Fab Female Nutrition
200 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -I'm Wendy and I am a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and an expert in female hormone health. Specialising in the perimenopause and menopause, I help women gain in confidence and understand their bodies and allowing them to shine.
I am a huge foodie and this podcast allows me to share with you how food and nutrition affect our health.
I also bring you an eclectic mixture of guests and experts where food and health is our uniting passion.
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Episodes
Community and Connection:
April 24, 2024 05:00 - 12 minutes - 16.9 MBThe Blue Zones, are regions around the world known for their exceptional longevity and vitality, and they offer valuable insights into the role of community in health and longevity. In places like Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia, and Ikaria, strong social bonds and a sense of belonging are deeply ingrained in daily life. From shared meals to intergenerational interactions, community is woven into the fabric of these societies, contributing to the health and happiness of their residents. Don't u...
Stress Less, Thrive More
April 17, 2024 05:00 - 13 minutes - 19 MBStress triggers the body's "fight or flight" response, releasing hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to prepare us to deal with perceived threats. While this response is crucial for survival modern life means that we are exposed to chronic stress, and this has a negative impact on our health. Whilst we can't get away from stress there are some practical strategies we can employ to mitigate it's effects - listen to find out more. Link to blog post - Beyond the Plate A huge thank yo...
Move More, Live Better
April 10, 2024 05:00 - 12 minutes - 17.8 MBWhen we hear the word "movement," we often envision sweating it out on a treadmill or lifting weights at the gym. Our ancestors got enough exercise daily and they would never have stepped onto a treadmill. If you enjoy the gym or classes then please don't stop, but it is still important to incorporate movement into our daily lives. Moving your body increases blood flow and oxygen delivery, boosting energy levels and reducing feelings of fatigue. Incorporating movement into your daily routi...
Rest and Revitalise - The power of sleep
April 03, 2024 05:00 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBSleep is often undervalued in today's fast-paced society, yet it plays a crucial role in overall health and well-being. Quality sleep is essential for physical health, cognitive function, emotional regulation, and immune system function. During sleep, the body repairs tissues, particularly those in the digestive system. It consolidates memories and learning, regulates hormones, and supports brain function. Without adequate sleep, these vital processes are disrupted, leading to a host of nega...
Sugar Sense: Navigating Daily Input
March 27, 2024 06:00 - 13 minutes - 19.4 MBIs sugar addictive? Scientists studied what happens when we eat sugar and found that it activates dopamine, which is the same chemical activated when taking drugs such as cocaine. This has led to the idea that sugar is addictive, but while you may crave it, it's a bit of a stretch to say it is truly addictive. The key is to first find the extra sugars hiding in your diet. Then retrain your tastebuds, which I recommend takes 28 days. You will be amazed at how different your food tas...
Navigating Sweet Surprises in Your Diet
March 20, 2024 06:00 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBWhen you eat a chocolate bar or a dessert you know that you are going to be eating sugar. And for most of us, we enjoy the taste and it doesn't cause us a problem. However, sugar is hiding in many foods so many of us are consuming much higher levels than we realise. Green washing is the term we use when foods look healthy from the packaging but when you read the label you realise that they are not what they seem. You might be surprised to hear where sugar is hiding in your diet.
Sweet Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Sweeteners
March 13, 2024 06:00 - 10 minutes - 15.1 MBThe idea behind sweeteners was good but it's clearly not working, so what went wrong? Are our bodies meant to be digesting chemicals that taste sweet but have no nutrients or calories? What can we include in our diet that are naturally sweet instead? These are the topics discussed in this weeks podcast, part 2 of our 4 part series about sugar.
Sugar Savvy: Unraveling its Effects on our Bodies and Health
March 06, 2024 06:00 - 12 minutes - 17.9 MBOur body quickly breaks down sugar in our diet into glucose, however, it also breaks down other food sources into glucose such as simple carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits and even protein. Glucose is our body's primary source of energy, and insulin is the hormone that helps is utilise glucose. If everything works fine, any excess glucose is stored in our muscles and liver. However, if we have too much glucose, we will store it as fat. And if we produce too much insulin we can become i...
186 What lifestyle and supplements support a healthy immune system?
February 28, 2024 06:00 - 12 minutes - 17.4 MBIdeally, we want to be eating a wide and varied diet that will provide our body with the necessary nutrients. However, if you or someone in your family doesn't eat a varied diet, they may need additional support. Additionally, it can be helpful to increase certain foods or supplements to help the body deal with the virus. The health of our immune system is affected by various lifestyle factors such as our gut health, stress levels, and sleep patterns. In this week's podcast, I will provide...
185 What foods and nutrients support our immune system?
February 21, 2024 06:00 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBThe ideal response of our immune system to foreign threats lies in having a balanced reaction. An excess of reaction may lead to autoimmune conditions, while insufficient reaction may result in sickness. Our focus when it comes to food should be on the nutrients and ingredients that aid in developing a robust immune system, and those that facilitate the elimination of waste and the repair of any damage. When we eat real, whole, and seasonal foods, it is easy to consume a diet that is rich i...
184 What are autoimmune conditions
February 14, 2024 06:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBThe immune system functions properly by identifying and addressing pathogens, viruses, and other undesirable cells and organisms in a efficient and appropriate manner. In autoimmune conditions, this mechanism goes haywire, and the immune cells mistakenly target the body's own cells as if they were invaders. This self-attack is what we call an autoimmune response, and the resulting conditions are known as autoimmune diseases. To read the full blog post here A huge thank you to the podca...
183 How your immune system works
February 07, 2024 06:00 - 12 minutes - 17 MBOur immune system is the most complex system in the body. It is like our army that is constantly monitoring and making decisions about whether substances are safe or not. This week I discuss the first line immune system, our border defences. They include physical and chemical barriers, such as the skin and mucous membranes. And our second line defence the adaptive immune system. They include lymph nodes, spleen, and other lymphoid organs that are strategically positioned hubs where immu...
Healthy Fats are the final part of a healthy diet
January 31, 2024 06:00 - 13 minutes - 18 MBHealthy fats are the fifth element of our healthy diet. We make many hormones including our sex hormones from fats, they are key in our brain health and help to reduce inflammation. So they deserve the final spot in our healthy diet. They are high in calories at 9 calories per gram (compared to 4 calories from protein and carbohydrates) so they should be consumed in moderation and focus on unsaturated fats which are the healthiest ones. To read the full blog post on the five elements of ...
Fibre the forgotten essential for a healthy diet
January 24, 2024 06:00 - 13 minutes - 18.3 MBI think that fibre is a forgotten nutrient. Fibre is an essential nutrient that is vital to the health of our gut. And anyone who is interested in their health knows that a healthy gut is vital. We should think about fibre as a protective barrier for our digestive system. Foods, drinks and medication that we ingest are inflammatory to our digestive lining, and if this inflammation becomes chronic it can lead to digestive conditions such as IBS, leaky gut, bloating and discomfort. When we e...
Why are colourful fruits and vegetables healthy
January 17, 2024 06:00 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MBForget 5 a day, that is for amateurs, you should be aiming for at least eight portions of vegetables/salad and two to three portions of fruit every day. Eating as many different colours at each meal is key to getting all the phytonutrients your body needs. There are over 100,000 of these amazing plant compounds and we are still learning about their benefits to our health and wellbeing. But we do know that each different colour, and even each different plant, has a unique combination of the...
Protein, the second element of a healthy diet
January 10, 2024 06:00 - 13 minutes - 18.3 MBIn the second of our 5 part series - what makes a healthy diet - it's protein. Every single cell in our body needs protein; muscles, skin, and bones all need protein. It is our essential building block, and everything starts with protein, so it is important that we get a good helping with every meal. It also helps coordinate our signalling pathways - it's key in sending messages around the body. And last, but no means least, it helps with hunger and satiety. To read the full month blog ...
Fluid - Element 1 of a healthy diet
January 03, 2024 06:00 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MBWhat makes a healthy diet? I believe it's just 5 simple ingredients. If eat these every day then you will feed your body with all it needs to boost your health, your energy and your wellbeing. And I will be explaining what they are and why you need them over the next 5 podcast episodes. The first element is fluid, or water. Our bodies are mostly water. Our total body composition is around 70% water, but more importantly that our brains are nearly 90% water. So staying hydrated is vital o...
177 The End of Season 1
January 25, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 9.75 MBI will be taking a short break from the podcast, but I share some of the things that I have learned from the 3 1/2 years I've been recording. Keep it simple The episodes that get the most feedback, and have the most impact are the simple ones. Where we go back to basics. Listen to your body It talks to you, and the key to improving your long term health is to listen to your body. You can only do you Don't try to be like others. Don't try diets that work for others. Do what feels right...
176 Crystal Armour with Annie Heath
January 18, 2023 05:00 - 50 minutes - 68.8 MBAnnie creates beautiful crystal armour that can support your at any part of your journey through life. This week we talk all about how crystals work together and some key ones that will support your perimenopause journey. About Annie Working with crystals Annie creates energy vessel cosmic armour jewellery pieces and personalised crystal sets to aid her clients needs. Teaching them how to harness their crystals and bring that magic into their every day lives. How do you create a collecti...
175 Alignment and Weight Loss with Lori Alioso
January 11, 2023 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56 MBLori believes that we hold onto weight as protection. The first steps in creating alignment in our bodies is to support healing, eliminate negative self talk and support finding our true authentic self. About Lori I am a spiritual health coach and registered nurse, and I have studied nutrition and alternative medicine. I help women lose weight and live a life with purpose and passion. I quit my job as a registered nurse because I was not allowed to use alternative methods. I had guideline...
174 Why You Don't Need to Create a 'New You' This Year
January 04, 2023 05:00 - 13 minutes - 17.9 MBNew Year, New You? What if the old you is enough and instead of trying to re-invent yourself every year take time to really understand what it is you want for your health this year. Are you setting yourself up for failure We all do it, we make these broad promises and changes and imagine that it is going to change our lives. However, buying new trainers is never going to make you a runner, ordering tonnes of kale is never going to make you a chef. Not unless you really enjoy it and want i...
173 Quitting sugar and unleashing your potential with Jenn Edden
December 28, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MBAbout Jenn Jenn is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Growing up with depression and anxiety, Jenn has seen the effects firsthand of what sugar can do to your physical and mental well-being. After healing herself of gastritis in her mid 20’s and learning how to manage her own addiction, Jenn built a woman run company that teaches other busy female professionals how to kick and manage their sug...
172 How to Beat the Christmas Bloat
December 21, 2022 05:00 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBDo you feel sluggish and slow over the holiday period? Whilst food is an integral part of the holiday season, and I don't want you to exclude all those wonderful ingredients. It can also contribute to a sluggish and uncomfortable feeling. If you want to be full of energy and vitality then you need to consider what it is that you are fuelling your body with. If it's sugar and alcohol and not many vegetables then this might be why you are not feeling your best. Your digestive system is ove...
171 Pelvic Floor Health with Sarah Gaddie
December 14, 2022 05:00 - 49 minutes - 68.4 MBAbout Sarah I’ve been a Pilates instructor for almost 20 years and taught fitness forever yet after having three children I was suffering from bladder leakage. I trained as a pelvic floor coach five years ago so I could help myself and millions of other women who put up with pelvic floor problems! I’ve also trained as a menopause coach so now run pelvic floor programmes, pelvic floor in menopause workshops and coach women in fitness to do regular exercise to lift their energy levels, stren...
170 How Often Should You be Eating In a Day?
December 07, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 26 MBDo you eat twice a day, three times a day, or maybe you snack a lot and eat 6 or more times a day? This week I explain why how often you eat is just as important as what you eat. Why do we need three meals a day? There is a saying about three square meals a day, comes from sailors who used to eat their meals from square plates. However, they definitely didn't eat three times a day and more likely had one or two meals per day. Three meals a day seems to fit with modern times, we eat befor...
169 Lets Talk About Sex... and Why Your Intimate Health Matters with Sam Evans
November 30, 2022 05:00 - 52 minutes - 71.6 MBAbout Sam "I'm the co-founder of online sex toy retailer Jo Divine with my husband Paul. We only sell skin safe products and irritant free lubricants and vaginal moisturisers. As a former nurse, I am the sexual health and pleasure expert. I have written 100's of practical sexual health and pleasure articles for our blog and in the press. I also featured on the radio, and in Sex, Myths and the menopause with Davina McCall and How To Have A Better Orgasm on Channel 5. We also work with many ...
168 Reduce Your Costs and Energy This Christmas
November 23, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBSave Energy Bills We are all concerned about energy bills right now so optimising your usage of the oven and hob is essential. You should never have to turn your oven on to cook just one thing, so if you can prepare and cook dishes in advance do so. And even better, cook double the portions. You have saved yourself time and energy. You often don't need to reheat your oven, in recipes we reheat so we can give you more exact timings, but most of the time at home I just pop something into th...
167 Early Signs of Perimenopause
November 16, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 31 MBIt might surprise you to hear that early signs of perimenopause can often be more mental and emotional than physical. I share some of my experiences this week, and encourage you to open up the conversation with friends and family. When can we expect to be in perimenopause? It might surprise you to know that I tend to advise clients and friends that if they are 40 or over and experiencing symptoms then assume they are in perimenopause. Perimenopause can last over ten years. This doesn't m...
166 The 4 Ingredients for a Healthy Diet
November 09, 2022 05:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBWhat is a healthy diet? We are all different and so a healthy diet means different things. For a coeliac gluten would not be included in a healthy diet. Yet we talk about a Mediterranean diet as being healthy and that often includes pasta. If you are a non-meat eater then a healthy diet for you would look very different from someone who eats meat. And how many portions of vegetables do I really need to eat every day? And what about other health conditions, how do they work in a healthy d...
165 Prioritising your Health for a Happier Life
November 02, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBWhat would happen if you couldn't do your job? Your job might be to cook the meals, you might be the breadwinner. You might be the one that makes sure the family has fun at the weekends. Whatever your job is within your family unit it's important, and if you weren't able to do it, for whatever reason, your family would suffer as a result. Get support You are not a machine, and you cannot do this all alone. So if the reason you are not taking care of yourself is because you don't have tim...
164 CurraNZ The Antioxidant Powerhouse with Fleur Cushman
October 26, 2022 04:00 - 46 minutes - 63.3 MBHealth Currancy Ltd was founded by New Zealander Fleur Cushman, who grew up under the life-shaping influence of her father, natural health pioneer and visionary Mike Cushman, who changed the face of the natural healthcare industry in the Southern Hemisphere with his 'Clinicians' range of vitamin and mineral supplements. Mike brought the quickly-developing New Zealand blackcurrant story to Fleur's attention and, as a result, Health Currancy was launched, with CurraNZ the flag bearing first-...
163 World Menopause Day 2022
October 18, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MBToday's podcast is released to coincide with world menopause day, I also released a special episode in 2021, if you would like to go back to listen it's episode 110. What's the difference between menopause and perimenopause? The term perimenopause and menopause are often used interchangeably. However officially the term menopause is a single day, and it is the day when a woman has not had a period for 12 months. Perimenopause is the time before that and post menopause is the time after th...
162 How Do You Know When You are Hungry or Full?
October 12, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MBWhen was the last time you were hungry? That rumbling feeling in your stomach followed by a slight discomfort if you don't eat straight away. Those are the signals that we should be feeling before we eat. However in modern times we eat to a schedule. We have forgotten to eat based on when we are hungry or need food. We like to call it intuitive eating and I explored this way back in episode 91. Are we becoming resistant to our fullness indicators.? I've had several conversations of late...
161 The power of Reflexology with Ruth Hodgkiss
October 05, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBAfter her daughter suffered a back injury, a colleague recommended reflexology and Ruth was amazed by the speed of her improvement in symptoms. After just a couple of sessions her pain had gone. And it didn't return. Ruth tells us that she had been looking for something new to learn, but each time she had enrolled on a course it had been cancelled. Her daughter journey piqued her interest, and this time when she enrolled on a level 5 reflexology course with Alison Walker it ran. Afte...
160 Positive Actions to Improve your Perimenopause Symptoms
September 28, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MBTake back control. You might not be sure if you are actually in perimenopause yet, but that doesn't mean you should just wait until you are to take action. The better your health going into this period of change the better equipped your body is to deal with the transition. Mental and physical impact of perimenopause It's not just about night sweats, the early signs of perimenopause can be much more subtle. For me it was anxiety and poor quality sleep, which I just attributed to a stressf...
159 Menopause is Puberty in Reverse
September 21, 2022 04:00 - 20 minutes - 28 MBPrior to puberty girls and boys are fairly similar, if they are the same height and build they will have similar strength. As puberty hits both sexes get an increase in sex hormones - boys get more testosterone and girls get a whole heap of hormones, oestrogen being the one that we talk most about but also progesterone, folicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone play a delicate and intricate balance. Eventually, the hormones become cyclical and a womans fertile period begins. Each...
158 What Excuses Are You Telling Yourself?
September 14, 2022 04:00 - 11 minutes - 16.3 MBDo you always plan to start that new healthy regime on a Monday? Or maybe it's after your weekend, or after your holiday, or that big night out with friends? Is that really the reason, or is it just that you feel overwhelmed by the change you perceive you need to make instead of just taking a positive action. If your health was money would you budget better. Would you be more frugal some days to allow you the days where you spend more? Why not think of your health in that way. Each day you...
157 How to Get Great Skin with Chris Gibson
September 07, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 82.6 MBAfter having acne as a teenager and taking several courses of antibiotics that did nothing to help, Chris found a herbalist and started taking probiotics and working on his diet. He researched skincare brands and trialed them to see which worked for him, and his lifelong passion was born. Skincare products can contain additives which are not good for either us or the environment. The main ones being alcohol, sulphates, and sulphites. Alcohol is added to encourage a product to dry, and sulp...
156 Are You an Extreme Eater?
August 31, 2022 04:00 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBI'm guessing your initial reaction to the question was no. We think about extreme eating as people who have an unhealthy relationship with food that is affecting their lives, you might think of an anorexic person, who is controlling the amount of food they eat. Or we've all seen the TV shows when they talk about people who live on junk food and won't eat anything green. However, there is an emerging band of people that are controlling in their dietary habits that you might not consider to ...
155 Hot Tea Mama with Bethan Thomas
August 24, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 51.7 MBThis week I am joined by Bethan from Hot Tea Mama, we talk about what she learned as a tea buyer and blender, and how that helps her formulate her teas for women. Unfortunately in the UK we tend to drink the most rubbish form of tea there is, it's the dust that collects in the troughs that is added to bags. Bethan sourced and bought the finest tea leaves in her previous jobs and wishes we understood how poor quality much of what we drink is. Whilst she also enjoys a good cup of tea with ...
154 You Are a Machine
August 17, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 51.8 MBIn this episode I discuss fuelling yourself for optimum performance. We look at the benefits of maintaining yourself as though you are a well oiled, highly productive machine. we also cover: - Vitamins, minerals, and how poor fuel sources affect you - Managing expectations with regards to your limits - How you can go from feeling like a project car to a Porsche Full show notes can be read at - https://hillstart.me.uk/154/ Full episode is available on all podcast providers - http...
153 London Nootropics Adaptogenic Coffee with Zain Peer
August 10, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 69.5 MBIn this episode I discuss all things coffee with the amazing Zain Peer of London Nootropics. We look at the benefits of staying hydrated for the gym, how Zain discovered the daily power of Nootropic blends through ditching the chemical based drinks before workouts, and what adaptogens are! we also cover: - Water soluble CBD vs CBD oil - ashwaganda and its benefits in the Zen blend - Peri, pre, and post menopause bodies and their response to caffeine Zain was brilliant to talk to and ...
152 How to Thrive Not Just Survive
August 03, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 75.5 MBIn this episode I discuss the need to identify and break out of that survival mode cycle and how we can thrive in our day to day life. Survival mode is designed for short term responses and not for every day living. The signs for constantly living in this stressed state can be: - Chronic fatigue - Interruptions to rest and digest - Poor quality sleep - People pleasing when you're in that 'fawn' state We look at my 'Five to Thrive', a collection of toolbox techniques that you ...
151 Thinking Positively
July 27, 2022 04:00 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MBChanging our attitude and the way we think can have a profound impact on our well-being. Kim Carr is a positivity coach and my guest this week. Kim is a Positive Psychology Coach. She has a particular passion for peri/menopausal women who are struggling as life changes, our bodies and minds seem to spiral and we question our identity. The menopause needs to be viewed holistically diet, relationships, emotions, engagement. meaning and accomplishment. For full shownotes, click here.
150 Fab Female Nutrition Launch Podcast
July 20, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 12.9 MBAll things in life change, and it's important to recognise that and grow and adapt. The new name for my podcast reflects the changes in content that I have been delivering and will continue to deliver. My body is changing, some of it because of what I have learned and some of it because of my time of life. The change in the podcast is reflecting that journey. For full shownotes, click here.
149 Enjoying your Holiday without Sabotaging your Health Goals
July 13, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 73.7 MBWe all want to enjoy ourselves on holiday, but if that means feeling bloated and uncomfortable and coming home 10Lb heavier, is that really fun? This week I share some tips that mean you can still have a great time, but you'll come home feeling refreshed and revitalised. There are also things in my case that I always pack now to support my holiday health: - Suncream - OnGuard Spray - Probiotics - Sports bra - Digestive Enzymes - Milk Thistle For full shownotes, click here.
148 Are We too Obsessed by What We Weigh?
July 06, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 74.9 MBIn this week's episode, I talked about weight and is it truly an indication of how healthy we are, or are we obsessing over it unnecessarily? The diet industry has rammed it into us that the number on the scales is the most important. And that by denying ourselves certain foods we can achieve that number, feel happier and be healthier. For full shownotes click here.
147 Love to Lose
June 29, 2022 16:00 - 53 minutes - 122 MBIn this week's episode, I speak to Camille Martin about her journey with dieting, how this lead her to become a dietician, and amazing new book Love to Lose. Camille Martin is a registered dietitian, health blogger, and senior technical editor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is also a former chronic dieter who wasted nearly 25 years of her life on a diet. For full shownotes click here.
146 5 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget
June 22, 2022 04:00 - 33 minutes - 76.9 MBIn this week's episode, I share some of my tips to help you eat healthy and still stick to a budget. On a budget, exotic ingredients can be unattainable, but that doesn't have to mean you can't eat well. Getting the basics right is key, quality protein, fibre, good fats and colour are my four essentials on any plate. For full shownotes click here.
145 Taking Back Control
June 15, 2022 04:00 - 38 minutes - 88.8 MBIn this week's episode, I talked with Tracy about understanding how great it feels to take back control of our health. She encourages us all to invest time create better knowledge of our SELF and take back control. Tracy Pleschourt is the Founder of Self-Made U helps men and women create Self-Made wealth and wellness through life coaching. For full shownotes click here.