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Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
The Complete Guide to Gut Health at Christmas
Christmas is a time for connection, celebration - and for many women, quiet anxiety about food, alcohol and “undoing all their hard work”.
In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, Lisa is joined by Ellie Bradshaw, Nurse Consultant in Gut Function and founder of The Functional Gut Clinic, for a refreshingly honest conversation about gut health at Christmas - and the one thing you won’t hear on most other podcasts.
Ellie shares why a few days of indulgence won’t damage your gut, how stress impacts the gut-brain axis far more than festive food, and why letting go of rigid rules may actually be the healthiest choice you can make this Christmas. Rather than restriction or perfection, this episode focuses on realism, compassion and understanding how your gut actually works.
From bloating and indigestion to alcohol, movement and January resets, this is practical, evidence-informed advice grounded in real life - not Instagram wellness culture.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why Christmas eating isn’t the gut disaster you’ve been led to believe
- The powerful connection between stress, the brain and gut symptoms
- Alcohol, bloating and what genuinely helps (and what doesn’t)
- Why enjoyment and social connection matter for gut health
- How to return to balance in January without punishment or guilt
If you’ve ever felt pressure to be “good” over Christmas - this conversation offers a calmer, kinder alternative.
🎄✨If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Real Women’s Stories for more honest conversations that challenge the narratives women are so often expected to live by.
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