29th June | 6:30PM
🛌 Sleep & Menopause
📅 Thursday, 4th June | 12PM
📅 Monday, 22nd June | 6:30PM
"Getting the right treatment has made me strong, clearer headed and improved my sleep. I feel like my usual normal (but wiser) self!"
Lisa, age 52
Whether you’re dealing with sleep issues, brain fog, mood swings or libido changes, I’ll take time to understand the root cause and explore practical, evidence-based solutions.
Feel like yourself again in 2026 and join our signature 12-week program for real, measurable outcomes.