Wellness, Questioned Annabel Lee and Katie Gordon

In this episode of Wellness, Questioned, Katie and Annabel dive into the world of "Wellness Bros" and wellness influencers. Listen as they explore the spread of misleading information, the unregulated spaces of alternative and complementary practices and the influence of Wellness Bros in the wellness industry. 
(3:47) Wellness Bros and Micro Cults(11:43) The search for a definitive answer(13:46) The responsibility of social media platforms(20:13) A healthy skepticism
The wellness industry is as weird and wild as ever, with more of us looking to alternative ways to stay healthy and improve our wellness. But while wellness tells us to drink the green juice, shouldn't we be questioning what's actually in it?Welcome to Wellness Questioned, a podcast looking at how to navigate the wellness industry well, hosted by Katie Gordon and Annabel Lee. In each episode, they cover a different aspect of wellness and self-improvement, looking at ethics, scandals, and red flags.
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @wellnessquestioned
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses is on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath-work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective on Instagram.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, wellbeing and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.

The podcast previously known as Selfie Development is back with the classic wellness rebrand, minus the scandal!
The wellness industry is as weird and wild as ever, with more of us looking to alternative ways to stay healthy and improve our wellness. But while wellness tells us to drink the green juice, shouldn't we be questioning what's actually in it?
Welcome to Wellness Questioned, a podcast looking at how to navigate the wellness industry well, hosted by Katie Gordon and Annabel Lee. In each episode, they cover a different aspect of wellness and self-improvement, looking at ethics, scandals, and red flags.
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @wellnessquestioned
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, well-being and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating chronic pain, migraines, depression, anxiety and insomnia among many other uses, but how does it work?
In the final episode of season two, Katie and Annabel discuss the topic of acupuncture with guest Joe Jennings, an acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner who runs Holistic Health Oxford and the Community Acupuncture Team, which aims to make acupuncture accessible to everyone. 
(0:31) Introduction(2:26) Joe joins the conversation(4:06) How does acupuncture work?(7:31) Supporting evidence(12:43) Integrating acupuncture into the NHS(13:40) The importance of community clinics(21:06) What is chi?(23:59) Moving away from the self(27:50) Closing discussion(33:09) End of the season
About the guest:Joe Jennings has been practising acupuncture and Chinese medicine for over a decade and takes pride in being able to make his work as accessible as possible.
He runs Holistic Health Oxford and the community acupuncture team. His clinic is the first carbon-negative clinic and he takes interns and he also sits on the board of the Association of Community and Multi-Bed Acupuncture Clinics.
Learn more about Holistic Health Oxford
The wellness industry is booming, but with all these new classes, experts and ways to heal, how do we know what's fact and what's just good marketing?People are craving community, connection and meaning - adrift from religion, traditional structures, and even the office. We're a generation of searchers. We want purpose, ritual and a place to belong. But where are we getting it, and is it leaving us exposed?
Welcome to Selfie Development with Katie, a yoga teacher and coach, and Annabel, a writer about wellness. In each episode, we'll explore something from the world of wellness and self-improvement, from manifestation to EFT, soundbars to productivity hacks. What does this stuff really mean? Will it help? Or are there any red flags to watch out for?
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @selfiedevelopmentpod
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses is on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath-work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective on Instagram.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, wellbeing and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.

Parental rage is something that every parent experiences at one point or another. Despite this, the topic is rarely discussed openly due to the societal and personal expectations around parenting.
In this week's episode, Katie and Annabel are joined by Dr. Katy Hill, a clinical psychologist with a specialisation in parental stress and burnout, to explain the concept of parental burnout and rage, the societal pressures on parents, the importance of self-care and self-compassion, and strategies for managing stress and anger as a parent.
(0:31) Introduction(11:09) Katy joins the conversation(12:34) Parental burnout(18:26) Parental rage(28:20) How and when to seek help(31:36) Regulating rage(41:14) Closing discussion
This episode discusses sensitive issues around parental rage and burnout. If you have any concerns about your safety or the safety of others, you can always contact NHS111 or the Samaritans on 116 123 who are able to provide assistance for those in need.
Alternatively, Family Lives is a charity operating email, live chat and phone support lines for parents who are struggling. Find out more here.
About the guest:Dr. Katy Hill is a clinical psychologist with 20 years experience of working across a variety of different NHS and university psychology departments.
Since having her three children, Katy has chosen to work in private practice focusing on her specialist interest of parental stress and burnout. Katy supports parents to reduce their stress levels, manage difficult emotions, and improve relationships with their children and themselves. You can find her at drkatyhill.com or the Parental Stress Psychologist on Instagram.
Learn more about KatyFollow Katy on Instagram
The wellness industry is booming, but with all these new classes, experts and ways to heal, how do we know what's fact and what's just good marketing?People are craving community, connection and meaning - adrift from religion, traditional structures, and even the office. We're a generation of searchers. We want purpose, ritual and a place to belong. But where are we getting it, and is it leaving us exposed?
Welcome to Selfie Development with Katie, a yoga teacher and coach, and Annabel, a writer about wellness. In each episode, we'll explore something from the world of wellness and self-improvement, from manifestation to EFT, soundbars to productivity hacks. What does this stuff really mean? Will it help? Or are there any red flags to watch out for?
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @selfiedevelopmentpod
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses is on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath-work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective on Instagram.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, wellbeing and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.

With productivity culture and optimisation seemingly permeating every aspect of our lives, does it actually help us do more, or are we more inclined to keep scrolling on our feeds? Moreover, how does productivity culture affect our approach to wellness, and can we find a balance?
This week Annabel and Katie explore the world of productivity and wellness with guest Catri Barrett, a coach specialising in productivity and procrastination.
(0:31) Introduction(5:32) Catri joins the conversation(10:35) Productivity and Wellness(20:35) Positive procrastination(23:56) Productivity "hacks"(33:34) Finding a balance(38:05) Procrastination and neurodivergence(43:45) Closing discussion
About the guest:Catri Barrett is a coach who specialises in productivity and procrastination. She's a certified holistic life coach, ADHD, and mental health advocate, speaker, facilitator, and founder of the Curiosity Club and works with overthinkers and overdoers to help them become the most successful versions of themselves.
Learn more about The Curiosity Club Follow Catri on Instagram
The wellness industry is booming, but with all these new classes, experts and ways to heal, how do we know what's fact and what's just good marketing?People are craving community, connection and meaning - adrift from religion, traditional structures, and even the office. We're a generation of searchers. We want purpose, ritual and a place to belong. But where are we getting it, and is it leaving us exposed?
Welcome to Selfie Development with Katie, a yoga teacher and coach, and Annabel, a writer about wellness. In each episode, we'll explore something from the world of wellness and self-improvement, from manifestation to EFT, soundbars to productivity hacks. What does this stuff really mean? Will it help? Or are there any red flags to watch out for?
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @selfiedevelopmentpod
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses is on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath-work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective on Instagram.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, wellbeing and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.

This week Annabel and Katie are exploring what actually is gut health? With talk of probiotics, prebiotics, the microbiome and even faecal transplants cropping up online, what does it all mean? And is it just an excuse to sell us more?
Joined by Rosie Hogg, a specialist gastroenterology dietitian, Annabel and Katie dive into gut health and the microbiome, to uncover how it affects our immune system, and both mental and physical health.
(0:31) Introduction(5:06) Rosie joins the discussion(5:59) The microbiome(8:57) Antibiotics and Probiotics (14:25) Gut health and the immune system(22:49) Supplement advice(29:26) What is a prebiotic?(38:01) Closing discussion
About the guest:Rosie is a specialist gastroenterology dietitian, with 7 years' experience both with NHS and private practices. She specialises in helping clients with dietary and lifestyle advice for gut health, coeliac disease, IBS, FODMAP dietary advice, ‘functional’ symptoms such as bloating, wind, reflux, loose stools and constipation.
Learn more about Oxford Gastro Dietitians Follow Oxford Gastro Dietitians on Instagram
Resources discussed in the episode:The US Probiotic GuideThe British Dietetic Association Food Facts Sheet
The wellness industry is booming, but with all these new classes, experts and ways to heal, how do we know what's fact and what's just good marketing?People are craving community, connection and meaning - adrift from religion, traditional structures, and even the office. We're a generation of searchers. We want purpose, ritual and a place to belong. But where are we getting it, and is it leaving us exposed?
Welcome to Selfie Development with Katie, a yoga teacher and coach, and Annabel, a writer about wellness. In each episode, we'll explore something from the world of wellness and self-improvement, from manifestation to EFT, soundbars to productivity hacks. What does this stuff really mean? Will it help? Or are there any red flags to watch out for?
Come and join us as we explore how to do wellness, well.
Follow us on Instagram @selfiedevelopmentpod
Meet the hosts:Katie Gordon - Katie is a yoga teacher, coach, parent and founder of Every Body Studio. She used to work in publishing but now gets to read books for fun. She loves yoga and some forms of wellness, but is admittedly pretty cynical about most of it. However, she is willing to put aside her scepticism for anything that involves lying down, or that could end in a nap.
Katie's work focuses is on psychology and mental health support, and she uses an evidence-based approach to yoga, mindfulness and breath-work. She likes coffee, red wine and almost anything to eat.
Check out her work @everybody_studio and @helm.collective on Instagram.
Annabel Lee - Annabel is a writer, communications consultant, speaker and professional over-thinker. She loves all things wellness and is up for trying (almost anything) but often wonders if it’s really working, or if it's just nice to wear some yoga pants. She used to work for PR agencies but quit after having a couple of babies. Annabel trained as a yoga teacher in 2017 but had to quit that too because of a hip injury, although she has remained fascinated by the world of wellness.
Annabel has written for publications including Red, Stylist, Metro and Glamour with a focus on health, wellbeing and work. She loves oat milk lattes, Selling Sunset, dog walks without her children and white wine spritzers.
See more from her @annabellee.co on Instagram.