The Wellness Scoop

Are smoothies actually as healthy as we think? This week, we’re clearing up the confusion around blending fruit, what happens to the fibre and how smoothies compare with eating whole fruit.

We also look at whether organic processed meat is any better, share easy ways to make tofu genuinely delicious and tackle the eternal workday question: what can I actually take for lunch? Plus, does batch cooking reduce the nutrients in your vegetables, and is a quick stir-fry really better than a slow-cooked stew?

Please sign and share the petition to stop Krill farming for supplements: http://act.our-antarctica.com/

Ella’s recipe: Mushroom and coconut Noodle bowls

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 × block of firm tofu (about 300g), drained and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 shallots, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

Small chunk of ginger (about 15g/2cm), peeled and grated

200g mixed mushrooms (use shiitake mushrooms if you can find them), sliced

3 tablespoons brown rice miso paste

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

500ml hot vegetable stock

2 servings of udon noodles (about 50g per person)

3 large handfuls of baby spinach (about 150g)

Grated zest and juice of

1–2 limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a medium–high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so, until crisp and golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside on some kitchen paper.

While the tofu is cooking, set a large saucepan or wok over a medium–high heat and add the remaining oil. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant.

Next, whisk in the miso, coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add the noodles, cover with a lid and cook for 8–10 minutes or until the noodles are just cooked.

Stir through the spinach and tofu, then divide the between bowls, add the lime juice and scatter over the zest

Enjoy!

Get your copy of Rhi's book on how to build a lunch box, HERE

The Way 30-day trail: https://www.thewayapp.com/wellnessscoop

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠hello@wellness-scoop.com⁠⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella:

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pre-order your copy of Rhiannon's brand-new cook book for kids: ⁠⁠'Ready, Set, Cook!' ⁠

Sign up to Rhitrition+ HERE

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Can writing actually rewire your brain and make you more resilient? Is journaling woo woo? We dig into the science of expressive writing, plus why the mackerel in your supermarket might not be what you think and what that means for your omega-3 intake. We’re also sharing our easiest packed lunch upgrades, looking at the return of ultra-thin beauty ideals, and tracking the latest crackdown on social media and addictive algorithms.

Get your copy of Rhi's book on how to build a lunch box, HERE

Try the incredible app created by listener Shari: Feed Muchi!

The Way 30-day trail: https://www.thewayapp.com/wellnessscoop

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠hello@wellness-scoop.com⁠⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella:

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pre-order your copy of Rhiannon's brand-new cook book for kids: ⁠⁠'Ready, Set, Cook!' ⁠

Sign up to Rhitrition+ HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can you eat too much healthy food? This week, we’re talking portion control, hunger and why a huge plate of vegetables might not actually leave you satisfied.

We also unpack the myths around tofu and oestrogen — what phytoestrogens actually are and whether soy really affects your hormones. Plus, we look at the rise of steak, liver and bone marrow for babies, bowel cancer anxiety and childhood diets, and how to increase fibre when you have IBS.

The Way 30-day trail: https://www.thewayapp.com/wellnessscoop

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠hello@wellness-scoop.com⁠⁠

Pre-order your copy of Rhiannon's brand-new cook book for kids: ⁠'Ready, Set, Cook!' ⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella:

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to Rhitrition+ and join Beat The Bloat HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should you really be taking vitamin D, magnesium, collagen and the rest, or are we wasting our money on supplements? We unpack the latest debate and why the NHS is warning against taking health advice from wellness influencers.

We also explore a fascinating new discovery about how plant proteins could help feed your gut microbes, and new research linking the common sweetener xylitol with heart attacks and strokes.

Plus, why reading could be surprisingly powerful for your brain, from childhood right through to older age.

The Way 30-day trail: https://www.thewayapp.com/wellnessscoop

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠hello@wellness-scoop.com⁠⁠

Pre-order your copy of Rhiannon's brand-new cook book for kids: ⁠'Ready, Set, Cook!' ⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella:

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to Rhitrition+ and join Beat The Bloat HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can we undo the effects of an unhealthy childhood diet? What's the best way to increase iron levels, particularly during pregnancy? And are fibre powders and resistant starch really worth the hype?

This week, we discuss the powerful relationship between stress, nutrition and hormone health, explore the growing fascination with fibre supplements and resistant starch, and ask whether it's ever too late to change the way we eat. Plus, we answer your questions on perfectionism, introversion and the pressure to get everything right as parents.

Margaret’s healthy bites -

Rough recipes are below:

Chocolate Chip Cookie (Chickpea base)

-1 tin chickpeas

-1/3 cup nut butter

-1/3 cup oat flour

-1/4 cup maple syrup

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-chocolate chips

Brownie (black bean base)

-1 tin black beans

-1/3 cup nut butter

-1/3 cup maple syrup

-1/4 cup cocoa powder

-1 tsp vanilla

-chocolate chips

The Way 30-day trail: https://www.thewayapp.com/wellnessscoop

Send your questions for our weekly Q&A to ⁠⁠hello@wellness-scoop.com⁠⁠

Pre-order your copy of Rhiannon's brand-new cook book for kids: ⁠'Ready, Set, Cook!' ⁠

For more from Rhi and Ella:

Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order your copy of Rhi's new book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up to Rhitrition+ and join Beat The Bloat HERE

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices