Healthily (Nicola Moore)

Why do some of us feel hungrier than others? Is fasting really the best approach for everyone? And how do our genes influence the way we process sugars and fats? In this fascinating episode of Healthily, I’m joined by Emma Beswick, CEO of Lifecode Gx, to explore the genetics of metabolism and what this means for how we eat and live. Emma shares the science behind nutrigenomics, explaining how our unique genetic blueprint affects hunger, energy regulation, and long-term health. Most importantly, we discuss practical, science-backed steps to support metabolism in a way that works for your body.

In this episode I chat to genetics expert Emma Beswick about how foods affect our genes and how, in return, genetic variations affect the way we react to nutrients in foods. We cover their influence on the day-to-day of who we are and how we function, including our hormones, brain chemistry and immune system. It’s a must for anyone who loves going that little bit deeper into things, and it’s a great way to showcase how stunning the human body is!
www.nicola-moore.com
www.lifecodegx.com

The festive season is here, and with it comes joy, celebration—and often stress about food and eating. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of holiday treats, social events, or the worry of “undoing” your hard work, this Christmas Special of Healthily is for you.

I’m Nicola Moore, a nutritionist with over 20 years of experience, and in this episode, I’m sharing simple strategies to help you navigate Christmas with confidence and balance.

✨ Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ How to enjoy your favorite festive foods without guilt.
✅ Practical tips to stop overeating and break free from the “all-or-nothing” mindset.
✅ How to maintain energy, avoid feeling sluggish, and step into 2025 feeling light and motivated.
✅ Why holiday eating doesn’t have to derail your metabolism, health goals, or emotional wellbeing.

As we close 2025, this episode is your guide to a stress-free, enjoyable holiday season that sets you up for a strong start to the New Year.

And if you’re ready to take things to the next level, don’t miss my 21-Day Metabolic Reset kicking off on January 6th. It’s the perfect way to recharge your metabolism, build a positive relationship with food, and start 2025 feeling energized, clear-headed, and in control.

👉 Learn more and sign up here

🎧 Tune in now to Healthily and let’s make this holiday season one to enjoy, not just survive!

Nicola's website: www.nicola-moore.com

Follow Nicola on Instagram @nicolamoorenutrition

In this episode I chat to my good friend and colleague Jackie McCusker about the troublesome - and persistent - layer of fat that often appears around the middle as us women transition through the menopause. We discuss the metabolic changes that lead to shifts in body composition, and importantly, what to do about it. We cover hormones, circadian rhythm, stress, the gut, food and more.
www.nicola-moore.com
www.nutrijack.com

In this episode I talk to Paula Werrett, who brings to the conversation her expert knowledge on the many reasons why we might develop reflux, what we should know about it, and how to tackle it. As with so many health issues, the underlying causes for reflux can be multi-faceted, which is why I was so keen to share this information with you all. Paula also covers the lesser known silent reflux, which is incredibly helpful to know about.

We cover stomach acid, but also chat about other, often overlooked, influences on upper digestive health including pepsin and bile. We discuss the impact of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (or SIBO), and Paula also shares useful information on how the gallbladder, the vagus nerve, hormones and stress influence symptoms. This episode is honestly packed with so much information!

Paula provides really useful, practical detail on the role that diet can play in the management of reflux, touching on dietary regimes such as the low FODMAP diet (including benefits and drawbacks), and foods to support good digestive health.

This is a must-listen for anyone interested in supporting optimal digestive health or looking for more information on how they can manage their symptoms of reflux better. 

Please do share with anyone who you think would benefit from listening, and if you find it helpful, please do give it a 5 star rating as this is so, so helpful for getting the podcast to a wider audience and helping more people. Thank you! 

Paula: www.thenutritionlink.co.uk

Nicola: www.nicola-moore.com

Instagram @nicolamoorenutrition

For obvious reasons, immunity has been a very hot topic this year, as we grapple our way through this global pandemic. However, It goes beyond what we are living through at the moment. Our immune systems hold the key to good physical and emotional health over the long-term; it’s essential to longevity.

In my conversation with the brilliant, kind, calm and ever pragmatic Dr Macciochi, we discuss how little things we do each day can build good immune 'fitness', which will ultimately serve us well if we do find ourselves faced with an infection or similar.

There is lots in the episode: Food, nutrients, stress, sleep and more. The aim in capturing this conversation was to share practical, positive and manageable steps that we can all work towards for overall good immune health.

www.nicola-moore.com

Happily, the peri-menopause and menopause is now big news, and there has been a real shift in attitude towards talking about, and supporting women though, this life stage. Over my 20 years or so working in the health and nutrition industry, I’ve seen a massive increase in interest in the menopause, and there are now many practitioners, from doctors, nutritionists, life coaches, and more, who are making it their business to work in this field.

I’ve always worked with a predominantly female client base, so supporting women as they transition through the peri-menopause and into menopause (and beyond) isn’t new to me. It’s for this reason I wanted to speak to Nicki Williams about this crucial time in a woman’s life, because I know so many people will enjoy taking a listen.

There is so much us women (and men!) need to understand about menopause, because it’s so much bigger than having hot flushes and becoming a bit forgetful. As I always say, knowledge is power, and this episode of Healthily is packed with education about the hormonal interplay that happens as we reach mid-life, and what we need to know to stay fit and healthy through the second half of our lives. 

In this episode I talk to Nicki about all things hormones, from oestrogen and progesterone through to thyroid and insulin. We also cover the subject of HRT, as Nicki has plenty to say on this.

At my clinic we offer testing support for women who are interested in understanding more about their hormone levels, and importantly hormone metabolites, so this is also covered in the episode.

It was great to be able to capture this conversation with Nicki, who has so much to say, and such a passion for helping women understand the options available to them. I hope you enjoy listening, and please do share with anyone who you feel would benefit from this episode. 

www.nicola-moore.com

www.happyhormonesforlife.com

There’s a lot of talk about HRT and menopause right now—some of it incredibly helpful, but some of it creating confusion and even pressure. For years, HRT was viewed with skepticism, but now the conversation has swung the other way, making many women feel like they should take it—or risk missing out on essential health benefits.

So, what’s the truth? Should every woman take HRT? And if you’re already on it, how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of it before increasing doses or adding extra hormones like testosterone?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Claire Phipps, a menopause specialist and holistic doctor, to have a calm, practical, and balanced discussion about HRT.

We cover:
 The real benefits of HRT—and when it might not be necessary
 Why menopause care should be about more than just medication
 How gut health, inflammation, weight management, and stress play a key role in midlife wellbeing
 Why one size fits all approaches don’t work—and what to consider instead

Whether you’re in perimenopause, postmenopause, or simply want to be informed for the future, this episode will help you cut through the noise and find an approach that works for you.

 If you're feeling unsure about your hormones and want clarity on what’s going on in your body, my Hormone Insights & Support Service can help. Get expert guidance tailored to you—no guesswork, no confusion.

 Find out more: www.nicola-moore.com

As we approach the end of the year it’s safe to say that many of us are taking stock on an extraordinary year and reflecting on what it’s meant for us. Looking after our mental health should always be a priority, but this year it feels to me to be even more pressing. In today’s conversation, I talk to psychotherapist Lee Pycroft about ways in which we can cultivate good mental health, because sometimes understanding a little more about what we need as humans to be emotionally healthy can have a profound impact on how we move through difficult times.

Lee’s story is fascinating, as she started her career as a high profile makeup artist working with A list celebrities, but after going through some mental health challenges, she started an initiative that used makeup and beauty therapies to help support the well-being of people in the vulnerable sectors. She’s since trained as a psychotherapist, and offers a diverse skill set that supports people to feel at their best inside and out. But I’ll leave it to Lee to share the full story on the wonderful work she’s doing in the podcast, as well as offering guidance and advice on simple measures we can take to look after our mental health.

Please share with anyone who you feel would benefit from listening to this episode, and do rate and review if you find it helpful in order to help this episode reach more people.

www.nicola-moore.com

This conversation with fellow nutritional therapist Tanya Borowski deals with the low level energy that so many of us walk around with. If you visit your doctor about fatigue it's likely their standard tests will come back showing everything looks fine, so what's going on? It's certainly not in your head, or something you should put up with. Tanya shares fascinating insights into what could be happening, and importantly, what you can do about it.

www.nicola-moore.com
www.tanyaborowski.com

In this conversation with fellow nutritional therapist Jeannette Hyde, we cover ways to embrace delicious food as a means to improving gut health. With its links to the brain, weight, skin and immunity, our guts are crucial to how we feel both physically and emotionally. We cover fermented foods, the role of fibre, and how colour can make all the difference to overall health. This episode really celebrates food. Prepare to leave feeling hungry!
www.jeannettehyde.com
www.nicola-moore.com

As we continue to navigate our lives through the ever-evolving situation of this global pandemic, one thing is for sure: For the vast majority of us, our daily lives have dramatically changed in a way that now seems set to stay for longer than we’d first imagined.  But have we had a chance to catch-up with ourselves on how this is playing out with daily routines, habits and rituals amongst all the upheaval? Do you think there has been a cost to you in some way with how you’re now eating, drinking and living as a result?

In conversation with my friend and colleague Jo Majithia, we unpick some of what we’re seeing as nutritional therapists in clinic these days, and discuss simple and pragmatic strategies that may help you get back on track in a positive way.

This episode is packed with great advice and aims to leave you empowered in a time of uncertainty. 

www.nicola-moore.com

What if the key to a thriving metabolism lies deep inside your cells? In this episode, I sit down with nutritional therapist Dawn Waldron, whose personal journey as a breast cancer survivor has led her to explore metabolism through the fascinating world of mitochondrial health. We dive into the real reasons why fasting, exercise, and gut health are so essential—not just for weight management, but for energy, longevity, and disease prevention. Plus, we explore emerging research, including the intriguing concept of reverse Krebs and its potential role in chronic health conditions. Whether you're a health enthusiast or a professional, this conversation will change how you think about metabolism and what it really means to fuel your body for lifelong health.

In my conversation with Ben Brown, author of The Digestive Health Solution, we cover some simple, and often overlooked, practical steps that can be taken to help overcome IBS and digestive health complaints. This episode is heavy on common sense and evidence, as we tackle food elimination diets, digestive support supplements and the gut microbiome.

In this episode I’m the one doing the talking, as talented journalist Gemma Evans asks me about my work. Given this is the first episode of 2021, and acknowledging the fact that many of us start a new year with aspirations for living a healthier, happier life, Gemma was keen to find out how I approach working with clients to help them make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle in a way that cements lasting change, rather than a short-term diet, detox or cleanse.

We cover cultural expectation, emotional eating, issues with dietary restriction, why our hormones and monthly cycle should factor into things, and most importantly, why we should forget perfection and find balance.

Thank you so much Gemma for suggesting we put this episode together. I am so grateful to you for giving your time to support me and the podcast.

Gemma has her own YouTube channel and podcast called healthhackers, the details for which are below, which I highly recommend checking out if you’re not already familiar with it.

www.nicola-moore.com

www.healthhackers.org

Fertility is understandably a hot topic, but I sometimes get a bit disheartened by the amount of fear mongering that’s put out on social media about all the terrible things we might unwittingly be doing or exposing ourselves to, that could affect our chances of conceiving. 

While I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power, there’s a happy balance that needs to be struck, and when it comes to a subject as emotive as getting pregnant, we must acknowledge how vulnerable someone who is desperate for a child might be.

It’s for this reason I wanted to capture a conversation with Sandra Greenbank that focussed more on the positives of what we can easily do to improve our chances of conceiving, because there are so many! 

What I admire about Sandra is the reason for her desire to help people have healthy babies. Following an impactful experience within her own family unit, Sandra saw first hand that without our health, we have nothing. It was this realisation that compelled her to focus on working in the field of fertility, in order to support families and help the health of future generations to come.

I hope this episode brings information, support, practical advice, joy and optimism to anyone who is interested in this important subject.

Thank you to Mother Root for sponsoring this episode. Their delicious alcohol free drink is perfect for anyone trying to conceive, or who’s currently pregnant. Use code HEALTHILY15 for a 15% discount before the end of September 2021.

There is so much noise these days about fasting. Whether it’s intermittent, time restricted, 5:2, fasting mimicking…. Isn’t it confusing?! Should we be fasting, and if so, what’s the ‘best’ way to do it? Does a ‘best’ way even exist? And if so, what are the benefits and what are the risks? Does more equal better when it comes to fasting? In this episode I speak to Jeannette Hyde, author of The 10 Hour Diet, about all things fasting.

We discuss Jeannette’s key findings from the wealth of research she did when writing her book, including how her own assumptions were challenged at times, and where the most up-to-date research is taking when it comes to the role of fasting in health and weight management. We look at some of the common myths that we might be forgiven for making when it comes to fasting, and how taking a sensible, balanced approach is the way forward. 

This episode is packed with useful, practical, calm and sensible advice, and I’m very grateful to Jeannette for being so generous with her time and knowledge. Thanks, as always, to Mother Root for sponsoring this episode. Enjoy! x

As a nutritional therapist, I find myself supporting clients with hypothyroidism on a regular basis, so I was really pleased when my friend and colleague Virginia Blake agreed to talk to me about this complex and often misunderstood condition.

Virginia is a really experienced practitioner and has so much useful information to share about supporting health in a realistic way when living with a chronic health condition. 

We cover the basics of the thyroid gland, how it functions, and its role in the body. 

We look at what can go wrong with the thyroid, the importance of thorough testing, and Virginia shines a light on some of the symptoms that can be linked to a thyroid disorder, that aren’t always recognised as such.

We also cover some of the lesser known considerations when it comes to  Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid gland.

This episode provides a frank, insightful and balanced approach to understanding and managing thyroid disorders, and I thank Virginia for sharing her views and opinions, which are very practical and often delivered with her trademark dry humour!

Thanks as always to Mother Root (www.motherroot.london) for sponsoring this episode too! Remember that you can order a bottle of their delicious Ginger Swtichel with a 15% discount using the code HEALTHILY15. This offer is available until the end of September 2021.

www.nicola-moore.com

In this episode I chat to Dr Venita Patel, an NHS community paediatrician and private practice nutritional therapist. She describes an approach to working with children that is calm, practical and kind to both children and those who love and care for them.

We cover maternal health, feeding babies and weaning before moving onto discussing the adolescent brain, eating behaviours, body image and more.

www.nicola-moore.com
Instagram @nicolamoorenutrition

It was an utter joy speaking to the inspirational chef Hannah Thomas from cafe Herbs & Wild for this week’s episode of Healthily. I’m always energised by meeting women who have the passion, energy and confidence to follow their dreams, not to mention the skill, intellect and work ethic that’s needed to make these dreams become a reality. Hats off to Hannah for the successful opening of her cafe this year of all years! 2020 has been pretty dire for so many in the hospitality industry, but there are some small beacons of hope out there, and Hannah’s story is one of them.

Hannah is a talented chef, forager, fermenter and all round foodie hero of mine, so I was delighted to speak to her to learn more about making fermented foods at home. The chemistry of fermenting is so interesting, and the health benefits that come from eating ‘live’ food and drink is well understood.

We were also able to weave some festive cheer into our conversation too, seeing as we’re so close to Christmas! Hannah shares some lovely ideas for brining a creative and tasty spin to your Christmas veggies, and we very happily discuss chocolate too!

I hope you enjoy listening to our chat as much as I enjoyed recording it. 

www.nicola-moore.com

The number of clients I’m seeing with long COVID is growing, and I know there are many people out there who are suffering with the long-term effects of this confusing and shape-shifting illness. 

My lovely friend and colleague Emma Beswick from @lifecodegx has been immersed in trying to unpick some of the genetic links affecting those with long COVID, so I wanted to capture a conversation with her about what she is learning, what it means, and what we can do about it. 

You may remember Emma from the very first series of Healthily, when she spoke to me about Nutrition & Genetics. It’s one of the most popular episodes of the podcast to date! Emma is an incredible woman with a huge brain and unquenchable interest in nutrigenomics (the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease). 

In this episode we discuss how the genes involved in our stress response and oestrogen production that may well impact on our ability to recover from viral infection. And, Importantly, she covers the actionable steps that can be taken to support these pathways. There is so much to take away from this episode, and I’m very grateful to Emma for giving up her time to speak to me. 

Thank you, thank you once again to Mother Root for sponsoring this series of the podcast. 

Thanks also to all of you for listening and supporting this 3rd series! Today’s episode is the last in this current batch, but I hope to be back with a 4th series before the end of the year. As always, please tag anyone who you think might be interested in this episode, and please do give a 5 star rating (or even a review) if you’re happy to, as that really helps the podcast to be presented to other people. 

www.nicola-moore.com

www.lifecodegx.com

www.motherroot.london

This episode is a must for any female to listen to, whether you've been personally affected by breast cancer or not. Much of my work involves understanding my client's own unique biochemistry, as this is fundamental to addressing the root cause of illness, so I was delighted when my friend and colleague Dawn Waldron agreed to have a conversation with me about her work in the field of breast cancer, because I know she shares this passion. Her experience and insights demonstrate perfectly why it is so important that we approach health from a personalised point of view. It was an absolute joy chatting to Dawn about all things hormones (one of my favourite subjects) and about the benefits of working collaboratively with other health care professionals to provide a really powerful approach to supporting women through breast cancer treatment and beyond. This episode also provides practical information about how you can support your own hormone and immune health too.

Dawn is a leading UK nutritional therapist and life coach, specialising in breast cancer. Her popular workshops condense twenty-two years of survivor wisdom and sixteen years of clinical experience into a few hours of life-changing information. After graduating with distinction from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition in 2004, Dawn joined the education team and went on to teach at the institute for 5 years while building her practice. Since 2009 she has been in full-time practice, training in functional medicine and completing a postgraduate certificate in Personalised Nutrition in 2017. Dawn has gained a profound understanding of cancer as a metabolic disease through her work with breast cancer patients and now wants to take the message to a larger audience; she brings a unique blend of humour, warmth and insight to her work and this is really evident in our conversation today.

I really hope you find this episode as inspirational to listen to as I found to have with Dawn in person. Do join me on Instagram @nicolamoorenutrition for further conversation and updates! You can also visit my website www.nicola-moore.com to find out more about my work.

Parenting a teenager isn’t easy—but neither is being a teenager. Between school stress, self-doubt, mood changes, and increasing independence, it can feel like a whirlwind of emotions and challenges.

In this episode of Healthily, I’m joined by teen coach Maria Evans, who has spent years working with teenagers and their families. Together, we unpack:
 Why teens experience self-doubt & school stress (especially during exam season)
 How changes in teen behavior are part of their development (not just ‘being difficult’)
 Effective communication strategies to strengthen your relationship with your teen
 How to help teenagers build confidence & independence—without overwhelm

If you’re a parent, teacher, or simply someone who wants to better understand the teen mind, this episode is for you.

In this episode I have the privilege of chatting to award winning aesthetician, author, skincare and wellbeing expert Abigail James about ways to love your skin. We cover a range issues including acne, and how to keep skin looking youthful as we travel through middle age and beyond!

I have been a big fan of Abigail’s work for some time. I absolutely love her approach to looking after the skin and have been trying many of her techniques - including facial massage - this year in particular. I love the way my skin feels as a result and it certainly seems to be basking in the extra attention I’ve been giving it!

So many factors can affect the way our skin looks including nutrition, digestion, inflammation and hormones, not to mention sleep and stress! However, there are plenty of practical hands-on things we can do to bring vibrancy, life and happiness to our skin here and now, and Abigail conveys this beautifully.

www.nicola-moore.com

In this episode I talk to mindfulness teacher Katie Sheen about how we can use mindfulness to help us improve our relationship with both ourselves, and our food. It was great speaking to Katie on this subject, and she shares some really useful, practical steps to becoming more mindful and compassionate about how we view our bodies and how we can approach eating in a way that feels positive. 

Visit Katie's website to access some of the free resources she discusses here: https://www.soulnutrition.org/

To find out more about my online clinic, work with businesses and practitioner and student support groups visit my website at https://nicola-moore.com/

Instagram: @nicolamoorenutrition

Facebook: /NicolaMooreNutrition

This is one for all the foodies out there, for anyone looking for inspiration and practical ideas for reducing alcohol, and for those interested in hearing from an inspirational female founder. 

Bethan Higson is a wine merchant turned alcohol-free drinks crafter and mum of two. Her experience of juggling life as a new mum, managing exhaustion, anxiety and low mood, is what inspired her to launch Mother Root, a brand that celebrates the role of joy in wellbeing. 

Their Ginger Switchel is a neo-aperitif: a flavourful pre-dinner drink inspired by the functional benefits of the traditional aperitif recipes of the past. 

Combining flavour and function, Mother Root celebrates the ritual of the end-of-the-day drink in the most positive way.

In this episode I chat to Bethan about the emotional connection so many of us recognise when it comes to drinking, and how to harness the positive and joyful in a practical and health promoting way, rather than using drink as a crutch or coping mechanism. We also discuss ways in which to bring additional flavours, aromas and serving techniques to drinks to support physical and emotional wellbeing.

This is a really lovely episode, and Bethan is a true inspiration and all round wonderful person. As the sponsor of this series of Healthily, Bethan has also kindly offered all of us a 15% discount on her wonderful drink. I’ve already taken full advantage of this generous offer, and invite you to do the same. Simply use the code HEALTHILY15 at checkout when ordering via her website: www.motherroot.london. I really hope you enjoy listening to this happy and relaxing episode. 

www.nicola-moore.com

I am very excited about this one. As you may know I have a tendency to get a little animated about the subject of microbiomes, so this conversation with the lovely Debbie Cotton (who shares my passion) is one I’ve been very much looking forward to sharing with you.

The fact is that the microbes in our mouth have amazing links with the health of the rest our body, extending to both physical and emotional wellbeing. In this episode we check off a number of areas for consideration when it comes to dental health, as well as discussing what our saliva and tonsils have to do with it too. As always there are lots of useful, practical take-away tips in order for you to get the best out of your oral microbiome.

Please do share with anyone who you think would benefit from listening, and as always, I’d be grateful for your 5 star ratings and written reviews if you find the podcast helpful.

www.nicola-moore.com

In this episode I am in conversation with forager and food lover Belinda Blake, as we discuss the wild food around us, and how it can be used in the simplest of ways to produce teas, oils and syrups as traditional healing remedies. Plants offer such an amazing array of botanical compounds and nutrients to support health, and this is a must for anyone who is keen to engage with food in a more exciting and experimental level.
www.nicola-moore.com
www.eatyourselffab.wordpress.com

What is histamine, why can too much make us feel unwell, and what can we do about it? If you suffer for seasonal allergies you may already have an awareness of histamine, but did you know that there are plenty of other signs and symptoms that your histamine bucket might be overflowing and contributing to your health concerns? While histamine is a really important part of an appropriate immune response, you can have too much of a good thing.

In this episode I chat to histamine expert Caroline Sherlock about all things histamine, and most importantly, what we can do to keep its levels in check. We cover low-histamine diets, and dig into whether they are actually any good or not. We also look at some of the underlying causes for high histamine including gut health and hormones. Caroline offers an alternative perspective that fits with my own philosophy of avoiding restrictive diets wherever possible, so I was delighted to be able to capture this conversation to share with you. 

Thank you Mother Root (www.motherroot.london) for sponsoring this episode of Healthily xx

Caroline’s web address is www.eatdrinklivewell.com

Nicola’s web address is www.nicola-moore.com

Instagram @nicolamoorenutrition