HEALTHY EATING | Dos and Don'ts this silly season
Release Date: 12/17/2024
Is there such thing as "nature's ozempic"?
The Balanced Body Podcast
If you’ve seen claims that certain foods can naturally increase GLP-1 in your body and help reduce overeating - they’re not completely wrong. But some of the messaging, like promising “superpowers” or being "biologically indifferent to tempting food" (as per Bryan Johnson), is a bit exaggerated. This episode breaks down what’s actually worth paying attention to, and what’s mostly social media hype. We cover: • What GLP-1 actually is and how it works • The difference between food-driven and medication-driven rises in GLP-1 • Food sequencing for blood sugar control •...
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The Meals, Trends & Lessons of 2025
The Balanced Body Podcast
This episode is a bit of fun where I reflect on what actually worked in 2025 - both for you and for me. We talk about: The meals we relied on this year (nothing extravagant, which is kind of the point) The supermarket products I’ve recommended on repeat Nutrition trends from 2025 we love, and the ones I’d happily leave behind What I think we’ll see more of in 2026 Some personal reflections and what’s coming next for the Balanced Body community Tune in for a fun chit chat, food ideas and inspo for the new year x
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What to Do at Christmas When You Don’t Want to Undo Your Progress (Even With a Fat Loss Goal)
The Balanced Body Podcast
If you struggle with Christmas eating, holiday overeating or the all or nothing mindset around food, this episode will help you approach the Christmas season in a balanced and healthy way without restriction or guilt. Before we dive in, here are a few ways I can support you: Free guide: 30 day program: to help you feel in control of food, energy and confidence 1:1 coaching: Message me directly on Instagram Christmas is often portrayed as either a time to be super clean with your diet, or a time to eat whatever you want and start again in January. Both extremes can lead to feeling out of...
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Why Your Diets Keep Failing (and How to Finally Stay Consistent)
The Balanced Body Podcast
If you’ve ever wanted change so badly but still can’t seem to get started, or if you’re someone who starts strong for a few days and then suddenly slides right back into old habits, this episode is going to feel like I’m reading your mind. We’re unpacking the psychological, environmental and behavioural patterns that get in the way of your progress, so you can finally build a healthy lifestyle that actually sticks, instead of rebounding a few weeks in. If you’ve ever thought, “I know what to do… I just don’t do it,” this one’s for you. Looking for support with your...
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Q&A: My Training Split, Ghee vs Olive Oil, 3pm Energy Slump, Healthy Weight Loss Expectations, Sugar Free Drinks, & Probiotics
The Balanced Body Podcast
This week on the podcast: your rapid-fire nutrition Q&A. We cover: My current training split Ghee vs olive oil - is ghee actually “good for your gut”? Overcoming the 3pm slump Sugar-free drinks How much weight loss per week is actually realistic How long you should stay in a calorie deficit Whether probiotics are worth it Short, practical, evidence-informed answers to help you cut through the overwhelm and make nutrition feel simple again. If you’ve got a question you want included in the next Q&A, DM me on Instagram because I love hearing what’s on...
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Cholesterol in Women: The Hidden Heart Health Shift No One Warns You About
The Balanced Body Podcast
👉 Check out The Balanced Body Reset — my 30-day program to help you get back in control of food, energy, and confidence: https://helena-mcdonald-3e4c.mykajabi.com/30-day-balanced-body-reset-1 And as always, if you want personalised 1:1 support, you can contact me directly over on instagram:
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Mum’s Blood Pressure Scare, the Link Between Menopause and Heart Health, and Natural Strategies to Lower It
The Balanced Body Podcast
If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or going through perimenopause, this is one of those episodes you might think doesn’t apply to yo, but it 100% does. The risk of high blood pressure, rising cholesterol, and heart disease increases dramatically around perimenopause and post menopause - even if you're doing all the right things and have no major risk factors. My mum experienced this first hand. She's always been health conscious, eats a pescetarian diet, grows all her own vegetables, walks daily, constantly gardens, is part of a cycling club and goes to the gym regularly. She recently...
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The ultimate checklist to look and feel your best
The Balanced Body Podcast
For a long time, I avoided the word balance. It felt too fluffy, like something that throws around too much without anyone really defining what it means. But over time, I’ve realised that balance is exactly what most women are craving. A lot of us have been taught that “healthy” means eating a perfect "clean" diet and leads to the vicious cycle of all or nothing thinking around food. In this episode, I share my philosophy around what balance really looks like in practice. Your diet doesn’t need to be rigid to be effective, and flexibility is the thing that makes healthy...
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Can you really reverse diabetes? The science behind it
The Balanced Body Podcast
Can you actually reverse diabetes ... or is that just clickbait? A new study caught my eye recently, and the results were honestly too good not to share. It looked at whether people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes could reach remission through realistic diet and lifestyle changes (not shakes or super low calorie diets - actual food). In this episode, I’m breaking down what the study found, what “reversal” really means, and the key lifestyle changes that make this possible. We’ll cover: What remission actually is The ideal diet for balanced blood sugar (spoiler it's not low...
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Electrolytes, bread, yoghurt, intuitive eating & multivitamins - your questions answered
The Balanced Body Podcast
Can you actually keep nutrition simple … and still see results? This week I’m doing a rapid-fire Q&A on common questions I get asked. We're cutting through opinions and giving you clear, evidence-based answers you can use today. We’ll cover: Do you need electrolytes? Is bread bad? Can you eat the same thing every day? Should you ever eat when you're not hungry? Best yoghurt? Should you take a multivitamin? How to know what advice to take when everyone has an opinion? Tune in for quick, actionable answers to your burning questions to make eating well that little bit...
info_outline❌DON'T Eat “clean” to save up for a big cheat day
It can feel sensible to eat clean (or eat less) in the day or week leading up to events to “save up” for a big cheat day, and then let loose without doing as much “damage”.
In reality, this backfires almost every time.
By the time the event rolls around, you’ll likely be feeling so deprived that you’ll end up hyper focused on food and feel like you want to eat EVERYTHING. It’s the same feeling as when you’re super busy at work and don’t get the chance to eat all day, then get back home needing a massive dinner and the entire pantry to make up for it.
At the event, you’ll likely feel out of control and end up eating way more than you would have if you’d just eaten your regular meals and snacks. Afterwards, you might feel guilty and beat yourself up about it, which only reinforces the idea that you can’t trust yourself around treat foods. Naturally, you’ll feel like you should restrict again to make up for it. That is, until the next event rolls around and you find yourself on your third helping of pavlova, even though you promised yourself you wouldn’t have any dessert.
The solution?
Don’t skip meals, don’t go anywhere hungry, make a plan, be realistic and create a ~balance~ on your plate. And bonus tip, put yourself on salad duty 🫡
That’s the quickfire version. Listen to the episode for all my best advice to feel your best this silly season. x
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