The Wellness Scoop - The 75p Health Trick, Vagina Lollipops & Gut Secrets

Episode Date: November 17, 2025

This week we’re diving into the biggest wellness stories making headlines, from Kourtney Kardashian’s viral Lemmelaunches (yes, vagina lollipops and colostrum gummies) to new research suggesting our gut microbes might influence our personalities. We unpack the science behind these trends, separate fact from fiction, and explore what’s really worth paying attention to. We also discuss Rhiannon’s feature on the Mediterranean diet, including her simple 75p trick for boosting fibre and gut health, and look at new research showing that walking just 3,000 steps a day could slow Alzheimer’s progression by up to seven years. 🎄 Order your signed, personalised copy of Quick Wins – add a Christmas message when you pre-order here: https://coles-books.co.uk/quick-wins-by-ella-mills-signed-edition Sign the petition on fireworks to help wildlife at this time of year: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/732559 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Amex Platinum, you have access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. So your experience before takeoff is a taste of what's to come. That's the powerful backing of Amex. Conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by Peloton. Breakthrough the busiest time of year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus, powered by Peloton IQ. With real-time guidance and endless ways to move,

you can personalize your workouts and train with confidence. helping you reach your goals in less time. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Treadplus at OnePeloton.com. Welcome to the Wellness Scoop, your weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration. And as always, we are both here as your host. I'm LMLS. And I'm Rihanna Lambert, and we've been here for a decade in the wellness industry,

and we know it's overwhelming and confusing, so that's why we created this problem. to cut through all the noise and make healthier living simple, fun and personal. And we just love it, don't we? We're just saying before we started recording, this is such a highlight of the week. And guys, I think we're going to hit 5 million downloads before we hit our first year in January, which is so mega and I know someone that's often quite tough on themselves. That is quite something, 5 million downloads in our first year. So just a mega thank you guys for listening, for tuning in, for supporting us.

We can't tell you what difference it makes. It brings us so much joy. So thank you. Five million. Well, let's keep bringing you the best shows ever because it is a highlight for Ella and I to be here. So we feel very, very blessed. And today is a really fun one. We're going to be talking about vagina lollipops and colostrum, courtesy of Courtney Kardashian.

We are going to be talking about the gut microbiome and how it might actually shape our personality, not just things like our immune system and our mood. The 75P Mediterranean Diet Trick for better health. health, which is an article Rhee was working on, which I'm very excited about how walking 3,000 steps a day might be linked to Alzheimer's prevention, and the fact that the colostrum market is worth 1.8 billion. I mean, who knew we'll go into what the science actually says about that? First up, Rhee, how are you? I'm good. I'm just so astounded by all the figures we're revealing on today's show. You know, 1.8 billion is such a big number and 5 million downloads.

I'm good, Ella. It's just been, as usual, a manic week. But I've been sticking with my evening routines. It's been making a big, big difference. I am noticing, and this is anecdotal, everybody, a difference in my skin with my red light mask. I really am. I really notice it when I do it.

Yeah, if I'm consistent with it. In some weeks, I might only make it twice or three times with the new one that you can wear every day. And I'm really feeling much better for it. But I invested in a pillow scent, Ella. tell us about that I've turned it into a bit of an insomniac and got it into a few bad habits as well

so my evening routine was going really really well and then I think I was just feeling a bit of anxiety or overwhelm at the end of the day and I was like right I need to switch off here I've been trying to read my book I'm really struggling so I thought why not I had these pillow sprays just sitting there

that I bought years ago probably when I had the babies and it's lavender and you spray it on your pillow and it feels like I'm in a spa it's kind of like a little spa thing for myself I love that. Wait, quickly talk us through your evening routine. I think everybody loves morning evening routines, myself included. Evening routine is good. For me, it's always a cup of tea like a licorice and peppermint that we've mentioned before, were tea pigs' favourite.

Best tea on the planet. If you haven't tried it, tea pigs, peppermin and licorice tea, they're pink, the label. Oh my gosh, it's best tea in the world. I'm absolutely obsessed. I have been for years obsessed with this particular tea. So I start with that. I might have a Cuba dark chocolate also. a date, nut butter, whatever it is in the evening, get upstairs, do the usual shower, makeup off, all that sort of thing if I'm wearing makeup, which, to be honest, I try not to these days anyway. But it's more that when I get into bed, I put my phone away, first of all, and play an audiobook in the corner of the room while I'm doing my light mask, because I find it really hard to read when I've got this thing on my face. So I put the audio book on in

the background, get into bed, and then I do the stretches. This is new for me. This sounds so bougie. Honestly, it's not. I've just led there and I do my kind of twists, which I'd forgotten all about, but Ella's a yoga teacher, so she can tell you that back twists have a special name. Oh, it depends which ones you're doing. But I love that because our spine health is so important and most of us are slouching all day over our computers, over our phones, tech neck is very real. Yeah. I love this. Okay, and then what happens or is that at the end? It's so funny. It's like bedtime with re. Well, I do my twist. I put a pillow between my knees because ever since I had kids, I don't know if it's a thing,

but I find that when I sleep on my side, you know, like in the fetal position. Yeah, that's how I've always slept on my side. And I have to put a pillow between my knees because my joints otherwise, I get a bit achy. I stretch, I do that. I've sprayed my pillow mist. And it's just a really nice way to end my day.

I love it. I'm such a morning routine, gal, and my bedtime routine just to make everyone else. I feel okay. My bedtime routine is appalling. take dogs out to the toilet scroll my phone a bit more go straight to sleep

absolutely there is no wind down I think I should start bringing it in we all do it though and I have to say I was sending you headlines last night and you sent me one I'm just looking at our WhatsApp at 1028 I'd sent you one at 10 past 10 so the routine didn't start

till quite late last night they're good headlines everybody I also put up a petition that I really want to put in the show notes about firework displays So if anybody like me feels that fireworks, I know they're wonderful. And I go to a display with the kids. We went Ella to a really lovely one. But there was someone doing fireworks on my road at like 11 o'clock,

which woke everybody up. And then there's the animals. My cat absolutely hates them. I'm sure the squirrels and the birds and all the wildlife do. So you can sign a petition if you want the government to try and look into local displays only. Please don't hate me. No, you just love animals.

And I so appreciate and respect. empathy. And I love it. So we'll put that in the show now. Re, I went to a red light class. Oh, you did it. Last week we talked about a red light infrared class. And believe it or not, I live in like pretty remotely, like near a really small village. And some another of the mums I've met at the girls new school, WhatsApp and was like, this is a great class. I think you'll love it. So he went on Friday. And it was a red light power plate class. So guys, I tried two trends in one. And it was absolutely extraordinary. I can't comment on the difference that the red light made or didn't make. It's hot but not like boiling. It does help you get a little sweat on. But a power plate

class, I have never done one. Have you not? No. Oh my God. It's so weird. Your whole body's like vibrating. I love power plates. But where are the red lights? Just around the room. I actually loved it. I'm going again this afternoon. Amazing. Power plates are incredible. I used to work at Powerplate Studio in Transition Zone in Passes and Screen when it first opened. So you've done your red light. Yeah. Did you sweat?

But we'll do a section. I think we should do on Power Plates and lymphatic drainage because people ask about it so much, which is what Power Plates are meant to be good for. I did sweat because I'm not, you know, I think I've made it quite clear. I'm quite a low intensity gal when it comes to exercise. So as a result, I basically never ever sweat when I exercise

because it's all like very gentle. And so I did actually sweat, which is probably very good for me. And I have to say I did feel really well. afterwards. And it was fun. I'm so proud of you and the cookbook as well. So you've been doing that at the same time as getting ready for the launch for the cookbook. You've been sweating it out on the power plate.

Sweating out on the power plate. It's just coming out in a few weeks now, quick win. So it comes out on the 18th of December. And I just wanted to say, obviously, everyone's thinking about Christmas probably. Basically, we've managed to do, found this amazing shop, an independent book shop based near Bista in the UK. And what they can do is that they can take dedicated. messages. So you can, if you're like sister or your best friend or something likes the delicious yellow cookbooks, like Excel cookbooks, you can get it for them and I'll write the

message. She'll be like, Dear Sarah, Merry Christmas, X, Y, Z, love Ella and, you know, if you want to put your name in it. So whatever message you want, dedication, I can go and write them. There's obviously because it's a bit of a lengthy exercise, a limited number. But if you want to get that for someone for Christmas, it will arrive in time with a personal message and we can send them anywhere in the world. So I will put the link in the show notes for that, but otherwise you can just Google Coles, C-O-L-E-S, Bookshop, Quick Wins, signed edition or something like that, and you'll get the link as well. But I'll pop it in the show notes. So if anyone wants a proper, dedicated, personalized copy pre-Christmas for the brand-new cookbook, I can do that for you, which was quite

fun. I've never done that before. That feels like we've done the whole podcast already. So we've got the most amazing recommendation that Ella can give you for Christmas. You know, I've given you a firework display link and you've got our evening routine and powerpoint wrecks there we go guys i know i've got so many other wrecks but i'll bring them on thursday basically i've like been super into sourdough complete fail and water cavir though but we can discuss all of these wrecks on thursday but your sourdough looked so good oh my gosh really it was so good i was so proud got another one bubbling away in the background just fed my starter amazing after the show okay right

headlines today. This, if you're new, is the section where we look at the health headlines that we think are the most important of the week. You know, we know there's so much in the news on social media about health and wellness and we want to kind of tell you what matters, what it's all about, what the facts and figures actually say and what to bring in or not into your own life. So the first headline we have this week, refound, and I think it is so cool. Could the bacteria in our guts help to shape our personalities? Now, obviously, gut health is such a front and centre topic at the moment. We're talking those about plant points, you know, getting your 30 plants a week, how important fibre is, even though we're all struggling with it. We're

talking about how our gut health affects our mood, our mental health, our anxiety even, as well as our immune system, exactly, our energy, our sleep, all of it, but also potentially our personalities. It's amazing, isn't it? It's a new study from researchers in Ireland and Finland found that rats were given gut microbiome transplants. And by transplants, I mean, I mean, from human toddlers, they took samples of their poo, essentially, and transferred it over to a rat. Now, this sounds really crazy. I know. But we have been looking into fecal transplants over in different countries at the moment.

And they found that these human toddlers transplants gave the rats more energies. They became more explorative. So that's the first bit. And I think the important note there is, A, I think the fact that people are researching this so much speaks to how important gut health is in terms of an area of research. But the second thing is that the toddlers from whom the feces were taken were really exuberant. So these are like, they're giving the rats the super outgoing children's poo, essentially. And then that made the rat way more explorative. So they were giving them like the most outgoing children's poo.

These samples that are just so miraculous because the rats with the toddler microbiomes were far more confident, curious, they explored new environments more equally. I mean, the researchers described it as they were, you know, poking their heads through more holes on a test board. Now, it is hard to apply animal research to human beings, of course, but the authors did conclude that the gut microbiota, so that's the kind of world and the environment, the entire kind of colony of gut bacteria within our gut. the composition of it might be linked to a certain temper and trait. So essentially it's trying to say that perhaps our emotional reactivity and the way we self-regulate is linked to the makeup of our gut microbiome, which is absolutely fascinating. Because over the past decades, obviously the research that Ella said at the beginning with the smiles trials with mental health, we've got data on stress and how that impacts

our microbiome. And one 2024 study found that rats and mice raised in sterile conditions. So without any microbes essentially around them, they were more anxious and less sociable. And I do often think, Ella, you know, growing up with all of these harsh chemicals and cleaning products, and I know we've discussed before making eco-switches in the house, I just don't think we realize the impact it could potentially have on a microbiome. It is extraordinary, I think. And again, I know we sometimes in this sort of facet repeat ourselves, so bear with me, guys. But I think what to me is so relevant here is that, again, I always feel like there's a disconnect between you get home, you've had a long debt work, you've got loads to do at home, you're overwhelmed, and you're like, it doesn't really matter what I eat for dinner, like I'm just going to eat a piece of toast.

And it's like actually feeding your gut is so incredibly important because as we've just talked about, it is linked to so many facets of our mental and our physical health. and it's almost like we don't give ourselves a fighting chance at feeling grey if we don't feed our microbiome properly and that comes from getting enough fibre, getting enough plant points and I know it sounds basic and I know in that sense we repeat ourselves it's just that it's connected to almost everything and that's what this research shows even how outgoing we are might be related to our gut microbiome

which is so dictated by how we treat it on a day-to-day basis and food is so important in that But of course, you know, stress, etc. play a big role as well. And I just think it's absolutely nuts if you think about the effect that, yeah, what you choose for dinner might have on your emotional balance because of the way it feeds or doesn't feed the little bugs that live in your stomach. I know. And how we're brought up, how we're raised, the entire world of food that we've had and how that potentially might shape our personality. It's such a huge scientific leap to make. And of course, you can't compare animal data to human data. But it's really fascinating. And I've discussed these types of bacteria. before and Tim Specter mentioned it on our episode if you go back on gut health, but there are certain bacteria like Acumencia and Oskillospria, which are more abundant in sociable people. So if you've ever wondered why some people are just more outgoing than others by nature, it's just that we're given different bacteria strains. And it's not necessarily a bad thing or a positive thing yet we don't know the links here. But we do know that when it comes to mental health,

that that link is really getting stronger and stronger by the day. And with research like this, possibly helping to buffer inflammation, stress responses, it's so important to remember that the bacteria isn't the cause and effect. And it doesn't define the overall personality, but it can influence. And I think what you just said, if you've had no time this morning, for instance, I don't always win at this, but I didn't really have time for breakfast, but I grabbed two dates because that's easy to put in your bag on the go. And I know dates are high in fiber.

I know I'm feeding my gut microbiome I had a bit of pistachia butter with it because I'm obsessed and you could just literally put in your bag on the go some nuts and major dates and know that you're getting that's probably around like seven grams of fibre for sure or like last night I prepped Monday's always a rush in our house

so I prepped porridge last night and I mashed a ripe banana did some frozen blackberries and blueberries oats obviously some cheer seeds and some nut butter mix that all up with some milk and a little bit of yoga as well popped it in the fridge and then all I did this morning was take it out the fridge pop it in a pan and like three minutes later because it was jumbo oats but obviously they've

soaked overnight so they're soft and like ready to eat and they just need heating up and we have you know mega plant point breakfast high in fibre but no faf whatsoever and it only took me like two or three minutes on Sunday night to prep but having it ready to go those sort of things make all the difference and one other note sorry we forgot to say as well is that whilst this study was done on rats. They have done human clinical trials with fecal transplants before looking at other mood disorder. So it's not like it is a leap, obviously, to take this from rats, but it's not out of context. I think that was an important add-on. Yeah. And it just when you were saying that, it makes me think of what makes me very sad about the food landscape in this country. And again,

I look at nurseries. So I went into my son's nursery. And I was so disappointed even after the new September guidance came in to still see them being served. But I don't want to sound too negative and I don't want to come across as insensitive just to put that out there but I feel it's very important to nourish our children because they're the future generations and they deserve better than a bowl of rice Krispies with no fibre in for breakfast or conflates like if you are sending a child to nursery and that is the breakfast they're going to get that day it's not okay and there is new guidance to say that fiber needs to be prioritised I've gone off tangent a bit but I feel like this is a space where it's so important to raise awareness that we need to be thinking on a larger

level, come on everybody, fibre is important and it's not just because I'm writing a book on fibre, it is genuinely because your gut influences so much and so you've got to feed it. And I felt for children that don't have us making them porridge every morning, you know, and I think they're going to these nurseries and they're just being fed no fibre cereals. It's essentially just glucose going into the milk, lactose, and just getting the sugar spike with no fibre. and there might be a little bit of fortification. It's even worse, really, exactly, because the little sprinkle of some kind of multivitamin added means

they make all sorts of claims on packs, which is where it becomes criminal. Maybe not criminal, but really morally wrong. Give us some tips, Ella. I want five tips for gut health. Let's put it out. Yeah, exactly. As we were saying, like, this gut brain access just shows,

like, our health is so connected, small, consistent choices, makes such a big difference. Like, we're saying, like, dates and nuts on the go, like prepping a porridge or, you know, for lunch today. I've got a busy day. It's back-to-back. had five minutes before this. I cut up loads of veg. I can slow cook them in the oven and then I'll blitz them all up into a soup. Again, I'll get like eight plant points for doing next to

no work. So five tips, I think, for better gut health to take with you, 30 different plants a week for microbial diversity. And remember, that is not just like fruit and veg, that's cinnamon, that's basil, that's dark chocolate, that's coffee, lots of wins in there. But adding, yeah, loads of herbs and spices and stuff like that. And even just like, mix it up, so use red onion, normal onions and shallots, for example, across the week. That's three different wins, but you can just mix those up in different recipes. 30 grams of fibre a day, whole grains, beans, fruits, feds, etc. If you're having a plant rich, not wholly plant-based, but plant-rich diet, that's actually so easy. Stay hydrated because you need that for the fibre

to be effective, essentially, it's key. Try and get some fermented foods in. I know Tim Specter said three portions a day. I think that's quite a big aim for most people. I don't do it. Just holding hands up. I don't. I mean, I'm lucky if I get some care fear in every day. But I think if you could aim for three a week to start with, that would be excellent. And then manage stress as well because that really impacts your gut. So some active stress management, some time in nature, some mindfulness, some gentle movement, restretches, just a little bit of self-care. It's the days where you don't do that. It's the days where I don't get enough steps in. I don't really walk or get enough fresh air that I feel my worst. And I think we all do. It's just so easy, isn't it, to fall into that trap. So I hope

that this is a really exciting reminder that, you know, what we, yes, it impacts so many more areas of our lives than you may realize. A hundred percent. And that baseline of like good habits is key for us to feel good. And I think it is kind of almost in some ways as simple as that. And that moves us on actually so nicely to a piece that we contribute to it dare I say in the Daily Mail but the 75P Mediterranean trick for better gut health

and weight balance and this was an amazing piece Rui I loved it you initially put it in as like a small segment I did you've made it bigger we need all of this don't shrink it down this is so helpful and obviously we were talking about the Mediterranean diet a little bit over the last few weeks

and about the fact that it's does it need to be expensive? It's actually the antithesis of like superfoods and kind of things like that. Again, it's about these small, consistent tweaks, habits that add up over time. And again, it's very fibre focused. And I know there are some bits in the piece you really, really wanted to highlight around that. Yeah, 100%. I think honestly, sometimes what I'm asked to contribute to different features. I just think, wow, I'm going to reach more people sometimes of different publications. And I think messages like this are so important. And believe me, I I think really hard before I say yes or no to which articles you do.

Because this is so positive. This is positive nutrition. This is about let's make it accessible. Let's make it available. What can we all do? And a 75P trick really is a win. Okay. Yes.

So let's start by highlighting the fact that most of us in Britain only around the 20 grams. I'd say less a fibre a day. So when the NHS recommends 30, we know that 96% of us are just not getting the fiber we need. That is the statistic in this country. and I'm so happy finally that people are writing about it because it's fantastic. So you've got pulses, of course, that Ella and I love. She always talks about her crispy lentils. And, you know, I'm talking about for my new book, The Fiber Formula recipes with as many of them as you can get.

White beans, chickpeas are easy ways to kind of close that gap. They're also budget-friendly. Now, the reason for that all Ella and I do is talk about beans, but for good reason, because one tin of pulses just cost 75p. And that addition to your diet alone is all you probably need to make a really good start. It's what you can add in, not what you need to take out when it comes to looking at your overall diet. Because I think white beans in particular are such an easy example. So I love butter beans.

They can be creamy in a dip. You can roast them in the oven like roast potatoes. That's one of my favorite things to do. And they kind of crack and they're soft in the middle. You can add them to any sauce. Yesterday I added them into a curry I made for my cousin. She came over with her son and I quickly made her a curry and I said, oh, let's just add some white beans in there.

And I think on that to say, it's like half a can of chickpeas contains sort of six to seven and a half grams of fibre. So that's massive. I mean, at your point where you're almost closing the gap in the fibre deficiency just from half a can of chickpeas. So at this point we're like under 50p. And I think what's great about these things as well, which you had in the piece, I think was so nice to highlight today, is that as well, you don't have to kind of, as much as I love them, you don't even need to make them the centre point of a meal. You can just blend them into sauces and soups, for example. So like that adds, obviously you're getting your fibre, you're getting some plant proteins, so good for your gut health. But it also makes them more satisfying. So if you are, for example, like I am doing today, making a super easy what's in the fridge soup, you know, you roast garlic, you roast carrots, you roast some onions or shallots or something, then you just chuck in a tin

of butter beans, for example, or a tin of white beans. As you blitz it all up, it makes it creamier, it makes it heartier, it's going to keep you fuller for longer, and then you're getting the fibre that you desperately need, and it's a doddle. I think where we've gone wrong for so many years is because we are overeating meat. And that is fact, you know, it came out in the New Lancet report that we discussed. In Stockholm, where we had our dietitian Rosie that came on to give as the feedback, Rosie Martin, on the research from that day for the planetary plate, how to eat more sustainably. And the cost for one piece of chicken that goes on your meal on a plate

compared to a 50p portion of beans and pulses. In terms of getting the protein, you've already got it if you're adding more beans and pulses at a more affordable cost for your wallet, for your family. And it's almost as if maybe there's an underlying message that beans were seen as peasant food across the years and therefore it feels more special to splash out on a portion of meat most of the time rather than going to that can. How could it be healthy? It's in a can. You know, there's that misconception around processing and ingredients. And I think there's loads of nuances with food that lead us to make these choices. Yeah, they're not exactly

being very sexy in the past, have no beans. And like you said with the recipes, though, they're so delicious. And they contain plant iron. If you combine your beans with some tomatoes, some source of vitamin C, you'll also get an iron as well. They are a nutrition powerhouse that is so underrated. So blend them into things, guys, put them in chilies, raguos, but blend them into things like soups. It's soup season. If you're making lots of soups, just add in a tin of various different beans.

Also lovely way to get your 30 plants, because you can use different ones throughout the week. If you're making a couple of different soups each week, get going on that. And then your two other tips on this article, which would just really, nice to give a shout out to add don't restrict so think about adding in extra plants so extra veggies at dinner fruit with breakfast the portion of beans as we said in your soup or your salad think about the small additions that help your gut versus particularly as we go into Christmas and everyone's like oh it's party season and then people get to January and they're like oh my gosh my jeans don't fit I need to go on a crash diet don't worry we'll cover all of that for sure

but think about just like little add-ins as we go through Christmas season that keep you feeling good and energized and regular and some beans and pulses are brilliant for that as well and then the other thing you had was using smart affordable swaps which I think again is so nice. Yeah, don't underestimate if you've got a freezer of frozen vegetables don't be scared of those cans. Please, honestly, they're a good source of food at a cost

and there's nothing extra that goes into a lot of it. Check the ingredients but if it's just beans in water, that's completely okay. It's minimally processed. And, you know, accessible staples, swapping your refined carbs for your whole grains. We talk about it a lot. And Ella did a kind of deep dive into, was it barley? Yes.

Oh my gosh. I love pearl barley. Yeah, me too. One of my favourite ingredients, I've been making a roasted squash and barley risotto quite a lot recently. And then you pan fry sage leaves until they're really crispy with pine nuts and chili. 10 out of 10. In the Spotify set after you've done that deep down. I was reading our Spotify comments mentioned

that they've been cooking with it non-stop. In fact, everybody, if you are concerned just in advance about the new year, the Christmas period, drop all your questions. We'll go through this together. We'll all be here together as we're going through the Christmas and New Year period. 100%.

We'll be here all the time, guys. We just love the Wellness Scoot. We're never leaving. We're never leaving. This episode of The Wellness Scoop is sponsored by Stripe and Stair. I have been wearing their pants and their PJs since the start of the year. And it is honestly the only brand in my draw now.

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else. Some execs want Gen AI everywhere. Others think it's basically a shredder for intellectual property. And your people? Yeah, they're already using it. Okay, picture this. Someone paste the Q4 strategy doc and client list into a free AI tool and it's no longer your Harmonic Security warns people before they paste in sensitive data, so you can say yes to Gen A.I and still protect what matters most. Visit harmonic.combe, before your crammed jewels end up in a chat bot. Okay, headline three is such a great one as well. This is a really feel-good episode, which, let's be honest, it is, my daughter said this morning,

it's raining cats and dogs. Did she? Where did a five-year-old care that from? But it is raining cats and dogs today. It is absolutely miserable. And I think this feel good episodes, everything, certainly I need in my life. But guys, we talked about walking recently. We have more studies coming out and walking.

This one's related to Alzheimer's. Walking 3,000 or more steps a day may slow progression of Alzheimer's as a brand new study. And just to link our first and our third headline, I think it's so interesting this point that like we've looked at how gut health is related to so many different facets of our health. And I think we're seeing the same with all the different studies we've. covered this year on walking and like very very basic movement and exercise being related to so many different facets of our health and now we're talking about Alzheimer's which is extraordinary as human beings evolutionarily speaking we are designed our skeletons to bear load to have weight bearing exercises which is walking you know I don't like using ancestry terms with diet

because we've evolved and we've adapted in different ways but our skeleton hasn't really evolved that much over the period of a few thousand years. I'm not an expert in this field at all, but I'm just saying we are designed to walk so it makes perfect sense that we should be doing it because as we said last week, people who walked for at least 15 minutes without stopping so they could go at any pace really,

but as long as you just keep going, we're 80% less likely to die from any cause and 70% less likely to develop heart disease than those who only walked in short bursts. And it's really, really important that we're using our body in the way it's designed, but shifting from the heart to the brain here today, which is what we're discussing. A new nature medicine study found that even modest amounts of exercise can slow the progression of Alzheimer's, Ella, and it makes sense to me. And the data here, it's modest, but still okay, from 296 people aged 50 to 90. So in that bracket where we've discussed before, we know it's really important the behaviours you adapt at that period in your life.

particularly. They were cognitively healthy at the start of the study and then they were followed for 14 years. We love long-term data. That's really good. And of course it will be hard with people that drop out, people that stay within the study. But overall, they found that walking around 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day delayed cognitive decline by about three years. And if you did 5,000 to 7,000 steps. It was up to 7. So higher step counts were linked to slower cognitive decline. And I don't want you to worry too much about the exact number. I just think we need to keep walking. A hundred percent. And they were also linked, as you said, read to slow cognitive decline, but then less buildup of this thing called tau proteins, which are one of the biological

hallmarks of Alzheimer's. And so that's what they were looking at specifically. in this study, which is absolutely fascinating. And, you know, 5,000 steps a day is about an hour of walking. You don't have to do that, obviously, all in one go. So maybe two, 30-minute walks. But goodness me, I mean, the impact that it could have. And I think on the other hand, those in the study who are more sedentary, they experienced faster decline and a greater accumulation of these tau proteins.

And so the researchers can't fully rule out that early brain changes might cause people to move less. The evidence, though, strongly suggests that physical activity is a genuinely protective mechanism. And exercise seems to help by improving blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation, and increasing the levels of hormones and growth factors that support neuron repair and resilience within the brain. And the takeaway is that basically, you know, we're talking about like a 30 minute walk, you know, things like gardening, obviously, housework, ironing, you know, hovering, the house, you know, keep moving. you know, these things all make a big difference. It's extraordinary. I mean, walking is like it's a super tool for health. It is. It's a toolkit that I think we've just,

the life that we lead now in modern society is adapted in such a way. It doesn't encourage it. You know, sometimes if you might live in a built-up area and there's nothing enticing you to go out and pound the grey pavements. And I do think that so much more needs to be done to encourage this, to find local spaces of green. I'm really passionate about that. You know, you love gardening, Ella.

Yeah, my new hobby. This is your new hobby. I finally braved cleaning my washing machine properly at the weekend. Well done. I know. Well, you know, I feel like when I moved house, I had a baby. I was kind of neglected things. And I was in survival mode.

And now I'm in, I have time to do things. But my goodness me, I was breaking a sweat, just scrubbing the plastic lining around my washing machine. So it's little things. And if you look up tau proteins, T-A-U, you normally see like a scribble. I remember doing it in a little. immunology, a kind of scribble of structures on a page. But it's really, really fascinating when you

look at the brain. And there's so many benefits, Ella. So let's list off a few of the amazing reasons why we should clean our washer machine, garden and walk more. Exactly. I think it was, I was thinking about this, as I said, as we were going into Christmas and where Christmas is always just like the wildest time of the year. Whether you like Christmas or don't know Christmas, celebrate or don't celebrate, that part aside, it is always just so busy. because there's always like an office Christmas party, there's a family something, there's, you know, if you've got kids,

you've got all sorts of events going on at the school. Everyone's trying to wrap up to like take a minute off work probably. And so you suddenly had this like scurry of activity. And it just feels like that time between now and sort of just before Christmas. It's just everyone is always burning the candle at both ends. And so I think it's a really nice reminder to make a soup with beans in, as we said. And to not worry if you can't get to the gym or you're, your regular spin class you enjoy or whatever it is, the exercise you like, but that maybe takes

a bit more time and a bit more structured. I think it's nice just to remind you that walking is phenomenal. And we just had a kind of so many stats on why walking is good for you that this is just the top line. But unsurprisingly supports heart health because it strengthens the heart and circulation, lowers blood pressure. So that all reduces your cardiovascular risk. It strengthens your muscles and your bones, which is helping maintain mobility, balance, bone density, obviously especially important as we age. Exactly. And improving our moods. So your endorphins, your ectoconoids and your brain, the serotonin, all those sorts of things that do reduce our anxiety and stress. And I wonder if my sleep quality, Ella, hadn't been good recently. You know,

I said I feel a bit like an insomnia because I just needed to move a bit more because it does help regulate our circadian rhythms, helps us fall asleep faster, and eases joint pain. And it So it sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? That if you have joint pain, you need to move more. But we now know that studies show that walking does reduce arthritis-related discomfort. Now, that is obviously going at your own pace and dependent on different conditions. We're just generalizing here with the research. But walking five to six miles a week can even help prevent arthritis from forming.

It lubricates the joints, especially around the knees. So perhaps I'll be getting rid of that pillow between my legs, the more I walk over the next few weeks. I love that. I mean, the list literally goes on walking boosts immune function. People who walk at least 20 minutes a day, five days a week, have 43% fewer sick days. It helps, you know, with cravings, a 15-minute walk and curb sweet cravings. When you feel stressed, it can improve your posture.

It boosts creativity. As we know, it supports your gut health because gentle movement. It's great for digestion. It promotes longevity. It protects against fatigue because it's increasing oxygen flow. like it is just phenomenal. So if you are overwhelmed the next few months, don't stress about getting to the gym. Just go for a walk. And don't do a me because I have been in the midst of book editing and I find it really hard when I know that I'm in a rush. You know, I've got to pick up the children from school at a certain time. I've got a window to work. You've got to smash it out. Sometimes I feel I can't get away from my desk and I'm sure lots of you feel like that. Perhaps you're in an office environment where you only have a set time. Try and take this as a motivation. We can all somehow do a little bit more. Now we're going to move from our headlines to what's trending in wellness. And it's a, there's no clear segue from this. I feel like our

headlines this week are like deeply balanced. We can do this. Let's make soup. Let's get walking. Let's remember how important our gut health is to a vagina lollipop. So really, you sent me this. what's trending in wellness. Ria's speech does and I can see it again in her face today. I don't know why I get so embarrassed. I talk about things like this all the time

but you know, I just can't believe I'm seeing it again. So I saw it on Apple News. My friend Pam sent this over to him. She said, really, I said, oh my goodness, I have to send this to Ella. So it's a Kardashian trend again

and it's almost taking us back to the Gwynif Paltrow era of, what was it called? Jade eggs. Steaming your vagina. Yes. Which some of those are actually based on really ancient traditions. So whilst like she was eventually sued because of the jade eggs,

because there wasn't huge amounts of the scientific evidence that she was talking about, that does relate to, and I think it's important to say some more ancient traditions, vagina lollipops have no such rooting. They really don't everybody. So Courtney Kardashian has a brand called Lemmy. A lemmy. Is it like let me, but without the tea? I think it's like let me.

Like, let me do this. Yeah, let me brand. And there's different trends here. So one that I find quite disturbing, which is colostrum, which we mentioned at the beginning with the amount of money. And then we move on to equally disturbing, but in a different way of vagina lollipops, which is more amusing to me. So should we start, Ella, with the vagina lollipops? Yeah, let's go vagina lollipops first. Okay.

These are just odd. I think if we're actually just like boiling it down, it just find this really strange. So basically, these are part of Courtney Kardashian. new lemmy purr. I am. So like, let me purr. And they're basically probiotic lollipops for vaginal health. So they contain vitamin C, probiotics and pineapple with the claim that they balance

vaginal flora and make everything taste and smell sweeter. I guess we're picking this up, not because this is about like, you know, scrutinizing any specific person. I watch the Kardashians. I'm the first to admit it. But because this has gone really viral, surprise, surprise, because. it's a pretty kind of out there premise. And I think it's important to break down whether or not people need to be taking essentially vaginal supplements for health and well-being, kind of, yeah,

gyneological health and well-being, which we obviously will have lots to say on. Gratzia did a review of this and they did, I think, put it quite perfectly. They said, reader, we'll make this one quick. We're sure you're bored to. Board of yet another, frankly, ridiculous beauty and wellness trend perpetuated by the Kardashians. Essentially, they going on to say, this is insane. Really, tell us why we just don't need to be taking vaginal supplements. So, essentially speaking, you know, and I'm not a gynaecologist, but I find it really, really interesting that these concepts come about.

And I think the Kardashians are very clever. We have to remember as well, they're business women. They come up with ideas to stir the pot, you know, things that are going to be interesting to us. And I think that's really important to discuss, first of all. But there's no evidence, first of all, that when you take a probiotic orally, for lots of different reasons, especially in like a lollipop form. That's what it is, right?

They want you to eat the lollipop and then they're saying that that's going to have the different benefits. Your stomach acid probably destroys anything you've just kind of consumed that's got into your bloodstream or makes it down to your stomach. So you're probably not even getting any of the probiotics. And when we say the word probiotics, we mean lots of living bacteria. So I'm actually all for certain types of live bacteria you're getting care fare or some supplements that have concrete research behind them. There's no harm in taking these. I have to spell that out. But there's definitely zero evidence that taking this lollipop is impacting the flora of your vagina at all.

And I know lots of gynaecologists are very hot on it. Anita Mitra, Ellie Cannon, lots of people discuss this a lot in the fact that it's meant to be doing its own. thing naturally. But I do think it makes sense, Ella, that there's a dietary link with overall health of different areas of our body. And I think that's also important. But a lollipop is not a good addition with artificial sweetness and flavorings and all sorts of things to make this lollipop taste good. I think that's really all I have to say on it. I think the other thing to say is that there are, and we know this, like we both work with the brand Simprove for a long time. and like they're not the only brand in the world where it's the case,

but there are so many probiotic brands where the bacteria just cannot reach the gut alive, like creating something that can reach the gut alive is so incredibly difficult. If lots of supplements can't do it, the idea that a lollipop's going to do it is just... I mean, just to touch on that as well, Ella, some people say that their product will do that, but they've never tested it or researched it. And I think it's really important that if you're looking, As all of us health professionals know, in my clinic, we look for companies that have actually tested their own product rigorously and randomized control trials. The bulk of them won't. And even if they say they have, perhaps they haven't and you need to triple check.

I mean, Courtney Kardashian could make all sorts of claims, I'm sure, because she's got a very clever legal team working for her and we'll find loopholes in the way she markets this product, particularly. So just to draw a line under vagina lollipops is I think the general consensus from everything that I understand and anyone, I've spoken to, and I think the same with you, Re, in this industry, is that there's just no need to take a supplement to kind of sweeten anything. And, you know, it's quite challenging for a lollipop to kind of fundamentally alter the pH of your vagina. Yeah. I don't know why I'm squirming talking about it. I think it's just because I'm so shocked that these things exist in the first place. I can understand saying to somebody, well, let's eat more fruit and vegetables and let's try and have a healthier body in general. But yeah, I'm so.

a lollipop is an addition is such a counterintuitive message with what they're trying to get across. But also, and not to be like too kind of moralistic on this, but I do think like women just have so many insecurities and so many hang-ups on their body and are they wry and my normal? Is this normal? Like that's sort of a kind of inherent part of being a woman, I think, so much at the time. And I just don't think that like it's not to say this is any part of their marketing comms or messaging. I do think there's this inherent implication that like, what, now we need to do something for that as well. Like, yeah, there's something in that that I find quite uncomfortable about the kind of implication that's just another thing that needs fixing and another thing that you need to be conscious about or be worried about and, you know, to start taking a lollipop.

I'm really glad you brought that up. If you are worried there's something wrong kind of gyneologically, you should go and speak to a professional and not take a lollipop. I do kind of have a nervousness about that. I think in general, as I said, I think that as a whole, I think we as women need boosting up and we need like nice boost for our self-esteem and stop asking is this normal, is that normal, my normal? And a gentler self-esteem boosting approach. And I just all of these different facets that kind of chip away of the question of am I

normal I worry about in general. The point you've just raised is so valid. I don't think you'll see products marketed at men. like this. No, never. Can you imagine? No, and it's really effective. It's like, oh God, do I need that?

Is that now something else I need to be thinking about as well as, you know, my skin and my wrinkles and my weight and my this and my that? And it's like, oh my God, the list is endless. The list is endless. And the next one that she's also selling is something I really, really struggle with, ethically speaking. And I understand my role as a nutritionist. and a registered professional is to sit on the fence and discuss things objectively, which we will do today.

But, Ella, if you lead on the initial findings, because didn't you read in Forbes the, you read the value of the colostrum? Yeah, so colostrum's actually something that you guys have mentioned a few times, our listeners, and I've been conscious as been a wellness trend since we started this show, and something therefore that we should definitely bring to our transaction at some point. I actually, as you, feel quite uncomfortable with this. I am not a vegetarian for ethical reasons and I think it's important that I don't like pretend that I'm something that I'm not. But equally, I think there's a kind of line at which I feel very uncomfortable and this

is something certainly I am not comfortable with. I remember really lucky about what's cautioned out were like 18 months ago and I, so a little while before you and I started talking about the wellness scoop when I started to think what is the wellness industry like what on earth has this become and I was listening to this podcast and it was an American podcast and this woman was interviewing a sort of wellness influencer in the US and she was talking about you know how she got optimal skin health and gut health and it was by shipping bovine colostrum now colostrum is the four milk and if you know, you're not aware about this. It's the very first milk humans have it as well. It's often called

liquid gold. It's normally in humans. I don't know if it's the same in cows, but it's a very yellowish colour. And it's what you get before like all of the milk comes in when you have a baby. It doesn't last very long as in like just a matter of days before you then have your kind of conventional like normal regular milk. And she was shipping this in like across the country and taking it. And I just remember listening to this and just thinking like where have we got into with the wellness industry that people think for good gut health when 96% of us don't get enough fibre like we are missing the foundations like to most extraordinary degree but now we must also take cow colostrum to be well and I just remember thinking like it was one of those kind of penny drop moments of being like I'm sorry

this industry I'm slightly done I can't really handle it it's insane the pressure on people the expense, the insanity, when we're failing with the fundamentals, I really don't think I can be on board with that anymore. And it was all the kind of lead up to wanting to see the show with you. I find it really upsetting, isn't it? I think this particular milk is just madness. It's real madness. And what's worse is it's the bit that gives all the immunoglobulins to a baby, the unique factors of our immune system. The reason it's so beneficial for health is because that is a baby's lifeline. That milk is a lifeline. That milk is a lifeline. You know, you know, when babies go in the NICU in countries or in incubators, you know, there are donors that provide these sorts of milks and things.

And they are lifelines for infants to grow. And the fact that like Ella just said, we're not eating enough fibre yet, we're happy to take the first milk from another life to ship over in X money. I think people don't realize where it's from. I think there's a complete disconnect. So I reached out to the founder of FoodFacts.org, Robby Locke, to give us kind of an overview on Cholostrum, Ella, where it's from, the impact of the environment, or what it actually does in a more coherent way because I knew I might struggle a little bit on this discussion. Hey, Re, hey Ella, thanks so much for having me on. Well, so we're talking about colostrum, this miracle supplement that promises health and vitality and immunity. But here's something that most people don't realize.

Colostrum is the first milk of a mother cow. She produces it for her newborn calf, just like a human mother for her baby. It's nature's way of giving their baby strength and protection in their first few days of life. On dairy farms, these babies are usually actually taken away from their mothers, just hours after birth, sometimes immediately, so that the milk that the mothers produce,

and of course now the colostrum, can be sold onto humans. There's what we call the dairy industry. And the mothers actually cry for days, if you've ever heard it, honestly, it's impossible to forget. Their bodies are actually used over and over again in this cycle of artificial insemination, pregnancy, separation, milking until they're actually exhausted. Most of them are killed about ages 5 to 7, even though what most people don't realize is cows can actually live to the age of about 25 if they're not part of the dairy system itself. And all this suffering happens against a much bigger backdrop. It's the environmental cost. The dairy industry is one of the biggest sources of methane,

a greenhouse gas that actually is warming our planet, much faster than carbon dioxide. It's driving deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss. And fresh water usage, for example, a single liter of dairy milk uses over 1,000 litres of fresh water. Now, every superfood trend adds pressure to the planet that is already struggling to cope. Dr. Melanie Joy, the psychologist, who studies our relationship with animals, once said,

when there is awareness, there is choice. And that really honestly hits home, because most people don't choose cruelty or climate destruction. They simply haven't been shown the full picture. But once we become aware, we can start to choose differently. True wellness, in my opinion, isn't just about what we put into our bodies. It's about how our choices affect the world around us. Real health is built on compassion, connection, and a respectful life. life. When you remember that, our choices can start to heal, not harm. I think the other thing

as well to say is that obviously as we know, Colossum does contain some compounds like lactoferrin, immunogloblins, as we said, but like the evidence is pretty limited here. And if you look at somewhere like the Mayo Clinic, for example, like one of the most respected institutes in the world when it comes to health, they had an article, for example, that kind of sums it all up colostrum super supplement or overhyped. And it's very clear that like while it is rich, for example, as we said, and some antibodies and some nutrients, which we know are just essential for newborns. There's very little evidence to show that these same benefits apply to healthy adults. There are some studies out there that suggest modest, immune or gut benefits, but the research

is really inconsistent and supplement quality varies so wildly. And so I think that's a really important note. And then you have this virality going on with it. And it's just not backed up by vast amounts of science. We're not saying this is inherently like morally, ethically, environmentally speaking, I think it's not a good thing inherently. But like from a health perspective, like there might be a minor benefit. But it's very minor. And it's really, I would say in this case, not worth it with with the other considerations. But they've become this kind of viral celebrity. So we've got the Kardashians talking about it. I sent you the ad for the lemmy colostrum gummies. And it's hilarious. It's like a courtroom scene. I mean, the thing is,

is it's created. I mean, it's very clever marketing because it's been picked up everywhere. I saw it in so many different publications and it's basically like a mock trial and Courtney Kardashian's on trial and Kim is interviewing her, accusing her of not sharing her beauty secrets essentially. I mean, it's so crazy. And Courtney says, for the record, lemmy colostrum also improved my gut health and boosted my immune system. There's boosted. We'll go talk to about that in a second. It's not just for glowing skin. Let it be known. I feel incredible. And then she later said in an interview, I've taken colostrum for years because it's amazing for gut and immune health. and I wanted to make it easier for everyone to enjoy.

So you can buy the gummies for $30 or a liquid with it, which is like a creamer for coffee, which is like vomiting into our hands, which is $25. And as I said to Rio, I then did some research into this as a kind of wider industry. And according to Forbes, the Colostrum market was worth $1.76 billion in 2023. They expected to reach over $1.8 billion by the end of this year. So it is a growing trend. We've seen celebrities like Sophia really.

Richie do an Air One smoothie, you know, those celebs smoothies in LA. $21 for a smoothie. $21. I think it's part of this, yeah, big kind of beauty, wellness intersection and where supplements are going, I would say, like a little bit crazy. Where's it going to end though, Ella? Because, you know, anyone that's tried to breastfeed knows how hard it is. And that's another thing I just find this particular world right now very upsetting.

But we just talked about right, not having enough fibre. And we talked about how you could use like a 75 piece. tin of chickpeas or something to boost it. And now we're talking about a $21 smoothie. I know for these things. So it's like it's just so not realistic and it's not relatable and it's not appropriate for so many different reasons. But yet it has virality and it has a virality that a tin of chickpeas can't get.

And I think that's where to put a bow on the end of this topic, I think that's where in some ways I kind of totally fell out of love with the health and wellness industry last year and just started to feel really, really frustrated by the space in which I was working because you can't get virality for a ton of chick fees, but you can from colostrum gummies. And you can't get high fibres aerosthen to nurseries, but you can get marketing for the colostrum. I know. And you can say supporting your family's health on cocoa pops, but you can't say on all sorts of other products that would actually support your family's health. And I just think

It's, oh, we had such a positive episode that was about to say it's a broken world, but it slightly is. I knew this trend would be tough, though, Ella. That's why, you know, I was really not looking forward to us discussing this last trend because there is nothing inherently positive about it really is there. So I think what we're doing is positive because we're letting everybody know that they don't need it. And they've got the 75P hack. You don't need it.

You just don't need it. Like, you know, vagina lollipups is not an evidence. space practice. Colostrum is one of those things where, as I said, there's very minor research. There's some interesting things on athletes, but like serious athletes. We're talking about here. We're not talking about like people who go on a park run, like normal people who exercise. It's so inconsistent. The amount that's going to be in these products is so low. Ethically, it's a really sticky subject, no matter what diet you normally follow. Environmentally speaking, it's not a good idea. And I think unless we can get the basics, why are we

then spending so much money on things that don't have evidence behind them. And I think that's my my big thing to finish this on is like let's forget the noise and let's go back to our simple little wins that we can do day in day out that genuinely support our health let's walk more let's get our 30 plants let's make overnight porridge let's see each other let's you know connectivity it's Christmas it's a very strange time can be a lonely time but also can be a chance to catch up with people and we know being connected is so important for our health so let's Let's focus on our quick wins, our easy little habit boosters, and forget about the mad noise. I completely agree. And let's share and support each other through it. So please do keep your feedback coming.

Also, we don't ask enough, but I think what we should do is, I think if you click, is it follow on the Apple charts? Is that what you're meant to do? Yeah. Follow on Spotify or Apple reviews. It all boost us in the chart, which means we get to more people so we can share this like hopefully in. inspiring, empowering, but also very realistic take on wellness with as many people as possible. And we can, in our own way, shift this industry that is insane at points. But equally, it matters because our health isn't good enough as a collective and we have to improve it. So we've got to find this middle ground between empowering and inspiring people to realize it matters. We've got to change the way we eat.

We've got to change the way we manage stress. We've got to exercise more. But we don't need to do it in a crazy way. And that is what we're here to say. We're here for you all. Thank you for listening today. and we've got a really good one. Yeah, we've got loads of fun stuff on Thursday coming for you guys talking about counting calories.

Again, I think relevant as we look towards Christmas and January, pesticides, some more tips for winter, our kind of 80-20 way of looking at life. Again, I think super relevant for December. So come back there and we also had all the recommendations we didn't get to the top of today's show because it was too much to talk about. And we can't wait to see you on Thursday. We just love this community. Thank you guys for listening. Go on a walk today. Thank you.

Thank you.