The Health Review

Most of us are incredibly busy, but busyness and productivity are not the same thing...and somewhere in the hampster wheel of accumulating more, achieving more and doing more, a lot of us have lost the thread back to ourselves.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Simon Alexander Ong — life coach, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Energize, published by Penguin and winner of the Business Book Award for Wellness and Wellbeing. Simon's own journey began in the corporate world — until burnout forced him to stop and ask some very different questions about how he was actually living. What he discovered on the other side became the foundation for one of the most compelling frameworks for human performance and personal fulfilment I've come across.This is a conversation about slowing down enough to know yourself, about the difference between a life lived on autopilot and one lived with real intention, and about what it takes to stop watching your life from the shadows, and as Simon puts it, step into it as its 'main character'.We cover:The four dimensions of energy — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual — and how to tap into each of them more deliberatelyWhy being busy has become a status symbol — and why it's one of the most expensive mistakes we makeThe fear of other people's opinions and how it keeps high achievers stuck in lives they didn't consciously chooseThe alter ego technique — how figures like Kobe Bryant and Beyonce used a separate persona to access courage and boldness without self-doubtWhat it means to become the main character of your own life — and the practical steps to actually do itSpiritual practices that work — gratitude, solitude, and the power of spending real time with yourselfHow to get clear on your values, your purpose and what you actually want — and then do something about itAbout Simon Alexander Ong:Simon Alexander Ong is a life coach, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Energize, published by Penguin Random House and winner of the Business Book Award for Wellness and Wellbeing. He works with leaders, entrepreneurs and organisations to help them unlock their full potential through the intelligent management of energy rather than time.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: life design | purpose | spiritual energy | four types of energy | energize Simon Alexander Ong | how to find your purpose | becoming the main character | alter ego technique | Kobe Bryant Black Mamba | fear of judgment | high performance | burnout recovery | personal growth | self awareness | productivity vs busyness | slow down | know yourself | life coaching | human potential | energy management | living with intention | autopilot living | fulfillmentFollow Simon: https://www.instagram.com/simonalexanderoFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.reviewSign up to The Health Review newsletter: https://thehealthreview.beehiiv.com/

Under extreme stress, the human body prioritises survival over logical thinking. Pilots have been known to shut down the wrong engine during a fire — not because they're incompetent, but because their nervous system took over before their rational mind could catch up. Sound familiar?In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Michael Faulkner — CEO of NKD, one of the UK's leading corporate transformation businesses, co-founder of Moxie and someone who has spent 20 years at the intersection of human performance, behavioural science and leadership development. What makes Michael's perspective genuinely unique is where it all began — early in his career he worked with pilots, studying how human beings perform under conditions of extreme stress. What he learned there about the nervous system, decision-making and pressure has shaped everything he's done since — and it applies to every single one of us.Because the same thing that happens to a pilot in the cockpit happens to you in the boardroom, in a difficult conversation, in a moment of overwhelm. Your body sends signals that it isn't safe. And everything changes.We cover:What working with pilots taught Michael about human performance under extreme stress — and why it applies to all of usWhy under pressure the body prioritises safety over logic — and what that means for the decisions we makeHow to send your body signals that it's safe — practical tools for anyone in high pressure environmentsThe power of great coaching — why the right questions at the right moment can change everythingWhat makes a truly great coach — and why so many coaching relationships fall shortConscious control — how to get honest about how you're feeling and reclaim your choicesLife design versus autopilot — why so many people are living a life they never consciously choseThe Moxie system — what it means to design a life that feels as good as it looksWhy taking personal accountability is the beginning of every real transformationThis episode is for you if:You're high-functioning but running on empty. You feel like you're reacting to life rather than designing it. Or you're curious about what great coaching, human performance science and life design actually look like in practice.About Michael Faulkner:Michael Faulkner is CEO of NKD, one of the UK's leading corporate transformation and leadership development businesses, and co-founder of Moxie — a science and soul-based life design system for high performers. He has spent 20 years working at the intersection of human performance, behavioural science and organisational transformation, working with some of the world's most recognised global brands.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: life design | human performance | stress response | nervous system | corporate burnout | high performance coaching | executive coaching | life coaching | autopilot living | conscious living | NKD | Moxie life design | pilot stress training | pressure performance | behavioural science | personal accountability | leadership development | burnout recovery | how to design your life | coaching questions | performance under pressure | fight or flight responseMichael Falkner: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-james-faulkner-2912b539Moxie: https://www.mymoxie.co.uk/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/Sign up to The Health Review newsletter: https://thehealthreview.beehiiv.com/

96% of UK adults don't meet the recommended daily fibre intake. Folate deficiency is widespread. And millions of people are taking GLP-1 medications without any nutritional support. We have more information about food than ever before — and yet most of us are not living optimally. In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Federica Amati — medical scientist, registered public health nutritionist, head nutritionist at ZOE, researcher at King's College London and author of Every Body Should Know This and the forthcoming The Appetite Reset, publishing June 2026. Federica has spent her career asking one of the most important questions in medicine — what does the right food, at the right time, actually do to a human body across an entire lifetime? ZOE recently filmed a documentary following a group of people who transformed their health by changing their diet over just six weeks. The results were remarkable — and Federica talks us through what actually happens and why the body responds so quickly when you give it what it needs.We cover:Why nutrition is ultimately an act of self love — and what that reframe changesThe ZOE six week documentary — how fast people actually feel better when they change their dietSchool meals and the drive to improve children's nutrition in the UKUltra processed foods in depth — why the NOVA classification system isn't working for consumers and what ZOE is doing differentlyThe first 1000 days of life — why what happens from conception to age two shapes health for decadesMaternal nutrition during pregnancy — what matters most and how early it startsThe father's nutritional status before conception — and why this conversation almost never happensWhy 96% of UK adults don't meet fibre targets — and what that's actually doing to our healthFolate deficiency across the UK population — who's most at risk and why it matters beyond pregnancyGLP-1 medications and The Appetite Reset — why nutritional support alongside these drugs is not optionalWhat Federica's new book covers and why she felt it needed to be written nowThis episode is for you if:You want to understand what food is actually doing in your body beyond calories and macros. You're pregnant, thinking about pregnancy, or you're on a GLP-1 medication and want to understand what your body actually needs right now.About Dr Federica Amati:Dr Federica Amati PhD, MPH, MSc, RNutr is a medical scientist and registered public health nutritionist with over 15 years of research experience. She is head nutritionist at ZOE, a researcher at King's College London and the author of Every Body Should Know This and the forthcoming The Appetite Reset (June 2026).This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.A huge thank you to our sponsors Vilgain, whose whole philosophy around clean, real food felt like a perfect fit for this conversation. Head to vilgain.co.uk and use code HEALTHREVIEW for 10% off your order.Pre-order Dr Federica's new book here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/482823/the-appetite-reset-by-amati-dr-federica/9780241833209Topics: nutrition UK | ultra processed foods | UPF NOVA system | ZOE nutrition | first 1000 days | pregnancy nutrition | maternal nutrition | paternal nutrition before conception | fibre intake UK | folate deficiency UK | GLP-1 nutrition | Ozempic diet | appetite reset | Federica Amati | nutrient deficiency UK | school meals UK | gut health | diet transformation | nutrition self love | how to eat well | ZOE documentary | Every Body Should Know This | The Appetite ResetFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/

Most of us spend years trying to improve ourselves. But what if the problem was never who you are — it was the wounds you've been carrying without even knowing it?In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Soulla Demetriou — author of You Have Always Been Enough, trauma-informed somatic and transformational coach, and founder of Soulshine Retreats. Soulla's work blends Internal Family Systems, breathwork, nervous system regulation and embodiment practice to guide people through what she describes as depth-led inner work — and her book, published by HarperCollins, is one of the most compassionate and science-backed guides to healing from the inside out that I've come across.Soulla shares her own journey through anxiety, trauma and the long road back to herself — and what she found along the way that changed everything. This isn't a conversation about self-improvement. It's a conversation about self-compassion. And as Soulla shares, there is a profound difference.We cover:Soulla's personal story — from anxiety and trauma to healing and spiritualityWhat Internal Family Systems actually is — and why it changes the way we understand ourselvesThe inner child and the parts of us that are still waiting to be heardWhy somatic work reaches places that talking alone never canThe nervous system and what it means to finally feel safe in your own bodySpirituality, inner light and what it means to come home to yourselfThe difference between self-improvement and self-compassion — and why it mattersThis episode is for you if:You've spent years trying to fix yourself and still don't feel quite right. You're curious about IFS, somatic healing or inner child work but don't know where to start. Or you simply want to feel more at peace with who you are.About Soulla Demetriou:Soulla Demetriou is an author, trauma-informed somatic and transformational coach, embodiment facilitator and founder of Soulshine Retreats. Her work integrates Internal Family Systems, breathwork, nervous system regulation and somatic coaching to support deep, lasting change. Her book You Have Always Been Enough is published by HarperCollins.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: self-compassion | inner child healing | IFS Internal Family Systems | somatic healing | trauma healing | nervous system regulation | anxiety healing | spiritual healing | inner freedom | you have always been enough | Soulla Demetriou | limiting beliefs | people pleasing | burnout recovery | emotional healing | embodiment | breathwork | self love | healing from trauma | parts work | inner workSoulla's website & book: https://www.withsoulla.comhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Have-Always-Been-Enough/dp/0008403570Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.reviewInterested in receiving the coolest health and wellness news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://thehealthreview.beehiiv.com/

Most of us are walking around in a state of low-level overwhelm. Not in crisis.... just never quite fully off. Always runing slightly behind, slightly rushed, slightly on edge.If that sounds familiar — this conversation is for you.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Shaady Harrison — a British medical doctor trained at King's College London, who has worked across the NHS in general medicine, surgery, emergency medicine and general practice. She now works at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and modern life, advising founders, senior leaders and high-profile individuals on sustainable high performance. She is also the creator of Calm Down — a weekly newsletter read by people at Goldman Sachs, Google, the NHS, OpenAI and beyond.What makes Shaady's perspective so distinctive is that she's not a wellness coach selling you a morning routine. She's a doctor who has seen burnout up close and who is asking a much more fundamental question — why are so many of us struggling, and is the problem us or the world we've built?Her answer starts 30,000 years ago.We cover:Why our brains haven't changed since the Stone Age — and what that means for how we live todayThe nervous system as a dimmer switch — why modern life means we're never fully offHow high performers are often the furthest from how we're biologically designed to liveWhat genuine recovery looks like — and why small moments of rest alone isn't enoughThe small changes that actually move the needle on nervous system regulationThis episode is for you if:You're juggling many things and are feeling exhausted. You can't quite remember the last time you felt truly switched off. Or you're simply curious about why the modern world feels harder to navigate than it should.About Dr Shaady Harrison:Dr Shaady Harrison is a British medical doctor, writer and private advisor specialising in the brain-body connection. She is the creator of Calm Down, a weekly newsletter exploring the neuroscience of calm in a world designed for overwhelm. She works with founders, senior leaders and high-profile individuals to craft the conditions for long-term excellence.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own doctor before making changes to your health.Topics: nervous system regulation | burnout | chronic stress | NHS burnout | neuroscience | calm | overwhelm | digital overload | why we can't switch off | parasympathetic nervous system | high performance | stress response | ancient brain modern world | evolutionary mismatch | polyvagal theory | nervous system reset | cortisol | fight or flight | rest and recovery | mental health | brain health 2026Dr Shaady's website:https://shaadyharrison.com/Subscribe to The Health Review Newseltter: https://thehealthreview.beehiiv.comFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review

GLP-1 medications. Ultra-processed foods. A nation that's eating more but nourishing itself less. Rob Hobson has spent over 20 years in nutrition — and in this conversation, we're not holding back.In this episode of The Health Review, I sit down with Rob Hobson — registered nutritionist, sports nutritionist, founder of RH Nutrition and author of Unprocess Your Life and Unprocess Your Family Life. Rob is one of the UK's most trusted voices in nutrition, known for cutting through the noise and translating complex science into advice that actually works in real life.This is a conversation about where we are with food in the UK right now — and what it's genuinely going to take to change things.We cover:GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro — what happens to your nutritional status on these drugs, why hair loss and deficiencies are being missed, and what good nutritional support actually looks like alongside themUltra-processed foods — the scale of the problem in the UK, why children and teenagers are most at risk, and the grey areas nobody talks aboutThe foods that sit in the middle ground — baked beans, hummus, cooking sauces — and why "ultra-processed" isn't always as black and white as it soundsWhy nutrition education in this country is failing — starting with medical professionals — and what Rob would changeThe case for health hubs and youth clubs as a genuine route to changing how the next generation relates to foodThis episode is for you if:You're curious about GLP-1 medications and what they mean for nutrition, you're trying to navigate the UPF conversation without the fear, or you simply want a grounded, evidence-based perspective from someone who's been doing this work for over two decades.About Rob Hobson:Rob Hobson is a registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENR) with over 20 years of experience. He is the founder of RH Nutrition and the author of multiple books including Unprocess Your Life and Unprocess Your Family Life. He is the resident nutritionist on This Morning and has been featured in The Guardian, Women's Fitness and The Telegraph.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Rob's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/robhobsonnutritionist/Rob's website: https://robhobson.co.uk/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/Topics: GLP-1 medications | Ozempic | Wegovy | Mounjaro | ultra-processed foods | UPFs | nutrition on GLP-1s | hair loss Ozempic | nutrient deficiency | Rob Hobson nutritionist | UK diet | processed food | baked beans UPF | nutrition education | children's diet | gut health | weight loss medication nutrition | unprocess your life | registered nutritionist UK | healthy eating UK

Methylation. Leaky gut. MTHFR. Biological age. Functional testing. Peptides.These words are everywhere in health and wellness right now — but what do they actually mean, who are they relevant for, and how should they be approached?In this episode of The Health Review, I sit down with Dr Jean-Marc Sobczyk from HOOKE clinic in London— a physician dual-trained in both conventional and naturopathic medicine, with deep expertise in advanced functional testing, methylation and root-cause health. He's at the cutting edge of methylation science and runs a dedicated platform on the MTHFR gene and its implications for health.This is one of the most clinically rich conversations I've had on the podcast — and one that I think will genuinely change how you think about your own health.We cover:What methylation actually is — and why it underpins energy, detox, hormone balance, mood and longevityThe B vitamins that support the methylation cycle and how to use them intelligentlyMTHFR, COMT and other gene variants — what they mean in practice and how common they areHow poor methylation shows up clinically: anxiety, burnout, hormonal issues, fatigue, low resilienceMethylation and women's health — PMS, fertility, pregnancy prep, perimenopauseThe gut-methylation connection: why liver function and gut health are inseparable from how well you methylateLeaky gut and reactive gut — how to identify it, calm it and repair itProbiotics: when they help and when they don'tBiological age testing, peptides and longevity medicine — what's worth it and what's noiseThe foundational things to focus on before spending money on complex testingThis episode is for you if:You've been told your bloods are normal but you still don't feel well. You struggle with fatigue, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, gut issues or brain fog — and you want to understand what might actually be driving it.About Dr Jean-Marc Sobczyk:Dr Jean-Marc Sobczyk is a physician dual-trained in conventional and naturopathic medicine. He practises at HOOKE, a longevity and preventative medicine clinic, where he uses advanced functional testing alongside natural and integrative therapies to address root-cause health. He has a specialist focus on methylation and the MTHFR gene.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: methylation | MTHFR gene | COMT | functional medicine | leaky gut | gut health | probiotics | biological age | peptides | longevity medicine | B vitamins | hormone balance | oestrogen detox | dopamine | neurotransmitters | personalised medicine | preventative health | anxiety and nutrition | women's hormones | perimenopause nutrition | fatigue root cause | naturopathic medicineDr Jean-Marc Sobczyk: https://www.instagram.com/mthfr_expert/HOOKE: https://www.hooke.london/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/

Longevity medicine, mitochondrial health, methylation testing, peptides, hormones, gut health — but why do so many people doing "all the right things" still feel flat, foggy, and far from themselves?In this episode of The Health Review, I sit down with Dr Ash Kapoor (MRCGP), founder of Levitas Clinic and a longevity and human optimisation physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. This isn't a biohacking checklist — it's a deeper conversation about how the body actually works, why physiology and mental clarity are inseparable, and what most longevity conversations leave out entirely.We cover:Why mitochondrial health is the foundation most people overlookHormones, gut health and stress physiology — and where Dr Ash starts with patientsMethylation testing: genuinely useful or overcomplicating your health?Peptides and IV therapies: what the evidence shows and where caution is warrantedWhy you cannot think, meditate or mindset your way out of poor physiologyAncient wisdom, stillness and the intelligence of the bodyThe real order of longevity priorities — simplifiedThis episode is for you if:You've optimised your sleep, tracked your nutrition, tried the supplements — and still don't feel like yourself.About Dr Ash Kapoor:Dr Ash Kapoor MRCGP is a longevity and integrative medicine physician and founder of Levitas Clinic. He brings together 30+ years of conventional medical training with functional, preventive and ancient wisdom practices to help people optimise how they feel and age.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: longevity medicine | mitochondrial health | methylation | peptide therapy | IV therapy | hormones and energy | gut health | biohacking | human optimisation | integrative medicine | functional medicine | stress physiology | ancient wisdom | meditation and healthLevitas clinic: https://levitascliniclondon.com/Dr. Ash: https://www.instagram.com/drashkapoorFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review