Ah my morning ritual is a little backward.  Due to my US commitments I start the day quickly checking emails before heading to the gym with my husband just so I don’t miss the window before they log off for the day..  Once I’m home, I help get the kids ready for school although they are both in high school now so this isn’t too difficult.  I get myself ready at the same time and then my non-negotiable part of my morning routine is my time from 9-10am before I start the day.  I aim to reserve this time for meditation but it doesn’t always go to plan.  I generally don’t start work before 10am 

What are your tips for staying calm and collected when things go wrong?

It’s a choice how you respond - and you have two choices as far as I see it.  You can either lose it or not.  My aim is to always stay calm, try and separate my reactive thoughts from the actual problem/situation and create space for me to figure out the best plan.  Don’t underestimate the power of asking questions and leaning into “what if.”  “What if this situation was put here to help me get what I want?”  “What if this is exactly what I need right now and just can’t see it?” I lean into this a lot. 

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour or habit has most improved your life?

I now go to the gym with my husband most weekday mornings.  Up until more recently this wasn’t possible - the kids were too little.  This has been amazing for so many reasons not just movement but for connection and motivation and of course everything that comes with all of that.

1 in 4 pregnancies now end in miscarriage. What is the link between daily toxin exposure and hormone disruption, how does this link to issues with fertility ? 

The toxins you speak of are known endocrine disruptors.  They often mimic our own hormones meaning we end up with imbalances as they either take up ‘realestate’ or block your hormones from performing as they should.  This then sets off a cascade of issues including but not limited to infertility - extending to other hormone issues like endometriosis, PCOS and horrible perimenopause and menopause symptoms. 

Besides fertility issues, is our daily toxin exposure showing up in other ways - maybe fatigue, mood? Is there a link here too? 

Absolutely.  Hormones are the messengers which aren’t limited to your period.  Everything from acne to hair loss, insomnia to period pain, mood swings… you can pretty much name it.  

What endocrine disrupting ingredients do you tend to stay away from in your skincare? 

Fragrance is the first big one that often slips under the radar.  It’s a blanket term that can cover a wide range of ingredients, it’s unregulated (meaning nobody is watching or monitoring what’s actually under this category) and causing huge issues for women - it’s not just skincare, it’s cleaning products, body products, and of course your perfumes as well.  Second to that would be SLS’ PEG’s, Parabens and Phthalates.

It is said that for the average woman, by the time she leaves the house in the morning she has been exposed to around 80 hormone disrupting chemicals. Any other tips on how to reduce our toxic load?

Firstly don’t panic.  We don’t need any more stress in our lives.  I suggest to patients to replace products one by one, each time something runs out, find a cleaner and low tox option.  I have swaps for everything and there are some amazing switches you can make.  There’s only one way to reduce this load and that's by choosing better products.  There’s no in between here sadly but we also want to make sure that we are aware of this and use it to motivate us rather than fear it.  I also think we will see some big changes 

What do you look for in a SPF for yourself and your family? 

Low tox and clean of course!  And as little ingredients as possible.  I am very careful with sunscreen especially as we learn more about the chemicals in regular sunscreen and the links to various conditions.  We really have stitched ourselves up there!  I also like to be sun smart - the sun is so vital for life we need to learn to work with it not against it.

The best health advice you ever received?

Listen to my body, be curious and really consider what symptoms are actually telling me.  Your body is ALWAYS talking to you and whilst you may not have a medical degree to understand the specifics you should absolutely be an expert in your own health - you are an expert in YOU.

Lastly, where can we learn more about hormonal health  

I love creating content of all kinds for all people - my website, my instagram, my masterclasses and membership and podcast!  I’ve got every corner covered from puberty to post menopause.  And the other best place - talk to your people!  Your mum, grandma, aunt, bestie… share experiences, learn from each other, don’t hide your feelings, thoughts or symptoms.  We collectively learn from each other and can support each other more than anybody.