If your digestion feels sluggish, bloated, or just "off," this episode is for you.

This week, I'm diving into the Replace and Repair phases of gut healing - the second and third R's in my 4R's framework, which forms the foundation of my 28-Day Transformation Programme.

I'll explain why stomach acid and digestive enzymes are vital for nutrient absorption and how low stomach acid is often mistaken for reflux. We'll talk about the power of bitter foods like rocket and apple cider vinegar to wake up digestion and how simple habits - like chewing well and slowing down - can make all the difference.

I'll also share the foods and nutrients that help repair your gut lining: • Zinc from mussels, nuts, and seeds • Omega-3s from oily fish and walnuts • Vitamin A from liver, eggs, and colourful veg • L-glutamine from chicken, tofu, quinoa, and greens • And, of course, bone broth for its soothing, restorative amino acids

Plus, you'll hear Kate's story - how she turned around years of reflux and bloating simply by focusing on mindful eating, digestive support, and nourishing meals.

✨ Fab Female Gem: It's not just what you eat, but how well your body can use it. Nourish your gut and it will repay you with energy, balance, and clarity.

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active Magnesium Complex, supporting relaxation, repair, and recovery.

Healing your gut starts with one simple step: removing the things that get in the way.

In this episode, I dive into the first stage of the 4R's of Gut Health - Remove. This phase is all about creating the right environment for healing by taking out irritants that inflame your gut and disrupt your hormones.

I explain how eliminating common triggers like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and ultra-processed foods can calm inflammation, balance your gut bacteria, and give your digestive system a much-needed break. You'll also learn why balancing your microbiome is more effective than trying to "wipe out" bad bacteria - because a thriving gut pushes out the rest naturally.

I also share how stress and cortisol tie into this process, especially for midlife women. Chronic inflammation and high cortisol can throw your hormones out of balance, affecting everything from digestion to mood and energy. Understanding this link helps you make smarter choices that truly support your wellbeing.

Plus, I share a real success story from a client who removed caffeine and processed snacks during the 28 DayTransformation Programme - and found her energy, focus, and digestion transformed in just a few weeks.

✨ Fab Female Gem: your body can't heal if it's constantly being poked - give it space to rest and it will do the work for you.

Learn more about the self-paced 28-Day Transformation Programme: www.hillstart.me.uk/transformation

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active, supporting energy, focus, and immune health while your body resets. Try Zest Active at www.reviveactive.com and use code WENDY10 for 10% off at chekcout

Your gut is at the heart of everything - from your energy and hormones to your mood, digestion, and immunity. In this new series, I'm diving into one of my favourite topics: gut health - and the 4R's framework that underpins my self-paced 28-Day Transformation Programme.

In this first episode, I explain why gut health truly is the foundation of wellbeing, especially for midlife women, and how following a clear, structured reset can help you feel more like yourself again.

You'll learn: • How the 4R's - Remove, Replace, Repair and Retain - can transform your digestion and energy • Why 70% of messages between the brain and gut travel from the gut to the brain • How symptoms like bloating, brain fog, and low mood often start with what's happening in your microbiome • Why giving your digestive system a short "holiday" can help it heal and reset

I also share real success stories from women who've reduced joint pain, improved energy, and regained their sparkle after completing the programme - proof that healing your gut can transform so much more than your digestion.

✨ Fab Female Gem: your gut is the foundation of everything — support it, and the rest of your health will follow.

Learn more about the self-paced 28-Day Transformation Programme: www.hillstart.me.uk/transformation This episode is brought to you by Revive Active, supporting gut, brain, and immune health with clean, active nutrition. Try Revive Active's Zest Active with code WENDY10 for 10% off: reviveactive.com

Sleep really is your body's superpower, yet it's often one of the first things to suffer when we hit perimenopause or menopause.

I know this one personally. When my anxiety was high and my sleep was poor, everything felt harder, I was more emotional, more tired, and constantly running on empty. What I didn't realise at the time was how much poor sleep was affecting not just my energy, but my hormones, my appetite, and even my digestion.

Here's the truth: if you don't sleep well, you can eat around 300–400 extra calories a day without even realising it. Your brain drives you to look for quick energy, and that usually means sugar and caffeine.

In this episode, I'll share: • Why sleep is essential for hormone balance, energy, and emotional wellbeing • How your digestion and gut repair themselves overnight • The role of sleep in laying down memory and improving focus • Simple, practical ways to improve sleep quality in midlife - from evening routines to nutrition and calming habits

Sleep isn't a luxury, it's your most powerful reset. Support your body with good sleep, and everything else feels easier.

👉 Resources & Links

• Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets
• Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme
• Glucose monitor - find if your sleep is affected by what you eat - link

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active's Sleep Complex — formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support relaxation and quality rest. Use code Wendy10 for 10% off at checout

We can't avoid all toxins, but we can reduce our exposure to the ones that interfere with our hormones and overall wellbeing.

During menopause, our bodies are already working hard to rebalance. Add in the extra load from plastics, cleaning products, skincare, and environmental chemicals, and it can tip things in the wrong direction. The good news? Small, consistent changes really do make a difference.

In this episode, I'll share: • Where hormone-disrupting chemicals show up in everyday life (and how to spot them) • Simple swaps for home, body, and kitchen that reduce your exposure • How to support your body's natural detox pathways through food and lifestyle

Fab Female Gem: focus on small swaps, not perfection, every little reduction lightens your body's load and helps your hormones find balance.

Resources & Links:

• Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets
• Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme: hillstart.me.uk/transformation
• Yuka App - scan products to find cleaner options - apple link
• Tropic - clean beauty products - my link

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Revive Active's MenoActive - formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women through this stage of life.

When we think about health, we often focus on exercise, but in menopause, it's how you move your body every day that really counts.

At this stage of life, long hours of high-intensity training can sometimes do more harm than good, raising stress hormones and leaving you feeling depleted. What your body needs is a balanced approach: daily movement to keep joints supple and energy flowing, combined with the right type of exercise to protect bone, heart, and muscle health.

In this episode, I'll share: • Why daily movement is just as important as formal exercise in menopause • The types of activity that help balance hormones and reduce stress • How I shifted from punishing workouts to movement that feels nourishing and sustainable • Practical ways to build more movement into your everyday life, without needing hours in the gym

✨ Fab Female Gem: focus on adding small movements throughout your day, adding calming movement as well as cardio and weight bearing exercise - this is the gem for mid-life

Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: hillstart.me.uk/5-secrets

This episode is brought to you by Revive Active's MenoActive — formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women during this stage of life. www.reviveactive.com

Lets be real - stress isn't something we can avoid, but how we respond to it can make or break our menopause journey.

When I hit perimenopause at 40, anxiety and overthinking became part of my daily life. I didn't recognise it at the time, but my nervous system was in overdrive. Once I learned how to manage my stress more effectively - through nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and self awareness, everything started to feel lighter and more manageable.

In this episode, I'll share: • How stress hormones like cortisol affect your weight, sleep, and mood in midlife • Why perimenopause makes your nervous system more sensitive to stress • Practical, realistic ways to bring calm back into your day, even when life is busy

✨ Fab Female Gem: you don't need to eliminate stress, instead focus on adding in small, calming practices that change how your body responds to it.

👉 Resources & Links • Download my free handout 5 Secrets to a Healthy Menopause: • Explore my 28-Day Transformation Programme

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Revive Active's MenoActive - formulated with nutrients and botanicals to support women through this stage of life.

This is the final episode in my special anniversary series - where I've been sharing what I've learned as a woman, a nutritionist, and the host of the Fab Female Nutrition podcast for the past 6 years.

In this episode, I'm talking all about testing - and what I've discovered about my own health through tools like genetics, gut testing, and omega-3 analysis. Some of the results surprised me (yes, even as a nutritional therapist!) But they've helped me support myself more effectively, and better understand the women I work with.

This episode is all about clarity, compassion, and cutting through the noise. Because understanding your body is powerful.

I'll cover: • Why testing isn't a quick fix - but can offer game-changing insights • What I've learned about my stress response, histamine, detox and nutrient needs • How magnesium, omega-3, and B vitamins became key to feeling better • Why food first always wins - but personalisation helps it work

💛 Listener action: If you're ready to start uncovering what your body needs, my 28-Day Transformation Programme is the perfect place to begin. Start anytime at www.hillstart.me.uk/transformation – just £89 with 50 days' access.

🎙 Huge thanks to our sponsor Revive Active — I now take their Magnesium daily and love it for stress, sleep, and nervous system support.

In your 20s and 30s, movement is often about keeping going - more cardio, more effort, more pushing through. But in this episode, I'm sharing how everything changed when I slowed down, tuned in, and started listening to what my body actually needed.

I'll tell you how qualifying as a yoga teacher at 51 reshaped my mindset, why mindful movement supports hormones and nervous system balance, and how walking, paddleboarding, and even open water swimming now bring me more joy (and better results) than punishing workouts ever did.

Whether you're feeling stiff, burnt out or just disconnected, this episode is your permission slip to move in a way that feels good - and still gets results.

🎙 Huge thanks to our sponsor Revive Active - I love their Joint Complex for supporting joint comfort and mobility. With 5g of collagen, it's become one of my essentials. Remember to use codde Wendy10 to get 10% off at checkout.

In this episode, I'm reflecting on how my relationship with food has changed over the years - from piling up toast and pasta just to feel full, to learning how to fuel myself properly for energy, mood, and hormone health.

You'll hear how my training in my 40s changed everything, how I approach food with joy (not guilt), and why eating well means you don't need to snack your way through the day. I'll also share how a simple test revealed my omega-3 levels were way too low - and what I did about it.

💛 My 28-Day Transformation Programme is now live! It's been refined after guiding over 100 women through the process, and it's available for just £89 until the end of the year. Fab Female Members get a discount! Learn more

Curious about your own omega-3 levels? The Omega Balance Test is now available: hillstart.me.uk/product/omega-balance-test

🎙 Thanks to our sponsor Revive Active – I now take their Omega-3 daily and wouldn't be without it.