Lunchtime chat about something we don’t often speak enough about… periods. A natural cycle that almost half the population experience once a month. Which is significantly linked with physical and mental health and well-being. I think this short chat is relevant to everyone, with or without a period.

-I start by talking about the female athlete triad, what it is, my experiences, and what can support healing & recovery.

-Getting my period back after five years!! the day after Scotland becoming the first nation to PASS the bill to provide period products free for everyone.

 -Finish by talking about period dignity & period poverty- how impactful dehumanizing not having access to period products can be.

I have had many cruicual open and honest conversations with Vilius about periods, how I have felt over the years, the worry and angst when I lost my period the official name being hypothalamic amenorrhea and the joy I experienced when it came back- a huge lesson in trusting our bodies and knowing they will balance their selves out when they feel relaxed and at ease. 

Female Athlete Triad related resources:

Book: No Period. Now What? by Dr. Nicola J Rinaldi, Stephanie G Buckler, Lisa Sanfilippo Waddell

Podcast: Endurance Planet, Stacy Sims, PhD: The ‘Everything’ Guide for Female Athletes

In this episode we talk about mental health, Ryan’s experiences living bipolar, peer support, the importance of community, body image, the journey of life and everything in between.

We had such a lovely conversation. Ryan is the leader of two mental health groups every Saturday at the Brunswick Centre, Balornock in Glasgow. Ryan hopes to grow the group and extend the support to many more people living with mental health problems in Glasgow.

Follow Ryan's journey and support Ryan on Twitter @rydo_x and join the Glasgow Mental Health Support Group (GMHSG) on  Facebook.

To hear more of Ryan's journey and support wonderful Scottish podcasts give these episodes a wee listen...

Rebel City Podcast - Episode #39 - Ryan Coutts - Depression & Anxiety

Mrs Brain Trainers- Glasgow Mental Health Support Group Leader Ryan Coutts | Episode #18

I AM | Jen WIlson- #114 I Am...Ryan Coutts Mental Health Advocate and Group Organiser

ALSO lovingggg The DW podcast right now- really worth checking out and supporting Scottish pods- creating community and celebrating Scottish voices/stories. 

Ah I just came across this wee episode I recorded a few months ago. I thought I would release it as it’s been a wee while since the last episode. Working behind the scenes on hippeaoils and finishing uni. I think the episode is still super relevant... a wee random “hot take” (as blind boy would say) on wearing suits and emitting negative energy...

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

Trigger warning: we discuss and share our own experiences - sensitive issues around eating disorders, suicidal ideation and mental illness

This was such a wonderful, open conversation. We shared our experiences and talked about a range of topics:

-Depression and anxiety

-The power of reaching out, having someone even just one person to talk with and share how you feel

-Eating disorders; The stigma and misconceptions around eating disorder, the blurred-lines and sometimes slippery slope of Orthorexia and Anorexia, difference in gender diagnosis and the ways in which the media/social media/fitness/wellness industry are perpetuating and idealised, unrealistic and damaging messages around diet, exercise, body image and health...

-The ways in which the pandemic and government guidelines/advice around getting fit and ‘loosing lockdown’ pounds feeds into diet culture, shame and guilt. Putting the blame back on to individuals and creating trauma.

-We touch upon adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and some of the stigma around mental health embedded in Scottish Culture

We touch upon Women in science, the ways in which women are often excluded from scientific research the ‘reasons/excuses’ and the impact of this on health diagnosis and misdiagnoses.

We also talk the life long journey of recovery and healing touching upon different coping mechanism from counselling, to blasting music, to seeing the warm autumn leaves..

There is a range of support and information available for eating disorders online from podcasts to books, to support groups... depending on the stage of your healing journey. BEAT can be a good one to start with.

Adrienne on The Listening Project, BBC Radio 4

Adrienne’s wonderful blog: There's Method in Mental Health – Mental health can be confusing and difficult, but there's always a way

Adrienne and a wonderful panel; Humans of Scotland and the power of storytelling

Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to listen to the podcast and share feedback- this was by far my favourite episode so far.

Also if, you don’t know about the community, podcast and YouTube channel i-weigh it’s really worth checking out.

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

In this podcast, I share my experiences of training to become a counselor and the reasons why I believe we all have a human need for having a non-judgemental space to share our experiences and how we feel... I also touch on the impact of materialism on our sense of self and mental health...

·I start with a wee story about the journey of self-awareness; me projecting fears and having pause. 

·I compare the process of applying for jobs to online dating- starting off with enthusiasm and passion… and slowly becoming disheartened by the process and the challenge to remain passionate after filling out the tenth masssssssiii application form vs introducing yourself/small talk again & again in an online dating space….

·Ending with some related subject, the roots of materialism, and the idea that we can buy our happiness or fill our sense of emptiness with external stuff- PS Freuds nephew is called Edward Bernays!!

Documentary mentioned in the podcast: The Century of the Self, documentary series by filmmaker Adam Curtis. Breaks down in wonderful, easy to understand detail the impact and history of consumerism in our society.

Podcasts mentioned in this episode: 

Blind boy podcast: Dumb Blubber Pandy, A look at Edward Bernays, the originator of propaganda and advertising.

Under the Skin #Ep3 with Russel Brand and Adam Curtis; about the rise of individualism, where real power lies, and whether we really want change.

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

Guided relaxation & Love and kindness mediation Soul Food Series Ep #7... with a wee bit storytelling sprinkled in…

This was one of my favorite podcasts to record and share. It is a really therapeutic practice, that has had a huge impact on my own  journey. I have kinda created and shared my own practice in this episode combing all of the things I have learned and loved over the years. ooh and although it still feels a wee bit vulnerable, I am finally starting to get used to talking to myself out loud into a microphone. 

If its your first time trying a guided relaxation/love and kindness practice it may feel strange- but its soo worth trying. Give yourself 20 mins. Carve out time, listen to it alone of with someone else, listen to your body and see how you feel after.

It might be really nice to try before bed, but also anytime during the day when you want to check-in and relax.

Resources mentioned:

Jack Cornfield- A Path with Heart. All his work is incredible, lots of lovely podcast episodes too- my fav is Duncan Trussell's conversation on the DTFH.

Sharon Salzburg- all of her work!

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

The scariest and yet most healing podcast for me to share so far. I added this photo to show the visual component of this episode- the search for balance in my mind has manifested in my physical body over the last few years…

I haven’t had the courage to listen to it back yet- it was very raw and vulnerable to share some of my experiences around disordered eating, but kindly Vilius has had a wee listen and reassures me that it is valuable for others to hear. 

The main reason I share this podcast is that I firmly believe that eating disorders, issues around food, and diet can consume and steal our time and our potential. Wasting so much energy and time worrying about food can prevent us from being fully present and creating a life we enjoy and gets in the way of us loving ourselves and others fully. 

Disordered eating and eating disorders are often a symptom to deeper rooted issues... and this is by no means a podcast to share advice. It is simply a podcast to share my own experiences, healing journey, and thoughts in the hope that someone can relate and feel as peace knowing that you are not alone. Unfortunately, there is a lot of shame and stigma attached to these issues, but I hope that it provides us comfort knowing that we are complex multi-faceted beings. We are more than one thing. We are more than our views; we are more than one moment. We can have parts of ourselves that we want to improve and heal from… but that doesn’t make us less than, it makes us human. 

Healing from ‘disordered eating patterns’ can be a long journey. Stress and uncertainty can bring old habits, pain, and negative thoughts back into my life for sure- but there is hope in love, acceptance, vulnerability, courage and compassion for ourself and others- words inspired and feelings by many hours reading and listening to Maya Angelou, Jameela Jamil, Brene Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman to name a few…

I hope to have a conversation about some of these issues with another human being soon. It is really challenging to talk about sensitive topics that I have never really shared out loud into a mic to myself without any feedback from someone else.
 
There is a range of support and information available online from podcasts to books, to support groups... depending on the stage of your healing journey.

BEAT can be a good one to start with

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to listen to the podcast and share feedback!

In this episode, Vilius and I talk about everything from hiking; our experiences of the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way; wild camping... to life, to using natural products, to counselling and politics. It was lovely to hear our similarities and differences on topics. But, also the ways in which we experience the exact same day differently. It was a really lovely conversation and a chance to sit down with Vilius without distractions for an hour.

Thank you again so much to Viliuso for sharing his time and wonderful funny self.

Thank you also to everyone who has taken the time to listen to the podcast and share feedback.

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate

This was such a wonderful podcast to record!

Sid lives in California, we did this episode via zoom: 9 am his time- 5 pm my time. Me and Sid met in Edinburgh at the Vegfest around 3 years ago..his holistic approach to health and well-being instantly aligned with my vibe and incredibly, he agreed to come on the podcast!

Sid is an author, nutritionist, musician, ultra-runner, podcaster, creator and director of the Mendocino Coast 50K and much more...

We talk about all things, from health and wellness to sid's small steps approach, to changing habits long-term. I share my journey to find balance, I talk about Orkney, finding balance with running and my past experiences with extremes... overdoing health, thinking about nutrition and food too much, overworking and hearing for burn out...

Something I think about often, pushing our self physical is normalised and often championed in our society..  Running and yoga has been an incredibly positive thing in my life, but for a few years I overworked myself, I used running escape, to distract or to run away from sitting with pain and emotion, just like any activity, we need to try and evaluate our relationship with it.. asking ourselves why are we doing it, if it’s adding to our lives and if it’s bringing us real joy... Are we drinking to have fun and socialise, or are we numbing our pain and distracting ourselves...

With physical activity, I consider now more than ever, ‘Just because something is perceived to healthy doesn’t mean we have a healthy relationship with it, and sometimes it can end up having an adverse effect on our lives..

Thank you again to Sid for sharing his time, listening to me blether, and imparting wisdom.

Sid's Website~ which has easy access to his podcast, youtube books, and updates.
Sid's Small Steps Approach

Sid's books Approaching the Natural, that we mention in the episode, is one of my favorite books- it takes a holistic, simple approach to health and well-being- considering our physical, mental and spiritual 'needs'. I have gifted this wee book a lot, it is pocket-sized and really worth a wee read- I have a copy- please give me a wee message and we can share...

Wee mid-week Soul Food episode...

I just re-recorded the intro for this podcast (pre-recorded a few days before we went on the camping/hiking trip)..

In the intro, I talk a wee bit about the things I have been doing recently, hiking the Great Glen Way, wild camping and Ben Nevis.. that led me to embark on a new journey to become a counselor, and how I feel that having a non-judgmental, safe space to share how we feel is integral to our mental and physical health. I also went on a few wee tangents about my perceptions of addictive personalities/traits and other episodes I am planning...

In the main section, I talk about the idea of delaying 'gratification', the idea waiting or extending the time in-between good feelings actually make the good feeling better... for example coffee after a run is always nicer- even though the actually getting out the door to run is tough!

I think I mention two podcasts in this episode:

The Blind Boy Podcast- one of my fav, just listened to the newest episode about individualism and collectivism- where 'blind boy' breaks down the ways in which individualistic (self-interested) societies have responded to COVID-19 in comparison to more 'collective', co-operative societies.. for example, the ways in which Americans have responded vs China in relation to wearing masks- some Americans stating that it is breaching their individual freedoms, in comparison to China, where the idea of wearing masks is viewed more in terms of protecting everyone. He is really creative and fun to listen to, making complex ideas interesting!

Rebel City Podcast

Music played: Stephen Wake, The Old Copperplate