The Wellness Scoop - Secrets of the food industry, Plant Protein & Healthy Ice Cream

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

This week we're answering your questions, from how to be more present when meditation just isn't your thing to whether breathwork can really help calm a busy mind.We also unpack the truth about mycoprotein and whether foods like Quorn deserve their ultra-processed reputation, discuss practical ways to increase plant diversity without spending a fortune, answer your questions on navigating a coeliac diagnosis, explore the surprising benefits of blackcurrants and gooseberries, and share our favourite healthier ice cream options for summer. Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠ For more from Rhi and Ella:  Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠ 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're both here as your host today. I'm Ella Mills. And I'm Riannan Lambert. And today we have a fantastic episode full of the wonderful questions that you are sending into us. So let's go. Coming up in today's show, we're going to talk a little bit about finding ability to be a little bit more present, a bit about starting off with these kind of more mindfulness-type practices. is the truth about mycoprotein and all these kind of alternative plant proteins, getting in diversity on a budget, some niche things like the benefits of black currents and gooseberries. We're going to talk about our favorite, kind of slightly better kind of UPF-wise ice creams for summer and so much else. So yeah, I'm very excited to dive into this.

But, Rhee, first of all, how are you? Do you know what, Ella? I am actually very, very good. and I have some good recommendations for us. Yes, hit us up. Okay, got my notepad at the ready. And when I say good recommendations, I have one. I've just realised I wrote down.

I said so many things to offer this week. I actually had my son's fourth birthday party at the weekend. Everything has been very, very busy, as you know what it's like hosting parties and events. We have scaffolding at the house. Everything is all go, go, go. I think I'm just trying to cram everything in before, obviously, I have a baby.

And there's all of that subliminal pressure, I think I'm managing. So instead of making my hot honey sauce now, it's become a bit of a thing. I don't know if it's a pregnancy thing. But there's this brand that sells it that's really lovely called Ma Ma'i. But Ma'i, like a kind of Hawaiian M-E-I. Tell me about Hot Honey sauce. What are the component parts, the one you were making, what was in it? What are we putting it on?

Because I'm obsessed with hot honey, so I need the inspo. I was just using all the honey. This is the issues that my eldest loves honey. and I was using the honey and then heating it and adding the chili flakes and it's just, I mean, it's not a long process. It's very quick actually. Oh, you were making your own hot honey? Yes, yes. Consistently.

And then the problem is I was using all the honey. So I decided to get a separate jar of already made hot honey sauce and this amazing company, my, my, do it. And they actually have a whole range of incredible sauces actually, which look really delicious, which you should definitely check out. I haven't tried that brand. So I'm going to try that brand. I've been using the Wilderby one. Oh my gosh, it's so good. Wilderby Hot Honey.

I actually got their Saratja version at weekend. She's Saratcha obsessed Ella. I'm like a spice fanatic. I don't know. I just, I like hot things. Anyways. I never used to. It's definitely this pregnancy and I never had it in the other two pregnancies.

So this is obviously a new thing for me. But I wanted to give a little shout out to my amazing mum network because I've been doing and I'm sure there's loads of you listening single moms and you do it all yourself. and you are amazing. But I have needed to lean on my network a lot and will be doing throughout the summer for various things. And I think it just goes to show how important it is. You know that old phrase, people need a village.

I never really had a village. And now at school, I feel like I have one where when I'm really stuck, I can arrange for someone else to pick up my eldest and they're happy to feed them, you know, all this kind of things that I would obviously do for them too. But I also feel bad I'm always the one that's usually pretty busy, but the offer is always there when I can. But I wanted to remind everyone that if you've got your friends, just try and reach out, just pop them a message.

Because, wow, does time fly by? And then you realize we haven't actually spoken in so long. I love that. It's a very important recommendation reminder. You've got a song on your rec, Ella. I am. It's not a song, I'm sorry, but it's a movie with songs. This is the best film I have seen in so long.

I remember it came out because I think it was up for some of the awards at the beginning of the year with Hugh Jackman and Kay Hudson in called Song Sung Blues. Have you seen it, Ray? Oh, I really wanted to go because I, yeah, obviously they're both musical theatre-esque style performers. So yeah, big fan. Oh my God, they're so amazing in it. Like actually Matt, what I said, my husband was like, I think that's the best thing I've ever seen Hugh Jackman in. And obviously, he's such an amazing actor and being in so many things. it's honestly sublime and I actually didn't realize this until the end

it's actually a true story and I was reading loads on it they've really stuck to the story like it's a really really true story they're very accurate to it it's an extraordinary story I thought when I saw like pictures of it and stuff that it was a rom-com

not that I'm just in that I love a rom-com but it's not it's a sort of tale of hope over adversity with a lovely love story interwoven you will cry but it will be good tears like it will be so are you converted now to more musical films oh my god I love musical films yes oh like Le Miz or wicked yeah la la land oh my god obsessed mama mea

I love that kind of thing also I watched the very cheesy but if you want to like a oh you know like a good bad romcom which I think you can never have enough of I watch the one what's it called one second. Find it. Well, I just tell everyone that I had been watching Desperate Housewives from the very beginning. I had no idea how dark and dramatic and evil it actually is. Like, we're twisted plots and desperate Housewives. I haven't watched that since so long. I should re-watch that because I bet you're right. It's actually so dystopian and weird. It really is. Okay, go on. Tell me. Office Romance. It's new on Netflix. With J-Lo. With J-Lo and Brett Goldstein from Ted Lassau. I'm obsessed with Ted Lassow. It's so time for it to come back. But anyway, it is.

terrible, but really good. You know what I mean? Like, you know, you just need those, like, completely terrible movies. They're so bad. They're brilliant. It's one of those. I feel like Jalo just deserves recognition. You know, she always is that he listed that a lister that misses out on the Oscar or that sort of thing. It's not an Oscar movie. It's not an Oscar movie. But she, I just, I'm in awe of Jailo. I think she's actually very positive role model compared to what we were talking about on Monday where we were saying have as not many, you know, role models that are positive. She's just strong and healthy and grafts consistently.

Oh my God. Is she a babe in this film as well? I can imagine. Like she is out of control. She is so hot. She's just unreal. Anyways, themselves. Like a hot honey sauce.

Yeah, she's hot honey. Anyway, so yeah, song sun blues is a fan, like a genuinely one of the best things I have seen in so long. Office romance. If you want to get it, you've had a long day. You like want to get into bed early with popcorn. kind of thing, 10 out of 10. Also, a quick question.

Sorry, everybody. Then we'll go on to your recommendations. We've got a good one from Audrey. The Rivals show that we're obsessed with. What happened? It just stopped. Oh my God. Someone listening might be able to answer it.

Why did they only give us half of it? And then the other half of the end of the year? Like, did they have to stop filming? Like, where is the rest of the show? I had to Google it. And it said it's not coming out till November. November? I was devastated.

I waited all week till Friday. and then it wasn't there and I was like, what? Also, I have recommending a few times the show Your Friends and Neighbours with John Hamm. It's one of my favourite shows, also shrinking on Apple TV and the morning show has reasons. Maybe I'm not trying to plug Apple TV. Anyways, the last episode of season two

was one of the best bits of TV I've seen in so long. Really? Anyway, I'm not trying to make you buy a subscription. I'm just saying, if you have Apple TV, have you haven't seen your friends and neighbours. The whole thing is so brilliant. And I have a real crush on John Hamm, but like the last episode season two is gold.

Okay, there we go. And on Spotify, we're reading all of your recommendations and the emails that come in. Lots of you are saying off campus on Spotify. I need to watch off campus. Because I watch the summer I turn pretty, I said, I think on the show at the beginning of the year, like binged it, was obsessed.

And I feel like it's that kind of genre. I don't think it's a watch with your husband kind of thing. It's also not with your parents. So after the birthday party at the weekend. Oh, stop. Yeah. Billy was like, oh, there's this show that everyone's talking about. And we made a joke.

So we got like 10 minutes in. I said, oh, I think maybe we'll watch this another time. And it was just a naked guy in a shower. And I was just like, you're suddenly like 12 again. Yeah. Can I give one last recommendation? You know what?

Again, this is not an ad. But I've just been buying loads of birthday presents on Etsy. And can I just say, as someone that is like, hold my hands up, some of you all get crossed with me. I know you will. Please don't. I spend too much money on Amazon because it's just so convenient. And it's so quick and I realize I need like something quite random and I can get it the next day.

Anyways. But I've like for birthday parties and birthday presents recently, I'm like, you know, I don't know oftentimes what to get people. And so I was like, let's get. I never know. No, let's get like you personally stuff. And I've got all anyway. And it's such good value. And you're supporting small businesses.

I've been buying like these I've got for the girls and their friend who were going on holiday with some of these matching sunglasses that have their names and little beads at the top and their flowers with matching glasses cases. And they're so cute and it's really good value. And it's all, well, it's largely small businesses. Anyways, I just wanted to say, because I kind of forgot about it. And then I was like, this is really cool. They're really nice things on Etsy. I completely echo that. Such nice things.

And it's so fun, like the personalisation and things like that. Just do it in advance because sometimes with the post, I remember doing Christmas presents on there, things can take a while. So because obviously there's small businesses that you're working through with the platform. Also, I realize that if you don't filter it, the UK, it can take like 100 years to arrive for you. I definitely made that mistake once.

I love Etsy. So Audrey said, I'm like Ella in that my mind moves at a million miles an hour and I can find it hard to stay present in conversations and activities even on exchange. What all I have to worry about is uni and not work or anything.

I've tried meditation for about a year when I was in grade 12 but it felt more like a chore and it came to be something in my routine that I would dread. Any tips on how to be more present, practice mindfulness in other ways, and it would be super appreciated. Audrey, thank you. I'm guessing that's the States because grade 12. I don't know what grade 12 is. What year group is that? I don't know either. I feel like it must be towards the end of school.

Yeah, let us know. Great question, Audrey. Look, I think everyone's different. First of all, I mean, sort of stems on a conversation on Monday if you listened about optimization and this kind of tipping point in all of our routines, if there's anything wellness related, and I'm not talking something you must do for medical reason, but something wellness related that feels like a chore, like you dread it, like you don't want to do it, you want to put it off, scrap it from your routine, at least for now,

because ultimately, like, health and habits around health should generally speaking be quite fun, quite enjoyable, nice things in your day, if they're not, they're a drag. So don't stress about it. I would say there are so many different types of meditation, there's so many different teachers, there's so many different ways to approach it. I wouldn't rule it out because you might find things that really suit you in the future.

Obviously, welcome to join me and try that out. But I think trying to be more present is something that so many of us struggle with. I was reading something recently that was like 46.7% of their time are minds either in the past or the future. Like, it's really normal to struggle to be like where you are right now and not to be kind of, yeah, thinking through all sorts of other events. I would just say it's really simple things and like, you know, everyone's different. That's why mindful coloring became such a big thing. You know, it's putting your phone away and it's just really trying to do one thing at once

and it might be drawing, there might be coloring, it might be gardening, it might be going for a phoneless walk and when you walk actually noticing, like notice you how it feels when your feet hit the pavement, like your heel going, the top of your foot going. Can you like feel any wind? Can you see any trees rustling? mean in like a kind of way where you have to stop, but just like actually notice, like, what can you see? But on the radio, listen to some nice music.

Exactly. And then just sit, like sit in a nice chair and just listen to the music, nothing else. And I think that's the real thing is it's learning and it's really hard for most of us when we start doing these things because we are so used to this overstimulation, which generally speaking isn't brilliant for us as a 24-7 impur, that it's hard to just sit. sit and be. It's why most of us like scroll as we watch TV. You know, we do things while we walk. We find it hard to just stop. So find things you enjoy, as we said, like sit and listen to a piece of music, go for a walk and actually like notice what you see on your walk. Even just sit with a meal,

no phone, no screens, no nothing and just be like just sit and eat your meal quietly. That is where I would start personally. Or yeah, as I said, it could be swimming. It could be drawing. It could be knitting. It could be like beeding. It doesn't really matter what it is. Just do something that's quite calming and only that and see how that feels. I absolutely love that. That's such a good recommendation. And also, Ella, thank you because I really personally struggle with that completely. And it's about time we spent a bit more time. You could be listening to the podcast. In fact, Jenny on Spotify, one of your comments was, I know you're both so busy, but we'd love a longer Thursday episode. We had, I'm just quickly reading them now. We had lots of comments and maybe this

can also help you and be a good starting point. So our next recommendation is from Ava. Hey, Ella and Rie, I just wanted to send an email in to say thank you for the wellness scoop and being yourselves on it. I used to follow so many of Ella's recipes of my mum when I was growing up. She's 21 now and my mum passed away two years ago and despite battling cancer for a decade, she was just genuinely the picture of health in every way. Gosh, we are so sorry, Ava, that must be, God, it must be so hard. She said it always felt like she was ahead of the curve. So Ava's mom, just like Uri with your trend predictions, I'm flattered that you feel that way.

And she said, I learned everything I know about health from my mom. I just wanted to thank you because listening to the Wilders Scoop feels like a slice of home that I miss so much. Anyway, I just wanted to add a recommendation. I'm a medical student, so have quite limited time of finances, but I wanted to share a few hacks I've come across that really helped me keep my nutrition as good as it can be while sticking to a budget. It really can be done, as you both always say.

I love to batch cook, a bean chili once a week. Yep, me too, I'm with you. I just used mixed beans from tins with onion, garlic, tomatoes and tins, and then chuck in any leftover veg. My favourite ones are celery and kale, and an extra thing I do is add a teaspoon of miso to fry off the garlic, yummy. And at the end, yes, a square of 85% dark chocolate into it to add a depth of flavour, although I know it sounds odd. Not at all. I have a chocolate chili recipe in my fibre book. You're adding fibre. Then she said snacking while studying is another thing I think is essential, but bringing mixed nuts, dark chocolate and some fruit is perfect.

I really do think these sorts of things are so doable, but education is a barrier to do so. and many people being able to live their healthiest lives. I'm so grateful to you too for providing that. And I hope one day I can help people in the way you do. Oh, bless you. She says, I'm working on a project with my university on school meals and I've thought of you so many times while doing it. Thank you for everything you do for me from nutrition advice,

a giggle and even grief support, lots of love. Elle, I found that very emotional to read, Ava. Just send a few here. I'd give you a massive hug. Yeah, Ava. thank you so much for sending such huge love. And I love your recommendations there as well, just as we were talking about this actually again on Monday.

Like these simple little things really, really add up. And as you said, like a really nice batch cook, something like a chili, as you said, once a week, using really simple ingredients like onions, garlic, leftover carrots, tints of beans. You can get the kind of five beans in a tints. So getting like almost 10 different of your plants, like a third of the weekly need in there.

And the cool thing about that kind of recipe as well. You can eat it in different ways. Like you could have a wrap. I did it with the kids in a wrap the other day with cheese. For sure. Or exactly. Or like a taco kind of night version. You could do it in baked potatoes.

You can do it like rice. You could do it with guac. You can do, you know, a couple of different meals like that. So I love that. Thank you. And thank you for kind of showing how you fit it into your lifestyle. Because I think that's also super important. Everyone's got different patterns of their work and different demands on their time and just

knowing like these little habits can make such a big difference. Absolutely. And next question comes from Susie. Cardiff. Hi, Susie. She said corn products often get labelled as ultra-processed. Just if you're not in the UK, corn is a brand that sells in the plant-based category, like a kind of plant-based bolognese and things like that, especially the ones designed to mimic specific meats. But corn mints is 91% micoprotein. It doesn't contain artificial additives. Can you explain what mycoprotein actually is, whether it's considered healthy and why it's sometimes viewed as a less favorable option versus

tofu or tempe? Yeah, it's a trace. marked name actually what's so interesting and I wrote I did a whole page actually on corn because of its eco benefits for the environment in terms of the entire food production chain and what it is in mine's psychopedia the science of plant-based nutrition so if you have that book turned to that page because it is a protein rich food and it's made from a naturally occurring fungus and the Latin name fusarium ven atom and it isn't really a plant animal or mushroom but more of a like filamentous fungus, and it's grown with fermentation.

So it's a fermented food as well, which is another win. And during production, this fungus is fed a carbohydrate, traditionally from wheat, like a glucose from it. And it's almost like when you're making a sourdough or you're fermenting anything, and it's allowed to grow into a network of fibers that naturally resemble a thick texture. It's one of the oldest plant-based alternatives for vegetarians.

It's been around a very, very long time before this new industry emerged, you know, of mimic things everywhere. Corn was around for a very long time. It's then heated, filtered and combined with a small number of ingredients that make the final product. So let's just have a look here. So if you take corn particularly, by the way, the scientists that found this fungus and created this cordic corn, and that's why that's the trademark names, it's a strange one.

So you've got the protein part, microprotein, then it. rehydrated free range egg white. So actually, if you're a vegan, you can buy vegan corn. You know on the label it says if it's a vegetarian or vegan version. You'll have the natural flavour so it's a bit more palatable. You will potentially have some firming agents and seasoning. But I think it depends on the product. And it's only really got four ingredients.

So while it does undergo processing, it's not the same as sausages and plant-based steaks and burgers with emulsives and colours. Does that make sense, Ella? Yeah, I think it's an interesting thing because I think it is classified as ultra-processed and it does have these ingredients, although some of them have many less, so it depends because of so many different products.

But it is something where obviously, you know, if sustainability reasons, ethical reasons, you know, just like personal preference, you're 100% plant-based, then I don't think it should be seen as like a really, really bad option. On the continuum of things available, personally I'd see it's like pretty medium.

Beans are going to be better. Tofu is better because it is a kind of, it's just a very, very simple ingredient deck, likewise tempe. You know, I personally would make a lentil bolognese versus buying a pre-made bolognese kind of meat. But that's just a personal preference. I also just like the taste.

I like the texture more. But if you really like this, this is where, and really always say it, the UPF conversation is not unhelpful, but a little confusing because this is not, although technically by a Nova score, the classification, this would sit in ultra-process. This is not the same as a Jaffa cake or a Coca-Cola or like or a Harrybo. So I think that's where UPFs get confusing because then suddenly everything's in the same bucket.

And it's like, this is terrible. And it's like, no, this isn't terrible. It's high protein. It's obviously, as you say, amazing from a sustainability perspective. Really, really amazing. Or to have in your freezer, like for those people on a budget and those, we discussed the broken plate report on Monday. It's such a fantastic option for so many people to have in their freezer to pull out for meals because the cost of it and how many meals you can make from it.

And I'm with Ella, beans and pulses all the way. But it contains all nine essential amino acid. There's no cholesterol, very little saturated fat. It's been used for over two decades. They've got loads of research studies on it, helping with your cholesterol levels, all sorts of things. It's just, it's an example, like Ella said quite rightly, but you're right to be confused because yes, technically that makes it a UPF, but again, it's fermented. That's great. So is Tempe, by the way, fermented soybeans. And that's actually beneficial for our gut bacteria. So it's one of the few UPFs that may have a positive impact on our gut microbiome, which is very rare, actually, when you look at ingredients there, often we're telling you to reduce the UPF. So it is a

confusing question. And it is confusing because there's so many different products. And some of them only have like three ingredients in and really high in protein and then other ones have like 15 ingredients in and many many more UPF so it's tricky but I don't think we should be as really says I think with UPFs we've got to be so careful that we don't put everything in the same bucket as like cakes and biscuits and sweets because that's just not the case and there's reasons to be eating these things and the sustainability aspects incredibly incredibly important obviously here so I think if you if you like it and it's It's part of your kind of repertoire, but you're also having tofu and you're also having lentils and you're also having beans.

Like I wouldn't over think it personally. It's product like core mints. It's got your protein and your fibre, low and saturated fat. And if it helps people eat less red meat and like Ella said processed meat and all sorts of things, that's the way to look at it. It's definitely positive spin. Yeah, for sure. At Volvo, safety is not a feature. It's our purpose.

Rigorous crash testing. decades of learning from real accidents, innovations that help prevent accidents before they happen, and help protect you when they occur. Going above and beyond industry standards, a vision of zero collisions. Volvo's legacy revolves around you because safety is about helping to keep you and everyone around you safe for life. Learn more at VolvoCars.caps.ca slash safety. Ella, I think our next question is definitely good for you. So I think you'll have much more of an insight than I.

It's from Jill in Northern Ireland. And on a recent episode, she said, on Britain's favourite veg, you both seemed a little surprised at the list. We were encouraging listeners to mix it up. Have you visited a mainstream supermarket outside of London? Now, this is why I want to target this, Ella, because she's visited many supermarkets. She said, in my Tesco here in Northern Ireland,

there's not an extensive variety outside of carrots, potatoes and onions. It can be challenging to get 30 varieties of fruit and veg a week and I definitely don't have time to go to multiple places to get more options. Any suggestions on how to improve this? Great question. Jill has always thank you for writing in. I can't say I'm an expert in Northern Ireland, for sure. I have been to many supermarkets all around the UK.

Obviously, yeah, kind of selling product and retail has been the core part of my job for a decade. So I feel quite qualified to have been to like many, many, many, many, many, many, more than me anyway, Ella. Store visits is a very important part of things. And certainly in the UK, obviously if you just have a local, like we're talking about a small town and it's a local or, you know, various different terminologies, depending on which brand of supermarket we're talking about here, then those don't necessarily have such a variety. It's completely true. But if we're talking about a bigger supermarket, I think they do always have quite a lot of variety. The other beauty is online ordering.

I do think that's an amazing personally. I find online shopping a humongous help. And I get a shop once a week. And that means I've got a variety of things in the fridge all the time. Because I don't live near a bigger supermarket. So I couldn't do it without. But that's a massive, massive help for me. I don't know if that's available for you.

But I think it is possible. But maybe it just requires a little bit more planning depending where you live. The goal, obviously, you know, as we say, isn't perfection. And but also your 30 plants a week doesn't have to just come from vegetables. like, you know, frozen bags of fruit. Amazing, you know, might get five different berries in a mixed pack. Tins of mixed beans, like five different beans in there, for example. Yeah, exactly, like a big bag, a Honan Barrett-style bag of like mixed nuts and seeds.

Again, you're probably getting like five in there. And suddenly this is adding up to 30 really, really, really quickly. So I think that's a really important thing to say exactly in like big things of like dried grains, for example. Spices, herbs and spices in the little jails. Exactly. You know, we're just having like a pot of basil, something on your window sill, if you can. So yeah, all of this stuff varies for everyone. And I really appreciate that. I would say, and I'm sure you don't mean it in this way, but like I do think it's important to say that it becomes really easy to say nothing at the risk of offending one person. And I don't think that's helpful. And I don't want to call you out, Jill, because I don't think that's probably how you mean it. But I do think we have to be careful with taking is overly personally, just generally in life, because suddenly it's like you can't say anything because nothing we say is 100% appropriate or accurate for every single person listening. We're going to have someone listening in Slovenia who's like, they don't sell this here.

I don't have Tesco. What the hell is corn? I don't know if they sell corn in Slovenia. Or we're going to have someone listening in Australia who's like, hey, guys, you keep talking about a heat wave, like, it's winter here. And you're so right. But we can't personalise, like, absolutely everything to absolutely everybody. What we want to do is give you the core information that's in the news, that's the latest research,

that's what scientists are discovering right now and your core questions of everything you're seeing in health and wellness. But we can't be perfect and we can't make it perfect for all of you as much as we wish that we could. Do you know what? I love Ella that actually in Northern Ireland that they do eat seasonally because that says a lot about the supermarkets, If I'm wrong, anyone that's tuning in from there, let Ella and I know. But if you're growing a lot of potatoes and garrets and things you're getting seasonally, that's pretty good, actually.

You don't need all these exotic ingredients all the time. Honestly, everything is a small little win. Tins, don't underestimate the power of tins as well and frozen food. That's a good question. The next one we have is a lovely listener from Sweden who said, I've heard that breathwork can help regulate the nervous system. But I don't know where to start. What would you recommend?

for beginners. Ella, I can only talk about the science here. I've no idea. This is, again, definitely for you. Yeah, you're absolutely right. There's a lot of research on breathing. So kind of breath meditation and slow breathing, particularly just slow breathing and extended exhales in terms of supporting, we're coming into our parasympathetic or rest and digest part of our system. Very, very well researched, the power of mindfulness meditation, as they said, kind of slow mindful breathing. I do think there's probably an over, like, do one breathing exercise and you'll have

in a regulated nervous system because there's so many inputs into our stress levels, but regular practice of these things can be incredibly powerful for better managing your stress and as a result, having a better flexibility between switching between our sympathetic and our parasympathetic are kind of stressed and less so states of the nervous system.

So I'm a huge fan of it. Where to begin. It's interesting question. We obviously had our question right at the beginning from Audrey. Like, I tried this. I didn't like it. There's so many different teachers. There's so many different styles.

There's so many different ways of approaching this. And you've got to find what you like. Obviously, you're so welcome to join my classes that I do every week, which is so fun. I really like the open app. If you want to do at home breathwork, literally just the word open. I think that's a really good. I really like their teachers. What was the one you recommended the other week as well?

So that's a meditation app. I think it's the best app ever called The Way. It is unbelievable. It's a British man called Henry Shookman. Oh my gosh. It's so good. And the thing I really like about the way is that it's not a choice. It's a path.

And so you just turn it on and like you just do today's session and it all builds on the other next, the ones that come before it. Because I do think you can open an app and see like, you know, 300,000 classes. and exactly like you said, like where do you start? So that's really nice. Open is, feels, they're all quite short, like seven, eight minutes. So also if you're trying to build it into your day, that's really nice. Can I ask a question?

Just a naive question. We still have listeners that ask for that Merlin app. You know, your mum recommended Camilla about the birds. Yes. Is sitting outside, is it different because you have to use the app? But does that count? Just trying to tune into the sounds of the birds and then discovering what they are. Yeah, I mean, if you just went and sat outside in a park or your garden or somewhere

you can sit outside right now and just sat, put your phone away and just sat for like 10 minutes and just like enjoyed the view, listen to the buzz. That is essentially meditation. That's like an open awareness meditation or a sound meditation. It just doesn't have to be perfect in that sense. Like you don't have to sit cross-legged, you know, in yoga clothes on a mat. Like you really, really don't. But I think it's about finding a teacher or a few teachers that you really like. That to me is the key because like there are some of the best qualified teachers in the world. I just don't personally like love their class. Whereas there'll be someone else who I discover and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is amazing.

Like for me the way, just addicted. I love the way he approaches it. So you just got to find what's right for you. But you're absolutely right. Although there's lots of inputs. So it's not as simple as like one breath of class will regulate you forever. it's incredibly well researched in terms of supporting stress management and so probably something lots of us could benefit from.

I think it's why Ella is very, she's always very calm and I know that life throws lots of things at you but I think it's really beneficial and research does show, for instance, that slowing your breathing, particularly for around five to six breaths per minute, it improves your heart rate variability and over time that is a marker of how adaptable our nervous system is to stress. And we talk a lot about cortisol on this podcast and the impact of long-term chronic stress because we know that a higher heart rate over a prolonged period of time, you know, isn't great.

And we've got to have a look at having generally associated resilience, recovery with breathwork. It helps our fight or flight on nervous system. And I just, yeah, lovely question. I'm motivated to try that one, 100%. I love it. Okay. Emily says, thank you so much for an amazing podcast. I've listened since day one, thank you, Emily.

I've recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, and I feel like it shifted everything. I feel I was finally getting my head around UPFs and making wiser choices, and now I feel really thrown. I've read the laws of gluten-free products and now more ultra-prosers and low-fibre, etc. Can you give me advice on any ingredients to become aware of to avoid things that are more beneficial or grape recipes or gluten-free swaps that are delicious but simple? I'm really struggling. 100%.

I think, first of all, Emily, gosh, what a diagnosis to receive. Celiac disease is not to be taken lightly. And I just want to remind people this is not. We're not talking about just going gluten-free. And that's it. Your whole body suddenly can be at risk because, of course, this is an autoimmune condition. It's not a diet you preference or a choice. And when someone with celiac consumes gluten, their immune system can attack the lining of their own small intestine.

and that's what damages the tiny finger-like things we called Vili, like lots of looks like a hairbrush almost of lots of bristles that kind of line our gut. And it means we're not absorbing our nutrition effectively and left untreated. You know, we can get severe malnutrition, risk of deficiencies, leads towards other conditions internal osteoprosis, fertility, flare-ups, complications. So my biggest caution here, obviously, is that whilst we can talk about flexibility and balance, Ella and I can't give one-to-one. Of course, one-to-one advice, and I'm not a GP here, just a nutritionist.

But what we definitely can do is discuss the anxiety that can come around and the fear for people, too. We have to remember that if you are living with an intolerance or an allergy, which is life-threatening, or a condition, the anxiety that can cause in everyday life, reading labels on packets, you know, we've all heard those awful stories that have come in the news from the disease. things like this. I want to acknowledge that I understand that's also probably a really, a really big thing. Now, while it's true gluten-free products, of course, can be lower and fibre are more processed. Sadly, that is the state of the food industry. It doesn't have to be that way. They are worse. They are so much worse. So much worse. So bad. Because we started Life at Delicious

Yellow in the free-from category of the supermarket, mostly because they didn't really know where to put us. the kind of better for you option and we were generally like naturally gluten-free and naturally dairy-free and that was always the approach was just like yeah trying to have the most whole food ingredients anyways so we went in there so we feel like I've had a really good view

why did they put that so ridiculous to just plunk you in a cat? It actually worked really well for us in the end but well because we talked about on Monday like it's you know the food industry is dominated by enormous players so actually being in a small category was a really great place for us to start are. But it's almost the most ultra-processed category of the supermarket. So your assessment is

absolutely not wrong. It's an unfortunate reality, Emily, but your assessment that gluten-free products are so much worse. It's completely accurate. It's absolutely astonishing. Because you have to take out a component of the food. You have to take out the protein, the glue that holds a product together. That is the gluten. So it has to be manipulated. And my advice, so I was gluten-free for like maybe five years, I had so many stomach problems. It really helped me. As my gut health improved, I managed to reintroduce it. Now eat it, no problem at all. It's obviously completely different to celiac disease. But having cooked gluten-free for a good number of years, my personal opinion, and I want to make this positive, not negative, is you can't replicate it. And I think it's when you're trying to replicate that perfectly, that actually you end up having so many different fillers and binders. That's what happens to bread. Bread is a big culprit, the UPF gluten-free bread. Yeah, so the ingredients aren't great and it's nowhere near the same or as good. And I personally found just cooking more naturally gluten-free. So focusing on like quinoir and those sorts of ingredients,

I found the meal so much more delicious. I do think the best pasta brand for gluten-free pasta though is rumour. Because the interesting thing is the science of course of boiling anything without gluten as well. The texture is completely different. So that's where, where half the challenge comes if you're trying to mimic an original item. But it just doesn't feel fair that if you don't have those cooking skills, you should miss out on your favourite items. And that's where I think the industry can do better. And I think it will.

I think it will have to evolve. But that would be my big focus is trying to, I found whenever I tried to replicate it, I was disappointed if I'm just completely honest because it wasn't the same. Whereas when I tried to create something that was naturally gluten-free, absolutely delicious. So I just focused more as rice or quinoa those sorts of things, which was

absolutely great like jack of potatoes kind of like corn tortillas, these products that just don't have it in. But yeah, RUMO, RU, double MO, that pasta doesn't go soggy. I don't think. I think it's really, really similar. My sister's gluten-free and that didn't

exist or I couldn't find it when I was. But I have tried loads of different brands. For her, one of my best friends is celiac. And that tastes like, more pasta. So the industry is changing, which is amazing. And a little shout out to voices like Becky Excel, who is a prolific cookbook author. And she does gluten-free cookbooks and things as well of everyday recipes. And like Ella said, the products then rely heavily on other ingredients to mimic that scientific component. Whereas like Ella said, some of those naturally gluten-free

foods, potatoes, you can make potato files. You can make loads of different loads of bread. bread now. If you just look at Ella's books, my cookbooks, we can make so many things without gluten and focusing on things there and some breakfast examples. Now, it's the oat conversation, of course, the contamination in factories that also impacts products. So while some

ingredients might be gluten-free naturally, they might be contaminated. It's another anxiety issue for people. That's what also pushes the price up. So for example, like we've always used gluten-free oats. But if you produce in a factory, that's not then completely gluten-free, there's a full clean-down process

before those products can be made. And so obviously that adds the cost. So there's a lot of things that adds to the reason as well that gluten-free products are more expensive. And like the oat is exactly the same. I think that's always been a bit confusing to people like a gluten-free oat, normal oat. It's actually the exact same thing.

But if a non-certified gluten-free oat is grown near a wheat crop, you cannot guarantee there's no cross-contamination, you know, the wind blows, whereas gluten-free oats will make sure that they are grown and cultivated and harvested in a way that's free of the cross-contamination. So, and then again, you'll have like gluten-free factories, non-glutton-free factories. So it's very complicated. Can you look up quickly the cost I'm interested on buckwheat noodles versus normal wheat noodles? Because buckwheat is something that we could definitely cook with more. And I'm just wondering, Like you said, it doesn't seem fair that anyone diagnosed with celiac disease that's going for these things out there should have to pay more.

Is that a good swap or is that a cost difference, I wonder? Sorry, I've asked Ella to be detective. That's okay. Can be way higher, but not always. Okay, so depends on the brand. As always depends on the brand. Yeah, a little note to finish as well, just on the nutrition side of things. Nutrition for celiacs can be really hard, especially if you're going through different flare-ups, iron, folate, B-12.

vitamin D, calcium, all of these components, definitely discuss them with your healthcare team because everyone's also different and anyone with an IBD is different. But we've got research, Ella, that like you said, how bad the alternatives can be in that category, that can also increase flare-ups. So if someone is gluten-free and then they're buying these gluten-free items, it can make their symptoms worse because there's research in this area now as well. It is complicated. My best advice is focus on naturally gluten-free, delicious, whole-food ingredients.

Because then you're just like celebrating things. What is it's my personal take on veggie food as well. I'm always like, I want to make something beautiful with a slow-roasted aubergine as opposed to like pretend that something is a piece of fish or whatever it is because it's like it's not. And I always think then people are disappointed. It's like if I cook for very carnivorous friends and family, I would just make them something that's so different. And they're like, yum. And you can enjoy it for what it is.

Otherwise, these things can be disappointing. Right. Amanda says, your podcast is a little rare sunshine. Thanks, Amanda. She listens while. She strength strains. Love that, Amanda. Can I ask why black currents, red currents, and goose sprees? And ever mentioned by nutritionists as healthy options, I'm very curious.

Well, they're definitely mentioned by me because I grew up with a garden and a goose breeze. But you're right. No, no press person ever asks you about the nutritional benefits of goose breeze. I would say black currents as well. But there's reasons, again, Ella, we've had a lot of talk, actually, about the food chain today, which I think is really, really helpful. But do you want to give us a little bit of info and why it comes down to how much in bulk you can provide?

Because that obviously dictates what we see on the shells. We grow in abundance strawberries here. We love our berries. They're very good for us. And again, we need more support in the UK to help our farmers because we love them, but they are pricey. Yeah, we need things essentially like we can mass produce in order to sell in large retailers,

generally speaking in terms of the industry at the moment. But I think it's really funny. that actually didn't notice this one putting these things together, that Jill and Amanda's questions sit in the same thing, because Jill's like, this isn't accessible enough to me. And then Amanda's like, make it wider, both of which are so valid. But I think it's interesting. I think part of the reason people don't talk about it is it's like,

for most people, you know, living in an urban place or something, like gooseberries or recurrence, they're just not in most Alde's or Tesco's or Morrison's or whatever. And so I would never include them in a recipe because I'd be like, no one can make that. Yeah. But you're right for gut health and for diversity, we probably should be encouraging it. So it's always a hard balance as we said. Like it's so hard to get it right for everyone. But, you know, gooseberry's amazing for you. Yeah, it's so good. And in fact, I compare them to

rhubarb in a way. Not that they're the same. They're completely different, but they need a lot of sugar. Love rhubarb. I know. Ella's rhubarb obsession has rubbed off on me as well. And it reminds me of my grandparents in Wales. They used to grow rhubarb and at home where I grew up in Wiltshire. we grew a lot of gooseberries. We had this kind of gooseberry brush by the river like you did. Very, very rural growing up. But gooseberries, they're quite bitter, so you do have to stew them, I'd say, or bake them with lots of sugar as well. Then we have our last question today from Sally. She said, I discovered your podcast in January and I love it. There's so many good snippets of actually useful information. But I'm enjoying the more in-depth discussions on school meals, for example, and my questions around

ice cream. We all love ice cream. She said, I don't eat loads, although I had a mild obsession with little moons. Now, they're like the little... Mocchis. Motchis. Oh, so good. Like the rice, stretchy. Again, gluteny, like, you stretch the rice and you put it round and it's delicious, good option for people. But more to be mindful this year. I saw this article today and she saw it in the Daily Mail and she is called the healthier supermarket ice cream. A nutritionist reveals tubs added to the trolleys. They've got a nutritionist to go through all the different ingredients on the back of the ice cream tubes. It is very interesting and I have to say all the wrecks that we've got here I really enjoy but it's hard to find a quote on quote minimal one on a

mainstream supermarket shelf. Yeah, first of all I would say like I don't think ice cream is probably like to place for stress. I think we said like UPFs in moderation just no problem. Delicious sugar in moderation just no problem and not saying to worry about if you love ice cream and there's a type of ice cream you love or like, I don't know, you know, at school sports, say the ice cream trucks are of course like the kids can eat that ice cream. You know, I'm not someone, it's funny. Actually, I was in the supermarket on Friday and the kids had had a big week at school. They're actually very long story. We're actually moving again. They're changing school in September. Anyways, a story for another day. She's just announced it.

And a story for another day. But as a treat, I was like, you guys, you can choose anything you want in the supermarket. Like, get yourself a treat. Anyway, the old. one chose this big pack of cornettoes and i was like great that's really my approach like the lots of healthy things at home that's the tree fab i really want them to have that bad the ice cream whatever goes yeah but it made me laugh because then when we were leaving she was clutching this big thing of cornetto and someone came up to me they're like oh my god are you delicious sierra they're going to think i'm so so don't live by what i'm praying they had some very good marketing cornetto italian aria da cornetto

Anyway, that made me love so much. But personally for me, look, I really try and live by this thing of like we really healthy meals. We sit down as a family. But like I don't want people to feel like my children to feel like they can't have this. They can't have that and things are good and things are bad. So we try and have a nice like flexibility. So at home, I try and get the slightly better versions because they like to eat, you know, a little tree after supper all the time.

We do it every weekend in the summer. And sometimes after school. So I'm 100% on you. the Rex here, the liquor licks ones, my kids are obsessed with and the blood orange ones. They're insane. It's a tiny brand. We get them on a cado.

It's liquor licks with an X. It's a small British brand. They've got little misdement on the packaging. The chocolate ones and the strawberry lemonade, the most popular in our house, but they're basically mostly fruit. They're really, really good. So my kids have one every day.

Like literally every day. They love them. Then I was looking up for tubs, the best ones, actually, funnily enough, a few weeks ago, because again, they eat a lot of ice cream. Remio. Ella, we get their lemon sorbetubs and then I actually get their ice lollies

because I love the... This has been my... You'll have seen them on my Instagram. Yeah. Pregnancy addiction is their ice lollies, sorbay ice lollies. The ice lollies are amazing. So they're really good brand as well.

Remio, R-E-M-E-O. And then my last one, this actually, a friend recommended to me most recently and never come across them before. I think this is a teeny, teeny, teeny tiny brand. But you know, in Europe, they have those like ice... Poles like pops like in a plastic pecking

It's long like frozen ones I used to have those as a kid Ice Poles oh but they were bad as a kid They were like bright blue Coke-Cola Exactly no these are like Just mostly fruit with a little bit of sugar And pectin they're called polar

P-O-L-A poles There's a rhubarb flavoury Anyways and like British raspberry Anyway they're really fun And I think that's amazing No stress about it Yeah like enjoy it in the park Or whatever you're doing

But you know for me I was like We're eating so much ice cream at home What I'll mostly stock at home is that. But if you see me in the shop with a big box of cornettoes, that's because balance is part of our life. And also, just a little food science bit, the reason ice creams are made originally or were made in that way was so they'd last a long time. You could transport them without losing the texture, the consistency, that perfect thing. And, yeah, life's all about choosing your own personal scale at home of where you're happy to sit in between. You could even make your own frozen banana blitz, call it an ice cream.

You can buy the Cornettos, Akala, and I do for the kids, all these lickerlicks and, yeah, go for it. But it's been a very good episode. I feel we've covered a lot today. Thank you for listening, and we are back on Monday. So keep your emails coming to... Hello, at wellness hyphen scoop.com. And we'll see you on Monday. Bye.

Can't wait, guys. Bye.