Gut Health, Supplements & Eating Well Without Obsession

0:28We always recommend Shopify. welcome to the wellness scoop your now bi-weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration and we're always your hosts i'm ella mills and i'm rihanna lambert and today we have got the questions from all of you the juicy topics that we're going to be taking into 2026 with us and this is our first listener question episode okay so we're kicking off with a bang but just a reminder if you have any recommendations for the community things you want everyone else to know about or questions queries topics for these q a's either pop them in the spotify comments the apple podcast comments or email them to me ella at delicious the ella.com we love hearing from you but before we get into the show we'll do our weekly recommendations re i feel like there'll be quite a lot because we've been offline for a few weeks.

1:24Ree, what have you got for us? What do we all need in our lives? Oh my goodness. Did you watch any of the Christmas TV, Ella? Because Amanda Land is hilarious. No, I haven't seen it yet. And it's like right at the top of my to watch list is the Christmas Amanda Land special because it has the ABFAB duo in, doesn't it? Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders. So I'm just desperate to watch it. I laughed out loud. I just love programs like that. Really easy watch, you know, short, doesn't take up too much time, but it's just classic. In fact, I wish it went on a lot longer. Ella, I also started watching, and it's really not a program I normally would watch, but my husband put it on.

1:59It's called Super Pumped, and it's about the founder of Uber, Travis Kalanick. It's quite disturbing watching the way he decided to run the company. So it's about his attitudes towards women, towards relationships with his work colleagues, how Uber became such a massive entity that it actually is. and it follows his journey of, well, there's a lot of misogyny, deceit. It's really, it's really dark. There's actually been murders in Uber cabs. Oh my God. I know. Okay. I really want to watch that. You've given me two very good recommendations. Okay. So those are my recommendations, adult watching and Peter Rabbit the movie is just a classic I go back to again and again, Ella.

2:41The children were literally sat with raw carrot sticks because they wanted to be like a rabbit eating and watching Peter Rabbit the movie. How about you? I love the Peter Rabbit movie. it's so good I really agree with that one yeah I absolutely love it I mentioned on Monday that basically the whole Christmas period we were sick I touched wood all the wood did not get it but my elder daughter had strep and flu at the same time she actually ended up very very poorly she was ill for over two weeks and then she was in bed the whole of Christmas day and everything then my other daughter had it for about five days in the middle of that and then my husband got it so I literally was in bed with her for most of the Christmas holidays I watched all five seasons of Poldark which I think is quite impressive oh my goodness okay so I have so many things to say first of all that flu is the super flu going around I had it when we went to Austria on holiday I got it on day two it is horrendous and for children it's horrendous and and then she had a a strep infection at the same time and it was it was really yeah it was there was a bit that felt quite frightening actually how ill she was but yeah anyways poldark was absolutely fantastic one of those shows i have always meant to watch never got around to watching couldn't recommend it more highly and what's his name adrian is adrian turner i mean i know he is a handsome man i know honestly um i watched it when it came out and i love period dramas i'm obsessed with Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Poldark, you name it, I will watch them.

4:19And it is a binge-worthy series and it really gets you. The story is fascinating. And it actually reminded me, I cannot wait for the new Wuthering Heights to come out with Margot Robbie because that looks equally dishy. Yes, I'm very excited about that. We also watched one final recommendation for the day is the Simon Cowell The Next Act on Netflix. The reviews have been appalling, like one star kind of situation. My husband and I, we were both mega X Factor fans. It felt quite nostalgic. Loved it. Binged it in two nights. We absolutely loved it. It was just like fun, feel good watching and yeah, keep checking the band out on Instagram and seeing what they're up to.

5:00I know. Do you know, I really enjoyed it as well. And I think there's a lot to be said for those reality TV shows. And you know, one of my friends, Lucy Jones, she, her whole career was forged from her time on X Factor. I think she got, I'm sorry, Lucy, I can't remember. I think she got to like the final or to like the semifinals final with it. She did incredibly well. And she actually sang at my book launch, Ella, my plant-based book launch. But it shapes careers. And I think it's so nice for the public to see the formation of a music act that's not behind closed doors. Simon Cowell has done a lot for the way we consume media and TV in a really interesting way, I think.

5:38I know. I loved it. So if you've been put off by the reviews, for Feel Good January Watchers, Simon Cowell and Xact, Super Pump, The Battle for Uber, Amanda Land and Polduck, those were our Christmas recommendations for you guys. And I have one foodie fact for you to not spread fear. So I've been seeing a lot of people saying, oh, my goodness, Jason's sourdough is now off the menu. There are so many breads that I now can't have. There is nothing wrong with fortification of flour. It's not the same as adding a preservative or stabilizers and different types of UPF ingredients that you can add to bread.

6:14and there is a reason that we add it because we have such high rates of spina bifida and awful deficiencies in this country and that's why we fortify flour Ella. Yes we had quite a lot of questions on this didn't we so that's a kind of general start is that the change to flour regulation in the UK means that the flour used in bread needs to have this fortification and it's reset it's not something to be deeply concerned about as a collective it's probably quite helpful. Yeah, it's not going to be causing any harm to your health. It's a sort of fortification when 96 % of us aren't getting enough fibre or eating our plants.

6:51We definitely could all be doing a bit more of. So Ella, our first question today is from Jo. And she has wanted to talk about sweeteners on that topic of UPFs. She is. She's asked us aspartamame. I never know how you say it. How do you say it, Rae? I just say aspartame. Aspartame. You know, I used to say aspartamone too. Do you know, I hear different scientists pronounce it all the time with different accents around the world and it just varies. I wouldn't worry. But she said, I know it's bad, but could you give a rundown on what it is? Why it's bad? Alternatives for squash, fizzy drinks for adults.

7:24And she said, my daughter loves squash and it's really hard to find something without it that tastes nice. Exactly. So however you pronounce it, aspartamone aspartame is an artificial sweetener it's been in market for decades to sweeten foods and drinks mostly because it doesn't add kind of want to put some inverted commas sugar or calories and that's why it's so common in things like squash and fizzy drinks you'd find it i think that's what they use in diet coke for example you're exactly right um but i do feel that this is one particular sweetener that has been reduced in the past 10 years so people are aware that it potentially is not beneficial for our health at all.

8:05And one thing that's really interesting is the World Health Organization now says not to turn to these artificially sweetened beverages as a weight control. So we talked about calories before it reduces calories. It's not effective because you can still drink these sweeteners and crave more sugar. It's not going to diminish that aspect. My take on it as well for children, Ella, and I don't know if you agree here you know i like drinks like beaver or belvoir people might pronounce it when you read the label i think it's pronounced beaver but things that don't have artificial sweeteners in them that are just slightly lower sugar they do exist out there and they've got natural fruit extracts in them and i would prefer to give my child that now that's my opinion and take over artificial sweeteners i don't like my children to have artificial sweeteners no me neither i would just much more happily give them apple juice, just like a kind of orange juice.

8:56I'll eat it with fizzy water. Exactly. That's what we personally do at home. And I think, you know, as Re said, the evidence about aspartame is mixed at the moment. You know, technically, regulatory bodies consider it safe within current intake limits, which is why it's in huge mass market drinks like Diet Coke. But there is emerging research that raises questions on the effect, particularly on the gut microbes, but also in terms of actually the metabolic health of some individuals and that it's not effective, for example, for weight loss. Is it good for our gut microbiome as well? And therefore, I think there is this general consensus that actually it's not necessarily a beneficial ingredient in the way that it was originally intended for.

9:38And therefore, if you can, it's probably not something to be consuming in huge quantities. It's not something to be really stressed about, but I think the emerging evidence probably errs on the side of caution. Yeah, because currently we do have studies on aspartame. Most are in animal models, which I have my own issues with anyway. But aside from that, you can't relate that to humans. It's just not OK. And it does suggest that it does interfere with our microbes. Our microbes want to digest and absorb food. You know, we are built as human beings. And I don't want to use the natural fallacy with that everything we eat has to be what we used to eat thousands of years ago.

10:13That's not true. We have evolved and adapted, but we have not evolved and adapted microbiome-wise to consuming artificial ingredients, which is why we have such an issue with ultra-processed food consumption and weight gain and lack of whole foods. And there is potential that these can really disrupt the everyday tasks that are microbes. And they have such a short lifespan anyway, Ella. These microbes are kind of gone in a day. You know, they're born, they multiply, they reproduce, then they die again. and it's just not good for them to have it frequently. So just be really wary. I'm not saying that we have concrete evidence that that is the fact, but I think it directly points towards that.

10:53Yeah, a reduced intake of it. So I think in terms of kids, like as Ria and I said, I think I would focus much more on 100 % fruit juice and you could do half and half with water or sparkling water with that depending how much you're consuming of it or fruit water, you know, putting berries, citrus, cucumber, mint, etc. in it for adults, things like kombucha, or as you said, but again, you know, got to point out cost comes into play here where you have the kind of more premium end of squashes with things like the Belvoir or however you pronounce their brand, which are delicious. They don't use artificial sweeteners, but they are much more expensive.

11:29Well, that's the thing. It's the cost bracket as well. So, you know, making your own things at home. I think the key is if you're lucky enough to have young children that you're just starting on this journey is don't introduce the alternatives and really start off as you mean to go on. But it is difficult when you go to parties, for instance, it's still the fruit shoots. I can't bear it, Ella, but there are fruit shoots everywhere and I have to just relinquish. And I do obviously let my kids have them because everyone else is drinking them. But they know and associate that it's not something they have at home.

11:58And I think it's the key is what you have at home should be different sometimes to what you have outside of the house. At the home, we make the decisions. Exactly. And that's all about this kind of fundamental balance we always talk about in terms of like thinking health is our long-term decisions and actions. It's not about any singular meal or day or week even. And therefore those kind of general groundings that you have at home make all the difference. So I think that's where I would probably try not to include too many of those ingredients, but don't stress about it. If you're on holiday, you're out for dinner, you know, you want a type Coke, whatever it is.

12:32It's just trying to get that balance probably a little bit more rooted in natural whole food ingredients get some kombucha in your fridge at home if you're if you're finding it hard to give up the coke but what i will say is that i think coca-cola is a really dividing thing there are hardcore full fat coca-cola versus diet coca-cola people out there i'd love to know what you are if you're listening yes exactly let us know okay our second question comes from amelia who's saying i'm wondering if you can talk about how quickly you can expect to see health benefits from a change in diet. Three weeks ago, I started taking a daily tablespoon each of flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds.

13:09And I swear my eyesight is improving. I didn't add these seeds to my diet with the intention to improve my eyesight. And I generally eat quite healthily. So I'm surprised to see any effect and honestly wonder if it's even related. Could such as more addition make a big difference in only three weeks or could it be placebo? But I think it's interesting this question, we'll focus on the seeds. But I also liked this idea of actually at a time of year where lots of people probably are trying to make positive tweaks to their diet, how quickly would you expect to see that come through? I love this question.

13:39One of my favourites that I think we have had because I noticed my eyesight deteriorates when I don't eat well and it could well be a placebo or a thought process. But what I have to say is from researching for the fibre formula book, we know about microbes and how quickly they act to a change of diet. So within 24 hours to 72 hours, your microbes do respond quickly. And studies have shown that switching to that fiber rich, you know, my 30-30 formula, the plant diverse diet that can begin to shift the activity and changes the production of short chain fatty acids, which are the really beneficial components our gut bugs produce.

14:16And that changes over in a matter of days. So think of it as waking up your gut bugs. And then within one to two weeks, which is what you've discussed here, you can see measurable changes. So you can literally write these down and start to see benefits. Your microbial composition from people that have studied our poo essentially and are looking at differences in our gut health, we see an increase in bacteria that thrive on fermentable fibers from your tablespoon of flax. So from beans, whole grains, veg, fruit, nuts and seeds. And most people notice their stools. So their bowel movements become more regular, more frequent.

14:52They have less bloating. They have better appetite regulation. One thing I've noted in the clinic at the very beginning, before we were really talking about gut health when I was studying at university, was the markable difference in all of my clients changing their diet within the four weeks because I'd have them come back every four weeks initially, depending on the case. But they were all writing down bowel movement changes that were so beneficial and transformative. and then within two months you know four to eight weeks this is where those changes become meaningful and they start to last and that becomes a sustained dietary pattern and that means moving forwards your immune health benefits Ella it is I cannot emphasize all it takes is a change of adding more things for a week consistently and you will probably see things differently excuse the pun for the eyesight but you will it's amazing that as well isn't it which just shows you know actually it's so empowering to feel like you could start making shifts today and we're not talking about all or nothing shifts we're just talking about more plants more plant diversity more cooking at home and you will come February start to feel a little bit different and it's not going to all change overnight I think that is a myth but it's still really empowering to know that actually like every extra plant you get into your diet, every little walk you take, every extra bit of sleep you get, it is all going to make a difference.

16:21It is all really meaningful and it does really, really add up. No, absolutely. What a positive question. So our next question is from Jo on the nutrition front again. She said, what are the differences between Amiga's three, six and nine? And Ella and I talk about Amiga's a lot because, you know, well, I don't really consume much oily fish. Ella doesn't consume oily fish. So we know it's important that we need to get this, don't we, in our diet elsewhere. Exactly that. And I think omega-3 is a topic that lots of you ask about. It's sort of a very newsworthy element of nutrition. We are going into this a little bit further as well next week with Professor Sarah Berry, who's doing a nutrition myth Q &A with us next Thursday, which is exciting.

17:05and that's going to tap into seed oils as well and the concern around seed oils in relation to omega-3 and 6 in particular. But Rhi, can you just break down for us what actually is the difference? Because I think we generally talk about omegas, but what is omega-3 versus 6 versus 9? A hundred percent. And if any of you are on social media and you see people talking about anti-inflammatory diets, a lot of the time it's a diet that's high in omega-3s. So look at omega-3 as your anti-inflammatory essential. They're the type of essential fats. The word essential means we have to get them from our diet because our body doesn't produce them.

17:40And there are key types. If you're eating them from walnuts, any wellness scooper who's listened last year, welcome if you are new to the show. But we love talking about things like walnuts that contain this ALA, this alpha-linic acid, which converts to omega-3. However, it converts very slowly to the types that we really need that are called EPA and DHA in our body. And you get that EPA and DHA from fish just purely because of the way it's absorbed in the body. But what's interesting is the fish absorb the algae in the sea. And the algae is what contains that amazing EPA and DHA. So you can cut out the fish, the middleman, and supplement.

18:18It's the one time I do recommend supplements with that EPA and DHA. And omega-3 is so important for our brain. 60 % of our brain is made of these fats and it's almost like the building blocks the preservation i do often think the reason we have higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases things like dementia in older generations or we're talking um rations in the war that kind of generation where mental health really did decline was also because of a lack of these healthy fats in our diets massively speaking and you get them in oily fish flaxseed chia seeds walnuts even rapeseed oil which has had a bad rep but I'll let Sarah Berry break that down next week for you all.

18:57And most people don't get enough. So that's the one we want. We love omega-3. Now, omega-6 is the controversial one, which Sarah will break down next week, but we do over consume it purely because we eat a lot of ultra processed foods and the ratio in even pastries and things where we're using these oils and we're adding in a lot of products combined, we get a lot of omega-6. We do need it, it is an essential fat, but we need it in a certain ratio. We need it for our skin to, cheesy word, but glow. We need it to support our immune system. Ella's smiling when I say that because I feel so out of place when I say, let's just make our skin glow.

19:32Because we know it's not that easy. But you know, you get them in a lot of vegetable oils and processed foods. That's why. And it's not that it's bad for us. It's that we're eating too many ultra processed foods. It's not the omega-6's fault. It's that they happen to be vegetable oil in all these ultra processed food. So just remember that omega-6 isn't bad, but you have to have less of it than omega-3. And part of the problem here is we always talk about is it's not so much what we're eating is what we're not eating enough of. And because generally speaking, most people do not get enough omega-3s in their life because we're not eating a huge amount of oily fish coupled with flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, et cetera.

20:09And we're eating a lot of ultra processed foods. What happens is that the balance of omega-6 to omega-3, generally speaking, isn't necessarily optimal in most people's diets because of the ratio of ultra processed food to whole foods that we eat. So I think it's a helpful way of thinking about why people are so scared about vegetable oils. It's not that they themselves are the fundamental issue, it's the balance that we have in our collective diets where the problem really sits. You have nailed it, Ella. That's exactly it. And omega-9 is helpful, but not essential. I don't even really discuss omega-9 in clinic.

20:41I never really have because we make it ourselves in our body. It's called laic acid. I mean, it's a wonderful healthy fat to have. It's so beneficial. And there's lots of studies on laic acid when we talk about olive oil or we talk about avocados, particularly because those are good sources for heart health and the benefits there. There's a lot of research on that. But what we want to do in our diets, everyone, just to sum up this question, is reduce the saturated fat you get from things that are solid at room temperature like coconut oil, butter and you really want to reduce those and you want to increase all the things you get from the foods that we all love on this podcast which tastes so good the seeds the walnuts the olive oil the avocados rapeseed oil cold pressed rapeseed oil um which i still find so bizarre that they demonize but we'll get to there next week i'm so excited to tell you about my brand new cookbook quick wins healthy cooking for busy lives i wrote this one to make healthy cooking just simple when life is busy so you'll find fridge-raid suppers one pan wonders and batch cooks that you can turn into two easy meals plus we have eight weeks of delicious meal plans to complete with shopping lists so all the thinking's been done for you every recipe also gives you plant points to help you eat more plants you can get your 30 plants a week it'll all help you feel great and just make healthy cooking feel effortless again.

22:07So Quick Wins is out now wherever you get your books. Ella, do you want to read out our next question from, wow, Nairobi? Yes, Sam is writing in to us from Nairobi in Kenya and saying, love you both and adore the podcast. Thanks, Sam. I was inspired by the most recent episode where you both said no question is too small, so I've mustered up the courage to send this in. I know this may be a bit more of a complicated question, but there are obviously a lot of discussions right now about skinny being back in fashion and concerns around the impact this will have on young people, particularly in the age of social media.

22:41And this could lead to a rise in eating disorders slash disordered eating. I wanted to ask what tips you both have in terms of finding a balance between making our food and way of eating more nourishing, which the podcast is so good at, yet not falling into orthorexic or obsessive behaviors related to eating clean. I just thought this was such a great question and a very important question from Sam all the time but again especially in January when we're seeing so much kind of pressure on diets and diet change but we're also seeing a lot of celebrity culture at this time of year because it's award season and this time last year do you remember there was a lot of reporting on lollipop kind of body shapes being back in the media and this real shrinking that we have seen in celebrity culture which I think you know you can't really hide from in terms of its existence.

23:29And it is quite worrying. I completely agree, Sam, in trying to find that balance between looking after yourself, but not making it kind of so stringent that it takes over your life. It's not always a straightforward process. Gosh, it's such a humongously nuanced conversation and one to tread very carefully with because you never really know what's going on with somebody behind the scenes. Like we said, you see this in celebrity culture. and I just want to really emphasize that you can't tell how healthy somebody is from their body shape or size regardless of whether it's on a spectrum of smaller to larger you just don't know and everybody is built differently where they store their fat on their body is very different and orthorexia I actually remember this is how I first met Professor Tim Spector I gave a lecture on orthorexia at the Royal Society of Medicine back in 2016 I think and Tim was in the audience And I think that's when I first connected with Professor Tim Spector.

24:25And we were having this conversation about the fact that this is an eating disorder that's not recognized in our diagnostic statistic manual, which we use for eating disorders. And remember, eating disorders are psychological illnesses. So it isn't really a choice. And sadly, a lot of the time, healthy, there's a blurred line between wanting to be healthy, but it becoming all consuming and all you can think of every single day. and I think what's so lovely about the wellness scoop is we have this time to talk about those nuances and what you don't get in headlines in newspapers or 15 second Instagram reels is time for nuance which is where the conversation can get lost but what we see in the clinic is that patterns don't usually start with restrictions they do start with those good intentions and I and I talk about that a lot we actually shared some really worrying trends last year didn't we that we saw skinny talk and these terrible hashtags that almost felt uncomfortable mentioning them actually.

25:22And I think we have to start asking ourselves the question, is this way of eating supporting my physical and mental health? You have to mention the psychology just as much as the physical. Yes, we need to eat more walnuts, but is it damaging my mental health right now? Do I just want that chocolate bar? And that is such a hard place to get to. and I feel like as we age things for most people become easier in terms of making those life decisions but it's so unknown sometimes and true health is you know not fragile it can cope with imperfection you know we're not meant to be perfect all the time that's how I would describe it Ella I just think it's you have to start asking yourself these difficult conversations yeah I think that is such an effective question it's this way of eating supporting my physical and my mental health.

26:10And I think it is the idea that we are so clear on that nourishing your body and the way that you eat should be adaptable to real life stress, busy weeks, work, celebrations, illness, joy, like your food choices. Yes, can be driven by education that we need to eat our five a day and get more fiber because it's very important for our health for sure. But it shouldn't then be driven by fear, control, guilt, as opposed to this focus on how can I look after myself for the long term and the enjoyment of that. And I think if that balance is starting to slip and you've started with good intentions and it's now becoming so inflexible that you're maybe not wanting to be part of a social occasion, for example, I think that's the moment to pause, to look for support because true health isn't fragile, as you said, where it needs to cope with imperfections, spontaneity, et cetera.

27:01Jill, we have to recognise our individual differences on this conversation massively because, you know, our genetics play such a huge role, our hormone production. You know, estrogen tends to promote fat storage for women around hips and thighs, but for some women it can distribute on their arms more than their legs. And I just want to remind people that we are so unique and internal health markers are different for everyone, you know, blood lipids, sugar control, everything. So we have to be unique and we have to embrace that and I really think it's hard. So stick here with the wellness group.

27:33We'll remind you all the time that health isn't perfection. And it leads us on to a question from Hannah. And she's actually said a really interesting point. She's emailing because we briefly mentioned zinc in the podcast. She said on Thursday, I'm not sure. I think that was just before Christmas, wasn't it? She said, I'm moderately deficient in this. And it was confirmed by a blood test by the GP. So first of all, Hannah, well done for getting that confirmed via a blood test. We can't just self-diagnose deficiencies. She said, I went to see him because my hair has been falling out for the last 10 months.

28:06Initially, I thought it was postpartum, but it hasn't improved one year after the baby was born. She said, I knew I needed help. And the doctor has prescribed me a high dose zinc, which will hopefully correct the levels. But obviously she said, I can't stay on them forever. And now I'm really interested in finding out how I can increase my zinc levels without eating lots of dairy and meat. She said, although I do eat a bit of dairy and meat, I don't eat loads and I don't want to suddenly become reliant on it. As she said, it's really not for her. She said, I want to help support the hair that I have remaining.

28:38Please, can you help me as this is really upsetting and I didn't know who else to turn to. Oh, Hannah. Honestly, I just feel so grateful for this community and knowing that we can be helpful to you guys because I so appreciate and that you go to Google and there's just a billion and one answers and what you listen to and what do you not listen to? So reminder, we're here to support in any way that we can. Marie, before we get into where we can get zinc from in our diets, can you just remind us what zinc is? Why do we need it? What's it for? Yes, absolutely. Because the actually, and just we'll get into the postpartum bit because I do think it can take up to two years for your body to feel back to itself again, which we'll discuss in a minute completely.