Dare I say it, autumn is just around the corner which i am actually thrilled about. As much as i loveeee summer i really adore autumn, especially the very start of it. I love everything that comes with the change of this particular seasonal transition. The freshness of that welcomed back to school energy feels like the start of a brand new chapter is about to unfold. I actually feel like it’s a far more motivating and powerful version of the new year vibe that comes in January. Which, let’s face it feels slightly bleak in nature and pressuring to get it “right”, don’t you think?

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Morning gang!

So I started a series a few months ago on my instagram sharing foods to add to your weekly shop to support specific women’s health symptoms, conditions and complaints and its gone down so well that I thought it might be helpful to share some of the shopping lists here for you too (including links to exact brands / products I buy)

So, to kick things off today I’m sharing the foods I’d put in my trolley to support thyroid function as its something that consistently comes in in my clinical practice and at the root of many hormonal issues.

On a personal note, I healed my body of hypothyroidism so this is a topic I feel VERY strongly about! You’ll also notice below I’ve included the foods I’d be a little more careful with if you have Hashimoto’s or Graves disease, as again this comes up a hell of a lot.

Here’s what to add to your thyroid health shopping list:

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Morning, happy Sunday to you! I just love a Sunday. I see it as my weekly reset day, a chance to take stock, prep ahead of the new week and start afresh even more so as we come to the end of summer it feels very new beginnings sort of energy, don’t you think?

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Morning! I’ve been meaning to put this list together for you for ages, so here it is THE non-toxic fertility friendly kitchen list of swaps worth making. Just really simple stuff we can (and definitely should!) be making to protect our hormones from endocrine disrupting chemicals to support our fertility and future babies.

Hope you find this helpful xx

The Fertility Friendly Kitchen Check-List

Don’t wash plastic in the dishwasher and use non-tox tabs!

The high heat can cause plastic to break down and release hormone-disrupting chemicals and microplastics. Use non-tox dishwasher tablets (these ones actually work which is hard to come by when it comes to dishwasher tabs that’s for sure!)

Wash your fresh produce in bicarbonate before eating!

Soak fruit and veg in 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda per 1 litre of water for 10-15 minutes, then rinse well. This helps reduce pesticide residues and lower exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)

Store food / meal prep in glass containers instead of plastic Tupperware.

The longer food sits in plastic, the more opportunity there is for chemicals to migrate into your food. And please don’t heat food in plastic Tupperware

Heat can significantly increase chemical migration especially with fatty or acidic foods. Glass is such an easy swap!

Ditch plastic chopping boards

Every knife cut can release tiny microplastics from plastic boards into your food. Choose wood or a microplastic-free, food-safe board instead (the one linked below and in the image above is made from natural minerals and is non-porous making it an ideal choice)

Store nuts, seeds & granola in airtight glass containers instead of plastic

Keep seeds (including seed cycling seeds) in the fridge to protect their natural oils and keep them fresh as they can go rancid and lose nutrients when exposed to heat, light and air.

Swap conventional laundry detergents / fabric softeners

Choose natural, fragrance-free laundry detergents to reduce unnecessary exposure to synthetic fragrances and other harsh ingredients- your clothes (and skin) don’t need them!

Cook with plastic-free utensils

Swap plastic spatulas and utensils for wooden / stainless steel / plastic-free silicone alternatives to help reduce microplastics in your food when cooking as the utensils are exposed to high heat and therefore plastics can leach into your food

Choose PFAS-free cookware

Some non-stick cookware contains PFAS (aka forever chemicals), which have been linked to hormone disruption. Choosing PFAS-free cookware helps minimise the potential for these chemicals to transfer into food during cooking.

Stop drinking tap water!

We should be drinking around 2 litres of water every day, so the quality of your REALLY water matters especially when it comes to fertility and hormone balance.

Filtering your water reducing contaminants such as chlorine, PFAS, heavy metals, fluoride and trace pharmaceutical residues (even the oral contraceptive pill!!) making filtered water one of the simplest daily swaps to support your hormonal health.

Fertility Friendly Shopping List

1. Chopping boards - (or this one is also lovely if you prefer wood)

2. Washing detergent strips

3. Fabric softener

4. Washing up liquid

5. Antibacterial surface spray

6. Pans (no coating)

7. Dishwasher tabs (that actually work, I’ve tried them ALL)

8. Water filter system (under sink)

9. Water purifier glass jug (if under the sink is not an option)

10. Airtight glass food container set (NOURISH10 for 10% off)

11. Room spray

12. Wooden utensils

13. Personalised glass seed cycling / seed / dry ingredient jars (GLOW20 for 20% off)

What’s On The Menu This Week

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I’ve tried all my usual tactics including breathwork, taking my herbal tinctures (which usually does help), but not tonight. My brain is too fired-up, too in the tomorrow to be in the now of deep sleep mode. Too focused on the “what if” and “what next” and shifting from one open tab to the next 65 that seem to be constantly open in my brain! Can you relate?

This is the 4th bout of insomnia I’ve experienced this year (more specifically, over the last few months due to what I’ve been going through recently,more on this later) and it’s honestly one of the most frustrating things in the world. Being absolutely exhausted but literally not being able to fall asleep for love nor money.

It almost feels like learnt behaviour at this point, like my brain has somehow been tricked into thinking that getting into bed is its cue to switch ON rather than off.

And you know those things in life that you can sympathise with, but you don’t really understand until you’ve experienced them yourself? Insomnia is one of those things. If you’re reading this and you suffer with it, I really feel for you.

Anyway, I’m sharing this (and all the things I do) because I think it’s easy to assume that “experts” in the wellness space have it all figured out and can expert themselves out of things like insomnia or fertility struggles. That we live these perfectly glossy, problem-free lives where we practice literally everything we preach and maybe a mug of morning broth magically makes everything OK. Spoiler, it does not.

You know that in-between space of being wildly inspired (I’m in my autumn reset planning mode, so this is very typical of what tends to happen when I’m in the pre-launch phase) but also trying to keep my feet on the ground and my nervous system calm. I find this to be quite the consistent battle!

You’d think I would’ve lost that excited spark by now as I approach my 6th Reset because I know the drill, but I actually feel MORE inspired, more lit up and more focused on creating an unforgettable week for my community. Is this what growth feels like when you’re right in the middle of it? When you’re so fired up by something that it actually starts getting in the way of all the health and wellness things you’re preaching for everyone else to do?

Sleep is at the centre of good health, after all. I need these night musings not to become a habit, that’s for sure!!

I have an early start tomorrow too, need to be on the tube at 7:30am, luckily my lovely husband is driving me to the station and has promised a Gail’s on route to get me a matcha for the journey (this should be husband criteria). It will temporarily take the edge off the tiredness I’ll feel and allow me to continue my autumn reset handbook writing or editing the endless recipe content, or writing the captions and Substacks I have in my drafts. See always switching from one tab to the next! Even though this might sound a bit stressful it’s actually not to me.

I feel lucky for the many tabs and the endless to-do list because getting to do my dream job helping women feel good and sane and balanced is something I’ll never take for granted. A job that feels like a hobby because I literally live and breathe it, so the lines between what’s work and what’s life are constantly blurred!! A job that actually pays my bills AND enables me to live my dream life. I mean, what a privilege?

I hit over 100K followers on my instagram page last week, a milestone! I’ve never been a numbers girl I sometimes wish I was more a numbers girl. Maybe sometimes this holds me back. Maybe it wouldn’t have taken me a decade to get to this milestone if I had! But, also what does the actual number matter? It’s the meaning behind the number for me that means something - it means that I have a community of women who have chosen to be in my little corner of the Wild West that’s the internet and that I get to share all of the things I’ve learnt, constantly learning and arguably most interesting - actually living through in real time.

Talking of living through stuff. And I’m only sharing this with you as you are in this for want of a better term “inner circle” (can you help me think of a better term?!) part of my Substack, it’s not something I’ve mentioned anywhere and not assuming people necessarily care I mean everyone is going through stuff right-  it’s part of life- but we have been going through something big (life-changing big) over the last few months. Something that I’ve chosen to live through with James and be fully IN so that I can feel it and navigate it without external input, opinions or having to articulate things. Because articulating it is the hardest part. At times I haven’t been able to make sense of things my self let alone explain them to someone else. But anyway it’s been a tale of two halves for sure - in that way life often is?!

The best of times in the sense we’ve been away on some incredible trips as a family and, importantly as a couple too, but also it’s been mentally and physically taxing too. I know this sounds a bit cryptic I don’t mean it to, not my style. I’m the most open book you can get and it’s not in my nature to withdraw information, but I know you will get it and when it’s the right time I’ll write a Substack on it, when I find the words!

Anyway I should probably get off of this damaging blue light screen (I have it on amber mode if that helps) get some sleep and try to pretend james isn’t snoring next to me!! Does anyone else have this problem with their partner? What do we do about it? Tips welcome in the comments!

Thanks for reading my middle-of-the- night rambles.

Lots of love, Jess X

p.s the picture below is everything I intend on putting into my body when I get up!

What’s On The Menu This Week

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I love a natural remedy, I live for them! My very first interest in herbs and homeopathic medicine started when I was a kid, my Granny was into it big time and would present us with a tissue salt or herb for any ache, pain or problem any of us had. She practically lived in the ‘health shop’ as she would refer to it and get her weekly granola, arnica and potions from there. I so wish she could see how much I’ve fallen in love with the holistic life now, I think she would be so happy to see it.

My Granny really was onto something though, even if most people didn’t quite get it at the time. But some of THE most effective remedies have been used for centuries, long before modern medicine existed. They’re surprisingly simple, extremely cost effective and in some cases completely free!

Just a disclaimer before we get into some of my faves though, this isn’t about replacing medical treatment (potentially in some cases, but not all), it’s about understanding the foods, herbs and lifestyle practices that can very effectively support your body alongside it and being open to trusting nature, because as I always say it really does KNOW.

Here are 10 of my favourites to add to your natural remedy toolkit!

1. Breast tenderness before your period? Add 1–2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your breakfast (even better try Seed Cycling)

If your breasts become swollen, tender or lumpy in the week before your period, fluctuating oestrogen levels will be playing a role. Ground flaxseed are one of the richest dietary sources of lignans, which are natural plant compounds that interact with oestrogen metabolism (meaning how it’s broken down in your body). Rather than boosting or blocking hormones lignans give the body a helping hand to balance out oestrogen meaning less symptoms caused by increased oestrogen.

Flaxseed also provides fibre for your gut microbiome, which supports the excretion of used hormones through the digestive tract and will get your bowels moving. Plus flax is a great plant-based omega-3 source to help regulate inflammation in the body too. Remember to grind it down first though so that your digestive system can actually absorb it.

2. First trimester nausea? Sip freshly grated ginger tea.

Morning sickness affects around 70-80% of pregnancies and ginger has one of the strongest evidence bases of any natural remedy. Thats because ginger contains active compounds called gingerols and shogaols, which influence stomach emptying and the brain pathways involved in nausea.

Try this: Steep freshly grated ginger in hot water for 10 minutes and sip throughout the day, add slices to sparkling water if hot drinks aren’t appealing especially during the heatwave OR make a batch of THESE for ease and speed in the morning.

3. Feeling puffy? Dandelion tea is your new best friend!

If you wake-up feeling puffy, swollen or notice fluid retention before your period, dandelion leaf tea has long been used in traditional herbal medicine to support healthy fluid balances it really does make SUCH a noticeable difference.

Unlike many herbal diuretics, dandelion naturally contains potassium, which is lost when we excrete excess fluid.

Try this: One to two cups daily during the days you notice bloating or puffiness.

4. Bad breath? Chew fennel seeds after meals.

This simple habit has been used across the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East for generations!! Fennel contains aromatic essential oils with natural antimicrobial properties that help reduce odour-causing bacteria in the mouth while stimulating saliva production- your body’s natural defence against bad breath.

Try this: Chew half a teaspoon after meals instead of reaching for mints loaded with artificial sweeteners I know this might be a bit odd at first, but trust me it works!!

5. Painful periods? Magnesium glycinate.

Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle contraction and nervous system regulation. Low magnesium status may contribute to increased uterine muscle contractions and cramping.

Magnesium glycinate is generally well absorbed and gentle on the digestive system.

6. Hot flushes? Try sage tea.

Longggg before it became a wellness trend, sage was traditionally used to support women experiencing menopausal symptoms.

Also, the ritual of sitting down with a warm herbal tea helps reduce stress which itself can trigger hot flushes.

Try this: One-two cups daily, particularly during times when symptoms are more noticeable.

7. Can’t switch off at night? Combine a warm Epsom salt bath with a digital detox.

Sleep isn’t just about magnesium supps (although this can definitely help!). Better rest at night is about giving your nervous system the message that the day is over.

A warm bath naturally raises your body temperature before allowing it to cool afterwards- a signal that promotes sleepiness. Pairing this with an hour away from cortisol inducing blue bright screens helps protect melatonin production and reduces the constant mental stimulation many of us experience before bed.

Magnesium is well absorbed through the skin and the combination of warmth, relaxation and reduced screen exposure can make ALL the difference to sleep quality.

8. Dry skin? Eat oily fish twice a week.

Think of dry skin as needing an internal moisturiser and the best foods to provide this moisture are hands down oily fish!!

Salmon, sardines and mackerel provide EPA and DHA, long-chain omega-3 fats that help support the skin barrier, reduce inflammation and improve hydration.

While skincare has its place, no moisturiser can compensate for a diet lacking essential fatty acids.

Aim for two servings of oily fish each week, or speak to your practitioner about whether an omega-3 supplement is appropriate if you don’t eat fish.

9. Headaches? Don’t overlook mineral-rich hydration (not just water)

Not every headache is caused by dehydration and loads of people underestimate how much fluid AND minerals / electrolytes they lose through exercise, hot weather, illness or simply busy days where drinking water falls down the priority list.

Electrolytes like sodium and potassium help regulate fluid balance inside and outside your cells, but If you’re drinking litres of water without replacing these minerals too, hydration may still be suboptimal because hydration is more than just water its mineral replenishment too and these together can cause or worsen headaches. Adding quality sea salt like Maldon salt to your water can help, making a glass of my Homemade Electrolytes or adding THESE electrolytes to your water can help. (W-JESSSHAND20 for 20% off at checkout, aff link)

10.Constipated? Eat 1-2 kiwis with the skin on with your breakfast in the morning.

This is clinically proven to help encourage bowel regularity and get things moving due to the fact kiwis contain both soluable AND insoluable fibre. I know the idea of eating the skin might be a bit strange but slice it as thin as possible and eat it alongside your breakfast and you will soon get used to it.

11. Sluggish in the morning? Get your eyes into the natural sunlight as soon as you wake-up and make a commitment to go for a morning walk daily

Exposure to natural morning light helps regulate your circadian rhythm, suppresses melatonin production, stimulates serotonin (your energy and mood hormone) and supports a healthy cortisol awakening response- the natural rise in cortisol that helps you feel alert.

Adding gentle movement by walking increases blood flow to the brain and can improve focus, mood and energy for the rest of the day.

Ten to twenty minutes outside within the first hour of waking is one of the simplest habits I recommend for people struggling with sluggish mornings.

12. Anxiety? Try drinking lemon balm tea

Lemon balm works by supporting GABA one of the brain’s main calming neurotransmitters (known as the anti-anxiety neurotransmitter).

Steep a tea bag or 1–2 teaspoons of dried lemon balm in hot water for 5-10 mins. Can also drink it cold / room temp during summer and turn it into a lemon balm iced tea.

Hope this has been helpful!! Let me know in the comments below and I’ll share more of this sort of content. Have a lovely evening, Jess X

p.s The link to my homeopathy kit (photographed above) is HERE.

References:

• Ground flaxseed (lignans & oestrogen metabolism)

• Ginger (nausea in early pregnancy – Cochrane Review)

• Dandelion leaf (traditional use for fluid balance – European Medicines Agency)

• Fennel (traditional herbal use – European Medicines Agency)

• Magnesium (period pain – Cochrane Review)

• Sage (menopausal symptoms – NCCIH)

• Blue light & sleep (Harvard Medical School)

• Omega-3 & skin health (Review article)

• Hydration (British Dietetic Association)

• Circadian rhythm & morning light (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)

• Anxiety / lemon balm

I’ve just returned from a heavenly mini 3-day hiatus to Mallorca (details of where we stayed below) and now I’m back in full prep mode ready for a very busy family filled month ahead!

So with that in mind, this weeks gut-nourishing plant packed 7-day dinner meal plan is designed to make your evenings easier, tastier and healthier PLUS takes the task of thinking about what to cook off of your busy to-do list, because I know the summer holidays can be a LOT to juggle.

Hope you and your family love this week’s meal plan. Please let me know which recipes your little ones enjoyed the most. Sebby has personally eaten his way though and signed-off all of the below recipes, so you know it’s going to be a tasty week!

Written for busy mums, by your nutritionist and busy mum :)

What’s On The Menu This Week

If you see a * next to the meal idea you’ll find the full recipe written out below

Monday: Busy mum mega veggie orzo

*Tuesday: Speedy chicken curried rice

Wednesday: Glowing green hulk pasta (ideal for dino loving little ones especially ones you struggle to get goodness into!)

Thursday: Hidden veg “pizza sauce pasta’ (Sebby is obsessed with this- plus freezes well so make double ready to heat-up when you need a quick pasta sauce)

Friday: Homemade healthy herby burgers and paprika chips

*Saturday: Creamy chickpea & coconut curry (mine and James’s personal fave)

*Sunday: Rosemary lentil ragu

(all recipes are linked to the recipe reel over on my Instagram so you can see how to make it and cook along)

Enjoyed this free dinner meal plan sample this week? My paid subscribers receive this weekly every Sunday straight to their inbox, plus fully written-out step by step recipes, hormone health tips and so much more. Join The Nourish Notes inner circle by becoming a paid subscriber. Jess xx

Subscribe now

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Obviously, none of these stories alone will transform women’s healthcare overnight, but it’s definitely such a positive step in the right direction and something I want to celebrate and share with you.

Here are six stories that stood out to me this month:

1. Renewed women’s health strategy in England

The government has announced a renewed women’s health strategy, with a stronger focus on listening to women’s experiences and improving the way health concerns are first recognised and then treated

From what I hear from my clients the biggest barrier is usually either not being believed in the first place or their health concerns minimised or totally brushed off. This happened to me when I went to my GP with PMOS symptoms and concerns over my fertility and I was just told to lose some weight, keep trying and wait and see.

I see this across the board from debilitating period pain, perimenopause symptoms or worries over something not being quite right, women are constantly not taken seriously enough to get the proper treatment needed and get things moving. So If this strategy genuinely leads to earlier recognition, better education for healthcare professionals and improved access to specialist care, it could make a SUCH a difference. The challenge though as always will be turning the policy into actual change.

2. Bereavement leave after miscarriage has been extended and is now before 24 weeks

I personally couldn’t be happier about this one, the extension of bereavement leave to include pregnancy loss is now before 24 weeks. Before now miscarriage has been almost an invisible form of grief despite the fact it’s so common and sadly happens in 1 in 6 confirmed pregnancies. The fact that women are expected to return to work almost immediately, carrying both the physical and emotional impact in silence is just beyond me. I’m pleased this change acknowledges something that should never have needed explaining, that pregnancy loss is a bereavement, regardless of when it happens.

3. Ground-breaking changes in endometriosis testing for MUCH faster faster diagnosis

Ok this is by far one of the most exciting and needed developments in women’s health news!! The possibility of rapid saliva and gut microbiome tests becoming available on the NHS to help diagnose endometriosis will change women’s lives, especially considering women are waiting up to 10 years to be officially diagnosed. This doesn’t just shorten the journey to getting answers, it will reduce unnecessary suffering, improve quality of life and allow treatment to begin much sooner. These tests still need further evaluation but it’s promising for sure. Watch this space, I’ll keep you updated as things change just in case you miss anything.

4. A reminder that the gender gap in healthcare still exists

Alongside the positive news came an important reminder that there is still a long way to go.

A new global report highlighted that women continue to receive significantly less investment in health research and are diagnosed later than men across hundreds of medical conditions.

Historically women’s bodies have been TOTALLY ignored in research and many diseases have been studied through a male lens. We can’t close the gap without investing in understanding women’s health properly- a LOT needs to be done!

5. Finally, better menstrual health education in schools!!

The investment in improving menstrual health education in schools has really made me smile so much!! as it’s one I feel sooo passionately about and this change is massively overdue.

I have some personal plans of my own when it comes to educating young girls about not just period health but overall hormonal health. Other than the basic biology of periods, we were never taught just how hormones impact quite literally EVERY area of our mental and physical wellbeing and certainly how to look out for symptoms associated with common women’s health conditions such as endometriosis or PMOS, or when it’s time to seek medical advice.

Helping young people understand what’s normal and what isn’t could lead to earlier diagnosis and far better health outcomes in the future, this is something to celebrate.

6. A blood test that could reduce invasive investigations

Researchers have developed a promising AI-supported blood test that may help identify women who need further investigation for womb cancer. Anything that makes investigations less invasive, is a step forward.

If this is successful this could reduce the number of women undergoing unnecessary invasive procedures, while still ensuring those at higher risk receive prompt care. Better diagnostics aren’t just about improving accuracy, they’re also about improving women’s experience of healthcare too.

There’s still plenty of work to do, but these are exactly the kinds of changes that have the potential to improve healthcare for generations of women to come- progress is still progress.

I’ll continue to keep a close eye on the news and will share the latest updates happening in the world of women’s health, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading, Jess x

Happy Weekend Lovely People.

Here’s your weekly healthy meal plan and recipe schedule ahead of next week. I hope you found my first plan helpful with removing some of the decision fatigue out of what to make for lunch and dinners, especially with it being summer holidays we already have so much to think about and juggle so lets not food be another thing to add to our list!

I have a feeling you will love this weeks meal plan and recipes, I’ve included some of my absolute faves including my Marry Me Harissa Chicken- which James, my husband says is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made (he’s hard to please so this is a bold statement!).

As a reminder, here’s what you’ll be getting when you subscribe to my exclusive inner circle Substack as part of The Nourished Week meal plan series:

- A 7 day meal plan with links to recipe reels

- 3 fully written-out recipes

- Fave item in my food shop that week and why it will help your health

- A practical, real life nutrition tip to support your hormones

Again, thank you so much for subscribing and supporting, I can’t get over how many new faces joined when I launched this last week. I am very grateful to have you here!! Here’s your plan for the final week of July…

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THIS lymphatic drainage body tool. I roll my legs and tummy with it every night before my shower and before I dry body brush, feels so invigorating like I can actually feel stagnant energy dislodging in my body! If cellulite or heavy legs is a thing for you I highly rec this combo.

DIY manis on a Sunday night. I find it so therapeutic doing my own nails - especially now I’ve taught myself how to trim my cuticles properly without making them bleed (IYKYK). I love the end result, it makes me feel reset and ready for the week. I use and swear by this non-tox base coat, this nude and this top coat- I stopped having gel manis over 18months ago and this is the brand i’ve been using on repeat- my nails have never been stronger!!

If someone handed me this alcohol-free G&T at a party I would take a sip and hand it back (because I’m not drinking alcohol atm), its that good it tastes like a legit Gin! I like drinking it with Fever Tree tonic and infuse it with fresh rosemary from my veg patch and a big squeeze of lemon, because any excuse to get some anti-inflammatories in there!!

The book “Start With Yourself” by Emma Grede, I love how she thinks and how she writes I haven’t read this genre of book for a while and inhaled it.

These exact tomatoes, my gosh once you try these you will never go back to normal ones. I love turning them into a summer salsa by slicing them up, drizzling them in extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of Maldon sea salt and throwing in some juicy peaches in. Served alongside some roasted sea bass is my idea of summer dinner heaven.

I add these small-but-mighty super sprouts to as many meals as possible. They contain glucosinolates and other beneficial plant compounds that help support the body’s natural detox pathways which basically helps with the removal of toxins, calms inflammation and protects our cells (with promising research also suggesting anti-cancer properties). The best £1.50 I spend in my weekly food shop.

Growing and then going out to our veg patch in the garden to pick the veg we’re going to eat for dinner, nothing beats this! definition of wholesome.

I’m always testing out natural deodorants to find ones that actually work because sooo many do NOT. So far my faves are from here (only £5!) and a bit more luxe but more spenny, this one- but this new one I ordered is another one worth adding to your Amazon basket- I gave it the central line heatwave test and it worked! thats all we need to know.

This herbal tincture is helping me sleep soundly even in the heat! I can’t get over just how effective it is. I’m not surprised though as their morning version is equally as amazing!! I live for a herbal remedy.

All we need to know here is THIS is worth the hype. I resisted it for so long and then James came home with it to cheer me up after a hard week, it worked. Its brilliant and the mist function is everything.

Morning bone broth paired with ice rolling my face as soon as I wake-up standing bare foot on the grass in my garden is something my nervous system thanks me for daily. I’m going to be super consistent with this during the summer holidays to create a moment of calm amongst the happy chaos.

Perfume that smells gorgeous and doesn’t hurt my hormones? Hard to find but I found this newly launched one and I love.

Same goes for non-tox home fragrance too, I’m obsessed with this exact one and love the bottle too its nice enough to leave out on display.

My daily ‘wellness walk’ with my two sausage shaped besties.

The best pure raw coconut water there is. Once you try this one you will never go back. The spenny habit I’m not prepared to give up. I love to squeeze a whole lime in it with a pinch of Maldon sea salt it’s divine and soooo hydrating. Your adrenals will love you for it

Sheet masks kept in the fridge. Cooling, hydrating and the ultimate heatwave antidote. Obsessed

THIS loaded yogurt bowl with frozen grated peach stirred into the Greek yogurt, I jump out of bed to eat this in the morning!

Welcome to The Nourished Week, my new weekly series where I'm going to be sharing a 7 day weekly menu for you to use as inspiration on what to eat for lunches / dinners, 3 recipes I can’t stop cooking (fully written-out, not just links), my favourite item in my weekly food shop because if you didn’t already know every week I pick what I call a ‘special item’ either something seasonal, something newly launched or something I just feel like trying. It makes my weekly food feel more exciting so hopefully if you’re a foodie like me (which I’m guessing you are if you’re here) you will find this interesting.

This weekly food series is going to be accessible to my paid subscriber community, but this week to launch it I wanted to give you a little sneak peak taster so you can see what its all about and decide if its something you’d like access to.

When I started Substack last year I didn’t have any expectation of what it would turn into I just love writing and always have since I was a little girl. Substack has now become my favourite little corner on the internet, it feels real, raw and just really aligned. I love the community we have here and every single time one of you subscribes to my free content and especially to my paid insider content I smile the biggest smile, it means so much to have your support and know you read anything I put out into the world. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being here and being part of this and hopefully this new series becomes a weekly instalment that actually makes a difference to how you nourish yourself each week and helps take some of the decision fatigue out of what to cook you and your family!

Each week you’ll be getting:

- 7 day meal plan

- 3 written-out recipes (not just links to reels)

- Fave item in my food shop that week

- Nutrition tips to support your hormones

What’s On The Menu This Week

(If you see a * next to the meal idea you’ll find the full recipe written out below)

Monday: Honey & oregano grilled halloumi served with tztaki, quinoa, spinach & rocket

*Tuesday: Beef and black bean lettuce tacos with guacamole

Wednesday: Garlic and shallot pan-fried chicken served with pasta, fresh tomatoes and rocket

*Thursday: Magnesium super salad (leafy green lentil salad with chickpeas and pesto dressing)

Friday: Teriyaki salmon bowl with sticky rice and carrot slaw (similar recipe reel)

*Saturday: Prawn satay noodle stir fry

Sunday: Spring roast chicken with roasted rosemary potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and fennel

Three Recipes To Try This Week

Magnesium Super Salad with DF Pumpkin-Seed Pesto

THE RECIPE REEL.

• Ingredients for 2

• 1/3 cucumber

• 1 cup peas or edamame

• Handful of mixed greens (spinach, rocket, lettuce)

• 200g chickpeas (drained)

• 200g cooked quinoa

• Feta crumbled on top- optional

For the pumpkin seed pesto

60g basil
30g flat-leaf parsley
80g pumpkin seeds
1 large garlic clove
125ml extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon & 1tsp Lemon zest
Pinch sea salt and black pepper

The Method: Blend the pesto ingredients into a food processor. Chop vegetables, add to a bowl, drizzle with pesto, toss and dig in!

Beef and Black Bean Tacos

THE RECIPE REEL.

Ingredients for 3

• 300-400g beef mince

• 400g black beans

• 1 red onion

• 1 red pepper

• 2tsp ground cumin

• 4 grated garlic cloves

• 2tbsp tomato puree

• 1tbsp smoked paprika

• 1tsp mild chilli powder (or skip if serving for little ones)

• Splash of water (2tbsp)

• Generous pinch sea salt + pepper

• Lettuce leaves (OR serve in wraps if you prefer)

• 1 lime

Guacamole: 1 ripe avocado, 1/4 red onion or 1 spring onion, handful cherry tomatoes, juice of 1/2 lime, pinch sea salt

Serve with a dollop of natural or greek yogurt

The Method

1. Sauté finely chopped onion, pepper, grated garlic and tomato puree in a pan with a little oil on medium heat

2. Add mince meat, break it up and cook until browned

3. Season with ground cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder if using and sea salt and pepper

4. Add the (drained) black beans, a big squeeze of lime and cook for a few mins longer

5. Serve in lettuce wraps with the guacamole and some natural or greek yogurt and coriander leaves if you have!

Prawn Satay Stir-fry

THE RECIPE REEL.

Ingredients for 2

• 1 pack pre-chopped stir-fry vegetables

• 1 /2 cup edamame

• 140g pack prawns

• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

• X2 noodle nests

• Handful coriander

• 1tbsp extra virgin oil to fry

Top with: finely chopped spring onions, handful chopped cashews & coriander to garnish

Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce: 2.5 inches grated ginger, 4 tbsp tamari, 3 grated garlic cloves, 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter, Itsp maple syrup, 1tbsp toasted sesame oil, Itsp chinese rice vinegar, BIG squeeze lime, 3-4 tbsp water to loosen (or slightly more depending on consistency), pinch chilli flakes

The Method

1. Prep stir-fry sauce

2. Submerge 2 noodle nests in a bowl of boiling water and set to one side

3. Add frozen edamame to bowl of boiling water

4. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat

5. Add the pre-chopped stir-fry veggies and sauté- keep moving around pan don’t allow veg to burn

6. When veg are soft, drain the edamame and noodles and throw into the pan

7. Pour the peanut sauce in and combine

8. Fold the prawns into the veggie mix & keep moving until cooked

9. Top with spring onion, chopped cashews, a squeeze of lime and more coriander

Food Shop Pick Of The Week

These organic strawberry ice lollies because they’re not only delish, but have an impressive ingredients list and are much lower in sugar than most lollies on the market which is ideal considering my 6yo Sebby is having an ice lolly most days at the mo due to the heatwave. I’ll share our go-to ice lolly recipe next week.

Something To Help Your Hormones

FIRST and I mean the very first thing in the morning before you’re pulled into the chaos of the kids needing you and the day ends up running away with you, in the way it tends to do in the summer holidays! do this one thing and I promise it will change how you feel going into your day.

Wake up just 10 mins earlier than usual and ideally before your kids wake-up if possible to create some space in your day just for YOU. Make yourself a hot drink (Try THIS) take it outside to get the natural sunlight into your eyes (the sunlight helps serotonin production which helps with energy and mood) and with your bare feet just stand on the grass and drink at least half of it.

If you don’t have grass then sit on a comfy chair with windows open and flood the room with light. Take a few deep breaths and set ONE intention for the day ahead. So simple, so grounding and makes such a difference.

Hope you found this helpful, please let me know below and I’ll be back next Sunday for your second instalment of The Nourished Week!

Upgrade your subscription to receive it as well as all of my other juicy women’s health content by clicking on the link below.

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We’re good at this aren’t we? and by “this” I mean being grade A star problem solvers.

Hand us a problem and watch what happens, we’ll research it, organise it, find the workaround and fix it to the best of our ability. We’ve been doing it since we were kids, its basically in our DNA.

So when the problem becomes getting pregnant, of course we naturally go into that mode on auto without even thinking.

Whats it costing you?

There’s always something new to look into and try out, whether its something new thing to track, a study to read at midnight, a supplement your best friend’s neighbour swears got her pregnant after years of nothing. A reel you didn’t even go looking for that you now can’t un-see.

Read more

I work in wellness. I write about wellness. I spend my days helping women transform how they feel through their nutrition, daily habits and the way they treat their bodies. And yet lately, I can’t stop thinking about something that feels both blindingly obvious and slightly uncomfortable at the same time.

Somewhere along the way, wellness stopped being about feeling well.

The end of the “wellness girlie”?

The real goal, actually feeling genuinely GOOD to your core, in a wholesome, true and raw sense, has been replaced by optimisation. It’s become about the unrealistic 10 step routine, “non-negotiable” morning habits consisting of waking up at 5am to journal, meditate, exercise and gua sha and the expensive supplement stack that apparently works for everyone no matter their health state or goals.

The optimised version of ourselves that we’re all somehow supposed to be relentlessly striving towards at all costs. Has being in our “wellness girlie” era become an identity?! P.s I wish to never hear the word “wellness girlie” ever again!! I’m sorry but it makes me cringe.

And here’s the irony - whilst we’re supposedly healthier, more informed and more “well” than ever before, more women than ever seem to be exhausted, overwhelmed and completely disconnected from themselves, and with a battered bank balance in the process.

A wellness rebellion is coming

I get how we got here. The noise is RELENTLESS. Everywhere we turn there’s another polished influencer speaking with the confidence of a registered expert (sigh), another product, another protocol, another trend, another person telling us exactly what we should be doing. Take this supplement. Follow this routine. Track this metric and wear this ugly tracker (I’m sorry but the Apple Watch / Whoop is never going to have a place on my arm!). Avoid this food or your gut microbes will revolt, your skin will break out and - I wish I was exaggerating - but you’ll apparently end up infertile. I’ve seen and heard it all. It’s the absolute WILD WEST out there right now, and it’s genuinely no wonder so many women feel confused.

I think a wellness rebellion is coming. And honestly? Good.

We’ve stopped trusting ourselves

We assume somebody else has the answer. Somebody else knows better. Somebody else has figured out the magic formula that we’re somehow missing.

Of course there’s enormous value in education, expert guidance and learning from others - my career exists because of that belief. But I do wonder whether we’ve reached a point where we’re so busy looking outside of ourselves for answers that we’ve forgotten to pay attention to what our own bodies are actually trying to tell us.

Because whilst the wellness industry is busy selling us solutions, our bodies are communicating with us every single day. Through our energy, appetite, sleep, mood, cycles and our very real capacity to cope with life which we seem to be constantly overriding, like spending from a bank account with a maxed-out overdraft!

Learning to loosen the grip

The problem is that many of us are living with such a tight grip on everything that we’ve stopped hearing those messages. Not because we don’t care, but because we care so, so very much.

We care more than anything about our children, our partners, our work, our friends, how the house looks, all the invisible moving parts that keep life ticking along. We carry the mental load, the emotional load and the practical load - all at the same time - and over time, that constant holding-everything-together becomes our normal. Our baseline. Our default setting. Can you relate to this? I don’t know many women who don’t.

We become so accustomed to overriding hunger, tiredness, stress and overwhelm that we no longer even recognise we’re doing it. We keep pushing because there are dinners to make, lunches to prep, emails to answer, WhatsApps to respond to (this has become worse than social media?!), your kid’s special pen day to remember - maybe that’s just Sebby’s school? (Yes it’s worthy of a lol), washing to fold, people to care for and responsibilities that simply don’t pause because we’re running on empty.

And whilst so much of this comes from love, from need, from the reality of parenting and modern life and of course just part of a life we love- it undeniably comes at a cost when we get swept-up in the busyness of it all. And that cost is ourselves.

We cannot do it all, all at the same time

What strikes me most is the pressure women place on themselves to operate at full capacity in every area of life simultaneously. To excel at work. To be a present, engaged parent. A loving partner. An attentive friend who remembers every one of her kids’ birthdays (and quietly beats herself up when she forgets one). To maintain her health, her sleep score (I’ve actually stopped wearing my Oura ring and cancelled my membership which I was only wearing at night but realised where I’m at right now with my fertility journey I need less metrics to measure, not more!), keep her hormones balanced, stay on top of life admin, keep-up an exercise routine, eat well, keep the house running, go on the girls night out, the date night, and somehow remain calm, grateful and emotionally regulated throughout all of it.

Even writing that out, I feel exhausted!!!!

Because when you actually stop and look at it, it’s impossible. No human being can operate at 100% across every area of life all of the time. And yet so many of us expect exactly that from ourselves, and then wonder why we’re depleted.

Maybe we actually need less, not more?

Perhaps this is where wellness has gone most wrong.

Instead of helping us feel better, it’s become another arena in which we’re expected to perform. Another box to tick. Another standard to meet. Another way to feel like we’re falling short and seek a solution to a never ending list of problems.

But real wellbeing has never come from performance. It comes from regulation. And regulation isn’t found in a supplement, an expensive tracker or a morning routine that belongs to someone living a completely different life - perhaps someone with more time, more resource and possibly fewer dependants.

It comes from the way we live. From creating a life that holds enough space for rest, enough nourishment to support our bodies, enough boundaries to protect our energy and enough self-awareness to recognise what we actually need, in the season we’re currently living through.

Because the woman navigating broken sleep with a baby does not need the same routine as the woman who wakes naturally after eight uninterrupted hours. The woman moving through grief or caring for an unwell relative does not need the same expectations placed on her as the woman in a season of ease.

Health isn’t about forcing yourself into somebody else’s blueprint. It’s about understanding yourself well enough to know what support actually looks like for you.

The older I get, the more I believe that most of us don’t need another thing added to our already overflowing lives.

We need less. Less pressure, less comparison, less noise. Less trying to optimise every corner of our existence.

We need to loosen the grip. Not because we’re giving up, but because it’s only when we loosen the grip that we create enough space to hear ourselves again.

And perhaps that’s what the art of living well actually is. Not chasing the version of wellness that a multi-billion pound industry sold us. Not the performative kind that looks polished in a cleverly edited 30-second reel.

But building a life that actually fits the woman living it.

Hope you enjoyed reading through this mornings musings!! Have a lovely day doing something that makes you feel well. Love always, Jess X

P.S A few Q’s to leave you with before you go….

What in your life actually makes you feel genuinely well?

What in your life is not making you feel as well as it should be?

Taking a few mins to consider these might just be one of the most productive things you could do for your “wellness”.

I will never stop talking about the fact that our period blood is one of the most overlooked FREE health report signals available to us as women, yet most of us were never taught how to understand it. We spent years learning algebra at school (which I couldn’t do now if you paid me), but nobody taught us how to interpret the signs our own bodies were giving us every single month.

Instead, we’ve been conditioned to see periods as inconvenient, messy or something to simply “get through”. I used to think the same way, but now I see my cycle as one of the most valuable pieces of health information available to me each month.

The colour, texture, flow and timing of your monthly bleed can offer valuable insight into your hormones, iron status, inflammatory balance, stress load and overall cycle health. Think of it as your free monthly health report card, one that often tells us far more than any tracking device ever could.

Don’t get me wrong, I love data and there is certainly a place for tools that help us better understand our health, especially when it comes to blood and hormone testing which I use in my clinical practice. But I also think we’ve become so accustomed to outsourcing our wisdom to apps, trackers and wearable devices that we’ve forgotten our bodies have been communicating with us all along.

The goal is to learn how to listen to your body because, when we understand the signals it’s giving us, we can respond, adapt and support ourselves in a way no device ever truly can. I sometimes think we’ve become so busy tracking ourselves that we’ve forgotten how to actually listen to ourselves.

Today, I’m going to share some of the key things to look for when it comes to your period blood and hopefully give you a new lens through which to view your cycle, your hormones and the messages your body may be trying to communicate with you each month.

This certainly isn’t a new way of thinking. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (which I’m very proud to now be accredited in after passing my final exam a few weeks ago!), the menstrual cycle has long been viewed as an important window into a woman’s health, with menstrual blood offering clues about what is happening within the body.

Your cycle is one of the ways your body communicates with you. Your period (and very importantly whether or not you ovulate, a Substack coming soon) is essentially a monthly snapshot of what’s happening hormonally, metabolically and even emotionally beneath the surface.

What This Doesn’t Mean

This doesn’t mean obsessing over every cycle fluctuation or becoming hyper-vigilant about symptoms. It’s about learning how to recognise patterns and use them as useful feedback. Because when you understand your cycle, you understand your body more deeply, and that’s what we’re all here to do, right?

It’s also important to remember that no single cycle, symptom or change tells the whole story. The goal isn’t to jump to conclusions or self-diagnose based on one month. Instead, think of the information below as clues that may help you connect the dots between how you’re feeling and what’s happening inside your body over time.

Here’s what your period blood may be telling you, which you will also see over at HELLO! magazine online, I love that they featured my guide on this hopefully this means we can start making this sort of conversation mainstream!

PERIOD BLOOD GUIDE

BRIGHT RED BLOOD

This is generally considered a sign of healthy circulation, good uterine lining development and efficient shedding. In other words, this is the aim of the period game!

Supportive habits:

• Iron-rich foods such as red meat, lentils, sardines, cacao and tahini

• Omega-3 fats to support inflammatory balance

• Stable blood sugar through regular, balanced meals containing protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats

• Not skipping meals and eating enough

• Daily movement to support circulation

DARK RED OR BURGUNDY BLOOD

This can sometimes suggest slower circulation or blood sitting in the uterus for longer before shedding. I often see this in clients alongside chronic stress, poor sleep or a higher nervous system load.

Supportive habits:

• Magnesium-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, avocado and dark leafy greens (I’m sharing a brand new magnesium recipe on my instagram tomorrow, so keep an eye out)

• Adequate complete protein intake at every meal (roughly 1/4 plate)

• Consistent sleep

• Gentle movement such as walking, swimming or Pilates

BROWN BLOOD

Brown blood is usually older, oxidised blood and can be completely normal at the beginning or end of a period. However, if your bleed is predominantly brown throughout, it may suggest slower shedding or lower oestrogen levels, as oestrogen plays an important role in building the uterine lining.

Supportive habits:

• Eating enough (this one is KEY!)

• Including healthy fats daily

• Iron and B12-rich foods

• Nervous system regulation and stress support

PINK OR WATERY BLOOD

This is often associated with a lighter flow and may sometimes be seen alongside lower iron status or lower oestrogen levels.

Supportive habits:

• Protein at every meal

• Iron-rich foods alongside vitamin C to support absorption

• Prioritising sleep and recovery

• Avoiding excessive fasting or overtraining

GREYISH DISCHARGE

This should always be medically assessed as it may indicate an infection.

Other signs worth paying attention to:

Your period is about far more than blood colour alone. Heavy clotting, spotting before your bleed, severe PMS, painful cramps, very light periods and absent or irregular cycles can all offer clues about inflammation, stress, hormone balance and overall health.

Painful periods may be common, but they definitely NOT something we should simply be expected to tolerate.

Your cycle can also reflect:

• How well you’re recovering from stress

• Whether you’re under-fuelling

• Sleep quality

• Blood sugar stability

• Inflammatory load

• Nervous system resilience

The body is constantly communicating!! I know I’ve already made this point in the intro but I’m saying it again because its something worth shouting about. When I truly wrapped my head around this my health dramatically improved in every which way.

The GREAT news about knowing this info is that the menstrual cycle is incredibly responsive to positive changes. Small but consistent improvements in nutrition, sleep, stress management and lifestyle habits often show up relatively quickly within the cycle itself.

Your body adapts, your hormones respond and your cycle reflects that.

I believe every woman should be given the knowledge to understand the basics of her own menstrual health so she can better support her hormones, overall wellbeing and relationship with her body.

Because your period is not just a period. It’s a vital sign, and one we should never underestimate!

Gift your hormones a copy of The Hormone Balance Handbook to go more deeply into this topic and stick around for more ways to work with your body and feel well.

Love, Jess x

Nature doesn’t apologise for its seasons. It doesn’t push through winter pretending it’s spring. It doesn’t force blooms when the ground is frozen. Nature just knows, and it trusts. Do you know, trust and honour the season you’re in? Let me tell you why it matters.

On Sunday, 21st June we reach the Summer Solstice aka the longest day of the year, a moment that has been marked across cultures and civilisations for thousands of years. It’s a turning point in nature and a lovelyyy very much welcomed reminder that life moves in cycles, not straight lines. Yet so many of us are living completely out of sync with that truth, are you? I certainly was for longer than I care to admit and as soon as I started leaning into the season I was actually in, the better, easier and more joyful my life got.

I guess the point of writing this, is that just because it’s summer outside does absolutely NOT mean you have to be in full bloom. Let’s unpack it…

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If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen the week before your period wondering why you suddenly feel a LOT hungrier than usual, craving chocolate like it’s taking over every thought and questioning whether your body has forgotten everything you’ve taught it about healthy eating, this one is for you!

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It’s been three months since I started weekly strength training sessions with my PT and as I drove home afterwards, I found myself thinking about just how much has changed in that relatively short space of time.

The biggest thing I’ve learnt isn’t actually about lifting weights at all. It’s that I’m a lot stronger than I ever thought.

I’ve never really thought of myself as “strong”. That realisation feels significant because this has been a season of life where I’ve felt quite possibly the lowest and weakest I’ve ever felt. Back-to-back miscarriages have a way of taking it out of you physically, emotionally and mentally. Looking back now, I can see these sessions arrived at exactly the time I needed something to anchor me back into myself and help propel me forwards.

One of the things I’ve found most fascinating is how much strength starts in the mind before it reaches the body.

The moment I start doubting whether I can do another rep, or my thoughts drift off to something random as they tend to do (usually something critically important like whether I’ve remembered to add Brazil nuts to the Ocado shop), everything instantly feels harder.

Last week I lifted my heaviest weight yet and walked away feeling proud of myself. Not because of the number itself - truly, I couldn’t really care less about the numbers. I don’t even know what’s deemed “good”. All I know is what I can lift now compared to where I started, which feels great.

But it reminded me how often we place limits on ourselves long before we’ve actually reached them. And acknowledging that felt quite freeing.

Eat The Frog

As my manuscript deadline edges ever closer (and yes, I’m fully aware that every time I open Substack I should probably be adding to my book instead, but here we are), I’ve been reminding myself of a phrase I’ve been trying to live by lately- eat the frog.

If you’ve never come across it before, it means do the hard thing first. Don’t put it off. Don’t spend more time thinking about it than it would actually take to just do it.

I’ve been applying it to everything lately - from the chores I don’t want to do, to the work I’ve been putting off, and even the rep I don’t think I have in me.

Strength training has been a wonderful reminder of that. The set you don’t want to do is often the one that leaves you feeling strongest afterwards.

One of the things I’ve loved most about training with Ella is how she starts every session with, “How are you feeling today?”

It’s not just a fluffy conversation filler. She genuinely wants the answer because she wants to align my training with my cycle, my energy and where I’m at mentally.

On the weeks I’m feeling energised and capable, she pushes me further than I would ever push myself. On the weeks I’m in my luteal phase, on my period bleed or simply feeling a bit meh, she adapts the session and meets me where I’m at. To me, being the deeply intuitive girl I am, this has just been everything!!

There’s a huge difference between being challenged and being depleted. Movement should support the body and empower it, not punish it and its essential to adapt it to the reserves we have available.

Alongside my weekly strength sessions, I’ve still been doing Pilates and barre classes at home, which fit around real life so easily. I try to get up before Sebby and do a 20ish min workout before he wakes-up. I find if I don’t do it first thing then I don’t end up doing it at all!

This has been the magic formula for bringing myself back to feeling ME again they’ve helped me feel stronger, more capable and perhaps most importantly, more at home in my body again.

Anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss may understand what I mean when I say it can leave you feeling deeply disconnected from yourself.

Following my second miscarriage especially, there were moments where I looked in the mirror and simply didn’t recognise the person looking back. Going from pregnant, to not, to pregnant and then to not again and all of the changes that happen to your body in that process- unsurprisingly has an impact on your physical body.

Investing in this part of my health has helped me immensely. Yes, it’s exercise for my body, but it’s been therapy for my mind too which is why these sessions have made such a difference to me.

For one hour each week, my only job is to focus on myself, lean into my strength. To be present. To challenge myself. To remember that strength isn’t always loud or obvious.

Sometimes it’s showing up when you don’t particularly feel like it. Sometimes it’s asking for support. Sometimes it’s trusting your body again, and sometimes it’s discovering that you’re far stronger than you ever realised.

Stuff I’m Loving This Week

A Recipe I Can’t Get Enough Of: My Zaatar Hummus, gosh its just so perfect and creamy and the only hummus recipe you will ever need! don’t even think about skipping the ice-cube, its essential also Bold Beans are more spenny than regular beans but trust me are well worth it!

Quote of The Week: “Our kids won’t know the storms we weathered, only that the roof never leaked” I can’t unhear it!

Product of The Week: Sprouted Alfalfa (via Ocado) is the best £1.50 I’ve spent all week. It’s a tiny meal topper that delivers a LOT of goodness that supports liver detoxification, hormone balance and healthy skin thanks to its abundance of antioxidants, phytonutrients and minerals- one to add to your food shop this week!

P.s I want to be this woman in the attached image below. I want not to be rushing to school or cramming every last thing. I aspire NOT to be a woman who is always rushing, who’s with me? I might make it my mantra for the new school term in September- until then it’s back to eating the frog, hibernating at home and writing my manuscript.

PMS-Free Meal Plan?

I’ll be back next week with a meal plan for my paid subscribers. This meal plan is designed to eat in few weeks before your period and is going to help prevent those pesky PMS symptoms like uncontrollable sugar cravings, low mood and feeling 1/10 so I really hope you enjoy it and feel the benefits of it. I always LOVE your feedback on my meal plans and so glad you find them so helpful. I shall keep them coming!!

You can upgrade your subscription HERE if you want to join our inner circle and get all of the extra juicy bits, including my meal plans, personal updates and more ways to feel well.

Have a lovely Sunday. Love, Jess X

I’ve always been a big fan of bone broth. My first memories of it are of my Maltese Nan (yes, I’m very proudly half Maltese!) making it for us. Whilst I definitely didn’t appreciate it back then, I certainly do now, and it has become such a staple in my fertility protocol- one that feels both comforting and deeply nourishing.

My favourite time to make it is on a Sunday night. It’s a post-roast ritual that I genuinely enjoy taking my time over. I love knowing that every part of the roast has been maximised for zero waste and maximum nourishment, and I also love knowing that for the week ahead I have a cup of cosy liquid gold ready and waiting.

Bone broth is truly one of the most nourishing recipes you can make to support your hormone health and, as a naturopathic nutritionist, it’s one of the first foods I recommend to clients on their fertility journeys because it provides more than just nutrients- it supports the foundations of health that are important for reproductive wellbeing.

That’s because bone broth contains a powerhouse of nutrients, including collagen, amino acids, magnesium and phosphorus. It’s particularly rich in glycine, an amino acid that helps the body produce glutathione, one of its most important antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect our cells from oxidative stress, and supporting antioxidant status is an important part of optimising reproductive health and egg quality.

Beyond its role in supporting reproductive wellbeing, these nutrients can also help support gut health, skin elasticity, and healthy hair and nails.

But there’s another reason I love it. In traditional Chinese medicine, warm foods are believed to nourish the spleen, which is considered the body’s centre of digestion, nourishment and energy production. This is why many TCM practitioners, myself included, recommend starting the day with warm, cooked foods rather than cold smoothies, iced drinks or eating on the go.

Whether you’re actively trying to conceive, looking to support your hormones, your digestion, your skin or simply wanting a deeply nourishing addition to your routine, a warm mug of healing bone broth is a simple place to start.

Here’s my favourite homemade bone broth recipe, taken from my book, The Hormone Balance Handbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 roast chicken carcass

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 onions, roughly chopped

• 2 celery sticks, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1tbsp / handful fresh rosemary and/or thyme

Method:

1. Place the chicken carcass in a large pot and cover with filtered water.

2. Add the vegetables, garlic, seasoning, vinegar and herbs.

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for at least 3 hours.

4. Strain and remove the bones. I like to add any leftover chicken meat back into the broth.

5. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze in ice cube trays for easy use.