Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin

How empowered do you feel when it comes to your pleasure?

In this week’s episode of the #LiveWellBeWell podcast, we’re speaking to Bibi Brzozka.  She’s a VITA certified Love, Sex and Relationship Coach, Holistic Sexuality International Speaker and Energetic Lovemaking Guide. After 15 years in Finance and Banking, she took the leap and embarked on a personal growth journey into sexuality and experienced her first full-body orgasm at age 35.

We loved this episode as it’s all about empowering ourselves to tap into intimacy, teaching us how to improve our relationships as well as our pleasure - whether solo or partnered.

This episode as well as Bibi’s courses on her website are focussed on opening your heart and mind on this topic, connecting them to the experiences we have and want to have and also, to our pleasure. It’s also about changing our sometimes skewed mindsets from the social narratives we’re fed and instead, encouraging conversations around these topics which are often seen as “taboo” or “awkward” even when between close friends and partners. Bibi shares advice and tips around recognising and undoing any shame you might feel around this topic – a common issue for a lot of us.

We discuss conscious sexuality, what it is, how to explore it and also reframe what sex is. We’ll also discuss orgasms, the different types there are, tips to help you achieve full-body orgasms, and the pleasure and intimacy that goes beyond orgasms.

Do you have self-love practice? Great if you do, but if you don’t, don’t worry as we’ll also discuss how we can create those practices - we’ve got you! It all starts with the self, right?

Finally, we also learn how we can improve connections with our partners, tips for bringing up what can sometimes feel like awkward conversations with partners, and how to articulate wants and desires to them, as we go through some exercises with Bibi.

After this episode, you will definitely have tools that will help you to take control and feel empowered when it comes to your pleasure.

Happy listening!

Show Notes 

This episode is sponsored by Natural Cycles. It is the first FDA-cleared birth control app. It’s natural and non-invasive, offering a brand new, revolutionary birth control option that’s given millions of individuals the power to go hormone-free. I have been using it for nearly 2 years now!

Natural Cycles is not a period tracker - the NC app is powered by a regulated and certified algorithm that learns the pattern of users’ unique cycles, using body temperature and other fertility indicators, to work out each daily fertility status.

We know partaking in exercise has a positive impact on our cognitive health, but how much exercise do you need to do to see an impact? Dr Tommy Wood breaks it down really clearly in this clip.

How stressed are you right now? It’s January so chances are you’ve been stressed about something already. Do you know what your stress triggers are or do you just know when you’ve reached your peak stress levels? Don’t worry, chances are you’re not alone in that.

We’ve brought back a guest from a previous episode on our series to talk about the s-word.

Mithu Storoni is an eye surgeon and brain researcher-turned author. She is interested in how the brain responds to uncertainty and performs under pressure. Her first book,  "Stress-Proof", is a science-based guide to optimising brain health and mental resilience and she’s currently working on her second book, ‘Hyperefficient’ due in 2024.

In this episode we discuss what stress is, how to recognise it in yourself, how to know what your stress triggers are and we also discuss how some people’s personalities are better suited to stress. Regardless if that’s you or not, stress affects each of us differently and we all have different tolerance levels. However, what is common for everyone is that it  can take a toll on our physical and mental health, and we now know it can contribute to the development of chronic health conditions.

Hopefully after this episode you’ll feel less stressed after learning some tips and advice on how to understand, recognise and manage your own stress.

This episode is sponsored by Natural Cycles. It is the first FDA-cleared birth control app. It’s natural and non-invasive, offering a brand new, revolutionary birth control option that’s given millions of individuals the power to go hormone-free. I have been using it for nearly 2 years now!

Natural Cycles is not a period tracker - the NC app is powered by a regulated and certified algorithm that learns the pattern of users’ unique cycles, using body temperature and other fertility indicators, to work out each daily fertility status.

There are a lot of tests out there that can give an indication to your fertility, whether you're male or female. In this clip we discuss which ones should you get as well as debunking myths around fertility including the age where fertility starts to decline, in both men and women.

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first episode of the #LiveWellBeWell podcast in 2023 and what better way to kick start it than by exploring what financial health looks like?

What even is financial health? If you are yet to explore this, then this podcast is for you.

There are different types of anxiety and in this clip, we discuss different tools and why certain tools work for certain types of anxiety.

Get ready for one of the most exciting episodes of the podcast yet! For the past five years, I've been devoted to exploring the intersection of nutrition and mental health, and in this episode, we uncover mind-blowing research on how you can support your cognitive health. 

What would you think is the biggest cause of death in the UK? Probably some kind of cancer or maybe heart disease? Actually, it’s dementia.

This conversation with Tommy was so fascinating and honestly, Sarah found it hard to not continue for 3 hours!

In this week’s episode, Sarah managed to get one of the best in the field to discuss cognitive health and with that, cognitive decline. Dr. Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist and expert in the field of cognitive health.

Dr Wood has worked with top athletes to improve their brain health, and he is currently an Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Washington. In this fascinating conversation, we will be discussing how you can test your own brain health and what you can do to prevent cognitive decline. We will also be talking about the impact of work, stress, and retirement on your brain, and how things like biohacking, sleep, and nutrition can all play a role in your cognitive health.

We discuss the recent conversation involving Chris Hemsworth and the gene ApoE4, and whether or not this is a strong indicator of developing dementia later in life. So join us for this enlightening conversation with Dr. Tommy Wood and Sarah on how you can support your brain health in the short and long term.

Are you one of the 3.5 million people in the UK impacted by infertility? With egg-freezing becoming more popular, it can be hard to know what information to trust. That's why we have invited Dr Larisa Corda, an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist and one of the UK's leading Fertility experts, to join us on this week's episode of the Live Well Be Well Podcast to discuss all things fertility.

With egg-freezing on the rise (even before Jennifer Aniston’s recent news around the topic), there is a lot of information and misinformation out there not just about this but about fertility in general, so we wanted to do a podcast and lay (excuse the pun) it all out there.

Are you considering having a baby in the near future, or are you single and not sure of your options? If so, this episode is for you! We'll discuss the process of egg-freezing, how an orgasm can play a vital role in ensuring a healthy pregnancy, the mental health aspect of fertility, and how men can and should be included in the conversation.

We'll also cover overall health and how it can impact fertility, debunk myths and misinformation and discuss IVF. Tune in to learn more about your options and what you can do now to help with fertility.

Catch the full episode now.

In this podcast, we explore how sugar can be hidden in our food, even in products that claim to be low or no sugar. We discuss why it's important not to demonise any particular food group, and why it's essential to educate yourself about what you're eating.

Welcome to this week’s slice of wellbeing with author, psychotherapist and top anxiety expert, Josh Fletcher.

You might recognise him from videos on socials during the pandemic as Anxiety Josh where he shared his own story as well as advice having suffered from crippling anxiety; including panic attacks, agoraphobia, health anxiety and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), as well as intrusive thoughts and obsessive compulsive behaviours.

Josh openly discusses his own story of how he came to be diagnosed, how he overcame his anxieties and his journey to becoming a not-so-traditional- psychotherapist.

We cover:

• How all the different types of therapy out there
• How to find the correct therapy for you
• Tips for picking a therapist
• Risk factors for anxiety
• How to deal with guilt and shame
• How to reframe anxiety.
• Tools and techniques to help
• Vunberality porn
• Boundaries
• Common beliefs around anxiety which may not be true

Josh has his own podcast called Panic Pod and has written three books, Panicking about Panic, Practical about Panic and co-wrote Untangle Your Anxiety with Dean Stott. He’s currently writing another book called, “And how does that make you feel?” (great title!) which revolves around 4 fictional characters all with different anxious presentations. His main reason behind the book?  To normalise therapy and to get people going while also showing the other side and showing therapists are human too.

Please be aware this episode also covers topics including loss and grief.

Show notes:

Lab-grown meats, Deliveroo and a ‘grab and go’ mantra have become our current food system. Yet, as our demand for this food culture, due to our demanding lives and increasing population, leads to damaging effects on our health and our planet and overall food system? We hear of the importance and worry of the extinction of animals but are we as aware of the extinction of our foods?

Did you know we could eat some 300,000 plant species yet we eat a mere 200 species globally, and half our plant-sourced protein and calories come from just three:  maize, rice and wheat? Or that there are 1500 types of banana, yet globally we mass produce only one - The Cavendish? Our ancestors weren’t eating eggs and avocado on toast, fish and chips or mountain burgers, so what were they eating and how did we get to the foods we eat today?

In today’s episode of the #LiveWellBeWell Podcast, we speak to journalist, author and presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme, Dan Saladino.

Dan’s love of food traditions and discovery of something called “The Ark of Taste” - an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods- led him to write his book, “Eating to Extinction.”

You might be thinking, so what if we only eat one type of banana, does it matter if we lose a type of cheese produced in Albania or a type of corn grown in Mexico? Well yes, because it means we’re losing biodiversity within the human food chain which has already had a big impact on our gut microbiome and our wider health, mentally and physically.

In this episode, we hear amazing stories from Dan’s travels all around the world as he meets farmers, scientists, producers and indigenous communities who are defending food traditions and fighting for change. We learn how our change in taste has evolved over the years, how historical events have impacted the food we eat today, processes and traditions we’ve lost, and how technology is helping to keep some of those traditions alive.

We also discuss the relationship between the problems in our food systems and our health and the importance of diversity, not just in our diets but in agriculture, and the impact it is having on our health and the planet.

Show notes:

In this clip Arizona shares a defining moment for her in her climate activism journey and where she found her community.

In this clip Ari talks about tools and techniques you can use to help with stress and anxiety

Being happy, is surely what most of us want, right? We’re all on our own journeys to achieve it, but is there a real science behind it that we could all follow?

That’s what we discuss with Paul a behavioural scientist at LSE, who has been called the Professor of Happiness having written books including Happiness by Design” and “Happy Ever After”.  Paul’s work focuses on the measurement of happiness, its causes and consequences  and the implications for public policy. He was appointed Chief Academic Advisor to the UK Government Economic Service on Economic appraisal aka he advises governments on behavioural science and wrote the questions that are being used to monitor happiness in the UK.

We explore how finding the one, having more money, education and career success is in fact not the route to happiness and why. How single, childfree women are happiest and actually how it is the balance of purpose and pleasure is of utmost importance, when it comes to happiness.

Topics we cover:

• What is happiness?
• How is it measured?
• Is happiness a choice?
• Social Narratives
• Is happiness subjective?
• Four common myths of happiness
• Past experiences
• Purpose vs pleasure
• How can we design our environment to impact happiness?
• How can we retrain our mindset around happiness?
• What does LWBW mean to Paul?

This weeks sponsors 

Welcome to this week’s slice of your wellbeing!

This week is National Sugar Awareness Week. Check these stats out.

56% of the UK diet comes from ultra-processed foods. 62% of the sugar we eat is found in the ultra-processed category. With sugar rising in our diets, today we shine the spotlight on sugar, for good or for worse, we find out the facts.

We’re joined by two guests who we had on last season separately - Dr Tim Spector & Dr Sarah Berry. Tim is professor of Epidemiology at King’s College London whose current work focuses on the microbiome and nutrition. He is co-founder of ZOE and the lead researcher behind the world's biggest citizen science health project - the ZOE Health Study. Sarah is a Reader in Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London and is the Chief Scientist at ZOE.

There is a lot of information around sugar and how it can affect us which can be overwhelming, so we’ve got Tim & Sarah on the show to help break down some of that information as well as debunking some myths. They explain what sugar is, how to spot it in your foods, the impact it has on our blood glucose and wider health. We also discuss sweeteners, whether natural is better than artificial, intermittent fasting, the Big IF Study undertaken by ZOE which looks at intermittent fasting and how you can get involved.

In this clip Alex talks about the health aspect part of diet culture and food fads.

Climate change is happening, and it can feel frightening when we read about it, but in today’s conversation Arizona helps us all understand that we have the power to take action and just how we can do it!

This week’s slice of wellbeing is with activist, model and founder of Dirt charity, Arizona Muse. She’s one of the fashion sectors most highly regarded champions for sustainability. DIRT works to regenerate soil by supporting the Biodynamic Farming movement, and has already partnered with brands such as Vrai, Anya Hindmarch and Weleda on projects around the world.

Soil isn’t really thought of as a particularly interesting or sexy topic, however, you might change your mind after this week’s episode of The Live Well Be Well Podcast.

Alongside this we cover Arizona’s childhood, the moment that sparked her interest in activism, and what biodynamic farming and greenwashing are.  After this you’ll feel a huge leap into becoming more conscious consumers.

A really interesting episode, one not to be missed.

All Plants, will help you not only make a positive impact on your health but also the planet!

I have found a frozen plant based meal, which is not full of preservatives but actually jam packed with real nutrient packed food and it delivers between 2-4 of your 5 a day!

Here’s a snippet from the episode on something we’ve probably all experienced at least once in our lives – people pleasing!

For this week’s slice of wellbeing, we speak to Maude Hirst, who has transition from a high flying acting career into unlocking the power of breathwork and meditation to soothe anxiety.

74% of adults in the UK are suffering with some form of anxiety, so what better way to start this week’s episode than with a short meditation led by Maude herself? If you think you don’t have the time for meditation, you’re probably someone who needs it the most, so we’ve absolutely got you covered.

Do you find it hard to sit still with your eyes closed? Join the club! Body scans? Visual? Yoga Nidra? There’s so many types of meditation. Where do you start?! Maude shares some tips and advice on finding the right type and style of meditation for you and your life. Hint: it can be different for each of us.

In this episode, we also cover how feeling the societal pressures to hit certain milestones in life can define who we are, Vipasana, breath work and how changing your breath can change how you feel. We discuss the difference between mindfulness and meditation and delve into Maude’s journey from the acting world to the world of meditation and everything in between.

By the end of this episode you’ll have tools and techniques that you can turn to when you feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, you’ll know the difference between mindfulness and meditation and you’ll have a strong starting point for your meditation practice.

I have found a frozen plant based meal, which is not full of preservatives but actually jam packed with real nutrient packed food and it delivers between 2-4 of your 5 a day!

Have you heard the term Sensory Wellness? Do you know how to connect to your inverse? How many senses other than sight, smell, sound, touch and taste do you know?

Ari Peralta is a neuroscientist, a Forbes recognised innovator and award-winning sensory designer. Ari transitioned into neuroscience after his own trauma lead him to pivot his whole career to where he’s at now - working alongside others to create wellness-led sensory initiatives across a wide range of industries.

What is sensory wellness, you might ask? It’s going beyond the usual 5 senses and looking at how we can create healthier and happier environments,  enrich experiences and also promote self-awareness in the real world and web3 aka the Metaverse. Research shows that engaging the senses can help strengthen patients emotional wellbeing and support healing, including easing feelings of depression and anxiety.

In this episode we discuss how we can go beyond our usual 5 senses to improve our own wellbeing, what a sensory reset is and how we can create it for ourselves. Ari shares how he and his team created personalised art installations of people’s genes in relation to chronotypes, how we can reframe our brains to be more creative, Ari also gives us tools to help us navigate stress and anxiety by changing the frame around a situation you not only change your perception of it, but it's meaning to you. 

This is a seriously interesting conversation, one not to be missed!

Welcome to Live Well, Be Well, Season 9 hosted by Sarah Ann Macklin. This podcast that brings you your weekly slice of wellbeing.

In this episode I speak to Alex Light, an author, activist of body positivity and self-confidence influencer. After struggling from various eating disorders, Alex now speaks openly about her personal battle with diet culture, body confidence and fighting beauty standards. She’s recently written a Sunday Times Bestselling Book, “You Are Not A Before Picture”. We delve into how perfectionism can cause us to look for the perfect version of ourselves even at the detriment of our own mental and physical wellbeing, and how we can truly let go of the high standards women are meant to withhold in the face of beauty.

This episode contains topics including eating disorders and sensitive issues surrounding body weight and image, which could be triggering for some individuals.

Welcome to episode 1 of Season 9 of Live Well, Be Well, hosted by Sarah Ann Macklin. This podcast will bring you your weekly slice of wellbeing.

We’re kicking off series 9 with one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, David Walliams, OBE.

Little Britain, his creation with Matt Lucas, won numerous international awards including three BAFTAs, and now plays in over 100 countries. But he’s not just a comedian. He swam the English Channel in 2006 raising over £1m for the charity Sport Relief and then in 2011 he swam 140 miles along the length of the River Thames, which raised more than £2m. He’s also been a judge on the ITV talent show Britain’s Got Talent since 2012 alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

David turned his hand in 2008 and started writing children’s books. Since then he’s become a best-selling children’s author, with his novels having been translated into 55 languages, selling 50 million copies worldwide. Some of his books have been adapted into television films or for the stage, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed musical production of The Boy in the Dress.

In this episode of Live Well, Be Well, we talk to David about happiness, what it looks like for him today and the journey he’s been on to find it. We hear out about his process when writing, his inspirations and the message he’d like people to take from the stories. He also discusses how having become a father in the past 10 years has affected his life and happiness, he shares some stories including one about Kanye West & Elton John and of course, some of his favourite jokes.

We have TWO fantastic sponsors this season, which when combined really do optimise you’re wellbeing.

In the Bite Size Moments mini series, I'll be sharing some of my favourite moments from the Live Well, Be Well podcast. 

In today's bite size moment, Dr. Cother Hajat explains the UK's regulations around nicotine levels and E-cigarette consumption. She goes on to say that there are no proven negative side-effects to using E-cigarettes as opposed to smoking cigarettes. 

Full episode: Season 7 Episode 4 "Is vaping a healthier option to a smoke-free nation?"

How can you supercharge your gut?

Dr Federica Amati is a registered nutritionist with a PhD in clinical medicine research, who specialises in achieving optimal nutrition through evidence-based, personalised nutrition plans.

Federica works as a nutritional scientist and consultant for ZOE Nutrition. The ZOE app launched in the US and the ZOE covid study uses the technology in place that is now the largest live study with 4 million registered participants logging into the app. But there’s more on that later because today we explore what the gut microbiome is and how it links with an individual’s diet and metabolic health. We look at our gut health and avoiding food-driven inflammation, and ask: could this be the key to achieving a healthy weight, maximising your energy, and overall optimal health?

Show Notes: Host: @sarahannmacklin | www.sarahannmacklin.com

Mental Health support: @be_well_collective | www.bewellcollective.co.uk

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/dr.fed.amati/ | www.federicaamati.com

Emmy Brunner is a psychotherapist, author and personal empowerment coach. Author of The Trauma Redefined, and Find Your True Voice, Emmy is an expert on trauma, and I sat down with her at her beautiful home in Brighton to discuss dealing with shame and finding your highest self.

Emmy believes we’ve all experienced trauma in our lives. What we now refer to as mental illness is actually our response to those traumas. When we cultivate a compassionate relationship with ourselves, we are able to step into our power, creating a mindset that expects and generates success. When we learn to listen to, and love, ourselves we unlock this ability.

This was such a powerful episode to record and I’m so excited to share it with you. As always please do let me know your thoughts on the episode, share it with friends and subscribe if you haven’t already.

Show Notes:

Host: @sarahannmacklin | www.sarahannmacklin.com

Mental Health support: @be_well_collective | www.bewellcollective.co.uk

Guest: @emmybrunnerofficial | https://emmybrunner.com

John Rankin Waddell, better known as Rankin, is photography royalty. I’ve been lucky enough to know Rankin since the beginning of my career, and after all these years it’s an honour to be the one behind the lens, shining a spotlight on his glittering career.

Rankin is one of the best-known and sought-after portrait photographers around; he’s shot everyone from Kate Moss, to Miley Cyrus, to Madonna and to the Queen of England. He's also made a name for himself in publishing by launching ground-breaking magazines such as Dazed and Confused, AnOther and Hunger.

On the podcast today, we go beyond the photography. We explore the sacrifices Rankin has made, the worries and struggles of a life behind the camera, and how he coped with the increasing demands in his life. We discuss how to maintain a work-life balance when the work is non-stop, and why everyone should get therapy.

Photo credit: ©Rankin

In this week's episode of Live Well, Be Well. I speak to Dan Murray-Serter. Dan is an award-winning entrepreneur who has spoken openly about failure, mental health, mental performance and how we can cultivate a positive mindset and nutrition to optimise our brain health.

Making sure Dan sets clear boundaries for his productivity and family life are his two key objectives.

Dan has suffered with burnout to such an extent that he could not leave his bed for two weeks.

And for many of us, we struggle with the ever increasing demands of work, social life and home life which for some can become paralysing.

Wealth isn't measured in your wallet. It is measured in your calendar. Because freedom is life's currency and good health is life's power.

Host: @sarahannmacklin | www.sarahannmacklin.com

Mental Health resources: @be_well_collective | www.bewellcollective.co.uk

***

Today’s episode is a very special one.

My guest for this episode was fired in 2009 by the Home Secretary for his inconvenient views on drug policy, famously stating that ‘taking the drug ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse.’ He really does stand up for what he believes in, and I’m fascinated by, and in awe of, his brilliant mind.

Professor David Nutt is a neuropharmacologist, and Director of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. He has published over 500 original research papers, 8 government reports, 35 books and his latest book on cannabis came out last month.

I felt so honoured to speak with Professor Nutt today. Expect conversations around psychedelics, how psychedelic treatment can lead to breakthroughs in mental health, and the impact of drugs such as cannabis and alcohol.

We are in a mental health crisis, and opening our eyes to new fields of research and treatments can be so beneficial for us. Keep an open mind, and enjoy my discussion with Professor Nutt.

Host: @sarahannmacklin | www.sarahannmacklin.com

Mental Health resources: @be_well_collective | www.bewellcollective.co.uk

Grammy nominated artist Kimberly Wyatt has sold 15 million albums and 40 million singles sales worldwide. She has reached pop success all over the world touring with one of the biggest selling girl groups of all time, The Pussycat Dolls. Resilience is the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Being resilient does not mean that people don't experience stress, it's just how you manage and deal with the stress which comes your way.

Go with your gut: why food isn’t just fuel with Tim Spector

Professor Tim Spector OBE is an expert on nutrition and gut health. He has been ranked in the top 1% globally for most-cited scientists, and in March 2020 he launched what is now the world’s largest ongoing study: the ZOE covid symptom study app. Since then he has gained more than 4 million users recording their daily symptoms and helped millions improve their health.

Diving deep into the world of gut health this week, Tim and I discuss how the foods we eat play a key role in our health. We talk about personalised nutrition and how you can optimise your health.  We cover how our nutrition can help increase our longevity and what drugs are on the horizon here too. I’m so honoured to speak to Tim in this episode, as he is one of the world’s top scientists in his field.

Grab a pen and get ready to make some notes! We explore how the ZOE data can inform our treatment of chronic disease, the foods that Tim swears by, and how we can all improve our gut health with nutrition.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Bio-Kult.

Bio-Kult is the UK’s number one live bacteria brand, backed by clinical research.

The Bio-Kult original formulation contains 14 strains of live bacteria which complement the existing gut flora and survive the high acidity of the stomach.

Bio-Kult is suitable for everyday use and does not need to be refrigerated. It can be taken alongside antibiotics, by children 3+, when pregnant, by vegetarians and as part of a healthy diet.

However, if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy or you're taking any medication or have medical conditions, please do consult your doctor before taking any nutritional food supplements.

As a nutritionist, I’m forever amazed by the lack of awareness and education around nutrition in the sporting world. Nutrition is one of the main foundation and pillars of performance.

In today’s episode: we explore just how far nutrition can go in its healing power.

This episode is sponsored by Apex Rides - the British smart bike and home fitness app - launched in 2021

They're on a mission to get more people exercising.  Because as a company, they believe life is better with exercise.

Apex is the most accessible Smart Bike out there - with rides created for all levels & moods - and the bike available from £15 per month with Klarna.

The Independent newspaper and the Telegraph recently both voted Apex the best exercise bike available in the UK.

Use code ApexCollective for 10% off the bike.  Offer available until end August 2022.

Across 7 seasons, I've had the privilege and the honour of talking to some amazing people, from so many different fields and walks of life.  They come on the podcast to share their story, and so I thought it was time to share mine.

I started Live Well Be Well to encourage us to share and communicate with each other, and I hope that by sharing my story with you, I'll encourage you to do the same.

On today's episode, I open up about my childhood, my career, how I got into modelling and the highs and lows of that journey, my battles with health and in particular, my experiences with loneliness. 

The theme of Mental Health Week is loneliness, so I thought it was timely to tell you about my own encounters with this often overlooked issue. 

It was slightly terrifying to record this, I have to be honest - I've been contemplating whether to record it, yet alone put it out and go live, but unless we start talking about our own personal stories, we never come together to help one another. 

For season 8 of the show I've also introduced a new exciting element: video! I'll be interviewing our guests live on video to complement the podcast, so if you prefer watching a vlog to listening to the show, or you want to have both, you now can. Head over to my YouTube channel Be Well Collective to watch today's video. 

I can't wait to share this with you, so I hope you enjoy.

#LiveWellBeWell #BeWellTogether

One of the top questions I am asked as a nutritionist is, ‘what does the perfect diet look like?” My answer is, there is not a perfect diet but there will be elements of a balanced approach which will work for you as an individual.

One thing we can be certain of is that a balanced and whole food approach to nutrition can help reduce and prevent non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

A movement towards plant based eating continues to grow, with record breaking numbers of 605,000 individuals taking part in Veganuary this year. 

The power of plants is starting to take centre stage and to help me explore this conversation futher I speak to Dr Gemma Newman, author of Plant Power Doctor - a prescription for a healthier you.

Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffee is real organic, Fair-Trade coffee, with Lion’s Mane mushroom for productivity, and Chaga mushroom for immune support.

This weeks sponsors - Four Sigmatic

Wake up with lion's main mushroom coffee! 

Four Sigmatic products are organic and plant-based.  Every single batch is third-party lab-tested to ensure its purity and safety-so you know you’re getting the highest quality coffee and mushrooms possible.