Food For Thought

Periods happen to half the population – so why are they still treated as something to hide? With one in five young women bullied about periods, be it at home, school or work – I think it’s time to understand exactly what’s going on down there! In fact, our menstrual cycle is really helpful indicator to our overall health but with it being so, misinformation has flourished only perpetuating the men...

No matter your reasons for wanting to burn some body fat, focusing on getting there through healthy, manageable lifestyle measures is really important. While it’s not possible to lose fat on particular areas of your body, you can definitely work on lowering your overall body fat percentage. This week’s Food For Thought sees Nutritionist Faye Townsend and I explore the truth behind body fat and how...

Whether you are afraid of it or think you’re addicted to it, there is no doubt that sugar is in all of our lives. It’s now suggested that sugar is found in about 75% of the foods we eat with it amounting to as much as 15% of UK adult’s daily calorie intake. While eating too much sugar is associated with obesity and a host of problems, there’s so much misinformation that oftentimes makes eating eve...

For all too many, food is around every day as if it is watching and testing them. Some compulsively eat subtly throughout the day, either eating meals twice as large as they should be, or just eating continuously, all while going largely unnoticed by those closed to them. This week’s Food For Thought sees Registered Dietitian Maeve Hanan and I explore the truth about the compulsive eater and the s...

In the last 15 years, production of clothing has doubled – and at the same time, the number of times something is worn has halved. That means over 11 million garments are sent to landfill every week in the UK alone. Ultimately, the novelty that fashion promises is causing irreversible harm to both planet and people. This week’s Food For Thought sees presenter and climate activist, Venetia La Manna...

For years we’ve been told fat is bad and that we all need to reduce the amount we consume, especially when it comes to saturated and trans fats. However, recent campaigns have switched from demonising fat to making sugar the culprit of weight gain. With so many people weighing in on the topic and an excess of information available, finding out the truth about fat can be a significant challenge. It...

Anxiety is that feeling of unease, worry or fear, and I think most people have experienced how terrifying both the physical and mental symptoms can be. Issues like debilitating headaches, shortness of breath can make even the simplest daily tasks feel like impossible undertakings. Even acute instances of anxiety ― think job or financial stress ― can lead to the same symptoms and feelings. Thankful...

There remains such huge stigma surrounding women who do certain types of fitness. The belief that the likes of strength training will quickly transform you into an incredibly masculine version of yourself holds back so many from achieving their personal bests. And, in this age of Instagram, where workouts are released every day, it can be all too easy to get side-tracked with ideas that may not ac...

Do you ever feel uncomfortable amongst your peers or colleagues, simply because some topics are left unspoken about and seen unmentionable? Well you’re not alone, there are many other women who feel exactly the same as you do and want to open up the conversation. Stigma and taboos around women’s health remain unescapable. Their effects can have serious consequences - taboos can lead to women not h...

It’s no secret that childbirth is tough, but the reality of what follows is rarely discussed. While no two birth stories are the same, I want to use my story, which is far from what I could have ever imagined to share exactly what happens, empower others with the truth and to encourage opening up around this conversation. In the absence of any education about the process and knowledge, all too man...

If you happen to be confused about whether calorie counting is effective or not, then you’re definitely not alone. Calories were once the foundation of many diet programmes and even official nutrition advice. Now though calorie counting has fallen by the wayside in the health world, but many individuals are still doing this in the hope they will lose weight. So, should or shouldn't you be counting...

Children need nutritious food every day to grow healthy and strong. Yet feeding them and especially a newborn can be a round-the-clock commitment! While this can be challenging time, it is also a wonderful opportunity to begin forming a close bond with the newest member of the family. Nowadays, nearly everyone has their own opinions on how best to feed their baby and at what time this should be do...

Changing your diet to eating more plant-based foods, or simply adding in more fruit and veg can be healthy lifestyle choices. But if your dietary choices begin to add to your worries and bring about fear of eating out or certain foods, it can actually be quite dangerous. Being too healthy can actually be unhealthy. Often dieting plans and restrictive eating can be short-lived, which may then lead...

Many of us are familiar with the most common barrier to a regular physical activity routine and the lack of time we set aside for exercising. Work, family obligations and other realities of daily life often get in the way of our best intentions to be more active. Now faced with lockdown, we are restricted more than ever, but this still allows us to exercise once a day outside and nothing is stoppi...

As hard as anyone might try, being fully prepared for becoming a mother is a huge task. Combining the demands of running a business with the responsibility of bringing up children is something that I along with many other women face. Increasingly we are seeing women setting themselves higher expectations than ever before to take on everything, with plans to give birth, look after their baby and th...

Knowing what are the best supplements to take can seem like a minefield. Not only are the numbers and letters confusing and complex, you have to consider which ones are actually worth the money. With so much choice available and supplements to suit nearly every individual's needs, knowing what the right ones to choose can be a challenge. This week’s Food For Thought sees Nutritionist Jenna Hope he...

Amazing opportunities present themselves to us all the time, but how often do we act on these and create success for ourselves? This week's Food For Thought podcast explores how everything most people want from life - health, happiness, wealth, love - are all governed by our ability to think, feel and act; in other words, by our brain! Perhaps you're keen to learn something new, maintain a fitness...

In these uncertain and difficult times, the spread of coronavirus is impacting each of our lives. With individuals looking for answers, especially ones that seem 'easy’ to implement, such as what we can eat or drink on a budget. With the closure of restaurants and limited foods available in the supermarkets, we are needing to become more creative while cooking in a financially viable manner. So, i...

Confirmed cases of coronavirus have now spanned the globe, and figures of new cases are increasing each day. COVID-19 has spiralled out of our control, leaving countries across the globe in a state of emergency and doctors and nurses overstretched. At present, it is expected that the coronavirus pandemic could affect the UK well into 2021 and may lead to 7.9 million people being hospitalised, addi...

Menopause is a topic that is still often left unspoken about. The menopause and lack of conversation around it can leave many women feeling isolated and with little support during a time in their life that is completely natural and which happens in every woman’s life. Often women feel that they just need to accept the menopause, but acceptance is difficult when dealing with what often seems such a...

In the world of health and wellness, dieting can be incredibly confusing. We're told time and time again the only thing that really works is a balanced diet and exercise. Yet all too many people are still willing to listen and attempt every new fad in the hope that it's the one that changes everything. It is so important to remember that this is probably not the case! Just looking at the statistic...

Whether its milk in your cereal, a delicious melted cheese toastie or ice cream many of us grew up on a diet laden with dairy and are continuing to consume it regularly. It is estimated that the UK dairy industry alone is worth a staggering £28 billion pounds and it plays a vital role in our nation’s food security. But, opinions on foods are changing more than ever before, and with this the scruti...

Now is the case that nearly everyone we know has social media and use it in some capacity with many being active users. Data from 2019 shows that in the UK a staggering 45 million of us are using social media. But, what are the consequences of using social media and how is it impacting our decisions. Something that is becoming a particular area of concern, especially within the younger generations...

Have you ever stopped to think about what the future holds for the food industry, and what and how we will end up eating. A popular opinion is that we'll start eating less meat and dairy, along with new foods being introduced to us, but what is likely to be beyond this and what futuristic foods will come about? While the future for many is unknown, I am joined with doctor, author and BBC radio hos...

Winter months and January in particular can be hard on us all, with shorter days and darker evenings. We all want to wake up in the morning and go through our day feeling motivated and energised. Sadly, this doesn’t always happen, particularly as we are creatures of habit and more often than not our lifestyle patterns need to be shaken up and reinvigorated to ignite the motivation within us. How c...