Fab Female Nutrition

What if one of the most important things we can do to age well has nothing to do with what we eat, how much we exercise or which supplements we take?
Throughout October, we've been exploring healthy ageing, from nutrition and muscle strength to metabolic health. But for the final episode in the series, I want to talk about something that I think is just as important: connection, community, friendship and having a sense of purpose.
Have you noticed how some people seem to thrive as they get older? They're still out and about, meeting friends, learning new things and finding reasons to get up in the morning. Of course, our health and circumstances play a part, but there's growing evidence that our social relationships can have a significant influence on our wellbeing and long-term health.
In this week's Fab Female Nutrition Podcast, I'm exploring what we can learn from the Blue Zones, those communities around the world associated with exceptional longevity, and why connection and belonging are such important parts of the healthy ageing conversation.
We also look at research linking strong social relationships with better health outcomes, and a fascinating study exploring how learning several new skills in later life may improve cognitive performance.
But this episode is also a little more personal than usual.
I'm sharing some lovely examples of people who continue to embrace life as they get older, including a client in her 80s who makes a point of going out every single day, my mum trying tai chi for the first time, and the wonderful sense of community I see at my allotment.
I'm also talking about why, since Covid, I've become increasingly determined to prioritise real-life connection. From gyms and yoga studios organising coffee mornings, shared meals and social events, to networking, group activities and simply having a conversation with someone you've never met before.
And I'll tell you about a lovely surprise visit from a long-time podcast listener that absolutely made my day!
We'll explore:
What the Blue Zones can teach us about community, belonging and longevity.

Why friendships and social relationships matter for healthy ageing.

The importance of having a purpose, particularly as we approach retirement and later life.

How learning new skills and staying curious may support cognitive health.

Why physical activity and social connection often go hand in hand.

The difference between being alone and feeling lonely.

Simple ways to create more meaningful connections in everyday life.

My challenge this week is a little different, too. I want you to make one deliberate effort to connect with someone in real life. Perhaps it's arranging coffee with an old friend, joining a class, going for a walk together or simply taking the time to have a proper conversation.
Because sometimes the smallest interactions can make the biggest difference.
Thank you to our sponsor, Revive Active
Revive Active has been supporting the podcast for several years, and I'm grateful for their continued sponsorship.
In this episode, I mention Zest Active, a convenient daily supplement containing a range of vitamins and minerals to help support nutritional intake.
You can explore the range at https://reviveactive.com and use my code WENDY15 for 15% off.
And finally, thank you for joining me throughout October's healthy ageing series.
We've explored how to nourish our bodies, maintain muscle and strength, understand our metabolic health and now the importance of friendship, connection and purpose.
Because healthy ageing isn't just about adding years to our lives.
It's about making sure there's plenty of life in those years.

When we talk about metabolism, most people immediately think about weight. Having a fast metabolism, a slow metabolism, or finding it harder to lose weight as we get older.
But metabolic health is about so much more than your weight, and understanding it could be one of the most important things you do for your long-term health.
In episode 310 of the Fab Female Nutrition Podcast, I'm continuing my healthy ageing series by exploring how our bodies produce, use and store energy, and why keeping these processes working efficiently is so important as we get older.
We'll look at the relationship between blood glucose and insulin, including why you can have perfectly normal blood sugar levels while your body is already working harder to maintain them. I'll explain insulin sensitivity, what happens when we become insulin resistant, and why this matters for our risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
We'll also explore metabolic flexibility – our body's natural ability to switch between using glucose and fat for energy. It's something our bodies are designed to do, but modern lifestyles, with less movement, disrupted sleep and easy access to food throughout the day, can contribute to poorer metabolic health.
The good news? There are plenty of simple things we can do to support it.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
Why metabolic health and metabolism aren't quite the same thing.

How blood glucose and insulin work together, and why insulin sensitivity matters.

What metabolic flexibility means and how we can support it.

The importance of muscle, movement, balanced meals and good sleep.

Why eating regular, satisfying meals rather than constantly grazing may be helpful.

Why understanding your health markers, including HbA1c, cholesterol, triglycerides and fat distribution, gives us a much better picture of metabolic health than weight alone.

One of the things I'm particularly passionate about is understanding what's happening inside our bodies before problems develop.
You don't necessarily feel insulin resistance developing, and changes in cholesterol or blood glucose can happen long before you notice any obvious symptoms.
That's why I'm such an advocate of regular health checks. Understanding your results gives you an opportunity to make informed changes now, rather than waiting until something goes wrong.
Annual Health Test and Consultation
My Annual Health Test includes important markers such as HbA1c, cholesterol, triglycerides and liver function, alongside key nutrient markers. You'll also have a personalised consultation with me to understand your results and discuss practical nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Find out more: https://hillstart.me.uk/product/annual-blood-test/
Thank you to our sponsor, Revive Active
Good nutrition provides the building blocks for healthy cellular function. In this episode, we also touch on CoQ10, a naturally occurring compound involved in mitochondrial energy production.
Explore the Revive Active supplement range at https://reviveactive.com and use my code WENDY15 for 15% off.
Because healthy ageing isn't about being the smallest version of yourself or chasing a faster metabolism.
It's about building a body that can manage energy efficiently, maintain strength and support your health, independence and quality of life for decades to come.
Next week, we're finishing our healthy ageing series by looking at something that doesn't get nearly enough attention: the importance of community, friendship, laughter and having a sense of purpose.

What do you want your body to be able to do when you're 70, 80 or beyond?
Forget for a moment what you want it to look like. Could you get yourself up from the floor if you fell? Carry your own shopping? Climb the stairs? Walk around a city on holiday? Play with your grandchildren? Keep cooking, gardening or doing the things you love?
We talk about sarcopenia – the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function – and why maintaining muscle isn't simply about looking toned.
Muscle plays an important role in metabolic health and glucose regulation, supports our joints and bones, and perhaps most importantly, helps us maintain our physical independence as we age.
I also talk about why healthy ageing isn't just about lifting weights. We need cardiovascular fitness, balance and mobility too – and you don't necessarily need a gym to work on any of them.
From carrying the shopping and gardening to yoga, dancing, walking, resistance training and simply practising getting yourself up from the floor, there are lots of ways to keep asking your body to work.
Your challenge this week: do something every day that asks your muscles to work a little harder.
Because we're not exercising to look younger.
We're moving because we want our bodies to keep working for us as we get older.
This is episode 2 of my October series: Healthy Ageing – What You Do Now Matters Later.
Sponsored by Revive Active
This week I'm also talking about magnesium and its role in normal muscle function and energy-yielding metabolism. Thank you to Revive Active for continuing to support the Fab Female Nutrition Podcast. Use code WENDY15 for 15% off.
Annual Health MOT
I'm also talking about why understanding markers such as vitamin D, B12, folate and iron can give us useful information about our health now – and help us make changes for the future. https://hillstart.me.uk/product/annual-blood-test/

What you eat today isn't just about your weight or how you feel this afternoon – it's an investment in your future health.
In the first episode of my new Healthy Ageing series, I'm looking at five simple areas of nutrition that can help us feel well now, while supporting our muscle, bones, brain, cardiovascular and metabolic health for the decades ahead.
We'll talk about why protein becomes increasingly important as we age, why plant diversity and fibre matter, the healthy fats we shouldn't be afraid of, where ultra-processed foods fit into a realistic diet, and why micronutrients deserve more attention.
I'm also sharing some really practical ways to improve what you're already eating – because healthy ageing doesn't require a perfect diet, expensive longevity foods or complicated biohacking.
Plus, I explain why I believe an Annual Health MOT can be such a useful investment in your future health, helping you understand important markers including vitamin D, B12, folate, ferritin, HbA1c and cholesterol before they potentially become a bigger issue.
This month's question is simple:
What can I easily do today – and every day – that gives me the best chance of still feeling healthy, strong, independent and enjoying my life decades from now?
Because we're not trying to stop ageing. We're building a body and brain that can support us brilliantly as we age.
🎧 Also mentioned: Episode 306 – Fibre: The Forgotten Nutrient
Sponsored by Revive Active Thank you to Revive Active for continuing to support the Fab Female Nutrition podcast. Use code WENDY15 for 15% off.
Annual Health MOTFind out more about my Annual Health Blood Test and consultation at https://hillstart.me.uk/product/annual-blood-test/

Do you really need all those supplements sitting in your cupboard?
Magnesium, omega-3, creatine, vitamin D, gut health supplements… there seems to be a supplement for almost everything in midlife. But how do you know what you actually need — and whether what you're taking is doing anything at all?
In this episode of Fab Female Nutrition, I'm finishing our September theme of supporting midlife health from the ground up by talking about supplements: where they can be genuinely useful, when food should come first, and why I believe every supplement you take should have a reason for being there.
I'm also taking you inside my own supplement routine, sharing what I personally take, what I only use occasionally, and most importantly, why. We cover magnesium, omega-3, creatine, PHGG, digestive enzymes and Revive Active, as well as why testing can sometimes be much more useful than simply guessing what you need.
In this episode:
Do you actually need all those supplements in your cupboard?
The supplements I personally take — and why
How testing influenced my decision to supplement omega-3
Why creatine is part of my routine
The gut supplements I use occasionally rather than every day
Why vitamin D, iron, B12 and other nutrients may be worth testing rather than guessing
How to decide whether a supplement still deserves a place in your cupboard
This isn't about giving you a shopping list of supplements you should take. We're all different, and our needs are different too.
Instead, I want you to look at what you're already taking and ask one simple question:
What is this supplement's job?
If you don't know why you're taking it, perhaps that's the first thing to find out.
Plus, a big thank you to podcast sponsors Revive Active. 
And next month, we're moving from the foundations of midlife health into healthy ageing — what we can do now to support our muscle, brain, metabolic health, mobility and independence for the decades ahead.