Her Unique Glow - Nourished Living

Sometimes things just don't go to plan! This morning, as I was about to upload a podcast that I had just recorded, I realised that I had actually recorded a VERY similar podcast (with the exact same title!) about a year ago - An episode on focussing what could go right. This was so ironic as I spent a few minutes beating myself up about it and judging myself for not realising what I had done! So as soon as I realised what I had done, my initial response was to pack it all in and not upload an episode this week. But after that thought appeared, I questioned it and realised that I needed to focus on the positives and reframe what I perceived as negative. So yes, it was frustrating that I couldn't upload the episode I had previously recorded BUT it had given me an opportunity to share even MORE with you and what to do when things don't go right. It's all about our mindset and how we choose to experience life. 

Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media throughout the day? I know I do, and it’s something I’m still working on at the moment. Social media is a huge part of our lives and I don’t really know anyone that doesn’t use some form of social media (maybe one or two people!). It’s an even bigger part of our lives if we run online businesses (or any business for that matter), so of course, the majority of us spend hours mindlessly scrolling to see what we may have missed, what the latest trend is or even to just pass the time while we’re waiting for the kettle to boil.   If you do find yourself scrolling continuously throughout the day, then it’s important to think about who you’re following and more importantly why. Just like the people you choose to spend your physical time with, it’s essential that we make sure we are choosing who we follow for the right reasons. They should bring something positive to our lives and to your day. Looking at their latest post should fill you with love and positivity, not fear or feeling like you lack something. This podcast episode helps you to uncover WHY you're choosing to follow the accounts you do and asks you to question if they're serving you in the best way right now at this moment in your life.

Self-care is the latest buzzword and trend of the moment. Although I’m loving that more and more of us are advocating, promoting and practicing self-care, there’s also a part of me that finds it strange to be ‘trending’. It should be something that we practice on a daily basis regardless of our circumstances – not because it’s the latest hype word or fad out there. I suppose one of the main reasons self-care has come to the fore-front of the health and wellness space, is that with diet culture at an all-time high, with fitness crazes through the roof and social media playing a bigger role in our lives and mental health than ever before, the NEED for looking after ourselves has also risen – I’d go so far as to say it’s essential if you truly want to be healthy in this day and age. It’s so important to understand exactly what self-care is so we know what we are aiming for, without getting too caught up in the hype of it all. We are so much more than just our physical body and yes, self-care does focus on caring for the physical bodies we are all gifted with, but what about the emotional and mental aspects of our bodies as well? It’s time to start treating your mind, body and soul with the same care and respect as though you value them all equally. This episode covers the 3 dimensions of self-care and how you can implement small practices into your life so that you can be the best and healthiest version of yourself possible! PRODUCTS MENTIONED: FREE GRATITUDE DIARY (https://www.heruniqueglow.com/free-goodies/item/gratitude-diary)

We are constantly allowing content into our lives from the social media accounts we follow to the books we read and even the conversations we have with friends and loved ones. Sometimes we can get so stuck in habits and life that we forget we actually have the conscious ability to make choices as to what content we allow in and consume.  If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media or turning on the TV out of habit than necessity, then it might be time to reevaluate why you allow certain types of content into your life and how it might better serve you going forwards.  This episode covers many different types of content you might be consuming, how to assess if it's serving you in the right way and why it's important to be conscious about what you let into your life.

So last week it was my birthday and I’m not going to lie, there’s something about turning 29 that felt a bit yucky. Whatever the trigger, the cause was still there and needed to be addressed. I’m a very introspective person and love journaling, expressing my thoughts and working through any ‘sticky’ areas in my life or mind, so of course the natural thing for me was to grab my A3 note pad, colourful pens and start brain dumping everything I had floating through my mind.    One of the journal prompts I used was: What lessons have a learnt from this year?   I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on my 28thyear and celebrate all the lessons I had learned – the lessons that were unique to the past 365 days, not only because I feel it’s important to celebrate our growth but because I wanted to acknowledge an opportunity to really make a change and LEARN from last year. So I thought I’d share my top 10 lessons with you in the hope that maybe one of them might resonate or help you in some way.    *I should also mention that Koa was born just before my birthday last year so a lot of these lessons that I’ve learnt have been a result of also being a new mother. Things just seemed to perfectly align themselves that way!

Looking after your mental and emotional health is one of the most important things you can do to look after yourself. There shouldn't be a stigma around in and we shouldn't wait for something to go wrong before addressing it. It's about practicing self-care, being introspective and understanding where you're coming from so you know how to get to where you want to be. I love journaling and it's a great way of expressing yourself; almost like a form of talk therapy, but sometimes it's hard to know where to begin - especially when your thoughts are whirling round your mind at 100 miles an hour. So here are some of my favourite journaling prompts to help get you started.

Although many of us may have experienced some form of binge at some stage, binge eating is actually a form of disordered eating and something that can be quite debilitating, overpowering and all-consuming. From my experience of working with clients and a lot of beautiful women, binge eating isn’t so much about the food as it is about how we feel about ourselves.   Binging and binge eating disorder is such a complicated topic and there are so many reasons that it might be affecting you, although everyone experiences it in their own unique way. In this podcast episode, I wanted to share some common tips to help you on your journey with binging and also how you can reduce those binge eating induced sugar cravings.  Remember: Our relationship with food is directly linked to the relationship we have with ourselves. So let's dive in deep! **If you feel you need extra support with binge eating then please reach out for help and email at: hello@heruniqueglow.com

"What you resist persists, what you look at disappears."  This is one of my favourite quotes from the book 'Conversations With God' By Neal Donald Walsch. In fact, it's one of my favourite quotes of all time and one that really jumps to the forefront of my mind on a daily basis. We all have barriers. We all have stories we tell ourselves. We all go through tough moments in life. Sometimes these stories benefit us as we carry them through life and sometimes they hold us back from really stepping into our true power and becoming who we dream of being. When we go through tough times we can either: A) Choose to bury things and ‘resist’ or B) Choose to work through think and ‘look’ at them Option A leaves you feeling stagnant and stuck. Your beliefs in the stories you tell yourself keep you from moving forwards and truly experiencing life. Life is ever flowing and changing and we need to accept the things we can’t change and let our beliefs and stories adapt.  Option B, although more challenging and sometimes the scarier option, will inevitably allow you to grow and give you the opportunity to cultivate, manifest and create the life you dream of. Yes it’s harder, yes it’s uncomfortable but it’s worth it. It’s worth doing the hard work to see the reward.  It’s time to stop resisting if you want to see change in your life. Start ‘looking’ so you can take those actionable steps to get you to where you want to be. If you feel you need a bit of extra guidance to work through those negative times, emotions, feelings then please get in touch: hello@heruniqueglow.com

It's been a while since I've uploaded a new podcast episode and I wanted to explain where I've been and why I'm back recording for you guys! It's a more real and raw way of communicating with you, without any prompts or scripts and I hope that this way you feel more connected and resonate with what I have to say. This episode also covers the anxiety and worries that may have crept up over the last few months with Covid and everything that's going on in the world around us at the moment and some tips and techniques to help you navigate through those negative thoughts. If you have any topics you'd like me to cover in future podcasts then feel free to email me: hello@heruniqueglow.com and remember to share this podcast with anyone you think would benefit from listening to it!

Taking the time to make yourself a priority and look after YOU is one thing we can all do to limit the stress that we take into our lives. It may not always mean that the stress goes away, but sometimes it’s more about handling the stress in a healthier way than getting rid of it completely. If you want to be the healthiest and happiest version of yourself – not just for you but for your family and friends as well – then it’s time to start being a bit more selfish and put yourself first. After all, you only get one body in this lifetime, so it’s time we started taking care of it more!

Love, excitement, adoration - there are so many wonderful feelings that rise to the surface when you're pregnant. However, no matter how much you've been waiting for this adventure or trying to conceive, pregnancy can come with a whole heap of fear driven emotions - including guilt, anxiety and overwhelm.  For me, one of the biggest struggles I had to overcome was letting go of the control over my body and how it would look. I LOVE my pregnant body and I'm so in love with my bump, but that doesn't mean it was an easy journey to get there and that's what I wanted to talk about! Questions about weight gain have been the most common and frequent since finding out I was pregnant, which is why I thought it was an important topic to talk about as I know I'm not the only woman that has struggled with this - especially the guilt for feeling any fear around weight gain as this baby is wanted more than anything! This episode is completely real and honest where I talk about how I'm feeling and my journey with my weight gain through pregnancy - I hope you enjoy it and that it may help you or someone you know in some way. I'm raw and vulnerable in sharing this story with you so hope it does help in some way! I think it's important we all share more and keep this conversation open! So be kind xxx

This episode covers a topic that is so close to my heart and that is the power of our minds and how they have the ability to transform our lives and the way we experience life. Don’t let social conditioning of what is seen as right or wrong dictate your worth or your ability to make your life happen for you the way you want it. If you want something then go for it – you have the power and the capabilities to do so, all you need to do is believe in yourself and focus your energy on the areas that you know will serve you best.  It's time to flip the switch any time self-doubt creeps in and focus on what could go right.

Just like the physical relationships we have in our lives, social media relationships also play a big role in how we feel about ourselves and how our energy is spread and shared throughout the day. The messages you are constantly feeding your mind, what you believe and what your inner mean girl feeds off have the power to change your day and take it from epic to anxiety ridden.  This episode covers why we should start to understand our 'why' behind our activities on social media and why it's important to be aware for our mental health.

We all grew up knowing that there were 4 seasons every year – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – but what wasn’t expressed to us, were the seasons of life.    Everything in our lives has its own season just like the seasons we experience throughout the year. Our relationships, friendships, finances, work, love, happiness, sadness, prosperity, home life, physical activity, diet – everything that nourishes us internally and externally also experience their own seasons. They start at the very beginning, flourish, continue to grow and then show us when it’s time to move on. This episode covers the seasons of emotions and how they are all beautiful and necessary to experience in order to live a truly fulfilled life.

When I talk about long term weight loss, I’m not talking about using a restrictive diet and then keeping off the weight, I’m not talking about restricting your food forever – in fact, I’m not talking about restriction at all! It goes against everything that I believe in and my main healthy lifestyle principles. If you want to lose weight, then that is totally achievable and it can be done in a healthy way where the focus is on loving and nourishing your body.  However, what happens when you reach your goal? Are you in the habit of restricting and then binging once it’s all over? Or have you built healthy habits that you can take forwards with you for the rest of your life? I’m hoping it’s the latter, but I know for so many beautiful women, being on that restricting-binging cycle is all too familiar. Not only is it damaging to your health to be on a restrictive diet one minute and overindulging on delicious (probably not so healthy) foods the next, but it’s also damaging the relationship you have with food.  This episode covers 5 tips towards maintainable long-term weight loss without restrictive dieting and freeing yourself of all those limiting beliefs around food. It is possible to lose weight, keep it off and still feel  free to enjoy the life you deserve.

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken about positivity and positive thinking but when it comes to living the life of your dreams, there is no better place to start than with your mind-set. It’s always amazed me how our minds have the power to transform our day. We are the creators of our own life and how we begin that creation is always with a thought – that thought is then expanded on through deciding your next course of action, taking that inspired action, stepping outside of your comfort zone and propelling you forwards towards the life you dream of. This becomes a thought - action - creation cycle. In this episode, I wanted to talk about how this sequence can either work in our favour or against us and how you can start taking back ownership of your life so that you can live the life you dream of and create what you have always wanted. Want to work with me? [Click here](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/coaching/item/free-health-consultation) to find out more.

When I was a teenager, I associated the word ‘healthy’ with stick thin women, eating grapefruit, cutting out wheat and exercising every given moment of the day. That thought pattern didn’t shift until I started re-educating myself on what a healthy diet was and how to exercise right for my body. It doesn’t matter who you are or what background you come from, we all have our own definition of what ‘healthy’ is and what we see as optimal. Maybe for someone being healthy is about losing weight, or gaining weight, maybe it’s about exercising more or less, cutting out junk food, de-toxifying your life, harnessing loving relationships, getting rid of toxic relationships or maybe it’s getting more sleep and stressing less. We all have our own health goals and our own opinions as to what healthy should look like.   I was so confused as a young girl – there was so much conflicting information out there and it seems to have become even more complicated now! One minute there’s an article saying that eggs are bad for you, then the next minute they’re suddenly the most amazing source of protein ever! One documentary says veganism is the only way, whereas another person says paleo is best. There’s hot phrases like ‘gluten free’, ‘dairy free’, ‘refined sugar free’ (yes, I know I use all of them!) and not to mention superfoods, greens powders, health powers, protein powders (again, I’m aware my pantry is also stocked with them!). There’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ when it comes to the foods we choose to eat and it’s time we stop complicating health and get back to basics.

Sleep is one of the major key players in creating long term, vital and sustainable health. Without enough good quality sleep, we are left feeling run-down, sluggish, irritable and out of alignment. If you want to feel your absolute best and be the most epic version of yourself possible, then it’s time to start prioritising sleep and turning good quality sleep into one of your non-negotiables. This episode covers: * Why we need good quality sleep * The benefits of sleep * Sleep deprivation * How to adapt your nutrition to enhance your sleep * How to create a healthy sleep environment * Easy lifestyle changes to increase the quality of your sleep To read the blog post, [click here.](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/blog/the-importance-of-good-quality-sleep)

When I was studying with The Institute of Integrative Nutrition, one of the things that really resonated with me was the holistic approach we were being taught. One of the core concepts of holistic health and nutrition is about treating the cause and not the symptom.  One of the biggest examples I love to share is the idea of primary food and secondary food. The food we eat is known as secondary food. Primary food is everything else that feeds our lives from our career and finances to our happiness and relationships. When something is out of alignment with our primary food, then our secondary food will be out of alignment as a result. In this case, the secondary food is the symptom (what we eat) and the primary food is the cause (what’s causing us to choose the foods we eat). This podcast episode looks at 5 areas of primary food and why treating the cause will help relieve the symptoms. To read the blog post, [click here](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/blog/treating-the-cause-not-the-symptom).

There’s the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ and this is so relevant when it comes to practicing self-care. Understanding who you are, what you need to thrive and what drives you can lead you to establishing a regular self-care practice that will help you to tune into yourself and always make sure your cup is full. Sometimes being selfish is the most unselfish thing you can do and taking that time for yourself is vital for giving your energy to others. When you’re at your most vulnerable and not looking after yourself regularly, those negative thoughts, inner mean girl chants and doubts can creep in and take over.  This episode goes through 9 different ways you can tune back into yourself and feel more grounded, calm and settled. To read the blog post, [click here](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/blog/how-to-tune-into-yourself).

Claiming that I’m obsessed with greens (vegetables in general to be honest) is probably an understatement. I LOVE broccoli and courgettes (or zucchinis depending on where you’re from!) and eat them most days, if not every day. I always have a container in the fridge full of cooked, steamed or roasted veggies and a huge bag of prepared salad so that meal times are that little bit easier. I am genuinely one of those people that loves vegetables and I’m not afraid to say so! If I go a day or two without nourishing my body with them, I feel cranky, irritable, lethargic and de-motivated. My days seem to just run so much smoother (both mentally and physically) when I fill my plate with all that green, colourful goodness. In this episode, I cover the benefits of eating greens and why they're necessary for our diets and how you can get more greens into your diet daily!

One fun fact that you may or may not know about me, is that I have kept a daily journal for the last 10 YEARS of my life! The brilliant thing about journaling is that it doesn’t have to be as regimented as writing your life story every single day. It can be completely unique to you and what would align with your purpose, values and goals! There are so many ways that you can start journaling and I’ve tried and tested every one in this post over the years. They’re all wonderful in their own way and all help to give you clarity on some level. After all, that’s one of the most wonderful things about getting pen to paper and letting it all out. So, whether you have 5 or 10 minutes a day, week, month or year, there will be one way of keeping a journal that resonates with you. If you want more clarity, a new self-care practice or another way of connecting deeper to your truth then listen to this podcast! The 8 ways of journaling covered in this podcast are: * Gratitude Diary * Morning Pages * Yearly Summary * Monthly Dreams & Goals * Bullet Point Journal * Worry Diary * Highlights Journal * Daily Diary [Click here](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/free-goodies/item/gratitude-diary) to download my FREE gratitude diary!

How many times have your goals passed you by? How many of those goals did you not ‘achieve’? When was the last time you set yourself a goal and achieved it through taking inspired action? In this episode I talk about my own journey towards listening to my truth and how you can start taking inspired action towards the life you dream of. If you have been stuck in a rut for a while or are confused about what the next 'right' step is in your life, then this is the episode for you. We dive deep into the 'next step', how to find your next step and why choosing love over fear will help guide you towards your inner truth and divine purpose. Plus, we touch on following your passion! It's a jam packed episode full of motivation and inspiration to take you towards that goal, dream and desire you have been wanting to manifest in your life.

‘You’re just not good enough.’ ‘You’ll never be anything.’ ‘You won’t make it.’ ‘That dream is just too far out of reach.’ ‘You’re wishing for something that will never happen.’ Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? How many times has your inner mean girl stepped in the way and sabotaged a great relationship, a fantastic idea or an inspiring dream? Self-doubt, your inner mean girl, your shadow, that negative voice inside your head, your inner critic – whatever you want to call it – they all creep up on us and cause us to push that self-destruct button that prevents us from living the life we truly desire.  It's time to stop bullying yourself and allow yourself to shine. This episode talks about why we start letting our inner critic run the show and why it's time to stop. Plus, there's a bonus task for you to complete at the end. Want to read the blog post? https://www.heruniqueglow.com/blog/are-you-bullying-yourself

Your tribe is an elite selection of people that you choose to spend your time with. They should uplift you, motivate you, guide you and push you to be the best version of yourself possible. Most importantly, they never judge you for being you. They are an essential group of people that will help support you through life and are invaluable to you. This episode covers: What is a tribe? Does your tribe last forever? What's the value of your tribe? How can you find your own tribe?

I'm so excited to share this episode with you - it almost feels like new beginnings. I'm bringing you fresh topics, new discussions and sharing that little bit more about me.  This podcast is structured like a typical coaching session with me. What's new & good? Followed by the topic of the week and then one or two tips to take away. This week's topic is all about CALORIES! Calories do play an important role in weight management, however there is so much more to the food we’re eating than just the number of calories it contains. As with everything in life, there are always good sides and bad sides and that goes for calorie counting too.  With the number of calories of food more present than ever, I wanted to share a bit more on them. After all, a calorie really is just a unit of energy and therefore it’s important to get the record straight so that you’re able to make the best choices for yourself possible. 

Hey beautiful, I know it’s been a super long time since I sat down and recorded a podcast for you but guess what…I’m back! It was so important to me to sit down and take the time to write about why I took some time off, where I’ve been, what’s been happening and most importantly talk about the most exciting news that I’ve just been dying to share with you! So firstly, I wanted to start off by sharing my happiest news I think I’ve ever had – and that is… I’M PREGNANT! That’s right, I’m going to FINALLY be a mummy! You have no idea how long I have waited to say that and I almost can’t believe it’s really happening, even now. This journey has been such a challenging one for me and although I know many other beautiful women have a much harder time getting pregnant, it really did take its toll on me. I found it so physically, emotionally and mentally challenging and even though thankfully I didn’t need any medical interventions, the whole process was still an upsetting, disappointing and heart breaking experience for me to go through. In this podcast I wanted to share my journey to getting pregnant with you and why I took some time off from creating content for you. I hope that sharing my story will help at least one person in some way as I know now what a lonely experience getting pregnant can be. I'm so excited for this next chapter in my life and for all the content I'm going to share with you - here's to new beginnings!  xxx

‘Jealousy doesn’t look good on you’ ‘The green-eyed monster’ ‘No one likes jealous people’ ‘Jealousy is ugly’ ‘You shouldn’t feel jealous’ These are all words that I’m sure you’ve heard before. Growing up, we are told that jealousy is an ‘ugly’ emotion and is even referred to as a ‘monster’ – What sort of a message is that?! In this episode I wanted to share why I have issues with jealousy and how to overcome and embrace it. It's not an emotion that should be feared or swept under the carpet - it needs to be honoured just like every other emotion and it's always providing just another opportunity for self-growth and exploration.

I'm back! After a lovely two week break, I'm back recording podcasts to share all the tools, tips and information you need so that you can be the healthiest version of yourself possible! After taking some time out, I rediscovered what it truly feels like to be stress free. In this episode, I wanted to share some of the techniques I used to de-stress. Here are 5 tips on how you can live life stress free and detox your body from those pressurised thoughts.

Cravings are something that we are all familiar with and we all have our own unique relationship with them. Sometimes they may lead us to over-indulge in foods, they might create imbalances in the body, they may even give our inner mean girl permission to come out – but they always are an indicator of something more going on inside our bodies. Regardless of how they show up, it’s important to understand where they come from so that we know how to handle them in the best and healthiest way possible. There are so many different reasons why you might be craving certain foods or food groups, so I’ve put together a list of the 8 most common causes of cravings.

I love morning routines – to me, having an established and loving morning routine is the key to having a successful and productive day. We all want to be more productive – living in such a fast-paced world with a million and one things to do means that being productive is an essential requirement.  As the saying goes: Start your day as you mean to go on. When it comes to productivity, it is so true! Let’s be honest, don’t you find you’re your most productive self when your mornings go by seamlessly? I know I do. I’ve always been a morning person and am definitely my most productive self as soon as I wake up. Now, I know that might not be the case for everybody but what I do know is that whether you love mornings or despise them, having a morning routine that fits in with who you are and what you need will help set you up for the day so that you can be the best version of yourself possible! In this episode, I share tips on how to establish a morning routine that works for you!

I wish I want I’d love I hope I need These are all beginnings of sentences that either encourage self-growth or inhibit it. The way that we finish off those sentences can either push us forward into taking inspired action, or stop us in our tracks. They inevitably get used when we want change or desire something new in our lives – i.e. they come about at pivotal moments to give us the momentum we need to take the next step in our lives. In this episode, I talk about how your ideals and desires play a major role in taking inspired action towards your dreams and goals.

In this episode, I get real about what has been going on in my life lately and wanted to share the major block I've been facing when it comes to my own self-development and self-growth. This episode comes from the heart and I wanted to record an unscripted episode where I get to share my authentic self with you and connect on a deeper level. I also touch on growing pains - not the physical sort you used to feel as a child growing up - I'm talking about the real gritty growing pains you experience emotionally as adults. So, grab a cup of tea, get comfy and let's chat.

As amazing and delicious as sugary foods are, it is important to listen to the guidelines set by various health organisations and consider if we are eating too much and where that sugar is coming from. The NHS and World Health Organisation say that it’s the free sugars (added sugars, fruit juices, honey, syrups etc.) we need to cut down on and not the natural sugars (found in fruits, vegetables and milk). Overeating these free sugars has been linked to so many health risks including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, tooth decay and other inflammatory conditions. In short – we eat too much and it’s time that we re-evaluate what role sugar plays in our diets. This episode covers 5 tips that will help you to cut down on sugar.

I love sugar! I mean, who doesn’t right? Sugars are found everywhere, they’re not just in your chocolates treats or fruit, so it’s very easy to consume too much. In fact, sugar can be found in some of the most unexpected products such as tomato sauces and peanut butter. However, as wonderful as sugars make our food taste, they do have their health risks if we over consume them. In fact, many health organisations have re-evaluated their guidelines to encourage people to consume less in the fight against obesity and tooth decay. This episode covers: * What sugars are * Natural vs added sugars * Blood sugar * How much can we eat? * Why should we cut down? * How to reduce your intake of sugar * Tips for reading ingredients on packaging * Quick correction: To find the number of teaspoons in the food you're eating, divide the grams of sugar by 4.2.

Being healthy is way more than just what we eat and how much exercise we do. For years I was obsessed (quite literally) with counting calories and exercising daily. I thought that health was about limiting the ‘bad’ foods, eating moderate amounts of ‘good’ foods and making sure that I exercised enough so that I didn’t gain weight. It took me years of working on myself and my body to realise that being healthy was way more than that – it’s about looking at your life as a whole and making sure that all areas of your life are balanced and fulfilled. With that in mind, I wanted to share 12 tips to better your health and steps that you can implement into your life. Getting caught up in ‘diet culture’ and the SHOULDs and SHOULDN’Ts surrounding the topic of health can be all to easy and quite honestly, it can get a bit confusing. HEALTH ISN’T COMPLICATED and living a healthy life doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be as easy as cooking more from home, indulging every now and again and harnessing satisfying relationships. So let’s get into my 12 steps to better health from a holistic perspective:

When I first started diving deeper in health, wellness and nutrition, the topic of inflammation kept cropping up time and time again. Until I started studying again, I hadn’t really come across ‘inflammation’ in terms of our health as a whole. This idea that it’s inflammation in our bodies that in the root cause of most illnesses was a whole new concept to me and I’d only ever thought of inflammation in terms of cuts and bruises! When it comes to protecting your body from chronic inflammation, your diet plays a massive role. It can help to decrease that inflammation and protect our tissues from inflammatory damage. Foods that have a lower GI, that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and high in antioxidants are great for decreasing inflammation in our bodies and limiting your intake of animal and processed foods can also help. The most important thing in my opinion though, is to think about the quality of the food you’re eating – buying high quality products, in-season produce and organic fresh produce whenever you can is a great place to start! In this episode I talk about [Dr Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory diet](https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/anti-inflammatory-diet-pyramid/dr-weils-anti-inflammatory-diet/) and how nutrition and the food you eat can help to reduce and even prevent inflammation in the body. I don’t believe in ‘diets’ or ‘one size fits all’ guidelines, however, this anti-inflammatory diet that he developed really appealed to me because it’s not a weight loss diet or focussed on calorie restricting. His guidelines are flexible and approach nutrition from a point of balance, which is what I try to promote to all of my clients I work with. In short – it’s a non-restrictive approach, focussing on balance and increasing your intake of foods that will nourish your body, as well as decreasing your intake of foods that inhibit the health of your body. So really, everything that HUG is about.

It's story time! In this episode, I wanted to share a little bit about something that I've been going through over the past few weeks - it's a challenge that presented itself to me and something that I had to work through - COMPARISONS. It is so easy to get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others and opens the doors to self-doubt and self-judgement - neither of which raise our vibrations or make us feel good.  I wanted to share this with you in the hope that it might help you in some way if it's something you're going through or have ever experienced yourself to demonstrate once again that you're not alone! No one is perfect and this is me being completely real, honest and open with you! So, get comfy, grab a cup of tea and let's get into it!

One of the core concepts of holistic health and nutrition is BIO-INDIVIDUALITY. I resonate so much with this term and fell in love with it as soon as I heard it. It’s a term that I use when coaching every single one of my clients and one that I’m pretty sure I use every single day in passing. In fact, I know that I’ve spoken a lot about it on my podcast, [blog](https://www.heruniqueglow.com/blog) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRX3CLxakQQlp1o5Vn9IwOg?view_as=subscriber) channel so I thought it was about time that I explained what it was. That way, whenever I talk about it, I have a complete explanation to refer you back to. This episode covers what bio-individuality is and the 3 core principles of bio-individuality.

Macronutrients are where you get your energy from and they include FATS, PROTEINS and CARBOHYDRATES (alcohol is also thought of as a macronutrient even though it shouldn’t ideally contribute a lot to your nutrient intake). Macronutrients (for the sake of this series we will stick to macronutrients being the fats, proteins and carbs) provide energy and this form of energy is what is commonly known of as CALORIES. I wanted to take you through each of the macronutrients and explain exactly what they are, why they are important for our bodies and bust some myths around each of them.  This episode is all about carbohydrates: * What are carbohydrates * The low-down on sugar * Starch * Fibre * What is the glycemic index? * What are whole grains? * What carbohydrates should I eat? * How much should I eat?

Macronutrients are where you get your energy from and they include FATS, PROTEINS and CARBOHYDRATES (alcohol is also thought of as a macronutrient even though it shouldn’t ideally contribute a lot to your nutrient intake). Macronutrients (for the sake of this series we will stick to macronutrients being the fats, proteins and carbs) provide energy and this form of energy is what is commonly known of as CALORIES. I wanted to take you through each of the macronutrients and explain exactly what they are, why they are important for our bodies and bust some myths around each of them. This episode is all about PROTEIN and covers: * What is protein? * Why we need it * Protein combining * Protein sources * How much protein should you really be eating

Macronutrients are where you get your energy from and they include FATS, PROTEINS and CARBOHYDRATES (alcohol is also thought of as a macronutrient even though it shouldn’t ideally contribute a lot to your nutrient intake). Macronutrients (for the sake of this series we will stick to macronutrients being the fats, proteins and carbs) provide energy and this form of energy is what is commonly known of as CALORIES. I wanted to take you through each of the macronutrients and explain exactly what they are, why they are important for our bodies and bust some myths around each of them. This episode starts this series off by discussing FATS! It covers: * What are fats? * Does fat make you fat? * What are the types of fat? * Other 'fat' terminology * How much fat should you eat? * The Mediterranean Diet

Insecurities. Everyone has them.  I have never met one person that didn’t have at least one insecurity. In fact, so many of us live with countless insecurities. It can be so lonely living with fear, regret and lack of confidence & self-belief – all of which can stem from feeling insecure in one way or another – but trust me when I say, you’re not alone! The saddest thing I find about our insecurities is that if we let them, they have the power to take over and run our lives for us – they can stop us from doing things we truly desire, push us away from people we love, encourage us to engage in things that might not align with our purpose, or even confuse our destined path with that of someone else’s. This episode talks about the negativities of your insecurities and why it's important to not let them run your life.

You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are more than enough. Every morning and evening I say those words to myself – as soon as I get out of bed and right before I go to sleep. How we see ourselves is so important because it dictates and impacts how we show up for ourselves every day. If you view yourself and your life from a place of abundance then guess what? You’ll shower every part of your life with love and abundance throughout your day. If you view your life from a place of lack then you’ll fall short in everything you do throughout your day.  There will be times in your life where something does or doesn’t happen for you. It’s not because you failed, because you weren’t good enough or undeserving. It simply wasn’t your time. You are in your own time zone and things will happen for you when they are meant to. Wherever you are right now is perfect and it’s exactly where you’re meant to be. It doesn’t make your life superior or inferior to anyone else’s, it just makes your life your own.

No matter where you are in your life right now, I want you to know this: You are strong. You can do what you want to do. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. You can live your healthiest life possible. Why? Because you are strong and you can make it happen. Every time you come across a hurdle in your life, it’s an opportunity for more growth! It is so important to embrace those moments and work through them so that you can grow even stronger in who you are as a person and to strengthen your desire to live the life you dream of. You are stronger than you think. I believe that you can manifest anything you desire in your life. You are strong enough to make it happen. I know that when challenging times arise, the last thing you believe about yourself is your ability to overcome it and emerge stronger from it. I know that when you’re feeling down, the hardest thing to do is to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you believe in YOU and your strength to carry you through. This is for you. This is to remind you that you are stronger than you believe. This is to empower you so you can accomplish all those amazing things you dream of. This is how you can remind yourself that you are in fact, STRONG. This episode goes through the 6 elements that make up your strength and they are: * Smart * Trust * Respect * Open * Notice * Gratitude

Numbers are everywhere in the health industry. There are so many numbers when it comes to body weight, image, health and nutrition – from someone’s waist measurement and weight, to the calories and grams in their food. Even a person’s health is measured through numbers such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and hormone function. These numbers serve a purpose in that they give health professionals a great idea of what’s going on in our bodies but they stop serving a purpose when we all begin obsessing over them. Body measurements, weight, calories and macros are the 4 most common measurements that I see people take. There’s always two sides to every coin and therefore they all have their upsides. But, they also have their downsides. If you notice that you’re starting to obsess over these numbers then listen to this episode to find out what they are, why it’s not your healthiest choice to become addicted to them and how you can move on from those restrictive thoughts.

We all wear so many hats now a days and with an increasing number of things on our to-do lists and limited hours in the day, there’s no wonder we’re all after some sort of balance in our lives.  Maybe it’s more balance in every area of your life, maybe it’s balance in your diet, maybe in your work place or in your relationships. There are so many areas that make up life as a whole and it’s easier than ever now, to feel out of alignment in one or more of those areas.  Getting caught up in our heads and trying to figure out what balance truly looks like can be exhausting. There’s no one set rule for any person, relationships or family. Therefore, trying to achieve an idealised version of balance is not the best way of going about it. It’s great to aspire to have a balanced life, after all, that means nourishing your life in every area so that you feel fulfilled and happy. However, what balance looks like to someone else, may not look like that to you. That’s why it’s so important to get out of your head, put down those self-help books and start figuring out what balance means to you! Listen to this episode to find out tips on how you can find more balance in your own life.

Everything in life is bio-individual.  It’s probably one of my ‘most used’ words in my vocabulary and I’m pretty sure I say it at least once every single day. What I mean when I say bio-individual is that everyone is totally unique from their personality, to their physical appearance, to their chemical structure of their DNA and cells. No two people are exactly alike – so how can we expect their experiences of this earth to be similar? Happiness is no exception – happiness is bio-individual too. Happiness is a goal that so many of us aim for. I’ve talked about happiness before and how it’s not necessarily a goal to aspire for, but a journey to embrace and enjoy. Even changing your mind-set and your thinking on this topic however, is not enough. You have to know what happiness means to you!

Have you ever experienced any form of negative thinking? Have you ever let your self-talk take over and tell you that you’re just not good enough? Have you ever found that your limiting beliefs are holding you back from experiencing true fulfilment in life? At some point or another we have all experience negative self-talk or negative thinking. It’s not unheard of, it’s not uncommon and I’m willing to bet that every single person you know has gone down that road at some point or another.  When it comes to negative thinking, I have been there, done that, bought the t-shirt AND all the accessories to match. My inner mean girl was for sure ruling the roost. She would knock me down, discourage me and bully me at every opportunity she had until one day I put my foot down and said ‘enough is enough’. Maybe you’re at that stage now. Maybe you were a month ago or maybe it’s something you’re working your way towards.  It’s time to say good bye to your inner mean girl and put that negative thinking to bed. She needs to go on a prolonged holiday, far away from you where her only influence may be the odd phone call here or there that you can disconnect at any time.

Have you ever heard the saying: " It’s the little things that count "? It’s one of my favourite sayings and something that I refer back to so many times in my conversations with people. I have always been a believer in noticing the ‘small’ things and loving those little things that might otherwise go unnoticed. There are so many sayings that have been based around this. It’s even been abbreviated to – ‘it’s the little things’. These sayings exist because it is SO TRUE! It IS the little things. It IS those small things that add up to become something incredibly wonderful. There are so many mistakes that I see people make when they first begin their search for happiness and I guess it’s first and foremost because I made all of those mistakes too. But one of the biggest ones is that people feel that in order to be happy, that means that they have to be outrageously happy ALL of the time. Another mistake I see is that when searching for happiness, people often seek BIG events. People work towards achieving BIG goals or major happenings because they believe that these ‘big’ things are what will make them happy. In this episode I talk about my journey of happiness and how you can heal your relationship with the word 'happy' so that you can embrace every 'little' moment of wonder in your life.

I’m sure you have heard of the dreaded ‘burn out’ in one way or another. Maybe it’s something you’ve experienced yourself, something you have seen a close one go through or maybe it’s just something that pops up every now and again on your social media feed. Regardless of how you have come across it, burn out does exist and it’s becoming increasingly more common. In this episode I talk about all things 'burn out'. I cover: * What exactly a 'burn out' is * Why it's increasingly more common now a days * My top 3 steps to preventing and recovering from a burn out