MetaWell

21/03/2026

I've been helping run a brilliant new course at Stepping Stones Recovery College, Nourishing My Future: Everyday Nutrition And Simple Slow Cookery Skills, for young adults.

We had our third session this week and it was good fun!

There was a lot of peeling and chopping as they prepared their own colourful 'dumb bags' with the fresh veg that they will be using for a slow cooker chickpea and veg stew at home.

We covered the link between gut and mood, pre- and probiotics, and the importance of fats and protein for the brain and mood.

We also talked about why it's important to eat the rainbow and start your day with a balanced breakfast, and the students went away with a few simple goals on how to improve their overall diet, as well as with some healthy breakfast ideas.

One student who had a 1:1 session with me last week to look at her diet diary, was telling how she's already making great changes in her meals and having more energy and better moods for it. That's only after one week! 👏🏼🙌🏼

And as usual, we ate a delicious lunch together that Bernadette Fisher had prepared.

I was completely taken by a suprise as, all of a sudden, they all started signing happy birthday and brought out a birthday cake (GF, made by Laura Sibley) and a beautiful bunch of flowers for me. Thank you! 🥰

16/03/2026

This is really interesting.

There are so many reasons to drink more water.

It's not only critical for your skin, gut health, brain function etc. but also for muscle strength and physical activity as we age, shown in this recent paper.

Are you keeping your cells and tissues hydrated throughout the day, particularly first thing in the morning?

I'm partial to some green and ginger tea, as well as filtered water with some added electrolytes.

What do you drink to support optimal cellular hydration?

Lately we hear a lot about the importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age. The typical advice focuses on eating enough protein and engaging in strength training. Those are essential pieces of the puzzle. However, emerging research suggests another factor may also matter: cellular hydration.

A recent study found that better cellular hydration and electrolyte balance were associated with greater muscle strength and improved physical function in older adults.

Healthy aging may therefore depend not only on building muscle, but also on how well our cells maintain fluid and mineral balance. This is one reason why hydration throughout the day matters. After a night of sleep, when the body has gone many hours without fluid intake and has been relatively inactive, rehydrating in the morning may help support cellular function before becoming more physically active.

10/03/2026

Mycosoul has kindly send me this bag of their mushroom coffee along with a 10% discount for you to use. (Comment COFFEE for the link or get it via link in bio 👆🏼)

Mycosoul coffee is made with organically grown, fairtrade Honduran Arabica from an all-female co-op and blended in Somerset UK.

The coffee is mixed with Lion's Mane, Chaga and Cordyceps mushrooms that have been tested to contain a minimum of 45% beta-glucans.

Beta glucans are soluble dietary fibres, or polysaccharides shown to modulate the gut microbiome and immune system, and promote the production of short chain fatty acids such as butyrate.

Studies also suggest they reduce inflammation, help manage blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol.

And not just that but these mushrooms are also nootropics and adaptogens boosting cognitive performance and calming down the nervous system.

And that’s really why I’m looking forward to trying this brand and enjoying my rare coffee moments hopefully without the jitters and loss of sleep and instead having a sharp mind that performs better.

08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day!

IWD 2026 theme is Give To Gain to encourag a mindset of generosity and collaboration.

I'm loving my WhatsApp Community StrongHER, a group of ladies who are keen to connect, collaborate and support each other.

When we give support to others, we will reap the rewards and become happier, healthier and stronger ourselves too.

If you'd be interested in joining our little community, comment STRONG and I'll send you the link.

01/03/2026

What are you doing this weekend?

Are you working or are you taking some time for yourself?

Yesterday I was working on my presentation for a Thermomix event next Sunday with my friend Thermomix advisor Karen Pancholi

We will be talking about the food-mood connection and Karen will be preparing some delicious gut and mood boosting dishes.

Free to attend but you need to book your place.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nutrition-and-thermomix-tickets-1982792437556

01/03/2026

4 INGREDIENT COCONUT COOKIES

2 bananas
2 cups shredded/desiccated coconut
1/4 cup ground flax
85% dark chocolate

Mash everything but the chocolate together by hand or mix in a good processor, form balls (I used an ice cream scoop), then flatten on an oven tray. Bake at around 160C (fan) until the edges are golden brown.

Melt chocolate in a bain marie. Drizzle melted chocolate on the cookies. Refrigerate for the chocolate to set.

Yum yum!

22/02/2026

The best painkiller I’ve found…
..and you won’t find it in a packet!

I’ve lived with chronic aches and pains most of my life — and perimenopause turned the volume right up.

A hyper-vigilant nervous system, shaped by early childhood stress, means my body can flare easily.

For 15+ years I’ve supported my body with nutrition, sleep, stress work, mindset shifts and strength training — and it’s helped hugely.

But this January, flu stopped me in my tracks.

Training halted. Pain surged. Energy vanished.

I knew training helps… but felt I had nothing to give.

So I started tiny.
5–10 minutes.
Bodyweight.
Very light dumbbells.

And then something amazing happened.
My pain eased.
My energy returned.

10 minutes became 15… then 20… then 30.
3kg became 20kg deadlifts. (That's the heaviest weights I have at home.)

I was back!

So when someone tells me:
“I can’t train because I’m in pain…”

I gently say:
"That’s exactly why you need to."

Strength training is one of the most powerful natural painkillers we have.

Working muscles release anti-inflammatory myokines that help calm pain and inflammation.

Start gently.
Build slowly.
Stay consistent.
Your body will thank you.

And if motivation is wobbly? Find a training buddy — accountability is magic ✨

P.S. Trauma work is really important too in chronic pain as our trauma is stored in the body. With the right approach you can learn to shed the fear of pain and flare-ups and regulate your nervous system better in challenging times. If you need a recommendation for a somatic trauma practitioner, please let me know as I know someone great.

17/02/2026

Last week I had a great pleasure to talk about menopause at Sonardyne International Ltd. at their monthly Menopause Café meetup.

Sonardyne has only a small proportion of women working in the local facility of around 400 staff, so that makes it even more impressive to learn that they have set up a regular meetup to help their staff better understand the menopause transition and to learn about the support that is available.

These meetups are open to the male staff members too but this time we had no men attending.

I spoke about the menopause as a natural and inevitable stage in the lives of us women and how accepting it rather than trying to fight it, was what helped me a lot.

We talked about how hormones are not the only determinants of menopausal health because metabolic health plays a huge role in it too. Hence small changes that support better metabolic health and metabolic flexibility can make a big difference in how smooth the transition is and how severe the symptoms are.

It was great to have this opportunity to chat with the ladies at Sonardyne about the important topic of menopause health.

"Your presentation was well received with positive feedback. 😊 We are still talking about it in the office."

Does your workplace run a Menopause Café?

If yes, I'd love an opportunity to chat with you about how we can collaborate in order to bring more awareness and knowledge of how to support the transition to your staff.

Feel free to get in touch.

22/01/2026

What do you have a plan for? Have you ever thought of including health in those plans?

How do you want to spend your retirement? Stress-free and healthy?
Worried and sick?

Health is wealth and you most valuable currency.

I've talked with so many people who are recently retired, and they are now "consumed" with taking care of their health. They expected rest and an easy going time of life in their non-working years, but didn't prepare for it in the previous decades. It's so important to think and DO something for our health today.

Don't wait for retirement!