Explore every episode of the podcast The Nourishment Studio

Doing everything "right" and still feeling wired, tired, and on edge? In this episode, nutritionist and naturopathic practitioner Valerie shares the "healthy" habits that were quietly making her stress worse: intense workouts, fasting, cold plunges, and strict routines.

You'll learn why your body keeps one "stress bucket," how too much of a good thing can tip you into burnout, and why the same habit can build you up or wear you down depending on what else is going on in your life. Valerie also shares her own story of burnout and Lyme disease, and what finally helped her energy come back.

In this episode:

• The stress bucket: why your body treats all stress the same
• When intense workouts, fasting, and cold plunges backfire
• Rhythm vs. rigidity: when a routine becomes a source of stress
• Three questions to ask about any wellness habit
• Gentler swaps that support your nervous system
• A simple do and don't list you can use today

If you're feeling exhausted for weeks despite doing everything right, please get a proper check-up with your doctor.

Missed the earlier episodes? Listen to "Burnout Isn't Weakness" and "Healthy Foods That Drain Your Energy" for the full picture.

Do you eat "healthy" and still crash at 3pm? In this episode, nutritionist and naturopathic practitioner Valerie shares the "healthy" foods that were quietly draining her energy, from the perfect-looking breakfast to the green smoothie, the sad salad, and coffee on an empty stomach.

You'll learn why blood sugar swings, undereating, and hidden sugar in "health halo" foods can leave you tired, foggy, and craving sweets, plus simple swaps and a clear do and don't list you can use today. No rules, no fear, just more nourishment.

In this episode:

• Why a "healthy" breakfast can cause a mid-morning crash
• The smoothie and juice mistake that spikes your blood sugar
• Why many salads leave you hungry within the hour
• Health-halo snacks to read twice (yogurts, bars, rice cakes, oat milk)
• What to do before your coffee
• Simple ways to build a meal that actually keeps your energy steady

If you're always tired despite eating well, persistent fatigue deserves a proper check-up with your doctor.

Have you ever noticed that stress affects your digestion, that a bad night’s sleep changes your mood, or that your gut just doesn’t feel right when life gets overwhelming?

It’s not all in your head. And it’s not just about what you eat.

In this episode of The Nourishment Studio, we’re diving deeper into the gut-brain connection — the fascinating, two-way communication between your gut and your brain, and how it influences digestion, mood, stress and overall wellbeing.

Building on our previous conversation about the gut-brain axis, we’re exploring the three pillars that play an important role in this relationship:

🌿 FOOD & THE GUT MICROBIOME
Discover how your gut bacteria interact with the food you eat, why fibre and plant diversity matter, and how your microbiome produces compounds that help shape your gut environment and communicate with other systems in your body.

🧠 STRESS & MENTAL HEALTH
Ever had butterflies in your stomach before a big meeting, or digestive issues during a stressful period? We’ll explore how the nervous system, stress hormones and gut-brain signalling influence digestion — and why supporting your mental wellbeing is an important part of the bigger picture.

😴 SLEEP & YOUR GUT HEALTH
Find out how sleep, circadian rhythms and your gut microbiome are connected, why poor sleep can affect your mood and everyday habits, and how your sleep routine fits into the bigger picture of digestive health.

We’ll also talk about the science behind the gut-brain axis, separate common wellness claims from what research actually tells us, and share practical ways to support your gut health without obsessing over every bite, supplement or symptom.

Expect science-backed insights, relatable everyday examples, a little humour, and an achievable four-step action list to help you put what you’ve learned into practice.

Because gut health isn’t just about probiotics, fermented foods or eating the perfect diet. It’s about understanding how food, stress, sleep and mental wellbeing work together — and finding sustainable ways to nourish yourself from the inside out.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How the gut microbiome communicates with the brain
• Why fibre and plant diversity matter for gut health
• How stress can influence digestion and gut symptoms
• What the gut-brain connection has to do with mood and mental health
• How sleep and circadian rhythms fit into the picture
• Four practical habits to start supporting your gut-brain health

Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation. Let’s explore what they’re trying to tell you.

🎧 Enjoying The Nourishment Studio? Follow the podcast on Spotify, share this episode with someone who would find it helpful, and let me know which habit you’ll be trying first.

#GutBrainConnection #GutHealth #GutMicrobiome #MentalHealth #Nutrition #GutBrainAxis

What if chronic illness isn’t just about treating the symptom, but about understanding the story underneath it?

In this deeply personal episode of Rooted & Rising, The Nourishment Studio Podcast, I share my journey with Lyme, recurrent bladder infections, years of antibiotics, gut health, hypothyroidism and the chain of symptoms that eventually made me realise I needed to look deeper.

I talk about what it feels like when your body keeps giving you signals but you don’t have all the answers—and why Lyme disease can be so difficult to recognise when you don’t have the classic bullseye rash or remember a tick bite.

But this episode isn’t just about Lyme.

It’s about chronic illness and the process of rebuilding a body that has become depleted.

I share the foundations that have become so important in my own journey:

• Why I believe nourishment and nutrient-dense whole foods are foundational
• Why I personally moved away from restrictive approaches while chronically unwell
• The importance of protein and adequate nutrition when the body is depleted
• Why I started paying attention to vitamin D, magnesium and nutritional status
• Why I believe in “building before you break” when supporting the body
• Gut health after repeated courses of antibiotics
• Mental health, nervous-system regulation and somatic work
• The healing power of nature and reconnecting with yourself
• My experience exploring herbs and complementary therapies
• Why healing isn’t about one magic supplement, diet or protocol
• And the biggest lesson chronic illness has taught me: your body is not your enemy

If you’re navigating Lyme disease, Hashimoto’s, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, gut issues, hormonal changes or unexplained symptoms, I hope this conversation makes you feel less alone—and gives you a few practical things to reflect on in your own healing journey.

Sometimes healing isn’t about asking, “What do I need to get rid of?”

Sometimes it starts with asking:

“What does my body need me to rebuild?”

This is my personal experience and not medical advice. Always work with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis, testing, treatment and supplementation.

Welcome to Rooted & Rising—a space for nourishment, healing, self-discovery and becoming more deeply rooted in yourself.

#LymeDisease #ChronicIllness #GutHealth #Hashimotos #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicFatigue #WomensHealth #HealingJourney #Nourishment #RootedAndRising

🍂 Vitamin C or Vitamin D? What Your Body Really Needs This Autumn

The mornings are getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and suddenly everyone is talking about immunity, vitamin C, vitamin D and staying healthy through autumn and winter.

But what does your body actually need?

In this episode of The Nourishment Studio, we take a deeper, more holistic look at vitamin C vs vitamin D, immune health, nutrition and the foundations that support your body as the seasons change.

We explore:

🌿 Why vitamin D deserves more attention as sunlight decreases

🍊 What vitamin C can — and can’t — do for your immune system

☀️ The connection between sunlight, vitamin D and immune function

🦠 What research during the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about vitamin D status and illness

🌱 How nutrient status, stress, sleep, digestion and nourishment all influence the bigger picture of health

💚 What we can learn from a naturopathic and holistic approach to illness and recovery

🌙 Why supporting your body before you become unwell can be more valuable than waiting for symptoms to appear

🧘‍♀️ And why rest, recovery and nervous-system support are just as important as another supplement

We also touch on Lyme disease and chronic illness, and why looking beyond a single nutrient or supplement can be so important when supporting the body.

This isn’t about finding the “perfect” supplement or taking more for the sake of taking more.

It’s about asking a better question:

What does my body actually need right now?

If you’re entering autumn feeling tired, stressed, run-down or simply wanting to support your immune system, energy, hormones and overall wellbeing, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen, pause, and take a moment to nourish yourself from the inside out.

Follow The Nourishment Studio for conversations on women’s health, nutrition, naturopathy, hormones, stress, immunity, gut health, wellness and holistic nourishment.

And if this episode resonates with you, share it with a woman who needs a little reminder to nourish herself this autumn. 🤍

This podcast is for educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice or treatment.

Inflammation is quietly behind almost every major chronic disease — heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, even certain cancers. In this episode of Nourishment Studio, we break down what chronic inflammation actually is, why it’s rising so fast in modern life (hint: it’s not just bad food — stress, poor sleep, and even

overtraining play a bigger role than most people think), and why it’s called a “silent killer” — often causing damage for years before any symptoms show up.

You’ll learn the early warning signs most people dismiss as “just getting older,” the daily habits quietly fueling the fire, and simple, evidence-based steps to start reversing it — including why fixing your omega-3 intake is one of the highest-leverage places to start.

Plus: my honest take on the omega-3 supplement I personally use, with a 10% discount code for listeners.

Www.norsan.fr

Code: thenourishmentstudio

🎧 New episodes weekly. Follow Nourishment Studio for more no-fluff conversations on nutrition, longevity, and the science of feeling good.

Topics covered: chronic inflammation, root causes of inflammation, silent killer diseases, omega-3 benefits, stress and inflammation, gut health, autoimmune disease, longevity.

What happens after you finally find out that Lyme disease may be behind so many of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing?

In Episode 3 of my Lyme journey, I’m getting personal about what life was really like after finding answers — the chronic fatigue, pain, exhaustion, and the overwhelming experience of being sick for what felt like all the time.

I’m also sharing why tracking my symptoms became so important, how I learned to notice small changes in my body, and why healing isn’t always as simple as taking a test and waiting for a result to change.

I talk openly about the natural approach I chose with a naturopath, starting with essential oils and discovering they didn’t agree with my stomach, before moving toward herbal medicine and phytotherapy.

And then something unexpected happened…

One of my endometriosis symptoms started improving.

After around seven months of therapy, I also began noticing changes in my chronic fatigue.

In this episode, I talk about the bigger picture of my healing journey — lifestyle, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, nervous system regulation, rest, and learning to listen to my body rather than constantly pushing through.

This isn’t a “quick fix” story. It’s my personal experience of taking things step by step, noticing the small wins, and slowly finding my way back to myself.

💚 If you’re living with Lyme disease, chronic illness, fatigue, endometriosis, or unexplained symptoms, I hope this episode makes you feel a little less alone.

🎧 Listen, follow and subscribe for the next episode.

And if someone in your life is navigating Lyme or chronic illness, share this episode with them. You never know when they might need to hear that they’re not alone.

This podcast shares my personal health experience and is not intended as medical advice.

What if your gut is influencing how you think, feel, sleep, and handle stress? In this episode, we explore the fascinating gut-brain axis—the two-way communication between your digestive system and your brain—and uncover how the gut microbiome, digestion, inflammation, stress, mood, and mental health are connected.

You’ll learn what the gut-brain connection actually means, how your microbiome communicates with your brain, and why taking care of your gut may be an important part of supporting overall brain and emotional health.

If you’ve ever wondered whether gut health can affect anxiety, mood, stress, or brain function, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Rooted & Rising, I continue sharing my personal journey with Lyme disease, from navigating symptoms and uncertainty to finding hope, healing, and resilience along the way.

Living with a chronic illness can impact every aspect of life, including physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, and daily routines. In this conversation, I open up about the challenges I've faced, the lessons I've learned, and the steps I've taken to support my recovery through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and self-advocacy.

Whether you're living with Lyme disease, dealing with a chronic health condition, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking encouragement on your own wellness journey, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone.

“Where it began” - welcome to episode 1 of my mini-series Rooted & Rising. My personal vulnerable story on chronic Lyme.

In the very first episode of The Nourishment Studio Podcast, I share my personal journey with Lyme disease, including the challenges of fatigue, brain fog, chronic symptoms, and the lessons I learned along the way.

This episode explores:

• ​Early Lyme disease symptoms
• ​Living with fatigue and brain fog
• ​The emotional impact of chronic illness
• ​Nutrition and lifestyle changes that supported my recovery
• ​Nervous system regulation and resilience
• ​Hope, healing, and finding your way forward

I f you are navigating Lyme disease, chronic illness, stress, inflammation, or unexplained symptoms, I hope this episode helps you feel less alone and more empowered on your health journey.

🎧 Subscribe for future episodes covering gut health, nutrition, hormones, mental wellbeing, Lyme disease, prevention, and longevity.

🌿 Website: www.thenourishmentstudio.com📸 Instagram: @thenourishmentstudio

What happens when your body is telling you something is wrong, but you don’t know how to listen yet?

Welcome to the very first episode of The Nourishment Studio Podcast.

In this deeply personal episode, I share the beginning of my journey from feeling exhausted, lost and scared to learning to listen to my body.

On paper, things seemed fine. My blood values weren’t showing an obvious explanation for how I was feeling. Yet inside, I knew something wasn’t right. I felt depleted, overwhelmed and increasingly disconnected from myself — and I had no idea what was happening or what I was supposed to do about it.

Looking back, I began to understand that my body had been giving me signals long before I knew how to recognise them.

This episode is about that confusing space between “everything looks fine” and “I don’t feel fine.” It’s about burnout, exhaustion, uncertainty, feeling clueless about your own body, and the fear that can come when you don’t understand what’s happening.

Most importantly, it’s about beginning to rebuild that connection — learning to slow down, pay attention and listen to the messages your body is sending.

This is where The Nourishment Studio begins.

A conversation about nourishment that goes beyond food — into energy, wellbeing, body awareness, balance and learning to truly care for yourself.

If you’ve ever felt tired, depleted or simply not yourself while wondering why, this episode is for you.

In this episode:
• The signs my body was giving me
• Feeling unwell despite seemingly “normal” blood results
• The fear and confusion of not knowing what was wrong
• Realising my body was asking me to slow down
• Learning to listen to and understand my body
• Moving from depletion towards nourishment
• Why nourishment is about so much more than food