Strong Tea

This weeks episode sees us chat to the lovely Agnese Effe all about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).  Agnese’s journey highlights just how frequently PCOS goes undiagnosed or is poorly misunderstood and treated by general practitioners.  PCOS is a hormonal imbalance in the body which can have a significant number of symptoms including weight gain, irregular periods, mental health issues, acne and...

Veganism. The practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, mainly in diet but also throughout life.  This episode sees Katie and Vikki discuss the background and history of veganism, the statistics behind it and also checking in with some opinions of people who follow a vegan diet and lifestyle. The chat sees some preconceived ideas and misconceptions busted and results in meat lover Ka...

Chanai Destinee Bradley Fofanah – also known as self love Nai is an actress, equality activist, a model, spoken word artist, mental health ambassador and body positivity role model. There is nothing this lady doesn’t do without beauty, heart and soul. If you haven’t seen Chanai’s Instagram account it is an amazing reflection of how inspirational being true to your authentic self is. But obviously...

Something a little different this week!  Check out this episode that hears us chat briefly about our podcasting journey so far, what topics and guests are coming up and how YOU can get involved!

We are so lucky to have the amazing Katie Stevenson return to Strong Tea and to once again bring her truth, openness, and beauty to our podcast. Katie provided us with an incredible account of her breast cancer journey in episode 3. It was moving and informative but ultimately a tale of success. Tragedy struck in June this year when, following a seizure, Katie was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer whi...

Periods. We get it. No-one want’s to take about it. But maybe that’s why we should? In today’s episode we talk all things menstrual cycles including the shame and stigma attached of Aunt Flo coming to call. Things get pretty heated as we ask the questions about WHY there is such shame when it’s such a natural bodily function, how PMT has become the butt of many jokes and just how many women and gi...

Trigger Warning: Episode discusses suicidal thoughts and eating disorders.   In this episode we have the wonderful George Mycock, founder of Myominds. George talks to us about his own experience of eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia.   This incredible story is inspiring, revealing and something that we do not hear enough about. We discuss the topic of masculinity and how it can impact men incl...

This episode concludes our Death Series and takes a look at death around the World. Each country, culture, tribe, and religion has a different tradition when it comes to death, burial, and remembering their loved ones. In this episode, Katie & Vikki delve into life after death and the different customs surrounding the biggest taboo of our life. This light hearted episode brings interesting statist...

Trigger Warning: Episode discusses baby loss and traumatic events.   The death of a child is something no parent should ever have to experience.   Our very own Katie talks about the loss of her daughter Poppy, how it impacted her life and those around her. Katie is open and honest about this devastating loss which was traumatic and debilitating.   Katie talks about what life after Poppy and her pr...

“Grief is just love with no place to go”.  If you’ve grieved the loss of a love one close to you, you will know the absolute pain and anguish that journey comes with. Grief is not linear and it is individual to each person suffering which makes it a difficult and lonely road to travel. We chat with Jane Grayer, end of life doula and celebrant about grieving and loss, the impact that the loss of a...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains details of death, the moments of death, cancer, and grief. For some, the thought of losing a parent is unimaginable, even though it is considered the order of life. But what happens when we do? How does it feel? What if we are there when they die? In this episode Katie talks to Eva, our wonderful guest who returns for this episode, and to our very own Vikki a...

Death. It comes to all of us yet so many of us shy away from talking about it. The inevitability and finality of end of life can be scary and daunting but why do stick our heads in the sand?  This episode sees us meet with Jane Grayer, celebrant and end of life doula, who talks about those scary yet all important conversations we should be having. Listen to us discuss all aspects of death and dyin...

Fibromyalgia. Never heard of it? This is a condition which affects the central nervous system and causes chronic pain. It's estimated that it affects up to 2 million people in the UK.   After years of struggling with various diagnosis’ and ongoing issues, Katie became increasingly frustrated, the impact on mental health was becoming significant and that in itself was making the issues worse. So wh...

If you have ever wondered or been skeptical about the power of spirituality and its healing abilities, then this episode is for you. We are absolutely thrilled to have Eva Lake as our very special guest for this episode.   Eva is the founder of Moonhive Healing and through energy and sound healing, rituals and ceremonies, she helps establish sacred space where people can explore and facilitate hea...

It has been a fantastic Strong Tea Pride series and we are ending with a Quick Brew finale. Vikki and Katie talk through their LGBT+ role models which proved very difficult to short list. An incredible mix of historical and current legends that have both changed history and currently making history for the LGBT+ community. There may be some legends you have heard of and some you have not, but the...

We welcome back the inspiringly wonderful Suzanne Doyle who talks to us about her journey from personal discovery and coming out, to her incredible work and achievements for the LGBT+ community. This episode is everything from emotional, funny, interesting and thought provoking. Suzanne is Winner of the UK's Most Inspiring Individual of the Year 2017, Winner of the Bristol Diversity Awards (Busine...

Welcoming back the wonderful Dylan Holloway to his second podcast with us. Dylan joined us earlier in our Pride series to discuss his transition journey with us in what was a truly uplifting and warming episode. This time, Dylan talks about navigating his music career whilst battling gender dysmorphia, how his journey with testosterone has changed his singing voice and why he’s prouder than ever t...

So super excited about this episode! We were so privileged to have Dylan Holloway on our show to talk about his transition journey. Dylan was born in the early 90s and always felt like he was born into the wrong body, always desperate to be the Disney prince and not the princess, his journey began from day dot. Fast forward 28 years and Dylan is living as a trans man and living his absolute best l...

To kick off our Strong Tea Pride mini-series, we are beyond excited to bring you a very special guest, Sab Samuel. Also known as Aida H Dee, Sab is the founder of Drag Queen Story Hour UK and is a proud advocate for autistic, ADHD and LGBTQ+ people everywhere. This episode covers his humble beginnings in drag, his incredible work and the discusses the continuing need for more LGBTQ+ content in edu...

Trigger warning: Discusses alcohol, alcohol addiction, recovery and impact to mental health. Upon recording this episode, it was the eve of Bob’s 19 month sober anniversary. He shares with us his truly inspiring journey which took him from an unhealthy relationship with alcohol to a spiral of darkness, lies and uncontrolled drinking.  Bob talks candidly about how it affected him physically and men...

Prepare to be shocked, angry and feel a little queasy listening to today's episode where Katie and Vikki uncover the most extreme diets, give stats and the truth behind the weight loss industry, and talk about their own experiences and thoughts around diet. This episode covers diet where we change an eating behaviour in order to achieve weight loss, gain, or body transformation. Whilst the media p...

Trigger Warning: Discusses suicide. This podcast episode is absolutely not one to miss! This episode sees us meet Paul McGregor of Everymind at Work. Paul’s journey started at the  age of 18 when he lost his dad to suicide.  Paul’s journey into the discovery of his own mental health began at that point and his journey is still ongoing to this day. Paul talks openly and honestly about his struggles...

Bajingo. Moomoo. Cha-Cha. Whatever you call your lady bits, this episode of Quick Brew, we talk about the importance of cervical screening.  Statistics show that numbers of people attending invites for cervical screening had declined year on year by over 5%. Given the importance of getting your bits checked, it’s alarming to hear this statistic. We know no-one likes having someone poke around in t...

We were so lucky to have the inspiring (literally as she was the Winner of UK's Most Inspiring Individual of the Year 2017!) Suzanne Doyle come and talk to us about her life long experience living with diabetes. She tells us about how she found out she had Type 1 diabetes, the struggles and difficulties she has faced, as well as demystifying the condition and debunking the myths surrounding it. Su...