Tough Love

In this episode, we’re joined by double amputee Kat Hawkins who has pushed her mind and body to its limits to prove anything really is possible. Kat is upbeat and incredibly giving with her story, making this a hugely important conversation in the world of disability and body image. 

Kat Hawkins is a presenter, filmmaker and writer passionate about unheard stories and voices. Having worked for the BBC for five years, she has covered a wide range of stories from gay women being refused cervical smears to disabled people being refused votes. As a double amputee having had her legs amputated at the age of 18 whilst at university, Kat is a vocal advocate for increased diversity in the media. 

In this episode we’re joined by Harley Street Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert. Rhiannon started her career as a world famous soprano (she won Classic FM’s Young Musician of the Year when she was just 17), where she learnt the importance of a healthy diet. A gruelling schedule left Rhiannon under-nourished, but it was only when her GP prescribed her antidepressants did she realise something needed to change. Rhiannon is one of the most respected and revered nutritionists in the industry and now works with the likes of Olympic athletes and the NHS. Listen to Rhiannon’s story as well as her thoughts on the damaging diet industry, nutrition jargon and finding her voice in an ever-noisy world. 

Rhiannon Lambert is a Nutritionist specialising in weight management, eating disorders and sports nutrition. She is the founder of Rhitrition, a leading Harley Street clinic, and the author of Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat Well. As a professional soprano who trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Rhiannon learned early on the importance of healthy living. Her belief that nutrition can play a huge role in overall health has been tested as she has performed all over the world. Rhiannon is registered with the Association for Nutrition (AFN), has a first-class Bachelor (BSc) degree in Nutrition and Health and a Master’s (MSc) in Obesity, Risks and Prevention. She is also a Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity.

From friendships to ambitions to mental health, money plays a huge role in our lives and relationships, yet as women we’re often too polite or embarrassed to talk about it. But in an age of pay gaps and growing inequality, we need to talk about money more than ever. In this episode, we’re joined by Emilie Bellet, CEO of digital platform Vestpod. Emilie’s on a mission to change the conversation about money and empower women financially. Listen as Emilie and Holli break down the taboos and social stigmas of money and attempt to join the dots between body image and finance. 

Emilie Bellet is the founder and CEO of Vestpod. Starting out her career in private equity, Emilie launched Vestpod to change the conversation about money and empower women financially. Reflecting on her years in finance, she realised she was not saving or investing enough and couldn’t find the support to do so. She then decided to launch Vestpod for women, as a way to demystify the financial world and break the taboo around money. Vestpod is a digital platform with a popular weekly newsletter as well as personal finance workshops and networking events. A formidable force, Emilie’s work has been featured everywhere from the BBC to the Financial Times and she recently released a book, You’re Not Broke You’re Pre Rich, which is already an Amazon bestseller.

Our guest this week is Suzy Reading, chartered psychologist, mother of two and health coach who specialises in self-care, helping people manage their stress, emotions and energetic bank balance. From changing bodies during pregnancy to the pressures of having to ‘snap back’ post-birth and all the challenges that come with being a new mum, this is a really honest and informative conversation that every woman should listen to. Suzy’s compassionate approach to life and her nurturing energy is abundant in this episode and we know you’ll love it as much as we loved recording it. 

Suzy Reading is the definition of a self-care expert. A chartered psychologist, yoga teacher and health coach, Suzy specialises in wellbeing, helping people to better manage their emotions. It was her life experience of motherhood colliding with the terminal illness of her father that sparked her passion for self-care, which she now teaches to her clients, both young and old, to cope during periods of stress, loss and change. Suzy grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and now lives in the hills of Hertfordshire, UK, where she runs her practice and pours her knowledge into writing self-help books.

Have you ever been on a diet? Compared the size of your waist to someone else’s? Felt guilt over eating a doughnut? Then this episode is for you. This week, Holli is joined by Laura Thomas PhD to discuss our relationship with food, how it got so complicated and how we can reconnect with our intuition and learn to trust our own bodies. Laura is a qualified practitioner of Intuitive eating – a method that aims to help people recognise innate hunger and fullness cues – and wants to free us from restrictive dieting, disordered eating and punishing exercise. Laura is a breath of fresh-air in a world full of nutritional advice. 

Laura Thomas, PhD, RNutr is an Associate for Nutrition Registered Nutritionist based in London who isn’t afraid to speak back against faddy diet trends and the dark side of the diet industry. Laura has a BSc in Health Sciences (Health & Nutrition) from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M university and she completed her post-doctoral work at Cornell University in community nutrition. In her clinic, The London Centre for Intuitive Eating, Laura helps people develop a healthy relationship with food using the principles of intuitive eating, Health at Every Size, and non-diet nutrition. She is also the author of Just Eat It, an anti-diet guide.

Gina Martin is incredible and a one-woman whirlwind. A victim of upskirting who fought back to change the law, Gina is the definition of a modern activist packed with energy and ambition. In this episode we discuss sexuality, femininity, the male gaze and the importance of the people you’re surrounded by. Our favourite quote from this episode: “You can’t be too passionate about something. You can teach everything else; you can’t teach someone to be passionate.” 

With no prior political experience or legal training, Gina Martin successfully campaigned to make upskirting a criminal offence. The legislation passed its final stage in the House of Lords on 15th January and came into effect on 12th April 2019: taking non-consensual photographs under anyone’s clothes is now illegal in England and Wales. Gina, who lives in London, now speaks in schools and universities across the country, widening the conversation to help and inspire others to make the change, whether big or small.

A podcast on body image isn’t complete without a conversation with Susie Orbach, the world-renowned psychotherapist, psychoanalyst and social critic. The author of dozens of books, including the international bestseller, Fat is a Feminist Issue, which has sold well over a million copies, Susie is the authority on body image. In this episode, listen to Holli and Susie chat about their work together for Endangered Bodies, how our relationship with food became warped, the history of diets, the wellness industry and the struggles for women today.

Susie Orbach is a psychotherapist and writer. Orbach created the Women’s Therapy Centre in 1976 and the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute, a training institute in New York, in 1981. She has been a consultant for The World Bank and the NHS. Her ground-breaking first book, Fat is a Feminist Issue, published in 1978, remains one of the most widely read texts of the British women's liberation movement. She has reshaped psychoanalytic thinking by insisting on a gendered understanding of human development. She is also convenor of Endangered Bodies, which challenges contemporary culture that promotes negative body image.

In this episode we’re joined by award-winning body positive activist Michelle Elman to delve deep into her journey from surgery and scars to self-acceptance. Michelle is a real inspiration and her positive, can-do attitude is infectious. From the meaning of childhood to survival, diet culture, fitness, and so much more, this episode will certainly get you thinking about the relationship you have with your body.  Michelle is a body confidence coach, award-winning body positive activist and author of ‘Am I Ugly?’. Her TedX talk on body positivity titled ‘Have You Hated Your Body Enough Today?’ has been viewed over 40,000 times, Women’s Health named her as one of the five women changing body image in the UK. Michelle started the campaign Scarred Not Scared, because she realised there wasn’t enough representation for scars in the body positive community. Through this, Michelle has shared her own story of having 15 surgeries, a brain tumour, a punctured intestine, an obstructed bowel and a cyst in her brain, showing the world it was possible to embrace your scars. Buy Michelle's book, Am I Ugly here