In short
Podcast Summary: The Wellness Scoop - Episode: Christmas Menus, Intolerance Tests and the Wellness Trends to Ignore
Hosts
- Ella Mills: Founder of Deliciously Ella
- Rhiannon Lambert: Registered Nutritionist and founder of Rhitrition
Episode Overview In this special episode titled "Christmas Menus, Intolerance Tests and the Wellness Trends to Ignore," Ella and Rhiannon address listener questions, discussing a variety of topics including food intolerance tests, festive meal ideas, and wellness trends to avoid. The episode aims to provide clarity and practical advice in the often confusing world of health and wellness.
Key Topics and Discussions
- Food Intolerance Tests
- IgG Tests:
- Rhiannon explains that IgG tests, often marketed as food intolerance tests, measure antibodies that are not indicative of intolerances or allergies.
- The tests are considered unreliable, and cutting out foods based on these results may lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions.
- Proper Diagnosis:
- A proper diagnosis can be achieved through elimination diets supervised by professionals.
- Differentiate between allergies (IgE tests) and intolerances; intolerances typically involve digestive symptoms.
- Christmas Menu Ideas
- Summer Christmas Lunch:
- Ella shares ideas for a summer Christmas menu, suggesting:
- Herby asparagus puff pastry tarts.
- Harissa carrot tarts.
- Incorporating seasonal veggies like glazed carrots into a tart.
- Veggie Centerpieces:
- Discusses options like mushroom wellingtons or nut roasts that appeal to both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
- Wellness Trends to Ignore
- AIP Diet:
- Rhiannon expresses concerns about the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet, emphasizing that it should be undertaken with medical supervision due to its restrictive nature.
- Influencer Culture:
- Both hosts critique the rise of "what I eat in a day" videos, noting their potential to mislead viewers and promote unrealistic body images.
- Discuss the importance of balanced eating and avoiding the demonization of processed foods (UPFs).
- Nutritional Insights
- Omega-3 Supplementation:
- Rhiannon explains the importance of both DHA and EPA in omega-3 supplements, noting the greater health benefits when both are included.
- Meal Frequency:
- The hosts debate the efficacy of small frequent meals vs. three larger meals, concluding that individual preference and lifestyle dictate what works best.
Listener Recommendations
- Dark Chocolate Favorites:
- Recommendations include:
- Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Madagascan 80%
- M&S 75%
- Tesco 85%
- Divine 85%
- Hu Kitchen
- Ombar 80%
- Additional Resources:
- Ella's book event linked for further engagement.
Conclusion The episode wraps up with a call for listeners to share their own Christmas meal ideas and recommendations, reinforcing the community aspect of the podcast. Ella and Rhiannon emphasize the importance of balanced, informed decision-making regarding food and wellness.
Additional Notes
- Call to Action: Tune in every Monday for more insightful discussions and wellness tips from Ella and Rhiannon.
- Sponsor Messages: The episode features messages from sponsors promoting self-care and wellness services.
Enjoy this festive and informative episode, and remember to take care of your wellness journey!
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
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0:48Welcome to Wellness Scoop, your weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration. And as always, we're here as your hosts. I'm Mella Mills. And I'm Rhiannon Lambert. And today, we are so excited to be diving into so many wonderful questions that have come from you. I love our Thursday episodes. I love we get to talk about so many different things and that we get to do our recommendations. And I'm also loving that you guys are sharing so many recommendations. We last week shared some chocolate recommendations and we have got more, which is so fun. Because we might do an actual chocolate tasting. Oh, I think we have to, Rhi.
1:27Like, you know, if our work insists that we do a chocolate tasting. I agree, I agree. I think you all want to hear the crunch of the chocolate. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Okay, so Anna has written in to say in the dark chocolate front, the M &S 75 % dark is really good, not too bitter and no emulsifiers in it. Also, the brand Hu is divine and also no emulsifiers. Their USP is clean, simple, responsible ingredients. That's delicious. I've tried that one before. Oh my goodness. Really good. They have things in them. So like cashew butter. there's a crunchy one with like puff quinoa I think it sounds weird we got a mint one I remember I first tried them so early on when I changed my diet completely so this was like 2014 I think then was I was in America because one of my best friends from university lived there and I went to visit her and I tried it was when they had just opened they had this location in New York Hugh Kitchen and they had the chocolate there and this was when nothing like that existed in the UK and And I just remember being like jaw on the floor.
2:31Oh my gosh, I can't believe it is possible to create delicious things without all the nonsense in them. And I was so inspired by it. So actually, I love that brand, but it played a really big role in my journey. Ella, in your chocolate connoisseur journey. I'm loving this. Well, and almost the creation of the brand, to be honest. And then starting our factory and all the rest of it. Because it was this sense of like, actually, it is possible. stop trying to say you've seen it to have all these upfs in products to make them taste good you don't and so they were one of the first brands i came across that were making things that people could take on the go that actually had good ingredients so it was really interesting that's so amazing and for anyone that can't get a hold of that i know that from the plants team didn't lola say that there's some great shop brought own versions as well yeah so we've had anna recommending the mns 75 dark as well and then lola exactly um said in the all plants office the fave is the tesco 85 and then the divine and divine is such a nice brand they've been ages i remember them at uni yeah they've been going a long time i think they had an associational were created by i can't remember oxfam and you know tony chocoloni has done this amazing work in focusing on removing slavery from the supply chain when it comes to chocolate actually divine were there doing that sort of thing first didn't quite hit i don't think the same scale how is that still happening i don't understand again it's one of those things that you just think 10 years ago have been sorted and it hasn't i agree so basically now for dark chocolate recommendations upf free dark chocolate we have got a smorgasbord for you guys we have been recommended sainsbury's taste the difference madagascan 80 m &s 75 tesco 85 divine 85 and the hue kitchen one and i think if you guys agree we should have a lineup and crown a christmas winner i'd love that And I also love on-bar chocolates for people as well.
4:24They're so delicious. Really yummy. Which one of theirs are you throwing into the mix for our competition? Yeah, but it's not a dark. Actually, I really like their dark chocolate one. They've got a really nice like 80 % one, haven't they? Okay, I'm throwing it in and writing it down now. Okay, if you guys agree, we'll do a chocolate off. Okay, a chocolate off. We'll have a Christmas winner. A choc off. We'll have a Christmas winner. A choc off. The big choc off. The big choc off. I have a totally unrelated recommendation before we go into our other questions today. I went to see Wicked. I saw it.
4:56Oh my gosh. I saw that on your stories. How was it? Well, you need, I will go again with you, Ella, because I love it that much. I cried my way through. I just think Wicked is like that phrase from Shrek, an onion with so many layers, because it's deep. And I don't think you realize until you watch it, it's about suppression of a voice, about animal rights it's about judging people on their looks how we love how corrupt society can be wicked deep but also very uplifting at the same time i love that hopefully that's what the wellness scoop is showing how we're stuck the health and wellness the food landscape is as for episode on monday we and i really were on our own soapboxes once we came off air about how frustrated we were but then you feel empowered at the same time we also have a listener recommendation from lizzie which I thought was a really nice one we've had a lot of feedback actually on our conversation that we had a few weeks ago on people having their cycle affected and their periods stop on the basis of changing their diet sometimes in slightly extreme way particularly looking at things like ketogenic diets and lots of fasting and Lizzie was saying how empowering and helpful it is to listen and understand your cycle as well I had some tricky years in my teens and early 20s with absent periods and ovarian cysts and generally things not being quite right I've been on a mission since then to educate myself.
6:16So she's loved all the conversations we had on it. She agrees the recommendations of Maisie's book, Period Power and Gynae Geek on social are things that she loved. She would also though like to recommend to listeners, but people who want to learn more about their cycle, the podcast by India Racklusan, I think is how you say her name. The podcast is called 20-ish Days Later. She said it's a really helpful user's guide. That's lovely. Thank you so much, everybody.
6:45it moves us nicely onto our questions because claire has one for us she said i recently took a blood food intolerance test from york tests have you heard of those ella yes i have i definitely have i don't know if i've heard of york specifically i think i have but it has been a sense of yeah blood intolerance tests yeah absolutely not allergy tests i think that's the important thing we'll come on to in a second yeah a hundred percent and she said that the results came back for her that she's cow's milk protein intolerant and that she should not have been surprised by this as she does have a few issues of milk however it also came back that she's borderline intolerant to wheat yeast egg white egg yolk and melon she then said i had a 30 minute call with a nutritionist i will just add the term nutritionist everyone isn't protected as part of the service however it was completely overwhelming and everything i can't eat and replacements and I never got to ask any questions.
7:39My question to you both is how reliable are these tests and should I be worried about the borderline intolerances? I think it's a really interesting question and I really wanted to include it today when I was looking at everyone's questions because I think we do get lots of different questions on testing and allergies versus intolerances and people being recommended to cut things out and how important that is or how safe that is. And so Marie, I think it would be amazing to hear from your experience of this industry. How reliable are these, the difference between food intolerances and allergies and what should people really be thinking about?
8:15Yeah, I'm glad you put it in Ella because I think we can feel so vulnerable, can't we? We just really want answers when you don't feel quite right. So it's really natural that you'd look for something that potentially could give you an answer. These tests have been around for a very long time and in the retrition clinic, they are sadly one of the Bains for us because the reliability of them in short is that they're not reliable at all and that most commercial ones you buy and you can spend a couple of hundred pounds on these I don't know if you want to look it up eloquently while I'm chatting through like how much these actually are these days because when I last looked it was quite a few years ago and they measure essentially IgG antibodies which are immunoglobulins which are part of your immune response which are not markers of an intolerance or an allergy.
8:58In fact, the presence of them is normal because it just means you've been eating them. So it's your immune system recognizing the food in the test, not reacting to it. And a lot of the governing bodies say definitely not to use these. They're not accurate and they do not undertake what's an intolerance or an allergy. And this is because they pick up differences. So IgE's immunoglobulin E indicates an allergy and these tests don't test for that at all. Allergies can be life-threatening. Just want to remind everybody if you are experiencing vomiting, breathing issues, swelling, you have an allergic reaction and you need to be medically recognised and you can get tested with a skin prick for those sorts of things.
9:43however like i said these tests you buy online iggs it's just normal exposure they cannot be used as a diagnostic tool for an intolerance or an allergy how much have you got before i waffle on ella how much are they yeah so the york one in particular is um currently on sale for 139 pounds normally 199 pounds yeah and some of them i've seen um can go up to 500 it's actually crazy so Just to clarify, in your clinic, for example, you would never, ever use something like this. What would you be doing instead? If someone said, I think I don't react well to milk, for example, as a kind of obvious question, what would you guys do?
10:23So you can test for a intolerance to dairy. So lactose, where you can't digest it and break it down effectively because you lack an enzyme called lactase. That is a validated test tool. You can do that at your GP. However, intolerances are very difficult. And the best thing you can do is what's called an elimination diet that's supervised, where you take things out and then you reintroduce them with other foods that we call safe foods that you are fine with, and then you can mark the symptoms. But if you had an allergy, like a cow's milk allergy, you would know about it. And the only testing is with an allergy specialist.
10:56So an intolerance, everyone is not an allergy. It's enzyme related. It's not your immune system. Just remember, intolerances, not immune system, because the symptoms you get are more digestive things like bloating, diarrhea, gas, and the gold standard, if we suspect that it's an issue, would be two to four weeks of trying to eliminate cow's milk products. And then we reintroduce them, just like you'll have heard of maybe of something called the milk ladder with children, where you slowly reintroduce foods over a period of time. We know that exposure to foods helps prevent allergies later on in life, like nuts and things during weaning, and you've got to be really careful.
11:33but we would not recommend these test kits in the clinic for so many reasons. I mean, coming back to say you've got an intolerance to melon is a really, really rare reaction you'd have to a food. And what I would recommend is taking your time and just testing these one by one. What I will say about cow's milk is that 60 % of the world, I believe that's right, may want to fact check that, do have a lactose intolerance and not everybody has adapted or evolved to digest it dairy so it's more likely you'd have a reaction to that type of food than a piece of fruit like a melon yeah approximately 65 percent of the population is lactose intolerant it varies not in the notes i did it no varies massively by region because it varies massively by ancestry so in asia for example like as high as 90 population whereas actually northern europe it's much much lower yeah so i hope that's how to clear it up a little bit just avoid these kits If they were real and work, the NHS would be giving them out left, right and centre.
12:35Just have a think about it that way because it would save so many appointments. And a question we've got here, which leads on to food a little bit more, is from Vic. And she said, I'm a massive fan of the Wellness Coop. Thank you for making a healthy living so much more enjoyable and easier to navigate. We are very happy to hear that. So my question is, with Christmas fast approaching, I'm starting to think about our Christmas lunch menu. we live in New Zealand so enjoy a summer Christmas and I love making some beautiful salads but what would Ella cook to accompany these if she was to have a summer Christmas lunch Ella I've never had a Christmas in the sun oh my gosh so I have had I'm very lucky to say a lot of I'm having my first non-sun Christmas this year now I am please don't judge me I don't really like Christmas oh my goodness said Ella we are chalk and cheese on this I know I'm really trying this year to get into it I went it's cold I just found it quite complicated emotionally but we will not go into that but I I am trying to love it this year and so but we've been away for Christmas every year for the last few years and have had hot sunny Christmases I have to say I love it but if I was cooking a hot sunny Christmas it really depends on who you're cooking for but I personally would do a centerpiece and I think if it was me I would do something like I don't know a really delicious um do a kind of harissa carrot tart for example or like a herby asparagus puff pastry tart with a really delicious base something kind of quite creamy it really depends on I don't know what's in season or kind of very relevant to you guys but I think I would do some kind of really delicious tart because I think that looks so nice in the middle you can do a really easy base for example like there's a um courgette one that I do quite a lot and it's literally just like whole wheat flour as the base it's very very simple and you and then do a beautiful homemade pesto and then like rolled up courgettes loads and loads of cherry tomatoes you can do pistachios in the pesto loads of pine nuts basil just looks really beautiful so I think that's a nice thing because actually it's really easy to do and you can prep the base in advance and everything which is quite nice if you're hosting you've got loads of people I think having some easy wins and it also looks absolutely gorgeous so I think something like that would be really lovely but I also appreciate it is not festive in any shape form to our British listeners who are thinking about like a classic roasted you could put cranberries in a in a tart exactly 100 % or you could use your kind of classic Christmas veggies like glazed glazed carrots for example would be absolutely delicious in there or you could do some kind of gratin with like potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, et cetera, which would be with a kind of crispy breadcrumb top could be actually also lovely.
15:19You could have that as well. Have you got any in the new book, any like centerpieces? The new book is very weeknight staple focused, actually. We're very like, what on earth do I do on a Monday? Which is everybody. And I've had a long day, which is, as we found out from our stats on Monday, like 60 plus percent of the population who are just so stressed by midweek meals. so actually this is more I would say quick wins is very catered to that moment although of course you can adapt to anything and have it as a celebratory meal as well what would you make that's lovely I've never had a sunny Christmas so I'd really have to rack my brains with what I'd actually serve I think that's a really helpful answer Ella because tarts is a very very good idea I mean I don't know would I do like a plate of kind of stuffed potatoes and things with like cheesy cranberries and all the veggies it's really hard to think what you'd put in the middle as a centerpiece I do love nut roasts and I think they go nice with salads too I think that's a yeah you could put all the nuts and apricots and fruits in and then have that on the table that's kind of Christmassy a mushroom wellington is also so delicious hot or cold that works yeah hot or cold that works also a nice prep and advanced kind of guy absolutely delicious also a kind of sage and onion type sausage rolly thing fun as well if you're thinking if you're veggie and you're maybe hosting this year or you're bringing things to a Christmas meal now I'm not just talking about Australia for everyone what I quite like doing um because we don't have a fully veggie Christmas meal is I like making something that I know everyone else will enjoy as well as sides so you're not on your own and something like a mushroom wellington or that kind of sage and onion sausage homemade sausage roll type thing I love the veggie stuffings yes so delicious and you can have it as a centerpiece but actually for other people they can have it as well and i remember one christmas a few years ago my sister's veggie as well and we made this really delicious mushroom wellington and it was so amazing with this spinach sort of cream in it and it was i have to say it was it was really really good but we made a big one so it looked lovely and it was devoured by everybody i love that and if you want to get a little upf and i know we're trying to avoid upfs but you can buy pastry and it can really help if you're in a rush on christmas day if you want to make like a i make wreaths you know like pastry wreaths or parcels of things or christmas tree patterns i do it all and that's where i would say like really don't get bogged down in upfs like if you're then stuffing it with beautiful chestnuts and mushrooms and onion and you know garlic and all the rest of it like don't worry if there's a little bit of something in your pastry but it saves you hours of time you should see my christmas tree with nut butter in the middle oh my god it's so good oh i think i need to ask you for that okay well enjoy your christmas book that sounds really fun i've had um thai curry for christmas the last few years so in work while we've been away so it's going to be really different this year i'm going to be back to doing i think my mushroom wellington this is a paid advertisement for better help.
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19:43You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. Because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10 % of all e-commerce in the US. Sign up for your$1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash promo. go to shopify.com slash promo this is a really nice one i think from sarah um which was she just said i was wondering which is better lots of little meals or three big ones because i feel like there was a moment i reckon it was like five or ten years ago now but where people kept talking about having five mini meals a day being really good for you instead of kind of three big meals oh the claim of boosting metabolism remember those yes that's what it was so right yeah does boost metabolism with the times of food your metabolism is like how you produce energy how you digest food this is individual and i will say if you enjoy lots of mini meals and that works for you and you feel good that way it's healthy your guts thriving on that then that's that's good for you but there are people out there that will not work well with snacks and mini meals throughout the day who do need for regularity and for their also their relationship with food to have three meals a day so I think it's completely individual this question Ella and it depends on your job your livelihood you know if you're a surgeon you have to rely on lots of mini meals whenever you can get it you know I think um we've got to start looking that whenever we can eat make it an opportunity to nourish I love that but your advice is really try and have that overnight if you can without eating because it's really good for your gut from nine o 'clock everybody I just don't think we should be snacking or eating i mean we really need to wind down before bed if you can give your stomach two to three hours to kind of wind down that probably is really going to help as well and i know we all love a late night snack but um i try the licorice and peppermint tea someone did did you see sent a story saying they loved it yeah i've seen a few of that actually that is so good tea pigs peppermint licorice tea i have to say if i wasn't existing with other people I would do mini meals 100 % yeah me too I way prefer them but it's not really conducive to kind of being social and existing with other people but if I lived on my own I lose track of what I've eaten with mini meals sometimes and that's interesting like as in it's not always a planned mini meal it's what you can grab so you're not effectively maximizing the nutritional aspect sometimes depending on what you do in your day oh 100 % but I just love lots of different tastes and textures, which you get so much more of with mini meals.
22:22You do. I agree. So we do now move on to our avid listener from Amsterdam. Yes, Eveline, I think is how we said, but apologies if we haven't pronounced it correctly. Thank you so much for being an avid listener. We love it. You've said I'm vegan and take an omega-3 supplement, which you have on multiple occasions discussed the benefits of. But one thing I'm still unclear on, I use a fairly complete one with 250 DHA and 125 EPA. But I always notice that the ones without EPA are about half the price of my expensive ones. Is the EPA worth the extra money if I can afford it? I'm reading mixed messages when I look it up, so we'd love an expert opinion.
23:00Rhi, give us your expert opinion. And actually, quickly, sorry, could we rewind? Could you remind people DHA and EPA? Yes, of course. First of all, it's interesting because in the UK, we don't have a recommended amount of omega-3 and numbers. In other countries like Australia, they do give recommendations for doses, which I also find very interesting that we still haven't updated that. So first of all, omega-3, you can get two different components. The DHA is the structural omega-3 and that's involved in our retina, our brain. Our brain is 60 % fat predominantly there and our nervous system. And we really need that.
23:37And then around 70 % of the brain's omega-3 content is specifically that form of the omega-3, Ella, the DHA. Then the EPA, which you've said ups the price tag, that is the active, so the anti-inflammatory bit of the omega-3. I mean, I'm really simplifying this here, but I think this is the best way to break it down, which is where the studies that suggest benefits of heart health come from, because it supports our blood vessel health, it helps modulate inflammation, potentially maybe link to our mood, play a role with, again immune function and overall metabolic health so ideally you do want both for ultimate omega-3 gains but you can just go with the one and still support your brain health essentially but I mean when it comes to cost of supplements Ella there's no perfect ratio either of EPA to DHA I just want people to get enough and the advice here in the UK is poor so I'm really glad in Amsterdam, perhaps you've got something different.
24:37Please do let me know anywhere you live in the world. But we're just told to eat oily fish each week. And there's not really much help for people that don't eat oily fish. And a lot of people that are omnivores don't eat that anyway. Yeah, exactly. I think that's incredibly helpful, Risa. You want it any which way, as in you definitely want your omega-3 because to your point, even if you do enjoy eating fish, most people don't eat enough oily fish so that is an interesting supplement to investigate ideally though it does have DHA and EPA so if you can afford it it is worth the extra money to have the two to get that potential added benefit of the anti-inflammatory nature of the omega-3s but definitely just get the DHA.
25:18Full stop you need to be getting omega-3 if you do not consume one to two portions of oily I'd argue two with the state of the oceans but again that feeds into the problem you really need to be thinking about your walnuts your cheer seeds your flax seed your supplementation there of that one supplement that i wish was cheaper but is not no it's so valid okay our last question today is a really interesting one and she uh wrote in with her name but she said please may you make this anonymous she said as an afn registered nutritionist and i know this is a really important topic to read and a very important topic i think the health and wellness industry that's the proper registered body of regulated nutritionists which re is obviously as well so as an afn registered nutritionist myself something that has been bothering me of late is women's health practitioners she's put that in quotes promoting the aip diet my understanding of the diet is that it's an elimination diet and as re and yourself will know even nutritionists aren't able to support their clients with this i guess this is one of the new iterations of unregulated healthcare professionals online and I would love to hear your thoughts particularly on three things have you seen these posts and influencers what do you think about the AIP diet and what do you make of these professionals I fear this new trend of look what happens to me when I eat UPF influencer puffing their cheeks is fear-mongering and may create a new guise for disordered eating patterns so very big question and I think we'll probably answer it in multiple different parts.
26:48I think there's two different parts as I see it, Rhi. One, let's just talk about the AIP diet specifically. And then two, I think this trend of look at me when I eat UPFs and when I don't and the fear mongering there is important. And maybe we can answer them as two separate strands. Yeah, they're absolutely right. The AIP diet is an autoimmune protocol. So it's not grounded in tons of research. It's a highly restrictive elimination diet that is used with some people with autoimmune conditions. So it's something that a consultant would say, look, we've tried other things. We've tried this. We've tried that.
27:22This is what we're left with. Really, this potentially could help, but it cuts out grains, dairy, legumes, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades. And you feel like there's nothing really left at the end of that to consume. And the evidence is very limited. And in some extreme cases, it might be really beneficial, but that is alongside a medical team a nutrition team all working in tandem together to ensure that someone isn't then going to be malnourished because when you restrict so many items of food it can worsen the gut diversity as we know and it definitely needs to be done in specialist guidance it is not something even my dietitians in the nutrition clinic would do um this is something i'd say with someone that's probably under a care team frequently at a hospital and I'm shocked to hear Ella I haven't seen it have you I've not seen this as a trend no I haven't seen it as a trend either actually and I didn't know anything about it the trend I see a lot of for look how I used to look versus look how I look now is the carnivore diet that's the one I see loads of online of the I cut out anything and everything essentially went to the carnivore diet and people don't even really eat vegetables on that but there's I have to say very compelling before and after.
28:37So I think it's important to call it what it is. They do look great. There's no denying that. And I think that's one of the things that I find really difficult is you're like, I know, but your gut's in terrible shape and you might look great today, but fast forward a few years and you're really not doing much for your health. It does link us on though to perhaps this is something we're going to see more of. You know, like when we looked at a trend last week for cellular data becoming more and more interesting, we might see more of these things emerging. potentially. It's just not on my radar at the moment.
29:06But this is why I have such an issue with what I eat in a day videos. And I've even seen other health professionals doing it recently because they know it goes viral or they know it gets clicks. And it's really just very confusing. And I just wonder when it will end, Ella. I don't even know what I have to contribute to this discussion because I just feel like it's misleading. I just feel these discussions are so misleading that this is what I do this is how I look and you rarely get people that aren't in a slim body saying this is what I eat in a day eat like me and this is good for you and that's a big statement for me to make I really appreciate what I have just said is sensitive but that's why I have an issue with it because I don't think it's representative and I think it's really marginless and I think it really pins people into a category there's an inherent implication no one of says that obviously out loud, but you don't need to eat like me and look like me.
30:01And as we know, that's really compelling when it comes to sales, because there is an aspirational element to those videos. And as a result, you know, the desire to purchase whatever is involved in it is quite high. And it's a really difficult thing because there's parts, sometimes I see people do some of the like, this is what I eat. And it's really helpful. It's like, I batch cook this on Sunday because I've got such a crazy week and I've taken this to the office. And there's elements of that, that I'm like, that's great. That's such good inspo, you know, and like here I've like sectioned out into my various different Tupperwares and now I'm going to add this grain to it, or I'm going to like add on this X, Y, or Z to it.
30:36And I find that really helpful. Or like I've made these oats in advance. And some of the times I see these videos and I'm like, that's so helpful, actually. This is someone with a very busy life, super realistic. Yeah. They've taken two hours out of their week on a Sunday and they're showing you therefore how they managed to stay. like I don't want to say on track but keeping up with healthy habits when life is super busy and it's actually not particularly aesthetic and it's just actually super practical they've made seven different overnight oats with different toppings and as I said like one meal four different ways that they batch cooked and it's really I find it super super helpful but I think those are nice it's done with the angle of like I genuinely think this is helpful it's not actually exactly what I eat in a day like minute by minute with time stamps yeah which I'm seeing a lot of and in and what they're wearing like I like those videos like you said I call those meal prep videos yeah okay that's probably more what it is and you see it throughout the week and I find that really really helpful because I think it's super realistic and I think we know that people really really struggle to keep up with eating well with the best intentions because life gets in the way and so seeing how other people do it I think can be so valuable and that's the that's the difficult thing with with socials isn't it is that I think there's lots of this is what I do that I personally think is really helpful because this is what I do to help me and this is what I found effective and what really works in my life and I think that can be super super helpful to inspire other people and empower them with their habit changes as well because we know we collectively need a lot of habit change to happen to improve our health but then there's the what I eat in a day that's so aesthetic and so far removed from an office job or a shift work job or whatever it is that just feels beautiful but challenging to replicate I think that summed up perfectly um I'm digging more down into the body image ideal side of it that I think is concerning you know like for the anonymous question came from puff cheeks you know making it appear like this was the before and then this is what I do now and this is me after I know and that's really challenging and I think again that comes back to I think the idea of removing all UPFs from your diet is just yes might be relevant to some people and there may be specific health or medical conditions why they might want to do that and why being super doubled down on their diet is really important today and that's brilliant respect and kind of huge support to those people but for most other people who are just living a normal life no specific health concerns they just want to improve their health they want to improve their energy their sleep their mood they just want to feel their best or you know better but you've got normal office job you've got lots of different commitments and responsibilities.
33:14The idea of removing all UPFs from your diet is completely unrealistic. And I think probably just puts on way too much pressure as opposed to let's try and readdress the balance of cooked from scratch versus UPF. And I think that's when I find this challenging as well, because I just think it's so far removed from life. I think you're completely right. I was meant to be attending this Wednesday evening, a TikTok creators evening for health professionals trying to get the platform regulated. Sadly, I can't go now my child care has let me down this is what happens in the way of the world but I really wanted to ask these questions and I'm going to get someone from my team to go because I feel like there's just a very invisible unspoken line of what's ethically okay and inspirational and what really isn't and how on earth do you even start it's a big topic yeah it's so nuanced and I think as I said there's real positives the socials have said I'll see things and like, goodness me, I keep talking about my sourdough.
34:12It's definitely taking over my life. But like, I've watched so many videos on the way that people proof their dough and the way they fold. And it's so useful. Like, I feel I'm getting a lot from socials at the moment. Christmas recipe inspiration. You know, the question we're asked before. We should just browse socials and type in summer Christmas. I bet loads would come up. Ideas on what to do with Elf on the Shelf. Loving it. Have you done it? Have you done the Elf? Because I haven't, I've never done it. oh we did it last year and it was actually really fun um I mean goodness me I did not go all out like some of the amazing things I saw online but the girls did find it fun to find him every day and it was a kind of sort of fun little playful thing I didn't as I said we did it quite simply where it was a bit more of a hide and seek situation as opposed to him like because I've seen some of the things online where they do amazing creations and yeah I've got friends that get you know spill the flower and write things in the flower and do all sorts of things So I didn't do any of that last year.
35:08I might out my game once or twice this year. Please send me a link to where you buy an elf. Where do I buy an elf? Literally anywhere online. Last request for recommendations from you guys. If you have any good elf on the shelf recommendations, do let us know. Or any other Christmas meals that you are cooking that you think might inspire. Obviously you've got your classic roast turkey. But if there's things that you're cooking or recipes that you love, that you think our community would really enjoy over Christmas that you want to recommend, I think shout out for those because I would love to be able to share those over the next few weeks.
35:38I think our listeners would love them. I will bring my specific ones next week with links to them. Okay, wonderful. Well, everybody, thank you ever so much for listening, for being here, and for sharing your questions with us because, gosh, do we cover some amazing diverse topics from elves to UPFs. From the best dark chocolate to elf on the shelf to what allergy tests to do or not to do when I eat on a day videos. Yeah, I think it has been very, very diverse. Keep it so fun though. Thank you guys. We just so appreciate you. We do. Have a wonderful week and we will see you on Monday.
36:25And Doug, here we have the Lemo Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customise their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Lemu? Is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera! They see us! Only pay for what you need at LibertyMutual.com. Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Savings vary. Underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.
From the publisher
In this Extra Scoop we’re tackling your brilliant listener questions, from the confusion around food intolerance tests to what to cook for a summer Christmas lunch. We break down why IgG tests aren’t reliable, how to get a proper diagnosis and why unnecessary restriction can do more harm than good. Rhi shares her clinical insight into navigating misinformation online, from the rise of the AIP diet to the red flags around unregulated “women’s health practitioners.”
We also answer your questions on omega-3 supplements, skincare ingredients like BHT and phenoxyethanol, and whether lots of small meals or three bigger ones best support digestion and sleep. Plus, we share your latest dark chocolate recommendations and talk through what a Deliciously Ella–style summer Christmas menu might look like. It’s a practical, myth-busting episode designed to bring a bit of clarity, calm and common sense to the world of everyday wellness.
Recommendations:
The best dark chocolates (so far!): Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Madagascan 80%, M&S 75%, Tesco 85%, Divine 85%, Hu Kitchen, Ombar 80%
Ella’s book event: https://www.bookbaruk.com/event-details/meet-ella-mills-exclusive-pre-publication-signing-and-meet-greet
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