WELCOME to The Lee and Irene Show! 🎙️ Lee Holmes and Irene Falcone bring you real, raw, and refreshingly honest chats about wellness, beauty and life, minus the woo-woo. We’re here to keep wellness human, hilarious, and totally unfiltered.
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Lee Holmes Launches Her 12th Book “Eat to Heal”, the Truth About Chronic Inflammation and Zombie Cells, and Justin Gets 'Splained on Low Testosterone.
Season 1 · Episode 14
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 01:14:21
Show Notes: Episode 14
The Lee and Irene Show
Lee Holmes Launches Her 12th Book “Eat to Heal”, the Truth About Chronic Inflammation and Zombie Cells, and Justin Gets 'Splained on Low Testosterone.
Lee has written twelve books, and this one might be the most personal yet. Eat to Heal is about chronic inflammation, the slow-burning, mostly invisible process that Lee argues sits underneath almost every major health complaint we hear about on this show, from brain fog and fatigue to autoimmune conditions and weight gain that will not budge. Irene turns interviewer for the episode and gets Lee talking about the book's origin, the science she found genuinely surprising even after fifteen years in the field, and the very practical plate-based system she built to make all of it usable on a Tuesday night.
There are zombie cells. There is a Pac-Man analogy. There is a rocky road recipe that somehow counts as part of the plan. And underneath all of it, there is a much bigger conversation about trauma, nervous system safety, and why some people cannot absorb good nutrition until their body believes it is no longer in danger.
And in Womansplain, Justin brings a question he was clearly nervous to ask, about whether low testosterone is just something that happens with age, or something worth actually investigating first.
✨ In this episode we chat about:
• Why Lee wrote Eat to Heal, and the sentence in the introduction she is most proud of.
• What chronic inflammation actually is, and why it behaves so differently to the acute kind.
• Zombie cells, otherwise known as senescent cells, and the everyday foods that help clear them.
• The gut-brain link, neuroinflammation, and why low mood is not always a purely psychological problem.
• SPMs, specialised pro-resolving mediators, and why omega 3s do more than just block inflammation.
• The 4321 plate method Lee developed specifically for an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean style of eating.
• Why trauma and chronic stress can keep the body locked in a state where healing cannot properly begin.
• Two recipes from the book, talked through ingredient by ingredient.
• Justin's Womansplain question about low testosterone, and what is actually worth investigating before TRT.
📖 What's Popping: Lee Launches Eat to Heal
Book Number Twelve: Lee confirms it, slightly disbelieving herself, while Irene recalls the period a few years ago when Lee went fully underground to finish a manuscript and could not be reached for weeks. Irene admits she has always wanted to write a book herself, though she suspects hers would mostly be an expose of bad business dealings she could not possibly publish without being sued.
How Lee Actually Writes a Book: Lee describes it less as a plan and more as a pull. The ideas tend to arrive fully formed, sometimes within an hour of sitting down, and she credits a kind of instinctive, almost esoteric drive that has carried every one of her twelve books. The advice for anyone wanting to start is simple. Write towards something you genuinely care about, because that is the only thing that gets you through the difficult stretch in the middle.
The Cover: Unusually for Lee, she is not on the cover this time. The illustration is by a Swedish artist named Sarah, and both hosts land on the same description without quite planning to. It has the feeling of a vintage still life, fruit bowls and tea towels and faded kitchen wallpaper. Nostalgic, bohemian, and instantly homely.
What Eat to Heal Is Actually About
The Premise: Chronic inflammation, Lee argues, is not a side effect of conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer's, autoimmune disorders, depression, weight gain, brain fog, and persistent fatigue. It is a driver of them. Chapter one is titled Your Kitchen Is Your Medicine Cabinet, and that is the thesis of the entire book.
Who It Is For: Lee wrote it for the person who has been told their bloodwork is normal while their body insists otherwise. Irene relates to this directly. Her own results consistently come back clear, and the book gives her a next step beyond simply ruling things out: what can actually be done to reduce brain fog and lift energy once the medical all-clear has already been given.
Acute Versus Chronic: Acute inflammation is the immune system doing exactly what it should, the redness and swelling around a cut that signals healing is underway. Chronic inflammation is that same emergency response stuck in the on position, running quietly in the background with no specific threat to respond to. Because it is subtle, most people never connect how they feel to what is actually happening in their body.
Signs to Watch For: Persistent tiredness that sleep does not fix, brain fog, forgetfulness, digestive issues that come and go, post-meal fatigue, mood swings, migrating joint pain, recurring infections, and stalled weight loss. The book includes a sixteen question self-assessment quiz that scores inflammation as low, moderate, high, or severe.
The Research That Surprised Lee
Zombie Cells: The scientific term is senescent cells, cells that have stopped functioning properly but refuse to die, sitting in tissue and releasing inflammatory signals that disrupt the healthy cells around them. As we age, these accumulate. Certain plant compounds act as natural senolytics, helping clear them out: fisetin in strawberries and apples, quercetin in capers, onions, and berries, and curcumin in turmeric.
Neuroinflammation: Chronic inflammation does not stay contained to the body. The same inflammatory markers linked to heart disease are implicated in depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. One mechanism involves a compound called kynurenine. When inflammation is high, the body diverts tryptophan toward kynurenine production rather than serotonin, meaning less of the body's own feel-good chemistry gets made. Irene shares that she was diagnosed with neuroinflammation at a holistic clinic in Byron Bay following the collapse of her previous business, alongside a SIBO diagnosis.
SPMs, the Pro-Resolution Compounds: Specialised pro-resolving mediators are a newer area of research that changed how Lee thinks about anti-inflammatory eating altogether. Rather than simply blocking inflammation the way something like ibuprofen does, SPMs actively promote the clearance of inflammatory debris and help return the body to balance. They are produced from omega 3 fatty acids, found in flaxseed, avocado, and good quality fish, strengthening the case for getting enough omega 3 into the diet.
The 4321 Map Approach
Lee built on the proven foundation of the Mediterranean diet and refined it specifically to target inflammation, with a stronger emphasis on gut health and blood sugar stability. The plate breaks down as 40 percent vegetables and leafy greens, 30 percent lean protein including legumes, 20 percent whole grains and starchy vegetables like sweet potato and pumpkin, and 10 percent healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, and avocado.
The philosophy is not about eliminating treats. Even dessert can fit the framework when it includes protein and good fats alongside it, which is how a rocky road bar loaded with almonds, hemp seeds, and almond butter earns a legitimate place in the book.
Two Recipes from the Book
Baked Sweet Potato Hash Browns (page 156): Sweet potato for beta carotene and skin support, chickpea flour for plant protein and fibre, turmeric and cumin for their anti-inflammatory properties, smashed avocado for monounsaturated fats and potassium, and a microgreen salad on top finished with hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, or walnuts.
Buckwheat Banana Crepes with Figs and Berries (page 159): Naturally gluten free, built on ripe banana for gut-friendly resistant starch and buckwheat flour, which contains rutin to strengthen blood vessels. Topped with fresh figs and berries for polyphenols and prebiotic fibre, plus a nut butter for additional healthy fats. Light enough for breakfast, indulgent enough for dessert.
Trauma, the Nervous System, and Why Healing Is Not Linear
One of the book's central themes is the link between trauma, chronic stress, and inflammation. Lee explains that when the nervous system stays locked in survival mode, the body prioritises protection over repair. Digestive secretions change, gut motility slows or becomes erratic, the gut lining becomes more vulnerable to damage, and the immune system grows hyper-reactive, feeding the inflammatory cycle further.
Irene connects this directly to her own experience following the collapse of her previous business, describing a period of constant hypervigilance where even opening an email triggered a physical stress response. Lee shares a parallel experience following a serious car accident and a long bout of COVID, both of which left her nervous system similarly on high alert.
Lee's clinical approach has shifted accordingly. Rather than leading with food alone, she now looks at the whole person, gut health, inflammation, sleep, stress, emotional history, and daily patterns together, often alongside referral to psychologists or nervous system specialists. She notes that healing rarely happens in a tidy order. Sometimes mood and sleep improve before digestion does, and that is not a failure of the process.
🧠 Womansplain: Justin and the Low Testosterone Question
The Question: A friend suggested to Justin that his flat energy, low motivation, and poor sleep might point to low testosterone, and floated testosterone replacement therapy as a fix. Justin's instinct was to tell his mate to mind his own business, but brought the question to the show anyway.
The Myth to Bust First: Low testosterone is not simply an inevitable part of ageing with a prescription as the automatic answer. There is a long list of lifestyle factors that can lower testosterone, and most men have not addressed any of them before reaching for a prescription.
Sleep: Most testosterone is produced overnight, with deep sleep playing a particularly important role. Poor sleep can directly affect levels, meaning a sleep problem can present as a hormone problem.
Chronic Stress: Elevated cortisol can suppress testosterone production. Under sustained stress, the body prioritises survival hormones over reproductive ones.
Gut Health: The microbiome plays a role in how hormones are metabolised and cleared, although the evidence here is still developing.
Other Contributing Factors: Alcohol, excess visceral body fat (which can convert testosterone into oestrogen), and a sedentary lifestyle all make the list.
What Actually Helps: Zinc is an essential cofactor for testosterone synthesis and deficiency is common and easy to test for, found in red meat, pumpkin seeds, and oysters. Ashwagandha is a well-studied adaptogen shown in some trials to reduce cortisol and improve sleep quality, with mixed but reasonable evidence for testosterone specifically. Fenugreek, a herb Lee was introduced to in India, has reasonable evidence behind it, possibly by affecting how testosterone is used in the body rather than blocking its conversion to oestrogen outright.
The Bottom Line: Sort sleep, stress, and gut health first. If levels remain clinically low and symptoms persist after addressing those drivers, that is the point to have the TRT conversation with a doctor, rather than starting there and risking the body's own production shutting down.
Chronic Inflammation as a Disease Driver: Chronic low-grade inflammation is increasingly recognised as a contributing factor across cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative conditions, autoimmune disorders, depression, and metabolic dysfunction, distinct from the acute, self-resolving inflammation involved in wound healing.
Senescent Cells and Senolytics: Senescent cells accumulate with age and secrete pro-inflammatory signalling molecules, a phenomenon researchers term the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Compounds including fisetin, quercetin, and curcumin have been studied for senolytic or senomorphic activity, helping to clear or quiet these cells.
Neuroinflammation and Mood: The kynurenine pathway describes how, under inflammatory conditions, tryptophan metabolism is shifted away from serotonin synthesis and toward kynurenine production, a mechanism increasingly studied in relation to depression and anxiety.
Specialised Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs): SPMs, including resolvins, protectins, and maresins, are derived from omega 3 fatty acids and are involved in actively resolving inflammation and restoring tissue homeostasis, distinct from the inflammation-blocking action of standard anti-inflammatory compounds.
Gut-Brain-Immune Connection: Roughly 70 to 80 percent of immune tissue resides in the gut, and the majority of the body's serotonin is produced there, underscoring the close relationship between gut integrity, immune regulation, and mood.
HPA Axis and Trauma: Chronic stress and unresolved trauma are associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which can manifest as persistent sympathetic nervous system activation, affecting digestion, immune function, and the body's capacity for tissue repair.
Testosterone and Lifestyle Factors: Research links sleep quality, chronic stress and cortisol elevation, visceral adiposity, alcohol intake, and sedentary behaviour to testosterone levels, supporting a lifestyle-first approach before pharmacological intervention in men without an underlying pathological cause.
Zinc, Ashwagandha, and Fenugreek: Zinc is a required cofactor in testosterone synthesis pathways. Ashwagandha has shown cortisol-lowering and sleep-supporting effects in several clinical trials, with more variable results for testosterone specifically. Fenugreek extract has shown modest support for testosterone-related outcomes in a number of small trials, though larger confirmatory studies are limited.
Disclaimer: This show is for educational purposes only. Please consult your qualified health professional before incorporating new wellness solutions.
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Episode 13, Naturopath Jane Papalia on the Mediterranean Diet, Longevity, Beauty, and Why Your Nonna Was Probably Right All Along, Wayne Gets ‘Splained on Reflux and Irene Busts Out a Rant
Season -6 · Episode 13
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 • Duration 01:08:22
Episode 13, Naturopath Jane Papalia on the Mediterranean Diet, Longevity, Beauty, and Why Your Nonna Was Probably Right All Along, Wayne Gets ‘Splained on Reflux and Irene Busts Out a Rant
In this episode we chat about
· What the Mediterranean diet actually is, and why it is much more than a Greek salad and a glass of red wine.
· Jane Papalia’s story, from Italian family food culture to naturopathy and clinical nutrition.
· Why the Mediterranean lifestyle is one of the most researched and respected dietary patterns in the world.
· How food, movement, sleep, stress, and social connection all work together for longevity.
· Why olive oil, legumes, herbs, seasonal produce, and quality proteins are the real stars of the show.
· How to spot the difference between authentic Mediterranean foods and supermarket imposters with suspiciously confident branding.
· Why your grandmother may have been ahead of her time without ever using the words polyphenols or microbiome.
· How the Mediterranean way of eating supports gut health, brain health, heart health, and healthy ageing.
· Why food is not just fuel. It is culture, connection, rhythm, and joy.
· A very important debate about yoghurt, feta, olive oil, and whether Italians are secretly running the wellness industry
Meet Jane Papalia
Jane Papalia is a qualified naturopath and clinical nutritionist, and the beautiful mind behind The Mediterranean Naturopath. Her work centers on the Mediterranean lifestyle as a way of eating and living that supports health, energy, digestion, beauty, and ageing well without turning life into a never-ending self-improvement project.
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Episode 4: From Tree-Hugging to Biohacking Bros, 40 Year Friendships and the Truth About Living Forever 🎙️
Season 1 · Episode 4
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 • Duration 59:35
Show Notes
Wellness Unfiltered Episode 4: From Tree-Hugging to Biohacking Bros, 40 Year Friendships and the Truth About Living Forever 🎙️
How do friendships evolve over 40 years, and how do you maintain a "Bo Derek" glow in your 60s? In this episode, we’re joined by the vibrant duo behind the Over the Back Fence podcast to discuss the power of letting go, the reality of "wellness bros," and practical self-care for everyone.
In our fourth episode, , Lee Holmes and Irene Falconewelcome Nicola Dale and Di Edwards. With decades of experience in high-flying careers and media, they share their secrets for staying grounded, vibrant, and connected in mid-life.
We also tackle the dehydrating effects of air travel, explore simple rituals like "tree hugging," and stage a self-care intervention for the men in our lives.
In this episode we chat about:
● ✨ Mid-Life Redefined with Nicola and Di (02:00):
o The Power of Attitude: Di shares how letting go of things she cannot control has made her feel younger in her mid-60s than ever before.
o Flying Beauty Secrets: Nicola, a flight attendant for over 30 years, breaks down the "hydrate, hydrate, hydrate" rule and her post-flight glow-up tips, including skin needling and LED therapy.
o The Quick Fix: How flight attendants look put-together in five minutes using bright lipstick and simple grooming hacks.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Is collagen a fountain of youth in a jar or just expensive protein powder? From social media skeptics to "miracle" marketing, the world of ingestible beauty is a confusing place. If you’ve ever wondered if your morning scoop is actually hitting your skin or just hitting your wallet, this episode is your ultimate guide to the science of glow.
In our third episode, Lee Holmes and Irene Falcone welcome the "Queen of Collagen," Fiona Tuck. As a forensic nutritionist and cosmetic chemist with 30 years of experience, Fiona breaks down why your bone broth isn't the same as a peptide supplement and how to spot the "fillers" ruining your results. We also perform a nutritional intervention on our producer Justin’s "dessert-in-disguise" Jelly Bean smoothie and help listener Marrianne solve the uni-student sleep struggle.
In this episode we chat about:
✨ The Collagen Deep Dive with Fiona Tuck (05:33)
The Science: Does it actually work? (Hint: The randomised trials say yes!)
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Episode 2, Chocolate Scandals, Gut Hacks & Dickensian Dudes! 🎙️
We’ve all been there: it’s 3 p.m., the slump is hitting hard, and you’re reaching for that "healthy" dark chocolate bar. But is your afternoon treat a superfood or a chemical cocktail? Between headlines about heavy metals and labels filled with mysterious E-numbers, even the simplest indulgence has become a wellness minefield. If you’re tired of "health-washed" snacks leaving you bloated and confused, this episode is your golden ticket to the truth.
In our second episode, Lee Holmes and Irene Falcone (Founder of Clean Nectarine) dive deep into the dark side of the $100 billion chocolate industry . From lead and cadmium lawsuits rocking major brands to the "Dutch processing" that strips away antioxidants, we’re uncovering what’s really in your pantry . Plus, we "womansplain" how to fix broken capillaries for the men in your life and deliver a fiery rant on big retailers crushing small, passionate businesses.
In this episode we chat about:
🍫 The Dark Side of Chocolate (02:30)
Cacao vs. Cocoa: Why the spelling determines the health benefits
The "Factory Fake" Scandal: Lead and cadmium lawsuits and heavy metals in soil
Emulsifiers (E475 & Soy Lecithin) and why they might be shredding your gut lining
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Episode 1, Sunscreen scandals, gut hacks & epic rants! 🎙️
Season -8 · Episode 1
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 • Duration 41:29
Sunscreen scandals, gut hacks & epic rants! 🎙️
Listen & Subscribe on Substack (wellnessunfilteredpod), Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart, TuneIn
Show Notes
So many high-performing wellness seekers look fine from the outside. The smoothies are blended. The skincare routine is on point. Life feels handled. But inside, it can feel like you're wading through one scandal after another, gut confusion, and influencer hype without clear answers. You keep scrolling for more tips, more products, more opinions, and somehow you feel less equipped, not more. If you've been chasing wellness truths amid the noise, this episode is for you.
In our debut, myself, Lee Holmes (Clinical Nutritionist) and Irene Falcone (Founder of Clean Nectarine) pull no punches from our secret cabin hideout. We'll unpack sunscreen scandals shaking Australia, demystify prebiotics vs. probiotics with a live caller, fix that stubborn "beer belly" for the men in your life, and deliver a fiery rant on influencers staying in their lane. No sugar-coating, greenwashing, or woo-woo, just 30 years of combined clinical expertise, raw laughs, and actionable hacks.
In this episode we chat about:
🛡️ Sunscreen Scandals Down Under (09:14)CHOICE bombshells on Ultraviolette SPF recall and overseas testing drama (09:51)Private-labels with identical formulas (13:03)Spotlight on sunscreen chemicals in the media (15:29)
📣 You’re on Speaker (Live with Bondi Di!) (24:38)Prebiotics vs. probiotics: real microbiome differences and daily food hacks (25:27)Spotting truly natural beauty products amid so much greenwashing (29:00)
💪 Womansplain Men's Gut Fixes (32:43)Visceral fat truths for the "skinny everywhere but belly" guy (09:52)Ditch liquid calories, boost breakfast protein, add gut-feeding fibre (34:38)Incidental exercise and why consistency beats intensity (36:05)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Episode 12 All Hail the Sugar and Energy Queen Michele Chevalley-Hedge, and the Labels That Are Lying to You, Justin Finally Learns to Breathe, and Lee’s Rant on the Fillers Nobody Warned You About.
Season -8 · Episode 12
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 • Duration 01:16:19
Episode 12: All hail the Sugar and Energy Queen Michele Chevalley-Hedge, and the Labels That Are Lying to You, Justin Finally Learns to Breathe, and Lee’s Rant on the Fillers Nobody Warned You About.
If you’ve ever eaten clean all day and still crashed by 3pm, reached for something sweet and felt worse an hour later, or picked up a “healthy” snack and had absolutely no idea what half the ingredients actually were, this episode is for you.
Michele Chevalley-Hedge from A Healthy View, is a clinical nutritionist, author, and health educator whose books include Beating Sugar Addiction for Dummies and Eat, Drink and Still Shrink. She has spent decades working across elite sport, corporate health, and school communities, and she brings the same principle to all of it: facts over fads, nourished not punished.
Justin, meanwhile, has been breathing incorrectly for roughly 59 years. Lee and Irene fix that.
And Lee has a rant. It has a title. It is called Fillers That Fool Us, and once you hear it, you will never look at a supplement label the same way again.
✨ In this episode we chat about:
🍬 What’s Popping: Sugar, Energy and the Labels That Are Lying to You
Meet Michele
• A New Yorker in Australia: Michele grew up in an Italian-American family where food was love, community, and connection. Her father was a dedicated gardener. Her mother’s side was, in her words, the Chickarello Mafia, six sisters cooking abundantly for 27 cousins every weekend. She came to Australia in 1990 to speak at an IBM conference, fell in love with an Australian man within 24 hours, and never left. Thirty-six years later, she is still certain she made the right call.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Episode 11: How to Get a Virgo Level of Cleaning on a Capricorn Budget, Justin Discovers Chiropractic, and Irene's Rave for the Customers Who Never Left. 🧹
Season 1 · Episode 11
Friday, June 5, 2026 • Duration 01:12:30
Episode 11: How to Get a Virgo Level of Cleaning on a Capricorn Budget, Justin Discovers Chiropractic, and Irene's Rave for the Customers Who Never Left. 🧹
Lee's house is, by all objective measures, immaculate. Irene has been trying to understand this for some time. This week she finally asks. What follows is a practical, funny, and useful guide to low-tox cleaning, from the products worth trusting, to the rooms worth prioritising, to the surprising science of why a clean space makes your brain feel safe enough to relax.
Justin, meanwhile, has concerns about chiropractors. Specifically, he is not convinced that cracking someone's back constitutes a qualification. Irene has recently seen one. Lee has done her research. Justin gets moved, just a little.
And this week the cabin gets a visitor. Tiki, Lee’s friend and the kind of person who turns chaos into calm without appearing to do anything joins Lee and Irene with a question that will resonate with a lot of women: what do you do when you're eating well, you're moving, and nothing is shifting?
And Irene has a rave. Not a rant this time. A genuine, heartfelt rave for the customers who found their way back.
✨ In this episode we chat about:
🧹 What's Popping: Virgo-Level Cleaning on a Capricorn Budget
• The Cabin Observation: Irene has been to Lee's house almost every week and needs to put something on record. It is immaculate. Not in a Coco Republic showroom way. More like a genuinely-lived-in bohemian fisherman's cottage where every piece of furniture was sourced from a market or a street, and yet the whole thing somehow looks like a magazine. Irene is in awe. She is also terrified to put her coffee cup down.
• The Virgo Confession: Lee is a Virgo. She cleans preventatively. Her house never requires a serious intervention because she never lets it get to one. She moonwalks across the kitchen floor in old socks to clean up after dinner. With the Michael Jackson Off the Wall album on.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Episode 10: Mason Taylor on Mushrooms & the Ancient Art of Not Falling Apart, Justin is in a Bit of a Pickle, and Irene’s Forever Rant About Forever Chemicals. 🍄
Season 1 · Episode 10
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 01:11:48
Episode 10: Mason Taylor on Mushrooms & the Ancient Art of Not Falling Apart, Justin is in a Bit of a Pickle, and Irene's Forever Rant About Forever Chemicals. 🍄
This week, the cabin gets a very special guest. Mason Taylor, founder of SuperFeast, Daoist philosophy devotee, and quite possibly the most passionate man alive on the subject of medicinal mushrooms, joins Lee and Irene for what may be the most downloaded episode yet
Mason takes us through the ancient Chinese three-treasure system of Jing, Chi, and Shen and why your goal should never be immortality, but rather arriving at elderhood with your full self intact. He breaks down the difference between a therapeutic mushroom product and a glorified chocolate powder, explains why Tremella made Irene's skin look extraordinary, and reveals the underground Australian fungi nobody's talking about yet.
Justin, meanwhile, wants to know if 2008 pickled onion brine counts as a sports supplement. And Irene has a rant-slash-rave about France's forever chemicals ban and why the brands who quietly reformulated their products are not getting the standing ovation they were hoping for.
✨ In this episode we chat about:
🍄 What's Popping: Welcome to the Secret Cabin
• The Cabin Guest Situation: Mason Taylor arrives, giving Justin cause for what Lee generously describes as 'wariness' and what is more accurately described as side teeth and a low growl. There is room for more than one man in the cabin. Deep breaths, everyone.
• Mason Taylor Introduction: Founder of SuperFeast, mushroom maven, Daoist, and the man whose original podcast episode with Irene over nine years ago remains her most downloaded ever. He has come all the way from Byron Bay.
• Mushroom Pun Cap: Three puns maximum. They exceeded this before Mason even sat down.
🌿 What's Popping Deep Dive: Mason Taylor on Daoism, Mushrooms & the Three Treasures
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Episode 9: Irene’s Everything Shower, Justin Tries to Win Over a One-Eyed Cat, and Lee Can’t "Liver" Without This. 🍯
Season 1 · Episode 9
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 • Duration 01:19:13
Episode 9: Irene’s Everything Shower, Justin Tries to Win Over a One-Eyed Cat, and Lee Can’t Liver Without This. 🍯
This week Irene finally reveals one of her most beloved and guarded rituals, the Everything Shower. Not a quick rinse. Not your standard weekday wash. A full Sunday reset from dermaplaning in the 4 o’clock light to sitting on the shower floor surrounded by essential oil steam. She walks us through every step, every product, and every reason why she believes this one weekly ritual does more for her face, hair, skin and sanity than any day spa visit ever could.
Hosts Lee Holmes and Irene Falcone swap notes on shower playlists, bathroom aromatherapy, oil hair masking, dry body brushing, sulphate-free shampoos, natural body scrubs, magnesium creams and the great shower filter debate. Then Justin brings us a very pressing relationship concern involving his neighbour’s one-eyed, toothless street cat, Pirate. And Lee wraps the episode with a rave about the one supplement she says she couldn’t live without.
✨ In this episode we chat about:
🚶♀️ What’s Popping: Autumn Rhythms & Rebuilding from Scratch
• Lee’s Garden Update: After proper overnight rain, not polite drizzle, every plant in Lee’s Palm Beach garden is outrageously happy. Even the tractor seat plants are standing to attention.
• Embracing Autumn: Irene’s reframe this year was to stop thinking of autumn as sad and actually lean in. Lee agrees: autumn in Palm Beach is her favourite season, with better parking, quieter streets and golden air.
• Listener Love: A beautiful message from Kim, who discovered the podcast via Episode 6 and says the sticky chai recipe has already become one of her most treasured ritual recipes and she ended with eight kisses.
• Irene’s World: Rebuilding Clean Nectarine from scratch, new staff, new stock, and a very anticipated Thelma and Louise convertible drive down to Palm Beach with the top down. (Lee is Louise. Scarf already on.)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Jane grew up in a very food-focused Italian family, where her Sicilian grandmother shaped the way food, family, and nourishment were understood long before anyone in the household was talking about anti-inflammatory diets, gut health, or longevity science. In Jane’s world, food was never just calories. It was care, connection, culture, and the kind of love that arrives in a saucepan.
She brings that lived experience together with her clinical work in a way that feels both practical and deeply grounded. The result is a philosophy that feels refreshingly sane. Eat well, move your body, share meals, and stop trying to bio hack your way out of being human.
Her journey
Jane shares how her mother’s cancer diagnosis became a turning point in her understanding of health. That experience deepened her appreciation for the fact that wellbeing is built through the everyday things. How we eat, sleep, move, connect, and support the body consistently over time.
It’s a powerful reminder that health is not one perfect supplement stack or one heroic clean-out Monday. It’s the pattern of your life. It’s the stuff you do when nobody is applauding. It’s also the thing your grandmother probably knew instinctively while everyone else was making turmeric lattes and calling it wisdom.
Jane’s perspective is gentle, real, and refreshingly free of extremes. She reminds us that the body responds to consistency, not punishment.
What Mediterranean means
If your version of the Mediterranean diet is basically olives, pasta, and one highly committed bottle of red wine, then this episode broadens the picture beautifully.
Jane explains that the Mediterranean way of eating is built around:
· colourful plant foods
· extra virgin olive oil
· legumes
· whole grains
· seafood
· quality proteins
· herbs
· fermented foods
· seasonal produce.
But it’s also about how you eat. Slower meals, social connection, family, rhythm, and a less frantic relationship with food are all part of the picture.
This is not a restrictive plan. It’s a living pattern. And unlike many wellness trends, it does not require a label printer, a subscription box, or a complete personality transplant.
Why it matters
Jane talks through why the Mediterranean dietary pattern is so strongly associated with better health outcomes. It’s not because of one magical ingredient. It’s because the whole pattern works together.
The benefits discussed include:
· improved digestion
· better blood sugar regulation
· heart health
· brain health
· cognitive support
· healthier ageing
Because this way of eating is rich in fibre, plant diversity, healthy fats, and antioxidant compounds, it also nourishes the gut microbiome, which then has downstream effects on mood, immunity, inflammation, and resilience.
So yes, the humble lentil is doing some very glamorous work behind the scenes.
The longevity piece
One of the strongest themes in the episode is that longevity is not just about nutrients. It’s also about social connection.
Jane talks about how family, friendship, community, and meals shared with other people all play a measurable role in wellbeing. That’s part of what makes the Mediterranean lifestyle so powerful. It supports the body and the nervous system at the same time.
Meals are not rushed. Food is not eaten in isolation while scrolling. There is a rhythm, a social thread, and a sense that life is meant to be lived with other people around the table.
Which is lovely, and also mildly insulting to the modern habit of inhaling lunch between emails.
Olive oil and polyphenols
Jane explains why extra virgin olive oil is one of the standout foods in the Mediterranean pattern. It’s rich in polyphenols, including hydroxytyrosol, which contributes to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits associated with the diet.
Extra virgin olive oil is mechanically pressed and retains more of its beneficial compounds than refined olive oils. It brings flavour, protection, and a bit of actual joy to food, which, frankly, is more than can be said for many healthy products.
There’s also a useful clarification around cooking. Yes, olive oil can absolutely be used in cooking, especially at moderate temperatures. So no, your family did not accidentally sabotage their health by cooking with olive oil for decades. They may have been onto something.
The food detective bit
There’s a very entertaining stretch of the episode where the conversation turns into a full supermarket investigation.
You’ll hear about:
· how to identify proper Greek yoghurt
· what makes a feta authentic
· why ingredient lists matter
· and how to tell when a product is only pretending to be Mediterranean
The yoghurt rule is beautifully simple. Fewer ingredients usually means better quality. If the label starts sounding like a laboratory internship, it may not be the product you want
And feta? Also a bit of a minefield. The conversation makes it very clear that not all feta is equal, and that the version in the supermarket may be a cheese impersonator with a Mediterranean accent
Herbs and flavour
Jane brings a lovely herbal lens to the discussion, highlighting the medicinal and culinary value of:
· oregano
· rosemary
· thyme
· sage
· fennel
· lemon balm
These herbs are not just decorative little green bits trying to look sophisticated on a plate. They have real digestive, cognitive, hormonal, and calming benefits.
Rosemary is linked with memory and circulation, sage is often used in the context of hormonal support, and fennel and lemon balm are especially lovely for digestion and nervous system support. It’s a reminder that the food culture of the Mediterranean is rich in flavour and function at the same time.
Which is a very nice trick.
A Mediterranean day
· One of the best things about this episode is how practical it becomes.
· Jane outlines a real-life Mediterranean-style day:
· Breakfast might be Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts, and honey.
· Lunch might be lentil soup, minestrone, roasted vegetables, or chickpeas.
· Snacks might include nuts, grapes, or vine leaves.
· Dinner might feature oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, or anchovies, alongside vegetables and legumes.
· The message is simple. This is not a diet that depends on fussy recipes or expensive health-store ingredients. It depends on real food, prepared well, and eaten regularly.
· Soup is also having a very good moment here and should be recognised accordingly.
Womansplain
In our Womansplain segment, we bring a very confused man into the cabin and extract a question that is relevant, useful, and just the right amount of chaotic.
This episode’s Womansplain focuses on midlife digestive changes, particularly reflux, heaviness after meals, and that general sense that your body has suddenly decided to become more opinionated about dinner.
Lee shares practical advice around:
· eating earlier in the evening
· slowing down at meals
· reducing trigger foods where needed
· being mindful of portion size
· not lying down immediately after eating
· paying attention to hydration and alcohol intake
The overall message is beautifully boring in the best possible way. The basics matter, especially when digestion becomes less forgiving with age.
Irene’s rave
In Irene’s rave, Irene gives a big and heartfelt shout-out to the Clean + Conscious Awards, celebrating brands and products that are doing things more thoughtfully.
It’s a lovely reminder that wellness doesn’t just live in our kitchens and clinics. It also shows up in the products we choose, the businesses we support, and the standards we keep asking for as consumers.
This rave captures that very satisfying feeling of seeing more people care about clean, ethical, responsible products without turning everything into greenwashing theatre. Very refreshing. Very welcome
Lee’s nerd notes
Here’s the sciencey bit, the part where we lovingly put the nerd back into the conversation.
The Mediterranean diet and health
PREDIMED trial. Landmark randomized trial showing cardiovascular benefit from a Mediterranean diet pattern.
The Mediterranean diet is one of the most researched dietary patterns in the world, with evidence linking it to improved cardiovascular health, better metabolic outcomes, and support for healthy ageing. Its strength lies not in one ingredient, but in the overall dietary pattern.
A major reason this way of eating works so well is that it naturally increases plant diversity and fibre intake. That helps nourish the gut microbiome, which plays a role in digestion, immune function, inflammation, mood, and brain health.
Extra virgin olive oil contains bioactive compounds, including polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol, which are associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Quality matters here, because refined oils do not offer the same concentration of beneficial compounds.
Legumes are one of the underrated heroes of the Mediterranean table. They offer fibre, plant protein, minerals, and prebiotic benefits that support microbial diversity and satiety.
Herbs like oregano, rosemary, sage, fennel, and lemon balm contribute far more than flavour. They also contain plant compounds that may support cognition, digestion, circulation, and hormonal balance.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked nutrients in the Mediterranean lifestyle is social connection. Research consistently shows that strong social relationships are associated with better health outcomes and longer life. Shared meals, community, and ritual are not extras. They are part of the medicine.
o Nature as Therapy: From ocean plunges for magnesium to the grounding energy of hugging a 300-year-old tree.
o Walking & Vulnerability: Why the best conversations happen on solitary walks or side-by-side with friends in nature.
o Evolution of Friendship: How conversations shift from babies and careers to bowel health and mutual respect over a 40-year bond.
● 🥤 Womansplain: Self-Care for Dudes (28:22):
o Setting Boundaries: Why "no" is a complete sentence and a vital form of self-care.
o The Social Connection: Encouraging men to build bonds and talk through life's problems over a (non-alcoholic) beer or a game of golf.
o Hydration & Cooking: The importance of carrying a water bottle and the simple act of cooking one real meal a week for yourself.
● 🔊 You’re On Speaker: Pilates & Inflammation with Lexie (38:43):
o The Power of Pilates: Lexie explains how Pilates serves as a core exercise that Mindfully improves control and avoids injuries.
o Breathe Like a Pro: A quick guide to the Pilates "ribcage breathing" technique you can do even at your desk.
o Inflammation Fighting: Lee and Irene share easy food swaps like berries, oily fish, and the "turmeric plus black pepper" hack to reduce pockets of inflammation.
● 😤 Epic Rant: The Bro-Longevity Chokehold (49:54):
o Living vs. Optimising:: Lee’s take on the "immortality complex" and the shift from sterile biohacking chambers to joyful, analogue living.
o Quality over Quantity: Why obsessing over biomarkers and sleep windows can lead to "social hermit" status and health anxiety.
Lee’s Nutritionist Nerd Notes
The Mid-Life Skin & Gut Connection
● Feeling vs. Thinking: Di emphasises moving from "living in your head" to "feeling in your gut" to manage stress and its impact on health. Understanding your gut brain axis.
● Inflammation & Exercise: High-energy exercise should be balanced with grounding practices like Yin yoga, meditation or nature walks to regulate the nervous system.
Natural Beauty & Dental Hacks
● Salt Toothpaste: A natural alternative that uses your own saliva to clean teeth; Nicola and Irene highlight its effectiveness and unique "salted caramel" taste.
● Hydroxyapatite: A NASA-invented mineral that re-mineralises teeth and fills small holes, serving as a non-toxic alternative to fluoride.
Self-care for Dudes Tips
● Savoury Mince Recipe: A "guy-guy" recipe packed with hidden veggies for an easy, nutrient-dense meal. See the recipe here.
● Hydration Tip: Using a volume-marked water bottle to "gamify" daily water intake.
Inflammation-Fighting Mediterranean Diet Swap-outs: Lee shares easy food swaps to reduce pockets of inflammation:
● Switch Processed Fats for Real Fats: Replace margarine with real Mediterranean-style fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado.
● Protein Swap: Opt for salmon, sardines, or other oily fish a couple of times a week instead of other proteins.
● Plant-Based Power: Incorporate more beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh into meals.
● Daily Add-ins: Boost your intake of berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables.
The Spice Hack: Use turmeric with a pinch of black pepper in meals (or in scrambled eggs and soups) to maximise its anti-inflammatory effects. Super Potent Curcumin with Black Pepper.
🛡️ Fact-Check: Self-Care Myths
● The "Wellness Bro" Scam: Spending thousands on cold plunges and blood work while sacrificing the joy of daily living.
● Orthorexia Awareness: The danger of being so "squeaky clean" with diet that it creates anxiety and removes the enjoyment of food. Talked about in Supercharge Your Life by Lee Holmes.
P.S. If you’re keen to sponsor an episode and connect with our wellness audience? Reach out to: wellnessunfilteredleeirene@gmail.com for collab details.
Disclaimer: This show is for educational purposes only. Please consult your qualified health professional before incorporating new wellness solutions.
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Podcast Transcript: Wellness Unfiltered Episode 4
Friendship, Flying Beauty, and Mid-Life Wisdom 🎙️
(00:00) [Intro Music - Upbeat, rhythmic]
Lee: Well, hello out there! You're Lee...
Irene: And you're Irene!
Lee & Irene: And this is Wellness Unfiltered! Yay!
(00:10) [Sound of cicadas in the background]
Irene: Well, we are back in the cabin, waiting on those cicadas to provide the soundtrack to our pod, and I’m feeling very serene.
Lee: Mmm, "Serene Irene." I’ll take a kilo and a half of that! For anyone joining us in the cabin for the first time, this pod is where we strip back the marketing hoo-ha and get real in our worlds of beauty, health, and wellness. Hey, Lee... sorry, just... who are these people? They look really gorgeous.
Lee: Yeah, they’re actually two absolutely lovely ladies and they’re my neighbors in Palm Beach.
Irene: Of course they are!
Lee: They’ve squished in the cabin with us and they’ve very elegantly jumped over the back fence to join us for What’s Popping.
Irene: Wow! Okay, that is so exciting. Please introduce me!
Lee: Absolutely. By the way, our regular—in every sense of the word—dude, Justin, is back with another health question for us to gently 'splain today.
Irene: Now, not forgetting our delightful listener who will be on speaker with us a little later on, and a Rant or Rave to bring us home. So let’s get into it! Let’s take a look at What’s Popping with my soon-to-be besties.
Segment: What’s Popping?
(01:30) [Transition Jingle]
Irene: All right Lee, the tea is hot and I’m fit to pop! Ha! That’s going to be my new catchphrase. All right, anyway, onto What’s Popping. We are delving into friendships, the magic of laughter, and how to look like Bo Derek in your mid-life.
Lee: Yes, we are. So allow me to introduce my favorite duo from the very, very popular Over the Back Fence podcast: Nicola Dale and Di Edwards.
Nicola & Di: Yay! Thank you! Wow, who are we, Di? Thanks for that lovely warm welcome.
Lee: All right ladies, so let’s get into it. We’re all in the 50-plus bracket, and I’ve noticed that we’ve kind of been rethinking our sense of ourselves, especially in these middle years. And I know for me, I’ve taken up more Vedic meditation and walking and a lot more internal healing. So when it comes to wellness, how have you guys found or redefined your sense of self? I might start with you, Di.
Di: Oh, it’s such a big question to unpack. Mmm. I think, particularly now because I'm actually in my 60s—I'm in my mid-60s—I'm actually feeling younger than I've ever felt in my whole entire life. Because of attitude. And we talk about mind-body-spirit, and attitude to me is the mind. And the mind is—can take over your very being, it can take over your family, it can take over your friends, it can take over your life. But I think for me, it’s been letting go of the things that I can’t change.
Lee: Mmm-hmm, that you can't control.
Di: And how empowering that has become for me.
Lee: Yeah, and you've noticed it in your day-to-day life?
Di: Hugely. I have the potential now to let go of things where I used to hold onto things before, and so therefore every cell in my body would carry it, sadly. And I now believe what we hold onto that's negative, a consequence of that can be your health. And that’s why we talk to people like Lee. But yeah, and I think being aware of that, I now—I’ll feel it, because I’m very much into feeling rather than before I used to work from my head more. And when I feel it, I go, "Oh, okay, the consequence of that will be: let it go." And it’s like a little click in my brain. And I didn't even know that existed before. Then that from my head will wash into my body. That’s been very powerful for me in my 60s to notice that.
Lee: And you're certainly glowing! I mean externally, but also just your beautiful calm and vibrant nature.
Di: I had a rush to get here, I was running late guys! Naughty girl.
Lee: And Nicola, you have been a flight attendant for 30 years!
Nicola: Come fly with me!
Irene: Oh, I don't think so. I'm actually scared of flying, so that’s... yeah, it’s really interesting actually. When I’m on the plane, when I have to fly, I always keep a really strong eye on the flight attendants and I always think to myself, "Okay, well if they’re not panicking, I don’t need to panic." And that’s sort of how I fly everywhere. That’s something I’m really going to need to work on actually. Maybe I’ll do the mind over...
Nicola: Let’s do some alignment together.
Irene: That’s right. You’re not alone in feeling that. I'm sure I'm not the only one. That’s right. But one thing I notice when I do travel is, of course, I love everything to do with beauty, and your skin is so beautiful and hydrated. How do we keep it like that when it gets so dehydrated in the sky?
Nicola: Well, it does. And I think the main thing is: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate is the number one key. You know, eye drops—I've always sort of suffered a bit from dry eyes—so eye drops, lip balm, not only that, you know I’ll have a thick moisturiser on as well. Sometimes those spritz, those sprays, are really good and you feel great. I like it on the plane too when you’ve got a silk eye mask, and I love the ones that go round your ears. And that way then you can cocoon in it and it’s sort of soft on your eyes and that sort of then you don’t get so much like the crinkly eye look. But hydration is like really one of the biggest tips for actually flying.
But post that as well, too, there are other things, you know, like with facials—and I’ve only just started to have—I’ve had my very first skin needling that I’ve ever had, and that was just done locally at Beach's Beauty and that was just highly recommended. And the LED medical-grade with the light...
Irene: Oh, the OmniLux after the needling!
Nicola: Yeah! They prepped that for me before and then I had the skin needling. So I’ve had a couple of sessions and since then I have had comments—I’ve got a glow about my skin. So that’s sort of something. But when I was flying—I'm not sort of flying working as doing that anymore—don't forget just to drink more and more. And have, say, Liquid IV.
Irene: But doesn't alcohol affect you worse?
Nicola: It does! You know, yeah, you just sort of say—I mean the things that people do up in the sky... you know, like...
Di: What happens in the sky stays in the sky!
Nicola: Exactly. Oh, the stories you must have! Can you tell us? You've got some stories.
Nicola: Well, it's true, with the Mile High Club, Di’s brought it up, the good old... I looked it up! No, but I think it is quite funny, and it is sometimes when people have sleeping pills and then they’ll have too much champagne, and that is always sort of a thing that never ends up well. And, but it is quite funny, as flight attendants too, we have seen people go in—because you’ve sort of got the bird’s eye view—and you’ll go, "Oh, check out this couple." And this is sort of back before the mobile phones, but you’d see it in the middle of the night, and one would walk up to the front toilets, and then next minute someone else would go in, the door would shut, and there’s two people in there. And it was just so funny because as crew we were kind of onto it. So we’d make like an anonymous call, alert all the crew, and sort of come up to right one, and it was just so funny. All of a sudden you’d hear these noises and so all the crew would be round there and all of a sudden the door would open and then close again, and it was just like, busted! You know, so those things...
Irene: I always thought that was a myth!
Nicola: No, it happens! I know many a person. Well, I think it's something people want to tick the box, it’s sort of something they want to do. And probably doesn't... you know.
Irene: It wouldn't work for me because I’m scared of flying, so I don’t think I’d be very relaxed.
Di: Maybe it might relax you! See you in the hotel!
Irene: Answer me this beauty question then about flying that I have. Why is it that I always look so much worse after a flight? Tell me how—and then I look at the flight attendants and they always look so beautiful and put together.
Nicola: No, do you know what it is sometimes too? No, we all do. You know, like as I used to do the long-haul flights and you’d have like a little crew rest, two hours off, and you’d get the tap on the shoulder and it’s 3:00 AM and you’re about to serve breakfast. And so you quickly—and your hair’s like this—and you run into the bathroom and you go, "Oh my god." So it’s quick cleaning the teeth, pulling your hair back—bright lipstick always does the trick. So really it’s a simple thing that if you just brush your hair and put a bit of lipstick on, you know, it’s fine. Sprayer—like hydrate your skin.
Irene: How about dark circles?
Nicola: Well, I think then, you know, that’s—I mean look, a little bit of touch-up, a little bit of makeup is always helpful, which is what we all wear. And I think also as flight attendants too, part of our thing was always grooming and we’ve always had, you know, you try and keep sort of fairly high standards. But naturally! You know, so it was just sort of like a simple thing. Di could see me—I could get ready in five minutes. I’d have the uniform there, I’d be prepped, it wouldn't take me that long, but I’d have the pearl earrings on, pull the hair back, the lipstick on, and it wouldn't take that long to do.
Irene: You can just look at you now, you can just tell that you’ve been a flight attendant because you're so put together. So another question then: you've been a flight attendant, was it—has it been 30 years? Over 30 years. Wow. So how then from when you started doing the job to now has your beauty routine changed? Because it’s harder, I think, to look better quicker as we get after 50.
Nicola: Absolutely. Well, you know, there’s been different things too. I like now—with your skin I guess it gets—it does dry. The other thing really would be, I’m a body oil freak. I love oil from head to toe on my body. And then I’ll put sort of like moisturiser on. So I think, and hydration. So I think those things there, and as I sort of was mentioning before with now, you know, trying skin needling and doing things like that, that there are extra things as we get into our 50s and 60s that you can actually do. So, you know, so that’s sort of really... and just going out, a little bit of sunlight without too much. We have to be—we always sort of be aware of that. So I just think it's like kind of looking after yourself simply.
Di: Just the basics.
Nicola: Basics. Hydration, sleep, you know, really getting the balance of life. And also having fun! You know, I think sometimes too people forget it. You know, and I think you look happy and you look better when you’ve got a positive attitude. And we know life is not always good, everyone gets knocked around and gets different things, but as Di was saying, you learn as you get older too to let things go. And we’re loving this chapter of our life! It’s really great and we feel grateful being here. And we’ve got a lot more to go, but it’s like we say we’re just getting started. It’s just... we’re so grateful. Life’s for living and it’s like now now or ever, so let’s make the most of it.
Segment: Daily Rituals & Connection
(08:15) [Transition Music]
Lee: I do my daily walk to Palmie and I often see both of you. You with your big spread the Coton de Tulear dog walking along the beach. I’d love to know: what is one other simple daily ritual that instantly makes you feel more "you"?
Nicola: Oh wow! Well, you nailed it with walking the dog because that really is. And I do like my morning coffee, so it’s sort of kind of like my favorite thing to start the day is to get up, walking the dog, having my coffee. And lucky it’s like living around here at the beaches. The other thing too, if I can in a week, say planning a week, I’d like to at least once or twice do a Yin yoga class. For me, that’s my grounding, being a high-energy "go go" Aries woman. Yin yoga is really good. But walking in nature is my thing. That’s my thing.
Di: I think for me it’s gratitude. I wake up instantly look in the sky and I am grateful for breathing. Full stop. You know, are you lucky enough to breathe? You’re the most fortunate person in the world. There are so many people dying as we’re talking right now from illnesses that they can’t escape from. So gratitude I think is a great, as you used the word "ritual." And I think for me, as Nic always says, Di is the plunger! I go into the ocean and I squeal like a child, literally. I literally do squeal. I have seen you! Yeah, and I go, "Wow!" like that and I go in sometimes when—and we all have moments when we feel low or sad, we’re human. And I will go into the ocean and I’ll come out a different human. If you’re not near—you don’t live, listeners, near the ocean, get into a bath or even under with the, you know, focus your mind on the water from the shower dropping onto your body. It’s incredible. But if you can get to the ocean, full of the magnesium, all the yummy stuff...
Lee: And the salt water!
Di: The salt water! It’s healing. Nature’s gift.
Nicola: And we also like, you know, when you have like solitary walks as well, as much because we’re very social. So I think being by myself and so when I’m walking with the dog, we have the best conversations. But that’s sort of something good, but then saying that I love hiking so with other women and you know we’re involved with Wild Women On Top and Coastrek. And you can go to places and in nature, like is just the best mother’s gift. It’s just healing and fun and connection.
Di: Remember how daggy it was when someone would say to you, like you’d go, "What a hippie, I’m going to hug a tree." Remember those days you’d go, "Oh, seriously?" Now, I don’t care who’s around, I literally—well you’ve been with me and I hug those trees in the forest.
Nicola: She does! She has! I've got photos of Di!
Di: And honestly, if you switch your mind off and connect, you’ll feel the energy of the tree that’s two or three hundred years old. And then you start reflecting on, well, I die with—we die without trees. You know, the goodness that they put into our world absorb...
Irene: And think about that tree as well, just now I’m thinking about it, they’ve seen so much. They’ve seen so much more than us.
Nicola: Irene, that’s so true. And you know the other thing too Di when you’re sort of saying that with the tree, I think sometimes the best connections that we get—and as anyone listening—is when you’re walking in nature with say with a girlfriend or with a boyfriend or someone else there, is the true connections and stories. If you're out in nature for a period of time, it’s different than if you’re talking across there, different if you’re on the phone or in the car. The conversations and the things that we have, say we’ve as besties of over 40 years, we’ve discussed and that we’ve never even heard that...
Di: And do you remember last Friday? Nicola and I MC’d a really, really big Coastrek, 2,100 people. But Nicola and I were interviewing various people and our question was—well, many questions—but one was in particular with a group of girls: "What did you talk about? Did you get emotional? Did you share things that you would not normally?" And they all went, "Yeah! Oh my god what came out!" So exercise, as Nic said, mothers, daughters, talking, fathers, sons, husband and wife were coming across anyway. So it’s a really healthy thing.
Nicola: So that was a long-winded way of ritual, sorry.
Lee: No, I think that’s—it’s definitely meditative and it gets you into a state where you feel safe to be vulnerable I think when you’re walking, especially when you’re with a friend.
Segment: Friendship Evolution & Mid-Life Health
(12:30) [Transition Music]
Lee: Speaking of friendship with you guys, I’ve noticed that with Irene and I, our friendship conversations are... well, they've turned from career and babies to bowel health and glass air fryers we were talking about last week. How do you feel about that evolution and are you happy and content with where you guys are at now?
Di: Oh, I honestly think that I’m a little bit older than Nicola, but not that much. But I do know that in my 20s and 30s I was a busy girl, I was living in New York, I was doing unbelievable careers, whatever, hosting TV programs and...
Lee: You were doing the Today Show, weren't you?
Di: I was doing everything! You name it. Those were the days. But you know, everyone saw me as this incredibly confident amazing woman. Like, "Wow, I’d come off air and they’d go 'That was incredible, you’re incredible.'" And I—I was crumbling inside. Oh! I never felt that I was great and brilliant, always needed reassurance. And to—okay that’s a tiny little window to what went on inside me then. And now I look at me and I’m—I look in the morning at my mirror and I used to think this was vanity: "I see you beautiful. Inside and out, you’re beautiful." And that’s not ego! You're beautiful, it's true!
Nicola: Uh-oh, a warning! A warning! Like on a podcast too, you can't get us singing because Di loves to sing!
Di: But authentic I feel very centered and very, you know, what do they say? Self-love. Self-love is key.
Nicola: But it's interesting when you’re sort of saying back to even like some of the conversations that we’d have from beforehand to now. I don’t think we’ve changed that much and I don’t think they’ve changed all radically. And we have been friends for over 40 years. Except for now, as you age, you know there’s a real depth and that’s what’s so great about our friendship. It’s a true love and respect for one another that we’ve got and I feel so grateful to have Di in my life. And other great friends as well but that’s... you don’t take it for granted. We’ve both lost our parents, you know, we’ve gone through divorces, we’ve gone through—you’ve gone through a lot of highs and lows and you’ve shared them together. We had our babies together! We had—we get the now the joys of: you’re a grandma and I’m loving seeing you in that new role as well. But you know there’s a real depth to it and so we don’t stop laughing. We laugh from when we first met each other, you know, 40-plus years ago and we still do. We keep that but there’s a respect from one another and we know one another so well that if I need some time out or Di does—absolutely! And it’s okay! It’s totally okay.
Di: Nicola only has to look at me and I’m like [sighs] or something, she’ll know. And it’s not like "Oh she’s a b***h," it’s now "Okay what’s going on? Have I gone too far? Have I pulled back? Do I need to step forward?" It’s a beautiful thing.
Lee: You're very in sync.
Di: Very much so. It’s honoring rather than, you know when you’re young she’s such a b***h, you know.
Nicola: Well that’s the other thing too and we’re on the same thing too. I’ve never—not been a fan of that. No. But also, we’re not into people if they’re gossiping about other people or stuff like that. We really are sort of like...
Di: Maybe a little bit, not in general!
Nicola: She can be a b***h but you know! No, but she’s right, we in general we won't—we’ll close it down because it is people uplifting one another. You know, so...
Lee: See, she gives you a giggle! You guys are always super positive.
Segment: Rants, Raves & Biohacking
(15:45) [Transition Music]
Lee: I want to talk about—you mentioned plot twists and things like that and we, you know, we all have them thrown our way. You know, whether it’s Irene and her business pivots and things like that or me and my long COVID journey. How do you keep your energy vibrant and your mindset healthy when life throws you a few curly situations?
Di: I guess it’s very much centered on what I said previously. It’s—a lot of people live in their heads, literally. It’s like they’re disconnected here at the neck, right? Disconnect, this is the head, oh yeah that’s my body. And I think nowadays, because thank god there’s so much more information out there that you can—and I’m not talking about Instagram—people are even talking about it. Like, it’s about—and I say it again, I’ll say it to the day I die—it’s about feeling. Where’s the feeling? For women in particular because of our uterus and we were born with those whether you’ve had children or not, it’s that soul-gut feeling. I used to override—I didn't even know what that word meant, didn't know how to spell it! And now I feel it and it’s like "Okay."
Lee: Well, there is the gut-brain connection!
Di: Thank you! Thank you! Well you are the queen of the gut! Which is true.
Nicola: And I think the other thing too is, you know you have to—we all do go through and I don’t think there’s a human being on planet earth who isn't going to go through hard times. And I think it’s sitting in it. I think sometimes you gotta sort of sit in it as they say, go through it. No one likes it! But normally there is, without being corny, like a gift at the other side of it. So there’s growth. You know, that’s sort of really what it is. So I think you know they’re the gifts really as we get age. So I think that’s sort of like for or there’s times if you need a counselor, I’ll put my hand up. So there’s been times in my life when I’ve gone, "I can’t do this on my own" and I—I don’t actually need the opinions of girlfriends or even family, I need an external one for a period of time to tap into. So there’s no shame in that. I actually think I’m pro-get as much support. So I think that’s what’s really good and that’s more available now.
Di: Yes thank god, because I said to you recently "I might go and talk to someone about that," which is—we both talk like that. And I said, "I think that’s a good idea."
Lee: Because I’m a great believer: rumination leads to stagnation. That’s to me a bit of my mantra. Hence I’ll tune into it and and help it move on. Because a lot of people are sitting in stagnation and that’s when you become unhappy.
Lee: And it's your letting go attitude! You know, you're just not holding onto things too much that's really serving you.
Di: I might when I want to pee too much! Holding on! Ahhh! That’s in my 60s, no. No! But... yeah. Just respect yourself more, honor yourself more.
Lee: Yeah. Well every time I see you Di, you just naturally glow. I mean last time I remember being down at Palmie, your hair was tied up in a pony, shimmering skin from your Palmie swims, you were actually just walking out of the water and I was looking at you—it was at dusk, remember that night?
Di: I do remember that night! Was that last year?
Lee: Yeah. And you looked like Bo Derek from the movie 10. You being Bo and Justin definitely Mo! You walked out and I—you were a vision and your energy was just absolutely beautiful. So I wanted to ask: what beauty or wellness habit did you swear by in your 20s that you would now—it would now make you laugh and you’d go, "I could never do that"? Like remember the permed hair or whatever it is?
Di: Oh yeah! I always wanted to be Farrah Fawcett! You know, with the hair out here.
Lee: Well you look like Farrah Fawcett!
Di: Oh god, I’m never leaving! I'm moving in! Is there a bed over there? I think I’ll come back to—it’s a funny thing, but I used to drink more because of my confidence—lack of confidence. And I’d go, "If I have a few more wines, you know, I’ll be able to be and say and do." And now I’m confident and I’ll just drink a few. Is that—did that rhyme?
Lee: I love it! I love a rhyme and a wine!
Di: But don't you find too with alcohol Di when you’re sort of saying that as we have aged too as we’re similar? We just—we don’t drink as much and we still love a champagne, love a glass of wine, absolutely. But it’s—our bodies actually can’t take it anymore. And we don’t need it. But it’s sort of something when I was younger and it used to be—and we’re from the days before you know then it used to get smashed and you know blind and all these things you go how terrible now really but you know that was what we’d do! You know this is you know going back in the 80s.
Di: Remember the high hair? Oh god everything was high! People were high, hair was high, heels were high, skirts were high! The world was high! Exactly. Oh my gosh. Yes. So lots, lots.
Segment: Soundtracks & Self-Care
(20:10) [Transition Music]
Lee: Di, whenever I come to your beautiful house, you know I always end up—we end up jumping up and down on the couch and then we get the musical instruments out and we start—we’re happy and we’re dancing around. And every morning when I’m in the shower, I’ve got like this thing called "shower mix" so on Spotify, so I’ve got my favorite songs. I’d like to ask you: if your self-care had a soundtrack, what song would be playing in your morning ritual? Do you have a favorite song and why? To both of you.
Di: Oh, to be honest with you, I—I am a music fiend. Like I play it 24 hours a day and I sing really loud all the time. Poor Nicola. But the thing is, so I have to—so the answer in that question because I know we’re running out of time is just—every single day it’s a different song.
Lee: Yeah.
Di: But if you want to get me going mental with you on the couch, it’ll be something like... Abeja Sin Club or... I’m sorry I’m such a dag: Dancing Queen. You just can't go wrong! But I’m into Snow Patrol at the moment for like sort of cruisy. Yeah good vibe.
Lee: What about you Nicola?
Nicola: Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Absolutely. Because it gets you going and it’s fun. And you know what it depends on the mood but I think like more of an upbeat sort of song like that is good.
Di: And Lee, that’s one of the reasons I love you. Irene—I’ve obviously only just met Irene today...
Irene: And you love me too! You only just met me but surely right?
Di: We do! We’ve got mutual friends! That’s what I love about life: just your energy, your vibrancy...
Lee: Daphne James David the meeting!
Di: And your love of life!
Irene: And she attracts beautiful people! There’s something about Lee’s products actually that I’ve found—I've noticed having sold a lot of products, and this is not a sales pitch for your products, but what I noticed is she’s a real purist. So everything that she does is the product but in its purest form. And that’s really rare and and it’s really interesting because the packaging isn't fancy. So it’s really the product inside that is the product as opposed to the outside of it and it’s just you see so much fluff and beautiful packaging these days but it’s what’s inside. A little bit like you!
Lee: Oh! Isn't that the see with all of us with friendship connection and we feel really honored being on your podcast here. It's just so good.
Irene: And we've loved every minute of it.
Lee: And we’re students of life, that’s the other thing too is you never come to a destination of going you know everything. So we want to learn more and more and more. So more about you know what you’re doing with your wellness podcast here. It’s so good and you know we want to learn things every day.
Irene: I think we’ve learned today: it’s not just about clean beauty and clean living and supplements, it’s about connection and friendship as well.
Lee: It is. About friendship, about women, falling on back on women. Thank you so much for coming on. That was amazing!
Irene: Beautiful. We have to have you back! I’d love to. We've gotta get you back on the back fence too. You worth angels. Thanks Irene.
Segment: Woman-Splaining & Self-Care for Men
(23:05) [Transition Music]
Irene: Guess what time it is Lee?
Lee: What time is it?
Irene: "Woman-Splaining" o'clock! That time we set aside for the men in our lives who need a little bit of help whether they know it or not. Usually not. And Justin’s back in the cabin—actually, did he ever leave? So, okay Justin, what ails you today, dear boy?
Justin: Hello all. Irene and Lee. Just a quick bit of feedback on your ideas for my daily smoothie. I thought I’d may have to muscle it down, but no. It’s not as milkshakey but it’s pretty delicious and I feel good about it. So thanks. Using water and actual oats instead of oat milk is a thing. I always felt a bit, you know, buying oat milk was a bit dumb. And cacao powder and Greek yogurt—okay! So I couldn't cop the coriander though.
Irene: Yeah, that’s an acquired taste. Who said to put coriander in there with cacao powder?
Justin: That might be me.
Irene: Lee! Can tell you’re a nutritionist! Let’s just get all the nutrition in, don’t worry about what it tastes like.
Justin: Yeah, I think she works for Big Coriander. So my question is—and I can’t believe I’m saying this but—self-care. It’s generally not something my mates and I talk about, but I know it’s important and I want to better myself. My darling sister says "You gotta put the oxygen mask on yourself before others." Can you give me some womanly ways to self-care for men that don’t care?
Lee: Yeah, absolutely! Bring it on. Well self-care really is everyone care. And the principles of self-care aren't womanly, they’re just more human I would say. But a lot of the language around it can feel foreign for dudes, well maybe not the wellness bros that we talk about often. So I think it's really good to freshen up the language a little. So what you could do is say "no" to one thing this week. This is what women call—we call it setting boundaries, don’t we Irene?
Irene: I say no way more than I say yes.
Lee: Protecting your time and energy is self-care as well, and you don’t really have to explain yourself to anyone and "no" is a complete sentence and it's quite poetic.
Irene: Yeah I think so too. Actually, we spoke so much on the podcast about friendships as well and building bonds with people and leaning on friends and I think that’s even more important for men than it is for women. And I think men tend to go through things on their own but I think having a group of mates that you can just have a beer with—a non-alcoholic beer of course—and just talk through you know life’s problems. And sometimes it’s not even about talking, sometimes it’s just about being in the company but I think that’s a man’s way of self-care or even just playing golf or something with some mates or watching the football. And sometimes it’s not even about talking, sometimes it’s just about being in the company. But I think that’s really important especially if you’re working a nine-to-five, you’ve got kids and you know you’ve got—I know like me, I’m definitely a needy wife.
Lee: Are you?
Irene: Yeah I am. I lean on my husband a lot actually. I’m very... what’s the word... high maintenance.
Lee: That's so funny. Actually, I was going to say just from a nutrition point of view: men I find don’t drink enough water. They get severely dehydrated. So having a bottle of water, a liter bottle of water in the car or wherever they are, taking it with them, I think that’s a good idea for self-care.
Justin: Yeah, I reckon both those ideas are good. Just being more social and talking it out with your friends. I think guys—I'm 59—and guys are a lot more in my group in my experience start to open up a bit more and we hug each other and we tell each other we love each other.
Irene: But think about the 80s! Like I don’t ever remember my dad ever having like you know friends.
Justin: No, yeah exactly. So I hope that’s where we’re going and hope we’re getting better at that. And I love the water bottle idea as well and just to gamify it a bit is to you know have a water bottle I think with with markers on it, like a volume marker, so you can work out how much you’ve drunk today and then you can bang on about it to everybody else.
Lee: I might have a rant coming up on that soon! Or maybe a rave.
Irene: I’ve noticed that with guys: they want to make it easy in terms of food and sometimes they just order you know Uber Eats and go "I’m going to nourish myself with some Uber Eats." But I think if you can just once a week cook a meal for yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy. The act of making food for yourself is a form of respect I think it’s really worth the effort. So get into the kitchen, cook a little meal for yourself and that really is an act of self-care.
Justin: Oh that’s a great idea!
Irene: It is. I love the idea of cooking for someone else too. Does your husband do the cooking at home Irene?
Irene: Yep, he does all the cooking.
Lee: Does he? Oh I’ve got a really good savory mince recipe I might pop in the show notes. It’s a real guy-guy recipe! It’s got so many veggies in it though but it’s savory mince but I pile in the veggies and you feel so good afterwards. I’m going to pop that in the show notes.
Justin: Yeah thank you! I’ve got three boys and they would love that. Like mince is our thing. And I love cooking too. I love cooking for them.
Lee: Lee loves cooking for other people!
Irene: I love it! Every time you come over I always cook. It's my love language! It is, it’s the best part of this podcast—I thought the Rant and Rave was the best part of the podcast but it is actually what Lee cooks me when we’re finished.
Lee: And I’m so sad because you have to leave early today to go to the orthodontist for your son and I bought salmon for us but anyway, next time!
Irene: I’m gearing myself—well you know why I’m going don’t you to the orthodontist? Because my husband usually takes him but he’s going to want to talk about all things fluoride and all those things and I just need to be there to make sure that we don’t go down the fluoride because my husband’s like all about the dentist said use the fluoride toothpaste, use the fluoride toothpaste. So I need to be there to make sure ain’t nobody passing him the Colgate from the orthodontist.
Lee: Oh actually I tried a new toothpaste the other day just speaking of that. It was a salt toothpaste from Weleda. I think you must have given it to me! I loved it!
Irene: That is the best! Yes. So that salt toothpaste—so doesn't it taste like—so that was the original sort of natural toothpaste and I love it also in metal. I love the tube. That toothpaste tastes like a salted kind of caramel lolly! It is the most delicious thing and when I had my first business it was actually my best-selling product. It was crazy! It doesn't sell as much now everyone’s all about the hydroxyapatite toothpaste now which everyone’s into. Well firstly before I talk about the hydroxyapatite which is the next big thing, the thing about the salt toothpaste is it actually works by using your own saliva. So how it works is it makes your own saliva form in your mouth and that is what is used to clean your teeth.
Lee: Oh!
Irene: So there’s actually some science behind that Weleda salt toothpaste, it is a fantastic product. But nowadays they’re using hydroxyapatite instead of fluoride. It is a mineral that is found in the ground and you can also manufacture it as well in a lab. It was actually invented by the NASA scientists actually and it fills the little holes in your teeth and can help stop cavities and also remineralise as well your teeth. And Grants do a great one and so do Moogoo. One thing to be mindful of with hydroxyapatite is there are nano and non-nano forms and of course the jury’s out still on anything that is a nano. But if you’re looking for a hydroxyapatite toothpaste that is non-nano, both Grants and Moogoo do a great form as well. And they’re both vegan as well! You can also get hydroxyapatite from calcium which comes from animal as well. So there’s a few different types.
Lee: Interesting! And speaking of remineralisation I know you do this Justin: you are into the fulvic humic minerals aren't you? That’s a good self-care little tip.
Justin: Yeah, I just add two or three or three or four drops twice a day in my water. Some timing—I didn't do much of the science but I know there’s heaps of science behind it. A really good friend of mine, kind of a natural health kind of mentor of mine told me about it. And yeah and I’ve just been convinced and and my mum has a lot of negative ions and that’s something my mum taught me when—this is like you know 40 years ago 50 years ago. And I just been fascinated by negative ions but that’s a different story.
Lee: We should do a whole podcast on that because negative ions—things that attach themselves to negative ions like fulvic humic does with water to help purify it—and you can do the same thing you know in the air with a beeswax candles.
Justin: Yeah! It’s fantastic. I’m a big believer and a big advocate of it for myself. I don’t really espouse it.
Lee: Wow, and thank you so much for all that advice. There’s plenty there. I mean I zoned out a bit about the toothpaste but I got back in when you talked about NASA, then I got back out of it.
Irene: I’m going to guess you’re a Colgate guy aren't you?
Justin: No! Actually... yes. But thank you very much and I’m going to start setting boundaries and one of the first one I’m going to do: is it okay if I set a boundary around having not having to pack away the equipment each week?
Lee: Nope! You’re not going to get away with that with Lee. Not this Virgo.
You’re On Speaker (Pilates & Inflammation)
(38:15) [Transition Music]
Irene: All right Lee, I can see our switchboard is lighting up—not really—but it is time for my favorite segment: You’re On Speaker. And this is where we stop talking to each other and start talking with you. And I love this segment because we get to meet people, and we’ve got Lexie on the line today. Hello Lexie, you’re on speaker!
Lexie: Hi ladies, how you going?
Lee: Yeah good thank you! And we love having you on and I wish we had hours to get to know you, but we’re going to have to settle for just asking you: what’s the thing you were clearly put on this earth to do?
Lexie: I believe my superpower is to help others through the gift of Pilates.
Lee: Oh Pilates! So are you a Pilates teacher?
Lexie: Yes! I am.
Irene: I love that! Can I actually just say off-script for a minute: Pilates is my absolute favorite and only exercise that I will ever do, but it is probably for the reason that I shouldn't admit and that is it’s one of the only exercises that I can do laying down. I just lay there and the machine stretches me! I can't think of a better way to get a workout in.
Lexie: Absolutely I agree!
Lee: So Lexie do you teach what type? Do you teach reformer or is it mat Pilates? What sort of type do you teach?
Lexie: All types of Pilates, I’d say probably my favorite would be mat and reformer of all of them here. Except for the benefits of what you get—especially mat Pilates—I don’t think it gets enough credit because we have all these apparatus now and machines that can assist us but I think it’s definitely probably on the more challenging end of Pilates because it’s just using your own body.
Irene: I love mat Pilates actually because it’s something you can do at home and you don’t need an actual machine and you don’t necessarily go have to go to a class. So you’re a teacher, so do you have a studio? Is that how it works?
Lexie: Yes, so I subcontract to studios, so basically I’ve just been in the industry for 17 years now so I’m sure you can imagine I’ve worked all over the place in lots in many many different studios and it’s just been a really amazing experience to be able to move around and meet people and help different types of people in different parts of Australia.
Lee: Oh I love that! Can you tell me if I was to compare Pilates—which again is my favorite exercise in the world—to for example my husband who might do an hour run on on a treadmill? Can you tell me what the benefits would be over that sort of traditional exercising?
Lexie: They say if you are Pilates fit you’re fit for any sport. So this is the only one thing, so if you’re a runner you can’t be a swimmer, you know you know what I mean? So and if you train for shot put it doesn't mean that you’ll be good at doing ballet. But if you have Pilates as the one core exercise it brings all of the other ones together and that’s because it’s fundamentally all about using control and your body and being mindful in your body with the exercises that you do and the way that you move. So there’s definitely a lot of benefits, it’s if you have injuries it’s easy for you to be able to work around those injuries. I think it’s just really coming back to your body and just like learning to know yourself from the inside out and once you know that then you know how to move then you can help yourself avoid injuries. When you go for a run are you thinking about what your feet are doing? Are you thinking about what your legs are doing? Are you thinking about holding your core in or you’re just running? You know what I mean? So even though you might get that outside sort of yeah meditative state when you run and in nature it’s beautiful but you’re not checking in with what’s going on in the inside and I think that’s where people are missing it now, you know, with all the exercises that we’re doing. It’s great that we’re looking good on the outside...
Lee: Where do you breathe into when you’re doing Pilates instead of breathing into your belly like you do in yoga? Where do you breathe into?
Lexie: If you ladies are sitting there now, I want you to when you inhale pull your stomach in and take a nice inhale breath and as you exhale instead of breathing out into the stomach I want you to tighten up your abs imagine someone’s about to punch you in the stomach and then exhale from there.
Irene: Oh you look so straight! Lee looks so straight!
Lexie: So is that a way to incorporate Pilates into our everyday life without having to lay down? Like just when we’re walking around we just want to sit up stand up straight or sit up straight even at our desk and then breathe. So we’re breathing through we’re breathing through our mouth or our nose? Inhale through the nose, exhale out the mouth. And if you think about where you’re shifting that air to as well, you know, when you inhale if you pull the tummy in and you’re breathing up that’s filling the lungs with air, then as you’re exhaling instead of pushing the air down into the stomach you’re pushing it up through the mouth because that’s where it’s supposed to come out of.
Irene: I’m going to do that every time I get an order! Every time that Shopify bell rings I’m going to stop and do that and then breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and then manifest the next one! I love that. Lexie you’ve been so helpful answering all of our questions. You have any questions for us? Any gut health questions, nutrition questions or any questions on your beauty routine?
Lexie: No yeah I was actually I’m really intrigued by inflammation in the body at the moment, just because I feel like as I’ve hit 44 now and all of a sudden I’m noticing things don’t function like they used to. But a lot of like sort of joints, more of my joints aren't feeling as lubricated as they were before and I feel like my body’s carrying pockets of inflammation. So what would you recommend for inflammation in the body? The best way to reduce...
Lee: Yeah if you are exercising a lot it can lead to inflammation in the body. Diet as well is something that can lead to inflammation and and even stress and anxiety. If you’ve had a lot of change and different changes going on. I would—the first thing that I would recommend is a Mediterranean-style diet or an anti-inflammatory style diet. So you’re having your good fats like your avocado, your salmon, those kinds of things. They can really really help with inflammation. So I’d look at I’d probably look at, you know you’re doing your Pilates so you’re doing a good form of exercise. I would look at diet as well and hydration and sleep. All all the simple things we always talk about but definitely increasing the amount of good fats in the diet can really help with inflammation.
Lexie: Oh that’s great because I could have been Greek I promise you I love their food! So good.
Lee: Yeah love the Mediterranean diet! I’ve got a question about inflammation actually: you talked about a Mediterranean diet, but I thought we needed to have more turmeric and isn't that more of an Indian diet? So how do you—I have never heard of turmeric in like Greek salad!
Lee: Well they’re both really an anti-inflammatory approach. So both of them are good whether you know you’re going on an Indian style diet or a Mediterranean style diet. The reason turmeric is so good as a spice is that it’s got an active compound in it called curcumin and that is very very anti-inflammatory. So that’s why it’s really good for inflammation. But the little trick with curcumin is having black pepper with it.
Irene: Why? What does pepper do?
Lee: Pepper contains piperine which can really improve how well your body is actually going to absorb that curcumin because curcumin is a poorly absorbed unless you have the black pepper with it. So that can really help.
Irene: Okay and to does it matter if I have fresh? Because I also heard with turmeric you can add it as a powder to your food to help with inflammation but then you can also have like it fresh as well or a turmeric latte or like what’s yeah?
Lee: Yeah so both are good! Both are good. Sometimes for people they don’t particularly like the taste of turmeric, so it really depends on the person. But you know if you are going with a supplement you want to get a really potent version with black pepper in it.
Irene: Are we getting enough in our diet with having turmeric in there as a spice? Like if I have a turmeric latte every day is that enough if I’ve got inflammation in the body or do I also need to maybe top up with a turmeric supplement?
Lee: I think it depends on the person and how much inflammation you do have, your age, there are a lot of different things with that. Obviously I know with my clients and the ones that take curcumin they have really benefited from it. Obviously if you don’t like taking supplements, having it supplemented within your diet is also really good as well but you are going to get bigger and better results if you’re taking a potent source.
Irene: You’ve just inspired me as we are about to get into those colder months. I miss my turmeric latte.
Lee: Yeah! And you can put it in so many things! Like I put it into my scrambled eggs.
Irene: So do I! Yeah I actually have your Love Your Gut "Golden Gut" in my scrambled eggs and it’s actually bloody delicious.
Lee: Yeah! And you can put it in smoothies, you can put it into soups, you can put it into so many forms of food. So yeah I love it! It’s really good.
Irene: We’ll have to do a whole episode on inflammation I think! But we do! And back to the Mediterranean style diet I think I’d love to give Lexie, I’d love to give you some easy food swaps that you can incorporate. So adding things like berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies—that’s going to really help as well. Some of the other things as I mentioned before good fats are good and by that I mean things like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado is really good. And instead of those more processed fats like margarine and things like that you want to get the real kind of Mediterranean style fats. Eating salmon, sardines are really good, oily fish is really good. Even just a couple of times a week just adding more fish into your diet is good. And then choosing things like beans and lentils and tofu and tempeh, they can actually be quite good in some forms for inflammation. And then obviously as we mentioned before flavoring up your meals with a bit of turmeric plus a pinch of black pepper, putting it onto things. Yeah they’re all really good tips for inflammation.
Irene: Oh I’m so hungry now! Thank you so much Lexie for for calling in and being on speaker today.
Lexie: Thank you so much for having me! I appreciate it!
Lee: Oh thank you so much Lexie you’re a legend! And thank you for bringing some core strength into the cabin today.
Segment: Rant & Rave (Bro-Longevity)
(31:45) [Transition Music]
Irene: All right Lee, I can see Lee is edging closer and closer to the microphone. Lee, are you doing a Rant or a Rave?
Lee: I’ve got a Rant and a Rave today. It’s actually a reverse Rant.
Irene: Okay. Well it’s a Rant because it’s something super annoying that’s happening and it’s a Rave because I feel like we’re really wising up to this and we’re moving away to something much better. Much, much better. So I would love to talk about today the absolute chokehold that "bro-longevity" has had on our Instagram feeds for the last three years, right?
Irene: You talk about that all the time but I don’t see it because I just don’t think I’m interested and I don’t get that algorithm. So tell me: what give me an example.
Lee: Well we’ve been in the era of like the ten-thousand-dollar cold plunge and the tech bros spending two million dollars a year on their blood work. Dude, spend a fraction of that blood money on a degree in hematology and then you’ll discover it’s a scam. Honestly! And wellness don’t you think? It’s become this real elitist competitive sport and honestly its rules are so confusing, the goalposts keep moving and I have more but I think I’ve used up my two sporting analogies there.
We’ve traded genuine community—and we were talking about that earlier—for sterile biohacking chambers. We’ve swapped a simple joyful walk with a friend to a zone two cardio session monitored by wearables and a chest strap. And some of us are so obsessed with the quantity of our years that we’ve completely sacrificed the quality of our days. And we’re obsessing over not dying, but are we actually living?
Irene: Are you talking about the guys that want to live forever? I actually really like them! They are on my feed. I actually love the idea of biohacking! I don’t ever want to die. I’m actually want to be frozen before I—yeah I want to get frozen when I die and come back to life.
Lee: Really? For me it’s like you know they’re trying to optimise everything. You know, their biomarkers. But are they actually having fun at a dinner party or are they those guys that just you know have anxiety about seed oils and the perfect sleep window and all of these protocols? You can actually turn yourself into a social hermit.
Irene: That’s exactly what I want to do! Oh you do? Yeah I’m right into it. I would prefer to have no life and live like a thousand years.
Lee: Do you know what I call it? I call it the "immortality complex."
Irene: That’s what I have! I think I have it.
Lee: You have that? But I feel like there’s a much-needed shift happening and it’s more to do with putting our life into our lifespan and we’re waking up to the fact that longevity—longevity isn't actually even a medical thing. It’s not a part of medicine, longevity. It’s just this thing that these people have made up and it’s trying to be immortal. It’s never ever ever going to happen. And I wrote a lot about it in my book Supercharge Your Life, I wrote about the immortality complex. Because I think it takes a lot of energy to think about those things all the time. I believe having a good kind of lifestyle and lifespan is having the energy and mobility and mental clarity to I don’t know outlast your grandkids at the park, to pick up a game of pickleball, to keep your brain active. You know that messy human connection that we were talking about earlier? I think real health, honestly real health is about moving, playing, socialising. We’re simple folk, we’re human. And it’s more analog than digital, more crayon than keyboard. I want to ignore those hackers trying to biohack their way to immortality and create this life that’s... I want to have a mortal real simple life. You know I want to go for a dip in the ocean, I want to play game, I want to smile at a dog, I want to touch the grass. I feel like that connection is the real miracle drug that no algorithm can replicate. I want a wonderful life full of wonder, not wearables and the Oura rings and... sorry I know I’m passionate about this but I’m done with those wellness bros.
Irene: Yes so I mean I—everything you’re saying is really inspirational. I think that having the obsession with the biohacking and the sleep tracking and all of those things—which I’m going to admit I have, can you tell I’m an e-commerce girl? But there’s such a huge part of me and I think a lot of us that are obsessed with that that wish we could just be happy with touching the ground and the grass and going for a walk. But instead I will find myself spending hours and hours instead of going for a walk and touching nature, literally being in bed staring at the results of my Oura ring and trying to understand what I can do to biohack or can I get a full body—where can I get a full body scan? When really I could just spend that time going for a walk on the beach—I live right on the beach! Why don’t I just put my feet in the sand instead of spending hours and hours obsessing over is it David Asprey and all of those guys? And I wonder where Brian—Brian is that who it is I don’t know there’s a Brian guy there’s a guy in his—he says something about he I think he’s invented a coffee, a healthy coffee so I think I want to get into that because I love coffee and I thought how can I get coffee with biohacking? So I am into that but I really do wonder if there’s a happy medium.
Lee: I think so. I mean for me I’m as you know I’m a minimalist. So as simple as the better. I don’t want to have to have anxiety and worry about my health like 24/7. And by having all these wearables and things like that it just draws your attention to it too much. I would rather be meditating or walking along the beach or doing something that that regulates my nervous system rather than hypes me up and tells me that I have to be a certain number, you know?
Irene: Yeah see that’s very inspirational for somebody like me and I think maybe it’s just the way we’re built but I definitely have health anxiety. I definitely want to get those full body scans and I definitely want to know how much sleep I’ve had and how much sleep I need.
Lee: And I have a lot of clients with orthorexia, which is like the third eating disorder and they’re just so worried about eating so squeaky clean that they spend their whole lives obsessing about their diet and they’re not relaxed and they’re not enjoying food, you know? and I find that sad.
Irene: That’s a true thing. No that’s a true thing. So I think one of my issues and is I won't drink anything. Like I’ll drink I’ll go all day and not have a drink of water because I will want to avoid drinking tap water because I don’t want the fluoride or the chlorine in the tap water, so I’ll just not drink any. I’ll just be happy just to go thirsty and I know that that is not healthy.
Lee: Well I would drink the water and throw in my fulvic humic concentrate!
Irene: Yeah I know but if I that’s a really good hack actually! So we like some hacks. We do like some hacks.
Closing
(48:40) [Transition Music]
Irene: Oh I can see Lee is edging closer and closer to the microphone. Lee you doing a Rant or a Rave? I know I could talk to you forever. How fun was that? How inspiring was Di and Nicola?
Lee: Loved their energy!
Irene: I know they’ve got a whole podcast Over the Back Fence and you know they just live up the road from here as well which is so cool.
Lee: Neighbours! So great.
Irene: I love how growing older is getting the respect that it deserves! And we had Lexie too!
Lee: And Lexie the Pilates master asking about inflammation. That was interesting.
Irene: Well if you dug today’s episode make sure you check out Over the Back Fence with Di and Nicola, they are full of heart, humour, and such wonderful guests. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so you’ll never miss an episode of Wellness Unfiltered and share this chat with a buddy. Also why don’t you drop into our DMs and check out my "nutritionist nerd notes" on whatever platform you’re using now. But until next time: keep smiling and bye!
Marine vs. Bovine: Why marine takes the crown for skin hydration and elasticity.
The "Peptide" Secret: Why the molecular size (Daltons) is the difference between absorption and waste.
🥤 Womansplain: The Smoothie Intervention (30:37)
Fixing producer Justin’s "Jelly Bean" smoothie.
The truth about oat milk spikes and the "hidden sugar" in chocolate coconut water.
Simple swaps: Raw cacao, Greek yogurt, and the "Oat Hack."
😴 You’re on Speaker: The Uni Sleep Struggle (36:32)
Helping Marrianne from Balgowlah support her daughter’s sleep hygiene.
The "Mantra" Method: Why total blackout is non-negotiable for melatonin.
Raynaud’s & Sleep: The "Warm Feet" tip for better circulation and rest.
Magnesium Glycinate: The "gentle" form for a calm nervous system.
😤 Epic Rant: The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Wellness (46:05)
Fiona’s fire on "social media experts" who fear-monger about single ingredients.
Why whole foods (like an orange) trump isolated megadoses of Vitamin C.
Lee’s Nutritionist Nerd Notes
The Collagen "Peptide" Structure
Explore
Native Collagen: Found in food like steak or home-made bone broth. It’s a giant molecule ($300,000$ Daltons) that is hard for the body to utilise directly for skin.
Collagen Peptides: These are "denatured" and broken down into tiny fragments. They act as signalling molecules, telling your fibroblast cells to ramp up production of Type 1 collagen and hyaluronic acid.
The "Clean" Collagen Checklist
Source: Look for Wild Caught Norwegian Marine Collagen (The "Rolls Royce") or Grass-fed Bovine. Avoid farm-raised fish (Tilapia).
Avoid the Bulkers: Steer clear of Maltodextrin (a filler that spikes blood sugar) and Sucralose.
The 5-10g Rule: Most studies showing visible wrinkle reduction (up to 30%) require at least 5-10 grams daily. If your supplement only has 1-2g, you're likely wasting your money.
🛡️ Fact-Check: Manufactured Citric Acid (MCA)
· Multiple industrial reports confirm that approximately 90–99% of the world’s manufactured citric acid is produced via microbial fermentation using Aspergillus niger.
· The Reason: It is significantly more cost-effective than extracting it from citrus fruits. One metric tonne of citric acid would require tens of thousands of lemons, whereas a fermentation vat of sugar and mould can produce it in days.
· Aspergillus niger is biologically classified as a "black mould" because of its dark spores. However, it is not the same species as Stachybotrys chartarum, the toxic "black mould" typically associated with "sick building syndrome" and water-damaged homes, ie the one that grows on bathroom walls.
· There is a difference between Natural Citric Acid (found in fruits) and Manufactured Citric Acid (MCA). Most labels just say "Citric Acid," but if it's in a processed snack like a gummy bear, it is almost certainly the manufactured version derived from fermentation.
· While the FDA grants manufactured citric acid "GRAS" (Generally Recognised as Safe) status, there is clinical evidence (such as a 2018 study in Toxicology Reports) suggesting that some individuals experience significant inflammatory reactions, including joint pain, respiratory issues, and skin flares, specifically from the manufactured version, but not from the natural fruit version.
· The Cause: It is theorised that "trace residues" or "mould fragments" remaining from the fermentation process may trigger an immune response in people with mould sensitivities or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), even though the product is considered "pure." Manufactured citric acid can contribute to the inflammation seen in asthma, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, autistic spectrum disorder, and fibromyalgia
🛡️ Fact-Check: The Maltodextrin "Hidden Sugar" Watchlist
· Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide with a Glycemic Index (GI) often higher than table sugar.
o The Data: Pure glucose has a GI of 100. Table sugar (sucrose) is around 65. Maltodextrin typically ranges from 85 to 105. Industrial reports (including BetterByDesign Nutrition 2025) confirm that because it is "pre-digested" via enzymatic hydrolysis, the body absorbs it as rapidly as, or even faster than pure glucose, leading to immediate insulin spikes.
· It is classified as a "complex carbohydrate" on labels, allowing it to hide in "sugar-free" products.
o The Data: Under many global food labelling regulations (such as FSANZ in Australia and Canada's FDA), maltodextrin is categorised as a carbohydrate rather than a sugar. This allows "Zero Sugar" protein powders and keto snacks to contain a high-glycemic filler that still causes a significant blood glucose response.
· Maltodextrin has been linked to the erosion of the protective gut mucus layer.
o The Study: A critically important study published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Laudisi et al., 2019) and furthered in 2022 research (Frontiers in Immunology) found that maltodextrin promotes Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress in gut cells. This stress leads to a depletion of the mucus that protects the intestinal lining, making the gut more susceptible to inflammation and "leaky gut" symptoms.
· It may act as a "primer" for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Crohn's Disease.
o The Study:Research by Nickerson & McDonald (Cleveland Clinic) showed that maltodextrin actually encourages the growth and "biofilm" formation of E. coli bacteria specifically associated with Crohn’s Disease. It makes it easier for these harmful bacteria to stick to the intestinal wall. In animal models, maltodextrin consumption significantly worsened the severity of colitis.
· Common symptoms for sensitive individuals include bloating, gas, and "brain fog."
o The Science: Because maltodextrin is rapidly fermented by certain gut bacteria, it can cause immediate osmotic shifts (pulling water into the gut) and gas production. This is why people with IBS or SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) often report feeling "pregnant" or intensely bloated within 30–60 minutes of consuming a protein shake or "healthy" bar containing the additive.
Lee’s "Nutritionist Nerd" Rule of Thumb
"If you are managing diabetes, insulin resistance, or IBD, maltodextrin is an ingredient to vet carefully. It is used in everything from 'Natural' Stevia packets to high-end 'Clean' protein powders to give them a thick, creamy mouthfeel. Look for brands that use Tapioca Starch instead of the high-GI corn-based version."
The Magnesium Cheat Sheet
· Magnesium Glycinate: Sleep & Anxiety. Highly bioavailable and calming for the brain.
· Magnesium Citrate: Digestion. Can have a laxative effect (good for constipation).
· Transdermal (Oil/Cream): Muscle Aches. Great for localised pain and bypasses the digestive system.
Justin’s "Upgraded" Jelly Bean Smoothie Recipe
Tips:
Base: Filtered water or plain coconut water (not flavoured).
Protein/Cream: A dollop of Greek yogurt and a handful of organic rolled oats
Flavour: 1 tbsp Raw Cacao powder or cacao nibs.
Greens: Spinach or Rocket (Antihistamine benefits!).
Ranking the top 10 cleanest blocks available in Australia
The "Blackout" 100% Cacao challenge
Lee’s "Gold Standard" pick for functional medicine disguised as a treat
🧔 Womansplain: The "Dickensian" Face Fix (31:03)
Treating broken capillaries and redness (the "gin blossom" look)
Simple swaps: Natural zinc, Vitamin C serums, and cooling face washes
📢 You’re on Speaker (Live with Margaret from Canberra!) (37:27)
Deciphering the "10-gram rule" for sugar on packaging
The "Bodyguard" Trick: Using raw veggies to create a physical mesh in your gut
Skincare at 68: Why serums do the heavy lifting over expensive creams
😤 Epic Rant: Big Retailers & "Marketplace" Lies (47:57)
Why big players are becoming the "Temu" of small business
The death of the niche health store and the rise of drop-shipping giants
Lee’s Nutritionist Nerd Notes
Cacao vs. Cocoa: The Antioxidant Supercharger
Cacao: Raw and cold-processed, keeping enzymes and antioxidants alive . It contains 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries and can help lower inflammation and improve heart health
Cocoa: Heated to high temperatures during processing, which strips away many of its original beauty and health benefits
The Chocolate "E-Number" Watchlist
Soy Lecithin (E322): Often used for texture but can lead to significant bloating
Polyglycerol Esters (E475): These can erode the gut lining and create inflammation throughout the body
The Rising Tide of Bowel Cancer
Bowel and colorectal cancers are no longer just "old person's diseases," with rates rising alarmingly among younger Australians
Almost 12% of cases now occur in people under 50, and it is the deadliest cancer for those aged 25 to 54
The decision to lower the screening age from 50 to 45 followed updated clinical guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). These updates address the increasing prevalence of early-onset bowel cancer in individuals under 50, even as rates in older groups have declined
Important Note: If you are experiencing symptoms (such as blood in your stool or changes in bowel habits) or have a significant family history of bowel cancer, you should see a doctor regardless of your age, as you may require different types of testing
Lee's Rules of Engagement for Chocolate
Timing: The "sweet spot" for consumption is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to help with energy slumps . Avoid eating it after 4 p.m. if you are caffeine sensitive
The Bodyguard: Pair chocolate with fibre-rich foods like nuts or berries to slow sugar absorption and prevent glucose spikes
The 10g Rule: When reading labels, look at the "100g column" and aim for products with less than 10g of sugar
Top 10 Chocolate Rankings
For the full breakdown of my top 10 cleanest, gut-friendly chocolate bars, including the rationale behind every rank, check out my latest blog post: www.superchargedfood.com/blog
Mansplaining: Non-alcohol drinks recommendations from Irene: Sans Drinks
Thank you so much for tuning into Wellness Unfiltered!
We're beyond grateful you're here with us in the cabin and would love a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps us cut through the greenwashing and reach more truth-seekers like you.
Disclaimer: This show is for educational purposes only. Please consult your qualified health professional before incorporating new wellness solutions.
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Wellness Unfiltered Episode 2 Transcript
Irene Falcone: Well, hello out there! You’re Irene...
Lee Holmes: ...and you’re Lee!
Irene: And this is Wellness Unfiltered! Yay!
Lee: (Laughs) I was on such a high from our first episode, Irene, and I learned a few things, especially around sunscreens as well. I’ve been boosting Google’s business by searching the TGA website and all the numbers on the packs to find out what’s in them. You’re welcome, whoever owns Google!
Irene: Well, yeah, that first episode was so electric. And whilst you were Googling on Google about the things I was saying about sunscreens, I was lying in bed at 3 o'clock in the morning hoping I don't get any letters from the TGA over anything that I said.
Lee: Oh no!
Irene: How nice is it out here? It’s raining today in the Cabin, and it is so beautiful overlooking that garden and the smell... there’s something about the smell of the rain on the Northern Beaches, isn't there?
Lee: It’s so beautiful and I’m actually really loving my garden at the moment because it, well... it’s the first thing I look at as soon as I get out of bed. I run downstairs and have a look at the garden and it just makes me so happy. So anyway, this episode is going to be a really big one. In our "What’s Popping" segment, we are going to the dark side—literally. And we’re going to do a deep dive into the chocolate industry, from heavy metal scandals to a blind taste test, which you’re going to be doing, of the cleanest blocks widely available. And I’ve also put together a top ten ranking of the best chocolates.
Irene: I’m so looking forward to that, Lee, I have to say. Please don't say anything negative about chocolate. It is my one thing that I love. At least I'm going to have a list of things I can eat, right?
Lee: Yeah, you sure will.
Irene: Okay, good. I do feel guilty eating chocolate sometimes. And then we’re heading into "Womansplaining" to help Justin, our producer, deal with whatever issue he’s got going on this week.
Lee: And he’s had a few.
Irene: I bet! Plus, we’ve got a listener joining us in a discussion in the Cabin. We’ve got Margaret from Canberra on speaker.
Lee: And as always, we are going to be finishing with a rant or rave.
Irene: Oh pick me! Pick me! I have a rant and I was rehearsing the rant in my car on the way here and I was getting so mad.
Lee: Really? I cannot wait to hear it. I’m super excited. I can already see the sparks coming out of your headphones, Irene.
Irene: (Laughs) Yeah, you can... can you see the steam is going to start coming out of my ears on this one? Alright Lee, let's get into the big one for the week. It’s the topic that dominates everyone's WhatsApp group, every office kitchen, and definitely every woman’s 3 PM slump. We are talking about chocolate and the dark side of it.
Lee: It sure does, doesn't it? And we talk about it a lot, and I feel like it's kind of like the universal love language, you know? But it’s also become one of the most confusing topics in wellness, I find. One day we're told it's a superfood, it protects our hearts and minds, and then the next day there’s a headline that you read and it says it's got heavy metals in it and it’s going to shred your gut and it’s got emulsifiers and it’s all so confusing.
Irene: You know what? I know those things and I just eat them anyway. And I do try and get the one that looks the most healthy, but I am always looking for that Goldilocks sort of unicorn bar. The one that tastes really good but it doesn't give me that sugar crash. And I am trying to avoid sugar, but then of course I don't want to be having any fake sugar. I don't really like the taste of stevia. But I really love that indulgence. I really do have that sweet tooth and I have been seeing all of that stuff on the news lately. So I don't know if I'm eating a bunch of chemicals or lead or God knows. Can't wait to find out.
Lee: Yeah, you’re going to find out today. And did you know, talking about the chocolate and the industry, it’s literally a 100-billion-dollar industry. And it’s really mastered health-washing. So it kind of gives us all these messages that are super confusing for people. And even the word cacao—we think we’re doing our bodies a favour getting all these feel-good, real ingredients. But actually, did you know that the spelling matters more than people realise?
Irene: It’s really interesting you should say that. I didn't originally know that. I know because as I was writing many, many product descriptions in my time, I was always spelling cacao as c-o-c-a-o... I don't even know how to pronounce them actually, but I do know that I always get them muddled up in my head still.
Lee: Yeah, so there’s cacao and there’s cocoa. And they’re two completely different things.
Irene: Yes, so I’m going to guess one is good and one is bad?
Lee: Yeah, so this is the massive difference, right? So you’ve got cacao, which is yummy, but it’s generally raw and cold-pressed. And it keeps the enzymes and the antioxidants and all the good stuff alive. It’s actually got 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries, can you believe it? And there’s flavanols in there as well which can help you lower inflammation, help your heart health, and even wrangle your gut bugs into better behaviour. There’s recent research too that backs this up, that dark chocolate is linked to a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes if you have five-plus serves weekly. I love the sound of that. And there are so many other benefits to it as well. Cocoa, on the other hand, is roasted and processed because they heat it to this high temperature and you lose a lot of those beauty and health benefits along with it. And most of the time along with cocoa, manufacturers they dump in sugar, dairy or soy to make it more palatable. And so you know the chocolates that you find in the supermarket aisles, a lot of them have processed the life out of them and they’re just a bunch of empty calories and additives, believe it or not.
Irene: Well, I never shop in that aisle. I always buy my chocolate in the health food aisle in the supermarket. So I’m assuming that they're better, right? Tell me they are.
Lee: The jury is out on those. Really, we’re going to learn more today about that.
Irene: I do still see numbers like I’ve seen E475 and soy... how do you pronounce that? Soy... there’s always a soy leth-ith-in... what is that?
Lee: Lecithin.
Irene: Lecithin. I see soy lecithin. I always try and avoid gluten and I always try and avoid dairy and of course a lot of sugar, so I always find that that soy thing is the only thing that’s left in the allergens.
Lee: Yeah, that’s true. You know what too? Because I have autoimmune issues, I’ve always tried to pinpoint the kind of foods that were affecting me and I realised it was a lot of the E numbers in just simple little ingredients but they’re chemically laden and chemically produced. So something like soy lecithin—it’s called E322 if you’re having a look at the back of your chocolate. It helps with the texture of chocolate but it’s really... it’s really bloating. I find when I have it I get super bloated. I don't know if you do as well.
Irene: Well, I just thought... okay, so this is really interesting. I just thought it was the dairy in the milk chocolate. I wouldn't have thought in a... I mean, I know I can't have gluten and I know I can't have dairy, so I don't know why I’m still bloating. That would explain it.
Lee: Yeah, because I’m like super fine with dairy. I’m completely fine but it’s these additives... highly processed foods that really get to me. And what they do is... and there’s another one called E475 which is polyglycerol esters, and what they do—the polyglycerol ones—is they really erode the lining of your gut and they create inflammation in your gut lining and in your body. And because of that, it can contribute to a lot of inflammation, tiredness after eating, bloating after eating. That’s kind of why you feel like that. And then of course there’s refined sugar that feeds the bad bacteria in your gut. So you’re creating imbalances whether you’re having the additives or whether you’re having sugar as well. I know it kind of sounds a bit negative, doesn't it?
Irene: It sounds super negative and I really want to ask you about sugar. So firstly, I know saying zero sugar means nothing because zero sugar can mean it literally has no sweetener or it means it could have fake sugar and there's a whole bunch of fake sugars that obviously I would never put in my body ever. I also did see something recently about raw sugar not being... raw unrefined sugar not being that bad for us. And then there’s other things like maple syrup or... what's the other one? There’s another one... rice bran...
Lee: Oh, rice malt syrup?
Irene: That one! So, okay... can we have those? Tell me all about sugar and zero sugar.
Lee: Yeah, so the sugar... zero sugar bars that you see in the supermarket, they are the ones that have ingredients like erythritol which is good for your blood sugar, but then there’s also a lot of them, probably 90% of them, that have these E numbers in them. And they are the ones that are very irritating to your microbiome’s finickiness, you know? What I would do personally, and what I do, is I go for coconut sugar. And I go for ones that don't spike your blood sugar too much and more unrefined kind of sugar. So I think they’re a lot better personally. And you can also get ones, say for example if you’re having one with coconut sugar and nuts in it, the fibre actually feeds your good bugs in the gut, so no drama there.
Irene: I’ve got a nut allergy in my family so I’ve got to avoid nuts in chocolate. So, yeah, I tend to get things with some dried sort of fruit in it for sweetener. Is that okay?
Lee: I mean, sometimes they’re okay if they're natural. However, a lot of dried fruit have sulphites in them. And if you’re sensitive with your gut, because you know how you get the bloating like I do, if you’re sensitive you might react to those as well.
Irene: Yeah, right. Actually, speaking of sulphites, I’ve seen all this stuff in the news recently about hams being carcinogenic.
Lee: Oh my goodness, we’re doing an episode on that.
Irene: Are we? Okay, I can't wait for that because that scares the crap out of me. But speaking of carcinogenic, are any of these other E things related to carcinogens as well?
Lee: Yeah, well, believe it or not, obviously these ingredients do tie into bigger issues and there are trends that are happening at the moment like bowel cancer trends in young people. So by the way, I just did my home test last week for the... you know the free one that you get?
Irene: Good on you. You’ve got to do it every two years.
Lee: Yeah, that’s super important.
Irene: It seems to be on the news all the time.
Lee: Yeah, you see it a lot, huh? So it was, you know, it used to be thought of as an old person’s disease—bowel cancer and colorectal cancers—but now it’s hitting younger Australians at really alarming rates. It’s actually quite scary when you look at it. When you look at the rates of bowel cancer, almost 12% of cases are Australians under 50. And it’s the deadliest cancer for ages from 25 to 54. And you know those tests I was just talking about? They’ve actually changed the age of the screening test now and it’s down to 45. So you used to have it over 50 or 55. Now it’s 45. So that’s one screen we should be doing more of, right?
Irene: Wow, that’s super scary. And so what are the risks? Like, do we know why? Has there been any research coming out to say what’s causing this?
Lee: We know established risks like low-fibre diets, lots of processed meats that you were talking about before with the sulphites in them, a lot of red meat, obesity, alcohol, smoking, family history, those kinds of things. But with gut health under pressure from these ultra-processed foods creating the inflammation, I truly believe, and the research that I’ve done, that they definitely play a role in these rising rates too because if you look at the ingredients like emulsifiers and additives, they’re in all your plant-based milks, they’re in your protein bars. We totally have to do that episode on UPFs, ultra-processed foods, I just cannot wait for that one.
Irene: I know, can I just... I know we’re going to have a whole episode on that. But you know what makes me mad? Actually, I should just save this for another rant, but I’m just going to give you a little teaser rant here. It’s very public knowledge now and all over the news, it’s not a conspiracy theory, that these processed meats are carcinogenic. Why are we still advertising ham on the back of buses for children’s lunches? Why?
Lee: I don't understand that. Like why would they still be doing it when the research is out there?
Irene: It’s out there. It’s not like it’s hidden... if it’s as bad as it is, it’s as bad as advertising cigarettes on the back of a bus still.
Lee: I agree.
Irene: Alright, that’s a rant for another day. Alright, back to chocolate. So let’s talk about the chocolate scandal and all of this stuff that I’ve been reading about dark chocolate all of a sudden being bad for us—does it have lead in it or something? Is that what it's about?
Lee: Well, yeah, well this is the "Fine Ingredients" lie they call it. So it’s the Lindt... you know Lindt chocolate? You know you get the 85% one and you’ve got all the different versions of it?
Irene: I get the highest percentage. Surely that’s the best one... I get the highest one.
Lee: And you would think that, right? However, they’re now saying that the soil is dodgy, the chocolate is dodgy, and also that they have lead in them. The lead is in the soil and now the chocolate has lead in it. Lead and cadmium was found from the dodgy soil, it sparked this massive lawsuit, and Lindt are facing this lawsuit over their finest ingredients claims. So 2026 is all about calling out these factory fakes versus the artisan. So we need to keep it organic or at least cleaner, I would say. But this is pure marketing sadly because a lot of the time you get cacao butter which is just fat, not the flavanol-rich part, and then the real actives actually might be half of that. So there’s this processing method called the Dutch processing method and that kind of wipes out a lot of the goodness too. So if you see anything in terms of chocolate with fake flavourings, that’s a chemical pretend chocolate and it’s got zero health benefits.
Irene: I know you just said all that about Lindt, but I’m going to just pretend I didn't hear it.
Lee: (Laughs) Well, it’s in America and they haven't actually come out with this research in Australia, I will say yet.
Irene: Yeah, but is it the same chocolate? Out of the same factory?
Lee: Well, it’s localised here I’m assuming. Need to do a bit more research on that. I will let you know in our episode about ultra-processed foods.
Irene: I want to know. I really do need to know more about that. Wow. Alright, so I’m going to stop being depressed now, just tell me what I can eat. I know our producer's brought in a list. You had a... this episode was inspired... I really wanted to do this episode because I was so inspired by your Instagram post where you went into the supermarket—I think you went into Woolies or something—and you came out with a list of chocolates that we can eat.
Lee: Yes, I did.
Irene: Okay, so is that what I’m going to taste?
Lee: Yeah. You are. I’m so excited. You are going to taste them. So I’ve tested them all and I’m just going to let you know my results first and then I’m going to give you the taste test. Does that sound alright?
Irene: Yes. Okay.
Lee: So I’ve picked ten of the healthiest ranked by purest cacao, gut support, how they taste. All of them apart from number ten at the very end have no emulsifiers. The one at the very end is suspect. It may or may not... it’s not on the label but I've got a feeling it does have emulsifiers in it. Anyway, for all the purists out there, number one was the Alter Eco Total Blackout chocolate because it’s 100% cacao. It’s pure, it’s got no sugar, it’s got a really intense flavour. You’re going to try that one today. I also tried one called Ombar which I’ve tried before whenever I go to the US or the UK, I always get that one. It’s really tasty. And there’s another brand called Gutsii that I looked at as well which has got probiotic perks in it too.
Irene: Are they available in Australia, that UK one?
Lee: Yeah, the Ombar is now... yeah, yeah, the Ombar is now. You can buy it here now which is super exciting because I remember five years ago I tasted it over there when I went to America. I was like, this honestly tastes good and it’s super healthy and it’s now available in Australia.
Irene: This is my dream list. I can't even think of a better dream list.
Lee: Yeah, absolutely. Now, one I know that we both love is the Loco Love. That is far and away the tastiest. I love the brand and I also love their ethos as well. I love their philosophy and their ethos, a great company. I also looked at Pana Organic and this thing called Chow Cacao Truffalos. You’re going to try those today. Woo! And one called Noia. And another one too called Spencer's, and Spencer's does have a little bit of sugar. It’s got a bit of Bundaberg raw sugar in it. However, they use really quality ingredients so I really want you to try that one.
Irene: Yeah, that’s that raw sugar that I was telling you about—like, how bad can raw unrefined sugar be? It’s grown out of the ground, right?
Lee: Yeah, exactly. A little bit of, you know, a few squares of that, I think it’s totally fine. I also put another one from the supermarket in called Old Gold 70%.
Irene: Oh, I actually, my husband hates that one.
Lee: Yeah, I know. It’s high in refined sugar actually but there’s nothing else really in it, but like I said, it’s made by Cadbury, so you never know. The jury is out with that one because sometimes they don't say what emulsifiers are in the ingredients list and also I wonder about the lead contamination in that one. However, they were kind of my picks but I really want to get tasting, Irene. So you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to actually blindfold you. Alright, where’s your mouth? Come on.
Irene: I can't wait to do this.
Lee: So we have tasting sample number one coming over. Where’s your mouth? Here you go.
Irene: Okay, so Lee, these are your top ten healthy chocolate list, right? And now I’m going to try them and I’m going to give you my ranking on how they taste.
Lee: Yep. Okay. That’s number one.
Irene: Oh, that’s really good.
Lee: You like it?
Irene: Yes, it’s really good. It’s sweet but the sweetness goes away in a second, like, and then it’s not sweet. It’s really good, yeah. Yum.
Lee: So that’s the Pana Organic. I’ve got it at number nine on my list. It’s organic, which is really good. It’s plant-based with prebiotic fibre, smooth and salty profile—but watch creamy flavours for gums; plain dark is best at 43% cacao and sweetened with coconut sugar.
Irene: Well, interestingly with Pana in general, I don't really love their chocolate because I don't think it’s sweet enough. But this was... usually I find it doesn't have enough sweetness but that... that was nice. I like this one. Which flavour is it?
Lee: Yeah, so that’s the sea salt one and it’s sweetened with coconut sugar and it’s 43% cacao.
Irene: Alright, oh that’s delicious.
Lee: That’s a Tasmanian sea salt one. Okay, ready for number two?
Irene: I’m ready.
Lee: Alright, so this one you have to take a bite out of. I haven't kind of got you a square, I’m popping it into your hand. Take a bite. Let me know what you think.
Irene: Oh my god. Oh my god.
Lee: I’m sensing you know this one.
Irene: Oh, that’s the love chocolate. Yeah, like it’s Loco Love?
Lee: That’s the Loco Love. And it’s my favourite one, the hazelnut butter praline with maca.
Irene: Oh, actually my favourite is their peanut butter one, it’s like a Snickers.
Lee: Yes, it is.
Irene: That’s my favourite chocolate, that’s pretty much the only chocolate that I’ll eat now. And yeah, I like buy them from Flannerys. I just take about ten of them and then I have to mortgage my house to buy them but god they're so worth it.
Lee: It is gold standard for taste, right? You get the prebiotic fibre from whole ingredients, it’s got zero emulsifiers and basically it’s functional medicine disguised as a treat. You like it, don't you?
Irene: Yes, so I can tell you without trying anything else this is going to be my number one. But let’s keep going because...
Lee: Alright, so this is tasting sample number three. Are you ready for it? I’m passing it over to you now.
Irene: Okay, I’ve got to find my mouth. Oh, I don't like that one.
Lee: You don't?
Irene: No.
Lee: What don't you like about it?
Irene: It tastes bitter. That’s really bitter. I am a sweet tooth. And this tastes like it’s got no sugar and no sweetness.
Lee: Yeah, it doesn't have any sweetness. This is the one that’s the Alter Eco Total Blackout, it’s 100% cacao. It is a bit stubborn to chew, don't you think?
Irene: It’s not for me. I don't like it. No.
Lee: But it’s probably the most... I’m sure it’s the healthiest.
Irene: (Laughs) Yeah, but why does the healthiest have to taste the worst?
Lee: Yeah, but I’ve got a couple of friends who are real purists and they love it. Cause you can almost feel like after you’ve eaten it you get all that magnesium from it. However, sometimes I don't actually eat this one at night because I get jumpy from it. I feel like I get a lot of caffeine or something from the cacao. But yeah, not your favourite.
Irene: No, I will never eat that, I will tell you now. No.
Lee: Alright, well let’s move on to number four.
Irene: Actually I’ve got some left over, I’m not even going to eat that. Snap... someone take that? Yeah.
Lee: I’m going to snap number four for you, it’s coming into your hand now. This is number four. Let me know what you think.
Irene: Anything tastes better than that last one. Um, I don't like this one that much either. It just to me tastes like it’s got some sort of healthy sweetener like a syrup or something. It’s okay but it doesn't taste like chocolate, it tastes like something... oh, hang on! It tastes like when you go to those cafes, those really healthy cafes and they make you like a healthy hot chocolate and it just doesn't taste good.
Lee: Yeah, I hear you. Well, this one is the Noia, I think that’s how you pronounce it, plain milk with coconut milk version. I’ve got it at number seven on the rankings. It probably went down a bit because it’s quite clean but because of the taste. Um, it’s single-origin cacao, it’s soy and dairy free, it’s pretty clean, which is really good, but it does have some rice fillers in it as well. Maybe that’s why you’re getting that kind of thickness when you, you know?
Irene: Is that... does it have rice bran syrup in it?
Lee: No, it’s got coconut sugar in it actually, which is obviously good for your microbiome, it’s better than refined sugar though. But yeah, it is all about the taste at the end.
Irene: It wasn't great, it wasn't the worst but it wasn't like the first two.
Lee: Yeah. I’ve got a really good one for you now. I think you’re going to like it. Number five coming over.
Irene: Oh, it’s a ball! It’s like a gobstopper. Oh my gosh. Um, that’s really good.
Lee: Yeah, you like that?
Irene: Yeah, I love that. Is that caramel? That tastes good. I really like this. This is yummy. This is the third best.
Lee: Really? Well, this is number six on my list and I only recently discovered this at my health food store in Avalon. Um, it’s the Chow Cacao Truffalos. And it’s really organic, clean ingredients, it’s vegan, low coconut sugar, no junk, high cacao, really good for you. Love it, love it.
Irene: That’s my Loco Love health food store too and I love that so I’ll definitely buy this. This is great to have in the fridge because I have such a sweet tooth. That was really good.
Lee: Now, for the last one I wanted to throw in a supermarket version. Just one you can get at the supermarket. And I was going to do Lindt but then because of the whole lead thing I was like, no, let’s try something else.
Irene: So you didn't want to give me lead poisoning, thank you very much.
Lee: A supermarket one, let me know what you think coming over now.
Irene: That’s the Old Gold, isn't it?
Lee: Yeah.
Irene: I know that because let me tell you, my husband buys this one and I don't like it but I will tell you this: when there’s nothing in the house and I need something sweet, I’ll eat this because it’s all that’s there and it will do... it will do the trick.
Lee: It does, doesn't it? Yeah. It satisfies. So I’ve put it as a number ten just for a couple of reasons, because you can get it in the supermarket, it’s kind of easy to find, it’s got decent cacao but it is high in refined sugar and I think it’s got the emulsifiers because it’s made by Cadbury, they don't say it on the label but I really think it might. It’s not as pure as the rest, but if you’re really desperate you might want to try it. I don't know, the jury is out to be honest.
Irene: This is what I eat when I am desperate. Yeah. But if it... let’s play devil’s advocate on that last one then because it’s a pretty good choice and you get it from the supermarket and it’s probably about quarter the price of the others. Um, if it did have that emulsifier in it that we don't know about, does that make it still... like, does that still make the list or does that mean we have to avoid it because we just talked about how bad emulsifiers are?
Lee: I put it on the list because if you’re having it like, you know, once or twice a week a couple of squares, it’s okay. But I personally avoid emulsifiers because of the autoimmune stuff and the issues that I have with them. Some people are able to eat them and they’re totally fine, but I don't recommend it personally.
Irene: It is very... that one little square that you gave me was very satisfying. That definitely hits the spot. But how do you know if it’s got those emulsifiers? Doesn't it need to be on the label?
Lee: It needs to be on the label. It really does. However, because it’s made by Cadbury and all of theirs have emulsifiers, I just can't understand why this one wouldn't, so this is just my personal opinion, I think it does.
Irene: Right, in my opinion, if I can contradict you, if it doesn't have it on the label—because legally you have to have it on the label, I’m sure, unless it’s under a really small amount—then I think we’re pretty safe with it.
Lee: Do you know what I am going to do? (Sorry, got a mouthful of chocolate). Which one are you eating?
Irene: Loco Love.
Lee: Oh yeah, yeah, that’s the best one. I’m actually going to reach out to Cadbury and I’m going to email them and I’m going to ask them about the Old Gold.
Irene: Yeah, let’s just find out and then we’ll add that to the end of the episode when we find out. I just don't know how, if it’s not... like, labelling laws in Australia are really strict, so... let’s see. Okay Lee, that was all super interesting, but let's get some really strong takeaways because I think people are going to want to get their pen and paper out for this and take notes. So, assume it's 3 PM and we need, want, have to have a chocolate hit. Yeah. So how do we lessen that sugar hangover?
Lee: Well, first, let’s wind the clock back a few hours. Say it’s 10 o'clock, right? In the morning, 10 to 11 and that’s kind of the sweet spot for chocolate, a good time to eat it. And also in the afternoon around 2 to 3, it does help with the afternoon slump but definitely you would want to avoid it after 4 o'clock, especially if you’re caffeine sensitive, which I’m one of those people. So I have three kind of takeaways around chocolate consumption. I’ll call them my "Wellness Unfiltered Rules of Engagement." So firstly, I would avoid having it on an empty stomach because if you do you’ll get that massive glucose spike that kind of leads to the sugar sag that you get in your skin. Number two is the bodyguard. I would pair chocolate with nuts or berries because the fibre and the protein can slow down that sugar absorption.
Irene: Okay, or I can pair it with some raw vegetables.
Lee: (Laughs) If you want.
Irene: Does it actually make a difference as long as it’s fibre?
Lee: Yeah, yeah, it does slow down that sugar.
Irene: Okay, but it doesn't matter if it’s a fibre from a nut or a fibre from a broccoli?
Lee: No, it doesn't matter. If you want to pair your chocolate with broccoli, you go right ahead. And also coated is better than biscuits. So if you’re going to have something like... this is what I love to have, like the chocolate-coated almonds or hazelnuts, they’re really good. But if you’re having chocolate biscuits, it’s kind of like a double carb nightmare so I’d kind of stay away.
Irene: Oh, I wouldn't eat a chocolate biscuit. Yeah.
Lee: And then just when to have them for max benefits, I’d say a few squares of dark chocolate three to five times a week, you’re going to get all of those gut health perks, you’re going to get the polyphenols, the flavanols, and all of those good things. And it can actually improve your blood pressure and insulin sensitivity, believe it or not. And for people who are into their microbiome, which I really am, pairing them as I said with berries and nuts can really boost your polyphenol absorption too.
Irene: Well Lee, I’m going to admit something to you, I’m a little bit embarrassed about but I’ve been doing it all wrong. Do you know when I have my chocolate? At night. In bed at about after... definitely after 11 o'clock.
Lee: Really?
Irene: Yeah, while I’m doing my TikTok doom scrolling.
Lee: Well anyway, at least we’ve got that full ranked list with my rationale as well and my nerd... that’ll be in the nerd notes so anyone can kind of look at what chocolates they love as well and what’s good for you. Do you want another row of that Pana Organic or should we go with the Loco Love?
Irene: That, yeah, the Loco Love... I mean, I’ve got to stop talking about it. I actually, you know... I actually dream about that chocolate in my sleep.
Lee: Really?
Irene: Not that particular one, the Snickers version of it. I think it’s because I have so many gut issues and there’s so much I can't have. But that... the one I like’s got tremella in it. And tremella—you would know this—but that’s known as the beauty ingredient and I think it’s been used through for centuries for beauty. Do you know tremella itself is really delicious? You can just get a teaspoon and eat pure tremella out of the jar as a treat. Yeah, so having the tremella in that chocolate I think of it as a bit of a beauty treat.
Lee: Yeah. Does that mean I can have it at 11 o'clock at night still or not? I have to have it at... does it keep you awake? Because I can't have it after like...
Irene: Well, I don't sleep anyway, so I wouldn't know what keeps me awake. But I have my coffee when I wake up in the morning, I have an espresso in the morning and I don't have any more coffee during the day, but I think I’m just up thinking about... you know it’s like when you run a business, I’m just thinking about like stock bins and barcodes at 3 o'clock in the morning.
Lee: Your mind's ticking over.
Irene: On TikTok. Doom scrolling. Yeah, I know, it’s all very, I know. We all have our vices.
Lee: We sure do.
Irene: Alright Lee, it is time for that segment that I think is going to become a fast favourite. We’re calling it "Womansplaining."
Lee: (Laughs) I love it. Because let’s be real, many men are—how can I put this politely?—notoriously avoidant of their own health and beauty, don't you think?
Irene: They’re really avoidant. They’ll ignore a strange mole or a red face for a decade before they even consider getting it checked out. I know my husband is the same actually, I keep telling him he needs to get his moles checked and he keeps... you know what? He keeps going to Bunnings and getting more... deciding he needs to hang something on the wall.
Lee: Really? Yeah, that’s what they’re like.
Irene: Yeah. Well to help us out, we’ve got our very own Cabin Man representative. Justin, you are on the mic.
Justin Smidmore: Hi Lee, hi Irene.
Irene: Hi Justin.
Justin: Firstly, "Bustin" thanks you for last week’s advice on his gut girth. I’ve passed on the notes to him and he’s been having protein breakfasts and I’ve asked him to report back in a few weeks with the measurements.
Irene: We look forward to hearing from Bustin. So is this Justin or Bustin this week?
Justin: I don't know what you're talking about, Irene, it’s all... I’m Justin. This might not be a great topic for an audio medium, but can you please explain to me what I can do about these weird red lines on my face? Check ‘em out. They’re mainly around my nose and cheeks. You see ‘em?
Lee: Yeah, they look like broken capillaries, Justin.
Justin: Are they alcohol-related? Or is it just an age thing? Because the more I’m looking at myself in the mirror today, I’m beginning to look like a magistrate from a Dickens novel. Honestly, I don't like it.
Lee: A Dickensian magistrate! I love it. I can see it now actually. The ruddy look. You know that kind of gin blossom look?
Irene: Yeah, that’s a long... have you come in from advertising or marketing? Because we used to call that back in the day the long advertising lunch at Machiavelli's. They all used to come out looking like that.
Justin: Um, I plead the fifth. Whatever that is.
Irene: It’s definitely alcohol... I mean, no, you know... I don't drink alcohol. I am sober. But I do know from a previous business where I was selling non-alcoholic drinks that, yeah, definitely one of the causes of that redness is definitely alcohol. Alcohol is not good for us in any... it’s not good for our bodies, it’s not good for the ageing process and I think it accelerates the ageing process. It does make our skin red.
Justin: Sorry to cut you off but I like beer. And I don't drink tons of it, but you know, I’m going to do it. As much as I listen to you and value your opinion, so...
Irene: The thing with beer is, actually... I know a lot of non-alcoholic drinks just taste like grape juice, but with beer, beer actually you can't tell the difference in the taste. You should try non-alcoholic beer. I actually tried one the other day, it was a gluten-free one and it was really good. It tasted like beer, you wouldn't know the difference.
Lee: But it’s not just beer, is it? Because it can also be like sun damage, spicy foods, extreme temperature changes that gives you those kind of red lines on your nose. And you know if you’re a guy that loves a hot shower, your face is doing a workout it wasn't kind of really built for, right? And also rosacea, it could be that too.
Irene: Well I’ve got broken capillaries and I’ve got them definitely from hot showers on my face. And I always try and wash my face with cool water, that’s a really important trick actually.
Justin: Okay, so there’s that one. So how do I fix it? Like now and into the long term? Or do I just kind of buy a wig and start grumping?
Irene: Well I think you want to tackle it from both ends, Lee. From an internal eating perspective, health perspective, what would you suggest?
Lee: Yeah, definitely I would suggest an anti-inflammatory style diet and lots of colour in the diet, lots of antioxidants and Vitamin C-rich foods. And try and cut back on that alcohol.
Justin: Okay, is there any kind of medical thing?
Irene: Yeah, I actually haven't looked really into this that much yet, but I want to look into it more for myself and I believe you can get some sort of laser. It would definitely be worth talking to a dermatologist to see if there’s something that they can do cosmically that’s not invasive for that. But from a topical perspective as well, you’ve got to use sunscreen. So a really good natural zinc oxide-based sunscreen would be great. And then I’m a big... if you haven't noticed in this episode, I’m a huge fan of serums. If a man only does one thing for their skin other than sunscreen, just slap on a serum—a nice clean Vitamin C serum or something with niacinamide in it, which is a Vitamin B3, and even just a simple nut oil or a jojoba oil would be great. So you do want to add a little bit of moisture into your skin and then the sunscreen for a little bit of protection. But cosmically they are going to do a really great job maintaining your skin if you can get that sorted.
Justin: Yeah, that’s good advice because I literally would probably just do one thing, I’m not going to be doing a whole lots of different things. So that serum idea and the cold water face wash... two good things.
Irene: Cool water, yeah, cool water, a really simple face wash that’s, you know, in the shower already. There’s a lot of actually... I think that the natural industry has caught on to men and their simplicity because there’s a couple of really great natural skincare brands. Weleda... I love the Weleda brand, you can get Weleda from anywhere. Their men's range are all two-in-ones and three-in-ones. So they’ve got like a three-in-one cleanser, so you just wash your body, your face and your hair with the one thing. So just grab one of those.
Justin: Yeah, or any men’s range in beauty is probably known by women and none... no male knows them.
Irene: For me, skincare for men is one of my biggest selling categories but I have zero male customers, so obviously my customers are women-splaining their baskets. (Laughs)
Justin: Thanks Irene and thanks Lee.
Lee: Well there you go, ladies. If your man’s looking a bit Dickensian, sneak some Vitamin C serum onto his side of the vanity, hey? Let me tell you, my husband has been using the same blue Rexona roll-on for like 20 years. And I swapped that out for that Weleda men's deodorant, roll-on deodorant, and it’s the same colour and he has not noticed.
Irene: He’s not tweaked?
Lee: He’s not tweaked at all. He just smells good. Yeah, he hasn't even noticed the difference.
Irene: Love it. I hadn't ever really thought about that but you’ve really opened my eyes. Yeah, thanks. Alright Lee, we now have our first caller of the week. Margaret from our nation’s capital, Canberra. Hello, welcome to the show!
Margaret: Hello Lee, hello Irene! Such a pleasure to chat with you. I’m a long-time Supercharged follower, first-time listener. I think I’ve read almost all of Lee's books and I just love the informative mixed with the personal. It’s the first time I read a book that had both, so yeah, shout out to you, Lee.
Lee: Oh, thanks Margaret, that really makes my day and you know, the pleasure is all mine, of course. So, before we get to the nitty-gritty, we will ask all of our guests this: What is the one thing that you’d like the world to know about you? So what’s your lane, your Margaret superpower?
Margaret: I have a few, (laughs) but my super-superpower is that I’m a child whisperer. Because I spent 38 years as a primary school teacher, mostly in Steiner education here in Canberra. I feel like I truly understand the culture of childhood and I just love being around that energy. It keeps me young!
Lee: Oh, I love that. We need more child whisperers in the world. And I’ve heard that Steiner education is so much more about like rhythms and natural foundations, which kind of fits in perfectly with what we do here. But I know that you’ve been following my work for a long time as you mentioned, and I suspect you’re really discerning and maybe slightly wary when it comes to the wellness industry. So I’d love to know what has been on your mind lately now that you’re on speaker.
Margaret: Oh wow, thank you, this is a dream come true. Well Lee, with diabetes in the family—my sister’s diabetic—I’m hyper-aware of sugar. I’m trying to manage it without feeling deprived, especially around 3 o'clock. I’m finding the health-washing on labels is getting worse. Firstly, how do I actually decipher the sugar content on packaging? I’m forever getting out my glasses to look at the tiny print when everything claims to be natural. And secondly, I read about eating raw veggies before a meal to slow down sugar absorption. Is that a real thing or just internet nonsense? It seems to work! I don't know.
Lee: Yeah, and I know, yeah, I know I’ve heard from a lot of people that they do that as well and it is absolutely real, Margaret. It’s one of your most powerful kind of tools that you can have and bring out of your toolbox. So let’s just have a look—you did mention the labels. I want to have a look at the filler on the labels first. What I do is I have a 10-gram rule when it comes to sugar. So what I do is when you’re at the shops, ignore the per-serve column because the industry really manipulates serve sizes to make the numbers look small. So when you’re looking at labels, look at the 100-gram column and aim for less than 10 grams of sugar. So if it’s over 15, it’s basically quite sweet and it’s a dessert, even if it’s a protein bar, I would stay away from it. And then secondly, the sugar aliases. I’d look out for things like rice malt syrup, agave, maple syrup because the industry uses these to sound really healthy but they metabolise just like sucrose with high fructose loads—they can really tax the liver and spike your insulin very similar to what white sugar does to you. So despite the natural branding, I would definitely look at those sugar aliases. And then when it comes to glucose sequencing—which is your second point—the veggies is 100% clinical science! You are so right about that. If you eat the fibre like, you know, a green salad or raw carrots before you eat your starch or sugar, it creates a physical mesh in your intestine. And the result from that is that this mesh acts like a filter and it physically actually slows down how fast the sugar hits your bloodstream. So it turns what might have been a sugar spike into a sugar gentle wave.
Irene: Wow, Margaret, thank you so much for asking that question. I had never heard of it and I’ve just learned something myself. That is absolutely amazing. So are you saying that we can eat some raw veggies before our meal and then we can have a little bit of something naughty for dessert?
Lee: Yeah, I mean, yeah exactly. I mean the rule is kind of never eat your carbs naked. Always give them something to protect them like a bodyguard, like fibre or protein. So even for you Margaret, like if you were to take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before that meal, it will really double down on that protection as well.
Irene: Wow, that is literally... I can't believe what I’ve just learned. That’s absolutely amazing, I’m as blown away as you are, Margaret. So Margaret, let's talk skincare. You just said you were 68 and you’ve probably seen every anti-ageing miracle cream under the sun. I’m 51 and I have. So what are you looking for at the moment for your skincare? What are you using?
Margaret: I use a moisturiser. But honestly Irene, I just want to know what I’m actually looking for on the label, just the same as the sugar. Are there cheap ones that aren't just a tub of chemicals? My skin feels like it just drinks whatever I put on it and stays dry and gets dry about five minutes later. It’s really frustrating.
Irene: Yeah, my biggest advice is to avoid anything really at the supermarket, maybe half of the stuff at your David Jones and most of the things in those sort of big cosmetic department stores. The thing is, so many of these creams, whilst they do have some really great anti-ageing benefits like peptides and like lots of lovely, you know, anti-ageing ingredients, they’re usually housed in a base of petroleum. So you want to be looking for things like mineral oil, petrolatum which is like petroleum—I don't know why they don't just say petroleum. You want to look at those things. I also have to say you do still need to look for parabens. I can't believe in 2026 that there are still brands out there using parabens in their formulations, so that’s a really important one. But one also to look out for is something called phenoxyethanol, and that’s an interesting one because that’s been added to many, many formulations that say paraben-free. So they took the parabens out and then they replaced it with phenoxyethanol. That’s also in a lot of so-called natural products as well, but interestingly banned by all of the natural and organic certification boards. So it’s a preservative, so you want to be looking for preservatives that are approved by these certification boards, that’s a really good way to know whether or not it’s sort of a healthy preservative or not. But that’s a whole long list. I think my biggest anti-ageing tip is you don't necessarily need an expensive cream. I find that serums do all the work. So you can just pick a pretty affordable cleanser, something really simple from a health food store even, you can get a pretty good cleanser for maybe 15 or 20 dollars, a nice cream cleanser, definitely look for something on the front that says 100% natural and it has a natural or organic certification logo on it. And then after you’ve done your cleanser, pop on a serum and use a serum that tackles an area that you want to address. So for example, I know for me it’s pigmentation and fine lines, so you know a Vitamin C serum for example. But if you’ve got really dry skin, then pick something with a hyaluronic acid or some beautiful nut oils to make your skin really nourished and hydrated. Or you know if it’s something else like fine lines then look for something with maybe fruit plant stem cells or some natural peptides, plant peptides. So I think serums do all the work and I think you can spend a lot more money on your serums because they really do last for months. So I would say you could spend between 50 to 100 dollars on a serum and then if you still need some moisturiser, then again just get a cheap moisturiser to lock it all in and again just keep an eye out for those nasties.
Margaret: Oh wow, thank you, that’s amazing. Wow, I can do that, that’s doable.
Irene: Just get a Vitamin C serum and you’re good to go.
Lee: Well thank you so much Margaret, I’d love for you to stay lovely and stay curious and it’s been wonderful chatting with you today.
Margaret: Oh thank you, it’s been great hearing you live for the first time. So that’s just great. Well done, you’re doing a really great service the two of you.
Irene: Thank you, Margaret! What a delight and Steiner! Oh I know I want to send my kids to Steiner but my husband is so the opposite of me and I had to give in and send them to a regular old school.
Lee: I was at this thing the other night down in Avalon. It was a shop that was closing down and they had sort of a farewell party and they had a band there and it was super fun. We were all dancing and there was one lady and she was very kind of Byron Bay, you know what I mean by that? And she was like flowing and she was really in the moment and all of that and I found out she was the local Steiner teacher. And she was just flowing, she was in the moment, it was so fun to watch her.
Irene: Oh I love that. Yeah, if only, if only. Alright, well I think my tea has gone a bit cold but my brain is buzzing so let’s get to the next segment: Rant or Rave!
Lee: Oh pick me! Pick me!
Irene: She’s been waiting all episode for this.
Lee: I have!
Irene: Okay, so this is my rant, okay? Have you noticed whenever you have wanted to go shopping for whatever product it might be, just some like a health and wellness product for example or a beauty product and you’ve gone to look for it and you’re just flooded with ads from Big W and Woolworths and I think even Kmart. Every man and their dog when it comes to those big like big retailers and big players have got these marketplaces where they don't even actually stock the product. They just list the product and then they just get it drop-shipped from somewhere.
Lee: No!
Irene: Yeah, Bunnings is a really good example but I find it a lot with, yeah, your Big Ws and your Kmarts and those stores as well. And so I think the issue with that is it is really annoying as a consumer or a customer because when you are buying something online and you buy two or three things, you’re getting them sent in multiple deliveries by multiple retailers. I think it’s really ungenuine. But from a small business perspective, like from a retailer, we’ve got all these beautiful health food stores and you know lots of really wonderful niche businesses that have been selling these products for like forever. And it’s just these big boys crushing the little guy. The little guys that have got their own warehouses and they’re picking and packing their own orders, they’ve got everything in stock, everything gets shipped beautifully to you only to be overshadowed by, you know, these Google ads. I’m telling you, I’m telling you now, these big players and their big budgets just dominate Google. They are in my opinion the Temu to small retailers. Yeah, that’s my rant.
Lee: I mean, have you ever bought anything from a store and had three different deliveries and something from a brand direct that you thought you bought from Bunnings? Has that ever happened to you?
Irene: It happens to me all the time! Yeah, they come separately and then you get all these different notifications on your phone as well so your phone's tied up with all this sort of "coming this day" and then you get an email and then you yeah.
Lee: It’s so overwhelming.
Irene: Actually probably you know and there’s a whole other thing about privacy, isn't there? Oh, I signed up for Kmart or I signed up for Bunnings but now I’m on an email list for Woolworths. I don't know that those two are connected, that’s just my example but I find... you know what I do notice too? Like when I look for something on a health food store or on your Clean Nectarine website and then I’ll get distracted and then I’ll go back to it and then I’m retargeted with all of these ads from the big players with the same item.
Lee: Oh I think that yeah I think that might be the Facebook algorithm doing that. But those big players have got huge budgets. I could rant on about Woolworths and Endeavour and oh I could rant on about them for ages. And it’s hard because like a lot of the small businesses are family-operated businesses, you know? Family-operated businesses, entrepreneurs with passion, you know products that they have curated out of love and then you’ve just got these big boys in it and I again it comes back to sticking to your lane. You know last week you talked about sticking to your lane. Stick to your lane! Like I’m all about if you want to go to Woolies and get some apples and some cereal and what you need, your groceries, then just stick to groceries Woolworths! You don't need to all of a sudden now be a niche health food store or a non-alcoholic bottle shop. Rant over.
Lee: That’s a good one. I hadn't ever really thought about that but you’ve really opened my eyes. Yeah, thanks.
Irene: Let me tell you one quick story. When I had my non-alcoholic bottle shop, Dan Murphy's sold almost no non-alcoholic drinks at all. As soon as I opened my bottle shop, you know what they did? They called themselves Dan Zero and opened up non-alcoholic bottle shops. I swear half the store turned into a non-alcoholic bottle shop. Dan everything was Dan Zero. Did you know that? Billboards and everything.
Lee: Really? Really? They love to jump on what’s, yeah, and capitalise on what’s trending.
Irene: Oh I don't know about capitalising on what’s trending rather than trying to squash and kill small business. Oh big rant, but anyway. They won't get me this time. No.
Lee: (Laughs) No.
Irene: So that’s a wrap for episode 2. We’ve covered the dark side of chocolate, Justin's red lines, met the lovely and intelligent Margaret the child whisperer. Not to mention my hot, hot, hot rant! Ahhhh, I’m now at peace with the world again.
Lee: Yeah, you came in really hot for that one which is good. I love your passion. And if you love this session, please do us a massive favour. If you don't mind, can you please hit the follow button and leave us a five-star review or six if they’ll let you. That’ll really help us.
And follow us on our Instagram. It’s @wellnessunfilteredleeirene. And drop us a line or a question.And if you'd like to come and talk to us on here, let us know. Yeah. And if you want today's Nutritionist Nerd Notes, just head over to your favourite podcast platform. Love you guys. Love you, Lee. Love you too.
Wellness Unfiltered is a production of Clean Nectarine and Supercharged Food. Produced by Lee Holmes, Irene Falcone, and Justin Smidmore. Listen & Subscribe on SubstackApple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube. Information is for editorial and educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before changes to your routine.
Probiotics: Live good bacteria (reinforcements for your gut ecosystem). Found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut. They populate the microbiome to keep good vs bad bacteria balanced. Disrupted by antibiotics, high sugar, smoking.
Prebiotics: Non-digestible plant fibres that feed existing good bacteria (like fertiliser for hungry babies). Examples: inulin (chicory root), resistant starch, onions, garlic, oats, asparagus, leeks, bananas, apples (with skin).
Daily Tip: Eat both, every day for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that boost digestion, immunity, reduce inflammation.
General Gut Health Ecosystem
Microbiome = trillions of bacteria. Balance via diet; imbalance from poor habits. Pro/prebiotics restore harmony for overall wellness.
No starvation: Avoid extreme restriction (raises cortisol). Aim consistency over intensity.
Learn About Legumes
Legumes are a great source of protein and fibre.
Here's my lovely legume cheat sheet for your viewing and eating pleasure, there are some great recipes in this blog post too. Green beans/snow peas/snap peas are "fresh legumes" vs. dried pulses. All feed microbiomes via prebiotic fibre!
Thank you so much for tuning into Wellness Unfiltered!
We're beyond grateful you're here with us in the cabin and would love a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts it helps us cut through the greenwashing and reach more truth-seekers like you.
P.S. If you’re keen to sponsor an episode and connect with our wellness audience? Reach out to: wellnessunfilteredleeirene@gmail.com for collab details.
This show is for educational purposes only, please chat with your qualified health professional before incorporating new wellness solutions.
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Wellness Unfiltered Episode 1 TranscriptWell, hello out there. So, you're Lee and you're Irene. And together we're Wellness Unfiltered. Yay! Welcome, everybody. This is the very first episode of Wellness Unfiltered with Lee and Irene. And we are coming to you live from a very secret cabin location. And we are so glad to have you here with us.
Finally, Lee, we have been talking about doing this for years because I know we're both just so done. We are so done with the sugar coating, done with the greenwashing, and done with the wellness gaslighting. Exactly. And this show is all killer and no filler and no hidden agendas either, because we just want to talk about the clinical facts. We're going to put in a bit of common sense and the unfiltered truth about what you're really putting in and also on your body.
So, this is going to be a weekly podcast on wellness and beauty, and we want to bring the heat to our industries too. We're going to shine a light on what's going to help you in your day-to-day life. You, our lovely listener. Irene and I and our unfiltered guests will bring you real, raw, and refreshingly honest chats about wellness, minus the woo woo. You bet. And I've been told I don't have a filter. And I definitely have some thoughts on the world of beauty. And I also have some bones to pick and some myths to bust.
Together, we have a combined 30 years in health and wellness and beauty, especially the natural kind. We just love what we do so much. It's so dynamic and so interesting, and change is constant but so much fun. It sure is.
Hosts' Introductions
So, I'd like to start with a little intro all about the force of nature that is sitting right alongside me. Drumroll, Miss Irene Falcone. So about 15 years ago, do you remember we met when we were both single parents, and we were kind of just trying to make ends meet? And back then, remember, you were working at Universal, and I was at ABC. Yeah. Of course. And do you remember you used to send me those free movie tickets so Tamsin and I could go to the movies? I always used to give it a try. I always used to sneak my allocation to you. You did. And I used to give you little music albums too. Sorry, Clive, if you're listening, that's my boss. We're still in touch, actually. Thanks, Clive. Thank you, Clive.
Back then, we were kind of just two young parents, weren't we, supporting each other through those pretty tough times? But fast forwarding onto today, I feel like we've really cheered each other on through wins and losses and everything in between. And we've both seen our dreams take shape. While I personally, you know, started blogging and I did my blog Supercharged Food and built my website Supercharge Your Gut, you went down another road and you became this amazing global entrepreneur, buying and selling major businesses, racking up every award and leading the way for ethical entrepreneurship.
I do remember actually, I was in Central Station one day and I was just waiting for my train, and I looked up and I saw this beautiful beaming face across a massive billboard in the station, and I thought, wow, that's you, Irene. And it was such a proud moment. Thank you for BWX for buying those billboards for me.
And fast forward to today, we actually genuinely just live around the corner from each other and we're still super close friends, which it really is a full circle moment, isn't it? It really is. And I'm just, I just almost have to pinch myself when we think about how far we've come over the last 15 years. It's actually longer. I think it's more like 20 years now. Yeah, I feel like some friendships are just meant to be hard. And looking back on those really simple acts of kindness that we did back then when we were both struggling and building our businesses, and now we kind of help others live healthier, more conscious lives. And I don't know about you, but I definitely feel a big sense of achievement from that.
You know what's interesting? I don't know if I've ever told you this, but in that business that I started after I left Universal Pictures, you know you love your gut powder was my number one selling product. Was it? Yeah. At least 3 or 4 years in a row. Yeah. I remember we would just get these deliveries and we would. And I would tell the staff not to put it away on the shelf because I knew, just leave it out the front because I knew they would all get packed directly into orders. Oh, that's so awesome. I love how our friendship is so authentic and genuine. And boy has it stood the test of time.
Oh, Lee. So, what can I say about Lee? First and foremost, your blog. You had a blog, and it was back in, I'm going to say 2008 about then, and it was literally the only really good genuine food blog at the time. And I was obsessed. In fact, I was such a fangirl of this. And I would bookmark it, I would chop off it, I would cook off it. And it's really, I don't know if I've ever told you this, Lee, it was your blog that inspired me to start my blog. No, it really was. I thought, I need to do a blog similar to this, but on beauty products. And that's what made me start the Living Toxin Free, actually was Toxin Free back then, Living Toxin Free in the City, which ended up going on to become my first business. But you really were the inspiration for that, so thank you. Oh, I'm blushing. I need, I need one of your natural concealers. Can I borrow one? Yeah, yeah, I've got one in my bag. In my bag? Why don't you have one yet? Need one?
But beyond the blog, I think you have written ten, but I've gone to at least ten book launches shortly. Yeah, you have. In fact, I just handed in my 12th book. Wow. I mean, you are such an inspiration. Your books are amazing. I'm so proud of you. Oh. Thank you. That's such a sweet intro. I'm blushing. Oh, and one other thing about Lee that you might not know that I hope I'm allowed to say, but did you know Lee is actually a singer? She used to be a singer in a band. I actually walked past the ARI Awards on my way to the cabin. Awkward. I actually played congas in a band, the Love Monkeys, back, back in my heyday. You are a multi-faceted, multi-talented Virgo, Lee. I am definitely a Virgo.
Episode Breakdown
So, here's a breakdown of each episode. Each week we are going to take a dive into what's popping. So, the news, the views, and the controversies of the week in wellness and beauty. That's all on the top of our minds. That's right. And we'll also help you help the man in your life with our Woman's Blame segment. So, let's be honest, many men are notoriously, let's say, strategically avoidant of their own health, right? Totally. They will research a car battery for six hours, but they won't take just a few minutes to look after their health.
So, every episode, we're just going to give you a few simple ideas to get your man a little healthier and looking his best. Then we are going to have a lovely listener zoom into the cabin with You're on Speaker. Oh, can't wait. Oh, and then we finish with my favorite segment, which is a rant or rave. Mostly I love the rant part of that. It's going to be so fun. Of course, unless you're doing something dodgy out there.
Well, I've always wanted to say this. So, without further ado, let's talk about what's popping.
What's Popping: Sunscreen Discussion
So, we're kicking off our very first Wellness Unfiltered episode with our What's Popping segment with one of my very favorite guests so far. Hahaha. It's you! I really am a cheap guest. Well, you're also a true pioneer when it comes to natural ingredients and clean beauty.
And I really want to chat to you today about lifting the lid on something almost every single Australian person uses, and that is sunscreen. And lately it's been such a hot topic in the news. But it's also, I think, a really confusing one for people. Oh, it's super confusing. I've actually made a sunscreen before and the process is really complicated and there is a lot of red tape, and there's also a lot of confusion out there in the market. Yeah, I do want to pick your brains today about natural ingredients as well. And I want to talk about transparency and beauty. And I might also have a few cheeky questions about the Australian regulatory landscape as well.
But yeah, we'll have another leading sunscreen expert coming on in a future episode too, which will be really good. So, we'll do a part two of this. But if you really want to know what's in the bottle and why some sunscreens have recently been taken off the shelves, and if you want to know how to choose products that protect both you, your skin, and the planet, I think this episode is going to be really illuminating. So, slip, slop, slap your headphones on and let's get into it.
What do you want to know, Lee? All right, well, firstly, just with a little bit of background, I actually had a melanoma a few years ago removed from my forehead, which was a super scary experience. And so that made me really aware of the harshness of our Australian sun and the need for us to wear sunscreen. What I want to know is there's been so much controversy around sunscreens lately, which you talk a lot about on your social media. Can you give me and your listeners a rundown on what's going on and what's the inside goss?
Oh, well, there's a few. There's a lot going on with sunscreens at the moment and oh, where do I start? I guess it all kicked off with this Choice story. It's like the X-Files. Yeah, it's a lot like the Epstein files, but for sunscreen. There's so much going on. So, Choice. I think they do it every year, but for some reason, they always catch these big brands of sunscreens out for not meeting the SPF rating that is on the pack. And I'm sure that this has happened in the past, but for some reason this year it's really been picked up, and I think it's been picked up because it was such an iconic brand that was underreporting their SPF rating.
It was Ultraviolet, and Ultraviolet is just really popular. And I think the founder came out and really defended her SPF rating. And then it was found that it wasn't hitting the SPF rating. So, I think that’s why it got more media this year than it has in the past.
That Ultraviolet sunscreen had a base formulation that was used across a whole bunch of other sunscreen formulations in Australia, and what ended up happening is that everybody that used that base formulation came out of a WA manufacturer called Wild Child. What's really interesting about that is this Wild Child manufacturer was getting the sunscreens SPF tested overseas, which I actually didn't think was allowed. When I was making my sunscreen, I had to get it SPF tested in Australia through an Australian lab.
Do you know how they do it? They actually burn your skin. They put the sunscreen on and then burn it. They pay uni students like $10 an hour to do the testing. But anyway, they were doing this overseas, which feels dubious. I've tested US sunscreens in Australia before, like BB creams labeled SPF 30 or 25 on the pack. Even though BB creams don't need TGA approval, they still must meet packaging laws. Those came back as SPF 3 here.
I cannot believe that. Things like that happen in my industry too. They get TGA regulations in Australia, then take products to China and change everything. What other controversies are there?
There's more. Another article revealed an Australian sunscreen manufacturer making private-label versions, using the exact same formulation for about 50 different brands, not just a base, but the full formula. Sometimes even the same bottle shape, just a different sticker. They all shared the same TGA number, which I'm pretty sure isn't allowed. The TGA later clarified if that's okay, but imagine 50 brands selling identical products at different prices. That's why I'm not a fan of private label.
A couple of those brands approached me to stock them, but it didn't feel right since they were all the same. In that case, Magoo's founder tested them and told the media they claimed SPF 50 but didn’t meet it. That's the second controversy. The third and fourth involve chemicals. The TGA announced before Christmas they're reviewing limits on certain ones, untested for hormone disruption.
This week, a Courier-Mail and Herald Sun article cited Freedom of Information emails about another ingredient, banned in 20 countries, in Australian sunscreens (including kids'), untested for safety in pregnant women and children. The outcry is we weren't told. Sunscreens are being pulled for safety, contamination, or dodgy ingredients. How do we choose a legit one?
We must wear sunscreen. Slip, slop, slap; you know that better than anyone. Trust the SPF rating first. Those Choice-affected ones are pulled now, and brands have retested post-scandal, so we're more confident. On chemicals, even chemical sunscreens beat none, but for natural (zinc/titanium-based), they must match chemical SPF ratings and be TGA-listed. Check the TGA number on the pack for rigorous Australian testing.
Does the TGA system work for consumers, or is it tough on small natural brands? It absolutely works for consumers. I'm pro-TGA. I love natural sunscreens but wearing any beats burning. People skip sunscreen fearing toxins, so pick natural with TGA listing. Avoid small suppliers selling plain zinc oxide with shea butter claiming protection. No TGA means no guarantee.
One annoyance: TGA-listed products only need active ingredients listed (e.g., 22% zinc oxide), implying natural. Check the full list on the TGA website by entering the number. It often reveals 15+ inactive ones. That's my trick for stocking; Google "TGA [number]" for ingredients.
On the environment, do "reef-safe" sunscreens live up to it? Some chemical sunscreens destroy coral, so avoid them at the Great Barrier Reef. Natural zinc oxide ones call themselves reef-safe, but environmental groups question if zinc or titanium dioxide truly is. It’s less bad than chemicals, but the jury’s out. It's on labels, but not 100% verified.
What about SPF ratings like 10, 15, 30, 50? Back when I made sunscreen, natural zinc maxed at SPF 30. Now SPF 50s are common. SPF measures UVB blockage. SPF 50+ blocks 98%, SPF 30 blocks 97% (just 1% difference), SPF 15 blocks 93%.
Does that mean how long it lasts? Labels say reapply every 2 hours. That’s not marketing; sweat wears it off. Reapply often, especially swimming, plus hat and shade. Follow directions based on formulation.
That's so interesting. I loved having you as our first guest. Anytime, Lee.
You’re On Speaker with Di
Welcome to the You're On Speaker episode, and Di, you're our first caller. Welcome! Thank you. It's a little bit exciting. I don't know that I've come first on a lot of things, but anyway, thanks for setting up this podcast and giving us an opportunity to ask some questions.
I've actually got a question around prebiotics and probiotics. I read a lot about it and hear a lot online, but I actually don't know what the difference is between the two, or the frequency that you should be having either of them. There's a lot of different messages online, so I was curious whether you could offer some insight on that. That's such a great question, fully over to me.
Hi, how are you doing? Yeah, good. Thanks. Thanks for answering the question. No problem. I do get this a lot in my nutrition clinic, actually, and it is really confusing. Gut health can be quite complicated, but really, at the end of the day, it's quite simple.
If you're interested in learning more about prebiotics and probiotics, I like to think of the gut as this beautiful ecosystem, and we call it the microbiome. Within it, you have trillions of different bacteria living all together in this one ecosystem. When you're really healthy, your microbiome is nice and balanced and everything's running smoothly.
But sometimes it can get out of balance. Some of the things that throw that off are smoking, antibiotics, a really high sugar diet, that kind of thing. So, we want to keep the good and the bad bacteria nice and balanced. The way that we do that is by eating more probiotic-rich foods.
When you think about probiotics, they're like the reinforcements that you bring in. There are good bacteria in foods that you can eat, things like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. You've probably heard of all of those. They're basically the good bacteria or the seeds, and they are the ones that are really helpful for the good microbes in your gut ecosystem.
The good microbes in your microbiome have to be fed. They're like little babies with their mouths open. That's where prebiotics come in. They act as the fertiliser for your good bacteria. They are things like non-digestible plant fibres, inulin, chicory root, or resistant starch.
These go into your body and feed all the good bacteria, and the good bacteria love to munch on them. Foods like onions, garlic, and oats can really help fuel the bacteria that is already in your gut and help it thrive and multiply.
The difference: probiotics are your good bacteria in the gut; you want to populate them and have them thriving. Prebiotics don't add new bacteria; they just nourish and support the bacteria that you already have.
You also asked about how often to take them. You can get them through your food, and it's important every day to have some kind of probiotic-rich food, some yogurt, lots of fibre, onions, asparagus, chicory, and those kinds of foods are really good. If you're having them daily, it keeps things going and moving.
Once your good bacteria flourish in your gut, you'll notice they start to produce short-chain fatty acids. These can really help strengthen your digestion, bolster your whole immune system, and dial down inflammation in the body. It sounds simple, but those are my tips on pre- and probiotics. I've got a recipe and a shopping list in the show notes too. I'll drop that if you like.
Fantastic. That's actually such a clear answer, and I can't believe I didn't know that for so long. But now I'll be thinking about little babies, the hungry babies eating the prebiotics. Thank you for that.
Natural Beauty Tips with Irene
Actually, while I've got you both on, can I ask another question, Irene? If I'm on a natural health journey or a natural beauty journey, when I'm thinking about beauty, should I be looking for natural products? Or if I am looking for natural products, how do I tell the difference between natural and not natural? Is it something as simple as the number of ingredients on the bottle?
That's such a great question, and right down my alley. If you are on a health journey, you must always think about what you're putting on your body as much as what you're putting in your body. So absolutely, you should be looking at natural products.
When it comes to natural products, often less is more. A long ingredient list might not mean the product's bad or has toxic ingredients, but it is quite confusing, and I love simplifying things. Look for words on the front of the pack or certification logos if you don't want to read the full ingredients on the back.
Anything that says "100% natural" legally can't say that if it isn't. That's a great way to know what you're putting on your skin is natural. To go one step further, look for certification logos like certified natural or certified organic. You’ll know that's a natural product full of goodness.
When you're out shopping, avoid logos that just say "cruelty free" or made-up ones saying "green" or packaging that just says "natural." If it says "made with natural ingredients," that doesn't mean the rest aren't natural. It's all in the wording, and hopefully that helps.
That's fantastic, that's actually very clear. Thanks, ladies. That was so helpful.
Thanks, Di. Great to have you on board. How good was Di? That was such a great question. Yeah, both were really good. I didn't even know all that about pre- and pro-, but I know we need them, I just didn't know the details. That was such a good visual with the babies, the hungry babies. I love that.
It's great when callers come in, isn't it? She was great with the feedback and questions. Where was Di from? Let's ask our producer. Where was Di from? From Bondi. Bondi Di! Thanks, Di, that was great. We should get more people ringing in.
If someone wants to call in with a question, how do they contact us? They can go onto our Instagram account, Wellness Unfiltered Lee Irene, and send us a DM. Get them on the line! And if you don't want to get on the line, just send a DM or add a comment to our page with a question, and we'll answer it.
I'll ask Lee if it's a health and wellness question. And if you want me to answer any beauty questions, I'm happy to do that. Green Irene! Clean Irene answers.
Woman’s Blame: Myth Busting Bustin’s Gut
It's time for a public service announcement, time for Woman's Blame, where we gently help the men in our lives with some good old information, also known as unsolicited advice.
We have our very own man right here in the cabin. Justin, take your producer hat off for a second and grab a mic. I'm here, Lee, and I'm afraid. Do you have a burning health question for us, Justin? I sure do, but I'm asking for a friend. He's called Bustin, and Bustin wants to know, he's skinny everywhere except his gut. How does he get rid of it? Bustin, that's very original.
Okay, Lee, over to you, this is definitely a Lee question. Bustin is probably a lot of men over 40. And ladies, because I know you're the ones listening right now, this one is for you too. You came here to quietly absorb it and then somehow accidentally work it into a Tuesday night dinner conversation. I see you, and I respect you. So, let's get talking about Bustin's gut.
Here's the thing most people don't realise. That specific shape, skinny everywhere but a potbelly, isn't a general weight problem. That's visceral fat, which sits deep inside the abdomen, wraps around the organs, and is metabolically active. That's the problem. It's hormonally disruptive, driving inflammation, especially for men over 40.
It's usually tied to elevated cortisol and declining testosterone, stress and age. It's not about laziness or willpower, it's biology. Here's how Bustin starts to shift it through nutrition. First, cut out liquid calories, not just alcohol, which the liver processes as a toxin, prioritising it over fat burning (so the belly stays). Also, sugary drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, they’ve got to go.
Second, add more protein at breakfast, not cereal or toast, but eggs, Greek yogurt, smoked salmon, to stabilise blood sugar early. Blood sugar spikes and crashes raise cortisol, which deposits fat in the belly.
Third, fibre, foods that feed the gut microbiome: legumes, oats, fermented foods like sauerkraut, bananas, apples with skin, garlic, onions, leek, asparagus. The gut microbiome influences visceral fat storage, and this science is compelling.
What about exercise? He didn't mention the gym, we can leave it there if you want. No, exercise. Incidental exercise, taking stairs, parking further from the station, evening walks after dinner.
Finally, Bustin doesn't need to starve himself. Extreme calorie restriction raises cortisol more. Consistency over intensity, small strategic shifts, sustained.
Thanks, Lee, and thanks, Irene. I understood all that and listened. The only thing I don't understand is what is a legume? That's a good question, I don't know either. Is it a bean? You know what a legume is and how it grows. It grows in pods, just like us, in a pod, in a podcast. It's a seed, beans, lentils, peas, peanuts. Common ones are lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans.
They're a good source of plant-based fibre, iron, and B vitamins. Part of a healthy diet, recommend them. Thanks, Lee.
Rant or Rave: Stay in Your Lane
So right now, let's get ranty, this is going to be my favorite segment. I can tell who's going first. You've got a rant, over to you, Lee.
Today my rant is all about staying in your lane. It's got me really ranty. This is expertise creep, it's a global epidemic. I'm just trying to see where you're going, are we naming names? Maybe, you know how I feel.
I understand nutrition, that's my lane. I've spent years studying it and practice as a clinician, day in, day out. But do I know the law? No. Litigate in court? Can't fix your car. Make bad coffee. I'm okay with that because I know my limits.
But success has become a free pass to be an expert in everything. Only if you're an influencer. Build a following, congrats, you can launch a health food product. You're a lawyer, now putting ingredients in a wellness product that wouldn't stand up in court. Mountains of excipients, preservatives, unnatural colors.
As long as you write a book or you're a public figure, make a product, call it whatever, put whatever in it. That's not expertise, it's capitalisation, jumping on the gravy train. Toot toot. The danger is people trust you and buy because of you, not the product. Many lack efficacy, just proprietary blends not helpful.
I've got a thing about private label too, slapping a name on it. Every man and their dog doing it, not really creating. Find your lane, love your lane, fix the potholes. Veer into someone else's, you're a traffic hazard. People smell inauthenticity.
Penny Lane, I love that. People are catching on; they smell it a mile away. They're intuitive, they know when they're being marketed to, especially pricey products with no value. I don't know what product you're talking about, I'm going to look it up.
Closing
That's all for episode one! We've covered sunscreens, myth-busted Bustin's gut, and met the lovely, intelligent Di on speaker.
If you love the show, hit follow, leave a five-star review, or six-star. It helps fight the big industry giants and keeps us independent. We love fighting the bros. For full research and nerd notes, head to your favorite podcast platform.
See you next time. Bye!
Wellness Unfiltered is a production of Clean Nectarine and Supercharged Food. Produced by Lee Holmes, Irene Falcone, and Justin Smidmore. Listen on Substack and Wellness Unfiltered podcast. Information is for editorial and educational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before changes to your routine.
• From IT to Nutritional Medicine: Michele originally studied technology, business, and education, and worked in the IT industry before retraining. After her third child, she returned to study medicine and found her direction in her first nutritional medicine class, an emerging field at the time with relatively little evidence-based research. She recognised the opportunity and stayed.
• The Modern Nutritionist: Michele describes herself as the nutritionist who loves a little coffee, wine, and chocolate. Her business is called A Healthy View for a reason: no extremes, no punishment, no all-or-nothing thinking.
Sugar 101: What’s Actually Going On
• The problem is added sugar, not natural sugar: Natural sugars found in dairy, fruit, and vegetables are not the concern. The issue is the added sugar hidden in foods that look, and are marketed as, healthy.
• The recommended maximum is 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Most Australians consume 36 or more. Michele’s analogy: if you took 6 times the recommended dose of any pharmaceutical drug every single day, there would be consequences. Sugar is no different.
• What overconsumption actually does: Sustained excess sugar affects energy, cognitive function, neurological health, libido, mood, fertility, and sleep. These are not abstract risks — they are things Michele sees in clinical practice every week.
Is Sugar Addiction Real?
• Clinically, it acts like one. It is not classified as an addiction in the same way drugs are, but it produces a dopamine feedback loop that drives repeated behaviour. The mechanism is hormonal, not just psychological.
• The good news: the palate can be reset. Small, consistent changes, without punishment or deprivation, are enough to shift the feedback loop over time. As the body begins to regulate more effectively, sleep improves, energy stabilises, mood lifts, and the improvements become more compelling than the sugar itself
The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster: A Real Life Example
• The morning: A chai latte from a cafe (8 to 10 teaspoons of added sugar) and a banana muffin (another 8 to 10 teaspoons). Two things that look healthy, with 15 to 20 teaspoons of sugar already on board before 9am.
• The crash: Ninety minutes later: fatigue, brain fog, irritability. Not low iron. Not early menopause. A blood sugar crash. The higher the spike, the harder the fall. At the bottom of that fall is where hunger, mood dysfunction, and energy collapse live.
• The cycle: The response to the crash is more coffee or more sugar, which starts the cycle again. By 3pm, after a salad lunch with no fat, protein, or smart carbs, the body is running on empty and reaching for anything it can find.
• Every spike drives inflammation. And chronic inflammation is the underlying pathology in virtually every major disease — cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune conditions, depression, and more.
The Gut-Brain Connection
• Research from Deakin University’s Food and Mood Centre is producing world-class randomised controlled trials on food and mental health. The field is still in early stages, but the direction is clear.
• Real whole foods support the gut microbiome, which in turn supports serotonin production, immune function, and cognitive performance. Fibre, diversity of plants, and the absence of ultra-processed ingredients are the primary levers.
• The SMILES Trial: A landmark randomised controlled trial studying the effect of a real whole food diet on depression and anxiety. All foods in the study came from Coles and Woolworths. The results showed greater improvement in mood disorders than antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication alone. This is not a supplement. It is just eating real food.
Sugar by Any Other Name
• Sugar has at least 25 different names on ingredient labels, including agave, rice malt, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, barley malt, dextrose, and fruit concentrate. If it sounds like a yoga retreat in Byron Bay, it is still metabolically sugar.
• The label detective hack: Find the sugar number on any nutrition panel. Divide by four. That is approximately how many teaspoons of sugar the product contains. A can of Coca-Cola: 40 grams, 10 teaspoons. A ginger beer: 14 teaspoons. A commercial healthy smoothie: often 21 teaspoons of added sugar from concentrated fruit syrups.
• If sugar appears in the first five ingredients, question the product. The placement on the label tells you how much of it is in there.
Better Sweeteners, Worse Sweeteners
• Natural sweeteners Michele supports: coconut sugar (low GI, contains inulin as a prebiotic), honey, dates, pure maple syrup (for its polyphenols and micronutrients). These come with context; fibre, nutrients, and a lower glycaemic impact than refined sugars.
• Sugar alcohols (anything ending in ‘-ol’): Mannitol, sorbitol, erythritol, and others are used in sugar-free products to allow the “no sugar” claim. For people with sensitive digestion, these cause significant bloating, gas, and diarrhoea. Michele sees this regularly in school-age girls consuming sugar-free energy drinks. Even for people without obvious sensitivity, she recommends avoiding them.
• Stevia and monk fruit: Michele’s preferred alternatives for those wanting sweetness without added sugar. Both have a reasonable safety profile and do not disrupt blood sugar.
• Real Coke over Diet Coke: Michele and Lee are both on record: if it comes to a choice, the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks are more concerning than the sugar in the original. Aspartame has emerging research linking it to neurological effects. Neither endorses soft drink, but the message is to be more afraid of the synthetic substitutes than the sugar itself.
What to Eat for Sustained Energy
• Every meal should answer three questions: Where is the fat? Where is the protein? Where is the smart carb? This combination blunts blood sugar spikes, supports satiety, and keeps energy stable across the day. Michele’s term: no naked carbs.
• Breakfast: Eggs with avocado and a good piece of bread or leftover roasted vegetables from dinner. Fat, protein, and smart carb in one bowl. Not a sugary muffin and a cafe chai.
• Lunch: Ideally leftovers from the night before, with legumes or brown rice added for smart carb content. Simple, affordable, and effective.
• Hydration first: Most people confuse hunger for thirst. Starting the day with water and staying hydrated throughout is a non-negotiable foundation for energy. Without it, everything else is harder.
• Fast food navigation: Guzman y Gomez and Fishbowl are workable if you build your bowl with protein, fat, and smart carbs. Skip the chips from the fryer; have homemade chips in olive oil at home if you want them.
Where to Find Michele
• Michele’s clinical practice focuses on personalised nutritional medicine, including work with schools, corporate clients, and elite athletes.
• Recommended peanut butter brands: Fix and Mayver’s (both available at major supermarkets). Look for products with one ingredient: peanuts.
🧠 Womansplain: Justin Finally Learns to Breathe
• The Question: Justin has been shallow breathing through clenched teeth for, by his own estimate, most of his life. He knows from yoga that belly breathing is the goal. He does not always remember to do it. He wants practical instructions. Numbered, if possible.
• Shallow chest breathing: Keeps the body in a low-grade stress state. The nervous system reads it as a signal that something is wrong, even when nothing is. The result is a constant, low-level sense of depletion that most people have simply accepted as normal.
• Nasal breathing as default: The nose filters, warms, and humidifies air, and supports nitric oxide delivery. Mouth breathing is technically for emergencies, singing, or loud complaints. Nasal breathing is the resting standard. A larger nose, Justin was informed, offers superior filtration and is, in Lee’s words, a premium air processing unit.
• Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing: The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle below the lungs. When it contracts downward, the lungs expand and the abdomen rises. The test: one hand on the chest, one on the belly. The belly rises on the inhale, the chest barely moves. If the shoulders are going up, the technique is wrong.
• Box breathing: Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Repeat. Used by military personnel before high-pressure situations. Activates a manual override on the stress response within about a minute.
• The physiological sigh: A double inhale through the nose followed by a long, slow exhale. One of the fastest ways to offload excess carbon dioxide and reset the nervous system. The exhale being longer than the inhale is what activates the parasympathetic, rest-and-digest response. Sighing, it turns out, is clinically validated.
• Synchronised breathing in rugby league: Justin noticed that modern rugby league teams gather in a circle and breathe together after scoring. Lee confirmed this is deliberate and evidence-based. Synchronised breathing, particularly with a shared extended exhale, pulls multiple nervous systems out of sympathetic overdrive simultaneously. Research suggests it also builds cohesion and trust between people. The shared exhale is, literally, getting on the same wavelength.
Justin’s homework:
• Close the mouth. Nasal breathing only, on default.
• Hand on belly at the desk. Three deep belly breaths every time you sit down.
• When the jaw clench arrives, box breathe. Four in, four hold, four out, four hold.
🚨 Lee’s Rant: Fillers That Fool Us
• The rant has a title. It is called Fillers That Fool Us. Lee is not calm about this.
• Maltodextrin: A highly processed starch made in a lab. It spikes blood glucose faster than many foods people feel guilty about eating. It also acts as a feeding ground for the wrong gut bacteria, contributing to dysbiosis. Some products carry low-FODMAP certification while containing maltodextrin as an ingredient, a situation Lee considers a significant consumer betrayal. Maltodextrin is added for one reason: it is cheap, it bulks products up, and it makes expensive ingredients go further. It was not added by a nutritionist. It was added by someone looking at a spreadsheet.
• Citric acid (the manufactured version): There are two types. Natural citric acid exists in lemons and other citrus fruits. Manufactured citric acid, found in almost all processed foods and many supplements is produced by fermenting black mould on corn sugar. For people with gut inflammation, this is the last thing they should be consuming dressed up as something citrusy. Symptoms of sensitivity include headaches, itching, watery eyes, sinus congestion, and digestive upset. It is in protein bars, bliss balls, potato chips, sugar-free lollies, and the majority of supplements on the market.
• These are boardroom ingredients, not wellness ingredients. They were not included to improve the product for the consumer. They were included to reduce costs, extend shelf life, prevent clumping, and improve the visual presentation of the product. The irony is that consumers have become so conditioned to perfectly flowing, non-clumping supplements that they file complaints when they encounter a pure product without anti-caking agents.
• Lee’s call to action: Audit your pantry this week. Flip over the packs. Find the products containing maltodextrin or citric acid. Tag Lee on Instagram at @leesupercharged with what you find.
• Brands that don’t use them: Lee’s Supercharged Your Gut range contains neither. Eden Health Foods also produces a vitamin C powder without maltodextrin which does clump, because purity behaves differently than processed fillers, and that is entirely the point.
• The 6-teaspoon guideline comes from the World Health Organisation and is aligned with recommendations from leading researchers in cognitive, metabolic, and cardiovascular medicine. The average Australian consumes six times this amount daily.
• Glycaemic response: When blood glucose rises rapidly, the body releases insulin to bring it back down. The speed and height of the spike determines the severity of the corresponding drop. Chronic spiking keeps inflammation elevated, which is a known driver of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune conditions, and depression.
• Insulin resistance develops when cells become less responsive to insulin due to sustained overexposure. This makes fat loss harder and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes over time.
• Natural sugars in fruit, dairy, and vegetables behave differently from added sugars. They come packaged with fibre, water, and micronutrients that slow absorption and blunt the glycaemic response. The 6-teaspoon limit applies to added sugars only.
Dopamine, Habit Loops, and Palate Reset
• Sugar activates the brain’s dopamine reward pathway, which is the same system involved in habitual behaviour patterns. This is why consumption can feel compulsive and why restriction without substitution tends to fail. The more effective intervention is crowding in whole foods until the preference shifts.
• Palate adaptation is real and measurable. As added sugar intake decreases over several weeks, perceived sweetness from natural foods increases and cravings for highly sweetened products tend to reduce.
Gut-Brain Axis and Mood
• The gut-brain axis refers to the bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, operating via the vagus nerve, the enteric nervous system, and the immune system.
• Approximately 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. Disruption to the gut microbiome through poor diet, ultra-processed food, or inflammation has a measurable downstream effect on mood, cognition, and stress response.
• The SMILES Trial — Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University (Supporting the Modification of lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States) was a 12-week randomised controlled trial examining the effect of a Mediterranean-style whole food diet on major depression. Participants eating from the intervention diet — foods available at standard Australian supermarkets — showed significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than the social support control group.
Sugar Alcohols and Sweetener Considerations
• Sugar alcohols (-ol endings: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol) are used in sugar-free products as a labelling loophole, they technically allow a “no sugar” claim. For people with sensitive digestion or IBS, these compounds cause osmotic diarrhoea and bloating. They are FODMAPs for a reason.
• Erythritol: A 2023 Cleveland Clinic study found an association between high erythritol blood levels and increased cardiovascular risk. A subsequent small trial found that 30 grams of erythritol — roughly the amount in a tub of keto ice cream — temporarily increased platelet aggregation for several days. The research is not conclusive, but Michele’s clinical approach is to apply a precautionary principle and recommend stevia and monk fruit instead.
• Aspartame: Classified in 2023 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). The evidence is not definitive, but given the availability of alternatives, both Lee and Michele recommend avoiding it.
Maltodextrin and Manufactured Citric Acid
• Maltodextrin is a highly processed polysaccharide derived from starch (corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca). It has a glycaemic index higher than table sugar. It also feeds gram-negative bacteria and can contribute to dysbiosis in susceptible individuals. It is used as a bulking agent, anti-caking agent, and texture modifier.
• Manufactured citric acid is produced through Aspergillus niger fermentation on glucose substrates, typically corn syrup. It is chemically distinct from naturally occurring citric acid in lemon or lime juice and has been reported to cause inflammatory and allergic responses in sensitive individuals, including headaches, skin irritation, joint pain, and digestive upset.
• Neither ingredient was designed with the consumer’s health in mind. Both serve manufacturer interests: reduced cost, extended shelf life, improved texture, and enhanced product appearance.
Breathing: The Physiology
• Shallow chest breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), maintaining low-grade cortisol and adrenaline elevation. Over time, this contributes to fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, and immune suppression.
• Nasal breathing supports nitric oxide production in the paranasal sinuses. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator with antimicrobial properties. It improves oxygen delivery and reduces airway resistance.
• Diaphragmatic breathing activates the vagus nerve and promotes parasympathetic tone. It is the breath pattern associated with rest, digestion, and recovery.
• Box breathing (4-4-4-4) is used in military and emergency services training for rapid cortisol reduction. Research supports its effectiveness in reducing subjective stress within 1 to 5 minutes of consistent practice.
• The physiological sigh (double nasal inhale followed by extended exhale) is one of the most rapid mechanisms for offloading carbon dioxide. Dr Jack Feldman have published research identifying it as the most effective acute breath pattern for nervous system regulation. The long exhale is the key: it is what activates parasympathetic response.
• Synchronised breathing between groups has been shown in research to increase interpersonal trust, social cohesion, and collective attentional focus. This is why team breath practices before athletic competition have measurable performance and cohesion benefits beyond the physiological effects of the breath itself.
• The Five-Star Review: Pia gives the show five stars and calls Lee and Irene a 'dynamic duo' who unravel the mixed messaging in wellness media while keeping things interesting, fun and educational. Lee jumps out of her pants. They have two reviews now. They want more.
Why Conventional Cleaning Products Are the First Thing to Swap
• The Toxin Load Argument: Irene makes a case that if you had to choose just one area of your life to detox, cleaning products would be it. You eat off the surfaces you clean. You breathe the fabrics you wash. Your children crawl on the floor you've just mopped. The synthetic fragrances, antibacterial agents, and endocrine disruptors don't disappear after cleaning, they stay on every surface in the home.
• Indoor Air Quality: Studies have suggested that indoor air quality with certain conventional cleaning products can be as toxic as smoking in your home. Ventilation matters. The irony of making your house look beautiful while compromising the air in it is not lost on either of them.
• Nicole Bijlsma, Building Biologist: Irene interviewed building biologist Nicole on her podcast over a decade ago. Two things have stayed with her: the number one way to stop toxins entering your house is to take your shoes off at the door (you're tracking glyphosate from footpaths inside), and the cleaning products you use on your surfaces are one of the biggest contributors to indoor toxic load. Nicole later created the cleaning range Abode
What to Actually Look For in a Natural Cleaning Product
• Cleaning Labels Are Less Regulated Than Cosmetics: Irene notes that regulatory standards for cleaning product labelling appear to be looser than for cosmetics. Brands may not be required to disclose whether fragrance is synthetic or natural. Brand trust matters more here than ingredient scanning.
• The Basics to Avoid: Sulphates, parabens, and artificial fragrances are the starting point. But Irene goes further her banned ingredient list at Clean Nectarine extends to things like phenoxyethanol, which many other 'natural' stores still stock.
• Plant and Mineral-Based: A useful filter, but not always sufficient on its own. Not all natural formulations perform well on every surface. Testing and brand reputation still matter.
The Products Worth Trusting
• Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap: Irene's starting recommendation for anyone transitioning away from conventional products or DIY lemon-and-vinegar. One product, multiple surfaces, naturally fragranced with essential oils. Use it on dishes, floors, even your dog. Available in one-litre bottles. A few drops mixed with water covers most of the home.
• Ecostore: Available at Woolworths and Coles. Irene used to stock it in her first business. A solid natural range at accessible price points.
• Abode: Irene considers this the benchmark for natural cleaning products in Australia. Fragrance-free options available. Was Irene's biggest seller to the Home and Away wardrobe department, whose cast members with eczema couldn't tolerate conventional detergents. Affordable. Does everything from laundry to dishes to soakers.
• Koala Eco: Australian-made, certified toxin-free, multiple independent certifications. Naturally fragranced with Australian botanicals including lavender, eucalyptus, and lemon myrtle, all of which have antimicrobial properties. The packaging is beautiful. Irene loves it in the bathroom. Unlike Abode, it actually looks good sitting on a shelf.
The Priority Order for Swapping Products
• First: Dish Soap. You're eating off what you wash with it. Make the swap here first.
• Second: Laundry Detergent. You're breathing it all day through your fabrics.
• Third: Dishwasher Tablets. Again, eating off those dishes.
Room by Room: Lee's Cleaning Order
• The Fridge: Every shelf, every wall, every compartment. Natural all-purpose cleaner for the interior. Half a lemon to absorb odours naturally (or dry coffee grounds, or fresh orange peel, left overnight in a small bowl). Cotton buds or a toothbrush for the door seal folds. Bicarb in the dishwasher, not the fridge. Dry everything properly after.
• Windows: White vinegar and water in a spray bottle, buff dry with a lint-free cotton cloth. No streaks, no residue. The newspaper-and-vinegar hack their parents used no longer works, modern newspaper ink is different and can leave residue. The same vinegar and water bottle works on benches, stovetops, and splashbacks.
• Bathroom Grout: Bicarb sprinkled directly onto grout, white vinegar sprayed over the top, scrub gently with an old toothbrush, rinse off. The fizzing is the acid and alkaline reacting, it lifts the grime without requiring force. Be gentle with grout.
• Floors: Steam mop. No soap required, just water. Lee uses hers regularly on hard floors. For walls, she prefers by hand.
• The Washing Machine: One cup of bicarb soda into the drum plus a splash of white vinegar, run a hot cycle, once a month. Dissolves build-up, eliminates the damp smell that transfers to clothes. Also clean the front door seal and the glass door panel, the build-up in the folds is, in Lee's words, staggering.
• Dusting: Damp cloth, not a feather duster. Dry dusting just moves particles back into the air where they can remain airborne for days. Work top to bottom. Wash cleaning cloths at over 60 degrees to kill dust mites.
• Cutting Boards: Not plastic (microplastics). Wood or glass. Lee uses wood, cleans with Dr. Bronner's and water. For anything requiring proper antibacterial treatment, a plate is a practical alternative. A HEPA filter vacuum handles mould on furniture and other soft surfaces.
Dust Mites: What They Are and Why They Matter
• What They Are: Microscopic insect-like pests that live in house dust. Invisible to the naked eye.
• What They Feed On: Dead skin cells.
• Symptoms: Itching, allergies, and asthma. Particularly significant for people with respiratory conditions living in dusty environments.
• Their Preferred Environment: Humidity between 70–80 percent.
• How to Manage: Damp microfibre cloths for dusting, HEPA filter vacuum, change bedsheets regularly, wash fabrics at over 60 degrees.
The Psychology of Cleaning
• Cortisol and Control: The act of cleaning actively reduces cortisol and creates a sense of control over your environment. Particularly useful when things feel chaotic.
• Behavioural Activation: A concept from psychology. Doing something purposeful and completing it lifts mood. Cleaning is one of the easiest forms of behavioural activation, you can see the before, the after, and the result is immediate and visible. Even one drawer or one bench will shift your mental state.
• Irene's Wardrobe Moment: Irene spent the previous evening colour-coordinating her wardrobe after letting it build up for months. She arrived at the recording noticeably calmer. She has decided this was not a coincidence.
• Lee's Rule: Clean before you go on a trip so you come home to a clean house. Then clean again when you get back. A clean ordered space tells your brain it is safe to relax.
🧠 Womansplain: Justin and the Chiropractor Question
• The Question: Justin cannot take chiropractors seriously. It sounds, he says, like someone monetised their party trick. Cracking your back or your fingers at a party and then expecting a framed certificate for your efforts. He is open to being wrong.
• The Pop Has a Name: It is called cavitation. The sound comes from the synovial fluid inside your joints, the lubricating fluid that contains dissolved gases including oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When the joint moves quickly through its range of motion, a rapid pressure change causes a gas bubble to form and release. That is the pop. An MRI study suggests it is the bubble forming, not collapsing, that creates the sound. Nothing is breaking. Nothing is cracking. It is a gas bubble in fluid.
• The Qualifications Are Real: In Australia, chiropractors are registered with AHPRA, the same national body that registers GPs, nurses, and physiotherapists. They complete a five-year university degree. This is not a weekend course with a folding table.
• The Evidence for Back Pain Is Solid: Research strongly supports spinal manipulation for musculoskeletal conditions, particularly lower back pain and neck pain. In 2022, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare released a low back pain clinical care standard that formally recognises chiropractors as relevant practitioners alongside GPs and physiotherapists.
• The Bigger Claims: Treating asthma, ear infections, immune dysfunction, or colic through spinal adjustment is a different matter. Evidence-based chiropractors focus on musculoskeletal conditions. The profession has a spectrum, and the claims at the fringes are not endorsed by any serious health body.
• Justin's Position at End of Segment: He has been moved slightly. He will not be going himself. He does get a pun in ('I'm not going to give it a crack'). The standards remain what they are.
🎤 On Speaker: Tiki on Weight That Won't Shift
• The Guest: Tiki. Her superpower, in her own words, is turning chaos into calm. She describes herself as a doer who doesn't get stuck in drama. She organises other people's lives comprehensively and is the last person to look after herself. She is also a Mahjong enthusiast. Justin has to have Mahjong explained to him.
• The Question: Tiki is eating well, staying active through incidental movement (dog walking, shopping, cleaning, cooking), and not seeing any change in her body. What does she look at first?
Lee's Assessment
• Sleep Is the First Place to Look: Tiki admits her sleep has always been disrupted, she gets the hours in bed, but not deep restorative sleep. Phone beside the bed, waking in the night, ruminating, drifting off again. She has accepted this as normal for a busy life. Lee does not want her to accept it as normal.
• What Poor Sleep Actually Does: Disrupted sleep increases hunger hormones and reduces leptin (which signals fullness), meaning you can be hungrier and less satisfied from the exact same meals. It also affects insulin sensitivity and energy levels, influencing how the body uses fuel. Poor sleep can quietly make fat loss significantly harder, not because of willpower, but because of physiology.
• Stress and Cortisol: Tiki holds everything together for everyone else and is the last person to receive that support in return. Chronic, unrelieved stress is associated with elevated cortisol and, over time, increased abdominal fat storage. This is particularly common in midlife and is not about willpower, it is about what the body is adapting to.
• Incidental Exercise Has Value: Lee doesn't dismiss Tiki's daily movement. Dog walking, shopping, housework, and general activity provide a solid base for mobility and cardiovascular health. The gap is structured strength training, a few weight or bodyweight sessions a week to build muscle and support metabolism.
• Protein: Around 100 grams per day is a useful target for active women in midlife, roughly 30 grams per meal. Most people underestimate how far short they fall. Three days of tracking is enough to get an accurate picture. Protein supports fullness, muscle maintenance, and efficient energy use.
Lee's Three Things for Tiki to Focus on This Week
• 1. Treat Sleep as Non-Negotiable. Consistent timing, a sleep routine, and yes, the phone in another room or at least off the bedside table.
• 2. Add Some Structure to Movement. Keep the dog walks and incidental activity as the base. Add two or three strength-based or bodyweight sessions to support recovery and metabolism.
• 3. Track Protein for Three Days. Not forever. Just long enough to see the gap between what you think you're eating and what you're actually eating. Most people are surprised.
✨ Rave: Irene and the Customers Who Found Their Way Back
• The Rave: Irene cannot believe her customers. After selling her first business, Nourished Life, to BWX, and eventually go into liquidation, Irene started again with Clean Nectarine. A completely new business, a new URL, years later. And her original customers came back. The same people who had been burned by BWX. The ones who had stopped receiving their orders, whose trust had been broken by a company Irene no longer ran. They found her again.
• Why She Thinks They Came Back: Not, Irene is quick to clarify, purely because they love her. She thinks they came back because nobody else is doing what she does. They're not looking for fake natural. They don't want to scan every ingredient at the health food store and wonder which ones have slipped through. They want one destination they can trust completely. That's what she built. That's why they're back.
• Fifteen Years of the Same Names: Irene recognises the names. Customers who bought from her out of her garage in 2011 and 2012 are now ordering again through Clean Nectarine. People ordering Lee's Love Your Gut powder through Irene's store, just like they did in 2013.
• The Lesson: Great products and genuine trust are longer than any business disruption. People remember who fought for them.
• VOCs in Cleaning Products: Many conventional cleaning products emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde, benzene, and acetaldehyde. Indoor VOC concentrations can reach levels significantly higher than outdoors. Studies have likened chronic exposure from cleaning products to the equivalent respiratory impact of smoking in the home.
• Endocrine Disruptors in Common Cleaners: Triclosan (antibacterial agent), synthetic musks, phthalates (used to fix fragrance), and nonylphenol ethoxylates (surfactants) are all classified as potential or confirmed endocrine disruptors. They do not dissipate after use — residue remains on cleaned surfaces and accumulates in indoor dust.
• Surface Absorption and Dermal Exposure: Cleaning product residue on food-contact surfaces (bench tops, dishes, cutting boards) can transfer to food and be ingested. Residue on floors is a particular concern for infants and young children who spend time on the floor. Dermal absorption through hand contact with recently cleaned surfaces is also a documented exposure route.
• Essential Oils as Functional Antimicrobials: Lavender, eucalyptus, lemon myrtle, and tea tree essential oils have documented antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. These properties support their use as functional rather than merely cosmetic fragrance ingredients in cleaning products.
• HEPA Filtration: High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are mechanical air filters capable of trapping 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns or larger. In vacuum cleaners, HEPA filtration captures mould spores, dust mites, pet dander, and fine particulate matter that standard filters allow back into the air. Recommended for anyone with allergies, asthma, or visible mould.
Dust Mites: Clinical Context
• Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae: The two most common household dust mite species. Microscopic arachnids, not insects. They do not bite. Allergic reactions are triggered by proteins in their excrement and shed body parts, not the mites themselves.
• Allergen Exposure and Asthma: House dust mite allergy is one of the most common triggers for allergic asthma and rhinitis globally. The Der p 1 and Der p 2 proteins are major allergens. Reducing dust mite load through regular washing of bedding at above 60 degrees Celsius, HEPA vacuuming, and low humidity environments (below 50%) is evidence-based for symptom management.
Chiropractic: What the Evidence Actually Shows
• Cavitation: The technical term for the sound produced during spinal or joint manipulation. Caused by the formation of a gas bubble in the synovial fluid within the joint capsule due to rapid pressure change. A 2015 MRI study (Kawchuk et al.) confirmed it is bubble formation, not collapse, that produces the audible event. The sound is not an indicator of therapeutic effect and is irrelevant to clinical outcome.
• Musculoskeletal Evidence Base: Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses support spinal manipulation for acute and chronic lower back pain, neck pain, and some types of headache. The evidence is most robust for low back pain. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare's 2022 Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard formally includes chiropractic as part of recommended care.
• AHPRA Registration: Chiropractors are registered health practitioners in Australia under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. The Chiropractic Board of Australia, under AHPRA, sets standards of practice, continuing education, and professional conduct requirements consistent with other registered health professions.
• The Subluxation Model: Traditional chiropractic is based on the concept of vertebral subluxations (spinal misalignments) affecting nerve function and systemic health. The evidence base for systemic health claims beyond musculoskeletal conditions, including claims related to immune function, ear infections, or organ disease, is not supported by current research. Evidence-based chiropractors do not make these claims.
Sleep, Appetite Hormones, and Weight
• Ghrelin and Leptin Disruption: Sleep deprivation is consistently associated with increased ghrelin (appetite-stimulating hormone) and decreased leptin (satiety hormone). This produces a state of increased hunger and reduced satisfaction from food, independent of caloric intake.
• Insulin Sensitivity: Even partial sleep restriction (6 hours versus 8 hours) is associated with measurable reductions in insulin sensitivity, impairing the body's ability to use glucose efficiently and increasing fat storage tendency.
• Cortisol and Abdominal Fat: Chronic stress elevates cortisol. Sustained cortisol elevation promotes visceral (abdominal) fat storage, increases appetite (particularly for energy-dense foods), and reduces the effectiveness of fat loss strategies. This is a physiological response, not a willpower deficit.
• Protein Targets for Midlife Women: Research supports higher protein intake in women over 40 to preserve lean muscle mass, support metabolic rate, and improve satiety. A target of approximately 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is commonly cited in the literature. For a 65kg woman this equates to roughly 80–105 grams per day, consistent with Lee's recommendation of around 100 grams. Approximately 25–30 grams per meal maximises muscle protein synthesis.
• Incidental Activity (NEAT): Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to the energy expended in all physical activity outside of formal exercise: walking, cleaning, cooking, shopping, fidgeting. NEAT can vary by up to 2000 calories per day between individuals and is a significant contributor to total energy expenditure. Tiki's active daily life represents meaningful NEAT and should not be discounted.
• Behavioural Activation: A therapeutic technique from cognitive behavioural therapy. The principle is that engaging in purposeful, completable activities produces a mood-lifting effect through a sense of achievement and efficacy. Cleaning is a particularly accessible form of behavioural activation because it has a visible, immediate, measurable outcome.
• The Dao (Taoism): An ancient philosophy for moving through life more synergistically with people and the world. Mason describes it as 'real deep personal development, frameworks so life happens a little more smoothly.'
• Longevity ≠ Immortality: The goal isn't to live forever. The goal is to arrive at elderhood with enough vitality that you've done your work, tackled new projects, contributed to community, and refined yourself, without projecting unprocessed baggage onto everyone around you.
• The Real Question: As Mason puts it: Does the world really need David Asbury forever? He only cares that this podcast beats his on the Australian charts. It will, after this.
The Three Treasures: Jing, Chi & Shen
• Jing (Foundational Essence): Your superannuation of vitality. Bones, sex drive, the ability to age without degenerating early. Think of it as the ship. If you're burning the candle at both ends, you're leaking Jing.
• Chi (Vitality): The crew that runs the ship. Your capacity to integrate life, mobilise yourself, animate the machine of your body. Diet, breathwork, doing work that generates charge.
• Shen (Spirit/Mind): The cargo. The culmination of your personality, your mind, the refined diamond of who you are. The goal: protect it through the journey so your wisdom is fully intact in old age.
• Cultivating vs Leaking: You are always doing one or the other. Any practice, herb, work, or lifestyle choice either cultivates your treasures or leaks them. This is the core Taoist health question.
SuperFeast A Purpose-Driven Organisation
• Built from Six Moments: Mason mapped six 'lightning strike' moments across his life that gave birth to SuperFeast, not for public branding, but as an internal compass. Every product, strategy, and company virtue derives from them objectively.
• The Purpose Statement: To dramatically lower disease and degeneration, creating superhumans who may enter into the realms of elderhood.
• The Business-Dao Wrestling Match: Mason openly wrestles with the tension between commercial and contemplative. His resolution: build the organisation like an ecosystem. Integrate all tiers, animism, hierarchy, flat family structure before graduating to an autonomous, purpose-driven one.
• Getting Back in the CEO Chair: Mason is currently back at the helm, reviewing marketing strategy to realign it with SuperFeast's founding essence.
The Superior Herbs: A 2,000-Year-Old Framework
• The Shen Nong Ben Xiao Jing: The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica one of the founding texts of Chinese medicine. It identified a handful of superior herbs; Reishi, Ginseng, Rehmannia, Goji, Schizandra, Eucommia Bark, Astragalus and specified not just which herbs, but exactly which microclimate conditions were required for them to carry their therapeutic treasure.
• The Herbs and What They Do: These aren't symptom-treatment herbs. They're taken over a long period to protect the treasure of the body and prevent degeneration. The earlier you start, the more constitutional shifting you do.
• Why They Work: These herbs are adaptogenic, they intelligently restore regulation in the body. Think of them as 'little friends' that come in and help the body find its own balance, rather than forcing a pharmacological outcome.
Irene's Personal Mushroom Story
• Nine or so years ago, Irene had Mason on her first podcast. It was her most downloaded episode. She started taking Jing and Tremella. The difference in how she felt and looked was, in her words, 'unexplainable.' She has since lost her way (largely due to selling a business, stress, and the natural chaos of life) and is now deeply, publicly committed to starting again.
• Tremella and Skin: Irene describes eating it 'by the tablespoon' and never looking so good. She is emphatic: this was not placebo. It shone from the inside out.
• The Plateau Question: When you stop feeling a big effect, that's not a sign the herb has stopped working. It may mean you've done the constitutional shifting it was bridging. Next move: dose up, or pivot to another formula for a different season.
• The Wrong Time to Stop: The most stressful, depleting moments of your life are precisely when you should be ramping up, not stopping. Mason's rule: when you're hammering your body, that's when these allies matter most.
Lion's Mane: The Neuroscience Catches Up
• Mason's Mother's Stroke Recovery: Mason used Lion's Mane during his mother's stroke recovery at a time when it was considered extremely fringe. She has now made what some doctors call a miraculous and Mason calls a practical recovery.
• The Research Has Arrived: Lion's Mane is now being studied as a primary neuroprotective agent. The science has caught up with what Daoist herbalists knew centuries ago.
• Why It Exploded: The fear of neurodegeneration is visceral. Watching a loved one lose their mind is one of the great fears of our time. Whoever was 'doing the branding' for Lion's Mane in the Taoist immortal realms, Mason says, absolutely nailed it.
• The 2-Minute Noodle Problem: Mason's term for venture capitalist brands that spot a market gap and add a token amount of Lion's Mane extract to a gummy or chocolate. He is visibly pained. Particularly when people with serious diagnoses, MS, immune deficiencies, reach for the quick, cheap version because they don't have time to research.
How to Know You're Getting the Real Thing
• Look for Fruiting Body: Not mycelium grown on grain. The fruiting body is what has the therapeutic compounds. Check the label.
• Look for Extract: You want the mushroom to have been extracted (as in a traditional tea or tincture process), not just whole-ground dried mushroom. If the label shows 'herb equivalency', it may just be whole ground product.
• Wood-Grown: Mushrooms should be grown on wood, not grain substrate. Organic certification is a reasonable starting filter, but SuperFeast operates beyond organic, testing for way more pesticides and heavy metals than required, to standards exceeding US and Australian organic certifications.
• Trust Through Time: Mason has been doing this since 2011, shows up everywhere, and has never had to change a product due to a quality or integrity issue. He started at markets where mothers would return after three months and tell him directly if something didn't work. That accountability never left.
• TGA Listed: SuperFeast is now TGA-listed as a registered medicine in Australia, which Mason notes is an almost impossibly expensive and opaque process for a small company, but gives independent credibility to the therapeutic claims.
• The Supply Chain: SuperFeast's herbs and mushrooms come from small, obscure farms in remote mountain regions, far from any industrial zone. Mason visits them. They are not mass production. Wild harvesting is used when responsible; when an herb approaches unsustainable harvesting levels, they move to growing in wild-simulating conditions five years ahead of when it becomes a problem.
Psychedelics vs Functional Mushrooms
• The Line: Clear to most people now. Functional/tonic mushrooms are non-psychedelic, legal, accessible, and taken for cultivation and long-term vitality. Psychedelic mushrooms are a separate category.
• Where They Overlap: Mason is a sponsor of MIND Medicine Australia, which runs psychedelic-assisted therapy training. SuperFeast supplies mushrooms to graduates specifically for integration, using Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga and Reishi to help the body and nervous system process and recover from deep psychedelic or shamanic work.
• Jing for the Deep Dive: If you don't have the foundational Jing energy to undergo a deep dive, spiritual, psychedelic, or otherwise, Mason recommends getting on Jing herbs first to build the reserves you need to do that work without depleting yourself.
The Underground & Emerging Mushrooms of 2026
• Tiger Milk Mushroom: Not widely known outside Singapore, where most of the research has been conducted. Offers an interesting new pathway to immunity. Worth watching.
• Cordyceps Gunnii (Australian Native): A native Australian cordyceps found in Tasmania and Victoria. Grows on the snow moth caterpillar and turns it inside out into a mushroom. Being wild-harvested by small Australian mycologists and appearing at specialist markets. Mason encourages supporting these producers.
• Ganoderma Applanatum (Artist's Conch): Gaining serious attention in oncology research. Endemic in both Australia and China. Mason expects it to become a significant area of therapeutic focus.
• Australian Adaptogens: Mason is enthusiastic about the growing attention to native Australian varieties, noting that while Australian indigenous medicine was not documented and systematised in the same way as Chinese medicine, the knowledge exists and deserves respect and support.
Personalised Recommendations from Mason
• For Everyone Starting Out: Begin with Jing to see whether you have a gap and leakage in that kidney-water foundational system. Take it for 2–3 months, especially going into winter.
• For Irene (and women who have 'graduated' from Jing): I AM Gaia, SuperFeast's women's regulatory blend. Blood-building, blood-invigorating, uterine toning, and relevant across the whole female lifecycle from teen to post-menopause.
• For Everyone (daily baseline): Mason's Mushrooms, eight mushrooms in one formula. Add to coffee, chai, smoothies, or soups. Heat-stable. Consistent daily intake is what matters. Do it for 2–3 months going into winter and watch what happens to immunity.
• Tremella as Bonus: The 'dessert' mushroom. Yin-nourishing, lung and stomach tonic. Acts like hyaluronic acid, carries 500 times its molecular weight in hydration and delivers it through the lung to the skin. Radiance from the inside out. Irene will be eating it by the tablespoon again.
• Schizandra Berry (Ancient Beauty Elixir): The five-flavour fruit, hits sweet, sour, astringent and more. A yin tonic, liver herb, and beauty elixir in one. Takes all the organs and brings them into song and harmony. A different kind of radiance from Tremella. Even more famous as a beauty herb.
• Silica + Tremella Combo: Mason and Lee both flag the synergy between silica (which Lee and Irene have just launched) and Tremella for skin beautification from the inside.
How to Take Mushroom Powders
• They are heat-stable. You would have to hard boil them for a very long time to damage the therapeutics. You can add them to boiling water, stir into tea, blend into smoothies, mix into soups or savoury mince.
• Schizandra is better in drinks than food. Mason's Mushrooms powder can go in the spag bol.
• Stop thinking of these as supplements. Think of them as a herbal practice. Once they're integrated into your daily rhythm, in your coffee, in your chai, they become invisible and consistent.
• Capsules are available for those who can't do powder. Consistency is everything.
• The Tremella Raw Dog: Teaspoon straight from the jar, directly into the mouth. Mason's suggestion. A perfectly viable method.
The Much Love Program
• SuperFeast runs a program where anyone going through a serious diagnosis or extremely difficult circumstances can reach out to receive complimentary mushroom products. The pun in the name makes Mason roll his eyes, even though he came up with it.
🥒 Womansplain: Justin & the Pickle Juice Question
• The Question: Justin has been watching footy and noticing that athletes keep chugging pickle juice. His friend Bustin (of gut-girth fame from Episode 7) is reportedly at 43% adherence to Lee and Irene's previous recommendations. Bustin is walking, playing tennis, going to the gym, and people have 'remarked on his shred.' Justin has been told, firmly, not to say 'shred' again.
• The Science of Pickle Juice for Cramps: There is a famous study in sports science where athletes were given pickle juice mid-cramp. The cramping stopped in approximately 85 seconds; significantly faster than water alone.
• The Surprise Finding: It works too fast to be about electrolytes absorbing. Electrolyte absorption takes longer. What researchers now believe is happening: the vinegar triggers a neurological reflex in the throat and stomach that tells the misfiring nerves to calm down. It's a nerve reset, not just a salt top-up.
• The Electrolytes Are Still There: Sodium and potassium. For people sweating heavily during physical exertion, it does replenish what's lost. The key phrase being: 'during physical exertion.'
• Justin's Situation: As a sedentary sports viewer rather than sports doer, his electrolyte situation during the match is, in Lee's assessment, probably fine. A glass of water and some nuts will see him through.
• The 2008 Jar: Justin has a jar of pickled onions from 2008 in his fridge. Pickling is a preservation method, so technically it may still be viable. The consensus is to retire it.
• Night Cramps: Pickle juice is a legitimate remedy for that 2am cramp that makes you leap out of bed feeling tasered.
• PMS Cramps: Irene raises the question of whether it may help with period cramps given its muscle relaxant properties. The science is not yet there but the curiosity is noted.
• Irene's Pickle Love: She is enthusiastic about all pickles. Bread and butter. Sweet chilli. Sour. New York deli style. Large. Small. She will take the pickle from your burger if you don't want it. She has a cucumber salad and adds pickles. She is aware that pickles are cucumbers. She does not care.
✨ Rant (and Rave): Irene on Forever Chemicals, France, and the Quiet Reformulation
• The Rave: France has banned PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, 'forever chemicals', think Teflon and similar compounds) in cosmetic and beauty care products. This ban came into effect in January 2026.
• What Are Forever Chemicals? PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in many long-lasting beauty formulations, particularly foundations and waterproof products for their durability, texture, and film-forming properties. They are called 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment or in the human body and accumulate over time.
• The Quiet Reformulation: Estée Lauder Double Wear, one of the most beloved long-wear foundations in the world has been reformulated. TikTok and Instagram are currently flooded with side-by-side comparisons, with creators noting changes in finish, formula, and feel. Almost nobody is asking why it was reformulated. The answer, Irene argues, is the French ban.
• The Waterproof Mascara Wave: Clinique and other brands with long-wear or waterproof formulas have also quietly reformulated. Waterproof products were among the highest-PFAS categories in beauty.
• The Rant: These brands have had these chemicals in their products for years, in some cases, decades. They did not remove them out of passion for their customers' health. They removed them because they were legally required to. Irene is clear that this distinction matters, even if the outcome (cleaner products) is positive.
• The Media Silence: There is no mainstream coverage of this on Channel 7, Channel 9, or the major news outlets. No equivalent of the TGA sunscreen saga. Nobody appears to want to upset Estée Lauder. Irene regrets nothing she has said.
• The Silver Lining: Because these brands are global, the cleaner reformulation has rolled out worldwide including to Australian consumers, even though Australia has not banned PFAS in cosmetics. The French regulation has effectively improved products for everyone.
• Still Worth Scrutinising: Even the reformulated products are not clean beauty. Silicones and other questionable ingredients remain. But the removal of PFAS is a meaningful step, even if it was reactionary rather than principled.
• Jing: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jing is considered the foundational essence stored in the kidneys. Pre-natal Jing (inherited) and post-natal Jing (replenished through food, herbs, rest, and lifestyle) govern constitutional vitality, reproductive health, bone density, hair, and the rate of ageing.
• Chi (Qi): The vital energy that circulates through meridians and animates all physiological processes. Influenced by food, breath, movement, emotional state, and environment.
• Shen: Often translated as spirit or mind. In Chinese medicine, the Shen resides in the Heart and governs mental clarity, emotional wellbeing, sleep quality, and presence. A calm, bright Shen is considered a sign of good health and cultivation.
Adaptogenic Herbs & Medicinal Mushrooms
• What Makes a Superior Herb? The Shen Nong Ben Xiao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica, ~200 CE) categorised herbs into three classes. Superior herbs; Reishi, Ginseng, Rehmannia, Schizandra, Astragalus, Goji Berry are tonic herbs taken long-term, non-toxic at any dose, and purported to restore balance across multiple body systems.
• Adaptogens: A modern term (coined by Soviet pharmacologist Nikolai Lazarev in 1947) for compounds that help the body adapt to physical and psychological stress without disrupting normal physiology. Key adaptogenic mushrooms include Reishi, Lion's Mane, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Turkey Tail.
• Beta-Glucans: The primary active immunomodulatory compounds in medicinal mushrooms. These polysaccharides bind to receptors on immune cells (NK cells, macrophages, dendritic cells) and help regulate immune response supporting it when suppressed, calming it when overactive.
• Fruiting Body vs Mycelium: The fruiting body (the visible mushroom above ground) contains significantly higher concentrations of beta-glucans and other bioactive compounds than the mycelium grown on grain substrate. Whole-grain mycelium products have been shown to contain high levels of starch filler from the grain medium.
• Extraction Matters: Many beneficial compounds in mushrooms (particularly beta-glucans and triterpenes) require hot water or dual extraction (hot water + alcohol) to become bioavailable. A whole dried and ground mushroom powder, while containing these compounds, is less bioavailable than a properly extracted product.
Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
• Neurotrophic Compounds: Lion's Mane contains hericenones (in the fruiting body) and erinacines (in the mycelium) compounds shown in research to stimulate the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). These proteins support the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons.
• Neuroregeneration Research: Preclinical studies have shown Lion's Mane may support remyelination, neuroplasticity, and protection against neurodegeneration. Human trials have shown improvements in mild cognitive impairment. Research is ongoing.
• Neuroprotective Use Post-Stroke: Early and consistent use of neuroprotective compounds post-neurological event is an active area of clinical interest. Mason's anecdotal report of his mother's recovery aligns with the direction of current neuroprotective research.
Tremella (Tremella fuciformis) The Snow Mushroom
• Polysaccharide Hydration: Tremella contains highly bioavailable plant-based glucuronoxylomannans — polysaccharides that function similarly to hyaluronic acid in their ability to attract and hold water. Some research suggests Tremella polysaccharides may outperform hyaluronic acid in hydration retention due to their smaller particle size, allowing deeper tissue penetration.
• Lung-Skin Axis: In TCM, the Lung organ system (which governs the skin and is responsible for distributing Wei Qi (protective energy to the body surface) is nourished by Tremella as a yin tonic. This is why Mason describes it as 'working on the lung' first and the skin as the downstream outcome.
• Antioxidant & Anti-Ageing: Tremella polysaccharides have demonstrated antioxidant activity and some evidence of skin-protective effects in UV damage studies. It is one of the primary herbs used in traditional Taoist beauty formulations alongside Schizandra and Goji.
Schizandra Berry (Schisandra chinensis) The Five Flavour Fruit
• Five Tastes, Five Organs: Schizandra is unique in Chinese herbal medicine as a herb that simultaneously affects all five major organ systems (liver, kidneys, heart, lung, spleen) through its five flavours; sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and pungent. This makes it a powerful systemic tonic.
• Liver Support: Schizandra has among the best evidence of any adaptogen for liver-protective effects, with research into lignans (schisandrin B in particular) showing hepatoprotective activity.
• Skin Benefits: Historically used as a Taoist beauty herb. Modern research has looked at Schizandra's antioxidant and adaptogenic properties in the context of skin ageing, stress-related skin changes, and luminosity.
• Yin Tonic: In TCM, Schizandra is used to consolidate and nourish yin, the cool, moist, receptive principle associated with hydration, tissue lubrication, and restorative rest.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) The Mushroom of Immortality
• Immune Modulation: Reishi contains beta-glucans, triterpenes (ganoderic acids), and polysaccharides that have been extensively researched for their effects on NK cells, T-cells, and macrophages. It is considered the most studied immunomodulatory mushroom.
• Adaptogenic & Nervine: Reishi is also studied for its calming effects on the nervous system, with some research suggesting GABAergic activity and cortisol-modulating properties.
• Exohormesis (Hormetic Stress): Mason references this concept: growing Reishi in stressful, wild-simulating conditions causes the mushroom to produce more complex secondary metabolites (including triterpenes) as a survival response. This mirrors the hormesis principle seen in exercise, cold exposure, and fasting — a mild biological stressor that produces a stronger adaptive response.
Pickle Juice, The Sports Science
• The 85-Second Study: A frequently cited 2010 study (Miller et al.) found that ingesting 1ml per kilogram of body weight of pickle juice stopped exercise-induced muscle cramping 37% faster than drinking the same volume of water, and 45% faster than no treatment. The cramping relief occurred too quickly to be explained by electrolyte absorption.
• The Neurological Reflex Theory: The leading hypothesis (Schwellnus et al., 2009 and subsequent work) is that compounds in pickle juice — particularly acetic acid (vinegar) — activate transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in the oropharynx, oesophagus, and stomach. This triggers an inhibitory nerve reflex that suppresses the alpha motor neuron hyperactivity responsible for muscle cramps.
• Electrolyte Content: Pickle juice does contain sodium (around 500mg per 100ml), potassium, and some magnesium. For heavy sweating during intense physical activity, this may offer meaningful electrolyte replacement. For watching the footy on the couch, it does not.
• Night Cramps: The same neurological mechanism may explain anecdotal reports of pickle juice helping nocturnal leg cramps. Worth trialling if this is a regular issue.
PFAS (Forever Chemicals) in Cosmetics
• What Are PFAS? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a class of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals characterised by extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds, making them resistant to heat, water, oil, and microbial degradation. They do not break down in the environment or in the body, hence 'forever chemicals.'
• Use in Cosmetics: PFAS have been widely used in long-wear foundations, waterproof mascaras, lip products, and sunscreens for their film-forming, water-resistance, and longevity properties. Research has identified PFAS in a significant proportion of tested cosmetics products across multiple global markets.
• Health Concerns: PFAS are associated with disruption of hormone and immune function, increased risk of certain cancers (particularly kidney and testicular), thyroid disruption, and reproductive effects. They bioaccumulate in blood and tissue and are found in almost all tested human blood samples globally.
• The French Ban: France's regulation restricting PFAS in cosmetics took effect in January 2026, making France one of the first nations to impose such a ban. It applies to products manufactured in or sold into France.
• The Global Ripple Effect: Because major cosmetics brands manufacture globally and cannot easily maintain different formulations for different markets, the French regulation has effectively driven reformulation for global product lines, benefiting consumers in Australia and elsewhere who have no equivalent domestic PFAS cosmetics ban.
• Ongoing Concerns: Removal of PFAS does not make a product 'clean beauty.' Other synthetic film-formers, silicones, and preservatives remain. The reformulation is meaningful but partial.
Reishi: Immune powerhouse, adaptogen, nervine. Known as the Mushroom of Immortality. Requires wild-simulating stressful conditions to produce its full triterpene profile.
Lion's Mane: Neuroprotective, stimulates NGF/BDNF, supports nerve health and cognitive function.
Tremella: Snow mushroom. Yin tonic for lung and skin. Hydration from the inside out. Acts like hyaluronic acid through the lung-skin axis.
Cordyceps: Energy, adrenal, and athletic performance adaptogen. Native Australian variant: Cordyceps Gunnii (Tassie/Victoria).
Schizandra Berry: Five-flavour fruit. Liver protective, yin tonic, beauty herb. Takes all organs into harmony.
Tiger Milk Mushroom: Emerging. Researched primarily in Singapore. Immunity focus.
Ganoderma Applanatum (Artist's Conch): Gaining oncology research interest. Endemic in Australia and China.
Sourcing: Look for fruiting body + wood-grown + extracted. Beyond organic. Heavy metals tested to standards exceeding both US and Australian organic certification requirements.
• Why a Shower Is So Much More Than Cleaning: Irene makes the case that the shower is one of the most underrated wellness spaces in the home. You step in carrying the day (or the whole week) on your shoulders and step out having literally washed it away.
• The Sunday Reset Ritual: Irene’s Everything Shower is a weekly Sunday ritual, starting at 4pm to catch the best light in the house. It takes around an hour from start to finish and she considers it equivalent to a facial, a body treatment and a mental reset combined.
• Creative Clarity in the Shower: Lee’s shower has its own Spotify playlist (today featuring Gary Numan and Willow). Irene uses hers to solve problems, including the famous story of the shower that made her delete a proposal to work for free for her old business, and instead start Clean Nectarine from scratch.
✨ The Everything Shower: Step by Step
STEP 1: Dermaplaning / Face Shaving (Pre-Shower, 4pm)
• Why 4pm: Best natural light in Irene’s house. Good light is non-negotiable for face shaving.
• How to Dermaplane at Home: Use a dermaplane blade on completely dry skin. No water, no oil (for this version). Remove all peach fuzz and any stray chin hairs. Do eyebrows at the same time.
• The Myth: Hair does NOT grow back thicker. It grows back exactly as it was before. Full stop.
• Frequency: Once a week. Irene sells the blades and has done a face shaving demonstration on her Instagram.
• Skip the TikTok Spray Trends: Those shaving cream sprays going viral? Whatever they are, they’re being inhaled through the nasal passage. Hard pass.
• The Oil to Use: Irene uses a hair oil with rosemary in it. Rosemary is well-researched for hair growth. Castor oil is another excellent option for thickness. Irene is currently using a Vanessa Megan argan oil blend.
• Two Types of Hair Oil (important distinction):
◦ Wash-out oils (what we’re using here): Designed to be massaged into the scalp and lengths and washed out. Yes, they make hair greasy. That’s the point.
◦ Finishing serums/oils: Applied to dry or damp hair after washing for frizz control. Completely different product. Don’t confuse them at Mecca or Sephora.
• Ayurvedic Hair Oiling: In Ayurveda, different oils suit different constitutions. Coconut is moisturising for damaged hair. Sesame suits Vata types. Brahmi stimulates growth for thinning hair. Neem helps with dandruff and scalp irritation.
• How to Apply: Section the hair and massage oil into the scalp and all the way to the ends. Wrap in a warm towel. Leave at least 30 minutes before showering.
• For Fine or Limp Hair: Use brahmi, castor oil, and rosemary. Yes, it will feel greasy going in. It washes out. This is what builds thickness over time.
STEP 3: Dry Body Brushing (Pre-Shower, while hair oil soaks in)
• Why: Lymphatic drainage, circulation, exfoliation, skin-smoothing, reduced appearance of cellulite. You can actually feel a buzz while doing it.
• How to Brush: Always brush toward the heart in long strokes, starting from the feet upward. Great for the back of the arms if you have keratosis pilaris (those little bumps).
• Brush Choice: Irene’s current brush is a medium bristle (softer than the original cactus-bristle UK brand she used to sell). Soft enough to go a little harder, but don’t scratch yourself.
• How Often: Ideally more than once a week, but once a week as part of the Everything Shower works perfectly. Do it on dry skin only, never after shaving.
• Cleaning Your Brush: Tap it out, give it a wash with warm water and a little Dr Bronner’s peppermint soap, then leave it in the sun to dry (not in the bathroom, or it goes mouldy). Wash every week or fortnight.
• Face Brushing: Some battery-operated face massager tools exist for lymphatic work on the face. Irene uses one with small dots. Do this at the same time as body brushing.
STEP 4: The Shower Itself
• Shower Filter: Non-negotiable. Chlorine in the steam is inhaled directly into the lungs and can make hair go brassy and cause skin itching. A vitamin C-based shower filter neutralises chlorine. They’re cheap and easy to install.
◦ Bonus hack: Put chewable vitamin C tablets in a pantyhose sock and drop it in your bath to neutralise chlorine in the water. Irene tested it. It works.
• Essential Oils: Add a few drops to the bottom of the shower (not directly on skin). Irene loves lemon myrtle and eucalyptus. Lee loves lavender, rose, and peppermint. Endota’s certified organic spa blends (patchouli, ylang ylang, etc.) are a great shortcut for that day-spa-at-home smell. Check they’re the certified organic ones.
• Temperature: Irene has hers so hot she sits on the shower floor. Steam opens pores, softens skin, and clears airways. Lee loves the steam for creativity and idea generation.
• The Shower Cream: Irene’s current hero is the Weleda Rose Shower Cream. Completely natural and certified. The scent is so potent and beautiful that Irene’s husband used the entire tube without permission. She is still annoyed.
• Weleda also makes a range of other shower creams — citrus, skin food scent and others. Link in show notes.
STEP 5: Shampoo
• Frequency: Irene washes her hair every two weeks. Lee washes hers once a week. If you wash daily, your scalp will adjust to weekly washing within a few weeks.
• Must Be: Sulphate-free AND silicone-free. Watch for dimethicone or cyclomethicone on ingredient lists, they’re silicones that slip under the radar in ‘natural’ brands.
• Irene’s Favourite: 100% Pure Sour Cherry Clarifying Shampoo. Smells like actual cherry, cleans thoroughly even after heavy oiling, and is believed to have some chlorine-neutralising properties. Makes hair feel genuinely clean without stripping.
• Other Good Options: Vanessa Megan and Mukti do great shampoos for shorter or fine hair.
• Lather at least 3 times after the oil treatment to fully remove the product.
• Cold Rinse: A final cold rinse makes hair 10x shinier. Irene knows it works. She also knows she’s not going to do it.
STEP 6: Conditioner
• Rule: Mid-lengths to ends only. Never on the scalp. For fine or oily-root hair this is especially important, conditioner on roots creates build-up and weight.
• For thick hair: Same rule applies. Thick hair tends to have naturally healthy roots that don’t need conditioning.
STEP 7: Body Scrub (Not on Everything Shower day — but worth knowing)
• Irene skips the scrub on Everything Shower day because dry body brushing has done the job. She scrubs in the daily shower instead.
• Best Natural Scrub: Three Warriors body scrub made for fake tan removal but extraordinary on everyone. Irene thinks it’s made with Tasmanian olive oil and pink sea salt. Available at Clean Nectarine.
• DIY Alternative: You can make this yourself. Sea salt + olive oil. Or try the Ayurvedic way: ground lentils rubbed onto the face and body. Irene met a woman in India doing this whose skin was the most extraordinary she’d ever seen.
• Lee’s Bonus DIY Mask: Ripe banana + yoghurt on the face. The enzymes in banana and the probiotics in yoghurt can genuinely make skin glow before a big event.
• (Frank Body coffee scrub also a solid option, available from Mecca and Sephora.)
STEP 8: Post-Shower Body Oil
• Apply body oil to damp (not dry) skin immediately after turning off the shower. Pat yourself off but don’t fully dry oil absorbs better into damp skin.
• Massage it in properly (this is an Ayurvedic technique traditionally done before the shower Irene does it after). Tap off the excess with a towel.
• Budget option: Coconut oil, sesame oil, or olive oil work perfectly. Irene uses whichever beautiful body oil she’s loving from her store at the time.
STEP 9: Magnesium
• Irene’s Pick 1: Elektra Magnesium (food grade, in the blue packet). A handful in the bath is incredible. You can also dissolve some in water and drink it.
• Irene’s Pick 2: Moo Goo Magnesium Cream (purple tube). Completely unscented, non-greasy, absorbs like a beautiful moisturiser. Irene rubbed it on her 15-year-old’s legs for growing pains. They both fell asleep within 15 minutes. She will say this until the cows come home.
• Magnesium oil is also available but Irene prefers the creams for the texture and absorption.
🌿 A Note on Ingredients
• Irene’s rule of thumb: If a product has more than 10 ingredients and you can’t pronounce them, put it back.
• Triclosan: Was a common ingredient in soaps that has now been banned in Australia for general consumer products. You only need to check for it in pharmacy-grade products for specific skin conditions. No longer a concern for everyday shopping.
• Essential Oils Safety: Never apply undiluted essential oils directly to skin unless experienced. Always dilute in a carrier oil. A few drops at the bottom of the shower or in a diffuser with water is safe. Don’t add undiluted oils to bath water; they don’t disperse evenly and can cause irritation (and may stain a stone bath purple).
🐈 Womansplain: Justin Tries to Win Over a One-Eyed Cat (approx. 01:02:00)
• The Situation: Justin’s neighbour’s cat, Pirate, is a one-eyed, toothless former street cat who has survived considerable hardship. He visits Justin’s flat but largely avoids meaningful connection.
• The Complication: Oscar the dog (on a month-on, month-off schedule) is also in the picture. Pirate likely perceives Oscar as a threat.
• Lee’s Cat Insight: Stop making direct eye contact. Prolonged eye contact is a threat signal in cat communication. Greet Pirate with a slow blink instead, the cat equivalent of a handshake.
• Irene’s Cat Insight: Cats love being around you but on their own terms. Create a calm environment with sunlight. Don’t chase connection. Let it come.
• The Boy-Cat Rule: Apparently boy cats prefer girl humans and girl cats prefer men. Justin may simply not be Pirate’s type.
• Nutrition as Love Language: Feed Pirate consistently. Kangaroo mince (human grade, from Coles) is high protein, lean, and rich in iron, zinc, B12 and omega-3s. A tip from Shay at Black Chicken Remedy who is also a noted cat person.
• The Strategy: Month off Oscar = full charm offensive. Feed, soft voice, slow blinks, no eye contact. Justin’s aim is to make it to Bosun. He’s not expecting First Mate.
• Side mission: Irene’s cat Trixie Belle uses the actual toilet (girl cat, aims true). She also sits at the family dinner table. She hasn’t spoken yet but the year is young.
• Bonus: Justin received the Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil from Irene (following up from the grooming episode). He now understands what a jojoba is. Approximately.
✨ Rant (or Rave!): Lee on Beef Liver — Nature’s Multivitamin (approx. 01:25:00)
◦ Complete amino acid profile for muscle repair and gut lining integrity
• Lee’s Personal Story: After gut ulceration from long-term NSAID use, her small intestine, where B12 and iron absorb was severely compromised. After two years of research, she developed her freeze-dried grass-fed beef liver capsules. Transformational for her energy, skin and brain.
• Irene’s Testimonial: Can walk up Lee’s stairs again. Felt the difference noticeably. Now thinks about it differently since learning about the skin and anti-ageing benefits of real Vitamin A.
• What to Look For on the Label:
◦ One ingredient: freeze-dried grass-fed beef liver
◦ No excipients, no fillers, no binders, no flowing agents
◦ No smell if freeze-dried correctly
◦ Can be taken as capsules or emptied into smoothies (no taste)
• The Beef (the rant part): Expensive multivitamins with long ingredient lists deliver a fraction of what this single ingredient delivers. Don’t spend more for less.
• Lee’s Grandma Reminder: Our grandmothers forced us to eat it on weeknights with a look that left no room for negotiation. They were onto something. The capsule just means you can leave the table in seconds.
