The Wellness Scoop - Detox Myths, Morning Rituals & The US New Dietary Guidelines

Episode Date: January 19, 2026

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we’re digging into some of the biggest health stories shaping how we eat and live right now. We start with new data showing how weight-loss injections are quietly changing eating habits, with more people grazing on snacks instead of sitting down to meals, and what that could mean for nutrition, routine and long-term health. We then explore the idea of the “perfect” morning routine. Inspired by a Guardian piece we loved, we talk about why there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but how a handful of simple, repeatable habits can genuinely improve how the day begins without turning mornings into another thing to optimise. We also take on detox culture. Drawing on a grounded BBC article, we explain why your body already detoxes itself extremely effectively, what actually supports those systems, and why fibre is emerging as one of the most important nutrition conversations of the year. And we unpick the new US food guidelines for you. Pre-order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pre-order your copy of Rhi's upcoming book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Wellness Scoop, your weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration. And as always, we are here as your host. I'm Ella Mills. And I'm Riannon Lambert. And after a decade in the wellness industry, we know that it's overwhelming and how confusing health advice can be. And that's why we created this podcast to cut through the noise and make healthier living simple, fun and personal. Exactly that. And we have got such a jam-packed show today. Re, Re, what's coming up? Goodness me, Ella. I mean, wait a lot. jabs in the rise of snacking over meals the truth about the perfect morning routine which

I'm actually very intrigued to hear about today we've got detox myths and what actually supports the body fibers quiet come back and why it matters the US new dietary guidelines that this is going to be huge and our trend today peptides and NAD plus the hype versus the evidence seller it's such a nice lineup we have had a nice morning of like confusion and whether we're in the studio re going all the way into London, but it's remote, but then we start recording and my internet completely cuts out and I can't find anywhere to do the show. So it's been a higgledy, pigglety morning, if we're honest, but it's going to be a great show. Well, first of all, reed though, how are you? Good week,

minus our kind of absolutely haphazard morning. I don't think I can even think about what's happened over the course of the last 24 hours. Yes, I've got lots and lots of things. But to be honest, Ella, I feel like everybody else. I think everyone's just trying to navigate getting back into the swing of work, you know, getting up earlier in the morning, all of those sorts of things. So I'm really going to look forward to the morning routine headline we've got today because I feel I need a little bit of extra motivation there.

How about you, minus the internet crashes? Yeah, it is rough after Christmas, isn't it? That early alarm wake up. just because it's still so dark in the morning. Like I got the kids up for school this morning. And they looked outside and my daughter was like, Mommy, I don't think it is the morning. I swear to you, it is.

She thought I got her up at like 3 a.m. Oh, bless. But you know what? Okay, last thing is that I know we do our recommendations on Thursdays. So I'm going to cheat today, but I just think it was, I've got to share it. I've been holding onto this and I want to talk to worry about it. Okay.

So we talked about this last year. I bought one, gosh, embarrassed to say probably like four or five months ago, or my sister-in-law's recommendation, a brick. This is not sponsored, which is a device you tap your phone onto, I guess like a contactless cod kind of vibes. And it locks you out of whatever apps you want to be locked out of, but the idea is basically the things that we're addicted to on our phones. So for me, that would be like endlessly scrolling socials.

Anyway, I had got in, I was like, this is going to be amazing. I hadn't really got into the swing of it. Partly just, I'm giving excuses, but because we were moving house and everything was in boxes, I'd had it, and then I didn't have it, and then I had it, and I didn't have it anyways. I have it now. And I really, I know this is the moment of New Year's resolutions,

and we all quit our resolutions. So guys hold me accountable to this in six months. But I really, really do want to be more present this year, and I hate my addiction to my phone. Like, I loathe it, and yet it always overrides me. And I'm like, today's the day, I won't do it. And then every day, fail. And we know that doesn't make us feel great, but it's not making me the best person.

Definitely not. Anyway, so I got my brick out and I was like, I'm committing to this brick. This was about a week ago. I'm spending like 21, 22 hours a day logged out. It is unbelievable. All I'd say is having now got used to it, I don't look for my phone. I'm not really picking up my phone. Like I woke up this morning. It wasn't until I got the kids to school and back and I was like, oh, maybe I should have a quick look on social media and post the wellness scoop. It's just sort of leaving my mind. And then I did go on it yesterday. I was like, well, I have a nice little scroll.

And it was so dull. And I was like, what am I doing? What do you mean? A nice little scroll. I'm just looking at random people. I do not know. I don't even follow. I don't want this information.

This is so weird. Ella, you are matrixed out. I have to say it's like you've taken the pill and seen the light. This is what it sounds like. I feel like it. That's why I couldn't wait to talk. talk to you about it because it's sort of a recommendation, but it's also a like, oh my goodness me, it's a game-changing experience to not feel addicted to your phone. I was messaging Ella the

other evening. Actually, you'd message me first saying, just so you know, Ria, I'm locked out of socials because Ella and I, you know, I share a lot of headlines of Ella sometimes we WhatsApp it or we Instagram it. And I was like, oh, that's really great. You know, I can't wait to hear about it. And I messaged her the other night saying, I've got crippling anxiety, you know, and I realized that a lot of it stems from pressures or things that I've seen that I wish I hadn't seen. You know, sometimes scrolling, you can see really sad, tragic things you wish you'd never seen, and it can really change your entire day. So if you don't have to work on social media, or even if you do, like me,

I'm going to be taking inspo from the seller. I'm going to give it a go in the moments where I don't need to be on those apps, because it's just all changed. It's not what it was 10 years ago. And I know we probably sound like grandmas, you know, how I would probably roll my eyes when my nan was around and she said oh back in my day

but it's true and it was genuine community and I followed things that interest me and I would see that content which was interesting to me now I just see random stuff and to your point like I'm a worried anxious on edge gal I don't need anything to push me over

the edge I do it to myself I don't need more stuff to make me be a hypercontract and it's almost as if I fill a little note on these platforms now. Everybody seems to have all these followers and everyone's just doing very similar things. It's just not refreshingly. I mean, get your inspiration from it.

Of course, we're not saying it's a bad place because, you know, we both have a role on there in different ways. But it definitely just doesn't need to be so prominent in our lives. So Ella, that is a fantastic recommendation. Anyway, I just genuinely, look, I'll let you know in a month's time. if it keeps going. But I genuinely feel my brain is really quite different today. And as I said, I know it's ridiculous, but I have set screen limits.

I've said I'm not going to do it. None of it worked until I was physically removed from all those apps. I just can't open them. And it's excellent. I wish that we almost had a neuroscientist on that could measure your brain. You know, we could do our own little wellness scoop trial to see Ella's brain and how it changes in a month. But I think it's a good reminder that.

if you really don't need to be on these apps in the day when you're at work. And, you know, instead of picking up your phone to scroll, we could pick up our phone to message a friend. And also found myself reading more news or, you know, like actually using my phone exactly texting people back or, yeah, reading the news or just reading a book. So nice. A whole book this weekend.

Anyways, sorry, I digressed us, but I was so excited I needed to tell you all. Anyway, as I said, that's not sponsored. It's just I was recommended the device and what I wanted to, note was just how not having that constant like ding ding ding ding ding ding activation the little baby dopamine hits of the scrolling I really feel so much calmer and clearer yeah and I think honestly we are very much here for you all listening as well and I think that lona I have chats about things we can do this year and lots of things

coming but um I think we're going to see a movement on this aren't we I think this is so so so is so important for our mental health to move away from the screen. I think so too. I think so too. I know it's one of those things when you get on it, you know, you see a lot about it. But I do just wonder if we might be ushering in the end of the Doom Scroll, which could be excellent. I think in terms of changes, our first pick-up headline today. Oh yeah, it's another change.

It is a change, but also one that I think we did predict was obviously going to come because it makes perfect sense that everything isn't so big change. black and white with weight loss jobs. Yes, exactly. So weightros, if you're not in the UK, it's a really big UK grocer. And they do a food and drink report every year, which for people who work in the food industry is really important, looking at trends and things like that. But this was genuinely super interesting for all of us and for the wellness scoop. It came out actually just before Christmas, but we had managed to fit it in. Yeah. And it was just another pickup on the kind of surge and effect of weight loss drugs, which is that what waitros are seeing is that full meals are increasing

being swapped for sort of grazing, so 57% of customers, which is huge. And now opting for snacky foods or picky foods over traditional meals. And they are linking, not solely, but linking that shift to the growing use of weight loss injections. And what's also interesting about snacking versus meals is that, I mean, we're going to cover it in another episode, but we recently saw that you put on weight four times faster when you come off the weight loss jabs, which is faster than the yo-yo dieting increase in weight. And snacking culture, if it stays after you come off the jabs, might not be helpful, actually. There's so many different nuances around this subject, of course, and ways of discussing it. But I think it really highlights the fact that, you know,

appetite suppression, I mean, it does shape our eating habits. But long term, I do wonder how the food environment's going to change, but also how we adapt. Because it clearly, I don't think they're working for everybody. No, and if you're kind of, having a sort of grazing day. I think it is more difficult to meet, not that you have to meet perfect nutrient needs every single day, but I think it's harder to kind of generally meet those needs when you're picking up food as opposed to kind of really making,

even if it's just an evening meal. Yeah. But sitting, you know, sitting down or standing up. But, you know, making a bit of a, it could be simple, but a deliberate and kind of conscientious putting together of a meal. There's a statistic, Ella, and it's actually very important for shaping childhood relationships. around food, but I think it's only like one in four families now have a dining table that they sit at to

eat meals. And it's little habits like that, you know, sitting down, yeah, with people to eat food because it creates our relationship with food from such a young age, but also the enjoyment aspect, the social interaction aspect. You know, the way we eat is also linked to our health and grazing constantly throughout the day. Whilst it might be really good for some body types, I think for the majority of people, it takes out that social interaction and sitting mindfully. You know, I talk a lot about it in my new book, The Fiber Formula, the Chews, you know, the chewing, the 30-2s and meal. It's so important that we try and retain a little bit of food culture in this country.

Yeah, do you know what? I actually've been watching Stanley Tucci, you know, that amazing actor. Devil, Prada. Prada. Yeah, the Prada devil. Stanley, that Prada devil. Exactly from the devil. Devil, where's Prada.

And he has, I don't know if you saw in lockdown, he did a series on Italy and Italian food and he's done a follow-up on a National Geographic. Anyway, I think it came out a little bit a while ago, but Matt and I have been watching it last week. And we've only watched a few episodes, but it's really, really good. But because it's national geographic, it's sort of, it's looking at food, but it's looking at food through the lens of kind of culture and geography and changing traditions. We kept saying the exact same thing. We were like, goodness me, I just don't, these beautiful old traditions. Now, of course, it's not what everyone's doing every day, but there's this steeping in tradition and cooking and food being a centre of a household, a culture, a community that I just feel

we have gone so far past in this country. It's just a real shame. It is. Do you remember the program Supernanny years ago? Oh, yeah. So controversial, but I actually follow her on Instagram. Don't ask me why. I follow Supernanny. But she did a post recently that went viral that was saying so many kids now just stare at screens when they're eating, that they have no idea what they're eating. And even she was talking about it. So I do feel that these other cultures in the world have such beautiful family.

The grandmother teaches the children. They all get together around the kitchen. There are still gender divides in those societies. But I think we could really learn a lot from these other cultures and try and get it back. But it leads on nicely to our first headline, which is about creating a perfect morning routine as well. How do we build a happier, healthier start to the day? And Ella, I think you should lead on this because I feel like you are an inspiration. I even heard on Debena's podcast because I did listen to it. She said she was going to start waking up earlier now so she gets that time and not just to work out but for herself. Yeah, for me, the morning routine is not about productivity.

It's all about, yeah, just setting yourself up for the day. I mean, this morning I woke up so early. I couldn't really sleep last night. I told you I'm such a warrior a minute ago. But my husband was flying back from the US overnight and I was like, oh, I just. want to wake up and track his flight and check he's all okay i mean obviously he would be like you know it's vanishingly rare that there would be a problem but i didn't see well anyway woke up early and i was like oh i'm so tired and i was like nope i'm going to do a breath work i'm

going to make myself a coffee and i just felt like a different person so i'm such an advocate for this but this headline came from the guardian and what was really nice about it is what they were saying essentially in a nutshell is there's no perfect morning routine don't be fooled by me or anyone else telling you you've got to do X, Y, and said, you don't. There is no perfect formula. Likewise, there's no one perfect time to get up. We're all different. We have different lives and it should be individual and obviously needs to ebb and flow. But there's a lot of research to show that a sense of morning routine, even just a short one, but just a few healthy habits first thing is very, very good for our mind. You know, simple, repeatable habits. It's creating rhythm, calm, just this

like steadier start to the day where you're lowering your stress levels as opposed to starting, like a headless chicken, which we can all relate to. And they basically had this like bucket list of things to pull up from to potentially include in your morning routine. So not like a one size fits all one, but just your personal one, which I really loved. Yeah, like things like put the kettle on. You know, nice things that you can just do to yourself because a warm drink first thing, you know, it's not just are you having a coffee?

Are you having a cup of tea? It's not just about the caffeine. It's the habit. It's the simple kind of ritual of that moment. yourself and I know I see it all the time you know influences say put the kettle on do 10 squats that's not quite for me but I think it's a good reminder for people that you know that is a minute you're giving yourself by just putting the kettle on in the morning and not overthinking the timing of everything because it's almost become this fashion to wait before you have your coffee isn't it

and I do agree with the nutritional science I know that people say it's not concrete but I think it is good to hydrate before you caffeinate I know not everybody does but for me I I think that's worked for my clients over the past 10 years. But that aside, there has been a review of evidence in 2024, so not that long ago, that found there was no proof that delaying caffeine makes any difference to your energy levels later on. So I actually think that that stemmed from a hydration and bowel movement area rather than energy because lots of people were saying,

oh, you're having caffeine too soon, you're just going to crash and have a rubbish day. And, you know, what I'm really disappointed in actually, off topic slightly from this article is I'm seeing so many help professionals doing what I eat in a day videos and I think they're just doing it because they know they go viral but I see the same thing again and again and it is that kind of message isn't it if I have this and then I'm going to feel so energized throughout the whole day but like this review says I think it's just about starting peacefully exactly that so we don't need you need to overthink the timing of your coffee basically as you really said like definitely have some hydration not just coffee but just enjoy it the other things

that they were including, which I think is super important, get up, get out. There is so much evidence that seeing sunlight or daylight as early as you can is so great for your circadian rhythm, your body clock. So light hitting your eyes early in the day suppresses melatonin, which obviously, you know, makes you a bit sleepier and boost your serotonin. And it tells your brain, like, get up, get out, like be awake, be alert. And that, again, will also help you sleep better at night. So you don't need to go for a walk because.

Again, that's not really particularly plausible, but literally just like open the window, open the door if you can, you know. Can you what I do that, Ella? Every day, part of, I realize this is my morning routine. I air all the bedrooms for 10, 15 minutes before I have to leave the house on the commute. Like all of the bedroom windows, I just open them in the morning first thing. And you do feel so much better getting a hit of air in the house. A hundred percent. The other thing they had, which I think super nice as well is move, don't punish.

So again, like the best time to exercise is obviously the best time for you and something that fits in your lifestyle. And it doesn't need to be something intense. But just gentle movement. So that could be, you know, walking some of your commute or, you know, just a short walk before you start work. If you're working from home, 10 minutes of stretching on the mat, you know, super, super simple. But it really can help you wake up, support your circulation, insulin sensitivity and just set, again, this positive tone for the day. It doesn't need to be intense. but you can wake up, put the kettle on, open the window, look outside, spend five minutes

stretching and don't start the day online. This obviously speaks to me here. Yeah, and I want to say, I think we need to be just very transparent and reframe that I think it's in our mindset too because most people, myself included, would say, well, I just, you know, my morning, this morning, for instance, I did two rounds of washing in the washroom. I was frantically getting the children breakfast. But actually, if I reframe that to I'm moving my body by bending down. and doing the washing and stretching up to put it on the line.

And I think it's just how we reframe the tasks that we have to deliver. And perhaps we can try and make that just remind us that actually that's movement, me doing those extra chores in the morning. It doesn't just have to look Instagram perfect, like a yoga mat in stretching. No, exactly. And it could be literally like three or four minutes. I think not starting a day online is a really important one because obviously like the scrolling, the checking emails, social media and news because that's for honest, World War III feels on the

drink, you know. And I bought more things on Amazon because of Instagram. Do you see what, you know, I bought these. She's preparing for doing. My husband was like, what the hell are you doing? He's like, what are these packages? And I bought some LED chargeable torches and these foil blankets. I guess I was like, I don't have a box.

I don't have the emergency box ready. That's what I message you. You know, I was like, Ella, my anxiety is so high. clearly there's something going on. Is it the moon? Unfortunately, it's actually a teeny moon at the moment, not on full moon. So calm me.

Oh my gosh, that's gold. But all I was going to say is like if all you committed to doing was exactly that, like don't turn your phone on until you've left the house or something. You know, make your drink of choice. Open the window and breathe the breath of fresh air. If you're doing washing or a task before you go to work in the morning before you leave the house, could you pop on a podcast or a bit of music like this idea if I'm I really like this premise I keep

having it in my mind at the moment is like how can I make this a bit more fun for myself and I mean that when I'm like cooking or washing up it's not I don't mean how can I make this more fun for myself I'm going to go to the cinema and bunk off work today I just mean like you know if I'm doing the washing up why don't I listen to something that interesting yeah or that I enjoy and so like sure it washing up, but I'm also actually really enjoying listening to this interview or learning a bit more about X or this is my favourite song or yeah, you're like bopping away to, obviously in my case, Taylor Swift. So it doesn't need to be these, it's not that you're avoiding life. It's just that I think actually often in these scenarios, it's like I could actually make it a bit more fun for myself. So why don't

I? It's not difficult. Did you watch that Taylor Swift documentary, the new one on Disney yet? Can I say, I'm such, so no one come at me because you know I'm such a fan of hers. I watched like half an episode, I was a bit bored. Oh really? Because I haven't seen it yet, so you don't recommend it. No, I have to keep going because I think all the reviews were so good and said she comes across incredibly well. And you do take from it. I think you see it so often with successful people, people like, oh, they're so lucky. And of course, there's a huge element of right time, right place and coming along at a moment where the world's interested in what you do.

But, you know, people like that, my God, they work hard. Yeah, of course they do all hours 24-7. It's such a myth that they're just live this relaxed life. Exactly. That came across really well in it. I wonder what her morning routine is. I bet Taylor Swift has an epic morning routine. I actually think she just gets up and they're like, right, you're on American TV at 6am this morning.

Off you go. Here's your coffee in the car. At least she does it in sparkles. Yeah, exactly. Glitters, glitter. Dopamine dressing. Anyways, so I think if you are looking for a bit more calm in your life this year, which I think so many of us are, as small,

gentle, totally reasonable, non-instagrammable morning routine that just involves savoring a moment or two. I mean literally a moment, a sip of coffee, like a breath of air, a nice song. It can be really, really powerful as opposed to opening your phone, scrolling, being stressed, and then just spending a whole day in that stress date, which just so many of us do and it's so normal. But these little kind of fire breaks almost in the intensity of days can just make such a difference. And we're literally talking about like three or four minutes here. If you want to get up 20 minutes earlier, then you would be afforded all sorts of beautiful gems. But that's not appealing for lots of people.

No, 100%. And if you're feeling anxious like I am, I suggest switching coffee sometimes to match or just trying a decaf a little bit as well. Because you never know that could also be helpful. So looking at your body as well is very important. and I actually thought we were done talking about detoxing, but we're not because we have headline two from the BBC and it's called How to Help Your Body Detox itself. But I think it's quite an important education piece, Ella. It was so interesting to me when I saw the headline because I thought, gosh, that feels very 2017. You know, detoxes, detox teas. I'm sure we all remember those.

And they got taken off the shelves, didn't they? Because you're not allowed to say it's a detox tea. Quite rightly. Anyways, so I feel this is a moment of the past and we move we move past it But the BBC of all places had that title and I think that's be honest It's just deliberately controversial because actually what they're talking about is very sensible And it's almost the antithesis of this which is saying actually like it's all very grounded The core message is your body already detoxifies itself very effectively

So it's not forcing detoxification but it's how do you support the systems that work hard in your body every single day. And actually that makes a huge amount of sense. And it's probably a really interesting and helpful thing to talk about. 100% because I think it discussed the language we use. So I think the word toxins in itself and toxic and detox is quite scary

and part of the problem because we've got this association with it. You know, the word toxin refers to things that are poisonous. But in the wellness world, you know, it's used in such vague ways across social media platforms. And you've got different people that claim that they're these products are toxic or we're detoxing our house or we're, you know, focusing on eliminating tons of different things. But actually, I think we need to understand the crux of what our organs are doing because we have an amazing system in our body. And I'm not saying, by the way,

that I'm not into the whole cleaning detox because I actually genuinely do believe that we have harsher chemicals than we require in our day-to-day lives a lot of the time in excess, probably. But we have a liver that also is a regenerative organ. We love a liver, kidneys, lungs and our gut, which are working all the time, Ella, to do their job so well. And we can start off by explaining little things by the fact that, you know, even just drinking tons of water. And, you know, there was a statistic that I wrote to my first book, Renourish in 2017, actually. In the UK, the average Brit drinks one glass of water a day. And I'm hoping that statistic has gone up. I will see if I can find something else again. But we're just not drinking enough water and it's such a basic way to

help our kidneys do the jobs that they need to do. And we had a review of 18 randomized control trials that found that drinking more water was associated with a reduced risk, you know, obviously of kidney stones and other things when it comes to removing waste. And I honestly think that this advice of, you know, drink eight glasses of water a day is just a bit outdated. It comes back to the 1940s when, you know, we had a lot more generally. But today, most people just really, we really need people to drink more water, Ella. Yeah, we really do. And that's why I liked this article. I think it was really clickbaity, so it got people in, but actually talked about six things that are so simple that helps you understand your body and how you can support your

body every day. And as you said, number one's water. We've got sleep, movement, alcohol, our lungs and our breath and fiber. All of these, which, as you said, do it make so much sense. Like, water is central to how the body removes waste. So, you know, it's quite difficult if we're not drinking enough water. You know, our kidneys are not going to be as effective at flushing out as much sodium and you're rearing from the blood and getting them into your urine. If we're dehydrated, you know, we know obviously dehydration part of constipation as well. Yeah, our gut lining. Exactly. We've got to get those poos out. It's important. And so this, I think it's helpful because It's like fact versus fiction when it comes to detoxing.

These systems are important. There are things we want to remove from our body, which is why we pee and poo. The worrying one for me is because, you know, I've not been functioning. As you all know, I got on the train. I didn't need to this morning. But sleep is one of the most underappreciated parts of the system. And, you know, when we're asleep, we talk about grey matter a lot. But we basically clear out waste products when we sleep that accumulate as well.

And that works alongside our liver. which is basically processing overnight when we sleep. That does its main job. As we both know, it metabolizes the hormones, drugs in our system, toxins in the environment. And when it is disruptive, which I think it basically is for every parent around the world, sadly, you know, we know that sleep does link to higher levels of inflammation, which is linked to so many other things that we just need to clear out our brain. So sleep to me is the one thing that I wish I have more control over.

It's the thing in this list that's really, really difficult to control. But equally, again, it's just that prompt of, like, if you can go to bed 20 minutes earlier, these small things. Yeah, it's very interesting, you know, not eating a heavy meal just before you go to bed. So you get more deeper sleep and small little tweaks, even if you can't control. The brick on your phone. Yeah. Because, yeah, you know, you could end up purchasing items you don't need like me late in the evening, panic buying.

So, yeah, let's all go to bed earlier. And the other things they had, so you're kind of aware of how you can support yourself movement. We obviously all know movement is so important, but what they were talking about in terms of this system is that your circulation, your lymphatic system, it's really important that, you know, because your lymphatic system doesn't have a pump of its own, you know, you've got to get moving to get that system going. And again, that's really important in terms of carrying waste products away from your tissues and then eventually, obviously, getting them out the body. So you don't need intense exercise, but just keeping. moving everyday little walks, gentle stretches, doesn't need to be intense, but it's really important to support the body's natural detoxification. I completely agree. So I think we really just need to go back to basics again and just remind ourselves of how incredible our body is and what it's

capable of. And one thing that definitely is in our control, I think a lot of people are aware alcohol, we know it's not good, we know frequent drinking increases the liver's workload. We know that lungs and breathing. I think we just don't think about it every day, but like, says just really focusing on breath work can be really helpful and trying to get into parks and clearer spaces. Even getting a plant in your flat or in your house can be, I think, a really helpful way of increasing the beneficial properties in the air around us. But the area that I love this article featured is fibre. Because as you know, I'm trying to make it cool. And I just don't think we're there yet. But in America, the stat is 97% of men don't

get enough fiber and 90% of women. So we are all just not consuming enough. And fiber alone lowers the risk of bowel disease. And in this country, we are having higher rates of bowel cancers in younger people. Fibers linked to the bacteria that live in our gut, which send messages to our brain every day and back and forth and they're responsible for reducing inflammation, strengthening the gut lining. I could go on and on about fiber. But what most people don't know is that fiber, actually binds to toxins. And with plastic, I wrote about this in the fiber formula. I have a whole page on plastics.

I know Ella and I have been obsessed and, well, worried. I think we're all worried about how much plastic we consume. But fiber pushes it out, essentially. It helps bind to toxic particles, things like arsenic, copper, extra stuff that you don't realize that we've got in tiny amounts. I don't panic. So fiber binds and our body eliminates basically the bile acids, lowers the cholesterol, reduces our heart disease risk.

And it's all these forever chemicals that fiber can get rid of. So essentially, Ella, I think the take home is eat more fiber, focus on fresh air, reduce your alcohol, move more, really think about sleep early night and to drink more water. I think it was a really, really helpful takeaway article. At MedCan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish.

Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan. Live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. I'm so excited to tell you about my brand new cookbook, Quick Wins, Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives. this one to make healthy cooking just simple when life is busy. So you'll find fridge ate suppers, one pound wonders and batch cooks that you can turn into two easy meals. Plus we have eight weeks of delicious meal plans to complete with shopping lists so all the thinking's been done for you. Every recipe also gives you plant points to help you eat more plants

so you can get your 30 plants a week. It'll all help you feel great and just make healthy cooking feel effortless again. So Quick Wins is out now wherever you get your books. Headline number three is mega, which is that the Trump administration has released updated dietary guidelines. And it's eat real food is the message. So this has come from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And it's all about prioritizing protein healthy fats and declaring a war on added sugar. I just want to say that this food pyramid was everywhere. And the reason being, before we even go into the article, because we will explain it.

Essentially, of course, the Guardian framed this as the Eat Real Food headline. Of course, that's progressive. But the pyramid does not reflect what the guidance actually says, Ella. So what was really confusing for us health professionals at first? And even dietitians in the States, I've got a few colleagues over there that I was actually messaging while framing this feature for today's podcast. But they look deeper into it. And the pyramid has carbohydrates at the very bottom, which kind of demonizes carbs. you know, whole growing carbs being placed at the very bottom of this pyramid.

And it's got red meat at the top. And it's really confusing. Important to say there, sorry, it's an inverse pyramid. So when you say the top, you're saying eat most of. And when we're saying the bottoms are the bottom, or bottom bottom of this inverse or the tip. And it's like saying oats are really, really bad for you, which is very confusing.

I think the interesting thing to say and the bit that I would say has been applauded pretty much universally is there. And obviously I also also. recognize he's a controversial character. We're not going to get into that today. But the bit that has been applauded from his supporters and critics alike is that when he launched this, he said, today our government declares war on added sugar, highly processed foods loaded with additives, added sugar and excess salt, damage health and should be avoided.

A secretary of health and human services. My message is clear, eat real food. Which is fine, but I totally agree with you, Ella. I mean, that's amazing that they're saying eat real food. But the image they've used to display this message is just totally wrong and confusing because they actually say in the guidelines you can have two to four portions of whole grain carbohydrates a day and that's what they're recommended. Whereas in the inverted pyramid, it makes it appear like they're saying you shouldn't really be eating carbohydrates and you should just be focusing on fats. And they recommend the really confusing bit about it I thought, first of all, was saturated fat. So they've recommended sticking to olive oil, which is fine, but then they said beef tallow and butter and ingredients that, of course, to them seem less processed, even though technically everything's kind of processed.

But if you were to follow their guidance, you would be well over the daily recommended intake of saturated fat that they actually stay is just 10% of your overall diet in the paper, which is about 20, 25 grams per adult. And if you were to have their recommendation of dairy and cook with the fats they're saying you cook with, everyone will go over that massively. Yeah, it's very confusing. As I said, I think there's a kind of general appreciation of the fact that also visually, everything's shown in the new pyramid is genuinely a whole food ingredient. Like it's everything in that what the exact ratios is the debated, but it's a sense of move to actual food again. which is really, really powerful. And I think interesting to see, I'm not expecting much, but how we or other countries respond

because our version of the same thing is not as whole food orientated. Yeah, the eat well plate that we have. And so actually, you know, does this mean there'll be like a general shift in what we eat? And that feels really good. So I'm coming at it from a health professional. If I worked in the States right now, I'd be like, okay, so nothing's actually changing from the advice I'm giving because this is the same advice I've been giving forever in accordance to the previous plate because it actually, it's just the visual.

So if I can just separate everything they're recommending, apart from saturated fat and red meat and UPFs, which is a really powerful, like Ella said, tool. And I think it's a fantastic shift. everything is the same. And speaking to dietitians that are working over there, they were saying that this pyramid is going to add mass confusion because of the visual they have chosen to use. So it is heavily, heavily debated because it's not anti-carb. And the biggest factor I think that's controversial, Ella, within it,

I'm all for reducing UPSs. I think we could take a lot from that in this country. And I actually feel some supermarkets like Marx and Spencer are doing really good. rangers and working forward. Waitrose, you're seeing them make changes. What other supermarket was like the other day? And I saw it.

I was like, oh gosh, everyone's jumping on board this, which is great. But red meat, Ella, is really taken like steps backwards. That part's really weird. The thing I really like on the pyramid versus our plate, because our plates obviously state the obvious circular. And it's got like packets of cereal on it. Yeah, and strawberry-flavored yogurt. I know.

Which like, I'm sorry. That's not on. I like please eat this every day list. Terrible, I know. Like obviously there's many worse things to eat, but like it is quite odd. And like the bread that they have on our one is like clearly like very processed bread. Yeah. So it's, it is, it is strange.

And it has like cereal on an insurance whole grade cereal, but it's still cereal. It's still very processed versus like a oat. Anyways. So I think ours is really odd and backwards. But because ours is a plate as well, what it's doing is showing you kind of proportionality, you know, a third vegetables, a third whole. grains and then a third divided between dairy and proteins essentially. But what I like about the pyramid is that, and obviously I agree, you know, red meat is

the top. It's the highest, you know, consume loads and loads of this, which is strange from obviously saturated fat perspective, all the evidence around that, the challenge that we have with heart disease at the moment across the world. And cancer. But also from a sustainability perspective, like excess consumption is not really helpful for us. So whereas there are no beans, There's not a single like bean or chickpea in sight, which again, it's not about having no red meat ever, but it's just the balance seems off on that. But what I do like is like so visually clear to ground your diet in veg and fresh food. And there's something about that and it not having a strawberry yogurt and it not having, you know, any ultra-processed food inside that is quite powerful. I don't disagree when you actually drill into it.

You think, okay, there's too much red meat. It's too much, but I like the clarity of Whole Foods that are there. And I think that's very different, obviously, to the average American diet and quite stark, I think, in response. So the beef tallow bits, the really weird bit, I feel like I've seen so much of that, people being like, why do we want to eat beef tallow? Yeah. So the one angle we have to cover, and I'm so with you, Ella, I think hopefully we will see positive change, not negative from this. I mean, that's what we've got to hope. We're already seeing companies manufacture things differently.

But we have to mention that a lot of the evidence, and actually the evidence doesn't line up. So you're looking at references from this new dietary advice from the US. You go to the reference and it doesn't actually match what it's said. So it's really poorly done in terms of scientific evidence and literature. And it's industry sponsored. So it's not a non-biased report. the way they've conducted the studies to go alongside the reason they've chosen this. It's like they've already chosen the outcome,

and then they're picking industry-leading scientists that work with the dairy board or work with the meatboard to support the inclusion of certain angles. But then you could argue with the UPF industry, isn't that what our government have done with the strawberry yogurt inclusion? And it's humongously nuanced, and there are so many facets to this conversation. But I'm hoping what Ella and I are really gaining from it, is that we are seeing changes we have not seen in decades when it comes to food. It goes without saying that having oats and bananas looking like something you should consume

in serious moderation is not helpful. And obviously the fact that it's then actually at odds with what's written is really, really confusing. But, and again, I'm not a fan. I know he's deeply controversial character. I don't want to get into any of that, just to be clear. But I do want to say, you know, no one's perfect. to stand up in front of the world and say, I am adamantly against essentially the rise of ultra-processed foods

and we must get back to eating real food again for our health. It feels a really watershed moment to me. And as I said, I know it's not perfect. I really, really do. So please don't come at me for that. But I do think that there's a lot to be said. I cannot for the life of me imagine someone in the UK standing up and saying, right, that's it.

We have got to eat real food again. Come on guys. I love your view on it. There's a lot of politics at the moment going on. It's very, the world seems like it's undergoing massive shifts and changes in dynamics. But I agree, Ella, that I think this can push companies to do better and do more. Like you've already done with Delicious, Ella. I, full transparency, had a job with a very big bread company last week, Warburton's.

This is just so, you know, this is somebody I worked with because they're a mass producer of loaves. I wasn't paid to mention this. I think it's really interesting. And they've launched a clean deck bread fiber fix, it's called, which contains multiple plants. I mean, that is a huge change for a company like that. And I think we're going to see, you know, all of them, Ella, think of all these mass-produced breads and all these bars

and all the things we have in this country. Perhaps this plate in America is now telling everybody we all need to change. Totally. And ultimately, look like consumers vote with their wallets. where people spend money, industry goes. You know, these companies are very important that they sell what people will buy. Imagine the chocolates as well.

Do you think they're going to... There's so many things. My head is spinning. I'm thinking of like children's products and foods that are marketed towards children. There's just so much that needs to change. I agree with you. It's a humongous stance, perhaps,

minus all the bits I don't like because the nutrition professional with saturated fat and red meat and all the rest in the right direction. Of course. you would push that much further down as to eat in moderation and have your chickpeas and your oats and your fibre because 97% are not getting enough in the US. So yeah. But to stand up and say I am essentially anti-UPF, we've got to eat real food again, especially the culture of

food in America. You know, I think it's quite an interesting turning point potentially. Well, yeah, maybe it's now finally saying goodbye protein powders and all these other supplements as well. that actually segueses nicely onto our trend today. We are talking at your request, guys. We've had so much on this. We had someone come in, for example, Sarah said this is such a big trend. I've noticed several wellness influencers are talking about peptide injections. Are those just g-lp1s under another name?

It's all intentionally vague, it seems. So we have seen so much about peptides and NAD plus is not a peptide, but I think it kind of falls into the same conversation at the moment. And again, I'm just seeing it everywhere, like every single publications talking about it. There was a line in Vogue that I think sums up quite well. After maxing out on protein powders and collagen scoops, TikTok's latest fixation is peptide stacking. Is this the next frontier in health or just another wellness fad in disguise? Let's discuss.

I saw it everywhere. I mean, it was because Ella and I messaged about this, but we needed to obviously break it down and look into a bit more. So there's a good quote you found that Ella. very interesting. So for all the listeners, peptides are those tiny chains of amino acids. So they're building blocks that make up proteins, usually fewer than 20, and they're laid out in a specific order. And that makes different shapes. And it allows them to bind to receptors in our body, which have a role with certain functions that they play out. You've got to look at Lego. That's the analogy I always got told at university. You know, they make different shapes.

They have different functions like hormones, neurotransmitters, antimicrobial agents, to send different signals. They all play a role in supporting our immune system and our metabolism. So they're in our body naturally anyway. So it's basic biology. So why then are people injecting them? That is the golden question. And suddenly everywhere.

So it's been, I think, one of the kind of fastest growing sort of buzzwords and wellness. I'd say this is in like pretty, I don't want to say elite wellness, but this is very expensive. But because it's quite snazzy, it's being picked up everywhere. People calling it peptide therapy. People are doing peptide stacks. So kind of a variation of their stack that they need for anti-aging, energy, fat loss, muscle gain. Again, when I was reading around this, L was talking a lot about who takes these peptides. And their article was called Me, New York's Peptide Princess and the Wellness Shots taking over luxury features.

And it was basically looking at this high-end market and they interviewed a doctor as part of this. And he was describing the typical user as someone who wants to go beyond eating well and exercising. they're outwardly healthy, high functioning, sort of super into wellness, but basically they're exhausted and they're looking to feel better and age well. And I think it is really interesting. It's kind of, you know, I want to do the right things,

but actually I'm really busy, so I'm going to essentially sort of have a shortcut, but like I think that is what we're looking for here. We're looking for our kind of super elixia, yeah, shortcuts essentially for life. And so they're basically using these various peptides in injections and then, often having multiple of them together alongside various supplements or hormones, very focus on longevity or performance.

I mean, I just want to say that injecting anything comes of a risk. And I think it's really, really important to state there's no clinical trials on humans on this. Whenever you're injecting anything, who is injecting it into you? There's so many unregulated health professionals now. When you said that line, Ella, about peptide princesses, it made me think of like gossip girl days. You know, the sort of thing you'd have Blair and Sereney. doing on the side with their wellness habits, but that wasn't a thing back then when that was filmed. It reminds me a little bit of IV drips in that sense, which is that, you know, there's small amounts of research as I understand.

It's as potential, potential. Let's just really underline the word potential in the future for regenerative longevity medicine. I don't think we're saying or anything I'm reading and saying this is complete nonsense. There's no foundation for this. We've never used this. but what it is is an unregulated, poorly studied, does not have any evidence outside the clinical setting. This is way too premature. It's a future something. And it's one thing if you're doing that under the nose and guidance of a regulated doctor. It's really another thing to buy these on the internet. So, you know, this is not a well-evidence thing in kind of day-to-day human consumption. And so you do, you not want to be buying these and regulating it yourself. Just think about what we've already said. Do you remember the detox feature at the start? Most people just aren't drink enough water and I'm sure you'd feel more energized.

You know, you do feel more awake and less fatigued when you're hydrated. Exactly. So I think my summary from everything that I've read on this and everything I've come to understand is that it's not, I think IV drips generally you could probably dismiss it's just like really nonsense. And I think with this, we may find in five or ten years from now, there was something quite interesting here, but it is not in a place to be kind of buying willy-nilly for want of a better expression. I agree completely. And it's where the NAD Plus fits in as well.

Because what's so interesting about these treatments, the reason they get traction is because there is science behind it. Of course, peptides are a thing. They're inside our body. We can build blocks of different shapes and structures. And it makes sense that as science experiments with this, but we just don't have the studies yet. And if we do, I would love to see if that progresses somewhere in the future. Gosh, if there was something that could make me feel more energized every day, Ella. I mean, I'm scared of injections a little bit, but I would give it a go. But the NAD plus levels, now that's a part of our body.

It's a co-enzyme. And it's involved in that cellular energy production and repair at a mitochondria level. So we're talking about the way we tick, the way we burn and use energy every single day. But those levels naturally decline, almost like muscle mass declines with age. So it's definitely been linked to something that a lot of menopausal women start taking NAD plus. That's what I've seen a lot on my algorithms. I'm not sure about you, Ella, where you've seen this one slotting in. Yeah, again, it's all to do with longevity, really, kind of alongside peptides, which is why we sort of thought we should do them together, although technically they're different things. It is this

kind of, yeah, pursuit of perfect longevity where I think it comes in. And I think it goes without saying, as you said, really, like, I see people taking these online and saying, like, this has transformed my life. And it's pretty appealing, you know. Do you remember when I was working with, I was doing some consultancy? Because as part of retrition, I'm often asked to review other products or businesses. And I was doing some work with a health tech app at the beginning of last year. And that's when I started wearing that aura ring. I never actually got to see any results from it because the app didn't progress and I was gutted, Ella.

I didn't get to check it out. But they'd asked me, what do you think about these NAD plus injections? We could add it on part of the app that everywhere in LA right now, they were saying it was so expensive, Ella, that I said, right, I don't think this is for me. And things started to fizzle out. But it was so expensive. Yeah, they're super expensive.

And again, it's sort of in the same sphere, as you said, It's not that this is nonsense. Like it's really not, but there's just currently very limited evidence that injecting it is going to have a meaningful impact on improving aging or health outcomes and just otherwise kind of normal people. And so given that these are really expensive, given, you know, injecting substances into yourself is not a kind of small thing to do.

It's not like, you know, I think everyone listening knows that we and I are massive fans of like, athletic green type green powders. But I wouldn't recommend spending your money on it. I think there's much better ways to improve your health. Is it risky? Like, no, not really. I just wouldn't do it. And it's quite gross.

Whereas with this, it's like you're injecting substances into yourself. I just, and they're very expensive. I would exhaust all other options in terms of fatigue and supporting aging before going down there. And if you were going to spend that much money on recurrent injections, I would spend it on working with a professional to optimize your health, be that a therapist, if it's your mental health, be that a nutritionist on your diet,

be that a personal trainer for your, you know, or to support your kind of energy and your longevity. Like I just think there's so much evidence behind doing all of those things and you, if you really want to kind of whittle down and kind of really perfect form into a better word or your different routines, I would spend your money on working with qualified support in all those areas before I would do it, injecting things

until we have much, much, much more information on it. I 100% agree. Please check anybody injecting anything into you is a, I would say a doctor, if ideally, someone that knows the anatomy of your body that is regulated, that you know you can trust that's getting a good quality source of something, they understand what's in it.

And you have a clear lay of the land, right? Like if you, you know, I've had some health challenges the last few months. I've just done loads of blood tests. That will tell me some information that I can then act on, obviously, with a guided by a professional. But again, it's the same thing that you don't want to just start injecting things into you and you don't really know the state of where you're at pre-injecting it.

So it sounds so appealing. And I so get it when I see people doing it. It's part of my reason to get off social media. I'm like, I just don't need to be more influenced to do things I don't need to do. I sometimes feel sometimes like what on earth. I going to do when I'm 50 and I'm seeing everyone around me with facelifts. You know these types of scary things and there's no shade if that's what you want to do and you can afford that and that's fine. But there's something we all have to question ourselves, don't we? Our inner selves,

what are we happy and comfortable with? Totally. And that's objective and that's to be decided by each of us as individuals and there's no judgment or prescription. But I think the word of caution on this is sometimes if something sounds too good to be true, it is. And I think I'd think I'd. put these in that camp and watch this space though i think it could be super interesting five 10 15 years from now yeah 100 percent so wow that was a jam packed episode today ella i feel like we've covered some huge huge ships the world of wellness is changing in 2026 it's changing and it's pretty intense so we will ride it together guys thank you for being here we will be back obviously on thursday we've got all of your questions on thursday we're going to be talking about i

cholesterol. One of the craziest questions we've had so far, sardine fasts. We're going to be talking about red light masks, all sorts of things. So yeah, we'll see you guys on Thursday. Thank you for listening. Bye.