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Everything you need to know about the heavy metal scandal

By Brett Nethell

You may have seen the recent headlines, reports testing 23 of the most popular protein powders and finding that many contained worrying levels of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, and cadmium. The findings horrified us too, but sadly, we’re not surprised. This is what happens when an industry trades integrity for profit, when brands cut costs with low-grade ingredients, skip third-party testing, and hide behind “natural” labels. What’s marketed as health food has quietly become one of the most contaminated corners of the wellness world.

It’s easy to feel fatigued by yet another “hidden toxin” headline, but heavy metals deserve your attention. The good news? You don’t need a harsh detox or complicated protocol.

Let’s break down why these metals matter, where they’re hiding, and how to detox naturally, without fear, fads, or extremes.

How heavy metals impact your health

Heavy metals are some of the most insidious toxins in modern life. Unlike many substances that pass through your system relatively quickly, heavy metals accumulate over time. They build up slowly in your organs, fat tissue, and even bones, quietly disrupting multiple systems while leaving you feeling off without an obvious cause. Here’s how they impact different areas of your health.

Energy production

One of the primary targets of heavy metals is your mitochondria. Metals like mercury, cadmium, and lead interfere with energy production, reducing ATP output and leaving your body fatigued, sluggish, and less resilient to stress. Over time, this mitochondrial damage contributes to persistent low energy, brain fog, and poor recovery from exercise. You might be doing everything right but still feel exhausted.

Hormonal imbalance

Heavy metals wreak havoc on your hormonal system in surprisingly specific ways. Cadmium can mimic estrogen in the body, while mercury impairs thyroid function. The result is hormone imbalances that ripple through your entire system, affecting mood, metabolism, and reproductive health. When hormone signalling is disrupted, you may experience unexplained weight gain, sleep problems, reduced libido, and mood swings that seem to come from nowhere.

Damaged histamine regulation

Here's an often-overlooked effect...heavy metals interfere with the enzymes that break down histamine, particularly diamine oxidase (DAO). This disruption can lead to histamine intolerance, triggering symptoms like headaches, facial flushing, digestive issues, and skin irritation.

Immune system overwhelm

Chronic exposure to heavy metals suppresses normal immune function while simultaneously promoting inflammation. Your body is essentially forced to fight off toxins and infections at the same time, leaving it overworked and inefficient. You might find yourself catching every cold that goes around or dealing with persistent low-grade inflammation that never quite resolves.

Detox organs become overburdened

Your liver and kidneys bear the brunt of heavy metal accumulation. These organs work tirelessly to filter out toxins, but metals are notoriously difficult to eliminate. Continuous exposure leads to impaired liver function, slower detoxification overall, and increased oxidative stress throughout your body. The damage compounds, affecting every other system.

Brain function

Heavy metals have a particularly insidious effect on the brain and nervous system. Lead, mercury, and aluminum can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue, where they interfere with neurotransmitter function and damage neurons.

This leads to cognitive impairment that can manifest as memory problems, difficulty concentrating, reduced mental clarity, and slower processing speed. Over time, chronic exposure has been linked to increased risk of neurodegenerative conditions. Even low-level exposure can affect mood regulation, contributing to anxiety and depression. The developing brain is especially vulnerable, which is why heavy metal exposure in children can have lasting effects on learning and behaviour.

Where are heavy metals hiding?

The sources are often surprising, sometimes they're the very foods and products we consider healthy.

Protein powders: Rice, pea, and hemp-based powders are grown in contaminated soil to keep prices low, and tend to concentrate metals from the soil they're grown in. Aggressive flavouring and colouring require extra heating and filtering, which further concentrate contaminants.
Chocolate and cacao often carry cadmium and lead, depending on the soil conditions where cacao is grown.
Fish, particularly larger predatory species like tuna and swordfish, accumulate mercury in their tissues.
Rice is prone to arsenic uptake from contaminated irrigation water.
Non-organic produce can absorb heavy metals from polluted soil or chemical fertilisers.
Tap water
Even everyday staples like coffee and sea salt can carry trace metals depending on their sourcing and processing.

Beyond food...

Dental amalgams can release small amounts of mercury over time.
Aluminium cookware may leach metals into your meals, especially under high heat.
Some flu vaccines still contain trace amounts of mercury-based preservatives (thimerosal), adding yet another potential exposure source.

The reality is that heavy metals are all around us, hiding in food, water, supplements, and household items. Awareness of these sources is your first step toward reducing exposure and protecting your body from silent, cumulative damage.

How to source low heavy metal products

The recent headlines have made one thing clear. Not all “health” products are created equal. Behind the glossy packaging and wellness buzzwords, many supplements, even the trendier ones, are quietly contaminated before they ever reach your kitchen.

Luckily you can spot integrity if you know what to look for.

1. Ask for post-processing testing (not just ingredient claims)

Many brands proudly share that their ingredients are tested for heavy metals, but here’s the catch... contamination often happens after that point. During manufacturing, concentration, or even packaging, metals like lead or arsenic can leach in.

That’s why post-processing testing (on the finished product) is the only truly reliable measure. If a brand can’t provide it, or gives vague answers, that’s your red flag. And if they don’t share their results at all, it’s not because they’re clean, but because they’re counting on you not to ask.

2. Soil health is everything

Heavy metals don’t appear out of nowhere, they’re absorbed from the earth itself. Crops grown in polluted soil, or livestock fed contaminated grains, pass those metals straight up the food chain.

That’s why sourcing from regenerative, biodiverse farms is so important. Healthy soil acts like the planet’s liver, it filters, nourishes, and protects. Look for terms like grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic, or better yet, farms that speak openly about their soil practices. Transparency always speaks louder than labels.

3. Choose shorter supply chains

Every extra processing step or shipping leg adds risk. Smaller, regional producers tend to have tighter control over quality, fewer middlemen, cleaner equipment, and often, a real relationship with the land.

When possible, buy from brands that can trace every ingredient back to its source, not just to a distributor. The shorter the chain, the less room for contamination, and the more accountability along the way.

4. Know your materials

Metals can sneak in through more than ingredients, packaging matters too. Plastic tubs and aluminium lined containers can leach contaminants over time, especially when exposed to heat or sunlight. Opt for glass jars, paper tubs, or BPA-free packaging whenever possible. The vessel your food lives in is just as important as what’s inside it.

Curious how to detox heavy metals? Read this first.

Published on: October 25, 2025

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6 cooking fats to use instead of seed oils (ranked)

You’ve probably heard by now that seed oils are harmful. But between olive oil that we’re told oxidises into free radicals and butter that’s been demonised for decades, it’s easy to be confused about how to actually cook your food. For decades, we were told that “vegetable oils” were a heart-healthy choice, a clean, modern upgrade from the animal fats of our ancestors. What the label didn’t say was that these oils are extracted under extreme heat and pressure, deodorised with chemicals, and bleached until they resemble something closer to plastic than food. Canola, sunflower, soybean, grapeseed, corn, the line-up may sound wholesome, but in truth, these are some of the most inflammatory substances in the modern diet. The irony is that the fats we were taught to fear are the ones that have nourished human beings for millennia. Let's dive into them 6. Olive oil Let’s start with the one we all know, but rarely use properly. Olive oil is one of the oldest fats in human history, revered by the Greeks and Romans for both ritual and medicine. But modern confusion has reduced it to controversy… is it safe to cook with, or does it oxidise into free radicals? Contrary to what we've often been told, high-quality extra virgin olive oil can, surprisingly, withstand gentle heat. Its antioxidants, particularly polyphenols and vitamin E, help protect it from moderate heat damage, though prolonged frying or roasting will still cause these delicate compounds to degrade. Is it a suitable cooking oil? Ideally not. The sad reality is that most supermarket olive oils aren’t olive oil at all, at least, not entirely. In recent decades, investigations have revealed that up to 70% of “extra virgin olive oils” on the market are adulterated, diluted with cheap, industrial seed oils like soybean or sunflower, or blended with lower-grade olive oils that have been heat-treated and chemically deodorised to mimic the real thing. The global olive oil industry has quietly become one of the most counterfeited food markets in the world, because true extra virgin oil is expensive and labour-intensive to produce. Blending in refined seed oils stretches the yield and masks rancidity, an economical trick that consumers rarely detect. We rank olive oil last because, while it’s a far better choice than industrial seed oils, it’s not the most stable fat for cooking. And to make sure your bottle hasn’t been quietly diluted with the very seed oils you’re trying to avoid, look for dark glass bottles, a clear harvest date, single-origin labels, and that grassy, peppery finish. 5. Butter Few foods have been as unfairly misjudged as butter. For decades, it was cast as the villain, blamed for everything from heart disease to high cholesterol. Margarine and seed oils were hailed as the heroes of “modern nutrition,” while butter was quietly pushed aside. But look into any traditional culture, from the Swiss mountain villages documented by Weston A. Price to the Maasai of East Africa and you’ll find butter, or some form of animal fat, as a dietary cornerstone. Butter is a rare source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and especially K2 nutrients that direct calcium into bones and teeth rather than arteries. It’s also rich in short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which nourishes the cells lining your colon and calms inflammation. Butter is great for gentle cooking, for example sautéing vegetables, frying eggs, melting over steamed greens, or finishing meats. That said, it’s smoke point sits lower than most animal fats, meaning it can burn easily at high heat, especially when it still contains milk solids. Overheating butter not only dulls its flavour but can also damage its delicate compounds, turning it brown and bitter. For higher-heat searing or roasting, see the following.... 4. Coconut oil Coconut oil sits in an interesting place within an ancestral diet. It’s deeply nourishing, undeniably stable under heat, yet it’s also not something most of our ancestors would have ever encountered (unless, of course, they were from somewhere coconuts naturally grew). At Organised, we always come back to the principle of seasonal, regional eating, aligning our food with the land and climate we live in. So while coconut oil isn’t native to temperate regions, it holds a rightful place as a supportive, occasional fat, especially during colder months or for those needing quick, clean energy. Coconut oil is made primarily of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of fat that bypasses normal digestion and goes straight to the liver for energy. This makes it uniquely supportive for metabolism, thyroid function, and brain health. Lauric acid, one of its main components, also has antiviral and antimicrobial properties, a built-in immune tonic. Unlike seed oils, coconut oil is highly saturated, meaning it’s stable under heat and won’t break down into inflammatory compounds when used for cooking. Perfect for stir-fries, curries, or baking. Its subtly sweet flavour complements roasted root vegetables and warming spices beautifully. You can even blend a teaspoon into coffee with raw milk for a creamy, energy-sustaining morning ritual. 3. Lard Rendered from the fat of healthy, pasture raised pigs, lard is one of the most versatile and stable fats you can keep in your kitchen. Historically, it made flaky pastries, golden roast potatoes, and crisp fried chicken. Grandmothers kept jars of it on the counter, soft and white, ready for everything. Then came the industrial revolution, and with it, the rise of vegetable shortening and margarine. Lard became a casualty of marketing. Good lard is one of the few natural sources of vitamin D. It also contains choline (vital for liver and brain health) and small amounts of selenium, an essential antioxidant mineral. Unlike seed oils, lard remains stable under high heat, making it ideal for frying or roasting. The problem is that most commercial lard has been hydrogenated, a chemical process that introduces harmful trans fats. True lard is soft, clean, and faintly savoury, not chalky or greasy. 2. Ghee Ghee takes all of butter’s best qualities, its fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K2), its short-chain fatty acids, its naturally antimicrobial compounds and removes the proteins and sugars that make butter prone to burning. What you’re left with is a fat that can withstand higher temperatures without oxidising, while remaining deeply nourishing to the gut, brain, and hormones. Because the milk solids are gone, ghee is also virtually lactose-free, making it an excellent option for those who are dairy sensitive but still want the nutrition and flavour of butter. Use ghee anywhere you’d normally cook with oil searing, frying, or roasting or melt it over vegetables, eggs, or grains to add depth and richness. It also has a subtle caramel note that elevates both savoury and sweet dishes alike. 1. Tallow If there’s a fat that belongs in the centre of every ancestral kitchen, it’s tallow. Rendered from the fat of grass-fed cattle, tallow is the most heat-stable cooking fat on earth. For centuries, tallow was used in everything... frying, baking, preserving, even skincare and candle-making. British fish and chips were once cooked exclusively in beef tallow, the secret behind that unmistakable crisp. Tallow is rich in stearic acid, a fatty acid that supports mitochondrial health, helping your cells burn fuel efficiently and maintain metabolic flexibility. It’s also abundant in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K2), critical for hormone balance, bone density, and immune strength. Unlike polyunsaturated seed oils, tallow doesn’t oxidise under heat, it stays stable, clean, and nourishing. It’s as close as you can get to the fat that built us, biologically speaking. Use tallow for frying, roasting, or making the crispiest potatoes you’ve ever tasted. A spoonful melted into stews or bone broth adds depth and nutrition. You can even use it as a natural moisturiser, its composition mirrors the oils in human skin. We'd love to hear, what's your favourite cooking fat?

5 signs your honey is pure (not factory made)

Tucked within hollow trees and sun-warmed rock, we once had to hunt for our honey. In fact, some of the oldest cave paintings ever discovered, found in Spain’s Cuevas de la Araña, show humans scaling sheer cliffs, baskets slung over their shoulders, smoke rising from torches to calm the bees as they reach into the hive. Long before sugar, honey was our first sweetener, preservative, and medicine, a gift we earned, not bought. Today, the honey aisle tells a different story… plastic bottles, factory filters, and sugar syrups packaged into bear shapes. Yet real honey, untouched and unadulterated, is one of the most alive and healing foods on earth, mineral-rich, humming with enzymes, wild bacteria, and the quiet intelligence of nature itself. Here’s how to know when you’ve found it... 1. It never spoils One of the most extraordinary things about real honey is that it doesn’t go off, ever. Anthropologists have opened clay jars in ancient Egyptian tombs and found honey still perfectly preserved, golden and aromatic after more than 3,000 years. The archaeologists could have eaten it, and some reportedly did. Raw honey’s natural acidity, low moisture content, and enzyme activity create an environment where bacteria and mould simply can’t grow. Glucose oxidase, one of the key enzymes bees add to nectar, slowly releases hydrogen peroxide, nature’s built-in preservative. That’s why honey has been used to treat wounds and embalm bodies since the first civilisations learned its secrets. When honey is left untouched, raw, unfiltered, and unwatered, it’s essentially indestructible. It may crystallise, darken, or thicken with time, but that’s not decay. It’s evolution. The texture shifts, the aroma deepens, but its nutritional and medicinal properties remain intact. If your honey ever ferments, grows mould, or develops an off smell, that’s a red flag. Fermentation only happens when moisture has been added, or when the honey has been diluted or tampered with. Look for: honey that thickens or crystallises but never spoils. 2. It crystallises Many mistake crystallisation for spoilage. In truth, it’s one of the clearest signs you’re holding real honey. Natural honey eventually crystallises because of its balance of glucose and fructose, a chemical fingerprint no lab can mimic. Factory honey stays liquid for years because it’s been heated above 70°C , destroying the enzymes and yeasts that keep it alive. That heat treatment halts crystallisation, and strips away the wild nutrients, pollen, and antioxidants that give honey its depth and medicinal character. Real honey evolves in the jar. It clouds, thickens, and occasionally separate. Look for: a creamy or slightly grainy texture, or a layer of crystals forming at the bottom. 3. It’s never perfectly uniform Nature doesn’t do identical batches, and real honey always tells the story of a season. For example, in the UK spring jars run pale and floral (clover, apple blossom, dandelion). By autumn, the tone deepens to copper and amber as bees turn to heather, chestnut, or buckwheat. The soil, the rainfall, the flowers within flying distance, all of it writes itself into the jar. Each batch carries a different accent of the land, a different conversation between bees and bloom. Factory honey, on the other hand, never changes. Heated, filtered, and blended for uniformity, it’s stripped of the very thing that makes honey remarkable… its memory of place. It’s stripped of its identity until every jar tastes identical, year after year. Look for: subtle shifts in colour, aroma, or thickness, signs of authenticity that can’t be replicated in a processing plant. 4. The way it dissolves Raw honey doesn’t rush. 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If your label says “Blend of EU and non-EU honeys,” that’s bureaucratic code for “we mixed whatever was cheapest". These global blends are often bulked out with rice or corn syrups, heat-treated for shelf life, and stripped of pollen to obscure their origin. Look for: small-batch, single-origin, unpasteurised, and unfiltered on the label, or better yet, buy from a farmer’s market or support your local beekeeper directly. Now for some wives tales… We’ve all probably heard at least one of these old honey tests. Before ingredient lists and lab reports, people relied on instinct, and a few time-tested tricks, to tell pure honey from the counterfeit kind. Some of these might sound like folklore, but they hold surprising wisdom… The flame test Drop a matchstick into honey, then strike it. If the match lights easily, the honey is pure, if not, it’s likely mixed with water or syrup. Why it works: real honey is hydrophobic it repels moisture and won’t dampen the match. Adulterated honey, thinned with water, snuffs the flame. The water drop test Add a spoonful of honey to a glass of water. Pure honey sinks to the bottom in a slow golden ribbon; fake honey dissolves quickly or clouds the water. Why it works: raw honey is dense with enzymes and minerals, while watered-down or syrup-filled honey disperses instantly. The thread test Dip your finger or a stick into the honey, then lift it slowly. Real honey stretches into a fine, unbroken thread before dropping; adulterated honey breaks apart too soon. Why it works: natural viscosity from pollen and propolis gives real honey that telltale silky pull. The ant test (the oddest of all) Old beekeepers claimed that ants avoid real honey. They believed its natural enzymes, particularly formic acid from bees, repel insects that sense its antibacterial strength.Whether true or not, it speaks to honey’s natural preservative power. Raw honey has kept food, wounds, and even ancient bodies intact for millennia. Even if you never strike a match or tempt an ant, they remind us of something modern life forgets... real food speaks for itself in scent, texture, and how it behaves when touched by flame or water. Do you have a favourite kind of honey? We'd love to hear about it ↓

The secret to conception no one talks about

Infertility rates are climbing, yet most conversations about conception still revolve almost entirely around women's health. While egg quality and the uterine environment matter tremendously, there's a critical piece of the fertility puzzle that's been overlooked for far too long... the man's health and the quality of his sperm. The truth is, conception doesn't start when sperm meets egg. It starts months earlier, in the bodies of both partners, as cells develop and prepare for the monumental task of creating new life. The father's influence Most people assume that if a man can conceive, his contribution to the baby's health ends there. But research shows something far more profound. sperm carries not just DNA, but epigenetic information that influences how genes are expressed in the developing baby. Think of epigenetics as instructions for which genes get turned on or off. If a father's body is dealing with inflammation, nutrient depletion, or toxin overload at the time sperm is developing, those stress signals can be transmitted to the embryo. This affects everything from implantation success to long-term health outcomes. Healthy, high-quality sperm creates the foundation for stronger embryo development, easier implantation, easier pregnancy, lower risk of miscarriage, and healthier genetic expression in the baby. But sperm quality isn't just about count. It's about structure, motility, and most importantly, DNA integrity. Oxidative stress from seed oils, plastics, poor nutrition, and mineral deficiencies damages sperm DNA. This doesn't just make conception harder, it can affect the baby's lifelong health trajectory. Here's the empowering part, sperm takes approximately 72 days to fully develop. That means the three months before conception are a critical window where a man's lifestyle choices literally build the genetic foundation for the next generation. The mother's influence While sperm quality sets the stage, the woman's body provides the entire environment where new life grows. Conception happens when her body signals that it's safe, nourished, and ready to sustain pregnancy. The body spends roughly 90 days maturing an egg that could become a future baby. During this maturation period, every factor, stress levels, nutritional status, sleep quality, toxin exposure shapes egg quality. And egg quality directly influences conception rates, implantation success, miscarriage risk, pregnancy complications, and the baby's resilience. Her body becomes your baby's first home. If that environment is inflamed, undernourished, or chronically stressed, the embryo develops in those same conditions. But when hormones are balanced, the liver efficiently clears excess estrogen, the gut is healthy, and mineral stores are robust, the body can thrive through conception, pregnancy, and beyond. This is why preconception care isn't just about "getting pregnant." It's about building the foundation for a vibrant, healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby, starting months before conception even occurs. How modern life depletes fertility for both Here's what a typical day looks like for many couples trying to conceive: She wakes up exhausted despite eight hours in bed, grabs an oat latte, and rushes to her high-stress job. Her lunch comes in a plastic container, microwaved at her desk between back-to-back meetings. Dinner is quick, maybe grilled chicken with microwaved rice. She's proud of her discipline, she trains hard at the gym seven days a week, avoids red meat and butter because they're "bad for you," and uses all the right skincare products to stay looking young. He starts his morning with cereal and oat milk, throws on his usual synthetic workout gear under his work clothes, and heads to the office. Lunch is a processed sandwich, wrapped in plastic. After work, he hits the gym hard, he's training for a marathon. Dinner is lean protein and rice because he's trying to stay fit. He drinks from plastic water bottles throughout the day and uses conventional body wash and deodorant without thinking twice. They're doing everything "right" according to mainstream health advice. So why isn't conception happening? The answer lies in what modern life has stripped away and what it's added in. The 4 things to be most mindful of when trying to conceive 1. Stop fearing cholesterol For decades, we've been told that cholesterol is the enemy. So she avoids egg yolks, he drinks oat milk, and both reach for lean proteins. But here's what nobody mentions... cholesterol is literally the raw material your body uses to build sex hormones, testosterone, progesterone. Every single one. When you starve your body of dietary cholesterol and healthy fats, you're starving your hormone production. His testosterone drops. Her progesterone struggles. Suddenly, the very building blocks of fertility are missing, and they don't even know it. The irony? In trying to be "healthy," they've made conception harder. Bring back cholesterol-rich whole foods like eggs, organ meats, butter, and full-fat dairy. These are the raw materials your body needs to make hormones naturally. Your grandparents ate them without guilt, and fertility rates reflected it. 2. Avoid environmental toxins, where you can His polyester boxer briefs might seem like a small detail, but synthetic fabrics such as polyester are lowering sperm production. Sperm develop best in a slightly cooler environment, which is why testicles hang outside the body in the first place. Those polyester pants he wears all day? They're creating a sauna effect that can damage sperm quality over time, as well as leaching chemicals through the thinnest skin part of the body. Meanwhile, both of them are surrounded by endocrine disruptors they don't even see. The plastic containers they microwave lunch in. The nonstick pans. The conventional cleaning products under the sink. The fragranced laundry detergent. The pesticides on non-organic produce. Every single one of these products contains chemicals that mimic or block hormones in the body, scrambling the delicate fertility signals that need to function perfectly for conception to occur. While it’s impossible to entirely avoid environmental toxins, and we shouldn’t live in fear, we can be intentional about reducing exposure. Small, mindful swaps add up over time. Here are some guides you may find helpful: 6 hidden toxins in your morning routine Our guide to healthy clothing Hormone disruptors in female hygiene products Our guide to hormone friendly shaving Healing your body after pesticide exposure 6 steps to a non toxic spring clean 3. Replenish nutrient deficiencies Magnesium, zinc, and copper are the silent drivers of fertility, supporting hormone balance, egg quality, sperm motility, and stress regulation. Yet modern soil is depleted, processed foods stripped, and many people now avoid the very foods richest in these minerals. Butter, organ meats, red meat, and eggs are fertility medicine precisely because they contain these minerals. Oysters and red meat for zinc Sea salt and magnesium-rich water for electrolyte balance Eggs and organ meats for bioavailable copper and B vitamins For a deeper dive, check out: Are you deficient in these 7 overlooked nutrients? How to nourish for fertility 4. Don't overfatigue the body She's proud of her intense workout routine. He's training for races and doing ice baths because he read they're good for recovery. But here's the uncomfortable truth... chronic stress, even stress that looks like "healthy" habits, actively depletes the hormones needed for fertility. For her, stress converts progesterone precursors into cortisol instead. Her body is begins choosing survival mode over reproduction mode. That progesterone she needs to build a healthy uterine lining and sustain early pregnancy? It's being cannibalised to make stress hormones. Extreme endurance training, chronic under-eating, overworking, and even regular ice plunges can all signal to her body that now is not a safe time to grow life. For him, chronic stress and overtraining suppress testosterone. His body thinks it's under threat, so it diverts resources away from reproduction and toward survival. Fewer, slower, weaker sperm are the result. The body conceives best when it feels safe, an in an environment of abundance. Swap chronic cardio for restorative movement, walking, strength training, and sunlight. Prioritise sleep and deep relaxation. Support progesterone and testosterone naturally by lowering stress, eating enough, and allowing recovery. Struggle to let go? Read Our guide to stress release When both partners invest in preconception health, they're not just increasing their chances of getting pregnant. They're investing in the lifelong health of their future child, giving that baby the best possible genetic and epigenetic start. And while that might sound like pressure, it isn’t. Not everyone is given the opportunity for a perfect head start, and that’s okay. What matters is knowing that so much is within your control. Every nutrient you replenish, every toxin you remove, every night of rest, it all speaks life into the body that’s preparing to create another.

6 wellness secrets from Japanese grandmothers

Japan’s approach to wellbeing has long fascinated the world, and yet, to understand it, you must begin not in a clinic, but in a kitchen. Sit beside an elderly woman in rural Hokkaido as she tends her kombu broth or folds laundry still warm from the sun. Nothing she does is “for health,” yet everything she does sustains it. Here are six things she might teach you about... 1. Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), forest bathing “Listen carefully. The trees speak in a language slower than ours.” Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” is perhaps the most emblematic of Japan’s health rituals. Though the term was coined in the 1980s, its essence runs back through Shintō and earlier animist beliefs, the idea that every tree and stream carries a kami, a living spirit worthy of reverence. The forest, in this sense, is not merely beautiful, it is inhabited, watching. To “bathe” in the forest is to immerse the senses… the scent of cedar, the hum of insects, the soft crackle of soil beneath bare feet. Modern research now confirms what Japanese elders have always known. Trees release phytoncides, antimicrobial compounds that calm the nervous system, reduce cortisol, and enhance the activity of natural killer cells. Even 20 minutes among trees can lower blood pressure and restore heart rate variability. 2. Kombu dashi (昆布出汁), seaweed broth for mineral repletion While we may spend money on electrolyte powders and neon sports drinks, Japan has long had its own ancestral electrolyte. Kombu, harvested from the cold northern waters of Hokkaido, is rich in iodine, calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals drawn up from the deep sea. When simmered gently (never boiled, so as not to cloud its sweetness), it releases umami, the fifth taste, meaning “essence of deliciousness.” For centuries, kombu broth was the first food given after childbirth, illness, or fasting. Elders believed it “restored the salt of life,” replenishing what blood and breath had lost. The broth was also used for women recovering from menstruation or postpartum depletion, the sea’s minerals seen as restoring the internal tides of the womb. Modern nutrition now echoes this wisdom... iodine from kelp supports thyroid function and hormone synthesis, while its calcium and magnesium balance the nervous system. The glutamates in kombu enhance nutrient absorption, turning simple soups and stews into mineral elixirs. If kombu isn’t available, try other mineral-rich seaweeds like wakame, dulse, or Atlantic kelp. Even a pinch added to soups or grains can deepen flavour and nutrient content. 3. Ofuro (お風呂), the evening bath ritual At dusk, the sound of running water carries through most Japanese homes. The ofuro, a deep wooden or porcelain tub is filled, the temperature precise, often infused with yuzu peel in winter or hinoki (cypress) leaves in summer. Bathing in Japan is an art of surrender. It is neither indulgence nor hygiene but instead, purification. Once submerged, the heat expands blood vessels, releasing muscular tension. The body, long held upright by duty, softens. Circulation improves, the nervous system settles, and melatonin begins its nocturnal rise. Elders say the bath washes away more than dirt, it dissolves tsukare, the fatigue of the spirit. Afterwards comes a light meal, perhaps rice porridge or pickled plum, and sleep, deep and untroubled. The ofuro is, in its essence, a return to womb warmth, a nightly rebirth through heat and stillness. 4. Natsume (棗), jujube dates for post bleed replenishment In Japan, the days following menstruation or childbirth are treated as a sacred time for restoration.The body is understood to be low in ketsu, blood energy, and is nourished slowly back to balance. One of the oldest restoratives for this is natsume, the jujube date. Women would simmer dried jujubes with ginger and goji berries, letting the infusion turn the colour of dark tea. The drink replenished ketsu, the vital current thought to govern fertility, mood, and skin tone. To be low in ketsu was to feel cold, light-headed, or faintly hollow, symptoms of circulation and hormone imbalance we now understand in physiological terms. Modern research affirms much of this old intuition. Jujube is dense in iron and vitamin C, a pairing that accelerates red blood cell synthesis. Its saponins act as gentle adaptogens, supporting adrenal recovery and moderating cortisol. Polyphenols and triterpenes within the fruit improve liver detoxification and protect against oxidative stress. Studies also show jujube to enhance serotonin production and increase slow-wave sleep, the deep stage of rest crucial for hormonal recalibration and cellular repair. 5. Rajio Taisō (ラジオ体操) , the morning broadcast of movement Every morning across Japan, at precisely 6:30 AM, music begins to play on national radio. While it is most popular amongst the elderly (who are often its most loyal participants), in parks, schoolyards, factories, and office courtyards, people of all ages are still likely to join in. For three minutes, they move together, stretching, bending, circling their arms to the rhythm of a piano tune that has hardly changed since 1928. This is Rajio Taisō, “radio calisthenics”, a nationwide exercise broadcast introduced nearly a century ago to promote health and community after the First World War. It endures not as obligation, but as habit, a ritual that collapses social hierarchy and unites bodies through rhythm. Elderly men, schoolchildren, and office workers move side by side, their gestures humble but synchronised, as if rehearsing the pulse of collective life. Gentle morning movement improves circulation, enhances lymphatic flow, and primes the circadian system for wakefulness. The early sunlight exposure synchronises melatonin cycles, boosting mood and metabolic efficiency. But beyond the biology, Rajio Taisō is a daily act of belonging, a reminder that health, in Japan, is rarely a solitary pursuit. 6. Mottainai (もったいない), the spirit of no waste Few words capture the Japanese worldview as completely as mottainai. Literally, it expresses “what a waste.” Spiritually, it is an expression of sorrow for the misuse or neglect of life’s gifts. To waste food, time, or materials is to disrespect the kami, the sacred essence residing within all things. In the kitchen, mottainai takes form through acts of transformation: bones simmered into broth, fish heads turned into soup, vegetable peels boiled into dashi. Even leftover rice is steeped in tea to become ocha-zuke, humble, restorative, and born from nothing wasted. Mottainai asks us to see sacredness in materiality, to recognise that the peel, the bone, the scrap of fabric, all carry stories of energy and labour. Anthropologists note that mottainai may have emerged from Japan’s Shinto roots, a worldview where spirit is embedded in every object, from the mountain to the teacup. To throw something away carelessly is to sever a spiritual thread. In a disposable world, mottainai offers an ecological ethic that predates the language of sustainability by centuries. It teaches us to consume with awe.

Why modern healthcare is failing you

We live in the most medically advanced era in human history, yet chronic disease rates are skyrocketing. Despite unprecedented access to healthcare and wellness technology, people are sicker, more tired, and more disconnected from their bodies than ever before. The promise of modern health solutions rings hollow when millions still struggle with persistent symptoms, low energy, and conditions that never quite resolve. The truth is, we've lost sight of what real health looks like. We've traded ancient wisdom for quick fixes, whole foods for synthetic pills, and natural living for sterile convenience. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking "why" and started accepting band-aid solutions as normal. But our bodies remember what we've forgotten and it's time we listened. Let’s dive into these different areas and what to do instead. Band aid solutions, not root cause approach Modern healthcare often focuses on managing symptoms rather than addressing what's actually driving them. If you've got recurring headaches, you'll likely be offered painkillers. Trouble sleeping? Here's a prescription. Skin flaring up? Try a cream. While these may bring temporary relief, they rarely solve the deeper problem. A true root cause approach looks beneath the surface. That headache might be from chronic dehydration, mineral imbalance, or poor posture. Sleep issues could stem from circadian disruption, stress hormones, or nutrient deficiencies. Skin conditions connect back to gut health and inflammation. When we only treat the surface symptom, we're essentially putting a band-aid over an engine warning light without ever fixing the engine. Real healing comes from asking "why" over and over until we uncover the foundational issue and then addressing that through nutrition, lifestyle, and environment. Synthetic nutrients over whole foods The modern world has convinced us that health can be bottled. Multivitamins, fortified cereals, and isolated synthetic pills promise to "cover the gaps," but synthetic nutrients rarely work in the body the same way as nutrients from whole foods. In nature, vitamins and minerals don't exist in isolation, they come packaged with co-factors, enzymes, and other compounds that help with absorption and effectiveness. For example, vitamin C in an orange comes alongside bioflavonoids that boost its impact, while iron from liver is paired with vitamin A and copper to make it more usable by the body. When we rely on synthetic versions, the body often struggles to absorb or utilise them properly. Worse, they can sometimes create imbalances by flooding the system with one isolated compound while ignoring the bigger picture. Not to mention the quality of a lot of synthetic supplements is questionable, many being filled with fillers or being fakes. Whole foods, especially nutrient dense ones like organ meats, raw milk, beef, eggs, seafood, and fresh produce, provide a complete nutritional package that works in harmony with the body, the way nature intended. Fearing sunlight We've been taught to see the sun as a threat, something to hide from, cover up, or block out with chemicals. But sunlight isn't the enemy; it's the giver of life. Without it, plants couldn't grow, ecosystems wouldn't exist, and human health would collapse. For us, sunlight is one of the most powerful drivers of health. It regulates circadian rhythm, boosts mood, and supports hormone balance. It's also the body's primary source of vitamin D, a nutrient essential for immunity, bone health, and energy. When we avoid the sun altogether, we often trade short term protection for long term deficiencies. The problem isn't the sun itself, but our modern lifestyle. Too much artificial light, too little time outdoors, and diets that make our skin more prone to burning. By building up safe, gradual exposure and nourishing the body from within, sunlight becomes a powerful ally, a life-giving force to embrace, not fear. Pasteurising and cooking everything In the modern world, we've been taught that food must be sterilised, pasteurised, or heavily processed to be "safe." While this approach can extend shelf life, it often comes at the cost of nutrition and vitality. Raw milk, for example, contains living enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and delicate proteins that are destroyed during pasteurisation. The same goes for unpasteurised, freshly squeezed juices, they're bursting with natural enzymes and vitamin C but aren't meant to sit on supermarket shelves for weeks. Traditional raw cheeses, fermented vegetables, and naturally cultured foods all rely on living microbes to develop flavour, preserve themselves, and nourish the gut. Even organ meats, when high quality, are more nutrient dense in their raw state or gently cooked than when overcooked. Across cultures, raw foods have long been celebrated, think steak tartare, raw kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi. These aren't dangerous, they're powerful foods especially when from high quality sources. By cooking and processing everything into sterile, shelf stable products, we strip food of its life force. Real health comes from embracing fresh, raw, and living foods that support digestion, immunity, and resilience the way nature intended. Convenience over health The modern world is built on convenience. Everything is faster, easier, disposable but often at the cost of our health. What makes life simpler in the short term can slowly wear down the body over time. Take the kitchen, non-stick pans leach toxic compounds when heated, plastic bottles and tupperware release hormone-disrupting chemicals, and microwaves or foil cooking can leach heavy metals into your food. Even the coffee pod machine brings with it heated plastics and metals that sneak into your morning brew. It doesn't stop there. Polyester clothes shed microplastics into our skin and waterways, chemical cleaners pollute our homes, and wireless headphones keep low-level radiation right by the brain. All marketed as safe, all defended in the name of convenience. The truth is, health often requires slowing down and choosing better tools, stainless steel instead of non-stick, glass instead of plastic, natural fabrics instead of synthetics, sunlight and fresh air instead of chemical sprays. Convenience might save time now, but it rarely saves your health later. Over-reliance on wearable tech Wearable devices promise to make us healthier by tracking every heartbeat, step, and hour of sleep. But the obsession with data often pulls us further away from real health. Instead of tuning into how we feel, we start outsourcing our intuition to a screen on our wrist. Chasing "perfect" sleep scores, step counts, or recovery numbers can create unnecessary stress and the data isn't always accurate. Many people wake up feeling great, only to be told by their device that they "slept poorly," instantly shifting their mindset for the day. There's also the overlooked issue of constant EMF and Bluetooth exposure. Keeping a device strapped to your body 24/7 means low-level radiation is always with you, right against your skin. Over time, this is another modern stressor layered onto the body. True health isn't about obsessing over numbers. It's about balance, consistency, and listening to your body's signals. Our ancestors thrived without trackers by moving naturally, resting with the sun, and living in rhythm with the environment. Technology and data can be a useful tool, but it shouldn't replace intuition or add more hidden stress to our lives. The ancestral disconnect Modern life has pulled us far from the lifestyle our bodies were designed for. We live indoors under blue light, stare at screens, eat processed foods, and chase convenience, relying on synthetic powders and gadgets to fill the gaps. Eating shows this divergence most clearly. Our ancestors ate whole, nutrient-dense foods: organ meats, seafood, eggs, seasonal vegetables, natural fats, fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir, and whole dairy. They turned to natural sugars from fruits and honey, not artificial sweeteners, and included saturated fats and cholesterol, essential for hormones, brain function, and overall health. These foods delivered vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotics in forms the body could actually use. Modern diets, by contrast, prioritise shelf life and convenience, stripping food of potency and complexity. We’ve become so focused on managing disease that we’ve forgotten how to build health. The solution is to reclaim the principles that kept humans thriving for millennia and weave them into our modern lives: whole foods over synthetic shortcuts, sunlight over avoidance, quality over convenience, and intuition over data obsession. Real health isn’t complicated, but it does require choices that honour what our bodies truly need. When we stop masking symptoms and start addressing root causes, energy returns, resilience builds, and health follows. Your body already knows how to be healthy. It’s carried that blueprint for thousands of generations.

8 signs your body is trying to tell you something

Your body is constantly communicating with you, sending subtle signals that something might need attention. While we often dismiss these signs as minor inconveniences or just part of life, they can actually reveal important information about what's happening beneath the surface. Learning to recognise and understand these messages is one of the most powerful steps you can take toward better health. Important disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. The signs discussed here are common indicators that your body may need support, but they are not substitutes for professional medical advice. If you're experiencing persistent symptoms or have concerns about your health, please consult with a qualified healthcare provider who can properly assess your individual situation. 1. Waking up between 2-4 AM Not every middle-of-the-night wake-up is a red flag. Sometimes it's as simple as drinking too much water before bed or a loud noise disturbing your rest. But if you find yourself consistently waking during these early morning hours, your body might be signalling deeper imbalances. One of the most common culprits is mineral and electrolyte deficiencies and imbalances, especially magnesium, sodium, or potassium, which can trigger a need to urinate during the night and make it harder for your body to maintain a deep, restful state. Blood sugar dropping too low overnight can also trigger a stress hormone spike that jolts you awake. Histamine release can disturb sleep as levels tend to rise naturally at night. If you notice this pattern regularly, it's worth examining your nutrition, hydration, and stress levels rather than brushing it off as normal. Make sure you're getting adequate electrolytes (particularly magnesium), enough carbohydrates, and sufficient food overall throughout the day. 2. Bloating and gas Digestion should feel smooth and energising, not uncomfortable. If you regularly experience bloating after meals or deal with excessive gas, your body is telling you that something in your digestive process isn't working optimally. Persistent bloating often points to issues like inadequate stomach acid production, sluggish bile flow, gut microbiome imbalances, or food intolerances (often from processed ingredients). When food isn't broken down properly, excess fermentation in the gut creates gas and discomfort. Over time, these digestive struggles can lead to nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, and further stress on your system. Rather than masking symptoms with quick fixes, focus on supporting your gut health. This means optimising stomach acid levels, improving enzyme activity, eating nutrient-dense whole foods, paying attention to what works well for your gut and what causes issues (note: this doesn’t necessarily mean you are strictly intolerant to a certain food, just that at this time that particular food is a strain on your gut) as well as working toward a balanced microbiome. A well-functioning digestive system should be quiet, efficient, and free of daily bloating. 3. Skin issues Your skin reflects the state of your gut health. While topical creams and serums can provide temporary relief, they're essentially band-aids that don't address the root cause. True skin health originates in your gut. Conditions like eczema and psoriasis are frequently linked to gut inflammation, poor digestion, or microbiome imbalances. Hives can indicate histamine intolerance, demonstrating just how closely your skin and gut are connected. When your digestive system struggles, toxins and undigested food particles can leak into the bloodstream, triggering immune reactions that manifest on your skin. Instead of relying solely on topical treatments, prioritise restoring gut health and lowering inflammation. Remember, healthy skin is built from the inside out. Natural sun exposure also plays a crucial role in skin health. 4. Low libido A healthy sex drive isn't just about desire, it's a reflection of balanced hormones, adequate energy, and a body that is not under stress. While short periods of reduced libido due to stress or fatigue are normal, a prolonged lack of interest can signal something deeper. Chronically low libido often points to elevated stress hormones, low testosterone or DHT, thyroid imbalances, or nutrient deficiencies. It can also indicate a body running on empty from too much stress, poor sleep, or insufficient nourishing food. A robust sex drive is actually your natural state when hormones are balanced and your body feels properly supported. Supporting libido means returning to the foundations. Focus on nutrient-dense foods rich in saturated fats and cholesterol for hormone production, regular movement to boost circulation, and maximising vitamins and minerals that keep your body in balance. When your body has the raw materials and energy it needs, a healthy sex drive often returns naturally. 5. Headaches and brain fog That heavy, foggy feeling in your head or frequent headaches aren't just annoying inconveniences, they're clear signals that your body is under stress. Both symptoms often trace back to gut health, since inflammation in the digestive system can affect the brain through the gut-brain axis. Nutrient deficiencies play a significant role too, especially magnesium, B vitamins, and electrolytes, all of which impact mental clarity and pain regulation. Blood sugar swings, dehydration, and food sensitivities can make your brain feel sluggish and unfocused. These symptoms are your body's way of saying something deeper needs attention, rather than simply reaching for another painkiller or extra cup of coffee. To address these issues effectively, focus on restoring gut balance, lowering inflammation, and ensuring adequate nutrient intake. A clean, whole-food diet, sufficient minerals, proper hydration, and digestion-friendly practices can make a dramatic difference in clearing mental fog and easing head pain. 6. Feeling tired even after 8 hours sleep Waking up exhausted despite a full night's sleep is a clear sign that your body isn't truly recharging. This frustrating symptom often has multiple interconnected causes working together. Blood sugar fluctuations can trigger cortisol spikes that keep your body in a light, restless state. Nutrient deficiencies, particularly magnesium, B vitamins, potassium, and sodium, can prevent your nervous system from fully relaxing. Gut imbalances can interfere with serotonin and melatonin production, making deep sleep harder to achieve. Chronic inflammation or liver stress can further disrupt your energy, even when you technically "slept enough." Even your breathing pattern matters. Nasal breathing is superior to mouth breathing during sleep because it naturally slows your breathing rate, promotes carbon dioxide capacity, and helps maintain balanced oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Mouth breathing, on the other hand, increases stress responses, dries out airways, and reduces restorative sleep quality. Mouth taping can really help promote nasal breathing only. To improve your sleep quality and morning energy, eat mineral-rich foods, support gut health, lower inflammation, and practice nasal breathing at night. Adding consistent daylight exposure and calming evening routines helps reset your circadian rhythm, giving your body the conditions it truly needs to wake up refreshed. 7. Unusual or strong body odour While occasional sweat is completely normal, persistent or unusual body odour can signal that something is off internally. Body odour often reflects gut health, liver function, and how efficiently your body is processing and eliminating waste. Imbalances in the gut microbiome, poor digestion, or food sensitivities can cause compounds like sulphur or ammonia to be released through sweat. Hormonal fluctuations and chronic inflammation can alter your natural scent, while certain nutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc, can make odours more pronounced. Simply covering up with extra deodorant or perfume isn't the solution. True improvement comes from addressing root causes: supporting gut health, improving digestion, balancing hormones, and lowering inflammation. Nutrient-rich foods, adequate hydration, stress management, and gentle detox practices like movement or sauna sessions can help your body naturally eliminate toxins and maintain a healthier scent. 8. Cold hands and feet, even in warm weather If your extremities are always cold, even when the temperature is comfortable, it can indicate that your metabolism or circulation isn't functioning optimally. This isn't just a minor inconvenience, it's your body signalling that systems responsible for energy, circulation, and detoxification need support. Slow metabolism, often linked to thyroid imbalances, can reduce your body's ability to generate heat. Poor blood circulation or lymphatic stagnation can make it difficult for warmth and nutrients to reach your hands and feet. Chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies like iron or magnesium, and low cellular energy production can all contribute to perpetually cold extremities. Improving thyroid function, supporting metabolism through nutrient-dense foods and regular movement, and stimulating circulation and lymph flow through massage, exercise, or gentle stretching can help restore warmth and overall vitality. Listen to your body Your body is remarkably intelligent, constantly working to maintain balance and health. These are some ways it communicates to you that something needs attention. Rather than ignoring or suppressing these symptoms, view them as valuable information that can guide you toward better health. Remember, addressing these signs often comes down to the fundamentals: nourishing your body with whole foods, ensuring adequate nutrients and minerals, managing stress, supporting gut health, moving regularly, and getting quality sleep. Small, consistent changes in these areas can create meaningful improvements over time. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms persistently, consider it an invitation to check in with your body's needs and if you feel it necessary then seek guidance from an expert who can help you address your unique situation.

More than just a supplement

All-in-one, 100% grass-fed beef protein powder, enriched with collagen, colostrum and beef organs. Designed to replace multiple supplements using whole-food nutrition.

Inside organised

Beef Protein

Bovine Collagen

Bovine Colostrum

Bovine Organ Complex

(Liver, Heart, Kidney, Spleen, Lung)

Celtic Sea Salt

Raw Honey

Maple Syrup

Organic Dates

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Blue packaging for the 'Organised' whole food organ blend product, emphasizing nutrition and longevity benefits.

NO SUGAR ADDED

NO FLAVOURINGS

NOTHING ARTIFICAL

NO STEVIA OR ERYTHRITOL

NO PESTICIDES