The Health Review

Meditation, Spirituality and How to Connect With Your True Essence | Jillian Lavender

So many of us think we can't meditate. We've tried it, lasted forty seconds before the to-do list arrived in our mind, decided we were doing it wrong and never went back. But according to today's guest, that experience doesn't mean you failed at meditation. It means nobody taught you how to actually do it. In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Jillian Lavender — one of the UK's leading Vedic meditation teachers, co-director of the London Meditation Centre and author of Why Meditate? Because it Works. Jillian has been teaching meditation for over 20 years and has helped thousands of people build a practice that genuinely transforms their lives. Her own journey began in the corporate world, exhausted, running on caffeine and wondering why nothing was helping — until a mentor mentioned that meditation had transformed their sleep. What followed changed everything. This is one of the most accessible, myth-busting and inspiring conversations I've had on the show. If you've ever thought meditation wasn't for you — this episode will change your mind. We cover: Jillian's own story — from corporate exhaustion to becoming one of the UK's most respected meditation teachers The three types of meditation — concentration, mindfulness and Vedic — and why the differences matter enormously Why Vedic meditation is so different — a mantra-based practice the mind loves and that becomes effortless once learned Why you can meditate anywhere — on the tube, in a waiting room, between meetings — using either your voice or your mind The most common myths around meditation — you don't have to clear your mind, sit still for hours or be spiritually inclined Why if you can think, you can meditate — and what that actually means 20 minutes twice a day — how this practice makes your day so much more productive that you genuinely make back the time Spirituality, essence and what meditation opens up when you go deeper into the practice How to connect with your true self through a consistent practice — and what that feels like This episode is for you if: You've tried meditation and given up, you think you're too busy, too restless or too much of a sceptic. Or you're simply curious about what Vedic meditation actually is and why so many people describe it as life-changing. About Jillian Lavender: Jillian Lavender is one of the UK's leading Vedic meditation teachers and co-director of the London Meditation Centre. She has been teaching meditation for over 20 years and is the author of Why Meditate? Because it Works. She teaches people from all walks of life — from complete beginners to seasoned practitioners — and is known for making meditation feel completely accessible and natural. 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: Vedic meditation | how to meditate | learn to meditate | meditation for beginners | types of meditation | mantra meditation | mindfulness meditation | Jillian Lavender | London Meditation Centre | why meditate | meditation myths | meditation and productivity | meditation and sleep | meditation and spirituality | meditation and burnout | corporate burnout | meditation practice | if you can think you can meditate | meditation for busy people | meditation and essence | spiritual practice | meditation transformation | why meditation works Jillian's website: http://www.jillianlavender.com/ The London Meditation Centre: https://www.londonmeditationcentre.com/ This week's sponsor, vagus nerve stimulator SONA has offered The Health Review listeners 15% off SONA. Use code THR at checkout or access the discount automatically here: https://sona.help/?im_ref=SkfXugw-kxyZWz0TwYRUY2%3AdUkuReuR-SzLO0Q0&sharedid=&irpid=7022575&irgwc=1&afsrc=1 Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to Stop Watching Your Life from the Shadows and Become Its Main Character | Simon Alexander Ong

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 deliberately Why being busy has become a status symbol — and why it's one of the most expensive mistakes we make The fear of other people's opinions and how it keeps high achievers stuck in lives they didn't consciously choose The alter ego technique — how figures like Kobe Bryant and Beyonce used a separate persona to access courage and boldness without self-doubt What it means to become the main character of your own life — and the practical steps to actually do it Spiritual practices that work — gratitude, solitude, and the power of spending real time with yourself How to get clear on your values, your purpose and what you actually want — and then do something about it About 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 | fulfillment Follow Simon: https://www.instagram.com/simonalexandero Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review Sign up to The Health Review newsletter: https://thehealthreview.beehiiv.com/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

A Wellness Editor's Honest Guide to What's Worth Your Money — and What Isn't | Eleanor Hoath

The wellness industry is worth nearly $7 trillion. There are supplements for everything, gadgets for everything, protocols for everything. But how much of it actually works — and how much is just very convincing marketing? Nobody is better placed to answer that than today's guest. Eleanor Hoath is a registered nutritional therapist, wellness editor, writer and founder of The Well Edit — a research-led wellness platform bringing genuine editorial rigour to modern wellbeing. She has spent years immersed in this world — trying, testing and writing about everything from gut health to collagen supplements — and she brings something genuinely rare to the conversation: the clinical training to know what the science says and the editorial instincts to call out the noise. This one is fun, honest and packed with the kind of insider perspective you won't get anywhere else. We cover: Histamine issues — why they're far more common in women than most people realise and what to do about them Collagen supplements — does ingested collagen actually reach your skin or is this one of wellness's most expensive myths? Eleanor's favourite wellness products right now — the things she'd genuinely recommend and the things she'd quietly bin Why she's excited about the growth of the wellness industry — and genuinely concerned about the misleading marketing that comes with it Green time before screen time — the phrase Eleanor coined in 2020 that's taken on a life of its own, and what the science actually says Why so many of us are craving calm and focusing on nervous system health in 2026 — and whether the industry is responding well This episode is for you if: You love wellness but sometimes wonder if you're being sold to. You want the honest insider view from someone who has tried it all. Or you're simply curious about what a nutritional therapist and wellness editor actually has on her own shelf. About Eleanor Hoath: Eleanor Hoath is a registered nutritional therapist, wellness editor and founder of The Well Edit. She specialises in gut health, skin and women's health and has written for some of the biggest wellness publications in the UK. 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: wellness trends 2026 | histamine intolerance women | collagen supplements | does collagen work | green time before screen time | nervous system health | wellness industry | red light therapy | wellness editor | nutritional therapist | The Well Edit | Eleanor Hoath | best wellness products | wellness marketing | gut health | women's health | calm in 2026 | wellness sceptic | functional medicine | health trends UK | over optimisation | digital detox The Well Edit: https://thewelledit.co.uk/ Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Stop Living on Autopilot — How to Design a Life You Actually Want | Michael Faulkner

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 us Why under pressure the body prioritises safety over logic — and what that means for the decisions we make How to send your body signals that it's safe — practical tools for anyone in high pressure environments The power of great coaching — why the right questions at the right moment can change everything What makes a truly great coach — and why so many coaching relationships fall short Conscious control — how to get honest about how you're feeling and reclaim your choices Life design versus autopilot — why so many people are living a life they never consciously chose The Moxie system — what it means to design a life that feels as good as it looks Why taking personal accountability is the beginning of every real transformation This 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 response Michael Falkner: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-james-faulkner-2912b539 Moxie: 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/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Most People in the UK Are Nutrient Deficient — And What To Do About It | Dr Federica Amati

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 changes The ZOE six week documentary — how fast people actually feel better when they change their diet School meals and the drive to improve children's nutrition in the UK Ultra processed foods in depth — why the NOVA classification system isn't working for consumers and what ZOE is doing differently The first 1000 days of life — why what happens from conception to age two shapes health for decades Maternal nutrition during pregnancy — what matters most and how early it starts The father's nutritional status before conception — and why this conversation almost never happens Why 96% of UK adults don't meet fibre targets — and what that's actually doing to our health Folate deficiency across the UK population — who's most at risk and why it matters beyond pregnancy GLP-1 medications and The Appetite Reset — why nutritional support alongside these drugs is not optional What Federica's new book covers and why she felt it needed to be written now This 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/9780241833209 Topics: 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 Reset Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.