https://linktr.ee/thehealthstyledoctor

The Healthstyle Doctor, Tarras (2026)

12/02/2026

We often underestimate how powerful movement really is.

This latest Cochrane (2026) review looked at 73 randomised trials and nearly 5,000 adults with depression.

Here’s what stood out to me:

• Exercise reduced depressive symptoms compared to doing nothing.
• It performed about the same as psychological therapy.
• It showed similar improvements to antidepressants in small trials.
• Light to moderate intensity seemed just as helpful (if not more) than very intense training.
• Consistency mattered more than type.

There wasn’t one “perfect” form of exercise.

Aerobic. Strength. Mixed training.
All helped.

Which is actually very reassuring — because it means this isn’t about finding the ideal program.

It’s about finding something you enjoy enough to keep doing.

When I suggest exercise in clinic, it isn’t a throwaway lifestyle comment.
It’s because the evidence shows it genuinely helps.

And you’re not just supporting mood.

You’re supporting your brain, metabolic health, bones, cardiovascular system and long-term resilience at the same time.

That’s powerful medicine.

If you’d like to read the full review, comment LINK and I’ll send you access via my free resource page.

And I’d love to know — what kind of movement makes you feel better?

10/02/2026

Why I changed from oat milk to soy 🥛

This wasn’t a trendy swap.
It was a data-driven one.

When I started wearing a CGM — and reviewing CGM data from my patients — the same pattern kept showing up:

📈 Oat milk = glucose spikes
(even when the label said “no added sugar”)

Then I tried something interesting…
I made oat milk at home.

Have you ever done this?

It tastes fine — but it’s not sweet.
Nothing like the creamy, slightly sweet supermarket version.
Even when you add dates.

And that’s when things clicked 💡

Here’s the bit most people aren’t told 👇
Commercial oat milks often use enzymes during processing that break oat starch down into simple sugars like maltose — a rapidly absorbed sugar.

So yes — no sugar is added.
But sugar is effectively created.

Then there’s the protein piece.

☕ Protein matters, especially for women 35+
It supports:
• steadier blood sugars
• better satiety
• fewer energy crashes
• appetite and hormone regulation

That’s why I now mostly use protein-enriched soy milk:
🥛 ~10 g protein per cup
📉 far steadier glucose response
😌 more fullness, less snack-seeking

This isn’t about labelling foods as “good” or “bad” (I still drink an oat coffee every now and again).
It’s about choosing what works with your metabolism.

If you notice:
• hunger soon after coffee
• mid-morning crashes
• blood sugar swings on a CGM

This is a simple swap worth experimenting with.

💬 Comment “LINK” if you’re a woman 35+ and want my free nutrition guide with practical, hormone-supportive food swaps.

04/02/2026

We are off camping again this long weekend!

Camping doesn’t have to mean ultra-processed food all day — and it definitely doesn’t need to be perfect to be healthy. With a little intention, you can support your energy, digestion and your gut microbiome, while still enjoying the fun treats.

Here are my go-to camping food tips:

🥦 Build meals around whole foods (plants first)
Base meals on vegetables, beans, lentils, chickpeas, whole grains and fruit — then add in eggs, fish or vegetarian sausages if that works for you.

🥕 Feed your gut microbiome with fibre
Fibre is the main fuel source for your gut bacteria. Including a variety of fibre-rich foods helps keep them alive and thriving — so when you get home, your microbiome is still strong and diverse rather than needing a “reset.”
Think legumes, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

🥚🐟 Include easy protein options
Eggs or porridge with nut butter for breakfast, tinned fish or hummus wraps for lunches, tofu or tempeh, bean burgers, and vegetarian sausages for the BBQ help keep you full and your blood sugars steady.

🌯 Keep meals simple with “assembly” options
Wraps, bowls and salads work beautifully when camping. Add fibre-rich plants + protein + a carb + a healthy fat and dinner is sorted.

🥑 Don’t forget healthy fats
Olive oil, avocado, tahini, nut butters and olives add flavour and help meals feel satisfying — especially helpful for hormone health.

🔥 Simple is still nourishing
One-pot lentil stews, BBQ veggies with eggs or fish, baked potatoes with beans, or porridge topped with fruit and nuts are easy wins.

🍫🔥 And yes — the treats belong too
Marshmallows, s’mores, hot chocolate and shared snacks around the fire are part of camping. Enjoy them fully, without guilt. Your gut and your health are built on patterns, not one meal.

Camping food is about balance, flexibility and enjoyment — nourishing your body and your experience outdoors.

💬 Comment RECIPE and I’ll send you the link to my free recipe hub with all my favourite camping recipes included — simple, nourishing and family-friendly 🏕️ SUSHI, BOSS BURGERS, NACHO BEANS, STICKY TOFU BUDDA BOWL, FALFEL WRAPS.

29/01/2026

The biggest lesson I learnt when I first wore a CGM?
👉 The sugar rollercoaster 🎢
Here’s what I see in clinic again and again.

When you start the day with a carb-heavy or sugary breakfast — think toast + jam, cereal, fruit juice — blood sugar rises quickly.
Your body responds by releasing insulin, the hormone that moves sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells.

But when that rise is sharp, insulin is released fast and in large amounts.
➡️ Big sugar spike
➡️ Big insulin response
➡️ Over-compensation
➡️ Blood sugar drops
➡️ Cue the crash

That drop can feel like:
• Hunger not long after breakfast
• Energy dips or brain fog
• Feeling “snacky”
• Cravings for more sugar or quick carbs

So you eat again… and the cycle continues.
Over time, riding this rollercoaster day after day can push the body toward insulin resistance, where cells stop responding as well to insulin — meaning even more insulin is needed to keep blood sugars in range.

✨ The empowering part?
This isn’t about cutting carbs or willpower. It’s about working with your physiology.
Starting the day with protein, fibre, and healthy fats helps smooth blood sugar, reduce cravings, and support insulin sensitivity over time.

If breakfast feels like it sets the tone for the whole day — it’s not you. It’s biology. And it can be changed.

💬 Comment ARTICLE and I’ll send you my new free CGM guide to help you get started.

24/01/2026

Fermented foods have been part of women’s lives for centuries — long before we had words like microbiome, probiotics, or immune signalling. They were simply part of everyday nourishment. What we love is that modern science is now helping us understand why these foods have stood the test of time.

Fermented vegetables and plant-based drinks don’t work like supplements. They are living medicine — supporting digestion, calming low-grade inflammation, and helping your gut and immune system communicate a little more smoothly. For many women, that shows up as better gut comfort and more stable energy.

And the beautiful thing? You don’t need to overhaul your life to benefit. Small, regular choices really do add up.

If you’d like to go deeper into the science behind fermented foods and women’s health, here is a full article by Dr Taisia Cech () that breaks it all down in a way that actually makes sense.

💬 Comment “ARTICLE” and we will send it your way.

17/01/2026

Not all tofu supports your bones — one tiny number on the label makes all the difference 👀

If you’re choosing tofu for your health, especially bone health, there’s one detail most people miss.

The firming agent.

That number means the tofu has been set with calcium — turning tofu into a genuine calcium source, not just a protein food.

Why this matters:
• Calcium-set tofu often provides 200–350 mg of calcium per 100 g
• That’s similar to a small serve of dairy
• And it’s well absorbed by the body

And here’s something many women don’t realise…
Most adult women need around 1,000 mg of calcium per day
After menopause, that increases to 1,200 mg per day.

So one serve of the right tofu can give you up to a third of your daily needs — but only if it’s calcium-set.

Next time you’re shopping, flip the pack and look for:
✔ Firming agent 516 → yes for calcium
✔ Firming agent 509 → also calcium-based
✖ Firming agent 511 → magnesium-set, great texture but not a calcium source

If you love tofu, let it work harder for your health.

👇 Want my favourite delicious tofu recipes that make bone-supportive eating easy?
Comment RECIPE below and I’ll share them with you. And SAVE this post for your next shop.

16/01/2026

🌟Jumping on the 2016 reflection train 🌟Looking back to 2016 and feeling so grateful for how much life can change in a decade.

That year I was working in a rural GP practice — long days, the challenges of rural medicine, and the kind of work that really shapes you. We were also building our first home, and this photo is me faithfully watering our polished concrete floors every day so they wouldn’t crack… even after being told we should stick with “traditional” flooring. Sometimes trusting your vision really does pay off.

It was also the year we got married — such a special season of life. Lots of hiking and adventures too: Anglus Hut, biking the Old Ghost Road, soaking up freedom before kids came along.

And quietly in the background, something else was growing. I was two years into writing my little recipe blog, sharing my love of nutrition “A Superfood Adventure.” I had no idea then that those early posts would become Plantify, and eventually evolve into what is now The Healthstyle Doctor.

Ten years on, I feel incredibly grateful — for the journey, the growth, and for everyone who has supported me along the way. This work feels so aligned with who I am, and I’m endlessly thankful for the community that’s grown alongside me ❤️

11/01/2026

My take on the new US dietary guidelines just released 👇

Overall, I actually think they’ve done a pretty good job. There’s a strong focus on whole foods, and clear messages about reducing ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugar, excess sodium, fruit juices, and chemical additives. That’s genuinely helpful and points people in a much better direction.

And honestly, when you look at the numbers, this conversation couldn’t be more important. Around 90% of US healthcare spending now goes toward chronic disease. Over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Up to half are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. These are huge problems — and we absolutely need better prevention.

But I do have two big concerns with the guidelines.

The first is industry influence. I really struggle with the idea of setting national dietary guidance while allowing such strong representation from food industry groups. When you look at the contributors listed — beef associations, infant formula companies, and other major industry players — it’s hard not to question how independent some of this advice really is. Guidelines should be grounded in the best available evidence, not shaped by commercial interests.

My second concern is the complete absence of environmental impact. Food policy doesn’t just affect our health — it shapes the future of our planet. And as a mum, this really hits home for me. We can’t keep having conversations about nutrition without also talking about sustainability and the kind of food system we’re leaving for the next generation.

So yes — overall, I think the guidelines do a good job of steering people in a healthier direction. Yes they could emphasis plant proteins more and done away with the confusing pyramid. But mostly I wish they had gone further by protecting the science from industry influence and bringing environmental responsibility into the picture.

Because our health, and our children’s future, deserve both.

👉 Comment “LINK” and I’ll send you the link to read them yourself on my free resource page.

09/01/2026

🌟I stopped buying mayonnaise years ago!
For many years now I’ve been making my own mayonnaise from olive oil. It’s unbelievably creamy and takes just 5 minutes to make.

I love using extra-virgin olive oil because it’s not just a cooking fat — it’s one of the most well-studied healthy fats we have.

When EVOO replaces butter, margarine, or other animal fats, research consistently links it with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even early death. Large studies show that people who use olive oil more regularly have fewer cardiovascular events and lower mortality from heart, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease.

What makes EVOO special isn’t only the healthy monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) — it’s also the natural polyphenols found in extra-virgin oil. These plant compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, help protect blood fats from oxidation, support healthy cholesterol balance, and may even benefit gut health and insulin sensitivity.

That’s why I love using EVOO in something as everyday as mayonnaise — it’s a simple swap that turns a classic condiment into something far more nourishing, without losing any of the flavour or creaminess.

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send you the link to my free recipe page so you can make it too 😊

07/01/2026

One of the most common things I hear in clinic is from women in perimenopause who feel frustrated — “I haven’t changed how I eat or move, but the weight keeps creeping up, especially around my middle.”

A big part of this conversation often comes back to insulin sensitivity — and how it naturally changes across the day.

As our key hormones begin to decline in perimenopause, many women become more insulin resistant. That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong — it just means your body now needs a little more support. And one powerful way to do that is by working with your natural rhythm, not against it.

Our bodies are most insulin-sensitive earlier in the day and gradually become less so as evening approaches. That means the same meal can be handled very differently at 8am compared with 8pm.

This is where the concept of chrononutrition comes in.
Chrononutrition is the science of timing your food in alignment with your body clock — not just what you eat, but when you eat it.

In practice, this can look like:
• eating more of your food earlier in the day
• avoiding very late dinners
• allowing a natural overnight fasting window
• supporting steadier blood sugars and hormone balance

For many women, aiming to have most food between morning and mid-afternoon, and finishing with an earlier dinner, can feel far more supportive in midlife.

It’s also where time-restricted eating can make sense — not by skipping breakfast, but by aligning meals with your circadian rhythm.

Sometimes the shift isn’t about pushing harder…
It’s about supporting your changing hormones by working with your biology. ✨

I have created an in-depth nutrition guide for woman 35+. Comment LINK to check it out.

The Healthstyle Doctor

12/02/2026

10/02/2026

04/02/2026

29/01/2026

24/01/2026

17/01/2026

16/01/2026

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07/01/2026

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