The Core Connect Podcast

Fatigue, Hair Loss, Poor Concentration—Could You Be Iron Deficient?

Did you know that iron deficiency can develop years before anemia sets in? Or that you'd need anywhere between 8 to 30 kilograms of spinach just to meet your recommended daily iron intake?

In this episode, Dr. Dheeraj Khiatani, a Singapore-based General Practitioner and one of Asia's leading experts on iron deficiency, joins Marianne to discuss the essentials of iron absorption and iron loss. Together, they explore:

• The demographics, dietary habits, and cultural factors that make iron deficiency so common.
• Why many women go undiagnosed despite suffering from its effects.
• The benefits of iron infusions for women with ferritin levels under 30ng/ml.

Dr. Dheeraj and Marianne also reflect on their personal journeys into this area of nutrition, unpacking the health and financial costs of iron deficiency and its often-overlooked impact on women, notably those of reproductive age, endurance athletes, or women with inflammatory gut conditions.

If you're feeling chronically fatigued, or if your ferritin levels are low, this episode is a must-listen!

Timestamps:

• 09:56 Iron Infusions vs. Iron Supplements
• 16:30 Coffee, Tea, Milk & Vitamin C: How They Impact Iron Absorption
• 19:45 Heavy Menses? Why You’d Need 10 Steaks Daily to Compensate for Iron Loss
• 24:32 Underdiagnosed: Are We Conditioned to Accept Women Being Chronically Tired?
• 26:46 The Risks of Iron Deficiency to New Mothers and Babies
• 32:57 Why Endurance Athletes Are at Risk
• 37:10 Iron Deficiency in Men: A Potential Red Flag
• 39:30 The 4 Nutrients You Must Screen for Yearly

💡 Postpartum? Feeling fatigued? You might also enjoy the episode featuring Dr. Labib, where we dive into clean living, addressing nutritional deficiencies, and actionable tips for thriving in the fourth trimester.

⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000677725847

In this deeply honest conversation, Marianne is joined by Brit Williams, Personal Trainer, author, and mum of 3  for a nuanced discussion about postnatal recovery, identity, and the long game of women’s strength.

Brit and Marianne speak candidly about how much grace women need to give themselves after birth and why the “boring stuff” is essential, and even exciting!

They also discuss navigating ambition and career alongside the realities of raising children openly.

This episode is a reminder that strength is not rushed, recovery is not linear, and doing less but better, at the right time, is often what allows women to do so much more.

Listen if you’re navigating postpartum recovery, supporting postnatal women, or simply never got to rebuild properly and would love to know where to start.

🏋️‍♀️ Connect with Brit and Marianne at the studio:

https://www.coreconnectstudio.com/

🔗 On social media:

Brit https://www.instagram.com/fitbritcollective/

Marianne https://www.instagram.com/marianne.coreconnect/

📚Find Brit's book: Mind, Body, Bump: The Complete Plan for an Active Pregnancy

https://www.amazon.ae/Mind-Body-Bump-complete-pregnancy/dp/1781318581/ref=sr_1_2?crid=25DJ682SBG9S7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZRr_IG382nyHphNqJbB6OOJNqbltCU7_tmR3bKvw0C_mDt6LQpSkK3uG46fxCa7t0R7evEpAKylHpjPNusthxIdATndv7G9xADt4q5HELEZspFqXcVJqi7vbRp11_JlP.h6VZlq8Vz9vuY5WJ7eb2WO1xdMwYeR3TJT9Wz0srDoI&dib_tag=se&keywords=brit+williams&qid=1765727277&sprefix=brit+williams%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-2

🎧 You might enjoy the following episodes, too:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000725094764

Your postpartum pelvic floor recovery guide

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000727457265

A conversation on postnatal recovery, timelines, and empowerment with Matt Marney

“Is it really dangerous to birth on my back?”

“I heard side-lying is great if I take the epidural.”

“Should I birth in KIKO?”

In this solo episode, Marianne breaks down one of the most common questions she receives in prenatal reformer class: “What’s the best birth position?”

She offers:

• 3 simple recommendations to guide your thinking around birth positions.
• The benefits and disadvantages of the positions women ask about most.
• The KIKO hype: why it’s excellent for birth preparation but not a universal birthing-room solution.

🎧 If you enjoy this episode, you might enjoy listening to:Birth timing and Intuition: Navigating Labour with Doula Stevie McKenzie

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000716782077

Did you know that up to 1% of each filler injection is not eliminated from your body?

Or that Botox can lead to major facial distortions over time (and why)?

This week, Marianne sat down with Dr Rabia Malik, a GP and skin health doctor known for her no-injectables approach and fabulous results at The Harrods Wellness Clinic. 

Together, they explored how to age confidently without relying on Botox or fillers, diving into:

• The real risks of injectables and how these must be explained to women thoroughly
• Why Dr. Malik's chosen to build a no-injectable practice, and the societal pressure she sees daily in her clinic.
• The alternative path:
• Supporting your skin’s collagen production naturally
• Understanding peptides 
• Microneedling and other proven treatments
• The role of nutrition, lifestyle, and consistent habits

Dr Malik and Marianne also discussed how confidence and ultimately beauty come from understanding (and honouring) our essence, not fighting it.

This is a grounded and evidence-backed episode for anyone who wants to age well, feel empowered in their choices, and understand what’s really happening beneath the surface of their skin.

How to connect with Dr Malik:

https://www.instagram.com/drrabiamalik.official/https://drrabiamalik.com/

To explore Dr Malik's range of skin products:

https://doctorskincollagen.ae/

Struggling with a lower-ab pooch that won’t budge?

Wondering if diastasis is still the reason your core feels weak?

Thinking about a tummy tuck, but not sure if you actually need one?

Before you go down the surgical rabbit hole, this episode walks you through the 5 essential steps every woman should take first.

The ones that can dramatically change your core, your waistline, your healing, and keep you from a rather invasive procedure.We dive into:

• How to know if your abs exercises are actually helping
• Why protein, collagen, and bone broths matter more than you think
• How gut health + inflammation make your belly look different overnight
• The hormonal shifts that can mimic “belly fat” — even when you’re doing everything right
• What lasers and radiofrequency can realistically do (and what they can’t)

🎧 And if you’ve had a C-section or you’re preparing for a tummy tuck, you might want to listen to this episode:

Tackling C-section overhang, Avoiding Surgery and Reclaiming Mobility with Scar Treatment Specialist Emma Holly

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000672460863

Have a wonderful week ahead ⭐

In this personal episode, Marianne shares why it's so important as regulated adults to connect with that wounded part of the self, as well as the transformative insights she's discovered along the way.

Drawing from her own experiences, she explores how gentle, intentional work can bring healing and clarity.Marianne also shares three easy exercises you can start with, especially when relationships become triggers.

She highlights 3 practical resources for listeners ready to begin their own inner child work:

• Katie Freiling – An inner child coach offering guidance and somatic exercises to reconnect with the self.
• https://www.instagram.com/katiefreiling/
• "Reconciliation" – A book by Thich Nhat Hahn teaching mindfulness and compassionate reflection as a way to nurture one’s younger self

https://www.amazon.com/Reconciliation-Healing-Thich-Nhat-Hanh/dp/1935209647

• Danielle LaPorte – Beautiful audio resources and guidance to lead life the heart-centred way.

https://daniellelaporte.com/

Whether just are just starting to explore your inner world or seeking practical tools for self-work, this episode is for you.

🎧 If this episode supported your healing journey, you may also enjoy:

• Healing Attachment Wounds and IFS Therapy with Psychotherapist Luz Maria Villagras Surco

2https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000703956210

Did you know that cholesterol is actually good for you and your sex hormones?

Or that you could control your fertility naturally?

In this conversation with fertility educator and nutrition scientist Michelle Snyder, we explore how true cycle literacy goes far beyond contraception or conception.

It’s about helping women reclaim their trust in their body.

It's about re-balancing power in society.

In this episode we talk about:

• How to track your cycle for conception and contraception purposes
• Whether apps help us connect or disconnect from our inner knowing
• The toxicity of placing fertility efforts solely on women when partner health, environmental and spiritual factors come into play
• How motherhood is an opportunity, not just a hinderance to self-knowledge and self-care
• The one thing Michelle would change for the next generation

Resources:
📚Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan M.D.  here

🔗 Join Michelle and Marianne on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-snyder444/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannetafani/

Message Marianne on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/marianne.coreconnect/

(Michelle is too cool a millennial to have an Instagram account 😂)

🎧 If you liked this conversation, you may love this episode with menstrual health educator Chantal Blake:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000678559124

You’ve seen the word everywhere: Flexibility & Mobility, Hyrox & Mobility, Mobility Flow.

But what does it actually mean?

In this short solo episode, Marianne breaks it down for you: where the term comes from, how it fits into modern fitness, and why it’s so much more than stretching.

You’ll learn:

• The real difference between mobility and flexibility
• How your nervous system plays a role in how you move
• Why mobility is the foundation for strength, posture, and pain-free living
• Why it should be a critical part of your physical routine if you want to get over chronic injuries

Whether you’re a Pilates enthusiast, runner, or just want to move with more ease, this episode will help you understand what your body’s been trying to tell you all along.

Mobility is what keeps your body capable.
It’s what makes strength usable.

If you'd like to take a deeper and more technical dive into the topic, you can listen to this episode with Kevin Hendry: 

🎧 Still in Pain? Discover Brain-Based Mobility with Osteopath Kevin Hendry

https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/the-core-connect-podcast/id1766482868?i=1000714756562

Stay tuned with us as we get prepare your first RAD mobility workshop at the studio.

www.coreconnectstudio.com

What do we say to parents who have suffered the unimaginable?
How do we birth and parent after traumatic childhood events?
Should we talk about baby loss and death with our children?

All these questions Alana Gallini and Marianne explore in this poignant episode.

Alana is a mother of three mini humans earthside who, in 2019, lost her firstborn. 

She recalls what it felt like, emotionally, logistically, and humanly, to discover her baby’s condition, make the decision to keep Grove from suffering, and go through a termination for medical reasons (TFMR) and stillbirth after 20 weeks’ gestation.

It’s a conversation about love and loss that reminds us we don’t only grieve the past. We often grieve the future we, and our loved ones, were robbed of.

If you are going through a TFMR, have experienced stillbirth or miscarriage, or simply wonder what it means to honour death with grace in a society that shushes it, this episode is for you.

In loving remembrance, we dedicate it to Grove (26.06.2019 👼), beloved child of Alana and Florian Gallini.

If you’re pregnant, you may have been told:“Do 100 Kegels aday to prevent tearing during birth.”  But what if that advice was outdated—and could actually do more harm than good?

In this episode, Marianne is busting the myths around pelvic floor training during pregnancy and shifting the focus to what truly prepares you for birth and optimises recovery.

Overrecruiting your pelvic floor can lead to dysfunction—leaks, painful sex, hip pain, and even a more challenging birth experience. Instead of old-school practices, Marianne guides you through a more effective approach:

🔹Squeeze less—More contractions don’t equal a stronger,more functional pelvic floor.

🔹Learn to release—Use movement, breath, and imagery to restore balance and prepare for birth.

🔹Strengthen surrounding muscles— And support the pelvic floor by training it functionally that is through full-body movements.

Whether you're expecting or working with pregnant clients, this episode will help you rethink pelvic floor training and feel more empowered during this journey.

——

Marianne Tafani is a perinatal exercisespecialist who has trained over 2,100 new and expecting mothers. The advice in this episode is based on 10 years of clinical expertise, combined with the latest women’s health research and a deep understanding of functional anatomyand neuroanatomy. These educational tips are not a substitute for personalised medical guidance. For tailored support, consult a women’s health physiotherapist.

——

If you enjoyed this solo episode, you might enjoy listeningto:

• Prenatal Pilates vs. Prenatal Yoga:⁠https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/rTGeHj0YRQb⁠

• Should I train my abs during pregnancy?:⁠https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/Psozga3YRQb⁠

• Releasing Tension with the Sunflower Exercise:⁠https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/Cj062h3YRQb⁠

• Beyond Kegels: 3 Simple Pelvic Floor Exercises:⁠https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/70SFxb0YRQb