Below Her Surface

Redefining the "Athlete": From Teenage Performance to Menopausal Health

In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with her former lecturer, sports nutritionist, and naturopath, Kia Sutherland. With decades of experience working with everyone from elite world athletes to teenagers and women navigating perimenopause, Kia brings a wealth of clinical insight into what it truly takes to support a female body under physical stress. This conversation moves beyond the "quick fix" to explore the intersection of metabolic health, hormones, and high-performance nutrition. Kia and Lily unpack the common traps women fall into - such as chronic under-fuelling (REDs) and the psychological toll of rigid dieting - and offer a refreshing, science-backed approach to eating for both performance and longevity. In this episode, Lily and Kia explore: In this episode, Lily and Kia explore: *The Reality of REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) - Why "overtraining" is often just under-fuelling and how to recover a lost cycle without stopping exercise. *Endurance Nutrition & Troubleshooting - Navigating the "extra 1%" of performance, from sweat rate testing to managing gastrointestinal distress during a marathon. *Cyclical Dieting vs. Cyclical Training - Why it’s beneficial to loosen nutritional restrictions in the week before your period while maintaining a consistent strength protocol. *The Perimenopause Shift - How declining oestrogen and progesterone impact sleep, stress management, and insulin sensitivity. *The Protein Hyper-Focus - Why most women are under-eating protein and how to use it to support glycemic control and muscle maintenance. *Alcohol & Metabolic Health in your 40s - The physiological reasons why alcohol becomes harder to process during the menopausal transition. *Muscle Mass as Longevity - Why holding muscle is the number one predictor of living a long, healthy life and why strength training is vital for bone density. *Individual Body Types & Beauty Standards - Moving away from "one size fits all" body fat percentages and embracing the genetics you were born with. This episode is a masterclass in female physiology, providing a grounded guide for any woman wanting to feel "badass" in her training while respecting the complex biological signals of her body.

Navigating Hashimoto’s in Pregnancy, Postpartum & Beyond

In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily is joined by content creator Matilda for a raw and insightful follow-up Q&A. Having navigated one of the most complex cases of Hashimoto’s Lily has seen in practice, Matilda shares the reality of her 12-month journey from a "thyroid storm" to achieving regulated blood work for the first time in over a decade. This conversation goes beneath the surface of a standard diagnosis, exploring how under-eating, overtraining, and extreme stress can trigger autoimmune spirals. From the heartbreak of miscarriage to the exhaustion of the postpartum period, this episode offers a science-literate yet deeply human look at what it takes to truly heal when the system feels broken. In this episode, Lily and Matilda explore: *Matilda’s Health Update – Moving from a TSH of 104 to regulated markers through food, supplementation, and reduced training intensity. *Can You Reverse Hashimoto’s? – Understanding how to turn autoimmunity "off" and the difference between managing symptoms and achieving dormancy. *Why You Still Feel "Crap" with Normal Bloods – Why TSH alone doesn't tell the full story and the importance of testing T3, T4, antibodies, and iodine. *The Gluten & Dairy Connection – Why removing inflammatory triggers is crucial during an autoimmune flare to clear brain fog and support digestion. *The Reality of Fatigue – Distinguishing between "normal" mum exhaustion and debilitating physiological fatigue that impacts your personality and libido. *Pregnancy & Postpartum Challenges – Navigating thyroid surges, breastfeeding supply issues, and the emotional toll of miscarriage. *Advocating for Yourself in the Medical System – The role of integrative doctors, private testing panels, and finding practitioners who look at the whole picture. *Nutrition Hacks for Busy Parents – Tips for syncing your eating schedule with your kids and the benefits of "flipping" breakfast and dinner. This episode is a grounded guide for anyone feeling dismissed by standard medical advice, reminding us that while the path to health isn't a quick fix, it is possible to feel like yourself again.

Endometriosis, Inflammation & Exercise: Why Intensity Isn't Always Your Friend

In part one of this special series, Lily is joined by a very special returning guest - her mum, Amanda Haberecht. Amanda returns to the show to tackle the first round of community questions specifically focused on the intersection of endo, fertility, and systemic health. Together, they move "below the surface" of endometriosis, reframing it as a complex condition that sits somewhere between a hormonal imbalance and an autoimmune disease. This conversation cuts through the jargon to explain why endo is so much more than a reproductive issue. Lily and Amanda discuss why the severity of a woman's symptoms often doesn't match her surgical stage and why "powering through" high-intensity workouts might actually be fueling the inflammatory fire. In this episode, Lily and Amanda explore: *Endo as an inflammatory "runaway train" – Understanding why the immune system gets activated but receives mixed messages, leading to chronic systemic inflammation. *The role of Oestrogen – How this growth hormone drives both the disease and the inflammatory response. *The Autoimmune Connection – Why endo may eventually be classified as an autoimmune disease and its link to conditions like Hashimoto’s and Coeliac disease. *Contraception Myths and Realities – Discussing whether the Pill or the Mirena truly "stops" endo or simply provides a necessary reprieve from symptoms. *Why high-intensity training can backfire – How excessive exercise acts as a pro-inflammatory stressor, spiking cortisol and potentially worsening pain. *Supportive Movement – The benefits of being "Miss Moderate" by prioritising weights, walking, and low-intensity Pilates to promote blood flow without exhausting the body. *The Oestrogen-Histamine Link – Why women with endo often struggle with allergies, sinus issues, and headaches. *Dietary Nuance – Moving beyond "blanket bans" to look at the evidence for Mediterranean and Gluten-free diets, and the importance of food quality in dairy and meat. *Gut Health and the "estrobolome" – How your microbiome and liver health dictate how effectively you detoxify oestrogen. This episode is a grounded, science-led guide to navigating endometriosis without extremes, reminding us that managing the condition requires looking at the whole person, not just the symptoms.

Authenticity, Body Image & The Reality of Being a Content Creator with Onella

In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with content creator and model Onella to peel back the layers on what it really looks like to live and work in the digital spotlight. A client of Metaphysical Wellness for several months, Onella shares her evolution from winning a national modelling search to navigating the pressures of being a curve model and living with Vitiligo. This conversation moves beyond the "perfect exterior" to discuss the mental load of social media, the nuances of PCOS, and the courage it takes to work on your health while the world is watching. Onella opens up about the "chaotic" reality of her career - from crying in hotel rooms during glamorous brand trips to the discipline required to treat her personal life as a business. Together, Lily and Onella challenge the stigma surrounding weight loss in the body-positive community, advocating for a "baseline" of health that prioritises internal markers over external opinions. In this episode, Lily and Onella explore: *The shift from modelling to content creation – How PCOS and insulin resistance changed Onella’s body size and why many brands dropped off when she moved from a size 16 to a 20/22. *Living with Vitiligo – Onella’s journey as an ambassador for the Vitiligo Association of Australia and her experience growing up confident despite having a "different" look. *The myth of the "perfect" influencer life – The reality of travel anxiety, emotional burnout, and why long-form YouTube content feels more authentic than 7-second reels. *Health as a trend vs. health as a baseline – Navigating the overwhelming amount of health advice on TikTok and learning to separate "trends" from actual body physiology. *Weight loss and Body Positivity – Why wanting to improve your health or change your body composition doesn’t mean you hate yourself, and how to handle online scrutiny during a transformation. *The "Chaotic Brain" and systems – How to build routines that allow you to function when your natural state is high-energy and non-linear. *Sustainable balance – Learning that balance isn't a 50/50 split, but rather having the capacity to enjoy life (and chocolate) without it derailing your long-term goals. This episode is an honest, refreshing look at the intersection of public image and private health, reminding us that being "visible and valued" starts with how we treat ourselves beneath the surface

Vaginal Health, Organic Cotton & The Bamboo Myth: What’s Really Touching Your Skin?

In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with Sera Delprado, the founder of Fanny Organics, to uncover the hidden impact our choice of underwear has on our hormonal and vaginal health. After battling chronic infections and finding a complete lack of genuine cotton options on the high street, Sera set out to create a brand that fuses high-end design with strict health-conscious standards. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the textile industry, exploring the "greenwashed" reality of bamboo fabrics and why synthetic materials like polyester are essentially like wearing plastic against your most sensitive organs. From the frequency of fabrics to the 36-second window in which our skin absorbs toxins, this episode is a wake-up call for any woman looking to respect her body from the base layer up. In this episode, Lily and Sera explore: -The "Fanny" Origin Story – How recurring health issues and a gap in the market led to the creation of a pH-conscious underwear brand. -The Bamboo Myth – Why bamboo is often a "fad" and the chemical-heavy process required to turn wood pulp into soft fabric. -Chemical Absorption – The reality that skin begins absorbing dyes and fabric chemicals in just 36 seconds. -Fabric Frequencies – The fascinating science of how different materials vibrate and why organic cotton matches the frequency of a healthy human body. -The Synthetic Trap – How petroleum-based fabrics like polyester create a breeding ground for bacteria, UTIs, and thrush. -Design Meets Health – The meticulous process of lengthening gussets and using undyed, raw organic cotton linings for ultimate protection. -Future-Proofing Women's Health – The link between chemical exposure and fertility, and the importance of teaching young women to demand respect for their bodies through the products they use. This episode is a grounded, eye-opening guide to the "bandage" we wear every day, reminding us that true wellness starts with the simple, honest materials we put against our skin.