Well Enough

The Independent

WELL ENOUGH is here to make sense of the wild world of health and wellness, answering the biggest questions and busting myths and misinformation wide open.  How do I know if my gut is healthy? Should I freeze my eggs? What is manifestation? Do I really need therapy? And why is everyone telling me to just be grateful? Join Fitness and Wellbeing Editor Emilie Lavinia and inspiring expert guests as we uncover the truth about mindfulness, the microbiome, fertility, relationships and more.  Each episode will tackle a new subject with the help of household names and leaders in their fields, dispelling the nonsense you might have read on TikTok and giving you peace of mind. Fascinated by the pursuit of wellness Emilie Lavinia is one of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing journalists. She’s tried every trend, treatment and life-altering practice, reported on it and lived to tell the tale.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Dr Alex George & Psychotherapist Anna Mathur: How to Rewire Your Brain for Happiness

    05/12/2025

    Dr Alex George & Psychotherapist Anna Mathur: How to Rewire Your Brain for Happiness

    Is "toxic positivity" ruining your mental health? In this episode, we speak to former UK government Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Dr. Alex George, and psychotherapist and author Anna Mathur to dismantle the pressure to be happy all the time and explore the science of finding joy in the small things. We discuss the difference between dopamine hits and true happiness, why we wear "masks" to hide depression, and the biology behind stress and joy. Plus, Dr. Alex and Anna share actionable tools - like Alex’s brilliantly simple “2 minute rule” and cognitive reframing techniques - to help you build mental fitness, manage ADHD, and combat loneliness. More from Well Enough:  Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here  Subscribe to the Well Enough newsletter here Timecodes 00:00 The Role of Negative Emotions 00:51 Is Happiness Just Hormones? 01:29 Why Stress Blocks Joy (Fight or Flight) 02:14 Cortisol vs Serotonin 02:52 Dopamine Hits vs True Joy 03:41 The Dangers of Toxic Positivity 04:08 Depression and Wearing the "Mask" 05:27 Dr. Alex on ADHD & Vulnerability 06:55 Antidepressants and Breaking Stigma 08:05 The Loneliness of Hiding Feelings 09:28 Men's Mental Health & Fear of Abandonment 11:42 Mental Fitness vs. Mental Illness 13:43 Childhood Trauma & Suppressing Emotions 16:47 Neuroplasticity: Can We Rewire Our Brains? 18:32 Motivation vs. Discipline 19:55 Overcoming Self-Sabotage 22:26 Letting Go of Perfectionism 24:17 Combatting the Loneliness Epidemic 27:32 Decision Fatigue & Social Media Burnout 28:44 The Problem with Gratitude (And How to Fix It) 33:14 The 2-Minute Rule (ADHD Hack) 34:55 How to Build Healthy Habits (The Snowball Effect) 36:26 Reframing: "I Have To" vs. "I Get To" 39:20 Wellness Non-Negotiables: Rest & Nature More from today’s guests: Dr Alex’s new book ‘Happy Habits’ | https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Habits-Steps-Build-Life/dp/0241771463 Anna’s new book ‘The Good Decision Diary’ | https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Decision-Diary-making-decisions/dp/0241707226 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    44 min
  2. Women’s Fitness: Instagram vs Reality with Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi

    28/11/2025

    Women’s Fitness: Instagram vs Reality with Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi

    Over 500 million people follow the #fitness hashtag on Instagram — but behind the workout videos, transformation posts, and motivational reels, what’s it really like to be a fitness influencer? In this episode of Well Enough, Emilie Lavinia is joined by two leading voices in online fitness: Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi. Alice Liveing has half a million followers on Instagram and shares positive advice on staying fit, in a sustainable way. But that wasn’t always the case. She began her online career as ‘Clean Eating Alice’ - an approach to nutrition which ultimately caused an eating disorder and even affected her menstrual cycle. Today, she opens up on what that lifestyle was like, sharing tips from her brand new book. Shakira - AKA Strong Like Mum - has fitness in her veins. You’ll know her as a resident fitness expert on ITV’S Lorraine. More from Well Enough:  Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here  Subscribe to the Well Enough newsletter here Timecodes 00:00 Introduction 02:45 Why Lifting Weights Is Empowering For Women 04:00 "Influencer" vs Personal Trainer 06:50 The "Thinness" Trap & Misinformation 12:55 Best Self vs Thinnest Self 14:25 Performance Goals over Aesthetics 16:30 The Ozempic Era 18:30 Why We Hated PE at School 23:00 The Dangers of Viral Challenges 25:25 "Boring" Basics - Exercises That Work Best 27:30 Pros & Cons of Online Fitness Access 29:40 Gen Z, Longevity & Aesthetics 34:35 New Era of Female Sports Role Models 38:55 Cleaning Up Your Social Feed 40:05 Guide: Starting Fitness in Perimenopause 40:55 What is Progressive Overload? 42:15 Why Posture is Critical 44:55 Tips for Gym Anxiety 48:50 Wellness Non-Negotiables More from today’s guests: Alice’s new book ‘Give Me Strength’  Follow Shakira’s ‘Strong Like Mum’ Instagram  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min
  3. Millie Mackintosh Shares Sobriety Journey With Alcohol Expert Professor David Nutt

    21/11/2025

    Millie Mackintosh Shares Sobriety Journey With Alcohol Expert Professor David Nutt

    Millie Mackintosh hit our TV screens in the early 2010s on reality show Made In Chelsea. Since then, she’s made the life changing decision to quit drinking. Now, she loves her sober lifestyle and supports a huge sober curious community online. In this emotional episode, she shares her alcohol free journey with world-leading authority on alcohol and drug science, Professor David Nutt. Together, they discuss the normalization of binge drinking culture, why Gen Z is rejecting alcohol and bust a common myth about tequila. You’ll hear strategies from Millie’s book ‘Bad Drunk’ - which she co-wrote with NHS GP Dr Ellie Cannon - charting her sober journey and documenting the profound mental and physical health benefits she experienced by quitting booze. Professor David Nutt will help you make informed decisions about your own alcohol consumption with an evidence-based look at how alcohol affects the body and brain.  More from Well Enough:  Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here  Subscribe to the Well Enough newsletter here Timecodes 00:00 Millie Mackintosh: My Life-Changing Decision to Quit Drinking  01:07 The Normalization of Binge Drinking Culture 02:12 Why We Drink: Alcohol as a Social Lubricant 03:30 The Stigma of the "Problem Drinker" 04:30 Understanding Shame and Dependency 05:15 Does Tequila *Actually* Make You Happy? 06:15 Why Gen Z is Rejecting Alcohol 07:22 The Immediate Benefits: Weight Loss and Clarity 09:20 Natural Dopamine Hits 10:35 Why Non-Alcoholic Wine Often Fails 11:30 The Science of "Functional" Alcohol Alternatives 14:35 How to Quit Alcohol 16:20 Navigating Pubs When You Don't Drink 19:00 Handling Peer Pressure and Social Cues 20:25 Losing Friends When You Get Sober 21:40 How to Tell If You Are Drinking Too Much 23:15 Helping a Friend: How to Talk About Drinking 25:40 Alcohol and Cancer Risk 26:45 Is Any Amount of Alcohol Safe? 28:05 The True Economic Cost of Hangovers 33:50 Advice for Partners  38:00 Sobriety and Parenting More from today’s guests: Millie Mackintosh’s book ‘Bad Drunk’ here  David’s book ‘Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health’ here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  4. Body Image: This Episode Will Teach You How To Love Your Body | Jules Von Hep & Dr Brendan J Dunlop

    14/11/2025

    Body Image: This Episode Will Teach You How To Love Your Body | Jules Von Hep & Dr Brendan J Dunlop

    Jules Von Hep spent 20 years as a celebrity spray tanner, working with Hollywood actors and Victoria's Secret models. What did he learn? That every single person, no matter how "perfect," apologised for their body. Joined by expert Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Brendan J Dunlop, this episode explores the staggering impact of beauty standards on mental health. This episode tackles the body image crisis, exploring why we are all conditioned to dislike how we look. We explore the drivers - toxic masculinity, social media algorithms, and stagnant marketing and discuss the shocking stat that 48% of men are struggling in silence with body image problems.  Jules shares his powerful journey from body dysmorphia to true body confidence, and Brendan gives practical tips for mindset shifts to love your body. This episode will teach you how to normalize the "body wobble," reframe exercise as self-love, and finally build a better relationship with the person in the mirror. More from Well Enough:  Follow Well Enough on Instagram here Follow Emilie on Instagram here  Subscribe to the Well Enough newsletter here Timecodes: 00:00 How Body Dysmorphia Shaped My Life  01:05 Launching a Body Confidence Brand  02:15 Expert Opinion: Are Male Body Image Issues Common?  03:09 48% of Men & Boys Struggle With This 05:10 Spray Tanner's Secret: Everybody Has Body Doubts  06:30 Common Body Image Triggers  08:00 Where Do Male Beauty Standards Come From?  09:35 How the Social Media Algorithm Feeds Body Image Insecurity  10:30 The Truth About Men's Underwear Models  12:10 Wellness Culture and the "Homogenization" of Looks  13:30 Why the Male Body Standard is "Stagnant and Boring"  14:20 Ozempic, Steroids & the Warped View of the Male Body  16:20 Internalized Phobia: Body Image in the Queer Community 18:05 Strategy: How to "Flip the Script" on Negative Self-Talk 20:55 "Don't Punish, Nourish" Your Body 23:10 The RuPaul Rule for Self Compassion 25:05 The "Drip in the Ceiling": An Analogy for Mental Health  30:15 Mindset Shift: Confidence is a Journey, Not a Destination  32:00 Two Practical Tips to Build Self-Love Today More from today’s guests: Jules’s book ‘The Confidence Ritual’ here  Brendan’s book ‘The Queer Mental Health Workbook’ here Resources: Been There - Been There is a charity with an app that connects people aged 18 and over with a vetted and trained Mentor to help with any body image issues they may be experiencing. Young Minds Body Image support here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

WELL ENOUGH is here to make sense of the wild world of health and wellness, answering the biggest questions and busting myths and misinformation wide open.  How do I know if my gut is healthy? Should I freeze my eggs? What is manifestation? Do I really need therapy? And why is everyone telling me to just be grateful? Join Fitness and Wellbeing Editor Emilie Lavinia and inspiring expert guests as we uncover the truth about mindfulness, the microbiome, fertility, relationships and more.  Each episode will tackle a new subject with the help of household names and leaders in their fields, dispelling the nonsense you might have read on TikTok and giving you peace of mind. Fascinated by the pursuit of wellness Emilie Lavinia is one of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing journalists. She’s tried every trend, treatment and life-altering practice, reported on it and lived to tell the tale.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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