Should We All Be Taking Magnesium, Gut Health Tips & The Perfect Snack

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0:57welcome to the wellness scoop your weekly or twice weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration with us we're your hosts i'm ella mills and i'm riannon lambert and today is one of our favorite times of the week because we get to have all your lovely recommendations and questions so ella let's go we have got so much to talk about today should we all be taking magnesium how often should we really be going to the toilet the truth about electrolytes why does stress affect our appetites the secret to a satisfying afternoon snack is soya milk really a upf and as always all our latest recommendations and loads of recommendations as well from you guys today yeah i think we should start with one of them first because we've got a lot we have got a lot and we also have some really um it's not hilarious it's absolutely sage um listener feedback, but that taps into what we talked about on Monday about us being granola bums.

1:53And also, as soon as we finished on Monday, Ree sent me a picture of a packet of granola bars. So she was like, I really am a granola mom. Okay. So we had a question very recently, this challenge of how do we get those around us, especially caregivers for family on board with like our wishes and, you know, the way in which we wanted to approach food nutrition. So we had this exceptionally lovely email from Anna come in who said, I heard the email from the lovely lady the other week, despairing about her in-laws sneaking her children chocolate and crisps. And I really empathize with her as I've had the exact same issue with my own parents.

2:30They honestly just don't care about nutrition and want to be the fun grandparents saying yes to them all the time. And I get it. They just don't want to be the ones that are boring and enforcing rules. In their worlds, that's their job as grandparents. That said, I did in capital letters have words with them. Quavers for breakfast and four biscuits in a row is unacceptable for my two and five-year-old. Enough was enough. So I set some hard boundaries. Yes, biscuits and crisps are allowed, but not multiple and not for breakfast. And I basically laid down some rules that allowed them to still be fun, but sensible.

3:02After all, they don't see them every day, just once a week. Yes, it's easier to have those conversations as they're my parents, but I approached it in a lighthearted way rather than judgmental or angry, even though I certainly feel that at times. I told them I was a crunchy granola mom yeah that's why I say this is so perfect yeah laugh about yourself when you're having these conversations say look you know it's me you can always be a bit self-deprecating in that like I know I'm mad kind of thing I'm a crunchy granola mom I love this anyways I see it as a funny term to encapsulate my food values to my parents I'm boring I'm worrying too much about UPFs and they believe I grew up just fine with their food values But as my crunchy granola mom persona, I can approach it like, yes, I'm that mom.

3:45I'm boring, perhaps over worrying, but that's just me. And they can laugh at it, roll their eyes, but it's better than arguments or worse, sneaky behavior that I'm unaware of. So my thoughts are embrace it, be proud of it, set those hard boundaries, but with allowances for bending within reason. And it's hugely worked for us. And that's from Anna. Anyway, I loved that email. Thank you for sending that in, Anna. Honestly, I think it will make people feel better because we we know how difficult and emotive those types of conversations can be. So thank you very much. We need crunchy granola mum hats.

4:17We really do. Maybe that's the next merch at the next live event. Trends will have moved on by then, everybody. I know. I want to be like, hands up if that's you. Rhi, have you got any racks for us this week? So in terms of recommendations, I just want to say sometimes it's just good to let loose and have a nice time with friends. Like there's nothing else really to add to that. I threw my husband's 40th birthday party. It was a lovely day. I had my amazing friend who's a caterer, Susie Flory, and she did some delicious food and helped me out. My sister baked a pavlova with sticky toffee pudding, cake, so many friends just chatting together.

4:58And I didn't look at my phone the entire day. And it reminded me that just being around friends and not looking at your phone can be so good for your mental health. That's all I wanted to add, Ella. It's just been so busy. How about you? Do you know what? Yesterday I felt like, have I looked at my phone a bit too much today? And we went out and we went for a lovely dog walk and we went to see some sheep in the fields nearby and we went to this great pub and I left my phone at home. It was so nice. And actually neither of us had our phone and we were both, we just don't need it. Like, you know, we're together with the kids.

5:33It's like, you know, anyone who rings us in that time, we can ring them back. We are A-OK. And I totally agree. It was so nice. And sometimes when it's not there, it's just so much better. Nice, happy sheep. Nice, happy sheep. I know. The girls were like trying to make friends with them. And obviously, every time they got closer, the sheep ran away. Love that. They were like, why don't they want us to touch them? And I was like, because they're terrified of you. Oh, bless. Do you know what? Put the phone down, everyone. Let's just try and make the most of the weekends. The weeks are manic enough.

5:59Let's try and have an element of time. Although in our school WhatsApp group, I mean, they'd only started school for two days and there are like five birthday invites going out. And I can't even reply to them yet, Ella, because I can't get my head around the dates. Like it's intense. I do feel. You might also have like a one day old baby. Well, that's just it. The due date now is who knows? It's getting a bit difficult to coordinate my diary. And we have some lovely recommendations from your listening as well. Shall we start with Sue's? Yes, hi Sue Sue has said Hi Ella and Rhee I was just listening to one of your wonderful podcasts and when you were discussing TV wrecks I have to give a shout out to Ransom Canyon on Netflix You will love it, we love it My husband and I are both really enjoying season two I think even more than season one It's so good It's a really good one with family feuds, secrets and lies set in a cattle ranch county in Texas and I think there's something for everyone Sue has also said on terrestrial tv we're also really enjoying the undeclared war on channel four bit of a contrast for evening viewing but it's really good and she said re i hope you feel better soon and ella bless your little spaniel you obviously love him loads no update is good news i'm taking with austin at the moment um yeah i think this is our um very not very elderly but 11 half year old spaniel who we found out three weeks ago now has um very advanced um aggressive cancer yeah you know what honestly we thought you might have like a week or two weeks and we've had much more than that and I think we probably won't have if he was here this time next month we'd be so thrilled I think it's probably not going to happen but like he's really happy he's still really happy and he is it's funny I remember people when we got our other spaniel last summer being like basically like you're such a bad person you don't like Disney and you're getting a second dog is that what I said I'm sorry no no it's a different person I'm just joking with you and I'm not trying to be facetious I just people are quite mean to me honestly about getting another puppy and that it was so unkind to Austin yeah I write quite aggressive messages about it I've never seen love like it like they are first of all they've having puppies as captain way younger because he like runs around with them and plays with them and I think if he was on his own he would just sleep the whole day now so he's having so much more fun it's the grandparent what's it called the the hypothesis yeah grandparents with kids yeah keeps them young for sure he's like charging in the way that he never when he like gets down low and plays it's so sweet but they like literally it's like just sit there and kiss each other so he's really happy and you know what there's just a lot of joy in that

8:44so let's start tackling our questions this week now our first question here is actually an anonymous one ella it is indeed and they have said i've listened to your podcast right from the start so thank you and i love the thought-provoking and varied topics you discuss each week i have a question about poo a while ago out of interest i did the sweet corn test really in a sec you'll have to remind us what that is and was surprised to see that it took seven days for the kernels to pass on reflection i realized that i commonly do what i describe as a substantial poo every three to four days shortly afterwards during a routine colonoscopy which showed no issues amazing news the doctor made a casual comment that i had an unusually long colon i eat what i believe to be a pretty good diet lots of fruit veg beans lagoons nuts seeds cemented food, lean protein, et cetera.

9:33Very few processed foods. I drink lots of water exercise six days a week. Whilst I don't think I have symptoms like constipation, I'm curious to know if this whole picture is anything I should be concerned about or do anything about for my long-term health. Such a good question. Thank you for sending that in because I think that's going to reassure so many of our listeners. I totally agree. It's such a great question, but I feel like there's loads of questions in here. Rhi, can we start with number one, what is the sweet corn test? So the sweet corn test was one of the original methods that we would use in clinical practice just to see your gut transit time, which is how long it takes from mouth to anus essentially for food to pass through.

10:12And sweet corn is a fantastic example because it's very difficult for the body to break down. It's also colourful and it's easy to spot in your stools when you have a bowel movement. So that's what the sweet corn test is. You can do it at home if you have a few spoons of sweet corn with your meal and then you keep a stool diary and you're monitoring, you'll be able to find out how long that takes. And what's normal? This is just it. This is what I want to really reassure everyone listening is that I think you've found your normal because three bowel movements a day to three a week is normal for people.

10:46Honestly, the fact that you're, did you say you go every three to four days that might just be your normal and if you have an unusually long colon that definitely is your normal i think people forget that our intestines and the gut is humongous and we've all got different sizes some people have really short shorter ones that are cause for concern some have longer and that's why digestive habits are not the same and we shouldn't be comparing to one another um however with the lack of fiber consumption in the uk in general, most practitioners lean towards, look, we can be doing more for our gut health here and more for our bowel movements and more for our stool weight, which is heavier stools are associated with better long-term health outcomes.

11:29Interestingly. I want to pause you on that, because I think that's really interesting. So basically, just being honest, a bigger, fatter, chunkier poo, like a nice, chunky, big poo, that is a good sign of health. No, I'm sorry. I think it's so weird how we get weird about talking about poo. We all poo. So what we are nice and obviously not the sole indicator of health, but one nice indicator of health is a big chunky poo. Look at the stool chart. As long as like a smooth one, it's not coming out in little bits. And yeah, you want to you want to be getting that nice consistency and a heavier weighted poo, essentially.

12:04And I wrote about this in the book because in some tribes in the world, like the Hadza tribe, which are one of the most researched indigenous tribes still today that are over in Tanzania. and they consume about 150 grams of fiber a day, but their gut has adapted to it and they have very heavy stools and that's associated with better long-term health outcomes. So clinically for everyone, you are unique. The only concern with a long colon or a longer intestinal tract is that you do need a lot of fiber to keep your bowel movements definitely hitting that three to four days. And that's the only concern is the emptying of them.

12:41But it sounds like you live a wonderful life that's healthy with lots of food. And that's great. That was such a good answer. I hope that was helpful for everyone. We all just want to be part of like crunchy granola mom crew and have big chunky poos. Right. Moving on. Zoe has said, my good friend who is also a wellness scooper, I'm thrilled to hear it, is going through a difficult time at the moment. This has meant she's struggling to want to eat and has completely lost her appetite. She's also a pilot and that means her shifts are ever changing, making it more difficult to keep a routine. Have you got recommendations for her for easy snacks and meals to keep her going and support her during this difficult time?

13:19So hard. Oh my goodness. I've had clients that have been pilots. In fact, one of them, how funny that I was on the plane on holidays before I had kids and the lady who was flying my plane was one of my nutrition clients. No, by coincidence. Pure and utter coincidence. It was, oh my gosh. I know. Incredible. I couldn't actually believe it. But it was a very small world. But whenever we're in the airport and the girls see a lady pilot, they're like, oh my God. They can't believe they think it's so cool. And one time we were at baggage reclaim and there was a lady pilot and she came up and she was like, I love delicious Cielo.

13:58And honestly, she could have been Brad Pitt for the girls. They were not, they had any idea who hears but they were like oh my gosh a lady pilot knows you because it's it's one of those industries still that's so male dominated and it's so fantastic to see the different genders but I love that story and also it is very cool and very difficult food wise the cockpit is tiny I mean they're stuck there for such a long period of time and obviously they have to stretch their legs and take breaks but transporting food and having it in such a tiny space and also what you're allowed through at each end at different times and what you can grab in an airport.

14:37There's so many factors to account for as a pilot. I've gone off topic to, sorry, Zoe, what was your actual question? The actual question, and you've probably then done this, working with pilots is really good advice on snacks that will help her during this difficult time she's going through. But I also think before we get into the practical details, It would be interesting because I don't think that Zoe's friend is probably alone in this, in a bit of a 101 in why some people completely lose their appetites when they are struggling, overwhelmed, stressed, just having a tough time. Oh my goodness, responding to stress or grief or anything or, you know, adrenaline.

15:19I'm sure being a pilot, there's so many obstacles that come all the time as well. You're firefighting occasionally, you're tired. There's tiredness also impacts our appetite signaling. So digestion, blood flow is drawn away from digestion in times of chronic stress or in times when we're in that fight or flight state. and it doesn't help. And I think flying alone has so many other issues of air pressure and hydration and water retention and all sorts of symptoms you're contending with alongside the psychological and physiological responses to everyday life you're also experiencing like stress.

15:57And some people's appetite can dip, others it can increase. But either way, anxiety and a disruption to a regular circadian rhythm is an issue. And one of the hardest things are people that have to cross time zones for work frequently, or they're placed in a position where they can't stick to normal eating times. Like if you're a lawyer and you're in the court for a long time, or something happens, or you're a surgeon, you're a pilot. These are those typical types of jobs in clinic that we see, or even at work when you've got crazy busy days, you can't factor in time to eat. Our gut bugs love regular routine.

16:32They love rhythm. They love those certain times and you experience more digestive symptoms. Circadian rhythms also influence our gut bugs, our sleep wake cycle. And when you're crossing time zones, it's just out of whack. And the best advice that I can always give is to try and stick to your time zone diet, depending how long you're staying the other end and how practical that actually is, depending on how many hours ahead or behind you are compared to your home time town. Gosh, how many tongue twisters there had to think about how to say that your home time town your hometown time that's it your hometown time it's a tongue twister um but really when you're working with pilots and surgeons and as you said people um with these more challenging kind of restrictions in terms of being able to get things to eat what are your recommendations for easy snacks food anchoring items like that's what we call them um really easy to transport things in thick skins like bananas that you can have with a pot of snacks alongside.

17:30Now pilots can't take nuts on the airplane. There's all those other things as well to consider. I've had pilots take cans of tuna before and they just have to apologize for the smell to their co-pilot if they're not a fan of what they're cracking open in the tin. This is where UPF products come in handy, but picking the better of the two, pots of yogurt and things you're able to keep with cabin crew in the fridge, and then they can nip out and have the yogurt. You can get soy or dairy, whatever your preference substances alongside the snack items that you've got there as well. Pots of hummus that you can take on yourself that you can usually get through customs.

18:06Liquids are always a bit of an issue. It's not always the most practical thing, which is why sometimes the pouches of yogurts for some reason are easier to get through. And selecting, you know, like going for like a, sorry to put you on the case, but a delicious yellow cereal bar of no additives or something compared to one that contains a lot of emulsifiers that might irritate your gut when you're in the air. And often I'm telling them to try and cook bits that they're definitely let through, like your crudités and like a salad with something that keeps it. You're not going to reheat because you don't want to reheat things in the air.

18:42Something like a kind of quinoa lentil salad. Pastury salads, things that keep a longer time that you don't mind the chewing. Orzo. Exactly. Orzo, the consistency. Orzo is good for a long time. And then I actually advise them not to have things like onions in the air and garlic within it, just because it's harder to break down. You want things that are going to be a little bit easier in the digestive tract. And that's individual. I could go on about it forever, but generically speaking, you've got to think outside the box when you're in these types of rolls. And then maybe a little treaty thing, your favorite chocolate or something, I imagine.

19:14You could even take your favorite cereal in a little box, you know, the really sugary ones, you know, whatever. You just whatever you can pack in your bag every now and again, there's no harm. And also, Ria, I imagine you would say the same that like, if you're really struggling with your appetite, like that's not really the moment to be so worried about perfect diet or, you know, it's no such thing, but like enjoy something and eat. Having a nibble of something you enjoy at that circadian rhythm time is more beneficial than just skipping it and then being in a worse place the other end. Sometimes there's a bit of methodical thinking that comes alongside the decreased appetite you don't need to have a massive meal yeah it's also just the ultimate example of like yes quinoa and sweet potatoes are great but if you've got no appetite it's so much better just to have a nibble of something

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20:46My friends, my family, people on Instagram, everyone. And she recommended it to me so it's true. I've heard so much about it. It's just because it has had such a big impact on me. I've meditated on and off for 15 years or so now but using the way is honestly the first time I've become so consistent with this daily practice and I've just seen the most unbelievable results as a result of that. The app is just incredible and what I love is every day you open it and there's a meditation waiting for you so you don't scroll that you don't have to choose between hundreds of options there's no wondering what to do it just takes you on a path.

21:21Well I think that's why it works so well because you know most of us just don't need more big decisions every day to make Ella. No exactly that we've got decision fatigue haven't we so this is so nice because you just follow this path of meditation which is led by Henry the founder who's just the most amazing teacher and he makes it seem somehow just incredibly simple but exceptionally profound at the same time which is a very rare skill. And I've been using it too. Yes I've now finally begun my meditation journey and I've been doing some of the shorter practices on busy days because I completely understand why you talk about it so much Ella.

21:58It really is a nice intro in for me. Yeah it is and I'm so glad. Anyway it's helped me feel so much calmer, less reactive, more present. It all sounds like huge claims but I just say please please please try it if you're struggling with stress or overwhelm you just got to give it a go and the lovely thing is that everyone listening can definitely try it themselves exactly so you can get a 30-day free trial so just try it every day per month it'll change your life all you do is head to thewayapp.com forward slash wellness scoop yeah that's thewayapp.com forward slash wellness scoop

22:38We have a question on postnatal depression actually here. And I thought it's something that's been in the media a lot, Ella, at the moment, that obviously I myself being pregnant, I've tried to kind of avoid these particular types of headlines. But in the UK at the moment, we do have what's called a maternity crisis. Not helpful for anyone like myself right now, anyone else listening that's trying to conceive or have a baby. But I think it's important to highlight that there was a recent survey that came out that said many cases of PTSD and postnatal depression are going missed and mothers are not, you know, not aware of their symptoms and not receiving any support.

23:16It's a nice question, isn't it, to include today, because I think it might help anybody that's in this situation. Yeah. And I think all of this stuff has to be, you know, it's not just postpartum, like general mental health challenges, depression, anxiety, like we've got to just normalise the ability to talk about it because, you know, ultimately I'm sure we'll all experience. I mean, I had really bad postpartum anxiety, like, you know, and other people have had these at different places in their lives. And I think it's just so normal that we create such compassion and empathy and openness in the way we talk about it.

23:47So this question was, I think I'm starting to develop postnatal depression. I'm lucky in the fact I think it's mild and I've got good support around me. Like my good friend, I noticed my appetite disappearing, even though I'm exclusively breastfeeding. So I know it's important to keep good nutrition up when I don't feel like eating. Something that's helped me so far is making overnight oats the night before with jumbo oats, chia seed, flaxseed, hemp seed, desiccated coconut, frozen raspberries, kefir, Greek yogurt, and oat milk. Sounds fantastic to get maximum nutrition in the morning. If it's there and ready, I'm much more likely to eat it even if I don't want to.

24:20Have you got any other tips? I love that. And I think before we go on to our nutrition tips, I thought I'd also just get a voice note from a perimental health midwife just to just to explain a few of the signs and symptoms and how normal this can be so my midwife Darcy has very kindly agreed to give us a few words here Ella that we can play and then we can do our foodie tips. Hi I'm Darcy Croft I'm a specialist midwife in maternal mental health and the founder of two brands Isomum a pregnancy hydration brand and MotherMind, a place to help support the psychological side of pregnancy, birth and beyond.

24:58Now you've said this feels like mild postnatal depression and it might well be, but from a clinical point of view, the first thing I'd always want to establish is whether this is actually postnatal depression or is something else going on that looks very similar but would actually need completely different treatment. Because if we treat the wrong thing, whatever's actually underneath just keeps building and it gets harder and harder not easier. So here's where I'd start go to your GP or your midwife if you're still under midwife care and I say that as someone who runs a private midwife practice this exact conversation working out what's really driving symptoms comes up with women all the time.

25:39You're going to ask for blood tests alongside a chat about how you're feeling not instead of it you're going to ask them to check your thyroid levels check for low iron b12 vitamin d because it is so common for these to be running low after you've had a baby and they can look almost identical to low mood and fatigue and every one of them is treated completely differently to postnatal depression throw in a bit of broken sleep into that mix too and it can create most of the same symptoms on its own so you can see how easily it is for the wrong label to be stuck on the second really important thing to ask yourself is how does it feel to talk or think about the birth experience itself.

26:20If it's hard to go there or if it brings up flashbacks or panic then it's not necessarily postnatal depression. It could be unresolved birth trauma that you're suffering from. This responds really well to trauma-focused therapies. So this is like EMDR, trauma-focused CBT and the good news is quite often you don't even need a GP referral to get that extra help, you just go online, search for NHS Talking Therapies, and you can make that referral yourself and access support. I believe if you're in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will need your GP to support you with that referral. And if you're listening outside the UK, you can go to Postpartum Support International.

27:02That's got coordinators in 60 countries. Postpartum.net is a good place to start. And alongside all of that, nutrition and hydration are the foundation everything else sits on, especially when you're breastfeeding. This is when depletion risk is at its highest. So please, please, please get proper advice on this from someone who is actually qualified as a nutritionist, not just someone who pops up in your algorithm with absolutely no credentials to their name. My main takeaway is get the right diagnosis, get the right treatment, which actually works and works fast instead of dragging on for months.