The Wellness Scoop - Psyllium Husk, The Cost of Over-Optimising & Health Hacks

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

Episode 98 and the countdown to 100 is officially on. This week is a listener Q&A special. We break down the rise of psyllium husk and what it actually does for gut health, separating meaningful fibre support from supplement hype. We also tackle blood sugar anxiety and the growing obsession with glucose “hacks”, asking how much the average person really needs to worry about spikes, post-meal walks and carb timing. We explore 14:10 fasting for energy and digestive health, and what to do when wellness routines start to feel restrictive rather than supportive. Alongside that, we share practical, nourishing snack ideas for last-minute guests, discuss how to protect bone health after an osteopenia diagnosis, and reflect on the wider conversation around moving out of London in search of a slower pace of life. As always, we’re cutting through the noise and focusing on what’s sustainable, evidence-based and actually helpful in real life. Order your copy of Rhi's upcoming book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠ - out today! Thirty Plants App - Track your plant points through the week on this handy app, as recommended by our listener Olivia Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In communities across Canada, hourly Amazon employees can grow their skills and their paycheck by enrolling in free skills training programs for in-demand fields. Learn more at aboutamazon.ca. Welcome to the Wellness Group, your twice-weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration. And as always, we are both here as your host of the show. I'm Ella Mills. And I'm Riannan Lambert. And today we answer some fantastic questions from you all and share what we're up to, week so let's do it first of all we have so many recommendations from you guys to share

today re your book is out today we have to say the fiber formula is out in the world today congratulations how is it march the 12th i actually can't believe that we're here thank you so much and everyone that's sending feedback or you've got it i appreciate it so much so go go go it's out in the world yeah if anyone is trying to kind of increase their plant points just gently improve their health. Obviously, as you've heard from this show, Fiber is not because Rie's written about it. It is such a foundational part of our health. So if you want to learn more, it's an amazing resource. Thanks, Ella. I think it's just a little reminder. It's not just about our digestion. It's about our heart health, our hormone function. It's about reducing risk of

cancers, how we age. We can live longer. Our skin. So many different factors. But it's all in there. Ella, have you got any recommendations before we move on to those from our listeners? I mean, it's a lowbrow on guys and it's not exactly original, but I binged all four episodes of the end of Bridgeton, season four, in a day over the weekend, stayed up so late. Oh my gosh, it is so good. I mean, I enjoyed the other seasons, but I wasn't, like, obsessed with them. I was obsessed with this.

Obsessed. Me too. Do you know what? I didn't get into it at first because I thought it was just a direct copy of Cinderella, but then I became hooked. The ending was really, really good. I loved it. And because I think the first season of Bridgeton was sort of slightly like ironic almost.

It was almost a satire. It was sort of slight, well, I thought it was kind of slightly satirical and kind of ridiculous. And everyone was like, it's such a bonk buster or whatever. But it was like it was a bit much for me. Whereas I really found season four like such an uplifting watch. And, you know, as we said in Monday's episode, the world is a very scary, unstable place at the moment. and these just lighthearted feel-good things to end the day on, I think they're really important.

And I just, I really, really recommend it. Honestly, yeah, I'm really good. It's nice to have something that's almost like a fantasy period drama, just something that's, you know, obviously really beautifully. Costume design, the set design, everything is colourful and bright and romantic and it's, yeah, lovely. Really, what have you got for us? Right. Well, I had a bit of a bit of book drama, Ella.

this Rebecca Yaros series I started The fourth wing series fourth wing series my first ever What was the genre called again? Romantacy Romanticy

Okay so I was hooked As you all know I read the first two books In like a week And then I'd ordered The third book But really sadly Because it was out of stock

On Amazon Oh my gosh It's out of stock It was out of stock I couldn't get it In my local bookshops I went into London Last week

She's been frantically I have I went to Hammersmith And I was looking Where's my Nirostops bookstore. Anyway, I found a version of it online and it came and it was in Italian and I was devastated. So that was my week. Oh my gosh. That's so disappointing. So disappointing. But now Onyx Storm has arrived and I got the Waterstones copy I'd ordered and it's a really fancy hardback with beautiful like illustrations on the

paper on the site. It's like a collector's edition. It is and I'm going to start reading it today. So everyone that's commented on it because I know so many of you, Warners Scoopers are also hooked on these series. I'm on the Emprium one. How many books are there? There's so many. This series, apparently she's going to do, I think it was like five books, six books. So I've got loads to look forward to you, but she's writing them now. Oh, is this the last available one? Yeah, we've got to wait now for the next one. But Margot Robbie was seen on an interview for Wuthering Heights, also obsessed with this author, but the other one, a court of Thorn and Roses. So she's got many different series. I don't know how she wrote. Oh, that's her as well. Well, that could be,

is it Sarah someone that wrote that one? Yes, a court of thorns and roses. I think it's the same kind of romanticity genre. Yes, Sarah J. Maher. Yeah, exactly. So I've got that to look forward to as well. Then there's an Akatar series or something. I am now officially in this world and I'm a fan, essentially.

I'm in the fandom. I can see you can buy a box of five of the court of thorns and roses, paperback box set. The first five books of the hottest fantasy series is how it's spelled. Also, her book. So Rebecca Yaris is one that I'm really. at the moment was, isn't it the most successful book of all time in terms of that genre? There was a stat. She sold so many copies when it first came out.

The most popular trend-setting Romanticty books currently dominating the genre are fourth-wing and iron flame, and then a court of thorns and roses, you're absolutely right. So I think they're going absolutely wild. Sold over 12 million copies as of January 25. And that was last that. Imagine how many it's sold now, 2026. It's absolutely crazy. And now, we're going to. And now, We have lovely recommendations from you all. And our first is from Olivia. And she said that Ella mentioned about jotting down your 30 plants and notes on your phone. Well done, Ella.

She said, so I wanted to recommend a free app I've found called 30. And it has every plant I could think of and more that you log through the week. And one, it keeps a tally for you. And two, gives inspiration for more fruits and veg to try. I thought that was such a good wreck. So that's 30. If anyone wants to try a more sophisticated way of keeping tabs on this. their 30 plants and gets more inspo versus my just very basic notes. So absolutely love that wreck.

Thank you so much, Olivia. And it's so nice getting your wrecks, guys. So please keep them coming. We are hello at wellness-scoop.com. So our first question today comes from Emma and loved this question. She said, when we have friends over for ketchup, a short kind of chill out is what I'm understanding is to be. I never quite know what snacks to offer. A dream of being a dutiful host for drinks. We don't have things like Coke or Pepsi or lemonade. Just water, kombucha, teas, coffees, some squash maybe. Snack-wise, it's usually mixed nucks and dark chocolate. We don't have cakes or sweet trees.

It's rare that I bake, though, as my partner and I, are much more savoury people, so things might just go to waste. So what would you recommend? I keep in the house at all times for those surprise and hungry guests. I mean, you do sound like the dream host. I've got to say, it sounds like you're already doing a fantastic job. Ella, this is your type of question. I want some more inspo from you, please.

First of all, Emma, I aspire to be like you and be ready to host at the drop of a hat. So I think that's just absolutely fantastic. Personally, for me, I am quite, I would say, a lazy host. I really love having people over. I think I said on Monday, we had loads of different family over over the weekend and it was so, so nice. But I am definitely like a simple person. You know, we had, I think there were nine of us on Sunday and I just made like a massive mushroom lasagna with a lovely rocket salad. It was quite simple in this.

and I made it all before everyone came, but it meant when everyone came, it was like, all neat and tidy and just popped something in the oven. I always do that prep before they come. Me too. I'm not the kind of person that would make like eight different dishes

when they come over. It just stresses me out, and then I'm a bad hose because I'm a bit like, but what I like if it's more like snacky situation and what I would recommend is doing dips. I always think that people are so impressed by dips, and obviously you can make a simple hummus.

It's very easy to do homemade version. You're literally like garlic, cumin, tahini, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon, blitz are all up. Super, super easy. But you can make it it fancier than that, like a quick hummus upgrade. So you could add in, you know, a jar of roasted red peppers, for example, into that or roasted beetroot. I wouldn't do them together. So either a raced red pepper one or a bea true one. You can do a pink hummus. How delightful. It's so amazing. The even cleverer thing to do is make one hummus, then make a big batch of it, pop some of that, just a little bowl,

olive oil on the top, maybe a few herbs to garnish it. Behind that. Exactly. And then do a second keep the same base recipe, but tip in your jar of like flame-roated red peppers. And then you have red pepper version as well. And that looks so fancy, but it's literally the same

thing, which is one extra thing. So I love that because then on the side you can do a few different cruditets and again, you can do your cucumber and carrot, but you could also do something like radishes, for example, just to like, look again, a little bit Fancy. And you can serve with those, I think I did it in the unprocessed plate book. If you get wraps, if you don't have time, you can cut them into triangles, glaze of olive oil and just bake

them for five minutes and you've made homemade crisps. Exactly. Or like, yeah, some crackers. I love the Peters Yard sourdough crackers at the moment. Me too. I've always loved those. Yeah, Matt and I obsessed with those at the moment. So anyway, but you can do like a really colorful plate. You've got two different coloured dips. You can sprinkle some, yeah, seeds, herbs, etc. on the top with a little drizzle of olive oil and then you'd have colorful veggies you'd have crackers you could have some chips etc and suddenly you've got this like beautiful colorful rainbow spread but i don't think it's going to take you more than 10 minutes to do it but you're gonna look like the host of dreams so that's what i would do i love that ella and you've also mentioned as well

one of my favorite dips which obviously i've done a lot of recently is the whipped white bean one you know just blending a jar of butter beans altogether i wrote down so many different dip i do But do you know what I like to put on top of that at home is that hot honey dressing? Oh, the hot honey. I mean, it's so easy. You just add the honey to the saucepan with a few chili flakes. And it is honestly transformative when you drizzle that on top of a dip on the table or something. That makes you look.

Yeah, that's brownie points. Yeah, the honey that hot honey I've been buying is Brom a brand called Wilderby. W-I-L-D-E-R-B-E-E. You can buy it in lots of, like, I found it in a farm shop near us, but you can buy it, I think in waitrose as well. Anyway, oh my gosh, it is excellent. I put on everything. Even just like simple, you know, like make for supper, rice and some peas and edamame cooked

in the rice and then just some like miso tofu or something. And then hot honey over that. Yeah, I might have that for lunch day. And also, if you're sometimes just really scratch for time and you don't have much time, I always have in my freezer those margarita pizzas, but the brand with no additives emulsifiers Crossed. Crosster and Malika. They are such a great brand. Because I always get those out because you know everyone's going to eat a bit of pizza when they're hungry. When you have time then to do other things in the kitchen, you could just quickly put that in the oven and it's just a winner to always have a little bit of that as a backup, I think. You know, I really go on a tangent here, but you know one thing I've been making for the kids on that, which is a tip. Pitta pizzas. I love those. Yeah. I just do like a little around the crust and take off the top layer, pop tomato sores and then the kids are veggies. So then they have. mozzarella in there, pop in the oven. Five minutes later, it's ready and they are obsessed.

It's the easiest type of when I'm lazy. Those are my uni afternoon lunches, pitie pizzas, and I used to buy, this is so gross. But from, I like it, but some people might find it really gross. I buy a jar of those, like, caramelised onions. Oh, we love caramelized onions. The co-op on the corner from my uni used to have it. And I would always pop those on with the cheese and the pizza with a bit of goat's cheese. And that was just my staple.

and sometimes I'd add sweet corn to it because it reminds me... That sounds deluxe. It reminds me of the Pizza Express one, the Padana. And that's such a nice pizza. So make your pitter pizzas padalla pizzas. I love it. But yeah, Emma, basically I would do like a smorgasbord of colourful cruditets, beautiful dips and crackery bits to dip in it. It can be literally all store cupboard ingredients, basically.

Love. Ready in 10 minutes, but it'll look. You will be the host of dreams you aspire to be, I reckon. I love that so much. So our question number two is from Becca. And she said, myself and my sister-in-law, Eleanor, love your podcast. Please can you talk about Facilium Husk and the benefits of adding it to your diet? I have seen a lot about it recently. Thank you.

Yeah, so we have had so many questions generally on Facilium Husse. We promised from Monday's episode we talk about it today. Sophia sent a similar question yesterday. I have a question about Facilium as a fibresource. You mentioned that supplements shouldn't replace a healthy diet. but I was wondering if facilium is considered a supplement. I eat plenty of veggies and fruit and vary my diet, but sometimes I add a bit of fucilium to boost my fibre intake,

and I find it really helps with my digestion. I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Thanks so much for all you do for raising the awareness about various health topics in a way that feels easy to understand and not overwhelming. So thanks to that, Sophia. Rie, I'm going to pass this to you because I feel like you're going to be a fiscillium husk expert. Do you know what's sad is that? I feel like I've had so much Sillium husk in my brain over the...

Since writing obviously the section in the book and then it bombarding us in the media, it's a great question. So thank you first of all because, you know, Sillium Husk is a fibre supplement. I have to stress that and you're not giving your gut diversity. But of course it has a really great functional role in what it actually does. So it's the concentrated source of soluble fiber rather than an isolated one. So in your stomach, Sillium Husk binds of water and crates like a gel. If you actually just pour it in a glass of water, you'll see it do this really.

effectively. You see it sometimes in recipes to create that kind of egg-like effect where you're bringing everything together and sticking it together. Yeah, I put a few in actually in the fiber book knowing that people would have this now as like a, it's becoming a store covered essential alongside cheer seeds in, I think, the wellness world anyway. But it's from a plant. It's called Plantago Ovata plant. And it helps us lower our cholesterol, of course, because of all that binding in the gut. And it's got loads of roles. I'm reducing the amount of of sugar that's released after a meal, our prosprangrial response. It contributes to helping us feel full. And like you've said in your question, bowel movements. So physiologically, it behaves.

Sorry, we interrupt. Interestingly, it can help for both constipation and loose doors, though, that regular. So really supporting regular bowel movement, either which way, which is quite interesting with the binding. It's amazing. And that's why it is so similar to things like oats as well and other really popular sources that we've got different types of soluble fibres and starches like beans and pulses. That said, it doesn't replace the whole food. So it doesn't have all those, the plant diversity. It doesn't have the polyphenols. It doesn't have the antioxidants, the vitamins, the minerals. And it doesn't really feed the microbes. And I think that's the really important thing that because it's one single strain, we need so much diversity in our diet. So I look at Sillium Husk as a top

up for digestive aid rather than feeding your gut bugs. And I think that's the really big differentiating factor for people. It's not going to help your gut junctions tighten or keep inflammation low and all the promised benefits of fibre on its own because it is just a top-up for your food. So if you are taking it, start small, plenty of fluids, of course, because it needs a hell of a lot of water. And it is a better approach than a laxative. It's better to try these sorts of things in your diet than resorting to medication. But please don't look at this as solving the fiber gap. So one fibre supplement will not fill the fibre gap. Yeah, it's really interesting because we often talk about how there is this awareness

that fibre is really just for regular bowel movements and to support your stalls. But actually, fibre is so much more than that, as we always talk about, it's about feeding that gut microbiome and that gut microbiome being so linked to metabolic health, brain health, mood, you know, literally it's unbelievable the connection it has to basically your entire well-being to some extent. And I think what's interesting with all these fiber supplements isn't that they don't potentially have a role for some of us, but that they're much more focused on bowel movements. As we think of fiber being that kind of more basic function where it is about your poo and about, which is really not trying to devalue that. Like actually also for how we feel in ourselves, regular bowel movements and feeling like that's working well for you is actually really, really important.

So it's not to devalue that, but it's just it's more one dimensional as people initially thought fiber was as opposed. to having the all singing, all dancing, party for your microbiome. I agree. Look at that party. And as Ella and I said the week before, the pet, if you want to feed that pet that you've come up with in your gut, you wouldn't just give your, well, actually my cat's particularly fussy, but you wouldn't just give your pet at home one type of food forever for eternity.

Hopefully you want to try and get a bit more variety in there, especially for our tummies. So just remember, there is going to be a hype, everyone. We are going to be seeing a boom. I've seen so many supplements hit the press saying, you know, we're going to keep you regular and we're going to help you poo. But that's only one part of the equation with fibre. Yeah, it's not helping with your ageing, your brain health, reducing bowel cancer risk,

the inflammation, the estrogen, the menopause support, all those different types of things. That is just helping you go to the toilet by adding bulk. It's not feeding anything. And that in itself can be beneficial. It's just not the whole thing. It's not the whole story. It's a little piece of the puzzle. It's never too early to plan your summer story.

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And I'd love to hear your feedback. Let me know how you get on. which leads us on to a question that's very different, Ella, from Ellie. She says, hello both. I was wondering if you'd ever cover your moves to outside of London. Ella, I know you talk a lot about moving to the countryside, and Ria, I'm assuming you live outside of London too as you talk about your commute. Sorry, if I'm wrong.

Among the themes of slowing down and being deliberate, I think this speaks to a wider theme of people having slower lifestyles and therefore looking at different ways and places of living. And with regards to wellness, I think this is pretty relevant. I'm 27 currently living in London and my partner and I are looking at buying our first house. Oh, wow. And it's such a big conversation about where we go. We're both from London, but I love the idea of a slower pace of life in the countryside.

I'd love to know both of your thoughts and experiences here. It's such a nice question. I look, there's no one way of doing life. I think that's always the key thing to say. And I think personally I feel like life is filled with all sorts of different chapters. you can do it all across the breadth of your life, if you're lucky enough to have a long life, but you can't do it all in any one go.

And I think for me, living in London from a career perspective was absolutely phenomenal. And I don't think I would have had the same success, not being in London. I think ultimately the level of FaceTime in the office, the ease of being able to be there the whole time, not having the nightmare that is British strains.

You know, really, really that kind of ease. Oh my gosh, it was unbelievable. I said yes to everything. I just threw everything at work. And I would never have been able to do that had I not been in London, if I'm honest. And I know not everyone will agree with that. That was just my personal experience. I've been pretty honest about it that I went too hard and I completely burnt out.

And for me and for both of us in my family, I think the decision was that this first, that chapter of our life was work was the priority and everything went into building delicious yellow and it was the most extraordinary experience. but we couldn't live at 24-7 work forever and we were both really, really burnt out and we needed a change of pace and I think for us that looked like moving out of London and having a really deliberate shift in pace

and a deliberate, you know, I say no to many, many more work things and I say yes to you now just because of the reality of just not being there and being able to do it. But equally this was a decision, Ella, I remember that when we first started the podcast, you were like, no, I'm not going to move out of London. So it took a, you know, it happened quite quickly when it did.

For sure. And I was really nervous to do it. And it's such a huge life change. I'm a really introverted person. And I think my only experience in the move, I'm so curious how it's been for anyone else whose moves out of the city. But I'm a really introverted person, as is my husband. And so we like quiet.

Like, we love in the evening the ease of just sitting and having a cup of tea and reading a book or watching a movie and just completely like quiet. we both revel in the quiet and the stillness. I think as an extrovert, it would be a little bit different. But I think from a wellness perspective, the ease of being in nature, of being outside, of being able to have that grounding and that quiet, it has been absolutely unbelievable.

That's not to say you can't have amazing wellness and health in your life if you live in a city. But for me, personally, that quiet has been unbelievable. It was a terrifying decision. It was the best decision I've ever made. As a friend and perspective looking on, I think it was the best decision Ella's ever made. Obviously, apart from building Delicious to Yellow and having your amazing family, it's not, you know, there's so many good decisions you've made.

But it was a particularly good one. And for me, I moved in lockdown actually in 2020, just a bit further out. And that's all it takes is a garden. For me, it was lockdown. Like so many others, it was not having any outdoor space. It was just being in the flat. It was having children. If I'm being completely honest, it was having my son in lockdown. that was the catalyst for me. I don't think I either could have moved out before having kids. I really would have struggled. You know, my husband and I with our work. And it was really tough for my husband, actually, especially in the first few, well, yeah, three or four years. He had to commute in every single day and he'd be gone before the children wake up and

be home after they're in bed. And that's the nature of moving out. You have to consider, you know, you have to consider the cost. You have to consider the working hours. Does it fit with your lifestyle? But for me, as someone that's like a hybrid, I can work in town and work at home. It's perfect for me and for my family. But, you know, we're in our 30s now.

And I think if when I was 27, I don't think I could have moved out of London at all, actually, thinking about it. It's so individuals. I think hearing our thoughts, you know, we've got different circumstances to what you probably have as well in your life. And is it for health reasons? Is it just purely that the slower pace? Because I have to say, it is a.

slower pace and I love the disconnect. I love leaving those smells on the street. I don't want to get wafted my way. I mean, I just love walking down a road that isn't packed. But I don't get my energy from a kind of busy external stimulation. As I said, I'm an introvert. I think it was that realization that therefore, like, I get more energy from quiet. I don't like leaving the house.

I've got to be honest. I don't like to go. I'm at risk of being like 100% a hermit. Yeah, but Fern speaks about this two. cotton. I always remember talking. She said, I just don't invite me to things in the evening, unless I really have to go. It's like, I just want to be at home with the family. And that is exactly how I feel as well. Me too. Yeah. I think we're kind of otroverts. Remember, we were speaking about that. Introverted people who are able to perform to an extrovert capacity in different

situations. So it's, you know, I've got some friends that I cannot imagine them ever moving out of London. And actually all of my husband's family live in London. And we were, I was a bit of a black sheep, you know, taking him away, essentially. But it's the best decision for our family, and I have zero regrets. I love it. Final thing on it, I think certainly for me, for my children, it has been a really beneficial experience. I am no secret, a highly strong person. And I just felt quite anxious. I was always like, stay where I can see you, stay where I can see you. And I love that they can go into the garden by themselves. And, you know, yesterday was a nice weather for the first time. and they were just in the garden by themselves for a couple of hours.

And like you hear them shouting, but they were just having such a nice time. They were playing hotels in the Wending House. That's such a nice freedom for them. And I think we're all benefiting from that. I think a bit of outdoor space. And I think Ella and I both acknowledge the privilege here. Like it's huge.

I just remember that feeling in lockdown with no outdoor space. And I really felt, you know, the world isn't fair. But if you are able to give yourself that extra bit of space, I think that is pretty transformative. But it's a really good question, Ella. It's really got me thinking about so many things. And then we've got another question here from Merritt. She said, I was recently diagnosed with osteopenia at a relatively young age.

Rhee, can I interrupt you? Will you just like I read us know exactly what osteopenia is? Yes, of course. So this is to do of our bone mass density. And as we age, this does decline, naturally speaking, you know, bone mass. And that's why we actually have one of the highest rates in the world in the UK of fractures, bone fractures, which is called osteoporosis, a condition of the weakening of the bones as we age.

For osteopenia is almost like halfway towards osteoporosis. So you can get on the NHS, but probably a very, very, very long waiting list, and you need a tick box to get at a dexas scan, which will measure your T score, which is how dense your bone currently is. Now, many factors influence this. In the retrition clinic, we work with eating disorders, of course, and a lot of people that have anorexia or specific eating disorders of low with a serious chronic amount of restriction often have weakened bone density and it will sadly impact them as they age. Under the age of 25,

you can correct this. Over 25 more difficult. But this question here from Merritt said that having osteopinia at a relatively young age, this obviously raised some concerns for me. I'm wondering now how I can best support my bone health through nutrition and lifestyle. How can nutrition be optimized to improve or maintain bone density? And what does the role of protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K2 and other micronutrients play? I thought this was such an important question when I saw it because obviously, as you said, as we age, and that's hopefully going to happen to all of us, that's such a blessing. It's a privilege to age. I love that. It's such a privilege to age. It really is. But this is so important. And again, you know, we talked a lot on Monday's

episode about how wellness is, you know, flossing and brushing your teeth as it is, meditating, as it is exercising as it is broccoli. And I think this is the kind of thing where, again, like, obviously because health and wellness is quite an aesthetic category, we're often looking at, like, doing things to look a certain way or to get six packs or to be shredded or whatever it is. And actually what we're talking about here is health and wellness and our diets and our lifestyle to support being the most active 80-year-old we can possibly be later. on in our life. And I just think there's such an important question actually for all of us, whether we have osteophenia or we don't, to be really aware of what our bone health means

and how to protect it. Yeah, and it is such a nice question. So thank you for being so honest with us that we could discuss it because it is an early warning sign osteopenia. And I think that's how we have to look at it. And because you've received a medical diagnosis, you know, obviously it's important your GP or specialist are kind of in control of your care to anybody listening that has this because there's so many factors that can influence our bone density as well and how things change our hormonal status. It can also influence our menstrual history, which is why sometimes when you're looking at people, I'm going to use the example, not in this case, but of eating disorders, we often end up putting people on the contraceptive pill as a care unit because that circulating

estrogen can be protective for our bone health. And that's why when we go through menopause and we have a decline in estrogen, our bones become more vulnerable as well. So it's really important to remember that women are actually more predisposed to this condition than men, because we had this protective estrogen, then suddenly it declined so drastically. And that's when all of these lifestyle factors and family history matter. Just from a nutrition perspective, looking at countries like Asia, they have very low fracture rates compared to us over here. And they don't actually consume any dairy.

And I think that's really interesting because I feel like... Or not much dairy. Not much dairy, very, very little. And I think one of the messages we're fed over here is that. the dairy is the key source of calcium and that's going to protect your bones. Whereas actually over in Asia they have very little of that and they have like fraction of the amount of bone fractures that we have over here in the Western world here. So what you need to do, nutritionally speaking, is the calcium is the structural foundation

of the bones and vitamin D is essential for helping the absorption in and the utilization. We have to remember every single day weight bearing activity helps with strength from our bones. And that just means walking, pounding the pavement, not being. being sedentary. And calcium comes from many different areas as well. It can come from nuts. It can come from figs, dried fruit, you know, all sorts of things. Protein is important too. Part of the matrix, the protein matrix gives it strength, resilience and loads of other minerals. Ella, we've got, you know, phosphorus zinc, magnesium, vitamin K. But I think rather than focusing on single nutrients, because it can become really overwhelming for many people, it's better to just look at

the plant-based diet on a whole. So a diet that's full of different plants and variety alongside your animal produce, if you're a meat eater, and making sure if you go for plant milks, they're fortified. You know, that's when this whole UPF conversation becomes really interesting because actually if you have osteopenia, I'd much rather you drink the milk that has extra calcium and nutritional support in it than the one that's purely organic that doesn't have those factors. And K2, just to mention on that one, regulates the proteins.

direct the calcium into the bone rather than the soft tissues. But you know, you get that from broccoli, kale, even some fermented foods and cheese at it. So I wouldn't go out and buy a load of supplements is my thing. And if you do have osteopinia, you will be offered bone scans, I think every two to three years. I think, I mean, you can pay privately for more. You can pay, I think it's like a 180 pound. It's still a lot of money, but for a dexas scan privately. But it's best to do dietary tweaks depending on the situation.

Love that. Thanks, great. helpful. So it's a bit of a heavy one because I actually think it's a reminder to us all that the reason why we should be moving more is not just for our heart health, but it's for our bones. My last question today comes from Delilah. I have always loved that name. Delilah said, it's interesting. She's picked up basically on two things we've talked about recently, so it's quite helpful wrap up of things. My first concern is around blood sugar. With figures out there becoming more and more popular, I found myself obsessing over glucose hacks and blood sugar spikes. Feeling like

I have to go for a walk or do 50 squats after anything I eat to avoid a crash or worrying about a meal being too carb heavy. How much is it necessary for an average person to worry about these things and do these hacks have a significant impact on overall health or energy levels? Secondly, I have been trying to follow the 1410 fasting schedule since hearing about it on a podcast. I'm doing it for energy and gut health slash digestive benefits as opposed to weight loss. Similarly, I found myself obsessing over this. While I enjoy an early dinner between work and socialising, I found that sometimes it's just not possible to fast for 14 hours.

And I found myself worrying about it and often rushing to eat just to finish eating within the time window. Or feeling like I can't meet up with a friend for an evening drink, it would be really helpful to hear your insights on both these topics. Thank you, first of all for being again, so vulnerable and honest, Delilah. I know you must get this all the time, but it just makes you want to sing that song, doesn't it? Why, why, why.

Hey there, Delilah. Oh, you've got, so you've got a different one to me. I've got the Tom Jones, Delilah. I know, who's things are the hey there, Delilah. I can't remember. Yours is a modern version. I've got in 1960s or something. Delilah, though, honestly, thank you for being so honest and vulnerable,

because it sounds like the wellness industry is a bit heavy for you right now and that we're all desperately seeking optimization and it can become particularly, you know, it's not possible to eat to avoid blood sugar spikes constantly or to fast alongside that to work alongside your lifestyle. And if it's not for weight loss, there's actually no research to suggest any other benefits currently at this point in time to fasting. Unless you have a certain gut condition,

these have all been disproven or on animal models and we're waiting to find out more. What we do know with fasting is that snacking after 9pm might be detrimental to a good night's sleep and to gut protection. But what I would say is that social media like Ella can definitely touch on as well here just blows everything.

out of proportion and that is why we're here right exactly that and it's like look there is evidence to show if you have a heavy meal and you just put her around the street or your garden for a few minutes afterwards that can feel good for sure but that's not possible so much at the time and that's not something we should then worry about you know and I think that's to me it's just this real challenge that we have which is why I know we always go on about it why I love this podcast because we get nuance because we get to talk to you for a long, long time. Thank you for bearing with us, as opposed to giving you a 10 second snippet. And the 10 second snippet might say, it is clinically proven that if you go for a walk after a meal, it will help your energy.

Sure thing. But can you do that right now? I can't. I'm pretty busy for the rest of the day. I can tell you now, I didn't go for a walk after breakfast. I sat straight at my desk to record this. I'm not going to go for a walk after lunch because I have to go to a parents meeting. So I'm going to get straight in the car and then sit at my kid's school. And I almost certainly won't go for a walk after dinner because I'll be putting my kids to bed. Yeah. I will try and go for a walk at some point in the rest of the day. And I have never done 50 squats after a meal.

And again, it's that thing. And, you know, who I love who talks about this in such a balanced way as Dr. Chatterjury and about how kind of building movement into your life. So maybe you struggle to get movement in, but actually you can do it simply. So while you do the washing, you could do something or you wait for the kettle to boil and you can kind of do a little stretch or five squats. I love all of that. You don't need to do it after a meal. think it's just taking like an iota of evidence and making it into a hard and fast rule that takes over your life and don't let it no and if we talk about the um first of all i love that idea

ella it's like supportive habits not necessities which i think is really important to flag for sure and it's lovely to have a rollad decks of supportive habit in our back pocket and think you know what i'm feeling a bit sluggish i'm feeling a bit rotten in myself today you know what i know it really helps me when I go for a walk or I know it really helps me when I cook this meal makes me feel great. That's fantastic. Let's all build up those road ad dexas of tools that are supportive to us, but they're not rules, they're tools. No, and physiologically speaking, you know, a rise in blood glucose after eating is normal.

And I think that the fear has been spread online that it's not. And in those without diabetes or impaired glucose regulation, you know, the body does do a job. It does have insulin. It does have hormones and effective strategies. And of course, it depends on the meal in the first place. it depends what you've eaten. It depends on the context of what you've eaten. Because of course, there is some evidence with how you pair your plate. You know, you want some protein and fats together and carbs. And we work optimally on balanced plates. But not for every single meal.

No. Like, again, yes, you're at home today. You're making a working lunch short. Like, you know, we always talk about toast. Excellent thing. But pile it up, right? You know, put some, you know, little pan fried butter beans on it. Do a pea. You know, dip, you know, like... I'm going to do that after. Toast with hot honey halumi and some tomatoes and hummus. Yeah. Phenomenal. What an amazing meal. But also, you know, we went out for pizza on the weekend.

We all ate loads of pizza. That is, you know... Again, pizza's a balanced meal. It's got fats, protein, veg and bread, but people demonise it. But it's not about the balanced meal. I guess is what I'm trying to say or like go out and, you know, have your favourite bowl of pasta and it might just have very little protein or whatever else and that's okay. Like every meal doesn't have to be perfect. So it doesn't have to be glucose perfection, I think, is the answer. Because that's just not possible. We want to be aware of it over the course of our lifetime. Like you don't want to have a constant spike and crash. But I'm not talking about a natural rise. Like if you've had a bowl

of porridge with some almond butter, maybe it has some whole milk, some blueberries on it. You'll have a little rise. That's so normal. We don't want to be avoiding that. If we avoid that, then we've had no carbohydrates, which means we've had no fibre, which means we're not feeding a gut microbiome, a ketogenic type diet, which would give you this completely perfect line, is not fundamentally healthy for the vast majority of humours. No, you've got to feed those pets, guys. Remember, there's science that underpins all of these mad things that are said. And I think that's, like I just said, it's not perfection here. And science isn't perfection. Science is evolving. Science is there purely to help us learn a bit more about our bodies. It doesn't mean everyone should eat

the one way that science paper says might be effective. And I think it's just important to remember in this, please, delight. This is hopefully supportive, not personal criticism, because this is, I think, where the wellness world is. It's just important to, like, remember that as we talked about a lot, actually, on Monday, like, wellness is 360. Like, it really, really, really is. Again, like, one of the most strongest pieces of evidence shows that longevity is connected to community above and beyond almost anything else, like community purpose, connection. And that will be late meals with friends sometimes. A hundred. That's an imperative part of it, really. I think so, going out for dinner. And I've highlighted two key words here. And I've said, it's about the rhythm of your everyday life,

not rigidity. Yeah, I love that. If life is not flexible, then I would seek some extra support because you deserve it, everyone deserves it. And me and Ella, no, we're so sorry, first of all, for the state of the online world. I don't know if we can apologize for all of it, but these viral clickbait clips, I can't bear it anymore, Ella. I feel like it just spreads fear and spreads anxiety. And social media should never have access to science in the way it now does, because it starts discussing these science papers before they've been evaluated, before they've been peer-reviewed, before you've had another five years on it to look at it and expand and get all the nuance. And then it becomes a trend. But also, you can only distill anything, even if it's actually excellent and interesting information, you can only distill it to a point into something that lasts five seconds.

And so ultimately, and I think for me, the kind of final piece is that there is a cost over-optimizing. And that cost is joy and that cost is those other facets of wellness. We know stress is really bad for us. So being stressed about eating well or stressed about being perfect is actually counterintuitive. And I know it's easier said than done to say, find balance. that's a very generic wishy-washy comment but I think there is a gentle as you said read the rhythm of your daily life

about have that roller decks of tools of recipes of things that support your mental, your emotional, your physical well-being but they're tools that can flex up and down depending and they don't need to be rules and there is as they said being perfect comes at a huge cost it's not even an achievable thing but there is a cost to over-optimizing that I think people will start to feel

and to me that's such an important point. And it stems from our inner drive as humans, our innate kind of evolutionary response to want to be the best versions of ourselves. And we understand that's where it comes from. We can't help it. It prays on that. That's what social media does.

Yeah, we have to kind of stay together as a collective and remember like Ella just said perfectly, you know, perfectionism can be very dangerous. And I'm really glad you brought that up. I think it's why we're here. It's why the Wellness Scoop is here. A hundred percent exactly that. Guys, we love being here.

As always, we'll be back on Monday. Can't wait to see you there. Hope you're all doing okay. And yeah, just thanks for being here. Yeah, thank you, everybody. Have a lovely weekend.