Blood & Guts Podcast

Dating is character development. And sometimes, that character development is absolutely fucking unhinged.

In this bonus episode, we’re handing the microphone over to YOU and sharing two of the wildest dating stories sent in by our listeners.

Between raw minced meat, mysterious bathroom trips, questionable men and some truly spectacular red flags, we’re laughing our way through the absolute absurdity of modern dating.

Because sometimes the best part of a date isn’t the person you went out with.

It’s the debrief with your girlfriends afterwards.

A massive thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us. We love you, we appreciate you, and we’re so glad we get to laugh about this stuff together.

And if dating has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes you’ve just got to do it for the plot.

Buckle up and enjoy!

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Why is finding someone you actually like so bloody complicated? And why does putting yourself out there so often leave you questioning everything about yourself?

In this episode, we’re talking about the weird and wonderful world of modern dating, from dating apps, ghosting and mixed signals to sexual chemistry, rejection and the absolute chaos of getting to know someone new.

We take you through our own dating histories, from Annie’s early relationships and the lessons that eventually led her partner, to Milli’s first experiences with intimacy, a whirlwind romance in South America and her rather questionable adventures on dating apps.

Along the way, we unpack how dating can bring our deepest insecurities to the surface. We talk about anxious attachment, fear of rejection, the relationships we have with our parents and how the people we date can reveal patterns we didn’t even realise we were carrying.

We also explore what it means to develop standards without feeling guilty for having them, why being the ‘cool, low-maintenance girl’ can mean abandoning parts of yourself, and how learning to communicate your needs is just as important as finding someone willing to meet them.

Because dating isn’t just about figuring out who you want to be with.

It’s about figuring out who you are.

Every relationship, situationship, heartbreak and questionable person we’ve entertained has the potential to teach us something about what we want, what we deserve and what we’re no longer willing to compromise on.

And don’t worry, we’ve saved the most unhinged part for a separate BONUS episode, where we’ll be reading YOUR wildest dating stories.

Enjoy xx

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What started as a cute sunset photoshoot for the podcast ended with Annie in hospital, undergoing surgery to remove a pufferfish spine from her foot. Yes, you read that correctly.

In this episode, we’re giving you a life update and telling the story of how one of our most chaotic filming days somehow managed to get even more chaotic.

From running barefoot along the beach, to stepping on a dead pufferfish (and barely thinking anything of it), to discovering there was an entire spine lodged deep inside Annie’s toe, we take you through the ridiculous series of events that landed her in surgery.

Along the way, we talk about our experiences in the healthcare system, the incredible nurses who made the whole ordeal surprisingly enjoyable, and how this experience helped Annie overcome some of her fears around hospitals and medical care.

But underneath the ridiculousness of it all, there’s a much bigger conversation about women’s pain.

Because while Annie was receiving scans, surgery and prescription painkillers for a pufferfish spine in her toe, she was experiencing period cramps that were significantly more painful.

And it raises a pretty confronting question: How have we created a healthcare system where a spine in your toe warrants urgent medical attention, but debilitating period pain is so often dismissed as just another part of being a woman?

We also get completely sidetracked with astrology readings in India, Milli’s childhood hospital experience, and why Annie thinks adults deserve a few more teddy bears and a little Sesame Street before surgery.

A whole lot of chaos, some very questionable luck, and a reminder that just because women’s pain is common doesn’t mean it should be normalised.

Enjoy xx

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In Part 2 of Obsession With Being Small, we continue our journey through the ever-changing female body ideal - beginning with the thin, toned and disciplined woman of the 1980s, through heroin chic in the 90s, the size-zero obsession of the 2000s and into the body ideals we’re living through right now.

We look at how exercise became increasingly tied to appearance and self-discipline, how women’s bodies became entertainment for celebrity magazines and paparazzi, and how social media, algorithms, filters and cosmetic procedures have created new ways for us to compare, monitor and manipulate our bodies.

Along the way, we continue to question what was happening in women’s rights at the same time. As women gained greater freedom, independence and power, the pressure to remain physically controlled never disappeared.

We explore what chasing smallness can cost us, physically, emotionally and socially, and why forcing ourselves into one body ideal ignores the natural diversity of women’s bodies.

Because this was never only about our bodies.

It’s about our voices, our confidence, our ambitions, our needs and how much space we believe we’re allowed to occupy.

You were not out on this earth to spend your whole life reducing yourself.

You deserve to shine and take up space! 

The world needs to see your light. So shine bright baby!

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When did women learn that being smaller made us more beautiful, lovable, worthy or acceptable?

In Part 1 of Obsession With Being Small, we start with our own earliest experiences of learning to take up less space — physically, emotionally and socially. 

From body comments we heard growing up to being praised for thinness, people-pleasing, staying quiet and learning not to “rock the boat,” we explore how smallness can become about so much more than the size of our bodies.

Then we go back through history to look at the ever-changing female body ideal. From corseted waists and exaggerated curves, to the boyish flapper of the 1920s, the carefully controlled hourglass of the post-war years, Twiggy and extreme slenderness in the 1960s.

Along the way, we look at what was happening in women’s rights at the same time. Women gained greater access to voting, education, employment, public life and positions of authority, yet each new era seemed to come with another set of instructions about how the female body should look.

Sometimes women were allowed to be curvy, but only in the “right” places. Sometimes they were allowed into male spaces of power, but were still expected to appear youthful, delicate and physically non-threatening.

The ideal body kept changing.

The expectation that women should change themselves to meet it did not.

In Part 2, we’re heading into the 80s, 90s, the size-zero 2000s and the body ideals we’re living through right now. 

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For both of us, veganism started from a place of care.

It helped us feel more connected to animals, nature and the planet. It made us think more deeply about where our food came from, pushed us to get creative in the kitchen, and gave us a sense that the way we ate reflected the kind of people we wanted to be.

But over time, things became a little more complicated.

In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when a way of eating becomes part of your identity, when ethics become entangled with restriction, and when changing your diet starts to feel like changing who you are.

Milli shares how veganism became woven into her eating disorder, giving restriction a socially acceptable explanation and making it even harder to recognise when “healthy” had gone too far. We talk about the guilt that came with reintroducing foods, the fear of being judged for stepping away from the label, and the freedom that came with creating a more flexible relationship with food.

We also explore the bigger conversation around the idea of a “perfect” diet. Is vegan automatically ethical? Is plant-based always sustainable? And can any way of eating exist without some impact on animals, people or the planet?

This episode isn’t about telling anyone to stop being vegan. Veganism can be a deeply meaningful and nourishing choice for many people.

For us, retiring the label didn’t mean retiring our compassion.

It meant learning to care about animals, the earth and our food systems while also making space for nourishment, pleasure, flexibility and trust in our own bodies.

You don’t need to follow a perfect diet to be a caring person. Your values are allowed to evolve, and your body’s needs are allowed to change.

Connect with us on instagram @bloodngutspodcast

Female friendship can be one of the most grounding, empowering and healing parts of our lives. Butttttt finding your people, especially as an adult, isn’t always easy.

In this episode, we’re talking about what healthy female friendship actually looks like, the red and green flags we’ve learnt to recognise, and why the right friendships should make you feel more like yourself, not like you need to shrink to belong. 

We also chat about making friends outside of school, letting go of the idea that your friends need to be the same age or at the same stage of life, and intentionally putting yourself in spaces where meaningful connection can grow.

Because having empowering women around you matters, but so does asking: am I becoming the kind of friend I want to have?

☺️ Our invitation to you:

Send this episode to a woman who makes you feel more like yourself, and tell her why!

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Most of us know someone who was put on the pill as a teenager. Maybe for contraception. Maybe for acne. Maybe for painful periods. Maybe because our doctor simply said, “This will help.”

But how many of us were actually told what it was doing inside our bodies?

This week, we’re talking all things the pill — what it actually is, how it prevents pregnancy, why the bleed you have while taking it isn’t technically a period, and why it’s become the go-to solution for so many women’s health symptoms.

We also get into the conversations that don’t always happen when the prescription is handed over: mood, libido, side effects, symptoms returning after coming off, the responsibility women carry for contraception, and even the fascinating (and still very mixed) research around the pill, attraction and relationships.

Annie also shares her own experience of being on the pill, how it affected the way she felt physically and emotionally, and why eventually deciding to come off felt like taking back some ownership of her body.

In this episode, we cover:

• What “the pill” actually is and how it works.
• Why your bleed on the pill isn’t the same as a menstrual period.
• Why the pill can improve symptoms without necessarily addressing why they started.
• What can happen when you come off the pill.
• The side effects and considerations women deserve to know about.
• Why contraception still falls so heavily on women.
• The research around the pill, attraction and identity.
• What informed choice around contraception can actually look like.

This episode isn’t about telling you to take the pill or throw your packet in the bin.

For some women, the pill is life-changing. For others, it simply isn’t the right fit.

We just think women deserve the full conversation before making a decision about their bodies.

Your body. Your choice. Just make it an informed one.

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Okay, Off Campus fans… we need to talk about Garrett Graham. 🏒🤍

This week, we’re using the relationship between Hannah and Garrett in Off Campus to open up a much bigger conversation about intimacy, consent, trauma and what it actually means to feel safe with another person.

What the series gets so right is that safety isn’t just about someone saying the “right” things. It’s about having the space to say no, change your mind, slow down, be vulnerable and know that the person you’re with will respect you through all of it.

We also get personal, sharing our own experiences of intimacy after sexual assault, eating disorder recovery and disconnection from our bodies, and how safe relationships can play a role in finding your way back to yourself.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why we’re slightly obsessed with Off Campus (and yes, there are spoilers).
• What Hannah and Garrett teach us about consent, intimacy and emotional safety.
• Annie’s experience of intimacy after SA.
• Milli’s experience of intimacy, body shame and sexuality during and after an eating disorder.
• Why sexual violence is far more common than many of us realise.
• What safety can actually look and feel like when dating and in relationships.
• Where to turn and what you can do if you’ve experienced sexual assault.

This is a big conversation, but such an important one.

If there’s one thing we hope you leave with, it’s this: you deserve relationships where your boundaries are heard, your body feels safe, and you’re allowed to move at your own pace.

And seriously… where art thou Garrett Graham? 🤍

Content note: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, trauma, eating disorders and intimacy. Please listen in a way that feels right for you.

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How do you actually know if your menstrual cycle is healthy?

Is period pain normal? What about PMS? Should your cycle be the same length every month? And what is your body trying to tell you when something changes?

These are the questions we wish someone had answered years ago.

In this episode, we break down the menstrual cycle in a way that’s simple, empowering, and easy to understand. We chat about what a healthy cycle actually looks like, why so many women have been taught to accept symptoms that deserve attention, and how our modern world often works against the female body.

We also share our own experiences of how stress, under-fuelling, and life circumstances affected our cycles, and why the menstrual cycle can act as one of the body’s greatest feedback systems.

In this episode, we cover:

• How the menstrual cycle works and the four phases.
• Five signs of a healthy menstrual cycle.
• Common signs your body may be asking for support.
• How stress, nutrition and lifestyle can impact your cycle.
• Why your menstrual cycle is an important indicator of overall health.
• Simple ways to reconnect with your body and work with your cycle instead of against it.

Whether your periods have always been painful, you’ve never really understood your cycle, or you’re simply curious about how your body works, this episode is for you.

Your body isn’t working against you. It’s communicating with you.

Grab a cuppa, get comfy, and join us. 🤍

Start tracking your cycle 📝

Looking for support? 

Join Annie's 12 week program Sacred Cycles.

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