The Stress Cure, Castor Oil & Social Media Bans

30:20I was actually relieved this headline came out, Ella, because it's what registered nutritionists and dieticians have known for years, and that is saturated fat in butter is not good for your heart health if you over consume. And plant oils reduce inflammation and they're actually better for you. So the new research suggests that swapping out butter for plant oils like olive oil or cold pressed rapeseed oil could actually help you live longer. And it's a massive study, Ella. It followed more than 221 ,000 people for up to 50 years. This is epic. And those who ate the most butter had a 15 % higher risk of dying early.

30:55While people who consume more plant-based oils had a 16 % lower risk of early death. So what's even more striking here is that swapping just 10 grams of butter a day for plant oils was linked to a 17 % reduction in the risk of dying from any cause. So that includes cancer and heart disease, Ella. It's unbelievable. And I think it's been very interesting talking about seed oils. And I hope that, you know, genuinely we want to reach as many people as possible. if you know friends and family who are confused about this, please send them this episode, because I think it's one of the ultimate fear mongering conversations that's still causing so much confusion.

31:33And when we first talked about it a month or so ago, people sort of, are you sure? I'm not sure I can believe this because I've seen so much about it. It's impossible to believe. When you look at this, 221 ,000 people over 50 years, that swap of 10 grams of butter for plant oil, 17 % reduction in death from any cause. It's really significant data. And I think it does hopefully show we need to put this conversation to bed. But this is what's now so interesting is in the US, the new health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who there's lots of different opinions about, he is really in the seed oil debate and he's very anti-seed oils.

32:15He's going great guns on them as part of his Make America Healthy Again initiative. And interestingly, as a result of that, some fast food places in the US are actually preemptively, before any legislation or guidance comes in, switching from using seed oils to beef tallow for frying. No. Yes, I thought you'd be interested. I snuck this in before we started recording this morning, so you haven't seen this part of the script yet. But I thought I was interested for your take on it because I think it's so interesting. We know so much about saturated fat being bad for us. We're now just massively upping the saturated fat in these meals, which is already high.

32:55And it's almost like them saying that that's making fast food healthy. I think for consumers, that's a very confusing message. He's confused. And I think everybody's confused. And the health secretary, he probably is just saying ultra processed foods, but he doesn't understand. and he sees seed oils linked with ultra processed foods. So he said, let's go back to natural and use beef tallow. I think that's the link that people are getting confused maybe. Do you think that's what it is? Do you think that's the problem with the oils? Do you think they're so linked? Because oils are used in all the packeted items because they're the best oil to choose.

33:29As we know, we've looked at the research, which is why they're in everything. But the problem is they're in your stereotypical healthy items, the middle ground items and the treats. So because they're everywhere, perhaps these figures in power are saying, let's make a stance against the oils. It's not the emulsifiers or the preservatives or the sugar or the fat or the salt. It's the oils now. You know, we've had sugar, we've had salt, we've had fat. Let's move on to oils. Yeah, it's like what do we pick? Why do we pick this? I just... I actually hadn't thought about it that way. Is that really synonymous link in terms of ingredient decks with all your emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilizers, et cetera, and the oils, and then feeling like therefore they're one and the same.

34:08This is taking a million steps backwards for the environment and the planet. as well by switching to beef tallow. I cannot even emphasize. And also for health, it's also full of saturated fat. So it's just the same as frying everything in butter. Yeah. And you've got a meal that's already like a loaded fast food hamburger, it's already high in saturated fat, and then you're just massively upping it. How can I'm thinking, you know, the really big fast chains that everyone knows you've got them everywhere in this country and they do kids parties. The data on the side, the fat is going to go through the roof.

34:38I think it's going to be an interesting one to watch because whilst there's so much evidence and a really strong conversation I think coming out at the moment with this research for example that's just come out showing people don't worry about these oils actually please don't have too much butter too much animal fats that much saturated fat's not good for you things like the new health secretary going in the opposite direction even though there's a lot of evidence coming out and a lot of um very qualified people saying no no no that's not go after this that's not the right the right one be interesting to see how it develops.

35:09It wouldn't happen here. I just don't, that would not make it through our public health guidance here in the UK guys. So don't panic over here. Also, I'm sure a lot of people thinking, what about those margarines of plant sterols and things in? I would actually say for people that are making a switch, I know that's an ultra processed food item, but it's an example of a good ultra processed food item because that addition of the cholesterol lowering ingredient has been clinically proven to lower cholesterol. So it depends. I'm not saying that's an everyday item I'd rather people use olive oil and have butter in tiny amounts but if you are someone that is diagnosed with cholesterol issues heart related concerns that could be an option for you so if anyone's getting scared about that that's what my new book the unprocessed plate covers as well it's the nuance in the UPF foods yeah it's so interesting so is your recommendation really keep butter and those animal fats at a minimum a tiny bit every now and again as with everything a problem but go really plant rich yeah absolutely and plant-based doesn't mean vegan and that's the big misconception it's lowering animal produce and just increasing plants and I don't think you can go wrong following that advice especially when you roast your lentils don't they're crispy okay we're moving on we were actually full of positivity this morning the sun's shining it's kind of good vibes everywhere our third headline is so positive as well I loved this one I sent this to Rhi last night and I just thought it was so positive which is that regular blood donors may develop genetic links that lower cancer risk.

36:33I mean, this inspired me to think, because I'm not good with needles and I've never actually given blood. And I'm almost embarrassed to say that because I have so many friends that give blood frequently. I pass out basically in pregnancy and had all those blood tests. I was the one that had to lie down and the vein wouldn't work and then they'd go in the other arm. You're nodding. That's like, that was me. Yeah, no, I totally get my veins often. But if anyone out there loves giving blood, thank you. You are a lifesaver and you're helping yourself. Totally. So there's some new research that's just come out and it suggests that donating blood could influence your body on a genetic level and may, emphasis on may, very, very early days, even reduce the risk of blood cancers like leukemia.

37:13So there's a new study from the Francis Crick Institute and they looked at two groups of men in their 60s. One of those groups had donated blood three times a year for 40 years. So they are heroes, phenomenal people as well. And the others have donated about five times in total, still phenomenal, much better than the both of us. So very impressive nonetheless. But scientists wanted to see if this long-term habit where you donated a lot more blood had had any impact on the donor's blood cells. And this is what they found. So as we age, our blood naturally develops genetic mutations, some of which can increase the risk of diseases like leukemia.

37:48Now, infrequent blood donors, 50 % had a specific type of mutation compared to just 30 % of those that didn't give blood frequently. So infrequent donors were calling them mutations that weren't linked to the cancer risk. And in fact, these mutations were associated with better production of healthy red blood cells. So what's so interesting is that when the researchers tested these stem cells in mice, they found that these mutations behave differently than mutations linked to leukemia, suggesting that, you know, they may help maintain blood health rather than increase disease risk. And you know, when I gave that shout out to DKMS, was it a week ago, two weeks ago?

38:25This is why stem cell research is so important. It's absolutely fascinating. So scientists are believing this could be because donating blood forces the body to regenerate fresh, healthy blood cells. And over time, this process could naturally filter out weaker or potentially harmful mutations. Obviously, they're very unequivocal that much more research is needed to confirm the theory. But it is really interesting. And obviously, giving blood is such a brilliant, brilliant thing to do. And I think just any inclination that it also could have those positive effects is maybe a brilliant prompt to get people to go and do it as well.

38:58Yeah. And we shout out to what the kids are called Uncle Tommy, our best man at our wedding, who actually does a little Instagram post every time he gives blood and it goes on his Instagram page. And it makes me think of those people that shout out for this. So if you are able to give blood, go for it. Do you know what else that made me think as well? It's just how we were talking about this when we were talking about how they're showing the grey matter and brains change. when you have children. And we were saying it just shows how interesting and clever our bodies are. And I think this was just a really another one about how those everyday habits just can potentially influence our health in such surprising, unexpected ways.

39:33100%. I love it. It just keeps giving, keeps giving the body, doesn't it, sometimes? Okay, so those are our key headlines for the week. And I think the summary of that is that wellness isn't all, as we said, broccoli and lifting weights. Not that those aren't brilliant things, but actually it is those other things that we do, like spending time with people, like potentially giving blood, like those other habits that are just so important. And it's a great reminder to just be kind, be gentle to yourself this week. So let's move on to what's trending in wellness.

40:07Now, our trend number one, I'm not sure if all of you have seen it or not, but it's, I was just totally baffled. castor oil packs hype or healing so castor oil packs have been making the waves in the wellness world showing up all over tiktok and instagram as a go-to natural remedy to decrease bloating so this isn't just a fleeting trend castor oil has actually been used um it's kind of like a natural alternative for thousands of years and its applications go far beyond just skincare and detox routines. I say that with a very vague association there, but actually it can be also used as a laxative.

40:46So you've got to be really careful with these types of things. Ella, do you want to delve into your experience first or should we go into the background of the Ayurveda and the history? Yeah, I think it's important to do that background because I'm very conscious that we see all sorts of trends and thank you guys for sending them to us. If you ever see an interesting trend, please direct message it to one of us on Instagram. We love seeing them. Or pop it in the Spotify comments in apple that's quite a clear way of seeing it yeah that's a great way of doing it same with your questions so castor oil packs have been as reset a kind of part of wellness for a long time and we're also very conscious of the fact that there is a lot in modern wellness that actually stems from ancient traditions often from the east and castor oil is one of those things so using it in terms of wellness routines goes back to ancient egypt where castor oil is prized for its medicinal and beauty benefits.

41:39Archaeologists have found cast oil in Egyptian tombs. Historical record suggests it was used to treat things like eye irritation, skin conditions, digestive issues. In Ayurvedic medicine, practiced in India for thousands of years, cast oil again considered a powerful remedy for balancing digestion, reducing inflammation, promoting circulation. We should also say it's from a plant. Exactly. And in Ayurveda, that's what I think where the influence of using oils in the navel which is a very ancient practice believed to support gut health and detoxification. Also seeing it in traditional Chinese medicine where castor oil was recognized for its ability to move stagnant energy, a detoxification.

42:19So there's this general philosophy in castor oil being able to support balance, flow, well-being within the body. Fast forward to the early 20th century. And again, it was really used by kind of medical holistic health advocates and brought into the sort of modern Western sphere at this point. Again, looking at things like liver detoxification, digestive support, lymphatic drainage and these castor oil packs. So very conscious when we're discussing this trend that whilst lots of us may be seeing it on TikTok or on Instagram today, it has really ancient roots, which we have so much respect and appreciation for.

42:57I guess what we're looking at today is the way that it's marketed on TikTok which is like do you want to have morning tummy all day where it's like people showing you their tummies and putting it on and then the bloating's completely gone. Is that what it said morning tummy? That was one I saw last night it was a kind of I don't know it's basically again it's can it be a quick fix for bloating I think is slightly the the routine so it's surging in popularity it's had this huge resurgence with lots of influences. And they're suggesting it helps with liver detoxification, lymphatic drainage, gut health and digestion, hormone balance, some kind of inflammation reduction.

43:35The main way that most people are doing it, so there's the navel pouring, kind of pulling where you pour it straight onto your tummy button, or you kind of rub it on your tummy around your liver and things. And then you put some cotton or a towel or lots of people now buying these special packs that you tie around your tummy and sleep in and then you put something warm on the top of it and you sleep with that and you wake up in the morning and you've had this detox vacation and all the rest of it now i tried it last night but i have tried it before because i saw a naturopath like 10 11 years ago and she recommended it but i i went and got some from Honolulu Barrett last night on my way home from the office and tried it.

44:19And the one thing I'd say before we get into the evidence is it was very relaxing. Yeah, it's like a bit of self-care, right? It was self-care. And I think it's also worth saying, because in trends, I think there are bad trends, right? There are trends that you, I think, can kind of unequivocally, and I'm sure with your health professional hat on, say this really isn't a good idea. And there's something negative in the kind of quick fix element of the castor oil, but it doesn't do any harm to rub it on your tummy. It's like soft tummy. Exactly. And ultimately, like what we do also know is that getting into that rest and digest, that parasympathetic nervous system state is really important.

44:56And for most of us who are kind of overstimulated and chronically stressed, anything that helps you get into that restful state is incredibly beneficial for your mental and physical health. So it could be like a placebo. Totally. If doing that calms you down and it gives you that sense of self-care and you sleep with it on. But actually, I wonder, and I wanted to get your opinion on this. Obviously, as we know, a lot of bloating kind of IBS type symptoms are very linked to stress and it could be a very effective stress reliever for some people. Which is the placebo effect. I wonder if these reports, and this is what we have to remember when we dissect trends, the claims are obviously not, you can't detoxify your liver from putting a pack on your tummy.

45:37And there is no evidence for that, even if it's an ancient practice. No, and actually what I might do first is so I asked Kath, who did our bloating episode, to give us a quick voice note on this trend very quickly as well. And will you just remind listeners who Kath is if they haven't listened to bloating yet and if you haven't, go listen. Catherine Rebess is, oh, I'm so lucky to have her in the redression clinic. She's the most amazing gut health dietician and the author of The 30 Plan. So she came on our Extra Scoop two weeks ago. Yeah. I find it very hard to put things in concept of time when we record these podcasts.

46:08right let me play the voice now check speeds right you've just got to laugh this is utter garbage castor oil cannot penetrate your skin via your belly button to reach your digestive system in fact your your belly button is not even connected to anything it's just a scar from when the umbilical cord was cut so assuming that pouring castor oil will de-bloat you or help with digestive issues is nonsense. There's zero scientific evidence to support this as well. So I would not be recommending this. You know, we should be looking at healthy lifestyle, focusing on the types of foods we're eating, eating slowly, you know, ensuring that we're having lots of fiber and going to the toilet regularly, not constipated.

47:02All of these things are far more important. you know managing stress limiting alcohol versus pouring anything into your belly button and i took that as a you know that's a given and the more we've discussed it ella i think that you don't have to spend the money on castor or specifically to do that self-care so i think that's where what influencers are doing they're probably giving themselves a nice tummy massage moving their bowels along putting a nice pack on and getting a better night's sleep does it smell nice it's pretty neutral yeah there's no like i'd rather rub like a lavender oil exactly and also then it's quite oily on my like pajamas so i just wore an old t-shirt but i what pack do you use i just put a towel on and then put a hot water bottle i just use like an old hand towel that is self-care and that's what i meant when i did it i really it reminded me that actually and as i said i think there's some trends we talked about and the next one's going to be one of them where i'm like don't do this please don't do this really don't do this but It's like a heat pack.

48:02I think with castor oil, my sense on the whole thing, as Kath says, and it's so great to have that amazing, like very specific expert advice. The evidence isn't there for the very specific reason. It's not connected to your digestive system at all. But if it helps you feel really relaxed, that has massive benefits for your health. It just doesn't have to be castor oil, to your point. I think these could be a nice warm bath. It could be, you know, listening to some calming music. It could be going for a walk. It could be chatting to your friend, as we know. So things that get you into that parasympathetic state with your nervous system, that rest and digest state.

48:39I think that's the benefit here. Yeah, it's the name that's wrong. It's the navel pulling. That's the wrong bit because you can't pull anything out your navel. Yeah, it's ancient, but it's the evidence just isn't there. But where evidence is, is that getting into your calm state is incredibly beneficial. Over 3 ,000 years old. I do find it really fascinating. It's like we're having a history lesson of wellness today. Yeah, I really enjoy that. I really enjoy looking at where lots of these things have come from. But as I said, to me, this isn't a negative trend in the sense of like, it's not crazy expensive.

49:11There aren't any kind of wild side effects from it. And if it calms you down and you're finding that really helps you, that's great. It just doesn't, it's not a miracle. No, it's not going to de-bloat you massively, but it's going to help you relax if you want to self-administer a nice heat pack or some oils. Exactly. But you can also have a nice warm bath. I love that. Ella, this trend. I don't even know where to start. When I saw the video, I was just shocked at what I was seeing. It's a few nights ago I sent this, right? He was hooked up. I'm squeamish and it was a hard watch. It is a hard, it is hard.

49:45Sorry, I send you the hard watches. First we had the guy with the cholesterol coming out his hands. So this one is a man sat in a chair. He's got thousands and thousands, you know, one of those viral videos. and he's got tubes of blood coming out him like everywhere blood going in blood going out and this is called eb02 therapy it's like ozone therapy so he's hooked up and you're basically taking blood and adding this ozone gas to the blood so it's kind of like a live transfusion you've got all these wires coming out with the blood like a kidney dialysis filtrating through and they say that what you're doing is removing toxins and plastic from the blood using light filters then on this blood too.

50:26So adding oxygen, he says, the blood improves in colour when you see the oxygen go in and that they remove inflammation from the blood and you then send it to the lab to detect this blood for any viruses, heavy metals and plastics and things that you might find having contaminated the blood. Now I looked at this and it's this treatment that people are just paying for. They sit down in this room, hooked up to these machines, serious, this is really serious stuff, filtrating blood. I mean, blood can also be contaminated. You don't know who is who is administrating this. And I did read that ozone therapy can cause serious adverse effects and even death.

51:04So should be done with caution. And when I read that, I thought, how is this allowed on social media? It is mad. I actually coincidentally was emailed about this like a week or two ago. In the UK. I thought this was only in America. Opening in the UK. Not opened yet. do you want to try it no thank you very much it can cause death i'm actually okay i'll keep my blood in my body for now please exactly and the idea was that it could remove toxins on microplastics now i know microplastics are a bit frightening and i don't think any of us particularly want them in our body just have matched it from a plastic cup but i'm trying to remove plastics at home where i can etc but it's extraordinary and so the claim is exactly that they take your blood out and they filter it and clean it and then put it back in just doesn't make kind of like a dishwasher yeah it just doesn't make any sense blood through the dishwasher i might swallow my words in 30 years time and they do have a blood dishwasher but not now look i think this is like the ultimate i think we're looking at two polar opposite trends here you've got a trend like castor oil which is harmless completely harmless it's relatively inexpensive i bought just don't drink it i should have said that earlier guys do not drink castor oil with what i said about the laxative effects it's not safe to drink and it is a proven laxative that is where the evidence is absolutely very very true but if you're applying it topically essentially you've got two different trends i bought some in hondon bar yesterday it was very inexpensive it was a very relaxing treatment very calming at home spa situation on the other hand we've got this blood cleaning ozone therapy which how much was it i can't remember but i think thousands you know extraordinarily expensive comes with huge risk and is the sort of thing that just should not be undertaken without extraordinary levels of evidence.

52:51I just couldn't believe what I was seeing to be honest I was absolutely horrified it just it did look like something out of an apocalyptic like movie the guy just sat there in the chair with all these kind of drips going in and out obviously it's intriguing I think this is an area of science that in the future probably will be there they probably can filtrate our blood in the future not now though. No and I think it's the ultimate example I think of just how extreme wellness gets but because of the algorithms it gets so much pickup because it is fascinating and so it gets a lot of comments and shares and pickup but to me that's just not wellness like it's just not it's this kind of extreme pursuit of some idealized perfection of ourselves which is just mad.

53:36So talking of extremes I actually saw something Ella that feels like the most extreme trend I could possibly have seen and really alarming. Some of these trends relating to the celebrities on Ozempic that I'm now seeing resurfacing. Like Ella said, your big concern last week, you're like, this is awful. This feels like we've gone back. The return to size zero. The return to size zero. And then this propped up on my feed. I think my phone's listening to me when we record and when we do episodes because this stuff never used to hit me. this is terrifying guys big word of warning if you see stuff like this i think it should be reported but this is now a new thing living slim in the city skinny girl day in my life woke up bright and early for a skinny girls day in the city where i brought two of my girls from my skinny group community on a slim girls day together because what's better than living slim together started the day at brooks it's just really shocking isn't it as you said i think it's takes us back to the top of the episode or the top of our headlines, which is, thank goodness, we're looking very seriously at banning teenagers from being on social media, because that is incredibly damaging for all of our mental health.

54:44But anybody in a remotely vulnerable position, which I think most teenagers fit into the camp of, certainly I did as a teenager. And adults now, that is just toxic. It is so toxic. And I think, again, it brings me so much to what, to me, the point of this show is and the point of the community we want to create about this is there is so much about the health and wellness industry that is, to be honest at this point, incredibly toxic. There's lots of positives. I love how easy it is to get a recipe to make a tray bake or to roast your lentils or your butter beans and be inspired by that sort of thing.

55:14That's great. So those of home workouts or five-minute meditations and these simple tools are more accessible. But in those things becoming more accessible, so is the extremes. And obviously that is, from a body image perspective, just so unacceptable. the language Ella that they use creating a community called skinny or slim is unacceptable it should be banned and then on top of that you've this is also leaning into those images of the women in sports bras creating food just to get flesh out at the beginning that we discussed because they're the ones that go viral I know it is it's a kind of wild west to be honest isn't it it's really really hard to navigate and I was just very I think the word disturbed I was really disturbed to see this because it did take us backwards.

55:56I haven't seen anything like that. And I used to be sent these things all the time because obviously running a clinic, we're very known for our exceptional eating disorder support in the nutrition clinic. We get referrals from hospitals. We get girls from schools. We get everybody coming to see the team that we have. And I thought I'd seen it all. And then when I saw this, gosh, I'm going to put it in the clinic chat later just to warn the clinicians that this type of thing's circulating again because girls will see that boys will see that here we go so anyway sorry to put a downer on i know it's just the question and i'm so curious our listeners thoughts it's like how do you get how do you glamorize the fiber and lentils and chickpeas and carrots again and we've got a great extra scoop coming up soon with dr federica marty on 30 plants and she spoke so eloquently about this about this need in a kind of world where there's so much fear-mongering so much kind of anti-nutrition advice in so many ways is just kind of fundamentally wrong.

56:55The need to come together to create just as compelling information about this middle ground where it does really matter what our habits are. They really affect our health as we see every week on the show. But equally, we delete those extremes because there's nothing constructive about it. I like the viral trends. Like I want to try and I've ordered some pistachio butter. You want Dubai chocolate that I saw? Because I've seen it. Yes. Oh my gosh, Dubai chocolate. if you guys haven't seen it went just completely mad someone was actually arrested for smuggling thousands of pounds of it really how do you get these stats from you just read too much i just like i'm such a over reader i read like every newspaper were they arrested at the dubai airport no in in the uk really i can't remember which airport it was it was a woman she's smuggling in thousands of pounds of dubai chocolate because people are selling it for so much money anyway but the other thing that had been so popular as a recipe and so viral on social was date bark you you know, which we've kind of all made.

57:50Yeah, I think I've made that one. Where you flatten out dates, squish them down to make a layer, then you put nut butter, then you put dark chocolate, freeze it. So does it, you've got the crunchy dark chocolate, then the kind of gooey dates with the nut butter in the middle. So we did a Dubai chocolate version with pistachio butter, which, oh my God. I have to say, best thing ever, but gotcha, that cost a fortune. I know. Nearly 20 pounds for a jar. Well, that's why Dubai chocolate is so expensive. It's cheaper to make it yourself. And if you haven't made nut butter at home, it is so easy. You just roast the nuts.

58:15It helps them break down and then you just blend them up for kind of five to ten minutes in a food processor and you have to keep going but a patience until all the oil comes out the nuts which is what makes it really creamy add a pinch of salt so good but yeah so that was dates and then pistachio butter sprinkling of pistachios dark chocolate sea salt that's a trend i can get on board with you know that that's a bit more those are fun trends exactly just like the hot girl walk and i keep saying loads of our community hot girl walking but i think it just comes back to the same thing isn't it it's like Let's try and find the sensible middle ground, which, yeah, not that glamorous, but it's important.

58:47I think we have extreme stakes. I feel like our listener question today is kind of leaning into trends again, which is talking about CMOS. So the question was, please, can you talk about CMOS? I keep getting ads for it as a cure all and want to know if you have any more info. Is it legit? We've had quite a few questions on this. So this took me right back. When I was at uni, I used to intern at the Food Doctor Clinic on Harley Street. and then I worked there when I first graduated in my first year with Alice McIntosh, who we both know. Alice gave me my first ever opportunity and I'll be eternally grateful.

59:22And the founder of the company at the time asked me my opinion. When I'd set up Rhi Trisham by this point, I was doing my own thing. And he said, Rhi, would you like to come into business with me and work on a CMOS product? And I did a lot of deep diving into it. Oh, so you're a CMOS expert, isn't I? I know, I didn't say this in the brief. I looked at this years ago and I mean, what, 2015, 16, I was looking at sea moss because there was a huge rise back then in seaweed. Do you remember when Itzy first launched their seaweed packets? I feel like we've seen so much over the years. I know, I do love seaweed packets.

59:55Yeah, seaweed packets are delicious. But I turned it down purely for these reasons that sea moss actually in seaweed, it can accumulate a lot of heavy metals. and sea mass, which is also a type of seaweed. It's very rich in iodine, which is good for thyroid health. But the guidance we've got with the British Dietetic Association in the UK is that you shouldn't be consuming it more than once a week because it can have really negative effects from the excessive iodine. So iodine is one of those micronutrients you need for your brain health, your cognition, your thyroid, but not in excess. And it's very easy to get too much of a good thing, guys.

1:00:30And this is when supplements come into question, toxicity. and because iodine is vital too much can actually lead to thyroid problems like hyperthyroidism getting an enlarged thyroid gland so the risk of having sea moss and having good quality and where it's from is it even seaweed in the packet that you're getting on the internet guys you don't know I'm just being honest people are selling cabbage and selling it off as seaweed at the moment and it's everywhere and they just flavor it and they call it seaweed or sea moss and people buy it and spend a fortune this happens it's not regulated so I actually don't think people should be getting sea moss and there's no links to any cures for anything okay so that's a hard no it was it was a hard no but I'm all for consumption of seaweed and iodine consumption but you just need to have it every now and again it shouldn't be an everyday supplement but I want to read you something positive Ella because I was reading the Spotify reviews um this week and these three really really stood out.

1:01:28And I know we shared another two this morning. I wish we had time to kind of read every single one. But these ones were just exceptional. You're all still commenting now on the episode that came out last week. There's one here 23 minutes ago that I feel like we're resonating so much with you. And we love the feedback. It really keeps us going. And this message in particular from Amy Brewer. Amy Brewer said that she loves the podcast. And she says, you've given me the confidence boost I needed to contact my son's school about the inclusion of ham on the menu daily. He started reception in September and I've only just got the confidence to challenge it.

1:02:05Thank you for talking about these important topics. And then the second one is from S Wilson 96. So Ella, this one says, I don't usually comment, but I wanted to this time just to underline that you're both doing such a brilliant job advocating for realistic daily well-being whilst being busy working mums the juggle is real and it's so helpful for busy people like me working in a job being a mum to hear people like you doing the jobs you do but you struggle you struggle to feel well just like us please never give in to the trolls and keep doing what you're doing and the last one is from there's a lot of numbers so I'm not going to read out the name but she said I look forward to your podcast and love listening as a 61 year old I'm much more aware of the importance of looking after my health and find your podcast so helpful i'm trying to get my daughters to start with good habits early but also being kind to myself example not blaming myself that they didn't start earlier as you can't do what you don't know or understand so thank you and keep up the good work oh this is the best day of the week thank you guys so so much it's just unbelievable it really is we just are obsessed with this community and to finish off we wanted to talk about that free gut health check because you found this rate and I think it's a great place to leave this episode.

1:03:24We do. It was based on an article in The Telegraph which is how to check your gut health for free because there's obviously loads of super expensive kits out there. As we talked about in our bloating episode, the gut health industry is worth billions and billions and billions of pounds. We all know how important our gut health is but you can test how healthy it is in a simple, simple way at home. Absolutely and all you need is a can of sweet corn. So I hope you like sweet corn. You don't need to spend a fortune on a test as we know these aren't always fully accurate either. And this matters because you know your gut is home as we've discussed to trillions of microbes that play a big role in your health and having a diverse gut microbiome is important.

1:04:02It is linked to lowering risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes yet the gut health industry as Ella said is worth so much money. So this is what you can do at home to test your transit time. So how fast, you know, it takes food to get from the mouth and out the bottom, basically. So how to do the sweet corn test. You need to avoid eating sweet corn for a week. So there's nothing left in your system. Then eat three heaped tablespoons of sweet corn or one whole cob or two half of cobs. And then make a note of the time you ate it. So the date, the time, try not to chew the kernels too much. So some of them you can swallow, but probably just a teeny tiny bit and then you time the gap so your gut transit time is how long it takes to come out the other end and the results what they actually mean is that if sweet corn shows up in under 12 hours your gut might be moving too fast so you're probably not absorbing all the nutrients from your gut into your bloodstream properly and this could be linked to things like anxiety or ibs you know lots of different things and if it takes ella around 24 hours that's a good sign so a transit time that you want of about a day is linked in research to overall better health and good digestion and we find this fascinating in the clinic but if it takes more than 58 hours that's probably a bit on the slow side and it probably means you're not getting enough fiber and this is why we talk about fiber deficiency guys because i think so many people don't talk enough about their poo or how frequently you go your bowel movements it's just not a subject so you don't need to take a blue dye or pay a load of money hundreds and hundreds of pounds you can just do the sweet corn test and then you've got the markers to say hey okay i'm going to aim for that 30 grams of fiber a day or i think i need to go to my gp this is going a bit fast i need some guidance here so anyway something to go home and do the sweet corn test so far from my show you can go on hot girl walks and you can check your poo with corn yeah i love that i mean isn't it just the sexiest subject in the world what a delicious way to leave it for the week thank you guys so much for listening we just love having you here as you can probably tell we can't wait to see you next week don't forget to listen to the extra scoops for a bit more of an insight in all the topics everyone is talking about

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