Midlife Illuminated

This is a gorgeous, sparkling conversation with someone who really does radiate vitality and joy. It's all about the fascinating topic of colour. Have you ever stopped to think that colour has the power to heal us and to affect our behaviour? Dr Deanna Minich is someone who has devoted much of her career to studying this phenomenon. She is a nutrition researcher, educator and functional medici...

I found this conversation so deeply thought-provoking that I've been playing Lucy Barnwell's words in my head to remind myself of what's important in life. Lucy is someone who truly lives by what she believes. And yet, Lucy is no wellness "guru". In fact, until recently, she dismissed everything to do with wellbeing as "a load of hooey" (if you're not familiar w...

This episode is a total joy. It's a conversation with my dear friend Debbie Hilton and it's all about something which comes naturally to all of us - but which most of us don't often do as adults. Dancing! It's beyond question that dancing is medicine. And it's medicine that we all have a right to benefit from. I feel truly privileged to be able to experience the joy of dancing in Debbie's classes....

As we launch ourselves into spring, it felt the perfect time to share an uplifting conversation about the role of nature's cycles in our life. My guest is Sadie Pickering - truly someone who is in harmony with nature and who has been a personal inspiration to me for several years. I've learnt so many life-enhancing self-care rituals from Sadie and it's a real pleasure to share them with you too. S...

In the first part of this episode, I share a deeply personal and very emotional story. It's the story of my younger son, Louis, and what happened to him as a small child when he was put on medication following a (wrong) diagnosis of a chronic bowel condition. He suffered for years because of a misguided attempt to fix a symptom whilst ignoring the cause. It’s a story of not only physical suffering...

I feel that this conversation is one of the most important I've had so far on the podcast. As my guest Susan Hyatt lays bare, diet culture is trapping girls and women in a cycle of suffering. (And I know from my work as a health coach that men are affected in exactly the same way). It horrifies me that children are being caught in this toxic culture and led down the route to eating disorders. Susa...

I really loved this conversation with the incredibly upbeat, sunny Nikki Hill. Nikki shares lots of gentle, accessible inspiration for you to care for your own wellbeing - using simple, natural, joyful methods that require little money, time or energy. We chat about how you can tap into the healing, hormone-balancing, restorative power of herbs - and introduce self-nurturing rituals into your life...

If I could persuade everyone to adopt just one habit, it would be a daily gratitude practice. It's no exaggeration to say that this is a practice that transforms people lives on every level. This week's episode is a deeply uplifting conversation with the inspirational Holly Bertone. Holly lives and breathes gratitude. She discovered its power after she was hit by a double whammy of chronic disease...

This episode will come as a real shock to people who know me – because I’ve always been staunchly against drugs. So what persuaded me to change my mind and volunteer for my first ever experience of a psychedelic drug? You may have read about new research showing the remarkable effects of magic mushrooms in treating a host of mental disorders, such as depression, addictions and PTSD. There's a lot...

[Warning: this episode contains an account of a violent attack.] It has long been known that forgiveness is the path to inner peace and happiness. And there are further, immense benefits from being able to let go of resentment and anger towards those who have wronged us: forgiveness has been shown to lead to remarkable physical healing from all sorts of long-term conditions. It was my huge privile...

Many people assume that I've always been an upbeat health coach with a picture-perfect, healthy lifestyle. But that is very, very far from the truth and I really feel it's important for my listeners to know that I have previously sunk very low. In this special, end-of-year episode, I swop roles and am interviewed by my friend Kate Moryoussef. Kate first met me when I was an overstretched mother of...

This episode cuts right to the heart of what healthcare can (and should!) look like. It's so much more than simply treating disease - it's about helping people to live their fullest life. Dr Kristi Hughes is one of the truly visionary doctors I was privileged to learn from as part of my studies to become a functional medicine health coach. I know that you will be as inspired by Kristi as I was: it...

We all want vibrant health, glowing skin, a healthy immune system and to feel emotionally well...but did you know that your lymphatic system is key to all of that? And that you can give yourself a simple self-massage to transform your wellbeing? I feel very privileged to have had my eyes opened to the remarkable role of our lymphatic system – and how we can actively care for it. And that is all th...

As I hit my 50th episode, I’m taking the opportunity to share with you my inner self-critic - and my fear around sparking other people’s anger and outrage. This solo episode is definitely one of the most candid ones I’ve shared with you. I really hope it helps you to move through your own fears - and our tendency to compare ourselves (unfavourably!) to others. If it touches a chord with you, let m...

We've always been told to beware of strangers...but it turns out that talking to strangers is a proven way to make us happier and healthier. In this life-affirming conversation, I chat with veteran journalist Joe Keohane, author of the brilliant new book "The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World". At a time when many of us are retreating into our phone screens and h...

I learnt so much about what it means to be a woman in this conversation with Sally Beaton. I just wish I'd learnt this when I was 15 rather than 50! Have a listen to Sally's wisdom on the meaning and power of the monthly cycles in a woman's life; why we are programmed to have regular rest; why we are NOT hormonal messes; why we are our own best doctors...and so much more. I promise that you'll thi...

Welcome to a brand new season of Wellness Unwrapped! To kick off season 3, I'm sharing some reflections I've had while on a break from the podcast and social media over the summer. You'll also hear how my reaction to finding a big, dead spider in my bed has inspired me! I hope it will inspire you too - and reassure you that you are making more progress than you might give yourself credit for. You...

In this solo episode, I share my thoughts on my time with someone who - having faced her own mortality - lives by a mantra that I'm also trying to adopt. Here's a link to an earlier episode (no. 25) "What I Learnt from a Stranger by the Sea", where I describe first meeting this wonderful lady: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/kTtpwE0eUWb This is the final episode in this se...

This conversation is one which is engraved on my heart. It's with 92-year-old Eva Neumann, known to everyone as Bobby. Bobby is a survivor of Auschwitz. Her story is one you'll never forget. It's impossible not to be moved and inspired by her remarkable resilience, humour and lack of bitterness. Bobby was sent to Auschwitz as a 15-year-old. Her parents and two younger brothers were selected for th...

As many of us find ourselves buckling under the weight of our responsibilities and struggling to keep up with the pace, I thought I'd share a bitesized episode to help us find our balance. Have a listen to a nugget of wisdom from my conversation with Terri Creeden. I chatted to Terri on episode 32 of Wellness Unwrapped which was called "Why we need to put ourselves first". Since then...

Brace yourself for a thoroughly eye-opening conversation!! My chat with Julie Ryan has transformed my view on many things. I found her explanation of what happens to us as we die to be particularly comforting. It has totally altered how I felt about people I knew who died of Covid in hospital, with nobody from their family with them. Julie is a psychic and medical intuitive. She can sense what med...

After many years of thinking about it, I've finally taken steps to sort my home's energy out! I was recently privileged to have Elizabeth Wells visit my house for a Feng Shui consultation. Elizabeth is an internationally accredited practitioner of the Feng Shui Society and an advanced practitioner of the Feng Shui Academy, having practised in the UK, France and the US.  I'm so excited to bring you...

Introducing Wellness Unwrapped bitesized! I'm always so happy to receive feedback about the podcast and have been asked by listeners to release mini-clips from guests on previous episodes. So here goes! As the world starts to open up to us again, I thought this was the perfect time to revisit a small slice of wisdom from Gillian Elizabeth. Gillian urges us to ditch our to-do-lists and our inhi...

I loved this very intimate chat with Dr Lucy Loveday, who's a true inspiration to me. You can't help but catch her infectious enthusiasm for being immersed in nature. In this conversation, we talk honestly about our spiritual relationship with nature - and Lucy gives you practical, simple ways that you can start to connect with nature and feel better. Lucy is particularly interested in the benefit...

I honestly can't imagine what I'd do without essential oils. I use them throughout the house and in so many different ways - from inhaling them before I get out of bed in the morning, to the facial oil I use last thing at night. In this episode, I chat to Renée Hughes, a qualified aromatherapist and certified holistic health consultant. Renée helps people with issues ranging from anxiety to poor s...