Myth-Busting the Wellness Trends with Steph Pearson #13

Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍I’m back with one of my favourite people to talk all things nutrition with, my fab friend and colleague Steph Pearson. The wellness space is LOUD right now. Every other week social media decides whether protein, soy, fasting or ashwagandha is the thing that’s going to fix us or finish us off. So, Steph and I asked our communities what they actually wanted us to settle, and we sat down to myth-bust our way through your questions.Steph is a Nutritionist and Naturopath, and someone I trust deeply, professionally and personally. She works with women in the thick of perimenopause, stress, hormonal shifts and complicated relationships with food, and she has a rare gift for making the evidence feel human and doable rather than overwhelming.We move through protein and protein powders, the truth about soy, ashwagandha, collagen and creatine, coffee timing, fasting and training to your cycle, sauna and cold exposure, and the questions that don’t usually get said out loud. The thread running through all of it: there’s no one-size-fits-all, and test, don’t guess.This one is warm, honest and very real. It’s also Part One, because you sent us so many questions we couldn’t fit them all in, so we’ll be back to finish the list.In this episode, we explore:✨ The protein hype — who actually needs a protein powder, and how to know whether you’re getting enough without tracking forever✨ Soy on trial — the difference between processed soy and whole-food soy, and where Steph genuinely sees it help✨ Ashwagandha, and why “test, don’t guess” matters before you add it to your coffee (including who is better off steering clear)✨ Collagen — what the evidence does and doesn’t support, and the nutrients Steph would reach for first✨ Coffee timing, and learning to read your own body’s signs instead of someone else’s rules✨ Fasting and training to your cycle, and why piling more stress onto an already-stressed body isn’t the answer✨ Creatine, one of the most researched supplements going, and how to actually take it✨ The psychology underneath the food — where stress is really coming from, the mental load, and meeting all of this with compassion rather than self-criticism✨ Sauna vs cold exposure for women, and the question nobody says out loud: low libido with two kids under five, will it ever come back?✨ A gentle note from me: we talk openly about food, bodies, fasting and eating behaviour in this episode. If your relationship with food or your body feels tender right now, please be kind to yourself as you listen, and come back to it whenever you feel ready. If you’re struggling, reaching out for support is a brave and worthwhile thing to do.To see more of the wonderful Steph Pearson and her work, you can find her here:Instagram: @stephpearson.naturopathMentioned in this episode:•  Dr Mindy Pelz — referenced on training and fasting to your menstrual cycle•  Two Raw Sisters — the recipe app I love for quick, whole-food snacks•  Creatine monohydrate — the form Steph discusses•  My conversation with Francesca Lyon on cortisol, stress and the nervous system #7