Gauri: Hello and welcome to this episode of a Tune In. I'm thrilled and extremely grateful to be joined today by Tina Londcork. Hi Tina, how are you?
Tina: Good morning. My pleasure to be here. Delighted to chat to you this morning.
Gauri: Well, thank you so much. And I'm so excited about this because we've spoken a few times now. and you are the nutrition guru and you've dedicated your professional life into supporting people understand the importance of nutrition for our health.
Tina: Absolutely, twenty-five years now. So it's been a wonderful and varied career, but my ultimate passion is translating the complicated science that is nutrition into easy actionables to really help people live their very best life at every kind of age and stage.
Gauri: Well, that is spot on for a tune-in. As you know, the audience will be parents who want to understand how they can support their children with their mental well-being for the long game. And of course, thinking about brain health and our mood, our ability to concentrate, our ability to be our best self. It's so linked to food. But before we go into that, Tina, are you happy just to sort of summarize your sort of journey, your professional journey, so people can people know about all the Expertise that you hold.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So I grew up with an Italian grandma who used to grow all her own fruit and vegetables in the garden. We used to eat those that wonderful sort of seasonal produce, although I was a child of the 70s and 80s, so actually there was also a huge element of processed foods. You know, this was the time that processed foods were really being developed and liberating women out of the kitchen. So it was quite an interesting. Growing up a sort of juxtaposition between all the kind of processed foods that were readily available. And I had a full-time working mom. So there were a lot of those bird's eye finders pancakes and all of these angel delights, if you're old as me or remember those. And then also we had this wonderful seasonal eating food as medicine. And so my grandma would talk to me about all of the sort of health constituents of food as medicine. And so I was always very interested in that. And I was quite a sickly kind of a teenager. You know, I just have recurrent sort of things like tonsillitis and all manner of annoying things. And actually, I really wanted to embrace health. So I started to really look at food as medicine and ended up doing five years full time studying. I have a first class BSC honours in nutritional medicine. Postgraduate sort of training in behavioural psychology. I went straight into London's Harley Street working in integrated medical clinics with all age groups, you know, working alongside incredible doctors, and we work in unison together, really helping people get better. And obviously, what we know is the foundation of health comes from what we're eating every day, because effectively, to the tips of our toes. That is all made of the food we eat. So if we get that foundation right, we tend to find we can really get people feeling a lot better very quickly. I then went on to work in addiction with teenagers with eating disorder, drug and alcohol addiction. and from there I developed an education program. I felt that I was best served going in and preventing health issues and sort of eating disorders by having this very empowering. discussions with whole, you know, schools. Sometimes it would be an entire school would turn up for a big assembly, 800 people or whatever. And I was talking to about 25,000 students a year, going from place to place to place to place. I have a best-selling book that's used in schools, Eat Well and Feel Great, with Bloomsbury Publishing. And then I I still work in a clinical setting. I have my own clinic now, we work around the world and I also work it with leadership teams, empowering them to have better health practices and stress resilience. But my real core passion is empowering our young people and speaking with parents and and you know, parenting conferences in schools and that kind of thing.
Gauri: Wonderful. What an impact. And just thank you so much for what you're doing. So what what are your sort of initial thoughts? If we were to sort think about mental well being, what are your thoughts? What comes to mind when it comes to nutrition?
Tina: Okay, so I'm very passionate about this. We have more scientific evidence and studies now than ever before to show that what we eat directly impacts our mood and motivation, our sleep quality, our mental health, and so forth. So we have two things that we need to look at. Fundamentally, it's the foundations, getting the foundations right. We've got some great studies that started. in Australia, there was the SMILES study and the healthy med study, and the SMILE study was back in 2017. And it took people with mild to moderate depression and it put them on a very, very simple, not expensive. I'm talking tinned fish and rye crackers and fruits and vegetables, just what we would call a Mediterranean style diet. So think of very colourful. Fruits and vegetables, you know, tomato salads and all the different dark green leafy vegetables, the extra virgin olive oil, small amounts of meat, fish, and eggs and dairy. And within just 12 weeks, the study showed a 32% remission in that group. So we know that there is this direct correlation. Then we have this gut-brain connection, which we're hearing more and more about. So we know that these gut microbes that live some symbiotically within our gut, but actually all over our body and our skin as well. We must think of those as our kind of pets, if you will. Now, if we feed and nourish them properly, they can really set ourselves up for feeling happier and healthier. They really have a direct impact on producing vitamins for us. But also happy neurotransmitters. So we know that 95% of serotonin, which is our calm and happy neurotransmitter, happy chemicals, if you will, are made in the gut and synthesized in the gut. But equally, we know, and studies have shown us, particularly studies in teenagers, when they have an abundance of overly processed, you know, what we call, you know, ultra-processed foods. That actually impacts the gut microbes by really proliferating bad microbes, the ones we don't want. If we think about weeds, for example, in the garden, just completely overrunning, and what they do is they actually can trigger anxiety So we know that the more ultra processed foods drive that anxiety, lower moods, whereas The more healthful Mediterranean style eating pattern has a direct impact on improved mood. We can go into more and more details on that.
Gauri: That's so so insightful and I think, you know, I agree that there is a lot more that we're reading about this. But if we were to sort of you know, if there's a parent listening and they don't they'd like a to break it down another step, how would you how can a busy parent identify what we would describe as an ultra processed food in this context?
Tina: Yeah, that's a really great question and it is a little bit of a mind field, and I would recommend actually getting a book specifically on how to break that down, or even just using AI and ChatGPT to scan labels. So I think this is the year 2026 is the year for reading the labels because we're realizing that if a food has got an abundant amount of things that you do not recognize on the label. And loads of additives and preservatives and emulsifiers. These are the ones that cause the gut damage. And obviously, with our children, we want to ensure that's not happening because the one thing I haven't mentioned, and it's not scaremongering, but it's very important that we do recognize this. There was a study of nine-year-olds that had had a huge amount of exposure to ultra-processed foods, and what they found is these. Gut microbes actually then trigger not only these feelings of anxiety and driving, sort of low mood, but it actually triggers inflammation through the body, a warning signal, if you will. And that inflammation can be predictive of depression in teenage years. So the study of nine-year-olds showed more or less the sort of precursor and driver. that those teenagers were likely to be inflamed and depression and low mood is considered a kind of inflammatory disorder as well.
Gauri: I mean, this is such a powerful nugget of knowledge for parents to hear because I think this is relatively a new new science in some ways, that there's such a direct correlation with our gut health and our downstream mood, mediated by, as you were describing, the serotonin, the sort of brain chemicals. And I'd love to sort of talk to you a bit about that because I saw a phenomenal video that you did about the benefits of.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: saffron as a natural way to support our healthy serotonin levels. And I'd love to hear from you on that and if there's any sort of I know there's a little bit of evidence, but it'd be lovely to hear it in your words because you describe it so nicely. What do we know about some of the more natural ways to boost our brain chemicals?
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So there was a 2013 meta-analysis and there's been numerous studies that have actually shown saffron, which is that wonderful yellow spice that we think of, that colourful golden spice actually is medicinal in terms of our health and specifically in terms of mood and mental health. So it's actually the studies have shown it is comparable to an antidepressant You would have to take that in a supplement form but you can add it to your food always. Why not? And we know that all of those spices also feed these gut microbes. So, you know, that was a very, very interesting study. One of my favorite foods groups is actually omega-3 fats. And we have again a wealth of study on that. so if we think about the dry weight of our brain, about 60% of the dry weight of our brain is actually made up of healthy fats. For many of us, particularly in the UK, we are not an oily fish eating nation. And actually, really in Western societies, you know, there isn't that sort of focus on omega-3 rich foods. Specifically the oily fish, what we call the smash fish. So things like wild salmon and mackerel and anchovies, herrings and sardines, because those smaller fish have lived in the ocean such a small time, they're not taking on all the toxins that we know in the sea, like the mercury and the PCBs and these kinds of things. So by eating the smaller fish, we can enjoy the omic-3 without that. But the studies really show, and there's been so many, particularly a 2023 study, which showed that particularly EPA is really associated with boosting mood. but obviously, we know that it's a very important constituent of the brain. So if you aren't topping it up, we are utilizing or using about five milligrams a day. If you're not keeping topping that up, you will see changes, whether that's Poor cognition, brain fog, communication issues, sleep issues, mood issues, and some of the kind of signs and symptoms as parents can look out for. Dry skin, dandruff, eczema, sort of pimples on the backs of the arms and legs. For adults, it might be cracked heels, even excess earwax. These are some of the signs and symptoms that you may be struggling. And there's so much information around the power of omega-3 and reading, cognition, ADHD, focus on all of these things. So you know that's a very powerful one.
Gauri: I mean it makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, when you say it. It it's very intuitive. And yet, as a busy parent, so you mentioned so the oily fish, are there any other ways that let's say there's a vegetarian, you know, a vegetarian child, what are the other ways parents can sort of deliver this?
Tina: Yes, so obviously we can get omega 3 in plant sources. You know, my favorite being walnuts looks like a miniature brain and packed with lots of fibre and all these wonderful nutrients, as well as omega-3 and chia seeds and flax and all these sorts of things. However, the conversion of plant omega-3 into utilized brain nourishment is very poor. So actually, taking either a fish oil supplement of really good quality. quality fish oil supplement or an algae supplement is more appropriate and definitely to support any child that's not consuming any oily fish, an adult too.
Gauri: Right. Yes. Wonderful. Thank you so much. That is so helpful. and I'd love to know, just briefly, going back to Saffron, are there any reasons why a parent may not want to give sa you know, l are there any sort of adverse effects or any cautions?
Tina: Yes, now actually that's a really great question. I know of that study, but I don't know what age that study started at, so we would have to look at that. the core foundations of looking at nourishment for mental health are getting. All the gut microbes happy and healthy. How do we do that? Well, we know that plant diversity. So perhaps order a seasonal veggie box or fruit and vegetable box. Start every day with a handful, a palm sized handful of mixed nuts and seeds unsalted. Why? We know, and a government study recently showed this that just this handful of nuts and seeds, along with some dried fruits. Can really increase the nutrient status of all of us and reduce things like heart disease for adults and all of these powerful things. So that's the easiest way to encourage that. That could be afternoon snack, or for me, I always suggest that's a breakfast kind of start. You can add it to yogurts and you can add them to soups and you can add them to your cooking, etc. but also going for eating the rainbow. So Make up a batch of crude in the morning so when your kids come in from school or an afternoon snack, they're filling up on things like hummus, again, another plant with lots of different veggies or chopped fruit as well. and then adding things like fermented foods, so things like kimchi, and there's a recent study just came out, and I'm not I can't tell you all the details of the study, but they did it in mice and they were fed them kimchi and they actually helped. Reduce microplastics from the mice. So I'm about to do a post on that. But what kimchi does along with sauerkraut, kefir, things like Greek live yogurt, things like a cheeses, sourdough bread, miso soup, all of these fermented kind of foods, ideally three times a day has been shown to massively boost those gut microbes, the healthy ones. Knocking out and killing off the bad ones, those weed ones that cause the inflammation and cause the anxiety. So actually delivering this sort of colourful, diverse, Mediterranean style eating pattern on a regular basis can have a huge impact. And my little top tip was for me, when the kids came in from school, I would always have crude dee ready, but I'd also have a mixed veggie soup with different beans and legumes and lift. different vegetables. So kind of you give them that big nutrient dense snack as soon as they come in so they're not instantly going for the chocolate bars and the crisps.
Gauri: What a smart move because that's when they're hungry and they'll basically just eat what they can see and g get all the nutrients in.
Tina: Yeah, I mean that morning prep, even if you did it, you know, a couple of times a week to create those sort of trays of the crude, also making up batches of overnight oats with lots of different frozen berries and oats and adding in all the different seeds for crunch and you can make a big batch of them, just pop them in your jam jars, and then they're ready to go for snacks or breakfast on the go and all of these good things. And then batch cooking. you know, I I I'm all about the ten minute meal. So you know, trays of roasted veggies that I can mix into pasta sauces or serve as a you know in curries and all of these things. So I just grab things and they're ready to serve.
Gauri: So very intentional, but actually probably time saving and you know, I'm sure when you referred to seasonal, you know, that resonates, doesn't it? Probably I'm sure that's more of better value, things that are kind of in season if they've not had to be flown across the world, but also it's better for the environment as well.
Tina: Hundred percent, exactly. And obviously locally sourced, so you know, again that's so helpful that it hasn't had long travelling distances. and eating seasonally allows that gut diversity. You know, what we want is that seasonal produce are all different foods because it's the the different foods that the guts like the gut likes.
Gauri: Lovely, understood. No, thank you so much. And so I'd love to now talk about dopamine. It's a hot topic at the moment because you know it's so implicated in the conversation around technology and screens and children and reward pathways and children being pulled to screens in order to boost their natural dopamine. Now, have you got any thoughts from a nutritionist's perspective?
Tina: Yeah. Yeah, a hundred percent. So, again, all these neurotransmitters or chemical messages in the body come from the precursors of what we are eating. So, protein is the one that we want to really set you up for that dopamine. So, ideally, having a breakfast which is rich in protein can not only stabilize blood sugar, which is fundamental in mental health, by the way. Thinking of ourselves, I wasn't always a nutritionist, so my sort of typical cereal and a glass of orange juice and a bit of toast and jam in the morning would invariably leave me with that mid-morning energy slump, low motivation, can't be bothered kind of feeling. And again, you know, in the middle of the afternoon, and we see this with all age groups. So by having a protein-rich breakfast as the priority, along with a sort of unprocessed fiber that would be something like a whole grain toast or it would be something like oats or it would be some you know kind of a an omelette with a a kind of salad and vegetable kind of things these these lovely sorts of breakfasts again can be pre-made so if you make Spanish omelets in advance they're all ready to just either have on the go or heat up or cold but The protein contains a precursor called tyrosine, an amino acid that really boosts dopamine. So it could be yogurt, it could be beans, it could be fish, it could be things like hummus, it could be nuts and seeds, it could be eggs, all of these sorts of things are great sources to have in the morning to boost that dopamine. And obviously, ideally encouraging your child to have protein with each meal to stabilize blood sugar levels so that you get that continuous. improved energy, motivation and mood through the day.
Gauri: So helpful. So protein for dopamine. Thank you. And another thing I remember reading not too long ago was the power the the benefits and importance of folic acid and the B vitamins for our brain health.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So folate, which we get in sort of green leafy vegetables, spinach, lentils, asparagus, avocado, all of these kinds of foods, really is the foundation again for not only dopamine, but also serotonin production. So it's really fundamental that kids are getting these foods. So I know a lot of kids do not like green leafy vegetables. I have two boys myself. and so there's always ways that we can incorporate this. So, for example, a morning smoothie with things like berries, which we know are particularly good for cognition, memory, and mood. We've got lots of studies on dark berries to get the frozen ones, organic frozen berries, pop those into a smoothie, and you can pop in things like frozen organic spinach in there. and even add things like cauliflower. You can't taste them with the lovely berries and some yogurt as well. So then you've got this dopamine rich mood boosting, memory boosting, happier child for sure. So again that can be made in batches.
Gauri: Wonderful. Really, really inspiring. Thank you. Because yes, so you've got your you've you've got two, you're a mum of two. so this is coming from your actual experience being a busy mum and just sort of thinking about all the things that one needs. Now, my next question is we talked a little bit a few weeks ago about this when we were on our nature walk. About what are your thoughts about alcohol and There are there is a shifting trend at the moment, isn't there, with how teens and youths are sort of what their relationship is with alcohol. What are your sort of thoughts and reflections on that?
Tina: Okay, well, there is this move in the right direction, it's very positive. that kids aren't into alcohol. Also, although saying that I've got one of my sons does drink alcohol, it's very much in his culture from his school and his university, and the other one not at all inclined. And and his peers are not interested in alcohol, so it's quite interesting that we've got both. So I think the most important thing to discuss with our young people is what actually happens when we drink alcohol. Obviously it can be very helpful in terms of losing inhibition, but that might not be a good thing. often they'll binge drink and then completely lose their inhibitions and and that not be a good thing at all nowadays with all the Videoing all it could bring embarrassment and shame and and so preempting all of this and ensuring they understand that drinking water is really important, not binge drinking, but also talking about the real impact of alcohol. So if we think historically, alcohol was used to clean wounds. And effectively, what it has is it has this antibacterial impact. So we've been talking about these healthy gut microbes. Now it doesn't really understand the difference between the good and the bad bacteria. So it whenever we consume alcohol, we're effectively killing off the microbes. And if we go on a big bender, I think all of us know that the next day not only do we feel absolutely shattered, but for lots of people, they actually feel what we call anxiety. Hangxieties, a hangover and the anxiety. And why is that? Well, it is the impact of the knocking out of all those gut microbes. But also it depletes us of all these important B vitamins that we need to make the happy calming neurotransmitters. It also massively impacts our recovery and sleep. We have very fractured, poor sleep, leading us then the next day to feel pretty lousy. So, you know, making them aware of all of these things. So, for example, you know, when I do talks in schools with teens and I'm chatting to them, if they've got exams coming up, really What are their goals? So if they know they're gonna go and get absolutely wrecked at a party and that's gonna really in mess up their revision or their sports and their activities, that's not good for them in any way. So again, really arming them with the skills to understand that alcohol has consequences and in small mindful mindful drinking we call it now, it's not a problem, but it actually that real binge drinking 'cause it actually also kills off their brain cells w in the developing brain as we know.
Gauri: Yes. Thank you. I think one thing that I I'm really hearing from if we take a bird's eye view of this conversation is that really when we think about the things we're putting into our body, whether it's the dr alcohol, whether it's all the nutrients, the fruit, and thinking about all the things that our body needs. I'd love to hear your take on the relationship between the decisions we all make with our food and our nutrition. And our relationship with ourself. So do you see that in your work? That if people are kind to themselves, if there's good self-worth, good self-esteem, a good sense of this is who I am, these are my goals, which you mentioned, you know, this is what I want to do, this is what I'm invested in, these sports, these friendships, the this profession. If people have that clear sort of sense of who they are, they like who they are, they love who they are. In the sense that they want to look after who they are, not sort of love as in in a sort of ego way, but they want to cherish and respect who they are. They're more likely to be healthy with the choices they make when it comes to food and drink.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. We had a study in the Journal of Adolescence in 2024, and this was really about mindful self-compassion for teenagers, and we found that those that really have that self-compassion tend to have healthier focus on their choices. so you know, we've got studies to show that, and I think we all understand that. The problem is many teenagers don't feel that way. So, how do we encourage that? So I think certainly again when I do the talks that I do and working with teenagers, I talk a lot about how do you speak to your friends? Are you kind to your friends? And very often I will hear wonderfully kind conversations with other people. Or supposing that friend is having a really tough time or they've had a rotten haircut or they've done really badly in their exams or whatever, their friends are there to say, hey, listen, it's not the end of the world. I've got your back. Don't worry, we're all in this together. You know, if we keep working at it, we'll get better, kind of thing. But I then see so many teenagers and adults beating themselves up every day. They look in the mirror from the minute they wake up and they are mean to themselves. So I can't do this, I'm not good at this, I'm overwhelmed, life is too tough, I can't make friends. All of these different kinds of like I call them the bully. So we have a nice self, a positive voice and a negative voice. And as you know, we have on average about 85,000 thoughts a day. I don't know where they got that stat from. And for many of us, the majority of them, even 90% of them, can be negative thoughts. So recognizing these and identifying that actually we don't want to be bullied. Our thoughts are not us, they are simply thoughts, and we can choose not to absorb and entertain those thoughts. And one of the things that I do is the nip and flip. I'm making it sound super simple, but for an example, would be the bully says, I really can't do this, I'm no good at this. This is too hard for me. Why does everybody else make it look easy? The positive voice. We would identify that this bully is in full force here. The positive voice would nip and flip and say, hey, listen, you know what? I've only just started doing this. Hard things are good for me because I will grow, even if I don't like the experience, it will give me the experience and it will help me grow. And all of these kind of things that are just so important. So, really becoming your own best friend, your own cheerleader, you've got your back. And these are habits we kind of need to instill because if we mirror though, if if we say these things out loud to our children, they can pick up on that. So, for example, one of the things I do with my kids is I say, I'm having a really tough time, I'm doing lots of challenging things that are really out of my comfort zone. And I'm really struggling with these, but what I'm doing is being kind to myself and sort of saying, okay, let's break it down into small chunks and try to manage those. So I'm just living one hour, one day at a time while I'm trying to do this challenging thing. Or, you know, I'm having a tough time right now, sleep's no good because I'm very stressed. Okay, I'm gonna choose to give myself more relaxation and kind time. You know what I mean?
Gauri: Lovely. No, absolutely. I think it's so intertwined, isn't it? And as you say, the thoughts, it's the same thoughts which may bully us, which will say, go and eat something that's not very good for you, because actually who cares, you're not worth it. Whereas if those thoughts were sort of shifted into actually and I agree with your point as well, as a parent, you know, we almost have this exciting place in our children's lives where we can start the ball rolling with positive affirmations, sort of got your back, I love you no matter what. I'm here no matter what. I love you at the same time, as well as the fact that I love you, I want you to love yourself to go and eat an apple. Or you know, put the crisps down. and I think it also it's also a very empowering because we talk a we th we know a lot about the importance of autonomy and self-empowerment.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah. Totally.
Gauri: And food is a way that we in practice quite easily can exercise our agency, our autonomy, and make some good decisions. not just for our physical health, but also the way we regard ourselves. And that is something that can then support with everything else, you know, whether it's our attitude to work, sports, you know, at the end of the day, it's coming down to a very simple message, isn't it? I am worthy. The food I put in my body needs to be good. and my attitude and my ethic to everything else I do is gonna be good. So it's a bit of a it sounds like, I mean, certainly with my children, I remember when I was trying to sort of think about these messages, food would be a vehicle to a much wider conversation. So it would be something like, you know, eat these blueberries, they're full of antioxidants that helps your body fight disease and infection, you are worth it. You are so special. I love you no matter what. So look after your body. And then they'd listen to that and then just go and get the blue because so it's sort of them taking on the information and acting on their behalf.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah, and they learn so much at home, by the way. So actually by being surrounded by the right foods and things like dark chocolate, again, mood boosting, we've got lots of studies and good for memory and all of these sorts of things, but creating the environment that they've got access to all these wonderful fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds and you know healthy proteins and and the foundations of a good healthy diet at home. will set them up for success. So yeah, absolutely. I love all of those conversations. And as you say, really nourish yourself from the inside out. And we can teach all of that.
Gauri: Lovely. I I love it. And one thing back to alcohol that we also talked about before that I want to bring up here, which was when we were reflecting, you know, if you really zoom out and do a bird's eye view on why people drink, some people, not everybody, but some people drink in order to relieve social anxiety. and they want to laugh. Maybe a little they may struggle with being like their authentic self. So they'll have a drink to ease that.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: and I wondered what your thoughts were on that piece. That actually, if we supported our youth, our children, our adolescents with building that good self-esteem, self-belief, that actually if you're in a party, you don't have to entertain anyone. You could be, and you know, being able to sit comfortably with who you are and just being comfortable with who you are.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: rather than thinking I need to have a drink so I can be another way, is some of the whole is the conversation, would it be helpful for us to think about how can we support that message that actually a bit of social anxiety is normal, it's okay. Let's sit with it. Let's process it. Let's not escape or numb it. Actually let's sit with it and it's okay.
Tina: I love that and I'm so pleased you brought that up. So from my perspective, there is this, we we we're hearing all the time about this huge anxiety epidemic amongst young people. And I think the bit that people aren't explaining is that as human beings, when we look at our evolution, we are designed to worry and protect ourselves because obviously, you know, that's how the human brain evolved. So actually say it's quite normal. To feel anxious. And in fact, in a day, we might feel 30 different emotions, but everybody else will be. And I think the social anxiety thing, again explaining, actually, you'll probably find that 99% of people in that room will be feeling the same as you, but actually putting on a smile, and we know something you and I spoke about. When we smile, the smile the world smiles back at us. So actually, for me, teaching your kid. That smiling instantly is a game changer in terms of any room. So you can be feeling really scared and nervous and anxious, but actually just wear that smile and instantly people will approach you. Or go out of your comfort zone and look for somebody who's looking really uncomfortable. and go and speak to them and break the ice. So, you know, these again are so foundational in explaining all of this is normal and this is part of being human and the joy that is life.
Gauri: Absolutely a hundred percent. And I I love the sort of there's research which talks about laughter. And sort of you know that lol, that lol, the sort of diaphragmatic lol when we laugh. So when we laugh together, there's studies which show that we trust each other more and there's more coh social cohesion. And I think sometimes that's what people are looking for when they're having a few drinks, they want to sort of laugh. And I'm sort of thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Could laugh. Let's just laugh more. Let's just laugh at more somehow.
Tina: Let's do it. Let's do it. Exactly. Yeah. And and you know, bring the funnies, perhaps practice a few jokes beforehand. You know, realize that actually communication has to be in some ways learned for many of us. It that we don't naturally you know, it's it's something we do all the time. That's in we're growing into ourselves.
Gauri: Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it comes back down, doesn't it? To if we have a positive view of ourself, if we feel good enough as we are, then we don't feel we have this bar to keep jumping for. and then we're probably more able to be a bit more free. The anxiety may come a bit lower, and we may find things a bit more fun and free and funny, and we may laugh more, and then the whole temperature in the room might actually change. So there's a lot there, isn't there? And I think I love the whole idea of the link between nutrition, self-worth, and and positive behaviour, behavioural steps and how that can all start in our family homes.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So I hope some of those tips have been helpful. For anyone that doesn't know where to start, the book really is the handbook for parents and teachers, as well as you know, your young people from 10 all the way up to I've got lots of university students that loved it. It's a handbook. So you can go to the bit that really is affecting you. So if that's anxiety, if that's sleep, if that's gut health, if that's skin health, if that's wanting to bulk up, or all of these things, they're all in there. It's got 32 different chapters of every top tip over the last you know 25 years that I've got to together. And I think at this point I've just got a plug that I've been working for the last few months on this program that I really want to be accessible to every young person on the planet, is my absolute goal. And these are core foundations, it's my program. it's called Thrive in Five Programme and it really looks at the five pillars of how we can set up ourselves up for success every day. and you know, I won't go into details about it now, but I'm very much looking forward to launching it soon, along with my third book on sort of young people's health and well-being.
Gauri: phenomenal. And how can people get in touch with you? How can people follow you so they can under you know get to know more about your program?
Tina: Thank you. So you'll find me on the Instagram as the Nutrition Guru and my website again the Nutrition Guru. And I work with all different age groups and I work with lots of big companies as well, doing all their corporate events and what have you. So be delighted to chat to you. So do get in touch.
Gauri: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Tina, for so much phenomenal wisdom, so much helpful information there. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good to talk.
Tina: Thank you. It's my pleasure. Have a great day.
Tina: Good morning. My pleasure to be here. Delighted to chat to you this morning.
Gauri: Well, thank you so much. And I'm so excited about this because we've spoken a few times now. and you are the nutrition guru and you've dedicated your professional life into supporting people understand the importance of nutrition for our health.
Tina: Absolutely, twenty-five years now. So it's been a wonderful and varied career, but my ultimate passion is translating the complicated science that is nutrition into easy actionables to really help people live their very best life at every kind of age and stage.
Gauri: Well, that is spot on for a tune-in. As you know, the audience will be parents who want to understand how they can support their children with their mental well-being for the long game. And of course, thinking about brain health and our mood, our ability to concentrate, our ability to be our best self. It's so linked to food. But before we go into that, Tina, are you happy just to sort of summarize your sort of journey, your professional journey, so people can people know about all the Expertise that you hold.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So I grew up with an Italian grandma who used to grow all her own fruit and vegetables in the garden. We used to eat those that wonderful sort of seasonal produce, although I was a child of the 70s and 80s, so actually there was also a huge element of processed foods. You know, this was the time that processed foods were really being developed and liberating women out of the kitchen. So it was quite an interesting. Growing up a sort of juxtaposition between all the kind of processed foods that were readily available. And I had a full-time working mom. So there were a lot of those bird's eye finders pancakes and all of these angel delights, if you're old as me or remember those. And then also we had this wonderful seasonal eating food as medicine. And so my grandma would talk to me about all of the sort of health constituents of food as medicine. And so I was always very interested in that. And I was quite a sickly kind of a teenager. You know, I just have recurrent sort of things like tonsillitis and all manner of annoying things. And actually, I really wanted to embrace health. So I started to really look at food as medicine and ended up doing five years full time studying. I have a first class BSC honours in nutritional medicine. Postgraduate sort of training in behavioural psychology. I went straight into London's Harley Street working in integrated medical clinics with all age groups, you know, working alongside incredible doctors, and we work in unison together, really helping people get better. And obviously, what we know is the foundation of health comes from what we're eating every day, because effectively, to the tips of our toes. That is all made of the food we eat. So if we get that foundation right, we tend to find we can really get people feeling a lot better very quickly. I then went on to work in addiction with teenagers with eating disorder, drug and alcohol addiction. and from there I developed an education program. I felt that I was best served going in and preventing health issues and sort of eating disorders by having this very empowering. discussions with whole, you know, schools. Sometimes it would be an entire school would turn up for a big assembly, 800 people or whatever. And I was talking to about 25,000 students a year, going from place to place to place to place. I have a best-selling book that's used in schools, Eat Well and Feel Great, with Bloomsbury Publishing. And then I I still work in a clinical setting. I have my own clinic now, we work around the world and I also work it with leadership teams, empowering them to have better health practices and stress resilience. But my real core passion is empowering our young people and speaking with parents and and you know, parenting conferences in schools and that kind of thing.
Gauri: Wonderful. What an impact. And just thank you so much for what you're doing. So what what are your sort of initial thoughts? If we were to sort think about mental well being, what are your thoughts? What comes to mind when it comes to nutrition?
Tina: Okay, so I'm very passionate about this. We have more scientific evidence and studies now than ever before to show that what we eat directly impacts our mood and motivation, our sleep quality, our mental health, and so forth. So we have two things that we need to look at. Fundamentally, it's the foundations, getting the foundations right. We've got some great studies that started. in Australia, there was the SMILES study and the healthy med study, and the SMILE study was back in 2017. And it took people with mild to moderate depression and it put them on a very, very simple, not expensive. I'm talking tinned fish and rye crackers and fruits and vegetables, just what we would call a Mediterranean style diet. So think of very colourful. Fruits and vegetables, you know, tomato salads and all the different dark green leafy vegetables, the extra virgin olive oil, small amounts of meat, fish, and eggs and dairy. And within just 12 weeks, the study showed a 32% remission in that group. So we know that there is this direct correlation. Then we have this gut-brain connection, which we're hearing more and more about. So we know that these gut microbes that live some symbiotically within our gut, but actually all over our body and our skin as well. We must think of those as our kind of pets, if you will. Now, if we feed and nourish them properly, they can really set ourselves up for feeling happier and healthier. They really have a direct impact on producing vitamins for us. But also happy neurotransmitters. So we know that 95% of serotonin, which is our calm and happy neurotransmitter, happy chemicals, if you will, are made in the gut and synthesized in the gut. But equally, we know, and studies have shown us, particularly studies in teenagers, when they have an abundance of overly processed, you know, what we call, you know, ultra-processed foods. That actually impacts the gut microbes by really proliferating bad microbes, the ones we don't want. If we think about weeds, for example, in the garden, just completely overrunning, and what they do is they actually can trigger anxiety So we know that the more ultra processed foods drive that anxiety, lower moods, whereas The more healthful Mediterranean style eating pattern has a direct impact on improved mood. We can go into more and more details on that.
Gauri: That's so so insightful and I think, you know, I agree that there is a lot more that we're reading about this. But if we were to sort of you know, if there's a parent listening and they don't they'd like a to break it down another step, how would you how can a busy parent identify what we would describe as an ultra processed food in this context?
Tina: Yeah, that's a really great question and it is a little bit of a mind field, and I would recommend actually getting a book specifically on how to break that down, or even just using AI and ChatGPT to scan labels. So I think this is the year 2026 is the year for reading the labels because we're realizing that if a food has got an abundant amount of things that you do not recognize on the label. And loads of additives and preservatives and emulsifiers. These are the ones that cause the gut damage. And obviously, with our children, we want to ensure that's not happening because the one thing I haven't mentioned, and it's not scaremongering, but it's very important that we do recognize this. There was a study of nine-year-olds that had had a huge amount of exposure to ultra-processed foods, and what they found is these. Gut microbes actually then trigger not only these feelings of anxiety and driving, sort of low mood, but it actually triggers inflammation through the body, a warning signal, if you will. And that inflammation can be predictive of depression in teenage years. So the study of nine-year-olds showed more or less the sort of precursor and driver. that those teenagers were likely to be inflamed and depression and low mood is considered a kind of inflammatory disorder as well.
Gauri: I mean, this is such a powerful nugget of knowledge for parents to hear because I think this is relatively a new new science in some ways, that there's such a direct correlation with our gut health and our downstream mood, mediated by, as you were describing, the serotonin, the sort of brain chemicals. And I'd love to sort of talk to you a bit about that because I saw a phenomenal video that you did about the benefits of.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: saffron as a natural way to support our healthy serotonin levels. And I'd love to hear from you on that and if there's any sort of I know there's a little bit of evidence, but it'd be lovely to hear it in your words because you describe it so nicely. What do we know about some of the more natural ways to boost our brain chemicals?
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So there was a 2013 meta-analysis and there's been numerous studies that have actually shown saffron, which is that wonderful yellow spice that we think of, that colourful golden spice actually is medicinal in terms of our health and specifically in terms of mood and mental health. So it's actually the studies have shown it is comparable to an antidepressant You would have to take that in a supplement form but you can add it to your food always. Why not? And we know that all of those spices also feed these gut microbes. So, you know, that was a very, very interesting study. One of my favorite foods groups is actually omega-3 fats. And we have again a wealth of study on that. so if we think about the dry weight of our brain, about 60% of the dry weight of our brain is actually made up of healthy fats. For many of us, particularly in the UK, we are not an oily fish eating nation. And actually, really in Western societies, you know, there isn't that sort of focus on omega-3 rich foods. Specifically the oily fish, what we call the smash fish. So things like wild salmon and mackerel and anchovies, herrings and sardines, because those smaller fish have lived in the ocean such a small time, they're not taking on all the toxins that we know in the sea, like the mercury and the PCBs and these kinds of things. So by eating the smaller fish, we can enjoy the omic-3 without that. But the studies really show, and there's been so many, particularly a 2023 study, which showed that particularly EPA is really associated with boosting mood. but obviously, we know that it's a very important constituent of the brain. So if you aren't topping it up, we are utilizing or using about five milligrams a day. If you're not keeping topping that up, you will see changes, whether that's Poor cognition, brain fog, communication issues, sleep issues, mood issues, and some of the kind of signs and symptoms as parents can look out for. Dry skin, dandruff, eczema, sort of pimples on the backs of the arms and legs. For adults, it might be cracked heels, even excess earwax. These are some of the signs and symptoms that you may be struggling. And there's so much information around the power of omega-3 and reading, cognition, ADHD, focus on all of these things. So you know that's a very powerful one.
Gauri: I mean it makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, when you say it. It it's very intuitive. And yet, as a busy parent, so you mentioned so the oily fish, are there any other ways that let's say there's a vegetarian, you know, a vegetarian child, what are the other ways parents can sort of deliver this?
Tina: Yes, so obviously we can get omega 3 in plant sources. You know, my favorite being walnuts looks like a miniature brain and packed with lots of fibre and all these wonderful nutrients, as well as omega-3 and chia seeds and flax and all these sorts of things. However, the conversion of plant omega-3 into utilized brain nourishment is very poor. So actually, taking either a fish oil supplement of really good quality. quality fish oil supplement or an algae supplement is more appropriate and definitely to support any child that's not consuming any oily fish, an adult too.
Gauri: Right. Yes. Wonderful. Thank you so much. That is so helpful. and I'd love to know, just briefly, going back to Saffron, are there any reasons why a parent may not want to give sa you know, l are there any sort of adverse effects or any cautions?
Tina: Yes, now actually that's a really great question. I know of that study, but I don't know what age that study started at, so we would have to look at that. the core foundations of looking at nourishment for mental health are getting. All the gut microbes happy and healthy. How do we do that? Well, we know that plant diversity. So perhaps order a seasonal veggie box or fruit and vegetable box. Start every day with a handful, a palm sized handful of mixed nuts and seeds unsalted. Why? We know, and a government study recently showed this that just this handful of nuts and seeds, along with some dried fruits. Can really increase the nutrient status of all of us and reduce things like heart disease for adults and all of these powerful things. So that's the easiest way to encourage that. That could be afternoon snack, or for me, I always suggest that's a breakfast kind of start. You can add it to yogurts and you can add them to soups and you can add them to your cooking, etc. but also going for eating the rainbow. So Make up a batch of crude in the morning so when your kids come in from school or an afternoon snack, they're filling up on things like hummus, again, another plant with lots of different veggies or chopped fruit as well. and then adding things like fermented foods, so things like kimchi, and there's a recent study just came out, and I'm not I can't tell you all the details of the study, but they did it in mice and they were fed them kimchi and they actually helped. Reduce microplastics from the mice. So I'm about to do a post on that. But what kimchi does along with sauerkraut, kefir, things like Greek live yogurt, things like a cheeses, sourdough bread, miso soup, all of these fermented kind of foods, ideally three times a day has been shown to massively boost those gut microbes, the healthy ones. Knocking out and killing off the bad ones, those weed ones that cause the inflammation and cause the anxiety. So actually delivering this sort of colourful, diverse, Mediterranean style eating pattern on a regular basis can have a huge impact. And my little top tip was for me, when the kids came in from school, I would always have crude dee ready, but I'd also have a mixed veggie soup with different beans and legumes and lift. different vegetables. So kind of you give them that big nutrient dense snack as soon as they come in so they're not instantly going for the chocolate bars and the crisps.
Gauri: What a smart move because that's when they're hungry and they'll basically just eat what they can see and g get all the nutrients in.
Tina: Yeah, I mean that morning prep, even if you did it, you know, a couple of times a week to create those sort of trays of the crude, also making up batches of overnight oats with lots of different frozen berries and oats and adding in all the different seeds for crunch and you can make a big batch of them, just pop them in your jam jars, and then they're ready to go for snacks or breakfast on the go and all of these good things. And then batch cooking. you know, I I I'm all about the ten minute meal. So you know, trays of roasted veggies that I can mix into pasta sauces or serve as a you know in curries and all of these things. So I just grab things and they're ready to serve.
Gauri: So very intentional, but actually probably time saving and you know, I'm sure when you referred to seasonal, you know, that resonates, doesn't it? Probably I'm sure that's more of better value, things that are kind of in season if they've not had to be flown across the world, but also it's better for the environment as well.
Tina: Hundred percent, exactly. And obviously locally sourced, so you know, again that's so helpful that it hasn't had long travelling distances. and eating seasonally allows that gut diversity. You know, what we want is that seasonal produce are all different foods because it's the the different foods that the guts like the gut likes.
Gauri: Lovely, understood. No, thank you so much. And so I'd love to now talk about dopamine. It's a hot topic at the moment because you know it's so implicated in the conversation around technology and screens and children and reward pathways and children being pulled to screens in order to boost their natural dopamine. Now, have you got any thoughts from a nutritionist's perspective?
Tina: Yeah. Yeah, a hundred percent. So, again, all these neurotransmitters or chemical messages in the body come from the precursors of what we are eating. So, protein is the one that we want to really set you up for that dopamine. So, ideally, having a breakfast which is rich in protein can not only stabilize blood sugar, which is fundamental in mental health, by the way. Thinking of ourselves, I wasn't always a nutritionist, so my sort of typical cereal and a glass of orange juice and a bit of toast and jam in the morning would invariably leave me with that mid-morning energy slump, low motivation, can't be bothered kind of feeling. And again, you know, in the middle of the afternoon, and we see this with all age groups. So by having a protein-rich breakfast as the priority, along with a sort of unprocessed fiber that would be something like a whole grain toast or it would be something like oats or it would be some you know kind of a an omelette with a a kind of salad and vegetable kind of things these these lovely sorts of breakfasts again can be pre-made so if you make Spanish omelets in advance they're all ready to just either have on the go or heat up or cold but The protein contains a precursor called tyrosine, an amino acid that really boosts dopamine. So it could be yogurt, it could be beans, it could be fish, it could be things like hummus, it could be nuts and seeds, it could be eggs, all of these sorts of things are great sources to have in the morning to boost that dopamine. And obviously, ideally encouraging your child to have protein with each meal to stabilize blood sugar levels so that you get that continuous. improved energy, motivation and mood through the day.
Gauri: So helpful. So protein for dopamine. Thank you. And another thing I remember reading not too long ago was the power the the benefits and importance of folic acid and the B vitamins for our brain health.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So folate, which we get in sort of green leafy vegetables, spinach, lentils, asparagus, avocado, all of these kinds of foods, really is the foundation again for not only dopamine, but also serotonin production. So it's really fundamental that kids are getting these foods. So I know a lot of kids do not like green leafy vegetables. I have two boys myself. and so there's always ways that we can incorporate this. So, for example, a morning smoothie with things like berries, which we know are particularly good for cognition, memory, and mood. We've got lots of studies on dark berries to get the frozen ones, organic frozen berries, pop those into a smoothie, and you can pop in things like frozen organic spinach in there. and even add things like cauliflower. You can't taste them with the lovely berries and some yogurt as well. So then you've got this dopamine rich mood boosting, memory boosting, happier child for sure. So again that can be made in batches.
Gauri: Wonderful. Really, really inspiring. Thank you. Because yes, so you've got your you've you've got two, you're a mum of two. so this is coming from your actual experience being a busy mum and just sort of thinking about all the things that one needs. Now, my next question is we talked a little bit a few weeks ago about this when we were on our nature walk. About what are your thoughts about alcohol and There are there is a shifting trend at the moment, isn't there, with how teens and youths are sort of what their relationship is with alcohol. What are your sort of thoughts and reflections on that?
Tina: Okay, well, there is this move in the right direction, it's very positive. that kids aren't into alcohol. Also, although saying that I've got one of my sons does drink alcohol, it's very much in his culture from his school and his university, and the other one not at all inclined. And and his peers are not interested in alcohol, so it's quite interesting that we've got both. So I think the most important thing to discuss with our young people is what actually happens when we drink alcohol. Obviously it can be very helpful in terms of losing inhibition, but that might not be a good thing. often they'll binge drink and then completely lose their inhibitions and and that not be a good thing at all nowadays with all the Videoing all it could bring embarrassment and shame and and so preempting all of this and ensuring they understand that drinking water is really important, not binge drinking, but also talking about the real impact of alcohol. So if we think historically, alcohol was used to clean wounds. And effectively, what it has is it has this antibacterial impact. So we've been talking about these healthy gut microbes. Now it doesn't really understand the difference between the good and the bad bacteria. So it whenever we consume alcohol, we're effectively killing off the microbes. And if we go on a big bender, I think all of us know that the next day not only do we feel absolutely shattered, but for lots of people, they actually feel what we call anxiety. Hangxieties, a hangover and the anxiety. And why is that? Well, it is the impact of the knocking out of all those gut microbes. But also it depletes us of all these important B vitamins that we need to make the happy calming neurotransmitters. It also massively impacts our recovery and sleep. We have very fractured, poor sleep, leading us then the next day to feel pretty lousy. So, you know, making them aware of all of these things. So, for example, you know, when I do talks in schools with teens and I'm chatting to them, if they've got exams coming up, really What are their goals? So if they know they're gonna go and get absolutely wrecked at a party and that's gonna really in mess up their revision or their sports and their activities, that's not good for them in any way. So again, really arming them with the skills to understand that alcohol has consequences and in small mindful mindful drinking we call it now, it's not a problem, but it actually that real binge drinking 'cause it actually also kills off their brain cells w in the developing brain as we know.
Gauri: Yes. Thank you. I think one thing that I I'm really hearing from if we take a bird's eye view of this conversation is that really when we think about the things we're putting into our body, whether it's the dr alcohol, whether it's all the nutrients, the fruit, and thinking about all the things that our body needs. I'd love to hear your take on the relationship between the decisions we all make with our food and our nutrition. And our relationship with ourself. So do you see that in your work? That if people are kind to themselves, if there's good self-worth, good self-esteem, a good sense of this is who I am, these are my goals, which you mentioned, you know, this is what I want to do, this is what I'm invested in, these sports, these friendships, the this profession. If people have that clear sort of sense of who they are, they like who they are, they love who they are. In the sense that they want to look after who they are, not sort of love as in in a sort of ego way, but they want to cherish and respect who they are. They're more likely to be healthy with the choices they make when it comes to food and drink.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. We had a study in the Journal of Adolescence in 2024, and this was really about mindful self-compassion for teenagers, and we found that those that really have that self-compassion tend to have healthier focus on their choices. so you know, we've got studies to show that, and I think we all understand that. The problem is many teenagers don't feel that way. So, how do we encourage that? So I think certainly again when I do the talks that I do and working with teenagers, I talk a lot about how do you speak to your friends? Are you kind to your friends? And very often I will hear wonderfully kind conversations with other people. Or supposing that friend is having a really tough time or they've had a rotten haircut or they've done really badly in their exams or whatever, their friends are there to say, hey, listen, it's not the end of the world. I've got your back. Don't worry, we're all in this together. You know, if we keep working at it, we'll get better, kind of thing. But I then see so many teenagers and adults beating themselves up every day. They look in the mirror from the minute they wake up and they are mean to themselves. So I can't do this, I'm not good at this, I'm overwhelmed, life is too tough, I can't make friends. All of these different kinds of like I call them the bully. So we have a nice self, a positive voice and a negative voice. And as you know, we have on average about 85,000 thoughts a day. I don't know where they got that stat from. And for many of us, the majority of them, even 90% of them, can be negative thoughts. So recognizing these and identifying that actually we don't want to be bullied. Our thoughts are not us, they are simply thoughts, and we can choose not to absorb and entertain those thoughts. And one of the things that I do is the nip and flip. I'm making it sound super simple, but for an example, would be the bully says, I really can't do this, I'm no good at this. This is too hard for me. Why does everybody else make it look easy? The positive voice. We would identify that this bully is in full force here. The positive voice would nip and flip and say, hey, listen, you know what? I've only just started doing this. Hard things are good for me because I will grow, even if I don't like the experience, it will give me the experience and it will help me grow. And all of these kind of things that are just so important. So, really becoming your own best friend, your own cheerleader, you've got your back. And these are habits we kind of need to instill because if we mirror though, if if we say these things out loud to our children, they can pick up on that. So, for example, one of the things I do with my kids is I say, I'm having a really tough time, I'm doing lots of challenging things that are really out of my comfort zone. And I'm really struggling with these, but what I'm doing is being kind to myself and sort of saying, okay, let's break it down into small chunks and try to manage those. So I'm just living one hour, one day at a time while I'm trying to do this challenging thing. Or, you know, I'm having a tough time right now, sleep's no good because I'm very stressed. Okay, I'm gonna choose to give myself more relaxation and kind time. You know what I mean?
Gauri: Lovely. No, absolutely. I think it's so intertwined, isn't it? And as you say, the thoughts, it's the same thoughts which may bully us, which will say, go and eat something that's not very good for you, because actually who cares, you're not worth it. Whereas if those thoughts were sort of shifted into actually and I agree with your point as well, as a parent, you know, we almost have this exciting place in our children's lives where we can start the ball rolling with positive affirmations, sort of got your back, I love you no matter what. I'm here no matter what. I love you at the same time, as well as the fact that I love you, I want you to love yourself to go and eat an apple. Or you know, put the crisps down. and I think it also it's also a very empowering because we talk a we th we know a lot about the importance of autonomy and self-empowerment.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah. Totally.
Gauri: And food is a way that we in practice quite easily can exercise our agency, our autonomy, and make some good decisions. not just for our physical health, but also the way we regard ourselves. And that is something that can then support with everything else, you know, whether it's our attitude to work, sports, you know, at the end of the day, it's coming down to a very simple message, isn't it? I am worthy. The food I put in my body needs to be good. and my attitude and my ethic to everything else I do is gonna be good. So it's a bit of a it sounds like, I mean, certainly with my children, I remember when I was trying to sort of think about these messages, food would be a vehicle to a much wider conversation. So it would be something like, you know, eat these blueberries, they're full of antioxidants that helps your body fight disease and infection, you are worth it. You are so special. I love you no matter what. So look after your body. And then they'd listen to that and then just go and get the blue because so it's sort of them taking on the information and acting on their behalf.
Tina: Yeah. Yeah, and they learn so much at home, by the way. So actually by being surrounded by the right foods and things like dark chocolate, again, mood boosting, we've got lots of studies and good for memory and all of these sorts of things, but creating the environment that they've got access to all these wonderful fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds and you know healthy proteins and and the foundations of a good healthy diet at home. will set them up for success. So yeah, absolutely. I love all of those conversations. And as you say, really nourish yourself from the inside out. And we can teach all of that.
Gauri: Lovely. I I love it. And one thing back to alcohol that we also talked about before that I want to bring up here, which was when we were reflecting, you know, if you really zoom out and do a bird's eye view on why people drink, some people, not everybody, but some people drink in order to relieve social anxiety. and they want to laugh. Maybe a little they may struggle with being like their authentic self. So they'll have a drink to ease that.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: and I wondered what your thoughts were on that piece. That actually, if we supported our youth, our children, our adolescents with building that good self-esteem, self-belief, that actually if you're in a party, you don't have to entertain anyone. You could be, and you know, being able to sit comfortably with who you are and just being comfortable with who you are.
Tina: Yeah.
Gauri: rather than thinking I need to have a drink so I can be another way, is some of the whole is the conversation, would it be helpful for us to think about how can we support that message that actually a bit of social anxiety is normal, it's okay. Let's sit with it. Let's process it. Let's not escape or numb it. Actually let's sit with it and it's okay.
Tina: I love that and I'm so pleased you brought that up. So from my perspective, there is this, we we we're hearing all the time about this huge anxiety epidemic amongst young people. And I think the bit that people aren't explaining is that as human beings, when we look at our evolution, we are designed to worry and protect ourselves because obviously, you know, that's how the human brain evolved. So actually say it's quite normal. To feel anxious. And in fact, in a day, we might feel 30 different emotions, but everybody else will be. And I think the social anxiety thing, again explaining, actually, you'll probably find that 99% of people in that room will be feeling the same as you, but actually putting on a smile, and we know something you and I spoke about. When we smile, the smile the world smiles back at us. So actually, for me, teaching your kid. That smiling instantly is a game changer in terms of any room. So you can be feeling really scared and nervous and anxious, but actually just wear that smile and instantly people will approach you. Or go out of your comfort zone and look for somebody who's looking really uncomfortable. and go and speak to them and break the ice. So, you know, these again are so foundational in explaining all of this is normal and this is part of being human and the joy that is life.
Gauri: Absolutely a hundred percent. And I I love the sort of there's research which talks about laughter. And sort of you know that lol, that lol, the sort of diaphragmatic lol when we laugh. So when we laugh together, there's studies which show that we trust each other more and there's more coh social cohesion. And I think sometimes that's what people are looking for when they're having a few drinks, they want to sort of laugh. And I'm sort of thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Could laugh. Let's just laugh more. Let's just laugh at more somehow.
Tina: Let's do it. Let's do it. Exactly. Yeah. And and you know, bring the funnies, perhaps practice a few jokes beforehand. You know, realize that actually communication has to be in some ways learned for many of us. It that we don't naturally you know, it's it's something we do all the time. That's in we're growing into ourselves.
Gauri: Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it comes back down, doesn't it? To if we have a positive view of ourself, if we feel good enough as we are, then we don't feel we have this bar to keep jumping for. and then we're probably more able to be a bit more free. The anxiety may come a bit lower, and we may find things a bit more fun and free and funny, and we may laugh more, and then the whole temperature in the room might actually change. So there's a lot there, isn't there? And I think I love the whole idea of the link between nutrition, self-worth, and and positive behaviour, behavioural steps and how that can all start in our family homes.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So I hope some of those tips have been helpful. For anyone that doesn't know where to start, the book really is the handbook for parents and teachers, as well as you know, your young people from 10 all the way up to I've got lots of university students that loved it. It's a handbook. So you can go to the bit that really is affecting you. So if that's anxiety, if that's sleep, if that's gut health, if that's skin health, if that's wanting to bulk up, or all of these things, they're all in there. It's got 32 different chapters of every top tip over the last you know 25 years that I've got to together. And I think at this point I've just got a plug that I've been working for the last few months on this program that I really want to be accessible to every young person on the planet, is my absolute goal. And these are core foundations, it's my program. it's called Thrive in Five Programme and it really looks at the five pillars of how we can set up ourselves up for success every day. and you know, I won't go into details about it now, but I'm very much looking forward to launching it soon, along with my third book on sort of young people's health and well-being.
Gauri: phenomenal. And how can people get in touch with you? How can people follow you so they can under you know get to know more about your program?
Tina: Thank you. So you'll find me on the Instagram as the Nutrition Guru and my website again the Nutrition Guru. And I work with all different age groups and I work with lots of big companies as well, doing all their corporate events and what have you. So be delighted to chat to you. So do get in touch.
Gauri: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Tina, for so much phenomenal wisdom, so much helpful information there. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good to talk.
Tina: Thank you. It's my pleasure. Have a great day.
