The Wellness Scoop - Hormones, Healthy Skin and the Truth About Oats

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

In this Extra Scoop we’re tackling your brilliant listener questions, from why your period might stop after restrictive eating to what’s really going on with phytic acid in oats and whether you should worry about skincare ingredients like BHT and phenoxyethanol. Rhi shares her clinical insight into hypothalamic amenorrhoea, how to restore hormonal balance and why food freedom is key to recovery. We unpack the truth about “anti-nutrients” and why your homemade muesli is still a gut-friendly win, plus practical guidance on eating for each phase of your menstrual cycle. It’s a real-world, science-meets-sanity episode on how to care for your body, inside and out. 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 both here as your host. I'm Ella Mills. And I'm Rihanna Lambert. And today we are diving into some amazing topics that you've chosen. Thank you. We love the messages. So let's go. So this is our Q&A episode. So if you guys have questions you want to add, remember Spotify comments, Apple podcast comments, or you can email them to. me, Ella at Deliciously Ella.com. We love hearing from you guys. What's so nice, Ella, before we go on as well, is seeing you all interacting on Spotify as well, like replying to

each other. And we do read it. So we do store everything and we will get around hopefully to nearly all the topics. I think we will in time. Have you got any good wrecks for us this week, Roe? Rex this week, no. You just got to be honest about these things, haven't you? I'm a bit of a blank canvas this week. I feel like I'm starting term again and schooling. and getting into, I'm just so head deep in book, Ella. So please, Ella, give us some recommendations. I will give you one. I have got one this week.

So thank you. Lisa, I was like, that's good because when one of us does, it's helpful. Do you know what I'm obsessed with? Okay, you know I love my morning routines. Yes, you are good at that. I just think it's this sense, right, that oftentimes days run away from us. They're really busy, unexpectedly so. You never know what's coming.

And ultimately, there is something for me personally, but I'm sure I'm not alone in it in how you set the tone for the day and just taking a minute literally like just fractions of time to do something nice for yourself first thing in the morning I find so valuable

it's probably maybe it's because I've always had like relatively low self-esteem so it's effective I don't know if you would agree with this for you but like there's something about sort of saying like oh I actually do you matter like I'm going to be kind to myself

by doing little nice things first thing in the morning as opposed to just being a full headless chicken. And I just find that kind of ripples into my day. I think is why I like my morning routine. I think that's lovely. I think it also stems into trying to help yourself out first thing in the morning. I guess maybe a wreck I could do is I actually laid the table knowing that I've been solo parenting and I had a really busy start. I lay the table the night before and get out everything that I possibly can get out that's not in the fridge, set the whole table. So when I come down in the morning, It's just easy.

You're thinking of your future self, so you did have a wreck. I did. Okay, so the thing I've added to my morning routine, that's my rack, is dry body brushing. Yes, I saw you say that. I've got two of those things. Have you? I love it. But do you actually keep it up?

Because I remember people talking about this again so long ago and then I got them, but I got them for the wrong reasons, anti-cellulite. And before I went to university, I had them thinking that celebs do it to get rid of celluline. So dry body brushing is basically like. it's not really bristly but it kind of tingly on your skin level of bristle and you're meant to do it sort of upward towards your heart essentially so up on your legs down on your arms it's meant to be really good for your lymphatic system do you do it on your arms because i found it was quite rough on my arms i found it easy to do it on the legs yeah oh yeah i love it do it everywhere and who knows if it actually has well let's do a transaction on this i'm going to do some research

in terms of the any studied health benefits or dry body brushing and the lymphatic system but getting your lymphatic system moving. It's important. Exercise, etc. helps with that too. But it just feels really nice. And there's something about, as I said, like, I was really tired on the weekend and on Sunday morning, we had a sleepover with my nephews on over Halloween. It was all so cute, but it was super sugar-filled and not a huge amount of sleeping in the overing. And I was just neckered. And so, but I did it. And I did a face mask and I did that. And I just felt so good. But I'm loving it. I will come back to you guys with more, if there's any evidence on dry body brushing. There is, because when I got diagnosed with Reynolds, when I was a teenager at the GP, they told me to dry body brush before I got into it because of the wrong reasons with cellulite.

But I love it. And anyway, I did put it on Instagram, though, and I had loads of questions about the one I'm using. I like it because it's a brush and it has a long stick. That's what I need a long stick. Long stick. I would say excuse the name because it's from a brand called the skinny confidential when it says my favorite name. Sorry. But actually the brand's got loads of like, you know, guashar and like face rollers and things.

like that. But their dry body brush, 10 out of 10. I love that. Just change your name and then we love it. I know. I'm shan's about it a little louder. But that's probably why I used to think it was to do with Cellulite. I'm going to try it now. That, okay, you've inspired me, Ella. That's going to be in my routine now this week. I'll give it a go. Now, our first question today is actually related to a question from last week. So it's a sort of question slash pickup that comes from Maya. And Maya says, I just finished listening to today's episode on gluten and dark chocolate. So if you haven't listened, we were talking about dark chocolate in relation actually to 30 plants a week, but then also that it has sorts of health benefits, like polyphenols, etc.

And Maya's then asking, I wanted to ask further about chocolate. I'm a huge dark chocolate fan like yourselves. And I know Rhee has cleared up that it is healthy, but I still struggle to believe this. Not because I doubt your knowledge at all, read that's in capital letters. Maya is not doubting you. But just because I know that dark chocolate contains saturated fats, sugars and emulsifiers, plus it can be a UPF. Although dark chocolate contains polyphenols, isn't it better to be getting those polyphenols from berries and veg instead? And when I do buy dark chocolate, what should I be looking out for? I really likes this question. It's a good one. And I think you should start, Ella, by just

explaining the different types of chocolate because I'm going to add a, there's a moral kind of compass placed on food again and we'll get into that. So do you want to break down the difference? Because you make chocolate. Yeah. So so new bits of your question, Maya, I want to pick up on actually. First of all, I just want to say, you are 100% right, Maya, that you would be better getting polyphenols from berries. Like, that is true. A punnet of berries versus 100 grams of dark chocolate, you're getting more health benefits

from the berries. But that, I would say, it's just not reflective of the world that we live in and who we therefore are as individuals. And I think most of us like treats, we like something sweet, we like a pudding. And then it's all about, we talked about it's at length on Monday and my bug bear of the word balance and they're not really representing balance. But it is then about finding the right balance. And dark chocolate is one of those foods that can have. And we'll talk about the different types of dark chocolate and how it's made in a sec. But it can have those health benefits over 70%. It has got, as you said, those polyphenols, etc. It counts as one of your 30 plants a week. It's much better than a bag of sweets. And so on your continuum of like berries at, one end, Harry Bo at the other. That's in the middle. Dark chocolates sits in the middle. The UPF dark chocolate is in the middle and then we'll talk about the different types.

So you want a treat? It's a really good one and I think, you know, most of us do want that in our lives. So I think it's not about being perfect. It's about making better choices when we can to support our health. And so that's how I would see you're right. It is better to get it from berries and veg, but most of us don't just want to eat broccoli and blackberries, basically. So do you want to break down, Ella, that the quality of chocolate, it does matter because the ones that are researched in studies that I discuss are not the Bourneville's. Yeah. So chocolate is, again, keep using the word continuum. That's called a sliding scale. Sorry, Bourneville, by the way. My father-in-law loves Bourneville and I keep trying to say it's not really

dark chocolate. Yeah. Look, like so many foods, chocolate exists on a sliding scale where you've got kind of your classic dairy milk and galaxy at one end and then sort of small batch 90% on the the end and as always there's lots of things in between what we know is that really for the health benefits you want the 70% plus so you want dark chocolate but it doesn't have to be 90% because lots of people again won't enjoy that it's just simply not sweet enough now we did a delicious yellow make our own chocolate for a while it's actually not in market anymore oh I'm sad because it was the kids I remember me loads of bars one oh my gosh I loved it when that was do you know what yeah it just wasn't a wild success I get it because the

chocolate market must be incredibly difficult. Everyone's got emotive connections to chocolate and childhood memories. They do and unfortunately such a broken record. I feel like I keep saying this but it's more expensive to make it without emulsifiers and things in and most consumers just when it comes to treats aren't really that bothered about that sort of things. We'd rather have the cheaper version. But we do make our own chocolate for things like our dip nuts, etc. So I can say firsthand it is more than possible to make chocolate without using UPFs. You don't need an emulsifier in there. You really don't. But it's harder and more expensive to make it without amalgifiers. So chocolate doesn't have to be a UPF. There are brands out

there who don't use any UPFs in their chocolate. And you'll just have like cocoa, cocoa butter, some form of sugar, maybe a little bit of vanilla, but you don't need to have artificial flavorings. You don't need to have emulsifiers. And that's as you go up the cocoa scale, right? Because it is, is it harder when you do a white chocolate, for instance? I mean, I think it's impossible. to make a non-U-PF white chocolate. That's what I mean. But in a dark chocolate, but it's just more expensive.

Ultimately, it's just more expensive. You can, it is slightly creamier when you're using an emulsifier because you're getting that emulsification, but you can have a fantastic tasting chocolate. But there aren't loads of brands that do it. And again, we come back to the same problem, which is that ultimately it is more expensive.

But then, you can speak to this. We're talking about, you know, then you take a brand like a Montezuma, for example, in the UK, which is really great ingredient deck. and has a small amount of something in it as an emulsifier. Again, all things considered, that's a much better choice than so many other sweet options, I would say. It's a continuum.

It is a continuum. I almost wish that I could have all the chocolates here in front of me now. That'd be a fun game to play. Let's do that for Christmas. Oh my gosh, should we do a Christmas chocolate hierarchy scale? Let's see. And then we can eat them all. Yeah, I know.

That would be like the best test ever. But I think I was reading this question and my clinician hat went on with the moral compass of foods. So we've explained that the studies, I don't think I ever said chocolate was a health food. Perhaps I did use that language, but it's really interesting because, yes, studies dictate there can be health benefits from consuming it,

but to label chocolate as it's healthy, therefore it could be compared to berries, isn't correct at all. You can't compare foods to fruits and vegetables that contain the fiber, the vitamins, the minerals, the different aspects within them. However, this is where we start to see problems of good and bad foods with things like chocolate, because this is what triggers disordered eating and overeating of items.

Once you deprive yourself of what you really want, you are more likely to overeat it or just think about it nonstop. And then other habits can spiral. So I think it's totally acceptable. Even if it was Bourneville as dark chocolate, I'm really sorry I've used that as an example, but it's the only one I could think of with a low cocoa percentage that, parades as dark chocolate. Even just having like two or three squares of that every day is not going to harm you if your overall diet is good and that's okay. But if you were to have that 75 to 80%

chocolate every day, you're then going to see the benefits that we've discussed, which is those polyphenols, the stem cells that can escalate from having that drinking chocolate that's really dark every day. So for me, it's more about train yourself gradually in your taste buds. They can get used to darker chocolate to enjoying it. And I find there's something about. that crunch of dark chocolate in the morning and on a winter's day. I don't know why. I've got a thing. Like, I could happily wake up. I have chocolate in the morning. Nearly always. That reminds me of Christmas. Yeah, that's what I mean. Maybe it's just because I am. 5 a.m. Chocolate buttons. I am just Christmas. Honestly, I feel like the first of November hit. And I was like,

oh, thank goodness. I can not talk about Christmas. I got a coffee this morning and they were playing like, it wasn't jingle bells, but it was that sort of vibe. I've got two Christmas gigs that I love the Christmas songs, Ella. I'm doing, oh, holy night and all sorts of traditional carols. So anyway, look for 70% plus and the darker chocolate you go, the more likely they are to be less ingredients, short of this. Would you say, Ella? Yeah, for sure. Great question. My, thank you so much. Okay, lovely question here from Brumwin, who says, hi, Ella and Marie, I just have to say my daughters and I love your podcast and we really try to take on board your advice. The fact that you guys are so knowledgeable, we'll separate facts from sensationalism and a trusted source is so

reassuring. Thank you. We followed Reeve for many years too. I have a question about skincare, although in recent years I try really hard to cut out additive, stabilizers, etc. I'm getting myself stressed by looking in what I put into my face. I would love to use a retinal but cannot find any without B.HT and phenoxy ethanol. I would love to know what skincare products you would recommend or use. I'm 61, so much older than you, but my girl's similar age to you both. Thanks for everything you do. Oh, do you know what? We've got all ages that listen to this podcast and I think that's what's so refreshing is that there are actionable tips for everybody. I will say, it's a thank you, Bronwyn and family.

I'm not a dermatologist or a skin expert. So I think we need to have a listen to somebody that definitely could potentially have those answers. But when it comes to recommending, I think it depends on your skin type, doesn't it? For sure. Look, I think I've always felt this that food is quite straightforward, right? We're talking about UPFs, for example.

You go into Tasco's, what's Santeris? You can generalise more with food. Yeah, I think this idea that, you know, look for kitchen cup and ingredients, most of us can then turn over back a pack and that we're like, oh, what on earth is E452 or whatever it is, as opposed to skincare where you turn over back a pack and it's sort of, it's complete foreign language. I have no idea. I'd have no idea. Exactly. And some people have oily types or dry types. It depends how hydrated you are. I can only really give dietary tips for skin. So let's get a voice note from Dr. Thithy, who we've had on the podcast before and she is going to get. give us more of a breakdown here so you can get some concrete advice that's not guesswork. I don't think Ella and I want to give you guesswork. Thank you for your question asking about retinoles which don't contain preservatives such as BHD and phenoxy ethanol.

So there are a few options here. You can get retinoles that are in oils and those ones need less preservatives in them. So an example of that is bioma sensitive retinol oil that does not contain BHT or phenoxyethanol. An alternative is, however, a natural plant-derived type of retinal called Bacuchiole. And Bacuchiole is a gentler version of retinol. There's quite a few brands that do Bacuchial serum. This includes dose by Victoria Health. They do a super Bacuchial serum.

And this is in a natural oil called squalane. And squalane is a natural oil that's present in the skin. So both of those are gentle options that don't contain. the preservative that you're concerned about. Thank you so much, Thivvy. And to add to that as well, I've got another incredible dermatologist, Dr. Anjali Marto, and she's also written to me a little bit of an explanation around this area. And she said that there's a lot of confusion around ingredients like B.HT and phenoxial ethanol.

She said that both are actually approved by the UK and E regulators and are used in tiny safe concentrations. Now, they act as preservatives to stop products growing bacteria or going off, which is really important for skin health. But she has said, unfortunately, and she's got an inverted comment, the clean beauty movement has made people unnecessarily anxious about them. So there's no credible evidence of harm at cosmetic levels. Unless you have a specific sensitivity, you don't need to avoid them. And she said, in fact, using unpreserved products can be riskier. So the focus should be on well-formulated skincare that suits your skin type rather than fixating on single ingredients.

And to me, Ella, it sort of makes sense because I don't really understand what I'm reading on the back of skin packets sometimes. And I think we've just all got unique skin that needs different things. This episode of The Wellness Scoop is sponsored by Stripe and Stair. I have been wearing their pants and their PJs since the start of the year. And it is honestly the only brand in my draw now. Me too. And I don't think you really think about underwear until you try these and then you realize how good it can actually feel because they're genuinely the most comfortable knickers I have ever worn.

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It's true. I can contest. I'm wearing them now and I'm a huge fan. And with gifting season coming up, they make the perfect present for your sister, your mom, your best friend. I think anybody really. It's that kind of comfort all year kind of gift. Exactly. And same with their sleepwear. As I said, I've been wearing their PJs all year and it's made from that same buttery soft fabric too. It feels like sleeping in a cloud. I love that. So gift the gift of comfort, everybody, 365 days a year at stripe and stare.com. And you can use the code. Wellness, all in capitals, W-E-L-L-N-E-S-S for 20% off. And trust us, once you try them, you will not want to wear anything else. We've now got a question from Lauren that says, Hope You're Both OK. I love listening to the podcast every week, and I learn so much. And would you believe it, I'm feeling so much better for engaging in healthier habits. Yay, Lauren. I did have a massive smile on my face.

Me too. I love it. I've had one all day. I really love these questions sessions. I just have a question, she said, about a healthy, eating when you're on your period. I generally react well to fibre, shall we say, but normally the first couple of days of my period, I'm super sensitive and my bowels just cannot tolerate the healthy, fibrous foods. She says it's frustrating because unless I'm at home, I won't be eating much fruit and veg for the first few days of my period because it will go straight through me. Do you have any advice around this or any healthy foods that will be more compatible for that

time of month? Or shall I just embrace it for the first few days? And then thank you, so much for all your wisdom please never stop this podcast love it Lauren we love this show too so we are so with you on that you know what I love talking about this just because for women when you have a period when you have a as in like when you have a monthly cycle I think that the more you know about what that cycle means and what the different stages of it entail in terms of how you feel mentally and physically. It's so incredibly empowering. And I remember the first time there's a really good book called Period Power by a lady called Maisie Hill. And I remember the first time I read it and I was just like, it just was so powerful. It's like, right, this is why you feel really down or emotional before your

period. There's nothing wrong with you. Don't worry. This is really normal. And it's just brilliant. And it's very normal as well to have digestive changes throughout your period. So I think I would really recommend that. if anyone is, and as good as an audio book as well, probably, I can imagine, wants to know a bit more to get that sense of empowerment, because obviously you've got your different stages of menstruation, follicular, ovulation, luteal. And I know I feel so fundamentally different as I go through a monthly cycle. It's so important we learn more about our hormones. And really sadly, women are only just as we know starting to get a light shone on the fact that we deserve to have this investigator. We deserve to learn more. another great recommendation is the gyne geek she's known as an Instagram

Dr Anita Mitre she's an obstetrician and every day she yeah surrounds herself in the matters of female health so there are different stages aren't there Ella of menstruation anyway that we need to learn about and understand exactly we just give us a kind of an overview and particularly what happens to our digestion as we go through it a thousand percent and we all feel things differently and you know I even feel ovulation pain now which I never used to have before children So I think it's really important that people understand there's so many different things that can happen.

So first of all, if you look at the actual menstrual phase, which is the bleed itself, this is when your hormones, estrogen and progester, are actually lower. But this potentially impacts our iron. And some people, of course, will get cramps. And this is the time when your digestion might also feel a bit irritated

and you're generally lower in energy. And I think it's really important around that time. And it must sound so cliche, oh, you're losing blood, eat more iron. But it is true. we do need to be aware of where it comes from in our diet, which is even things like pumpkin seeds, Ella, we talk about sprinkles all the time, don't we, on porridge, if you eat eggs or fish, that sort of thing. And you need vitamin C alongside those plant-based iron sources,

particularly like lentils, pulses, to help your gut absorb the iron. But things that are not going to help us around that time, which can actually make fluid retention worse. I think a lot of us feel that a lot, the fluid retention and the cramps. You know, it's having a lot of highly processed foods. It's the UPFs again. Caffeine. Cutting your coffee around the bleed time in your cycle, interestingly, some research says it can really help you cope better. So you might feel like you need it more because you feel so exhausted, but actually it can have the opposite effect. And then foods in high and salt, basically, which affect water retention. So that's the period itself. But I think what's so fascinating what Ella's discussed about discovering is that

other phases as well. So you've got the kind of after that phase, which is when I always feel so much better after my period. Oh my gosh. You're just winning a life. Yeah. I'm like, I feel great. I've got energy again. I feel normal. And that's post period. It's called follicular. And that's when estrogen begins to rise. I mean, we love estrogen. We love it. Insulin sensitivity, though, does tend to be higher. But energy, creativity. all go up and that's when you can get back on your healthy diet again. You feel more motivated. Most women feel they can stick to that Mediterranean-style diet pattern after their period

because energy is higher. We don't have those cravings in the same way, but I'd still obviously avoid EPFs if you want. The stage that I find is really interesting. Like I discussed, I get pain around this period now in my cycle, but ovulation phase. Because when estrogen peaks, this is kind of a really short window of a few days. But energy and appetite change.

you might suddenly be like, I'm so hungry. I just need to eat more and more. And this is when this is your opportunity to get those healthy fats in, those mono and polyunsaturated fats. Don't forget your vitamin D guys this time of year. And just really, really watch again those very salty high foods because water retention when we ovulate is also a thing. People like myself can also get cramps and that makes it worse with water retention.

So you really need to get the fluids going. and I'd say the worst time Ella I don't know is this a hundred percent and this is the phase that I think you're referring to here Lauren which is the luteal phase so that's post-population pre-period just know you're normal yeah and it's really normal as your metabolism sort of is up a little bit you've got more cravings it's really normal to have because of these change in your hormones a much more sensitive digestive digestive system like that kind of yeah very common so common and I've written all of this out it's on the nutrition website somewhere. I pulled it from one of our blogs and we use this in the clinic

a lot. But this is where you actually want to be focusing. It's really hard to do because of the blood sugar dips that you're experiencing post-ovulation just before your period. It's called PMS. I mean, some people have PMDD. There's so many different factors that can involve it. But you want more quality proteins and healthy fats. You really need those magnesium rich foods, which most of us do get enough of, despite what the internet tells you, avocado, banana, legumes, chocolate even spinach. Chocolate, if it's a higher percentage, that's what we want to be aware of there.

High fibre carbs, all of that sort of stuff. And again, caffeine just before your period. I think we forget, don't we? Because we're so used to having a period every month, if that's your age bracket. And sadly, of course, so many people experience this differently because not everyone's got a regular cycle. Everyone's got different things.

We're just learning more about endometriosis. But caffeine makes it so much worse. It can exacerbate all the symptoms around that luteal phase. so can refined carbohydrates, high sugar, high salt, fast dipping foods. Even though we really want to reach for that bag of sweets, I'd almost save those foods for the week where you're feeling great alongside your balanced diet. But who can live like that? I can't.

She's got the willpower of steel. No, I don't. This is just it. I need to look at my app where I track my period and I'm like, oh, that explains it. But linked to the digestion bit, you know, with the diarrhea is, symptoms when you're just about to come your period. It's totally normal because of estrogen is also stored in our gut linings and our bowels. So it makes sense that when estrogen levels fall and rise, that we experience different digestive issues there. And what I would

advise you to do is just stick with it and try to still continue to eat healthy foods. And it is actually normal to have looser bowel movements just before and around your period. Often for some women, it's a sign their period is coming. So that's, I hope that's reassuring. It's normal. It's so helpful. That's why I found learning about your cycle so helpful because it's that normalization and like you I track it just I do it super simply just literally on the iPhone like the inbuilt app we never used to know anything no and like how amazing it's in an iPhone but I just find it so helpful because I'll suddenly be like oh my gosh the world's ending like doom and gloom literally nothing will happen and I'll be you know my train will be

late or like I miss a train or something and I'll be just like about to sob on the floor or snap I tend to snap oh I'm just like why am I so snappy today I'm just an emotional rat It's not fair. I wish I was just normal all the time. But that is normal, you know. It's normal for us, women. It's normal. But I identify my iPhone and then always pops up with like, your periods do. And I'm like, ah, right, haven't turned into like a fundamentally different person.

But I really am. I do find that like really affects me those few days beforehand. And the more I realize that it's normal and the more I realize there's a reason for it and it's not me and there's something wrong with me. But if you are concerned, I think we should also say, because we're, were discussing this actually before we came on air to record. If you feel there is something inherently wrong with you, do not feel like your GP work list and you have to go. Like you just have to get yourself checked out because there's so many different things going on sometimes, but we can't always be 100% sure. That is great advice. Okay, we move on to Hannah. Hannah says,

I've never emailed a podcast before. Thanks, Hannah. And we're on it. But listening to you and re-discussing low-carb diets and thought it was time. Last year I learned about whole foods and avoiding UPFs and gained a lot from it. But as the year went on, I added more rules based on what I thought was healthy. I got into intermittent fasting and keto too. I felt pretty good, but I actually lost my period. Although I went from overweight to a normal BMI, I think this was just too low for my set point. Or the intermittent fasting slash keto just did not suit my body type or hormones. It's been a year now and sadly I have still not got my period back. I've I've researched lots on this as eating a lot more, all food groups and gaining my weight back, but no luck yet.

I've never heard you talk before about hypothermic aminaria, but I wanted to shine a light on this in case anyone else is accidentally going down this path of adding on rule on rule. And also if re has any advice for me, I've had an internal ultrasound with nothing. So this is all hormone base for me. First of all, Hannah, thank you so, so much for being so honest and so open. Yeah, and wanting to share this because actually, you're right, we have. haven't mentioned this and actually it's quite common unfortunately and it's a really important topic and I just want to say it's this this is the thing that I find and rea I'm sure you feel

the same way so difficult when it comes to talking about health and wellness because some of this you know like we're talking about processed meats for example there's things out there that aren't very good for us and we want to talk to be able to talk honestly about what a kind of healthy diet and healthy lifestyle looks like. Without upsetting anyone. Yeah, and without creating a world in which we all feel like we have to have so many rules and restriction that there's actually kind of harmful consequences. So Hannah, thank you for flagging. I think this is really important. Rhee, first of all, will you just explain to everyone listening what hypothalmic ameneria is and why it happens? It's really important. It's actually very common in athletes, female athletes as well,

because they maintain very low body fat percentages. And without that extra fat, we've got to remember are hormones and building blocks of hormones, they're transported stored in tissues. So when you have lower fat percentage, you're less like to be able to have a period because your body's saying, well, you don't have enough body fat. I don't feel like you are in the right phase to have a baby, essentially evolutionary. That's what your body's saying to you. So it kind of puts a pause on your period. And the brain down regulates the reproductive hormones due to the stress on the body that can come from this as well. So aminorea means without a cycle. And can be physical. It can be under-eating, which we see a lot in eating disorders, particularly

anorexia. We tend to find those that are bulimic keep cycles, but this data can vary. Every case is unique and over-exercising or emotional stress. And the body does know that there's not enough energy to support the cycle. It pauses everything. It's a protective mechanism. And our body's really clever at doing that. It also can also give us a psychological protective mask, a state of euphoria when we go through periods of starvation, that sort of thing. But I've actually got a voice note from one of the clinicians that specialises in eating disorders as well just to go into a little bit more detail because I think it's really, really important that you don't just get this from me, but you get somebody that trains others. I mean, Sarah Elder

trains other eating disorder dietitians in the UK and she works for the charity beat. And nourishment is so important for our body, Ella, because before we just play this voice note, I don't think anybody talks about this online. You see it and you can see very clearly over-exercising, under-eating or pretending you're eating. It just leads to a loss of a period and people might think that's normal but it's actually your body not being healthy. Completely. And I think it's, I think as I said, it's just one of these real challenges in the world of health and wellness. Like, yes, there might be research that intermittent fasting can be really beneficial. That doesn't mean it's beneficial for you. Likewise, a ketogenic diet can be really beneficial. We have seen that in some

research for weight loss, that doesn't mean it's good for your body. And so I think it's this really difficult thing where, again, like not to overly simplify a complex problem, but so much clickbait is like X will do Y. But the body is so much more nuanced than that as this shows. So not having a menstrual cycle means a lack of periods. So that's something that you would say straight away. But also it can affect your bone health. So it might be in the longer. term if you're not having a menstrual cycle, you could develop osteopenia or osteoporosis, but also it can affect your cardiovascular health, your mood, your fertility and your skin and your hair as well. But obviously in the short term, if you are trying to conceive, then it would

obviously affect that because you're not ovulating. So to be able to get your periods back without any strict dieting, then really the framework that we're kind of looking at is for, restoring and ensuring that you're having enough nutrition. And it's really interesting there mentioning around set point. And I think that everybody has their own set point that their body works well at. So if you are below that set point, it's likely that your body is in quite a bit of stress and it actually isn't getting the right nutrients that it's needing. So it's really important that we go back to that really boring message and that people kind of And here and health professionals say all the time is making sure you get enough variety of all of your different food groups and not following any specifically strict diet that isn't a really specific kind of diet that is out there that says you need to have this, that and the other.

It's more about having a balance following that Mediterranean diet. Whereas if you're cutting out whole food groups, that can't put the body in stress and won't be getting all of the nutrients that your body's needing to make sure you're. having a menstrual cycle. You might need to adjust exercise intensity or volume. So initially it might be about moderating it or if medically advised you would need to reduce that or stop it entirely. The other thing is allowing that body to rest and thinking about what are your overall stresses in the day. And the reason why we mention this is to make sure that you are giving your body that time to rest, that time to relax, because if it's got a high level of stress, then that can really affect those hormone productions and your menstrual cycle as well. And you've shared there that it's been a while since you've had your menstrual cycle,

even though you've been making some changes. And I think that what's really important with recovery from this is that we know that it can take a little while. And it can be different for different people. Once you put all of those steps into place, it might be that we're looking around about six months. For some people, it might be a bit shorter. For some people, it might be a bit longer. But if you're finding it really difficult, then go back to that nutrition, that exercise and that stress. But then also think about other things that you might want to notice.

So it might be that you want to look for signs of your menstrual cycle coming back. So thinking about mood swings, spotting, PMS type symptoms. So thinking about what was it that you noticed before previous menstrual cycles and any of those signs coming up. So what we're trying to really is create these conditions where the body feels like actually, do you know what? I've got all the tools here to be able to have a menstrual cycle. But just a note on this, really, that there are other causes for,

a menstrual cycle to stop. So it is worth getting checked out medically just to rule out any other concerns because it might be that something else could possibly be going on. So thank you so much, Sarah. I'm really pleased, Ella, that that question came up because I feel like it will resonate

with a lot of people, perhaps. I totally agree. And again, just a huge thank you for sharing that, but also just a reminder as well that, like, genuine, like, long-term health is about long-term. It's not restriction. It's not restriction because restriction is not something you can keep up or should keep up, obviously, for decades.

It's about actual balance, nourishing foods. It's about energy. It's about sustainability. It's about really nourishing yourself for the next however many decades. Do you know what I think it can get just, we will close on this question. A little bit blurry is the exercise because it's very easy to think, well, I'm doing the right thing for my body because exercising is good for me. Everyone says I should exercise. So it's very easy, I think, to fall into the trap.

of over-exercising but thinking it's beneficial for your body. Yeah. And we can go into this actually if it's interesting, let us know another day because I certainly think it's interesting. And it's something I certainly have struggled with, which is that you're right, again, coming back to this, for example, particularly when it comes to exercising, hit training as an example, not bashing it because it can be very beneficial.

Again, lots of research on it. But if you are struggling, your nervous system is struggling and you are spending a lot of time in fight or flight, You have quite high cortisol levels, very much looking at myself in the mirror here for many years of the last decade. That's not good for you. Like ultimately, although there can be health benefits to it, your nervous system needs to help you down regulate. You need to spend some time in that rest and digest, walking, yoga, 20 minutes of parties at home. It's the long-term damage you don't see in 10 years.

Exactly. That's going to be more beneficial to you. Even though on paper, it's good for you. you don't need another like boost of cortisol you don't need more fight or flight which really hardcore exercise is a stress on your body if you're in a great space and you're eating really well and you're not stressed 100% and I just think it's really important to put that all in context just because something's good on paper it doesn't mean it's good for you health is super super super super nuanced and our next question is from Nicola and she said firstly a huge thank you for helping us

see some clarity amidst the fog of trying to live a healthy lifestyle. That's actually a very good description. It is like a fog. It's very difficult to see through it sometimes. Bite-sized chunks of factual information is just what we need in order to implement meaningful change. I wondered if you could help me with an oat query that Google has my mind spinning on. Oh, I'm excited to read this. I thought I was doing well by making my own mooseley of jumbo oats, seeds and dried fruit.

And I eat it a few times a week. However, I've read that I shouldn't be doing this as raw oats contain phytic acid which can inhibit the absorption of iron and zinc. Is this correct? And would I have to soak or rinse my oats every time I eat them destroying the texture because she likes the crunch. Help. Love it, Nicola. I hope we can get your mind out of a spin. Before we go into that, though, Rie, can you just explain to us first of all what is phytic acid?

What are antinutrients for everybody else? Yeah, 100%. And I think it's very important, first of all, to also address the fact that, you know, I don't know how you're eating these oats all the time. Are you pairing them with milk in the morning, yogurt? But these natural components in plant foods, vegetarian foods, are almost their unique antioxidants, as you say. And then that's an example, a way of describing these protective properties in plants that protects them in the wild, but when we eat it, it's good for us. And naturally, potentially, these phytic acids combined to, a component in a plant inhibiting the absorption of other nutrients. So essentially, phytic acid isn't just an antinutrient. It is also like a powerful antioxidant ella, but I feel like it's got bad press because it could inhibit other minerals. And I'm talking micro minerals, like a zinc or things that we do get enough of in our diet. And I'd still rather you eat the oats. Yes. And also you can kind of mitigate the issue, right, by what you pair it with. 100%. Okay. So, in a very well-balanced diet, especially one that's got your vitamin C, fermented foods, all that sort of thing, the impact on mineral absorption from consuming phytic acid is so minimal. It really doesn't matter. And I'd almost advise you to, if you are concerned about it, you can always do overnight oats with your homemade musli.

No, because she likes the crunch. Oh, no, she likes the crunch. Don't do that. I would say, don't worry about it. If you like the crunch, pair it with some kaffir or some milk in the bowl and have it quickly because you'll still get the crunch and then you're also helping break down a tiny bit the enzyme. Because when you soak it in liquid, what essentially happens is you activate phytase. So a good way of explaining it is lactose in dairy products is broken down by lactase.

So lactose is the sugar. Lactase is the sugar. is the enzyme. Exactly, Ella. And phytase is the enzyme that breaks down phytic acid, just like, I'll go onto it, Molotol, and all these different sorts of components. And if you soak your oats in milk, yogurt, kofia,

vitamin C-rich fruit mix, for example, it's like an orange juice even. She could add berries even to your bowl. Love that. That would activate this phytase, basically. But I'm not worried about it. What I'm trying to say is, please to reassure you, I'm not worried about your phytic acid levels.

And if you did soak, you reduce the levels by 20 to 60%. But fermentation also can reduce it even more by 80%. So I think what's really interesting is looking at your diet on a whole and thinking if I love the crunch, then I'll just make sure I have more plant-based foods at lunch and dinner. And then I can have my nutrition elsewhere. You know, oats are a great source of soluble fibre.

You're still getting the soluble fibre. That's not being destroyed by the phytic acid. No, and what you're saying is that it's still. super, super minimal. So if, you know, unless you have a real problem with iron, for example, and you are really iron deficient, it's not something to worry about. Or you know that your zinc stores are bad, which to be honest, it's rare. But it really is just zinc that I think people get particular about. If you're a vegan, actually, you want to be a little bit more aware of your zinc levels, teeny bit. But for most people, I just wouldn't worry about it. It's amazing how these

trends blow up. I know, but then it does sound scary. Like I can imagine some listeners there being I'm like, oh, well, what about my porridge? If I only cook my porridge for five minutes, is that okay? What about my fitease, my fidec acid at that point? Just get the oats in. Honestly, I love that you're making your homemade muslin. I love that you love the crunch. It is so much more beneficial to be thinking about eating these foods

than worrying about those small components because we're told to online. You are doing a fantastic job, even by making your own musli every week. I'm blown away. I mean, you can add walnuts to it and healthy seeds and all sorts of components. and just a tiny dash of milk or kaffir, you're kind of boosting it even more. Love it. Yeah, it's so good. Honestly, Nicola, that is just fantastic.

I would just be praising you rather than worrying about phytic acid. Love it. You go, Nicola. Yeah, go, girl. That sounded so cheesy. I'm really sorry. Well, we needed a high to end up on the episode on. Go, girl power.

Thank you for listening. Reminders, send us your queries, questions, topics you want us to cover on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, comments or to me ella at delicious the ella.com if you like the episode if you fancy it review it rate it share it just makes all the difference in the world or click follow even better because we want more people to discover easy peasy wellness we do thank you so much for being here thank you for being so honest with us and sharing your deep questions with us today and we look forward to more and we'll see you Monday. Bye.