The Wellness Scoop

This week we answer some of your most thoughtful questions yet, from whether fruit sugar is actually something we should worry about, to how to approach calorie tracking if you’ve struggled with obsessive thoughts around food in the past.

We also discuss sausages, healthier swaps, whether chia seeds really need soaking, how to build plant diversity while batch cooking, and whether you can still thrive nutritionally if you don’t enjoy fruit.

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Recommendations:

Garden inspo from Shirley Kemp

Ella recommends giant cous-cous

Listener Jenny recommends Sarah Ockwell-Smith's new book 'How To Raise a Gentle Man'

For more from Rhi and Ella: 

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code Scoop at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/scoop/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we unpack the science of appetite and what really drives us to eat: hunger, stress, habit, reward or simply the food environment around us. We discuss why eating well is far more complex than willpower alone, and the idea of “food-mind fluency.”

We also break down the controversy around plant milks and children’s health, exploring the nutritional differences between dairy and plant based alternatives, plus the environmental trade offs.

Plus, could aspirin really help prevent cancer? We look at the remarkable new research linking the common painkiller to reduced colorectal cancer risk and why some countries are already changing guidance for high risk groups.

In What’s Trending in Wellness, we investigate the rise of peptides, NAD+ and injectable wellness therapies, before asking whether “natural Ozempic” is actually possible or just another oversimplified social media trend.

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella: 

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code Scoop at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/scoop/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s Q&A covers some of the most relatable health questions.

We talk about how to approach a partner’s diet when you’re worried but not being heard, what to prioritise in a teenage pescatarian diet, and why stress habits like chewing gum can be so hard to shift.

We also unpack the banana and berry smoothie myth, share simple ways to support insulin resistance, and explore what actually helps when recovering from burnout, plus whether ginger shots are worth it.

Recommendations:

The Morning Show on Apple TV

Warm salads in summer

Meditating with music. Rhi recommends Howard Shore and John Barry.

From listener Bryony: 1-2-3 Pancakes - 1 banana (mashed), 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons oats. Super easy, mixed together and fried.

Listener Kate says, 'don't pull up dandelions' as they provide food for insects and keep our environment healthy. She adds: 'We need to retrain our brains to see wild flowers as valuable plants, not weeds!'

Ella's book recommendation: 'Consider Yourself Kissed' by Jessica Stanley

For more from Rhi and Ella: 

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code Scoop at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/scoop/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we unpack a sobering picture of the UK’s health, with new data showing we’re living fewer years in good health and falling behind much of the developed world.

We revisit school food standards and how countries like France and Japan are approaching nutrition in a completely different way, before diving into what’s really driving the UK’s decline, from diet to wider lifestyle patterns.

We also break down the new “smoke-free generation” bill, rising costs for vaping, and what prevention actually looks like in practice. And finally, we explore the cortisol conversation taking over social media, and what genuinely helps when it comes to managing stress in a realistic, sustainable way.

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella: 

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code Scoop at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/scoop/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on The Wellness Scoop, we answer your questions on some of the most complex and personal areas of health, from food noise and emotional eating to how to build habits that actually fit into real life.

We break down what’s really driving cravings for ultra-processed foods and how to gently step out of that cycle, explore how to approach emotional eating with more compassion and structure, and look at what a realistic, holistic approach to wellness actually looks like when you’re balancing work, family and everything else. We also unpack what truly supports skin health beyond expensive routines, how to use food to support joint health and reduce inflammation, and share simple ways to bring more flavour and variety into everyday meals.

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠[email protected]⁠

Recommendations: 

At Home With The Furys on Netflix

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Walnuts in sourdough and Citizens of Soil subscription (from listener Sasha)


The British Quinoa Company (courtesy of listener Bridget)


The Way meditation app

Find out more on Rhi and Ella:

Check out Dr. Thivi's book, SkinFood: Your 4-Step Solution to Healthy, Happy Skin

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to ⁠Rhitrition+⁠

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code Scoop at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/scoop/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices