Tag: fitnessgoals

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Ashwagandha for Health

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Ashwagandha for Health 🌿

You may have noticed Ashwagandha is the new hot topic on social media. It’s promoted everywhere as a ‘miracle stress-reliever’ or ‘natural testosterone booster’ and as a cure-all for anxiety, fatigue, and low energy. It’s particularly targeted at peri and menopausal women (of course – because we’re the latest cash-cow)

So is the hype worth it?

Research does suggest Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) can have some benefits. Some studies show it may slightly lower cortisol, improve sleep quality, or modestly support mood. However the effects are generally small, and the dramatic claims you see online rarely match the science.

Part of the problem is dosage. Clinical studies which do show benefits tend to use 600–1,000 mg of standardized extract per day. Most over-the-counter capsules contain only much less than that. They’re also marketed in such a way that it’s hard to tell. For example many are marketed as 1500mg Ashwangandha but on closer inspection the actual quantity of

extract is only 150mg with a recommended dosage of one a day. You’d actually need to take up ten a day, so the pot of 180 would

last only 18 days. Even then, the improvements are subtle compared to lifestyle approaches like exercise, good sleep, and stress management.

Safety is another consideration. There are no regulations on supplements so you have no idea if the contents of the capsules actually match the description (many studies show that they rarely contain the concentrations of micronutrients claimed). Long-term data are limited, and high doses can cause digestive upset, lower blood pressure, or interact with certain medications. Ashwagandha is not inherently harmful for most people, but it isn’t a risk-free shortcut to wellness and it’s also expensive.

So, before you stock up on this ‘super-herb’ just remember to look beyond the hype, check the details to see how much extract you’re actually getting per dose.

Instead managing stress, prioritising sleep, moving your body, and eating well will always have the biggest impact.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘It’s just a drink….’🥤

Dr Nancy P

‘It’s just a drink….’🥤

It’s very common to be feeling like you’ve gained weight but you really don’t think you’ve eaten that much? One of the most common reasons is that we often forget to account for the calories we drink. High street coffees, hot chocolates, smoothies and ‘healthy’ iced teas etc can be surprisingly high in calorie, sometimes higher than a whole meal!

For example, a medium Black Forest Hot Chocolate with whole milk from Costa contains more calories than many of the lunch options including their cheese and ham toastie. The issue is that most of us wouldn’t think twice about grabbing one on a cold morning or as an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s ‘just a drink’… right? And if you do consider the calories you might assume it’s around 200-250 cals not nearly 450.

If your goal is fat loss, the key is being in a calorie deficit, and one hot chocolate wipes out that deficit in one hit. Many people are pretty good at keeping track of the food they eat but the drinks are often underestimated or slip under the radar entirely.

The truth is, liquid calories add up fast because they don’t make us feel full. You can drink hundreds of calories without noticing, and without feeling any more satisfied.

That doesn’t mean you have to give them up.If you enjoy a seasonal hot chocolate, enjoy it. You can even make a few choices that make it easier to accommodate it within your calories e.g. go for a small size, swap for skimmed, oat or coconut milk as they’re lower calorie, go for sugar free syrups and skip the whipped cream.

Remember knowledge it power. It’s not about cutting everyone out, it’s awareness When you know what you’re consuming, you can enjoy the things you love without accidentally derailing your progress.

🤗 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Alcohol & Menopause

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Alcohol & Menopause 🍷

If you’ve noticed that a glass of wine hits harder these days, especially during perimenopause or menopause, you’re not imagining it. As hormones shift, your body becomes more sensitive to alcohol physically and emotionally

As oestrogen declines, we naturally lose some muscle and total body water content. That means alcohol becomes more concentrated in the bloodstream, so the same drink hits harder and stays in the system longer. The liver also slows down with age and can’t clear alcohol as efficiently, which can lead to more inflammation and increased strain on liver health even with moderate drinking.

In addition alcohol:

Triggers hot flushes + night sweats

Interrupts deep, restorative sleep

Increases anxiety the next day

Heightens mood swings and emotional sensitivity

Slows muscle recovery after exercise

There are also longer-term considerations. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase circulating oestrogen levels, which can increase breast cancer risk in midlife women. And because bone density naturally declines after menopause, alcohol can also contribute to weaker bones and increase fracture risk over time.

Does this mean you should cut out alcohol completely. Not necessarily but it’s about understanding the impact it’s having and making that choice

Some things that may help:

Drink earlier in the evening to protect sleep

Alternate alcohol with water or electrolytes

Notice which types of drinks your body tolerates best

Try one drink instead of two when you want to feel well the next day

Try to recognise the triggers to drink and ask yourself if what you actually need is alcohol or is it something else (comfort, de stressing, connection with friend etc)

Your relationship with alcohol can shift, not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because your body naturally changes as you age and you deserve to feel good in it.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Weekend pattern…

Dr Nancy P

Weekend pattern… 😬

Weekends are often the time when people feel like they ‘fall off the wagon’.

It’s natural – it’s often a time when you’re not at work, your routine is different, you’re relaxing and de-stressing from the week. Often there are lots of social events to navigate and it can become one big ‘cheat’ weekend.

It doesn’t have to be like that though and if you want to make long term, sustainable progress then you need to find a way to make weekends less of a blow out.

It’s common for people to undereat during the day, to starve themselves and save calories for the evening. Whilst it’s definitely a good idea to save a few calories for an evening out you do have to be careful how you do it. If you don’t eat all day you will arrive at the event starving hungry. This leads to overeating and binge type behaviour as you will struggle to maintain control. Instead have smaller, well balanced meals during the day and save some calories over the course of 3-4 days for a night out. Have a small snack before you go so you’re not starving hungry too.

Whilst it’s obviously fine to have a few drinks at the weekend the calories can really add up. Instead of having 4 or more drinks every evening over the weekend (which often stretches to Thursday night too right?) just limit yourself to 2-3 drinks … in total. You will save hundreds of calories and reduce the likelihood of alcohol induced munchies too!

Just because it’s the weekend and you’re relaxing doesn’t mean it has to be an entire ‘cheat’ day or weekend. I hate that term anyway – if you have a sustainable diet you don’t need to ‘cheat’. It just creates a bad relationship with food. Instead – incorporate all the things you enjoy in your diet ALL week in portions you can accommodate in your calories.

Instead of making all your social events focused on food try to find other ways to socialise with friends. Or consider meeting for drinks or dessert rather than whole meals? Try to stick to one meal out or takeaway a weekend rather than one every night.

Most importantly if you do overeat then try not to beat yourself up, feel guilty and then think ‘f*ck it’ and sabotage the rest of your weekend. You don’t need to wait until Monday to start. Just move on, make the next meal/snack a sensible one and get back on track. Take the time to plan for the week too so you have a sensible week ahead, rather than punishing yourself with an overly restrictively Monday just because you overate at the weekend.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Enjoy

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Feeling ‘Fat’?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Feeling ‘Fat’? 🫣

We all have those days when we say to ourselves that we ‘just feel fat’, even though nothing about your body or the scale has changed? What you’re actually feeling usually isn’t fat, it’s stress, disconnection, or emotional overwhelm. It’s hard to sit with that emotion. Your brain often deflects that discomfort onto something more tangible – your body.

Here’s what your body might really be saying:

  • I’m tired
  • I need comfort
  • I feel vulnerable
  • I feel lonely
  • I feel sad
  • I miss feeling at peace in my own skin
    For many women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, our bodies have become battlegrounds shaped by years of diet culture, perfectionism, and unrealistic beauty standards.
    Research shows that up to 80% of women feel dissatisfied with their bodies, even when they’re at a healthy weight.

This constant sense of ‘not enough’ isn’t just about looks. It’s linked to mental health, confidence, and how fully we live our lives. Feeling ‘fat’ often reflects internal conflict, a clash between how we feel and what society tells us we should look like.

So what’s the fix?
Pause and try to identify the true feeling. This activates your brain’s logic centre which calms the emotional storm and helps you stop a spiral of self-criticism or unhelpful behaviours. Stop trying to fix your body. Start listening to it. Rest when you need to. Nourish it, don’t starve it. Move because it feels good, not because you feel guilty.

Next time you ‘feel fat’, pause and ask yourself is actually hurting right now? What and why is this coming
now? What do I really need?

The more compassion you give your body, the more freedom you’ll find living in it.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx