Explore every episode of the podcast The Wellness Breakdown

Rituals have been used for thousands of years and in a modern world that is ever changeable and anxiety provoking, they can provide us with a sense of stability and calm.

This episode explores why we need to bring rituals into our routine and how they can help us find magic in the everyday activities like your morning coffee and even making the bed.

Sharing her wisdom is our guest Jo Woodhurst, head of nutrition at Ancient + Brave whose brand MO is centred around rituals and how much they can elevate and amplify our life.

It’s the simple things that make the biggest difference.

Listen in to find out more.

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Artificial sweeteners are in EVERYTHING but with their ubiquitous use, are they really a healthier alternative to sugar? Or could they have some ‘not so sweet’ side effects?

We explore what artificial sweeteners are, how they can impact on metabolism, gut health and even potentially increasing a reliance on sugar. We also touch on natural sweeteners and newer sugar subs like stevia and how these stack up. 

If you have a sweet tooth you’ll want to listen to this one!

This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy. 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

In this modern, fast paced and attention capturing world is it any wonder many of us are finding it so difficult to sleep?

In this episode we explore the rising tide of anxiety and stress, how digital devices and doom scrolling promotes sleep procrastination, the impact of hormonal fluctuations, circadian rhythms and the low hanging fruit we sometimes ignore. 

Supplements are also big business with sleep so we invited on Hayley Dawes, founder of CBD based Dreem Distillery to give her insights.

Whether you are a morning lark or night owl there will definitely be things for you to help optimise your sleep. 

This series is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and episode by Dreem Distillery.

Produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Tap versus filter? Mineral versus spring? Still versus sparkling?

What might seem simple, has become a controversial topic so in this week’s episode we talk around water. We look at some of the questions and concerns, how much we need to drink, types of filtration systems available, and even touch on the trend of enormous drinking cups. 

If you get confused with conflicting opinions on the topic of water you'll want to listen to this one. 

This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Most of us experience food cravings but what might they be revealing and how can we begin to understand more about them?

In this week's episode we talk around the myriad influences on cravings to include sleep, hormones, neurotransmitters, stress, food restriction and external cues such as food advertising.

Are we conditioned to crave certain foods? What is the bigger emotional picture going on? And how can we lean into food cravings with curiosity and compassion to gain a deeper understanding.

Listen in to find out!

This season is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Are omega 3’s really worth supplementing?

Omega 3's seem to be one of the most ubiquitous supplements but do we really to pill pop them and are the claims justified?

Overwhelming evidence shows eating foods that contain Omega 3 like oily fish, grass fed meat and algae, suport almost every part of our body - from our cognitive and cardiovascular health to reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure. However research shows the same can’t necessarily be said for supplements.

So who, if anyone, should be taking omega 3 and which supplements are better?

Listen in to find out!

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

What are the 3 P's? Most of us have heard of probiotics, maybe prebiotics but not all of us know about postbiotics... 

In this episode we explore the 3 P's, what they do and why we need them. From Kefir to Kimchi, Sauerkraut to Sourdough with butter... see it's not all bad!

We talk about why bloating and farting is not necessarily a bad thing and how only one tablespoon of fermented foods a day can change our gut microbiome. 

So let's celebrate the gas people!

This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Are you a hard core meditator? Or do you find the whole thing a little intimidating, or frankly dull?

Whatever your relationship with meditation we talk about finding ways that work for you including sensory styles, sound flooding, breathing exercises and mindful eating with chocolate. We reckon we have you covered!

Listen in to find out more.

This episode is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Did you know that getting sick is actually good for us? 

This week we chat about how we can support and mitigate factors which can impact on our immune system.

From diet to environment, emotional wellbeing to cleaning products there might be some things you wouldn’t ever consider!

But for many of us, getting a bit dirty and sometimes a bit sick, can actually be a good thing!

Listen in to find out more.

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy. 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

It’s the start of new year and rather than talking resolutions we are embracing goal setting.

What does it mean? Can they be useful? How can we set and consistently meet our goals? We talk Dry Jan, food, exercise, vision boards and mindset goals like boundary setting. Can Rose stick to her digital detox? And can Eve learn to say more no’s?

Listen to the episode to find out!

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

We’re back with series 6 of The Wellness Breakdown and this is our special Christmas Episode dedicated to helping you enjoy the festive season without losing yourself. 

Rose and Eve offer advise on how to eat what you like without the bloated Christmas feeling, why it’s important to preserve time for yourself over the festive period and suggest tips on dealing with tricky relatives. 

Plus, cocktails that taste so good you’d never think they were alcohol free! We speak to the wonderful Camille Vidal, from La Maison Wellness, who offers great tips and recipes to have an alcohol free or low alcohol Christmas. 

And Rose has a great last-minute suggestion for a gift this Christmas! 

For more information about Camille Vidal and her programme mentioned and to find some delicious non-alcoholic drinks recipes to go https://www.lamaisonwellness.com/ or look for her on Instagram  @lamaisonwellness 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

How can I live longer and better? What supplement will make me more youthful? 

In the last of the current series we discuss the topic of longevity which has become a really popular biohacking subject in recent years.

Can certain supplements or protocols promise the elixir of youth? Or is it just a lot more simple than that? If you want to know your resveratrol from your NAD+ or if you are looking for some more simple life hacks to support optimum health we’ve included them all in this episode. 

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient + Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy. 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode does refer to binge eating and eating disorders at points throughout.

Yo-yo dieting aka the binge-purge cycle is something that has been around for decades and even though it gets rebranded with other descriptions like detoxes or surrounded with phrases like ‘cheat days’ it’s still the same thing. Basically moving from periods of (often extreme) restriction to going all out.

We both feel quite passionate about how detrimental this cycle can be so in this week’s episode we talk in and around this all too familiar pattern. We also address both the physical and mental negative effects it can have as well as the role that culture and society has on pushing the same ‘ideal’ narrative.

This is probably going to resonate with a lot of you and potentially provoke divisive opinions but we want to hear them all so please get in touch.

This episode is sponsored by Ancient and Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Is bread all bad? We are a nation of bread lovers but we're also constantly told we should eat less of it. But IS ALL BREAD BAD? 

In this episode we explore some of the reasons bread got it's 'bad boy' reputation. Why more and more people are not tolerating it and discuss how today's farming techniques and supermarket breads may be a contributing factor. 

Thankfully we also discover that some breads are actually good and Eve tries unsuccessfully to persuade Rose to bake her own sourdough!

For more information on Dr Vanessa Kimbell mentioned in the podcast go to  https://www.sourdough.co.uk/


The Wellness Breakdown is sponsored by Ancient and Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Fat jabs, skinny jabs, you will have heard about the controversial 'quick fix' semaglutides being used to lose weight quickly.

It’s been splashed all over the media in recent years and with major celebrity endorsement we wanted to talk about the rise of semaglutide aka Ozempic and Wagovy as its trade name descriptions would call it.

Is this the 'wonder weight loss drug' that some report? Or does it have some seriously bad side effects? What might also be the broader implications of promoting the idea of thinness? And are we just furthering toxic diet culture? 

Listen to this episode to hear our thoughts and rants! 

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

How do I know if I'm perimenopausal? Brain fog, night sweats, anxiety, weight gain, insomnia, all of these could be symptoms of the perimenopause. 


This week we look at perimenopause - what is it exactly and what are some of the changes we might expect to feel both physically and mentally. 

We talk about the vast array of symptoms, the possible role of HRT and some of the empowering choices we can make nutrition, lifestyle and supplement wise to help support perimenopause. We also highlight the opportunities that this phase of life can bring and how it can be seen as empowering!

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Is modern living hammering our adrenals and how can we manage our stress response? 

In this episode we discuss what adrenal health really means. How do the adrenals influence symptoms and systems in the body including immune system health, hormone balancing, metabolism and managing inflammation? We also differentiate between positive and negative stress, look at stress eating and ways we can actively help to support the adrenals and a healthy stress response. 

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Are you always tired? Got low energy and constantly getting colds? Do you have  psoriasis,  eczema or asthma? You might be deficient in Vitamin D.

In this episode we dig into vitamin D, why it isn’t strictly speaking a 'vitamin’ but how important it is for our overall health.  

We talk about how can we make sure we get enough of it and what happens to us  if we don’t? 

Spoiler: it is VERY hard to find many systems of the body that are not impacted by vitamin D!

So what are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency to look out for and what are the most effective types of supplements and dosages?

Have a listen and find out!

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

What is matcha and is it better for you than coffee? How do you make it and why do people drink it?

In this episode we take a look at matcha. Its origins, how to drink it, what differentiates a good matcha from a ‘junk' matcha and how to best source as well as its health benefits. Is it worth the expensive price tag? And could it be a healthier alternative to coffee?

Listen to find out more!

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy 

With kind insight from Jameel Lalani at Lalani & Co https://www.lalaniandco.com/ - use the code EVEK12 for 12% off.

For Eve’s Matcha macadamia blondies mentioned in the pod - head here https://evekalinik.com/matcha-macadamia-blondies/ 

===================================================

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Is oat milk better than cows milk? Are fake meats better than real meat? Is a plant-based diet the answer? 

In this episode we discuss the confusing, often misleading and controversial subjects of plant-based milks and meats. Should we be swapping out our milks for plant-based alternatives or not? And if we are what are the kinds of things should we look out for to meet potential nutritional gaps? 

And if you are thinking of going plant-based, the correct way, we’ve shared a few of our fave plant-based recipes below!

https://evekalinik.com/taco-soup
https://roseferguson.com/blogs/all/butter-bean-stew-bowl
https://evekalinik.com/tofu-katsu-curry
https://roseferguson.com/blogs/all/cauliflower-turmeric-soup

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave and produced by Elisa Kennedy.

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

We are back! And we have a big topic to start the season. This week we are talking around fertility including how to check your stats, the hormonal caveats of stress, sharing our own personal experiences including egg freezing, sperm donation and young parenthood, and of course our thoughts on nutrition, lifestyle factors and supplementation. Whether you are just embarking on your fertility journey or have been on this for some time we think you will find something that resonates and may help to empower you along the way.

This podcast is sponsored by Ancient & Brave.

People mentioned include Emma Cannon https://www.emmacannon.co.uk/ and Ross J Barr https://www.rossbarr.com/

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

And don’t forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode. Thank you! 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

For our special Christmas episode we invited our wonderful mums onto the pod to talk all around the festive holidays including food, booze and the emotions that can often come with this time of year. Expect funny anecdotes, shared wisdom and a few tips to help you navigate and celebrate the Christmas spirit without pressing the f&*k it button. 

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Circadian rhythm essentially refers to our biological internal clock and has a vital role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle. There has been a huge increase in studying this in relation to our overall health and well-being, most notably sleep.

We wanted to investigate further and see if light exposure and working in conjunction with our circadian rhythms can really get us better in bed!

For this episode we have asked our very special guest Sadie Frost to take on the challenge with the guidance of meditation teacher and founder of OPO app, Chris Connors.

Can working with the light and timing get Sadie into more of a circadian flow and can it help address her long-standing sleep problems?

Listen in to find out!


This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

For more info on OPO head to @opo.app


This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Infrared saunas seem to be increasing in popularity with advocates championing their wide ranging benefits from better sleep, improved circulation, increased detoxification and relief from muscular pain.

Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, they use infrared lamps (that use electromagnetic radiation) to warm your body directly.

While there are several studies and research on traditional saunas, there aren’t as many studies that look specifically at infrared saunas so this is where we come in to test it on this weeks episode and it’s Eve going under the lamps.

Can infrared saunas help improve Eve’s circulation or is it just a lot of hot air?

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Despite having its first wave of celebrity endorsement in the 90’s, pilates has been around since the 1920’s.  It was created by Joseph Pilates who famously said “in 10 sessions you feel better, in 20 sessions you look better, 30 sessions you have a completely new body”. The main premise being on strengthening core muscles around the spine and the pelvic floor with a focus on strategic working of the muscles rather than exhaustion to create length and strength alongside its signature breathing. Pilates can be done on a mat or using a reformer machine which uses springs, ropes and pulleys. Research shows that pilates can help with recovery and certain injuries, increase strength and endurance as well as improving flexibility, balance and posture.

We wanted to put it to the test and for this challenge we have literally ‘roped in’ our first guest of the season, the amazing author, integrated health practitioner and founder of her eponymous chai brand, Mira Manek to see if she found any benefits from it.

Does Mira find more flexibly, mobility and strength in her core? Or does she just want to get back to being her usual gym bunny self?

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

With special thanks to @moveyourframe 

Other pilates apps mentioned in the podcast are:

• The Pilates Class by Jacqui Kingswell 
• Pilates By Bryony
• Chloe's Pilates by Chloe Hodgson 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Rebounding requires using a trampoline or trampette to essentially jump up and down as a way to improve our fitness levels -  it certainly can elevate our heart rate! Fans of this type of exercise famously include Goldie Hawn who streamed her rebounding during the lock down days. However many proponents of rebounding also claim it may help to increase endorphins that may heighten our mood and potentially help to alleviate stress.

We wanted to find out if its worth the hype so this week Eve challenges Rose to get bouncing for a week and report back. Can it give Rose a lift physically and mentally? 

Listen in to the episode to find out! 

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

The term ’nootropic’ is really an umbrella term for supplements (and certain meds) which can supposedly help to boost the brain’s performance and enhance cognitive functions. These may include specific vitamins, minerals, fatty acids or derived from plants, while others can be made from novel synthetic compounds in the case of prescription meds. Despite the soaring rise in popularity for these ’smarter’ supplements, it is mostly small studies that show that they can positively affect the brain and not so much in way of large controlled data. We wanted to put them to our own test and for this one Rose is setting Eve the challenge and putting her on the path to being potentially more cognitively enhanced. 

Do they actually make Eve more focused and brain sharp or is it just placebo?

Listen in to the episode to find out! 

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth


This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

TRIGGER WARNING: Eating disorders are discussed in this episode 

Calories are universally recognised as a means to measure the amount of energy in foods that are present on the pack of every food we buy. This has been used as a way to monitor the amount of energy we take in through our food and implemented in certain weight loss programmes. In more recent years it has gained a lot more popularity through certain apps. However whilst calories can give some indication of the units of energy in food they do not give any data on the nutritional value and quality of food which is why this method has come under more scrutiny. So much so that the phrase “calories in, calories out” for weight loss is really not that straight forward at all and has been refuted by many. We want to see if calorie counting has any validity or use in helping us to support our health and wellbeing or is it just a total waste of time?

The rules:
Rose has to count calories for a week using an app which will have been calculated according to her age/height/weight and meet the target amount over the course of the week. She has to upload everything she eats and drinks for the duration of the week and note how she is feeling throughout the week both physically and mentally.

Does she find this useful or just a way to feed into a dysfunctional relationship with our food?

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth


This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Liver cleanses and detoxes can be big business in the wellness industry. Essentially these various programmes or protocols are based around the notion that they promise to 'rid the body of various toxins’. Despite some quite bold claims there is virtually no scientific evidence to back this up. There are many different interpretations of what these cleanses look like including the ‘liver flush’ which includes drinking a cocktail of ingredients designed to do just that. However pseudoscience a lot of these are, is there a bigger question of looking to support our liver health more generally? We wanted to dig into this. So in this episode Rose challenges Eve to follow a 3 day protocol including an…erm…delicious drink?!

The rules: For 3 days Eve has to cut out all caffeine, alcohol and sugar and eat vegetables, wholegrain, fruit, nuts & seeds and protein in the form of chicken, fish and pulses. She also has to have a daily 'liver flush’ drink.

Does Eve notice any benefits at all or is it just another ridiculous fad? 

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Acupuncture is based on an ancient Chinese medicine philosophy using needles to trigger specific points in order to influence areas of the body and to bring into alignment ‘qi’ which refers to the body’s life-giving force. Despite this sounding a little woo woo to some people the anecdotal evidence is vast and there are more and more scientific studies to demonstrate its effects on chronic pain, hormone balancing and reducing stress. 

So with this in mind we wanted to see if it can be a point in the right direction and this is the challenge for this week’s episode. 

The rules: Rose has to go for 1 acupuncture session every week for 4 weeks.

Can this help address Rose’s longstanding shoulder injury and help balance some of the stressors in her life? Or does it live up to her rather sceptical expectations? 


Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth


Acupuncture name checks:

Rose visited her local acupuncturist Richard Agnew - https://richardagnew.co.uk/

People and practises also mentioned in the show @rossjbarrclinic @kookantherapy 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Ultra-processed foods or UPF’s are foods that have undergone heavy processing using largely manufactured ingredients on industrial-scale levels. This usually means using methods like hydrogenation and moulding and chemical additives such as preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners. These foods are typically calorie dense and low in nutritional value. Examples include crisps, cookies, cakes, many breads, ready-meals…the list is long, but they also include the so-called 'healthy' options like some milk alternatives and plant based foods. 

The general consensus is that ultra-processed foods are unhealthy and have been associated with an increased risk of myriad chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. However how bad can they be for our health?

That is the challenge for this week’s episode as Rose asks Eve to go all out on junk food for a week. 

The rules: Eve has to eat almost exclusively UPF’s for 7 days

Can Eve make it through the week or does she literally feel sick of it? 

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

With the increased interest in the concept of fasting we wanted to push this to the extreme and explore water fasting - a type of fast during which you cannot consume anything other than water.

There are a few reasons why people might fast including religious reasons as well as prepping for medical procedures but in the realms of health benefits it is most commonly used for weight loss and ‘detoxing’. Whilst neither of these have been substantiated with scientific evidence there have been a small amount of studies linking its ability to help support the process of cellular renewal and potentially improving blood sugar management.

The rules: For 24 hours Rose can only consume plain water. No herbal teas or any other liquids. She must try to drink 2-3 litres of water during the 24 hours.

Whilst Rose is both an advocate and a seasoned faster, using various types of fasts in her practise, she has never attempted a full on water one which makes her the perfect person for this challenge. 

But will this be a bridge too far, even for Rose?  Listen to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

Rose also discussed her online workout challenge - for more info go to 
https://www.muscleandstrength.com

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Love them or loathe them Brussels sprouts are synonymous with Christmas and so we thought an entire episode dedicated to them would be suitably festive. They also pack a pretty mean punch flavour and nutrition wise being that they are high in powerful compounds such as Indole-3-carbinols and sulforaphane that have been linked to myriad positive health benefits. They are also rich in raffinose which, although good for our gut bugs, is kind of the reason for their less…erm..’festive' gassy side effects. 

We wanted to test Brussels sprouts to the max so in this challenge both of us have to eat Brussels sprouts every day for 12 days. They can be cooked in any way we want but we do need to have them daily. 

Does this reaffirm Rose’s adoration of the little green fellas or does she actually feel green herself after 12 days straight on the sprouts? And can Eve actually complete one challenge this season? 

Listen to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for more info.

Some of our suggestions for tasty sprouts throughout Christmas!



Raw honey glazed Brussels

Ingredients

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. raw local honey
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add Brussels sprouts, cut side down, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Add ¼ cup water and cover. Let Brussels sprouts steam until tender, 3 minutes. If the skillet seems dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time.

Remove sprouts from skillet and set aside on a plate. Add vinegar, honey, mustard, and garlic and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and syrupy, 6 to 8 minutes. Return sprouts to pan, toss to coat, and heat through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.


Shredded lemon maple sprouts 

Ingredients

Zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp organic maple syrup 
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
1/2 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, depending on spice preference
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, shredded
salt 
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted slivered almonds, for serving

 Method

In a food processor or blender, combine lemon juice, anchovies, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth. (Alternatively, finely mince the anchovies and garlic and whisk into remaining sauce ingredients.) Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sauce for serving.

Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium heat until shimmering.Add Brussels sprouts and shake pan to settle them in an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Add all but the reserved 2 tablespoons sauce to the skillet and season with salt and

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

In this episode we rope Rose’s husband, the brilliant artist Jake Chapman, into a four week intensive yoga challenge to help address a long-standing injury.

The rules:
Jake has to follow an online yoga programme every day for 4 weeks using the infamous ‘yoga with Adrienne’.

Can getting his ‘ommm’ on help Jake to be more aware of taking care of his body and support injury recovery?

You don’t want to miss this episode!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for more info.

For more info on the classes Jake took visit www.yogawithadriene.com


This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Hyberbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) has been associated with improving a diverse range of conditions, mostly used for post surgical and injury recovery. More recently though it is being used to provide anti-inflammatory and immune support in conditions such as asthma. Essentially it involves sitting or lying in a pressurised chamber and breathing in approximately 95% of concentrated oxygen under atmospheric pressure which is reported to increase cell function and repair on a cellular level.

We were super intrigued about this and so was our third guest of the season, the amazing Jo Good, radio presenter, broadcast journalist and YouTube sensation. Jo has suffered from really bad bouts of asthma since having COVID so we thought she would be the perfect candidate to go into the chamber!

The rules:

Simple really. Jo must complete two HBOT sessions at The Vital Practise in W1 @thevitalpractice https://www.thevitalpractice.co.uk

Can HBOT be a way to help Jo back onto the road to recovery? And does her inner skeptic actually have a change of perspective after going into the chamber?

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earthfor more info.

You can follow Jo Good on her You Tube channel Middle Aged Mibx here:
https://youtu.be/fj1DEyOp690

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Strength training has become a lot more popular with the rise of so called ‘Fitspos’ on social media and the hashtag ‘gains’. Vanity aside though strength training has myriad health benefits in that it can help to protect joints from injury, maintain and improve bone density and muscle mass, as well increased range of mobility. Given its increased rise in health and fitness we wanted to put this to the test. No fancy gym kits or snazzy classes needed but just tried and tested exercises. 

The rules:

Based on a structured whole body online training programme which includes using a combination of weights and body weight resistance exercises. Rose has to do 3-4 sessions per week of 45-60 minutes per session for 6 weeks.

Does Rose surprise herself and find a new way of exercising? Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for more info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Well to be clear we are not talking about the hallucinogenic ones but medicinal mushrooms that include reishi, cordyceps and lion’s mane to name a few. These medicinal mushrooms have been around for centuries and traditionally used for their health promoting benefits including helping to manage stress and anxiety, reduce inflammation and even heralded as promoting longevity. Scientific studies tell us that this is potentially due to the many bioactive compounds including immune modulating effects. This is why they have also been associated with supporting immune system health and the reason why we have decided to ask our next guest, Rose’s daughter, Elfie to take on the challenge. Elfie has had a longstanding history with her immune system health so we reckon she is the perfect candidate for this one!

The rules:

Elfie has to take a mushroom complex in capsule format as directed. We have also encouraged her to also use mushroom teas alongside to give her an extra hit. Because these do take a while to kick in the challenge is for 6 weeks. 

Can mushrooms hold the secret to getting Elfie’s immune system finally back and firing on all cylinders? 

Listen in to find out!

The brands used and mentioned in the episode are below

@mushrooms_4life

@myco.nutri

@dirteaworld

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for more info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Collagen has been knocking around for some years and often with some outlandish claims, as well as a whole lot of products on the market which makes it really tricky to navigate. We wanted to get to the real potential benefits for collagen and the how’s, why’s and when to take it, so for this week we are delighted to invite Kate Prince, founder, and Jo Woodhurst, in-house nutritionist at Ancient & Brave to share their collagen pearls of wisdom!

Can collagen really deliver some of the promises that have been made? And why is it so important to buy a credible and responsibly sourced brand like Ancient & Brave?

If, like us, you had so many unanswered questions you are going to get so much from this episode!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for more info and for their range of collagen powders and other products discussed in the episode. 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Like Dry Jan, Sober October, is nothing particularly new. However there is a massively rising trend is the amount of people that are deciding to shun alcohol altogether and opt for a completely sober life. You guys don’t need us to tell you that excessive alcohol consumption has some really negative health associations so can these periods of abstinence help to reset our relationship with it? Or can they actually feed into more of a binge-purge cycle? This is what we set out to uncover in this week’s episode and this time it is Eve taking on the challenge. 

The rules

Simple. Eve can’t drink any alcohol for the month of October. 

Well…we’ve already given spoilers here so you know Eve didn’t really stick with this but what were the feelings and patterns of behaviour that were triggered? Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

Some of the brands we mentioned…

Noughty https://noughtyaf.com 

Clean Co https://clean.co 

Wild Idol https://wildidol.com 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Many of us are familiar with the mantra ‘5-a-day’ and whilst that takes into account the amount of fruit and veg we should be eating it is missing a key component when it comes to gut health which is diversity. 

We know that the path to a healthier and happier gut is one that is diverse as this feeds many more good microbes in our microbiome. The way to achieve this is eating a wide variety of plants and this is where the new ’30-per-week’ phrase comes in.  

This week we rope in our first guest of the season, the incredibly inspiring Julia Samuel MBE, renowned psychotherapist, author, and podcaster. 

The rules

Julia has to meet the quota of 30 or more different types of plants per week which can come from fruit, vegetables, whole grains and nuts & seeds. Herbs and spices also count but since these are typically used in much lower amounts think of one measure of spice as a 1/4 portion. Each plant item only counts as once in the week even if Julia eats it every day. She can consume fresh, dried, canned or frozen so no restrictions there. 

We want to know if bringing some more variety into the plant foods we eat could be THE most important thing we do for our gut health? And how doable is it actually in a busy and convenience driven world?

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth

For more info on our other episode sponsor Bimuno click here https://bit.ly/3TBvTPd 

Check out Julia Samuel MBE @juliasamuelmbe and her podcast Therapy Works https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/therapy-works/id1646616622 

And for Chefs in Schools head here https://chefsinschools.org.uk 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

The concept of manifestation is essentially the act of bringing into reality the outcomes that you desire. More recently manifestation has been popularised by books like The Law of Attraction and The Secret. Some will refer to manifestation as simply woo woo and pseudoscience but others disagree so is there a more nuanced way to think about this?  We wanted to find out and as such Rose is taking on the challenge this episode.

The rules

People in the business of manifesting swear by a vision board so Rose has to firstly create a vision/action board with pictures of the things she wants to manifest in her life. Thereafter Rose needs to set aside time each day to think about and write down the steps she can take to reach these goals and build them into her routine. She also has to complete a gratitude journal every day for 2 weeks.  

Is there actually some science behind the idea of manifestation, of turning an idea or a wish into a real thing? Or is it literally a load of nonsense? 

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for further info.

For more on Tara Swart and her book ’The Source’ head to https://www.taraswart.com and Gabrielle Bernstein https://gabbybernstein.com 

Rose's recommendation on Morpheus8 treatment is 
https://nilamholmes.com

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

As we are in a global climate catastrophe it is vital that all of us actively strive to change our lifestyle and food practices to feed into a more sustainable system. Much of this means minimising the volume and toxicity of our waste as well as conserving as much and as many resources as we can to help support the health of our planet and everything that lives on it.

Whilst both of us try to follow this concept as much as possible we also acknowledge that we can and need to do better. That’s the reason why both of us are taking on this one and also encourage you listeners to join us on it too….not just for the week but for the foreseeable

The rules:

Since food is our thing we have focused on specifically reducing food waste so this means…

Eating local and seasonal

Shopping from local markets and shops and taking a reusable bag

Focus on mostly plant-based foods and only one meal with local organic meat/poultry

Make food from scratch and use every morsel - anything left needs to be composted

No single use plastics or disposable cups

Refill jars of grains, nuts & seeds, legumes, etc 

Swap to eco-friendly cleaning products including loo and kitchen roll

Will we succeed? Listen in to the episode to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient & Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for further info. 
Ancient & Brave also take a very active approach to minimise all and any waste being climate neutral and a B corp and they were also keen for us to take on this challenge being that they are a member of the powerful global initiative ‘1% for the Planet’. 

For Who Gives Crap enter TP4EVA which takes £5 off the first box when you sign up for a recurring TP subscription.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

It wouldn’t be The Wellness Breakdown if we didn’t push some of these challenges to the extreme and the first episode of the new season is really going there! 

You might be familiar with high-protein diets or even the Paleo (aka caveman diet) but you may not have heard of the Carnivore diet which focuses only on meat, essentially foods that either ‘walk, swim or fly’.  

This is the challenge that Rose faces as she forgoes the veggies and focuses on 'flesh', as she puts it.

The rules: Kind of self explanatory but for one week Rose can only consume animal products with no vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes and pulses or nuts & seeds. 

Does Rose find some unexpected positive side effects to the challenge or is it just one steak too many?!

Listen in to the episode to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by Ancient and Brave. Head to https://ancientandbrave.earth for further info.

For Rose’s tofu curry head to this link
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca72Ib9rmtK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

and find Eve’s Rosemary beef stew here https://evekalinik.com/rosemary-beef-stew-and-cauliflower-champ/  

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

The supplements industry is booming and shockingly not very regulated. This can leave it super confusing as a consumer on knowing what to buy and whether you need to buy them at all. This is why we are absolutely thrilled to have founder of LYMA life, Lucy Goff, onto the podcast to literally help sort the men from the boys. This woman REALLY knows her stuff when it comes to supplements. She created her own after all! 

This week there is no challenge so its just about giving you the lowdown on how to navigate this better and answer some of your burning questions around the subject. Can supplements have a place in our health and wellness regime? Or are they just a complete waste of money? 

This is one you don’t want to miss!

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Many of us have grabbed a bag of frozen peas or an ice-pack to help reduce inflammation and swelling which means we have pretty much all used cryotherapy at some point. 

Using localised extreme cold is nothing new in terms of its medicinal application for injuries after all. However whole-body cryotherapy is taking this to another level and this is what we investigate in this episode as Eve challenges Rose to brave the cold. 

The rules: Rose has to experience 3 whole-body cryotherapy sessions.

Can cryotherapy put an end to Rose’s niggling running injuries? Or is it just not worth the extreme freeze?

Tune in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

In this episode we investigate whether going under the needle can actually work as a non-invasive facelift and this time it is Eve taking on the challenge. 

Microneedling has been rapidly gaining popularity and is a minimally invasive treatment that can help to stimulate the production of collagen and hence its link to helping to lift, tighten and resurface the skin to name a few of its associated benefits. 

The rules: Eve has to experience one microneedling session with acclaimed ‘Queen of skin’ Abigail James.  

Is this the answer to a more natural approach to positive ageing? Does Eve reckon it's worth the hype? Or is it more of a case of high pain and no gain? 

Listen in to find out!

Thanks to Abigail James. Head to her website www.abigailjames.com for more info and to book a treatment. 

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

Do you know what foods spike your blood sugar? In this episode we've asked renowned journalist Kate Spicer to strap on a blood glucose monitor and find out. Kate is always up for a health challenge and with a critical eye on these things, we thought she would be perfect to test this gadget out.

CGM (Continuous glucose monitoring) has typically been associated with diabetic patients as a way to measure blood glucose levels and has been pretty game changing. More recently these monitors have been used by non-diabetic people to understand how they might respond to different foods. With more of a move towards personalised nutrition and as a potential preventative measure, you can see how these gadgets might have some real benefits. 


The rules: Kate has to wear the monitor for 2 weeks using the Veri app to input all of her meals. This should follow Kate’s typical eating habits without any restrictions or changes so we can see how her blood glucose levels change according to what she has eaten.


Can this help Kate to understand more about the foods that do or don’t work for her? Or do these monitors potentially trigger negative eating patterns around food?


This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

'Is 10k steps the magic number?'

In this episode we dig into whether 10k steps is really how much we should be walking every day and this time Eve challenges Rose to get her walking boots on. 

Many of us have been lead to believe that we should be hitting the magic number of 10,000 steps per day to keep fit and healthy. However contrary to what we might have been told this number actually came about via a marketing campaign in the Japan in the 1960s rather than robust science. Nevertheless many of us track our steps with fitness measuring devices and apps - most of which are set to a default of 10,000 steps. Getting fitter means moving more and walking is certainly one of the easiest ways to do that. 

The rules: Rose has to walk at least 10,000 steps per day for two weeks which she needs to measure by way of a fitness device or app. She must also focus exclusively on walking as her cardio exercise and remove running for the duration of the challenge. Pilates and yoga as other mindful forms of movement are ok but not the spinning, HIIT and other high intensity stuff.

Can Rose get off the adrenaline fuelled high intensity exercise and find benefits in something more gentle? How does it impact her physically and mentally? And do we really need to hit this exact number after or can it somehow impede us from doing more? 

Listen in to find out!

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy 

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

It is our second guest of the season and this time Eve has roped in her wonderful mate Morgan for this better zzz's challenge. 

Morgan is very open with the fact that he has suffered with disrupted sleep for many years and so we thought he would really appreciate us trying to boost his snoozing habits. 

Sleep, or the lack thereof, is something that many of us can relate to. With our 24-hour lifestyles driven by various stimulants many of us have got completely out of sync with our natural circadian rhythms which govern the sleep-wake cycle. The more we are beginning to comprehend just how much of a critical role it has on our overall health and wellbeing, the more we have a greater need to invest in having sufficient amounts and quality of sleep. Optimising our sleep schedule can be part of cultivating habits that can make our sleep more enriched and seamless and this is why we have set this challenge for Morgan. 

The rules: Morgan has to follow the principles of the sleep hygiene method for 2 weeks which includes having fixed wake and bed times, allowing a window of winding down before bed, minimising alcohol, sugar and caffeine and having a curfew on devices.

Can this be the thing that finally helps Morgan reset his sleeping patterns for the longer term? Or does the modern world and the myriad devices sabotage his greater efforts? 

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lymalife.life  for further info.

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.

In this episode Rose sets Eve the challenge of a 3-day juice fast.

Juice fasting is something that over the past decade or so has sparked a LOT of attention. Many advocates of the practice believe that it can have incredible benefits and link its association to a myriad of positive health benefits. However others reckon it's just a load of baloney and with copious bogus claims.  

The rules: Eve will be on a strictly no food and juice only plan for 3 days with 5 juices and one smoothie per day. She can drink herbal teas and water. That’s it. 

Can notorious juice skeptic Eve find some valuable insights into her relationship with food? Or does she crack under the pressure of not having a meal for three days?  

Hit the play button and find out!

To find Rose’s juice recipe book - Juice: Cleanse. Heal. Revitalize: 100 nourishing recipes and simple juice fasts - click here:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785030205/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DD8C72PQFD5K37BS7QKE

or for more recipes go to her website
www.rosemaryferguson.co.uk

This season is kindly sponsored by LYMA. Head to www.lyma.life for further info. 

This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy

Thank you for listening and if you like the show please give us a good review and follow us so you don’t miss an episode - just click on the show page and press the plus sign.

We also love hearing from you, so if you have a story you want to share or a suggestion or question you can email us at info@thewellnessbreakdown.co.uk or contact us on Instagram @the_wellnessbreakdown @rosemaryferguson_ and @evekalinik

We're also over on You Tube - youtube.com/@thewellnessbreakdownpod

DISCLAIMER: All the advice and recommendations in this podcast is given generally. If you feel like you have any contraindications to anything we recommend please check with your healthcare provider first.