The Unhealthy Vegan - When Eating Vegan Doesn’t Mean Eating Plants

“I carried on calling myself vegan, but somewhere along the way, eating vegan had stopped meaning eating plants.”

When you hear the word vegan, you probably picture colourful vegetables, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds. You probably don’t picture biscuits, crisps, muffins and Netflix in bed.

After being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, I adopted a genuinely plant-rich, home cooked vegan diet. I looked better, had more energy and felt healthier. Then lockdown arrived and although I continued calling myself vegan, the food underneath that label changed almost completely.

In this episode, I share how a daily walk to Tesco for a 'bag of goodies' became a comforting lockdown ritual, how those habits continued after lockdown ended, and the photograph that finally made me confront how much my health and weight had changed.

I also explore the 'healthy halo' surrounding labels such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, organic, low-fat and high-protein. These labels may tell us something important about a product, but they cannot tell us whether our overall diet is balanced, nutritious or genuinely plant-rich.

In this episode

• Why I became vegan after developing Graves’ disease
• How a home-cooked, plant-rich diet initially helped me feel and look better
• How boredom, comfort eating and reduced movement changed my diet during lockdown
• The birthday photograph and holiday wardrobe disaster - that became my turning point
• Why I stopped fearing nuts, seeds, olive oil and other healthy fats
• My move from fully vegan to a predominantly plant-based pescatarian diet
• The difference between vegan, plant-based and nutritionally balanced
• Why processed food is not automatically unhealthy
• What a food’s ingredients list and nutritional information can reveal
• Nutrients that need particular attention in a fully vegan diet
• Why an occasional packet of crisps doesn’t erase an otherwise nourishing week
• The honest questions we can ask about our own eating habits

This episode is not an argument against veganism. A well-planned vegan diet can be varied, nutritious and healthy. It is about looking beyond reassuring labels and asking a more useful question:

What is this food and what is it contributing to the way I eat overall?

Mentioned in this episode

• The End of Alzheimer’s by Dr Dale Bredesen
• British Dietetic Association: Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diets
• NHS: What are processed foods?
• NHS: How to read food labels
• The NIH study comparing ultra-processed and unprocessed diets

Explore Avani Health Hub and discover professionals working across functional, integrative, lifestyle and complementary health:

www.avanihealthhub.co.uk

This podcast shares my personal experience and the information I have learned along the way. It is not a substitute for personalised medical or nutritional advice.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!! 

In 2018, just two weeks before she was due to cycle from London to Paris, Elaine went from feeling fitter than she had in years to wondering whether she would make it through the night.

The diagnosis was Graves’ disease - an autoimmune condition that causes an overactive thyroid.

In this episode, Elaine shares the symptoms that led to her diagnosis, including a rising resting heart rate, tremors, rapid weight loss, night sweats, frequent bowel movements, palpitations and pressure behind her eyes.

She also explores:

• What Graves’ disease is and why it is not the same as every overactive thyroid
• What TSH, free T4, free T3 and TRAb blood results mean
• How Graves’ can affect the heart and eyes
• What thyroid storm is and when symptoms may need urgent medical attention
• Why a sore throat must be reported while taking carbimazole
• The difference between block-and-replace and medication titration
• Beta blockers, radioactive iodine and thyroid surgery
• What happens when the first treatment approach does not suit you
• Diet, caffeine, stress, sleep and complementary approaches alongside medical care
• Whether lifestyle contributed to Elaine’s remission
• Genetics, hormones, stress, infections, gut health and other possible Graves’ triggers
• Why autoimmune diseases affect women more frequently
• What remission means and whether Graves’ can return
• Questions to ask your endocrinologist
• Practical considerations involving dental anaesthetic, iodine supplements and CT contrast

Elaine also reflects on the limits of what her experience can prove. Conventional medicine diagnosed and treated a potentially serious disease, while lifestyle changes helped her take a more active role in supporting her wider health.

This is Elaine’s personal experience and is not medical advice. Graves’ disease requires appropriate medical assessment and treatment. Speak to your GP, endocrinologist or another qualified healthcare professional before changing medication, taking supplements or making decisions about treatment.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!! 

The Podcast That Changed Everything

"I'd always thought Alzheimer's was a one-way road, but if something as ordinary as sleep could influence our future brain health...what else might matter?"

What if your risk of Alzheimer's isn't entirely written in your genes?

In the first episode of Chronic & Thriving -  Unfiltered, I go back to 2016 and a long drive to the Lake District, when a four hour podcast about sleep and Alzheimer's completely changed the way I thought about my future health.

With Alzheimer's running through my family, I'd always assumed it was a progressive disease I could do very little about. That podcast led me to Dr Dale Bredesen, The End of Alzheimer's, and eventually to genetic testing - where I discovered something I wasn't expecting: I carry two copies of the APOE4 gene.

In this episode, I explore what APOE4/4 actually means, what current research tells us about lifestyle and modifiable dementia risk, the evolving evidence around Bredesen's personalised approach, and why genetic risk is not the same as certainty.

I also share the less impressive part of the story -  after discovering all of this, I became overwhelmed by how much there was to change... and essentially did nothing about it for several years.

My experience. What we know. What we don't know. No miracle cures, no pretending the evidence is more certain than it is - just an honest account of what started a health journey I never expected to be on.

Next episode: Graves' disease - when autoimmune illness suddenly made health much more immediate.

This podcast shares personal experience and general health information for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always discuss your individual health and treatment decisions with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!! 

Welcome to Chronic & Thriving - Unfiltered.

This is a podcast about what it really looks like to navigate chronic illness when the answers don't always fit neatly into one box.

I'm Elaine, founder of Avani Health Hub, and I'll be sharing my own health journey - from discovering my APOE4/4 Alzheimer's risk and living with Graves' disease & Rheumatoid Arthritis, to functional medicine, gut health, mould and CIRS, rheumatoid arthritis, medication, lifestyle change and plenty of health rabbit holes along the way.

This isn't about conventional medicine versus alternative approaches, or pretending I've found all the answers. It's about exploring what I've experienced, what the evidence tells us, and being honest about what we still don't know.

Some things have helped. Some haven't. Some I've changed my mind about.

That's why it's called Unfiltered.

This trailer explains why I'm starting the podcast, what you can expect, and why I believe better health starts with better questions.

New episodes released fortnightly.

Chronic & Thriving - Unfiltered is for information and personal experience only and is not medical advice.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!! 

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In this first episode of Chronic & Thriving – Unfiltered, I share the personal health journey that led me here - from peak fitness to a sudden diagnosis that changed everything.

After developing Graves’ disease while training for a major charity challenge, I believed I had rebuilt my health  - until further autoimmune and inflammatory conditions forced me to confront a deeper truth -  treating symptoms isn’t the same as healing.

This episode touches on:

• What happens when your health deteriorates rapidly and answers are limited
• Why chronic illness is rarely linear
• The role of chronic inflammation, toxicity, mould exposure, and genetics
• Why medication can be life-saving - but not always the full solution
• How listening to your body can change everything

If you’ve been told “everything looks fine” but don’t feel fine -  this conversation is for you.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!! 

Navigating Autoimmune Challenges - Understanding and Healing Leaky Gut

" To be honest, feels more like Chronic & Dying....it's the first time I've cried at my GP's "

In this episode of Chronic and Thriving, Elaine opens up about a major health setback involving a leaky gut, which may be the root cause of their new diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. She explains what leaky gut syndrome is, its connection to autoimmune diseases, and offers detailed guidance on identifying symptoms and effective ways to heal the gut. Topics include dietary changes, stress management, the importance of testing, and a holistic approach to treatment. 

Listeners are encouraged to share their own experiences and take a proactive role in their health journey.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Health Update

01:57 Understanding Leaky Gut

05:09 Symptoms of Leaky Gut

06:54 Testing for Leaky Gut

09:37 Causes of Leaky Gut

12:07 Healing Leaky Gut: Steps and Strategies

16:00 Realistic Timelines and Final Thoughts

17:41 Conclusion and Encouragement

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!

APOE Genes Decoded... Rewriting the Rules of Alzheimer's. Your APOE Gene - a Risk Factor, Not a Life Sentence

In this episode of the Chronic and Thriving Podcast, host Elaine explores the APOE4 gene and its implications for brain health, particularly its association with Alzheimer's disease. Explaining the different variants of the APOE gene (APOE2, APOE3, and APOE4) and how carrying the APOE4 variant can influence Alzheimer's risk, Elaine emphasises that carrying the APOE4 gene is not a life sentence but a call to action. Elaine shares actionable lifestyle changes that can mitigate the risks associated with APOE4. She also introduces listeners to epigenetics, the study of how behaviors and environment can influence gene expression. 

00:00 Introduction

00:52 Understanding the APOE Four Gene

05:11 APOE Four's Impact on Brain Health

07:02 The Role of Epigenics

08:03 Should You Get Tested for APOE Four?

11:29 Top Tips for APOE Four Carriers

21:16 Recommended Books and Resources

23:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

1. The FINGER Trial (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability)

• Primary Study: *"A 2-year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER)"* (The Lancet, 2015).
• 
  
• APOE4-Specific Analysis: "Effect of the Apolipoprotein E Genotype on Cognitive Change During a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention" (JAMA Neurology, 2018).

2. APOE4 and Alzheimer’s Risk

• Comprehensive Review: "APOE4: The most prevalent yet understudied risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease"(Nature Neuroscience, 2021).
  • Explains APOE4’s mechanisms (amyloid clearance, lipid metabolism, neuroinflammation).
• Risk Statistics: "Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer disease: pathobiology and targeting strategies" (Nature Reviews Neurology, 2019).
  • Breaks down the 2–3x (one copy) and 8–12x (two copies) risk increase.

3. Epigenetics & Lifestyle Mitigation

• Epigenetics Study: "APOE4 alters ABCA1 membrane trafficking in astrocytes" (PNAS, 2019).
  • Shows how lifestyle factors (e.g., diet) can modulate APOE4’s effects.
• Prevention Strategies: "Lifestyle interventions reduce Alzheimer’s risk, even in APOE4 carriers" (Alzheimer’s Association).

4. YouTube Dr Kevin Tran .com/@Dr.KevinTran

5. Further Reading Resources;

i) The Ageless Brain: How to Sharpen and Protect Your Mind for a Lifetime

ii) The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Programme to Prevent and Reverse the Cognitive Decline of Dementia

iii) What did I come in here for again?

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!

In this episode of the Chronic and Thriving Podcast, Elaine dives into the significant role glucose plays in overall health, far beyond diabetes.....

"The deeper I've delved into chronic illness, the more I've come to realise that glucose regulation is one of THE most fundamental pillars of health."

Elaine explores the importance of glucose regulation, who can benefit from monitoring glucose levels, and the pros and cons of continuous glucose monitors versus finger prick tests. The discussion extends to conditions like Alzheimer's, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, highlighting how glucose dysregulation and insulin resistance are core elements in chronic illnesses. Elaine discusses practical advice on managing glucose through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes is shared, aiming to empower listeners to take proactive steps in their health journeys.

• 00:00 Introduction to Glucose and Health
• 01:30 Understanding Glucose Impact
• 02:07 Foods and Glucose Levels
• 03:12 Conditions Linked to Glucose Dysregulation
• 05:36 Monitoring Glucose Levels
• 07:21 Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
• 19:18 The Importance of Insulin Resistance
• 21:58 Strategies to Lower and Stabilize Glucose
• 25:28 Final Thoughts and Health Tips

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!

Functional Medicine, Holistic Therapies, Traditional Medicine

"In the UK, our healthcare system is brilliant at fixing problems when they arise - but it’s not so great at preventing them in the first place...."

In this episode of Chronic and Thriving, host Elaine dives deep into the concepts of holistic and functional medicine. 

Elaine shares her personal health struggles and how they led her to discover the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in healing. She explains the fundamentals of holistic medicine, which treats the whole person, and functional medicine, which focuses on identifying and addressing root causes rather than just symptoms. Elaine discusses how these approaches can be transformative for those dealing with chronic conditions such as autoimmune issues, pain, and cognitive decline. She debunks misconceptions, highlights the significant role these medical disciplines are playing in leading hospitals, and introduces the resources available on her website, Avani Health, for those in the UK looking to explore these approaches further.

00:00 Introduction to Holistic and Functional Medicine
02:37 Understanding Holistic Medicine
04:07 Exploring Functional Medicine
08:54 Personal Journey with Graves Disease
11:19 Functional Medicine in Practice
16:23 Launching Avani Health
17:08 Conclusion and Future Episodes

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!

Autoimmunity, Mold Toxicity (CIRS), ApoE4 & Dementia Risk, Self-Advocacy, and Hope

" I honestly thought I was going to die...."

Hi, and welcome to Chronic & Thriving with Avani Health.co.uk!

I’m Elaine and I’m so grateful you’re here with me today. This is the very first episode of what I hope will be a meaningful journey for all of us. You can find more information, resources, and connect with me at my website, Avanihealth.co.uk. 

In this short introductory podcast I talk about my journey so far;

• Why did I start this podcast?
• My journey
• My hope
• Let's talk openly
• Shared experiences & tools to help you
• Autoimmune illness
• Dementia risk
• Mold toxicity
• Breast implant illness
• Apoe4 genes and genetic variants
• Hope, resilience and the power of the human body
• Advances in the U.S. 

This isn’t just a podcast about illness -it’s about hope, resilience, and the incredible power of the human body to heal when given the right tools and support.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealth.co.uk – I would love to hear from you! 

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to join me on this journey, so please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with anyone who might need it. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, send me a message on social media or avanihealthhub.co.uk – I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook!!