Fab Female Nutrition

Throughout history people have processed foods to make them last longer, improve the taste or make them more transportable. This week I explain what they are, and how many of them actually make the foods easier to digest and supportive of gut health.  

There is a classification called the NOVA scale that rates foods by the level of processing. The four levels are Unprocessed and minimally processed foods  Processed culinary ingredients  Processed foods  Ultra-processed foods  This week I explain how we came up with these levels and what foods are in each.

Using Feng Shui principles along with decluttering can support your emotional well-being. Stephanie Hemstead-Williams shares her insights into ways that we can declutter and improve the energy flow of our home, which will improve our personal energy levels too. This episode is part of our 'Beyond the Plate' series where we explore what, besides food, is having an impact on our health and wellbeing...

The 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 f...

Stress 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...

When 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, boostin...

Sleep 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...

Is 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 tasteb...

When 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...

The 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.

Our 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 t...

Ideally, 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 suc...

The 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 d...

The 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 k...

Our 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 lymp...

Healthy 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 unsatur...

I 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...

Forget 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 k...

In 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. A...

What 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% wate...

I 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 y...

Annie 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...

Lori 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 jo...

New 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, orderin...

About 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 w...