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7 health hacks every 9-5 worker needs

By Brett Nethell

Staying healthy can sometimes feel like a full-time job. When you're juggling commutes, deadlines, and the demands of a 9-5, wellness often takes a backseat. But here's the thing... it doesn't have to be complicated. The key is maximising the time you actually have.

So here are seven practical hacks to keep you thriving at work without burning yourself out in the process.

1. Slow cooking

After a long day at work, the siren call of fast food or those dubious ready meals packed with seed oils is hard to resist. Enter your secret weapon... the slow cooker.

This simple investment transforms your approach to weeknight dinners. Before you leave for work, throw in a quality joint of meat like lamb neck, lamb osso bucco, beef short rib, or shin. Add diced vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and onions, toss in some rosemary and water, and let it work its magic while you're out. When you walk through the door, dinner is ready to serve. No stress, no processed junk, just wholesome food that practically cooks itself. Stews work even better if you want to make things even simpler.

2. Hydration with electrolytes

Intense work doesn't just demand calories, it depletes essential minerals like magnesium, salt, and potassium. Your brain relies on these electrolytes to function at its best and ward off those focus-induced headaches. When your mind is properly fuelled, the quality of your work improves dramatically. Prioritise magnesium-rich foods and consider supplementation. Trace minerals are non-negotiable for sustained mental clarity.

But here's where most people get hydration wrong. True hydration isn't about chugging endless glasses of water. It's about hydrating your cells effectively. Drinking plain water in excess actually depletes your minerals and electrolytes, leaving you worse off. Instead, turn to organic fruit juices, whole fruits, raw milk and bone broth, all of which provide hydration in forms your body can absorb more efficiently. When you do drink plain water (filtered or spring is ideal), always add a pinch of sea salt to preserve your mineral balance.

3. Block blue light

Blue light is wreaking havoc on more than just your circadian rhythm. It's causing fatigue, eye strain, and poor sleep quality, even hours after you've logged off. Invest in daytime blue light blockers and activate screen filters with a simple click. These small adjustments significantly reduce eye strain and ensure a day spent staring at screens doesn't sabotage your sleep later.

Natural light is your ally here. Get outside as much as possible throughout the day, and position yourself near a window or glass doorway to let natural light reach your eyes. This partly counteracts the artificial blue light exposure and keeps your internal clock regulated.

4. Frequent movement

Starting your day with movement and fresh air sets the tone for everything that follows. But don't stop there. The more you move throughout your day, the better you'll feel. Make it a rule to never sit for a full hour without standing. This keeps your lymphatic system flowing, prevents stagnation, and helps your body flush out toxins that accumulate when you're sedentary. The result? More energy and better focus throughout the day.

If you can squeeze in a workout during your lunch break, you'll feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the second half of your day with renewed vigour.

5. Carry a mini metabolism kit

Intermittent fasting might be trendy, but it's not doing your metabolism or your focus any favours. If you've ever experimented with low-carb eating, you know the brain fog that comes with it all too well.

At Organised, we're all about metabolism maxxing. Keep easily accessible snacks on hand: dried or fresh fruit, raw honey, gelatine cubes (for example our Matcha Latte Gummies) , or a milky coffee with a dash of maple syrup. These deliver quick, usable carbohydrates that keep your metabolism humming and your brain sharp. Prep them at the start of the week so you're not scrambling daily.

6. Fix your posture and work environment

Poor posture doesn't just cause back pain, it inhibits lymph flow and creates more stagnation in your body. Hunching over with your head craned forward puts unnecessary weight on your spine and kills your concentration. It also leaves you feeling drained by the end of the day.

Sit upright but relaxed, never tense. Position your screen at eye level so you're not constantly looking down. Clear your workspace, add a desk plant or mini air purifier, and sit near a window that you can crack open slightly. Fresh air beats air conditioning every time, and these small environmental tweaks compound into major improvements in how you feel.

7. Clean lunch

Under-fuelling or eating the wrong foods is an epidemic in work environments. Too many people skip lunch because they're swamped, or default to whatever processed snacks the office has stocked. Neither option serves you.

Make it a priority to bring a clean, whole food lunch. If your workplace has a fridge, even better. Just guard your raw milk from opportunistic colleagues! The easiest approach is to cook a bit extra at dinner the night before. Nutrient-dense options like organ meats (heart or liver) are powerhouses. Smoothies or hearty salads with quality meat are excellent choices that don't require extensive daily prep.

The truth is, staying healthy while working full-time doesn't require hours of elaborate routines or complicated protocols. These seven hacks are designed to work with your schedule, not against it.

Start with one or two that resonate most, build them into solid habits, then layer on the rest. Remember, you can't perform at your best when you're running on empty. Prioritise yourself, and watch how everything else, including your work, elevates as a result.

Published on: December 03, 2025

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Keep the feet, head & womb warm Ask a Russian grandmother what causes half of all illness, and she won’t hesitate:“Cold feet, cold head, cold womb.” This belief is so old it’s practically genetic. Babushkas repeat it to daughters, granddaughters, even strangers at bus stops. And while it sounds like folklore, it’s rooted in a surprisingly accurate understanding of circulation and stress physiology. Feet In Russia, no one walks barefoot on cold floors. Ever. Cold feet constrict blood vessels and trigger a sympathetic stress response. Babushkas believed it “pulls warmth away from the organs,” lowering immunity. Modern physiology agrees: Cold feet → vasoconstriction → reduced immune cell traffic → higher susceptibility to infection. Wool socks were considered medicine. Head You’ll never see a Russian grandmother outside in winter without a scarf or hat. The head, to them, is the “chimney of the body”, the place where heat escapes fastest. "Cold head, weak thoughts,” they say. “Cold head, tired nerves.” And then there’s the cardinal rule: "Never, ever, go outside with wet hair" Babushkas react to wet hair in winter like it’s a life-threatening emergency. Here’s why: From a physiological standpoint, wet hair accelerates evaporative heat loss through the scalp. In a cold climate, this can lower core temperature, impair immune cell function, increase viral vulnerability & spike stress hormones. Even in summer, they insist on at least partially drying the hair before stepping into the wind. Womb This is the most sacred of the three. Babushkas believed that a warm womb meant regular cycles, easier fertility, smoother postpartum recovery & emotional steadiness. A cold womb meant stagnation, resulting in painful periods, low libido, hormonal swings and sluggish digestion. Modern biology echoes this folk wisdom: Pelvic warmth increases blood flow → better hormone delivery Heat relaxes uterine muscles → less menstrual pain Core warmth supports thyroid function → key for female metabolism This is why babushkas wrap wool shawls around their waist, drink hot herbal teas after cold exposure, and forbid anyone, absolutely anyone, from sitting on cold ground. Interestingly, echoes of this thinking appear in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well. In TCM, cold invasion to the head, feet, or lower abdomen is believed to disrupt qi, weaken reproductive and digestive fire, and scatter the body’s internal warmth, almost identical to Slavic intuition passed down through the centuries. 2. Pine resin for winter cough ( живица) Zhivitsa, pine resin gently softened into warm raw honey, is one of the oldest remedies in the northern regions. Babushkas collect the resin themselves, thick amber tears found on the bark of pines, hardened by sun and wind. When melted into honey over the lowest flame, it becomes a fragrant, golden salve. Modern research reveals why this old medicine endures… Pine resin is rich in pinene, a bronchodilator that eases airflow and relaxes the chest. Its terpenes and natural acids have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, while northern honey offers minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants that support the immune and respiratory systems. Together, they create a compound that both loosens congestion and calms irritation in the airways. Applied topically to the chest, the warmth of the honey and the volatile oils of the resin increase circulation and ease muscular tightness. If authentic resin is unavailable, pine needles or young pine buds can be simmered into tea or infused into honey, carrying a gentler version of the same forest strength. Even inhaling steam from pine branches offers a trace of what zhivitsa provides. 3. Banya (баня) If you need to find a remedy for surviving winter climates, why not ask those who are most experienced? In the West, a sauna or steam room is usually tucked inside a luxury gym or spa, something you “treat yourself” to, an optional indulgence in the category of wellness. But in Russia, banya has long been a weekly, sometimes daily, ritual for survival, a way to fortify the body against the cold, not pamper it. Step inside and you’ll feel why. Heat rises from stones that have been warming for hours. The air is dense, fragrant, with birch branches soak in a wooden bucket by the door, releasing a sharp, green aroma that feels like stepping into a forest after rain. And then comes the ritual that makes banya unlike any other heat practice in the world: venik pareniye, the whipping of the body with heated bundles of leaves. The venik, usually birch or oak, is warmed in hot water until the leaves grow soft and glossy. Then the body is rhythmically “swept,” pressed, and lightly struck against the body. Elders believed it “wakes the blood,” moving stagnation out of the limbs and pulling heat into the deeper organs. The leaves release essential oils, such as betulin from birch or tannins and antioxidants from oak, which open the lungs, clear the sinuses, and soothe inflamed skin. Modern physiology mirrors this perfectly: Rhythmic venik strokes stimulate lymphatic flow Increased peripheral circulation supports cardiovascular resilience Essential oils from birch act as bronchodilators Oak tannins have antimicrobial and astringent effects 4. Baking soda & chamomile gargle for a sore throat While we reach for lozenges, sprays, and medicated mouthwashes at the first scratch of a throat, Russia has long relied on a gentler, earthbound remedy. A warm gargle made from chamomile tea and a pinch of baking soda is one of the oldest household medicines in Slavic tradition. The preparation is simple: a strong infusion of dried chamomile flowers, cooled just enough to sip, into which a small amount of soda is dissolved until the water turns faintly silky. For centuries, this gargle was used at the earliest sign of a cold, after long days spent in crowded markets or dusty train stations, or whenever the voice felt strained from winter air. Elders believed it “washed away the day,” removing whatever microbes or heaviness had settled in the throat before they could travel deeper into the body. Children were taught to gargle after returning home from school, women used it after singing, fasting, or periods of emotional stress, when the chest felt tight and the breath shallow. Modern physiology now echoes this intuition… Chamomile contains apigenin, a flavonoid that calms inflammation in the mucous membranes while gently relaxing the vagus nerve, grounding the entire nervous system. Baking soda creates a lightly alkaline environment that helps loosen mucus, neutralise acidity, and support the throat’s natural antimicrobial defences. Warmth increases local circulation, delivering immune cells to the area precisely when they are needed most. 5. Beet Kvass (свекольный квас) We’ve all heard it by now, the immune system lives in the gut. But long before gut health became a wellness trend, Russian grandmothers were quietly fortifying it with one of the oldest tonics in Slavic tradition... beet kvass. Fermented from raw beets, rye crust, and pure water, kvass is a drink with roots deeper than its ruby colour. In villages, beet kvass was poured for those recovering from winter exhaustion, sluggish digestion, or low spirits. Babushkas believed it “cleansed the blood,” flushing heaviness from the liver and warming circulation after long months of cold. Women drank it after menstruation or childbirth, the tonic’s deep red hue seen as replenishing what the body had released. Modern physiology now speaks the same language in different terms: Fermentation creates lactobacilli, strengthening the gut microbiome and supporting immune function Betaine in beets aids liver detoxification and methylation Natural nitrates enhance nitric oxide production → improved blood flow and lower blood pressure Polyphenols protect cells from oxidative stress and support hormonal balance The gentle acidity stimulates digestive enzymes and bile flow If authentic kvass isn’t available, you can approximate its benefits by lightly fermenting grated beets with sea salt at home, or adding raw beet to other ferments like sauerkraut. We’ve been exploring the quiet wisdom tucked inside different cultures and if you're curious, you can read our past article: 6 wellness secrets from Japanese grandmothers. What’s most fascinating is how often the same principles echo across continents. These cultures never compared notes, never shared trends, never followed wellness gurus...and yet, their instincts align almost perfectly. But we also love to learn from each other (with the depths of winter approaching we need all of the tips we can get)... What winter remedies or grandparent tips were passed down in your family ↓

Why you always wake up at 2-3am (& what to do about it)

You fall asleep fine. But then, like clockwork, your eyes snap open at 2 AM. Or 3 AM. Your mind starts racing. Your heart might be pounding slightly. And no matter how tired you are, falling back asleep feels impossible. If this happens rarely, it's nothing to worry about. But if it's happening night after night, always around the same window of time, that's not random. That's your body sending you a message. Waking consistently between 2 and 3 AM isn't normal. It’s a sign of something deeper, a mineral problem, inflammation, blood sugar, stress, the list can go on. Understanding what's happening during those early morning hours can help you finally sleep through the night again. Lets dive into potential causes and what you can do about them!! The mineral deficiency stealing your sleep Before we talk about blood sugar or stress hormones, we need to talk about minerals, because without them, nothing in your body works the way it should, especially sleep. Magnesium is the master mineral for sleep. It regulates your nervous system, activates GABA receptors (your brain's main calming neurotransmitter), and helps maintain the electrical balance in every cell. When you're magnesium deficient, which most people are, your nervous system stays in a state of subtle tension. You might fall asleep, but you can't stay in deep, restorative sleep. Around 2 or 3 AM, when your sleep naturally lightens between cycles, that underlying nervous system activation pulls you fully awake. But it's not just magnesium. Your entire electrolyte balance, including sodium, potassium, calcium, affects how well you sleep. These minerals control nerve signalling, muscle relaxation, and cellular communication. If your electrolytes are depleted or imbalanced, your body can't regulate the electrical impulses that keep you calmly asleep. Waking to urinate is a common sign of electrolyte deficiency. Calcium, in particular, works closely with magnesium to calm nerve transmission. B vitamins are required to produce GABA, the neurotransmitter that keep you asleep. When any of these are low, your brain literally can't produce enough calming signals to sustain deep sleep through the night. This is why so many people notice better sleep when they start prioritising mineral-rich foods such as bone broth, grass-fed dairy, organ meats, and real sea salt. It's not about just taking a supplement and hoping for the best. It's about giving your brain and nervous system the raw materials they need to produce the neurochemistry of sleep. If you're waking at 2 or 3 AM and you need the toilet, or you can't seem to get back to sleep, mineral deficiency should be the first place you look. The blood sugar crash that jolts you awake Once minerals are addressed, the next most common reason people wake up in the middle of the night is a blood sugar crash. Here's what happens... you go to bed hours after dinner as you’ve heard eating too close to bed is bad for sleep. Your body is running on the glucose from that meal but your glucose levels can start dropping fast around 2 or 3 AM. Your body registers this drop as an emergency. Blood sugar too low? That's a survival threat. So your adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline to raise your blood sugar back up. That hormonal surge is what wakes you, heart racing, mind alert, body tense. You're not anxious for no reason. You're experiencing a physiological stress response triggered by low blood sugar. The fix? A balanced evening meal with adequate protein, healthy fats, and some quality carbohydrates (for inspo, we just uploaded a Beef Stroganoff recipe) as well as a snack 1 hour before bed, ideally something with carbs/sugars. This can prevent the crash. You're not trying to spike your blood sugar before bed, you're trying to stabilise it so your body can maintain steady levels through the night without an emergency cortisol release. Every night, you’re asking your body to get through hours with no calories coming in from food or drink. In order to do this you need to be stocked up, and leaving hours after your last meal is a sure way to experience a blood sugar crash. On the flip side you don’t want too much or a big meal very close to bed. It’s about finding the balance and having that snack around an hour before you go to sleep. When your liver runs out of fuel Even if you ate well at dinner, there's another layer to this: liver glycogen storage. Your liver stores glucose as glycogen, essentially a backup fuel tank that releases steady glucose into your bloodstream overnight while you sleep. This is how your body maintains stable blood sugar for hours without food. But if you're chronically under-eating, following a very low-carb diet, or your liver function is sluggish, those glycogen stores run out early. By 2 or 3 AM, your liver has nothing left to give. Blood sugar drops. Cortisol spikes. You wake up. This is especially common in people who restrict carbs heavily, skip meals, or are dealing with liver congestion from years of poor diet, alcohol use, or toxin exposure. Your liver isn't just a detox organ, it's your nighttime blood sugar regulator. When it can't do its job, your sleep suffers. Adding gentle carbohydrates before bed, a spoonful of raw honey, a piece of fruit, or some orange juice, can replenish liver glycogen and help you stay asleep. We're not saying to load up on sugar, but it's important to give your liver the resources it needs to keep you stable through the night. The histamine surge keeping you alert If you're histamine-sensitive, whether from gut dysbiosis, mould exposure, eating high-histamine foods, mutations or having low levels of the DAO enzyme that breaks histamine down, your histamine levels can rise overnight. This keeps your brain and body in an alert state, making it difficult to stay asleep. Addressing histamine intolerance or high histamine levels means supporting gut health, reducing inflammatory foods, avoiding high-histamine foods temporarily, and ensuring adequate intake of nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium, copper, and B6 that support DAO enzyme function. When histamine comes back into balance, sleep often improves dramatically. The oxygen problem you didn't know you have Sometimes the issue isn't metabolic, it's mechanical. If you're mouth breathing, snoring, or dealing with undiagnosed sleep apnea, your oxygen levels drop periodically throughout the night. Every time your oxygen dips too low, your brain registers a threat and partially wakes you to restore normal breathing. You might not fully wake up each time, but the disruption is enough to pull you out of deep sleep. By 2 or 3 AM, after several of these micro-disruptions, you wake fully. You might notice a dry mouth, morning headaches, or feeling unrested despite being in bed for eight hours. Addressing this often means working on nasal breathing only, using mouth tape, a simple practice that can really boost the quality of your sleep and treating underlying sinus inflammation. Your brain needs consistent oxygen to stay in deep sleep. Without it, you'll keep waking. The environmental stressors you're not noticing Even subtle environmental factors can be enough to disrupt sleep, especially during the lighter sleep phases around 2 to 3 AM. Blue light from street lamps, electronics, or alarm clocks. EMF exposure from phones, wifi routers, or devices near your bed. All can register as micro-stressors to your nervous system. Blackout curtains, turning off wifi at night, using candles or salt lamps over LED’s, wearing blue light blockers after sunset, keeping phones and technology out of the bedroom, and maintaining a cool room temperature (window open) can all make a surprising difference. Your nervous system is constantly scanning for threats, even while you sleep. Remove the signals, and sleep becomes easier to sustain. The pattern is the clue Waking up once in a while at 2 or 3 AM is normal. But waking up consistently at the same time, night after night, is your body trying to tell you something. It's not insomnia in the traditional sense. It's a metabolic, hormonal, or environmental disruption that's happening on a predictable schedule. Your body is following its natural rhythms and somewhere in the process, something is going wrong. The good news? Once you identify what's driving the wake-up, the solution is often straightforward. And if you're unsure, here is a checklist to try: Prioritise magnesium-rich and mineral-dense foods: bone broth, grass-fed dairy, organ meats, sea salt, potassium-rich fruits Balance your evening meal, include protein, healthy fats & quality carbohydrates; avoid long fasting windows before bed Have a bedtime snack (1 hour before sleep),choose something simple with carbs/sugars to stabilise blood sugar (fruit, raw honey, orange juice) Look into histamine triggers Practice nasal breathing only: try mouth tape; address nasal congestion or airway issues Audit your sleep environment: Eliminate blue light at night, remove EMFs near the bed, use blackout curtains, keep the room cool and dark Your body isn't broken. It's responding logically to the conditions you're giving it. Change the conditions, and sleep becomes effortless again, all the way through the night.

6 reasons to stop drinking tap water (and what to drink instead)

We’ve all heard at some point that tap water isn’t ideal. Maybe it was a podcast clip about microplastics, or a friend who swears chlorine wrecked their gut, but knowing what to drink instead is the part no one explains. So we keep drinking it. Turn the tap, fill the glass, ignore the nagging feeling, because the alternative feels unclear, expensive, or simply unrealistic. But between chlorine that disrupts the microbiome, fluoride that interferes with thyroid hormones, microplastics carrying synthetic estrogens, and pipes older than your grandparents, it’s worth looking at what you’re really drinking. So let’s get clear on both pieces...the reasons tap water is worth questioning, and the better options you can turn to instead 1. Pharmaceutical residue One of the most concerning features of modern tap water is the steady rise of pharmaceutical residues. Not enough to treat a condition, not enough to be illegal, but enough to be detectable in nearly every major water system across the UK and Europe. How do they get there? Through us. Whatever the body doesn’t fully metabolise is excreted, flushed, and reintroduced into the water cycle. Conventional treatment plants were never designed to remove these compounds, because they simply didn’t exist when the infrastructure was built. Today, researchers routinely find trace amounts of: Antidepressants SSRIs Antibiotics Painkillers Hormonal contraceptives Anti-epileptics Diabetes medications Blood pressure drugs Chemotherapy metabolites In some regions, even veterinary pharmaceuticals from agricultural runoff The concentrations are low, but biologically, low is often the issue. Hormones and neurotransmitters operate in microdoses. A few nanograms per litre might sound insignificant, until you remember that the endocrine system works on signals measured in parts per trillion. One of the clearest warnings comes from nature. Scientists now suspect pharmaceutical pollution is a driving factor behind the feminisation of aquatic wildlife, male fish developing eggs, disrupted mating behaviour, reduced fertility. If animals are responding visibly to these microdoses, it’s difficult to argue that humans are unaffected. 2. Old pipes= heavy metals Even the cleanest municipal water still has one final journey before it reaches your glass... the ageing pipe network beneath our streets. And in the UK, that network is old. Some pipes were laid before antibiotics existed, before the lightbulb was common, before we understood anything about toxic metals and human biology. Yet they still carry the water we drink every day. Across Britain, there are still tens of thousands of kilometres of legacy pipework made from lead, copper, iron and old alloys. As these materials corrode, they shed microscopic fragments into the water, undetectable to the eye, but not to the body. Even low-level exposure matters, because heavy metals accumulate slowly and push out the minerals your body actually needs. Lead competes with calcium. Copper competes with zinc. Aluminium competes with magnesium. Over time, these displacements quietly influence core systems: Thyroid function, by blocking iodine uptake Cognitive health, especially memory and focus Mitochondrial energy production, where metals interfere with ATP creation Liver detoxification, which requires mineral cofactors Immune balance, as metals promote chronic, low-grade inflammation Children are especially vulnerable, not because they drink more water, but because developing brains absorb metals far more readily than adult tissue. A dose that would be negligible for an adult can meaningfully impact a child’s cognitive development. Infrastructure shapes biology. And much of our water infrastructure was built for a world that didn’t yet understand how metals behave once they're inside us. 3. Fluoride suppresses thyroid function Fluorinated water was introduced as a public-health strategy, but biologically, fluoride belongs to the halogen family, the same chemical group as iodine. And halogens compete for the same receptor sites. Your thyroid depends on iodine to produce and convert thyroid hormones, especially turning inactive T4 into active T3, the molecule that governs metabolic rate, body temperature, digestion, cognitive clarity, energy production, and menstrual rhythm. When fluoride enters the bloodstream, it can displace iodine from these receptors, quietly slowing the system down. The symptoms often appear gradually: heavier periods, colder hands and feet, a slower bowel, persistent fatigue, trouble concentrating, and that subtle metabolic “dampening” so many women describe without ever connecting it to something as mundane as drinking water. Compounding this, fluoride accumulates in the pineal gland, where it can affect melatonin production and the circadian cues that regulate hormonal timing, a feedback loop that further influences thyroid performance. Women with existing thyroid vulnerabilities, low iodine, postpartum depletion, PCOS, chronic stress, or a family history of hypothyroidism often notice meaningful improvements simply by reducing fluoride exposure. 4. Chlorine disrupts the gut lining Chlorine was nothing short of revolutionary when it entered public water systems in the early 1900s. It transformed public health. Diseases like cholera and typhoid, once common and devastating, dropped almost overnight. Entire cities were protected by a single chemical, and for that moment in history, chlorine quite literally saved lives. But our understanding of the human body has evolved. Chlorine’s job is simple, to kill bacteria. The problem is that it doesn’t distinguish between dangerous pathogens and the delicate ecosystems of beneficial microbes we depend on. When chlorinated water is consumed daily, small amounts can reach the intestines and interact with the microbiome and reduce its diversity, as well as irritate the gut lining, and shift the balance between protective and inflammatory species. Over time, this can weaken the mucosal barrier, increase digestive sensitivity, and place added burden on the liver, which must process these compounds. 5. Mineral imbalance In the natural world, water is shaped by the land it moves through. As rain seeps across soil, sand and stone, it collects electrolytes...magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, trace minerals that give water structure and allow it to slip into our cells with ease. Modern tap water no longer has that journey. Depending on where you live, your water is likely either: Hard: overloaded with calcium carbonate but strangely lacking magnesium Soft: chemically softened and stripped of minerals altogether Neither replicates the balanced electrolyte profile your cells require for true hydration. Without electrolytes, water has no “carrier” into the cell. Instead of being absorbed, it moves rapidly through the body, filling the bladder rather than hydrating the tissues. It's why so many people can drink litres of water and still feel tired, foggy or unrefreshed. Over time, demineralised water forces the body to compensate. To keep fluid balance stable, it begins drawing minerals from its own reserves...magnesium gradually declines, sodium regulation becomes erratic, and potassium becomes harder to retain. The result is a subtle but cumulative mineral depletion that affects energy, focus and overall hydration status. The water is entering the body, but without minerals, it’s not entering the cells. But what's the alternative? Okay, we get it. Tap water is problematic. But for most people, knowing what to drink instead is where things get confusing. Do you buy bottled water? In glass? Is plastic fine? What about filters? And how do you choose something that’s actually realistic for your lifestyle? 1. If you have access to a local spring, this is the gold standard Spring water is the closest you can get to what humans evolved to drink. It’s naturally filtered through layers of earth, enriched with electrolytes, and structured by geological pressure, a form of hydration your cells recognise instantly. Look for springs that are: Regularly tested Protected from agricultural runoff The best part? It’s usually completely free. A few glass jugs and a weekly refill can outperform almost every pricey filtration system or bottled water on the market. 2. High-mineral bottled water in glass (excellent, but expensive over time) If you can’t access a spring, high-mineral still water in glass is the next best thing. Glass protects the water from heat induced chemical leaching and preserves the natural mineral profile. Look for bottles with meaningful levels of: Magnesium Bicarbonate Calcium Trace minerals And just as important, check that the brand publicly shares its contaminant testing. Reputable mineral water companies release regular lab reports showing levels of heavy metals, nitrates, PFAS, microplastics, and industrial runoff. If a brand doesn’t disclose this, it’s worth questioning why. The only real downside? It adds up quickly. This is especially true if you’re drinking 1.5–2 litres daily and even more so if you’re hydrating a family. For many people, this becomes the most expensive hydration option long-term, even though physiologically, it’s excellent. Still, if budget allows, glass is a beautifully clean choice. 3. A high-quality home filtration system (with remineralisation) Filter water is only as good as the filter itself. The aim is twofold: The best systems combine: Activated carbon (removes chlorine, VOCs, pesticides) Reverse osmosis or high-grade membrane filtration (targets fluoride & heavy metals) A remineralisation cartridge (adds magnesium, calcium + trace minerals), if yours is missing this you can always add lemon & sea salt or mineral drops yourself This is the most cost-effective long term option for most households. The initial investment can feel steep, but year after year, filtered & remineralised water becomes far cheaper than buying glass bottles. 4. Natural mineral water in plastic bottles Not everyone can afford to buy glass regularly, and most of us end up grabbing water in the places where glass bottles aren't even sold (looking at you petrol stations, corner shops, park shops, the entire convenience ecosystem). And that’s okay. But plastic does come with considerations. Microplastics leach more easily when: Bottles are thin They’re stored in heat (cars, warm shops, delivery vans) They’re exposed to sunlight They’re squeezed or crushed So if you’re buying plastic, prioritise: Thicker bottles (they shed less) BPA-free or PET bottles Brands that publish microplastic and contaminant testing Bottles stored in cool, shaded areas Plastic isn’t ideal. But conditions & options aren’t always either, especially on the go or when budget and logistics make glass unrealistic. Notable mentions We often forget that hydration isn’t limited to water. Two of the most overlooked sources of structured, electrolyte-rich hydration are: Raw milk Raw milk is a complete hydration food… naturally rich in electrolytes, sugars, fats, proteins and enzymes that slow absorption and help water enter the cells. Its mineral profile (especially calcium, potassium and magnesium) makes it far more hydrating than plain water, and unlike demineralised tap water, it gives minerals back instead of pulling them from the body. It’s one of the reasons traditional cultures thrived on it during seasons of hard labour. Fresh fruit & fruit juice Notice how the more you sweat, the hotter the day, the harder the workout, the more your body instinctively craves fruit. That’s not a coincidence. It’s the body recognising its need for electrolytes, natural sugars and quick absorbing hydration. Oranges, berries, peaches, grapes, pineapple, all provide “living water” shaped by the plant itself, and snacking on these throughout the day (especially when they’re in season) is one of the simplest ways to stay hydrated if you find that you forget to drink water. We hope these options show that you don’t need a perfect water setup or a £2,000 filter to hydrate well. Choose cleaner water when you can, add minerals back in when needed. And as always, support your body, but never overthink what’s beyond your control.

The hormone every woman needs more of (Clue: It's not estrogen)

For so long, we’ve been told estrogen is the female hormone, leaving progesterone in the shadows. In reality, it’s progesterone that truly defines and protects a woman’s health. When progesterone is low and estrogen runs unchecked, the effects can be destructive. High estrogen, often caused by stress, birth control, processed foods, and environmental toxins, can lead to issues like PCOS, endometriosis, weight gain, mood swings, and even chronic disease. After coaching women for nearly five years, I’ve seen firsthand how common estrogen dominance really is and how much it can silently disrupt a woman’s body and mind. Low progesterone lies at the root of so many struggles women face... fatigue, anxiety, painful cycles, weight gain, and stubborn hormonal imbalances. But when progesterone levels are restored, energy stabilises, mood lifts, cycles normalise, and metabolism comes back online. The transformation is powerful, much like what men experience when they boost their testosterone. Progesterone is the hormone that brings women back into balance, strength, and ease. Now let’s get into how you can naturally support and boost your progesterone levels so your body can finally work for you, not against you. The role of progesterone (and why it's so important) Progesterone does far more than support fertility, it’s the hormone that keeps a woman’s entire system in harmony. It acts as the body’s natural calming agent, counterbalancing the stimulating effects of estrogen and cortisol. It supports thyroid health, enhances metabolism, and promotes deep, restful sleep. When progesterone is in balance, women feel grounded, energised, and emotionally steady. It also protects reproductive health and fertility by preparing the uterus for pregnancy and shielding against estrogen-driven conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and breast tenderness. Beyond that, progesterone helps regulate fat burning, reduces inflammation, and supports brain health, making it crucial for long-term vitality. Simply put, progesterone keeps everything in check. When it drops, estrogen’s effects become excessive, leading to bloating, anxiety, heavy periods, and long-term metabolic issues. Nutrients needed for progesterone Progesterone doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, your body needs the right raw materials to make it. One of the most important of these is cholesterol. For decades, cholesterol has been demonised, blamed for heart disease and labeled as something to avoid. But the truth is, cholesterol is the foundation of all hormones, including progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Without enough of it, your body simply can’t produce the hormones that keep you balanced and healthy. Cholesterol acts as the starting block in the hormone production pathway. From cholesterol, your body makes pregnenolone, which then converts into progesterone. When cholesterol is too low, progesterone production suffers. This can lead to fatigue, irregular cycles, and all the symptoms tied to estrogen dominance. Along with cholesterol, your body also needs key nutrients to support progesterone synthesis. These include: Vitamin B6, which helps the body convert cholesterol into progesterone. Magnesium, essential for calming the nervous system and supporting hormonal balance. Zinc, which plays a role in ovulation and helps maintain healthy progesterone levels. Vitamin C, shown to boost progesterone naturally and support adrenal health. Healthy fats from sources like grass-fed butter, eggs, coconut oil, and pasture-raised meats, which provide the building blocks your body needs for hormone production. When these nutrients are abundant, your body has the tools it needs to produce and sustain optimal progesterone levels. Instead of fearing cholesterol, it’s time to recognise it as the unsung hero of female hormone health, the foundation that allows progesterone to do its job. Reducing estrogen consumption One of the biggest threats to progesterone is excess estrogen, from both inside and outside the body. Modern life exposes women to a constant stream of estrogenic compounds that can overwhelm the system and create estrogen dominance. These come from the birth control pill, foods, plastics, personal care products, and environmental chemicals that mimic estrogen. Certain foods naturally contain plant-based estrogens, or phytoestrogens, such as soy and soy-based products. Excessive consumption can tip the hormonal scales. Processed foods and conventionally farmed meats may also contain added hormones, further contributing to high estrogen levels. Environmental estrogen mimics, called xenoestrogens, are even more insidious. BPA in plastics, parabens in personal care products, and certain pesticides can act like estrogen in the body, disrupting natural hormone signalling. Even everyday household items, from water bottles to canned foods, can be a source of these chemical hormone disruptors. Choosing whole foods, avoiding plastics where possible, and being mindful of household and personal care products are practical steps that can dramatically reduce estrogenic overload. By cutting back on these external estrogen sources, you give progesterone the chance to rise, protect your system, and keep your hormones in harmony. How to detox excess estrogen One simple but powerful way to help your body manage excess estrogen is by supporting its elimination through the gut. Estrogen is processed by the liver and then excreted into the intestines, but if digestion is sluggish or gut bacteria are imbalanced, estrogen can be reabsorbed, contributing to estrogen dominance. This is where certain foods can make a real difference. Raw carrot salad is particularly effective for helping remove excess estrogen from the gut. Carrots are rich in fiber, which binds to estrogen in the digestive tract and helps escort it out of the body. They also support healthy liver function and bile flow, which are essential for proper hormone detoxification. Adding a simple raw carrot salad to your daily routine, can significantly aid estrogen elimination and lighten the hormonal load on your body. This ties into the gut-liver axis, a critical relationship where the liver metabolises hormones and toxins, and the gut ensures they are properly excreted. If gut health is compromised, estrogen can be reabsorbed, creating a feedback loop that worsens estrogen dominance. Supporting the gut and microbiome not only helps detoxify estrogen but also improves digestion, reduces bloating, and supports overall hormone balance. Additional strategies can supercharge liver function and estrogen detoxification: Castor oil packs applied over the liver can stimulate circulation and support detox pathways. Digestive bitters taken before meals encourage bile flow and improve digestion. Anti-inflammatory foods, like Herbs and spices (rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, cloves) ginger, turmeric, black seed oil ( cold pressed organic and not to be used in cooking) Incorporating this type of hormone supporting food is a natural, easy way to give progesterone the advantage, reduce estrogen dominance, and help your body regain balance from the inside out. Luteal phase support Progesterone isn’t produced in isolation, it’s deeply affected by stress and cortisol levels. When your body is constantly in “fight or flight” mode, the adrenal glands prioritise making cortisol over progesterone, which can leave progesterone levels low and estrogen unchecked. This is one of the main reasons stress is such a silent disruptor of female hormones, leading to irregular cycles, PMS, mood swings, and estrogen dominance. Supporting the luteal phase, the second half of your menstrual cycle when progesterone peaks, is key to restoring balance. A healthy luteal phase helps regulate ovulation, stabilise mood, support sleep, and improve metabolic function. Simple lifestyle strategies can make a huge difference: Stress reduction techniques: meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or gentle movement like walking can lower cortisol and free up resources for progesterone production. Adequate sleep: prioritising 8–9 hours of quality sleep helps regulate the HPA axis, which governs cortisol and progesterone balance. Balanced nutrition: eating protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats throughout the day reduces stress-induced hormone fluctuations. Mind-body practices: journaling, visualisation and connecting with nature can help lower chronic stress and improve luteal phase health. By lowering stress and supporting the luteal phase, you give progesterone the best chance to thrive. This not only improves hormone balance but also reduces PMS, stabilises mood, and helps your body detox estrogen more effectively. Balancing progesterone and estrogen When it comes to female hormones, balance is everything. Progesterone often gets overlooked, but it’s the hormone that keeps estrogen in check, protects your body, and supports overall health. That doesn’t mean estrogen isn’t important, far from it. Estrogen plays a crucial role in fertility, bone health, brain function, and cardiovascular support. The problem arises when estrogen becomes excessive and progesterone is too low, which is too often the case. Achieving the right balance between these two hormones is the key to feeling energised, grounded, and resilient. Supporting progesterone through nutrition, liver and gut health, stress reduction, and lifestyle choices gives your body the tools it needs to regulate estrogen naturally. The goal isn’t to eliminate estrogen, it’s to keep it in harmony with progesterone, so your hormones work with you, not against you. True female health comes from this balance, where both hormones perform their essential roles without tipping the scales.