Nourished & Found

by Frances Norgate, CertION, mFHT, MA

Practical insights on blood sugar, metabolic health, and digestive wellbeing — for people who haven't found answers in the usual places. francesnorgate.substack.com

  1. Fifteen years. No diagnosis. Eventually, this.

    2 DAYS AGO

    Fifteen years. No diagnosis. Eventually, this.

    Frances Norgate had digestive symptoms for fifteen years before anything really worked. Bloating, severe constipation, sharp pains after eating, vomiting a couple of times a week. And a series of GPs who, working within ten-minute appointment slots, could only offer one medication per symptom. The tests came back showing nothing wrong. The symptoms kept going. In this personal episode of Nourished & Found, Frances tells the full story honestly — the years of being dismissed, the things she tried that didn't work, the slow accumulation of changes that eventually did. From gluten-free experiments and four and a half years plant-based, to long-distance trail running and what she'd do differently, to the boring fundamentals in her late thirties that finally shifted everything. This is the episode for anyone living in the gap between "your bloods are normal" and actually feeling well. Three takeaways: The absence of a diagnosis isn't the absence of a problem — symptoms can be real and meaningful even when standard testing finds nothing The answer is almost never one thing. The fix is usually a cumulative rebuild of how you eat, move, sleep and live Morning light, enough protein, nutrient-dense eating, sitting down to meals and sensible movement sound like they shouldn't be enough. They are often almost everything Free guides: Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss → francesnorgate.com/free-guide Pre-Diabetes: What Your GP Didn't Have Time to Tell You → francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide Work with Frances: Free 30-minute Blood Sugar Audit → francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit Free discovery call → francesnorgate.com/work-with-me Follow Nourished & Found: Substack → francesnorgate.substack.com Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/nourished-found/id1868788812 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4xlG5vBrC0tKadVPfsBUus Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared is general and may not apply to your individual circumstances. Always consult your GP or qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance, and never make changes to prescribed medication without medical supervision. Frances Norgate is a Qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor (mFHT, CertION, MA) and works alongside, not in place of, your existing medical care. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    8 min
  2. Eight hours of sleep. Still exhausted.

    11 MAY

    Eight hours of sleep. Still exhausted.

    If you're sleeping eight full hours and still waking up exhausted, it might not be about how long you slept — it might be about what your blood sugar was doing overnight. In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains why overnight blood sugar dysregulation is one of the most overlooked causes of poor sleep quality and persistent fatigue, even when you don't actually wake up in the night. She explains the cortisol and adrenaline mechanism that fragments deep sleep beneath the surface, why a "sensible" evening of pasta and wine can leave you wrecked by morning, and how the timing of your meals and your first hour of daylight shape the night ahead more than most people realise. Three takeaways: Cortisol and adrenaline released overnight when blood sugar drops can fragment deep sleep without waking you fully A dinner light on protein and fat — and especially evening sugar, starches alone or wine — is a common driver of overnight blood sugar instability Sunlight on your face in the first hour after waking helps anchor cortisol and melatonin timing for the sleep you'll get that night Free guides: Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss → francesnorgate.com/#bloodsugarguide Pre-Diabetes: What Your GP Didn't Have Time to Tell You → francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide Work with Frances: Free 30-minute Blood Sugar Audit → francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit Free discovery call → francesnorgate.com/work-with-me Follow Nourished & Found: Substack → francesnorgate.substack.com Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/nourished-found/id1868788812 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4xlG5vBrC0tKadVPfsBUus Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared is general and may not apply to your individual circumstances. Always consult your GP or qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance, and never make changes to prescribed medication without medical supervision. Frances Norgate is a Qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor (mFHT, CertION, MA) and works alongside, not in place of, your existing medical care. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    5 min

  3. 4 MAY

    Bloating and afternoon crashes are connected

    If you're dealing with both unpredictable digestion and energy crashes — bloating after meals, afternoon slumps, foods that suddenly don't agree with you — your gut and your blood sugar are very probably talking to each other. In this episode, Frances Norgate explains why digestive symptoms and blood sugar dysregulation so often appear together, the inflammation and stress hormone mechanisms behind the connection, and what supports both at the same time. Frances unpacks why so many people spend years chasing one set of symptoms while missing the underlying pattern — and shares what she sees again and again in practice: that the bloating, the afternoon crash, the food reactivity and the brain fog are usually one conversation, not several. Three takeaways: Blood sugar swings trigger cortisol and adrenaline — and your gut is one of the first places those stress hormones show up Inflammation in the gut affects how your body handles blood sugar — the connection runs in both directions You don't always have to work on digestive symptoms directly; supporting blood sugar stability often eases them at the same time Free guides: Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss → francesnorgate.com/free-guide Pre-Diabetes: What Your GP Didn't Have Time to Tell You → francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide Work with Frances: Free 30-minute Blood Sugar Audit → francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit Free discovery call → francesnorgate.com/work-with-me Follow Nourished & Found: Substack → francesnorgate.substack.com Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/nourished-found/id1868788812 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4xlG5vBrC0tKadVPfsBUus Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared is general and may not apply to your individual circumstances. Always consult your GP or qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance, and never make changes to prescribed medication without medical supervision. Frances Norgate is a Qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor (mFHT, CertION, MA) and works alongside, not in place of, your existing medical care. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    5 min

  4. 27 APR

    The healthy breakfast that's making your blood sugar worse all day

    In this episode, Frances Norgate explores why commonly recommended healthy breakfasts — porridge, wholegrain toast, fruit, cereal — can trigger a blood sugar spike and crash cycle that drives afternoon fatigue, cravings, and poor energy for the entire day. Includes practical guidance on how to change breakfast composition for more stable blood sugar and sustained energy. What you'll take away: Why carbohydrate-heavy breakfasts set off a blood sugar cycle that runs all day The role of protein and fat in slowing glucose absorption and stabilising energy One simple breakfast change to try this week and what to notice Free blood sugar guide: Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss https://francesnorgate.com/#bloodsugarguide Free pre-diabetes guide: Pre-diabetes: What your GP didn't have time to tell you https://francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide Book a free 30-minute blood sugar audit: https://francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit/ Book a free discovery call: francesnorgate.com Follow Nourished & Found: Substack: francesnorgate.substack.com Nothing in this podcast constitutes medical advice. Always work with your own GP or healthcare provider for your individual health needs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    4 min
  5. I wore a CGM for two weeks and I didn't like what I found.

    20 APR

    I wore a CGM for two weeks and I didn't like what I found.

    In this episode, qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor Frances Norgate shares the personal story behind Nourished & Found — how wearing a continuous glucose monitor revealed significant blood sugar dysregulation despite normal blood tests and a healthy diet, and what she changed as a result. If you've been told your blood sugar is fine and know something isn't right, this episode will explain why that gap exists and what it means for your health. What you'll take away: Why standard fasting blood tests miss most blood sugar dysregulation How foods considered healthy can spike blood sugar significantly depending on context The simple meal composition changes that stabilise blood sugar and improve energy Free guides: Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss: https://francesnorgate.com/#bloodsugarguide Pre-diabetes: What your GP didn't have time to tell you: https://francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide/ Work with Frances: Book a free Blood Sugar Audit: https://francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit/Book a free discovery call: https://francesnorgate.com/work-with-me/ Follow Nourished & Found: Substack: francesnorgate.substack.com Nothing in this podcast constitutes medical advice. Always work with your own GP or healthcare provider for your individual health needs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    8 min
  6. Why You Can't Switch Off (Even When Nothing Is Wrong)

    6 APR

    Why You Can't Switch Off (Even When Nothing Is Wrong)

    Episode Overview: Frances explores chronic low-grade stress through her own experience — the constant tension, the noise sensitivity, the reactivity to small things, the "always on" quality of homeschooling and working simultaneously. Through the HPA axis, cortisol dysregulation, polyvagal theory, and quantum biology research on grounding and photobiomodulation, she explains what the nervous system is doing under sustained demand — and what gives it genuine capacity to regulate, even when the circumstances haven't changed.   In This Episode You'll Learn: •       Why the jaw, the shoulders, and the gut are all telling the same story — and what story that is •       What the HPA axis is, how it responds to chronic unresolved stress, and why it never gets the stand-down signal in modern life •       Why chronic stress and circadian disruption are the same problem — and why each makes the other worse •       What allostatic load is and why understanding it removes the self-blame from chronic tension •       What polyvagal theory is and why most women under chronic load oscillate between activated and depleted without spending much time in the regulated state •       What vagal tone is and why it determines how quickly you can recover from stress activation •       Why barefoot grounding works — the earthing research, electron transfer, and autonomic nervous system effects •       Why morning sunlight is a nervous system intervention, not just a circadian one — the photobiomodulation research •       Why 4-7-8 breathing is one of the fastest ways to shift autonomic state — and why the exhale is the key •       Why oestrogen decline in perimenopause reduces the HPA axis buffer — and why the same stressors hit harder   Key Topics Discussed: •       Chronic low-grade stress vs acute stress — why the modern version doesn't get a resolution •       The HPA axis — hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response loop •       Cortisol dysregulation and circadian disruption — why they compound each other •       Allostatic load — the cumulative biological cost of sustained adaptation •       Polyvagal theory — ventral vagal, sympathetic, dorsal vagal states •       Vagal tone — what it is and how breathwork and nature exposure train it •       Grounding/earthing — the research on electron transfer and autonomic effects •       Photobiomodulation — sunlight, mitochondria, and the nervous system •       4-7-8 breathing — the parasympathetic mechanism •       Oestrogen, perimenopause, and HPA axis buffering   Timestamps: 00:00 Jaw Clench Wakeup00:30 Chronic Stress Baseline01:53 Life Without Off Duty03:32 Body Signs Of Load05:32 HPA Axis Explained07:17 Cortisol Meets Circadian08:15 Allostatic Load Relief09:24 Polyvagal State Map11:30 Tools That Help Me11:47 Light And Grounding14:16 Breath And Nature Reset16:44 Circadian Platform Gains17:49 Perimenopause Stress Buffer20:15 Reframing Reactivity22:02 Series Wrap And Next Steps Resources Mentioned: 🎯 FREE MASTERCLASS: "The Quantum Nourishment Masterclass" 60-minute training on all four foundational pillars → francesnorgate.com/masterclass   📥 FREE GUIDE: "3 Hidden Signals Your Body Is Missing" Download → francesnorgate.com   📧 NEWSLETTER: Quantum Nourishment Weekly Free weekly → francesnorgate.com or Substack   📋 BLUEPRINT WAITLIST: Quantum Nourishment Blueprint — opening Spring 2026 francesnorgate.com   Connect With Frances: Website: francesnorgate.com | Substack: @francesnorgate   About the Quantum Nourishment Podcast: Frances Norgate is a certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Adviser qualified at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists, and an ambassador for the Public Health Collaboration. On the Quantum Nourishment Podcast, Frances explores how light, timing, and nervous system regulation create the foundation for energy and hormones — helping women in their 40s and 50s restore their vitality without restrictive protocols.   Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.   Episode Keywords: chronic stress women, HPA axis explained, cortisol dysregulation symptoms, can't switch off anxiety, nervous system regulation women, polyvagal theory explained, vagal tone exercises, earthing grounding benefits, 4 7 8 breathing technique, photobiomodulation sunlight, adrenal fatigue perimenopause, stress and circadian rhythm, allostatic load, always on never off, quantum nourishment, women's health 40s 50s   Next Episode Preview: Next week we're going into the direct relationship between light and hormones — not just the circadian angle, but the specific effects of sunlight on oestrogen, progesterone, and thyroid function. What quantum biology is starting to show about why sunlight might be one of the most underrated hormonal interventions available. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    23 min
  7. You're Getting Enough Sleep. So Why Are You Still Exhausted?

    2 APR

    You're Getting Enough Sleep. So Why Are You Still Exhausted?

    Episode Overview: Through the story of five and a half years of broken sleep from night feeding and breastfeeding — and the specific cognitive and physical toll that followed — Frances explains the architecture of sleep: what the four stages are, what each one does, and why slow wave sleep (the most physically restorative stage) is the one most vulnerable to disruption. She connects this to the perimenopause picture almost nobody explains — that progesterone declines before oestrogen, and progesterone is what protects slow wave sleep, which is why sleep is often the first perimenopause symptom. And she describes what gradually returned when the circadian work began.   In This Episode You'll Learn: •       Why you can sleep eight hours and still wake unrested — and what's actually happening during those hours •       The four stages of sleep and what each one specifically does — including the one that physically rebuilds you •       Why slow wave sleep is concentrated in the first half of the night — and why this matters enormously for anyone whose early sleep is disrupted •       What years of interrupted night sleep does to the nervous system — and why it stays light even after the disruption ends •       Why mum brain is partly a slow wave sleep story — the cognitive signature of years of fragmented early-night sleep •       Why progesterone declines before oestrogen in perimenopause — and why this makes sleep the first perimenopausal symptom, often years before anything else changes •       Why the 2–4am waking feels different from other wakings — and what the cortisol curve has to do with it •       Why alcohol disrupts slow wave sleep even in moderate amounts •       What Frances noticed returning, gradually, over months of consistent circadian work   Key Topics Discussed: •       The four sleep stages — light sleep (Stages 1 and 2), slow wave/deep sleep (Stage 3), REM sleep •       What slow wave sleep specifically does: growth hormone release, immune function, cellular repair, cognitive restoration, brain waste clearance •       Sleep distribution across the night — why the first half and second half are fundamentally different •       Nervous system adaptation to years of broken sleep — why lightness persists after the cause is gone •       The progesterone-slow wave sleep connection — the perimenopause sleep chapter nobody explains •       Oestrogen's later role — sleep architecture, temperature regulation, cortisol pattern •       Practical interventions: morning light, wake time consistency, evening darkness, meal timing, temperature, alcohol   Timestamps: 00:00 Why Sleep Doesn’t Restore01:49 My Years of Broken Sleep03:26 Brain Fog and Slow Thinking04:22 Long COVID and Mould Load05:33 Circadian Reset Begins06:20 Sleep Stages Explained07:44 Deep Sleep Matters Most09:37 Night Timing and 3AM Waking11:04 How Night Feeding Rewired Me13:03 Perimenopause Hidden Sleep Shift16:37 Fixing Sleep Architecture20:03 Alcohol and Deep Sleep20:28 Key Takeaways and Next Episode   Resources Mentioned: 🎯 FREE MASTERCLASS: "The Quantum Nourishment Masterclass" 60-minute training on all four foundational pillars → francesnorgate.com/masterclass   📥 FREE GUIDE: "3 Hidden Signals Your Body Is Missing" Download → francesnorgate.com   📧 NEWSLETTER: Quantum Nourishment Weekly Free weekly → francesnorgate.com or find on Substack   Connect With Frances: Website: francesnorgate.com | Substack: @francesnorgate   About the Quantum Nourishment Podcast: Frances Norgate is a certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Adviser qualified at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists, and an ambassador for the Public Health Collaboration. On the Quantum Nourishment Podcast, Frances explores how light, timing, and nervous system regulation create the foundation for energy and hormones — helping women in their 40s and 50s restore their vitality without restrictive protocols.   Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.   Episode Keywords: not feeling rested after sleep, sleep stages explained, slow wave sleep, deep sleep deprivation, mum brain science, sleep after breastfeeding, perimenopause sleep problems, progesterone sleep, why am I tired after sleeping, sleep architecture women, quantum nourishment, women's health 40s   Next Episode Preview: Next week: nervous system regulation — the stress piece, the HPA axis, and why chronic low-grade stress does something specific to your circadian system that sleep alone can't undo. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and still can't quite settle, that episode is going to make some things click. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    23 min
  8. I Thought I Was a Night Owl for 25 Years. I Was Wrong.

    23 MAR

    I Thought I Was a Night Owl for 25 Years. I Was Wrong.

    Frances shares the most personal episode of the series — the story of 25 years believing she was a night owl, and what happened when she started going outside at sunrise one February in Ireland. Through her own unexpected changes (eczema clearing, gut issues resolving, waking without an alarm, eventually no longer yawning through the day), she reveals the biological mechanism behind the wired-at-night, exhausted-in-the-morning pattern that millions of women have attributed to personality rather than physiology. The cortisol curve inversion, why it happens, why perimenopause amplifies it, and what actually corrects it.   In This Episode You'll Learn: •       Why "I'm a night owl" might not be a fixed personality trait — and what it might actually be instead •       What the inverted cortisol curve is, why it creates the wired-at-night pattern, and why the morning alarm feels like an assault •       Why your second wind at 9pm is not extra energy — it's cortisol arriving 6–8 hours late •       Why the gut follows a circadian rhythm — and what happens to digestion when the body clock is misaligned •       Why eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions often have a circadian component nobody mentions •       Why the wired-at-night pattern tends to get worse in perimenopause, not better — and why this is the most important time to address it •       What morning light actually does to the cortisol curve — and why evening darkness matters just as much •       Why consistent wake time is the hardest and highest-leverage intervention •       What Frances's daily life looked like before and after — dinner at 8pm with evening snacking versus dinner at 4pm and genuinely not hungry until morning   Key Topics Discussed: •       The night owl identity — how it's formed, why it feels fixed, and why it often isn't •       The cortisol awakening response — what it is, what it's supposed to do, and what happens when it misfires •       The inverted cortisol curve — delayed production, evening elevation, melatonin suppression •       The gut-circadian connection — why digestion follows the body clock and what disruption does to it •       Skin repair and circadian rhythm — why eczema can have a circadian component •       Perimenopause and the master clock — why oestrogen decline amplifies existing circadian disruption •       The practical protocol — morning light, evening darkness, meal timing, consistent wake time   Timestamps: 00:00 Night Owl Identity01:50 A Typical Day03:50 Hidden Symptoms04:44 Circadian Clue05:37 Sunrise Experiment06:10 Sleep Shifts Fast07:18 Eczema And Gut Heal11:42 Why It Worked13:44 Inverted Cortisol Curve16:26 Perimenopause Amplifier18:08 Practical Reset Steps21:50 Wrap Up And Next   Resources Mentioned: 🎯 FREE MASTERCLASS: "The Quantum Nourishment Masterclass" 60-minute training on all four foundational pillars → francesnorgate.com/masterclass   📥 FREE GUIDE: "3 Hidden Signals Your Body Is Missing" Download → francesnorgate.com/resources   📧 NEWSLETTER: Quantum Nourishment Weekly Free weekly → francesnorgate.com or find on Substack   📋 BLUEPRINT WAITLIST: Quantum Nourishment Blueprint — opening Spring 2026 francesnorgate.com   Connect With Frances: Website: francesnorgate.com | Substack: @francesnorgate   About the Quantum Nourishment Podcast: Frances Norgate is a certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Adviser qualified at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists, and an ambassador for the Public Health Collaboration. On the Quantum Nourishment Podcast, Frances explores how light, timing, and nervous system regulation create the foundation for energy and hormones — helping women in their 40s and 50s restore their vitality without restrictive protocols.   Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider.   Episode Keywords: night owl morning person, wired at night exhausted morning, cortisol curve inversion, second wind 9pm, can't sleep early, delayed sleep phase, perimenopause sleep problems, eczema circadian rhythm, IBS circadian rhythm, morning light cortisol, quantum nourishment, women's health 40s   Next Episode Preview: Next week we're going into sleep itself — not just the circadian framing, but the specific stages of sleep, what's happening in each one, and why women in perimenopause lose certain kinds of sleep before they lose sleep overall. Understanding what you're actually trying to protect changes how you approach the whole evening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com

    24 min
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About

Practical insights on blood sugar, metabolic health, and digestive wellbeing — for people who haven't found answers in the usual places. francesnorgate.substack.com

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  • Creator
    by Frances Norgate, CertION, mFHT, MA
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Frances Norgate
  • Show Website
    Nourished & Found