The Wellness Scoop

This week we're answering your questions on some of the biggest areas of confusion in nutrition and wellbeing. We're discussing how diet can support hormonal health, from PCOS and amenorrhea to hormonal acne, and exploring how to care for your microbiome while taking a GLP-1 medication. We also unpack the growing conversation around fibre and digestion, including what it means if seeds seem to pas...

Is Bran Flakes really junk food? Are our attention spans under threat? And have we reached peak optimisation culture?  This week we unpack the government's proposed changes to healthy eating guidelines, which could see breakfast cereals like Bran Flakes classified as HFSS foods, and explore what the debate reveals about fibre, free sugars and how we define healthy eating. We also dive into new res...

This week we're talking about food guilt, supplements and the growing pressure to optimise our health. We explore how to break free from all-or-nothing eating, whether social media is distorting our perception of what healthy living actually looks like, and why some of the most powerful habits for healthy ageing are often the simplest. We also unpack the rise of IV vitamin drips, discuss whether c...

Are all fruit and vegetables created equal? This week, we explore the new research suggesting that flavanol-rich foods like berries, apples, green tea and broad beans may be some of the most powerful additions to your diet, with potential benefits for heart health, brain health and even longevity. We also unpack the surprising impact of weight-loss drugs on Britain's food industry, after new figur...

This week we're answering your questions, from how to be more present when meditation just isn't your thing to whether breathwork can really help calm a busy mind. We also unpack the truth about mycoprotein and whether foods like Quorn deserve their ultra-processed reputation, discuss practical ways to increase plant diversity without spending a fortune, answer your questions on navigating a coeli...

This week, we discuss one of the most important reports in UK nutrition, revealing that healthy diets remain out of reach for many families while unhealthy foods continue to dominate our food environment. We also explore the rise of sleep anxiety, why body image concerns are stopping young people from enjoying everyday experiences, and the Steven Bartlett controversy that has sparked a backlash ag...

Can you be healthy and thin? It's a question that sparked a fascinating listener email this week, and one that opens up a much bigger conversation about body image, weight, wellness culture and what health really looks like. We're also answering your questions on hair loss during perimenopause, nutrition and autism, fibre-rich eating with a nut allergy, vitamin D supplements, air fryer safety, GLP...

Could gaining weight in your twenties affect your health decades later? This week, we unpack a major new study linking early adult weight gain with a higher risk of several cancers, and explore what it really means for long-term health. We also dive into the growing conversation around healthy ageing. Are constant snacking, refined carbohydrates and late-night meals ageing us faster than we realis...

This week we answer your questions on health anxiety, food scanner apps and the rise of fear-based wellness advice online. We unpack the controversy around food scanning apps and scoring systems, alongside the science of fermented foods, gut health and whether kefir is really worth the hype. Plus, we talk summer BBQ recipes, joint health, the best time to eat, and the small everyday habits that ac...

This week we unpack the huge headlines around omega-3 supplements and whether fish oils are really as protective for brain health as we once thought. We also explore fascinating new research on exercise and heart health, including the amount of movement linked to the biggest cardiovascular benefits. Plus, why beans may be one of the most underrated foods for mood, gut and brain health, the science...

This week we’re unpacking why knowing what’s healthy and actually doing it can feel like two completely different things. From all-or-nothing eating patterns to wellness overwhelm and habit burnout, we explore why sustainable health is often much more about nervous system support, flexibility and consistency than perfection. We also discuss food guilt, sugar cravings, breathwork for beginners, kef...

This week we’re discussing whether children’s taste preferences actually begin developing before birth, after a fascinating study found babies exposed to vegetables in the womb appeared more accepting of those flavours years later. We also unpack new research suggesting olive oil, berries and coffee may help support healthier ageing at a cellular level through their impact on telomeres, the protec...

This week we’re unpacking some of the biggest wellness questions and food fears taking over the internet right now. Are lentil crisps actually healthier than standard crisps? Are air fryers really toxic? And is coconut oil genuinely good for us, or just clever wellness marketing? We also dive into the yogurt hierarchy — kefir, Greek, skyr or natural — discuss algae-based omega-3 supplements, soy a...

This week we’re diving into the sandwich headlines taking over the news, after reports that one high street sandwich contains more salt than nearly five McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Rhi gives us the inside story from the latest Action on Salt research, why out-of-home lunches are often saltier than we realise, and how confusing nutrition comparisons can become when we reduce foods down to one nutrien...

This week we answer some of your most thoughtful questions yet, from whether fruit sugar is actually something we should worry about, to how to approach calorie tracking if you’ve struggled with obsessive thoughts around food in the past. We also discuss sausages, healthier swaps, whether chia seeds really need soaking, how to build plant diversity while batch cooking, and whether you can still th...

This week we unpack the science of appetite and what really drives us to eat: hunger, stress, habit, reward or simply the food environment around us. We discuss why eating well is far more complex than willpower alone, and the idea of “food-mind fluency.” We also break down the controversy around plant milks and children’s health, exploring the nutritional differences between dairy and plant based...

This week’s Q&A covers some of the most relatable health questions. We talk about how to approach a partner’s diet when you’re worried but not being heard, what to prioritise in a teenage pescatarian diet, and why stress habits like chewing gum can be so hard to shift. We also unpack the banana and berry smoothie myth, share simple ways to support insulin resistance, and explore what actually help...

This week we unpack a sobering picture of the UK’s health, with new data showing we’re living fewer years in good health and falling behind much of the developed world. We revisit school food standards and how countries like France and Japan are approaching nutrition in a completely different way, before diving into what’s really driving the UK’s decline, from diet to wider lifestyle patterns. We...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we answer your questions on some of the most complex and personal areas of health, from food noise and emotional eating to how to build habits that actually fit into real life. We break down what’s really driving cravings for ultra-processed foods and how to gently step out of that cycle, explore how to approach emotional eating with more compassion and structure,...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we explore some of the most thought-provoking shifts in health right now, from how timing your workouts could impact your heart, to what your gut might reveal about disease risk years before symptoms begin, and the growing pressure around appearance in the age of social media. We break down new research on chronotypes and why aligning exercise with your body clock...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we answer your questions on some of the most common and confusing nutrition topics, from how much protein you actually need to build muscle to whether everyday foods like flaxseeds are as straightforward as they seem. We break down the protein conversation and how to balance it with fibre without overdoing it, explore whether protein powders are worth it, unpack th...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we unpack some of the biggest conversations shaping how we think about health right now, from what we should actually be eating for heart health to the growing evidence that mindset plays a measurable role in physical wellbeing. We break down the clash between new US dietary guidelines and heart health advice, exploring the debate around plant vs animal protein, re...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we answer your questions on some of the most common and confusing everyday health habits, from that mid-afternoon energy crash to whether cold breakfasts really slow your metabolism. We break down why the 2 to 3pm slump happens and how to manage it, unpack viral nutrition myths around hot versus cold breakfasts and food pairing, explore whether nutritional yeast is...

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we explore what’s shaping our health from both a biological and cultural perspective, from the foods that support our brain and gut to the systems influencing how we think, feel and behave every day. We revisit our conversation on screen time with new data showing just how fast modern children’s content has become, look at shifting attitudes towards social media as...

What should you actually eat when you’re unwell and don’t have the energy to cook? Do viral digestion hacks really improve how your body absorbs nutrients, or are they just adding more confusion? And why can weight stay the same even when you’re eating well, exercising and doing everything “right”? This week, we break down the science behind a viral digestion claim, share simple, realistic ways to...