Below Her Surface

Lily Cook

Below Her Surface hosted by Lily Cook, founder of Metaphysical Wellness, dedicated to unpacking the clinical and human realities of health. Cut through the noise and guesswork with conversations that feature health experts, women in business and lifestyle, and individuals with lived insight - delivering accessible, science-grounded information you can actually use. From hormones to mindset to biology - no trends, no fluff, just what works.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Fat Loss, Strategy & Physiology: Why Consistency Trumps Willpower

    In this solo Q&A episode of Below Her Surface, Lily Cook dives deep into the strategic side of fat loss, metabolism, and the psychological hurdles many women face on their health journey. Moving away from the "all-or-nothing" culture, Lily unpacks why high-effort often doesn't equate to high-results and how to treat your health like a science experiment by controlling variables rather than chasing quick fixes. This episode is an essential guide for anyone who has felt restricted by tracking apps or frustrated by "plateaus," offering a clear, data-backed roadmap to achieving aesthetic goals without sacrificing hormonal health or mental well-being. In this episode, Lily explores: - The Science of Fat Loss - Why doing ten sessions a week is less effective than three consistent ones, and how to manage variables like steps and calories to see what actually works. - The "Least Amount" Principle – Why achieving your goals with the minimum effective dose of exercise and restriction is better for your metabolism and long-term success. - Cycle Tracking as a Safety Guard – Using your period as a bio-feedback tool to ensure your calorie deficit isn't too extreme for your physiology. - DEXA Scans & Data – Using clinical evidence to move past the emotional weight of the scale and understand your unique muscle mass and body fat needs. - The Insulin-Thyroid Connection – Why generic Hashimoto’s advice might fail if you have insulin resistance, and the importance of bringing insulin down first. - The Myth of Willpower – Understanding how physiological imbalances like leptin resistance and nutrient deficiencies drive cravings that willpower alone cannot overcome. - Reclaiming Aesthetic Goals – Why it is healthy and normal to want to look a certain way, and how to pair physical progress with mental rewiring. - Building a Sustainable Routine – The non-negotiables of strength training, progressive overload, and why you should stick to a program for at least 6 to 12 weeks. This episode provides a grounded, science-literate approach to body composition, reminding us that strategy and physiological health are the true drivers of lasting change.

    28 min

  2. 10 MAR

    Blood Work, PCOS Myths & The Truth About Supplements: Why "Normal" Isn't Always Optimal

    In this solo Q&A episode of Below Her Surface, Lily Cook, founder of Metaphysical Wellness, returns to dive deep into the questions that flood her inbox. This episode is a masterclass in reading between the lines of standard medical advice, specifically tackling the frustration many women feel when their labs come back "normal" despite feeling anything but. Lily breaks down the clinical nuances of hormonal health, from the specifics of androgen testing to the lifestyle factors that "turn on" PCOS symptoms. This conversation cuts through the marketing fluff of the supplement industry - specifically debunking the "natural Ozempic" and "lean creatine" trends - to provide a science-literate, grounded approach to female biology. In this episode, Lily explores: - The "Normal" Lab Trap – Why your pathology reports might say you’re fine, but your ferritin, thyroid, and insulin levels are far from optimal for how you actually want to feel. - Hirsutism and Hair Loss – The connection between insulin resistance and androgen production, and why basic testosterone testing often misses the full picture. - Endometriosis and Iron – Navigating low iron and heavy bleeds, why you don’t necessarily need to cut out red meat, and the role of prostaglandins in period pain. - The Creatine Myth – Why there is no such thing as "lean" creatine and how to avoid the temporary bloating often associated with "loading" phases. - Berberine vs. Reality – Unpacking the "Natural Ozempic" claims and why body composition results in clinical trials are often no better than a placebo. - PCOS: Genetic or Lifestyle? – Understanding the difference between having polycystic ovaries and the clinical expression of PCOS, and how strategy trumps generic "low carb" advice. -Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea (HA) vs. PCOS – The "danger zone" of misdiagnosis and why treating a loss of cycle as PCOS can actually make your hormonal health worse. This episode is a call to look beneath the surface of generic health trends and start looking at your data, your cycle, and your lifestyle as one interconnected whole.

    30 min

  3. 21/12/2025

    Fertility, Fat Loss & Hormones: What Women Actually Need to Know

    In this solo episode of Below Her Surface, Lily dives into the most common questions submitted by the community around fertility, fat loss, hormones, PCOS, endometriosis and perimenopause. Drawing on evidence-based practice and real-world clinical insight, this episode unpacks why so many women feel stuck in cycles of overtraining, under-eating and hormone frustration, and what actually supports female health. This conversation cuts through outdated advice and all-or-nothing thinking, offering clarity on how to train, eat and care for your body across different life stages. In this episode, Lily explores: • Fertility after a year of trying - ovulation timing, when to investigate hormones and nutrients, and why preparation matters as much as conception. • Training for fertility and hormone health - why overtraining backfires and what supportive, low-stress training looks like. • Endometriosis and exercise - reducing inflammation, managing fatigue, and why intensity often needs to be dialled back. • Fat loss realities - realistic timelines, why faster isn’t better, and how aggressive dieting damages metabolism. • Perimenopause, menopause and muscle - how declining oestrogen impacts weight and insulin, and why strength training is essential. • PCOS and testosterone - why “eat less, train more” worsens symptoms and how insulin and stress drive androgen elevation. • Food, mindset and sustainability-– festive eating, iron deficiency, fatigue and building a health approach that lasts. This episode is a grounded, science-led guide to navigating female health without extremes, reminding us that the most powerful results come from working with the body, not against it.

    47 min

  4. 14/12/2025

    Overtraining, PCOS & No Period for 2 Years

    In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with Taao, a professional dancer who stopped getting her period for two years, gained 12kg in a matter of months, and was handed band-aid solutions like the pill and metformin “to make her feel sick so she’d eat less.” After spending thousands on specialists who couldn’t explain what was happening, she found her way to Metaphysical, and completely changed how she trains, eats and understands her body. We walk through her journey from PCOS chaos and hypothalamic amenorrhoea to regular cycles, strength, and a relationship with food that actually supports her life and career. This one is for the women who feel like they’ve “tried everything,” don’t fit the textbook version of PCOS, and are tired of being told to just “lose weight” or “go on the pill.” Together, Lily and Taao discuss: Taao’s first PCOS flare and the rapid 12kg weight gain no one could explain Why every practitioner was “stumped” by her bloodwork and symptoms The overlap of PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhoea (HA) in dancers and high-achieving women How overtraining was pushing her further from a regular cycle Why low-carb, low-calorie protocols were making everything worse How increasing carbs and training less helped her lose fat and regain her period The wild medical advice she was given: metformin for nausea, ovarian drilling & random pill protocols The difference between evidence-based nutrition and disordered-eating-in-disguise How fixing her health opened up more energy, confidence and success in her dance career What Taao wants to see change in women’s health and how we talk about aesthetics vs health

    41 min

  5. 07/12/2025

    When “Healthy” Isn’t Healthy: Chloe’s Journey Back From Burnout, Skin Flares & Hormone Chaos

    In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with coach and long-time fitness industry insider Chloe Rentifis to peel back the curtain on what really happens when “doing everything right” still leaves your body falling apart. From chronic gut pain at 16 and nine months without a period to cystic skin flares, relentless fatigue and the pressure to “look the part” in the fitness industry, Chloe shares the unfiltered truth about what happens when you ignore the whispers your body gives you, until they turn into screams. Together, Lily and Chloe discuss: • The early signs: years of gut pain, hospital stays and confusing diagnoses that were never fully explained, and how you normalise suffering when it’s all you’ve ever known. • Losing her period for nine months: the moment Chloe realised her body wasn’t just “tired,” it was shutting down, and how fear of future fertility finally pushed her to seek real answers. • Skin, anxiety & heart flutters: the symptoms she brushed off as “normal” until they were no longer ignorable. • Overtraining without realising: how six-day training weeks, Turf Games, Hyrox prep and 4am alarms added up to hormonal chaos, even while eating well and coaching others. • Identity vs. health: the pressure of being a coach who’s expected to look a certain way, and the mindset shift that let her step back without feeling like she was losing her credibility. • Starting again: the moment she told Lily, “You’re my last hope,” and the honest fear of investing again after being burned by endless practitioners and expensive testing. • The rebuild: cutting training back, prioritising sleep, reducing stress load, changing nutrition, and slowly watching her skin, cycle regularity, energy and gut health come back online. • Coaching differently: how Chloe’s experience reshaped the way she works with clients, teaches them to respect symptoms, and supports them to build health from the inside out, not just chase aesthetics. • Burning the finish line: why the obsession with timelines and aesthetics keeps women sick, and how slowing down can actually move you further, faster. • What the industry gets wrong: macros without nutrients, glorified extremes, overstimulation, and the myth that “healthy looking” equals healthy. • The new chapter: food as fuel (and joy), holistic habits, gentler training phases, more energy, clearer skin, and a long-term approach that finally feels sustainable. If you’ve ever felt burnt out, dismissed, misdiagnosed or trapped in the belief that you “should be fine,” Chloe’s story is a powerful reminder that you’re not meant to survive on fumes and that real healing often starts when you’re brave enough to stop.

    39 min

  6. 30/11/2025

    Inside Double Bay’s Most In-Demand Skin Clinic: Evidence, Honesty & Actual Results

    In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with Madonna, founder of Kaelon, one of Double Bay’s most sought-after skin clinics, to unpack the real science behind breakouts, pigmentation, hormones and why your skin mirrors your internal state. Madonna shares how evidence-based care, precision treatments and a truly individualised philosophy have earned her a devoted following, and why good skin is never just “skin deep.” Together, Lily and Madonna discuss: • The evolution of Kaelon – from a fascination with beauty to mastering dermal science and building a clinic grounded in integrity and individualisation. • Evidence-based skincare – why Madonna rejects “one-size-fits-all” and instead blends clinical data with holistic, personalised plans. • Hormonal health on the skin – why all true acne is hormonal, how insulin, cortisol and contraception impact breakouts, and what to know when coming off the pill. • Pigmentation truths – the two types of hormonal pigmentation, how melasma presents, and why lifestyle shifts often matter more than diet. • Over-treatment culture – the rise of inflammatory procedures, why more isn’t better, and the dangers of stock-standard needling schedules. • Nutrition foundations for great skin – protein, fibre, omegas, zinc, vitamin A, microbiome diversity and how “clean eating” can go too far. • Collagen, omegas & supplements – what’s actually effective, what’s marketing, and how to choose high-quality, bioavailable products. • The Korean skincare craze – why barrier-first routines help some people and harm others, and what most social media advice gets wrong. • Skin as a reflection of the nervous system – why stress, lifestyle and emotional load show up on the surface long before we notice them. This episode is a deep dive into the real drivers of healthy skin, balanced hormones, supportive nutrition, evidence-based treatments and a provider who actually listens.

    45 min

  7. 23/11/2025

    Ozempic Era, Strong Girl Era: Which Future Are We Choosing?

    In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with strength coach and educator Janis Blums to unpack what really drives resilient, functional and healthy bodies in a culture obsessed with shrinking them. From his background in elite sport, biomechanics and fascia to his work with some of Australia’s top models, Janis shares how he builds strong women in an industry that often rewards the opposite. Together, Lily and Janis discuss: • From bootcamps in the rain to Sweaty Soul - how Janis went from lugging tyres in parks to building a niche studio and becoming the go-to coach for major modelling agencies. • Athletic roots and rehab – the high-jump, AFL and gymnastics background that shaped his obsession with movement, injury prevention and human performance. • Fascia, length–tension and “storage for the nervous system” - how connective tissue, posture and bone position change strength, tightness and pain • Mind–muscle connection and irradiation - the science behind his “10-second plank” and why gripping your hands, glutes and legs can wake up hard-to-reach muscles and stabilise your joints. • Blocking, tempo and smarter squats – practical tweaks like shin blocks, isometrics and single-leg work that shift women out of quad dominance and into safer, hip-driven strength.. • GLP-1s and the new starvation culture – what worries him about Ozempic-style drugs • Eating disorders, safety and re-feeding – the physiology of a starving brain and heart, the dangers of rapid re-feeding • Raising the bar for coaches – why Cert III/IV is only the starting line, and Janis’ call for trainers to invest in neuroscience, women’s physiology and collaborative • Strength as emotional armour – how lifting, breath work and honest coaching help women build the resilience • Turning obsession into education – the story behind • Turning obsession into education – the story behind his Delta X

    56 min

  8. 16/11/2025

    He Ran 250km Through the Desert (With His Toes Hanging Out) - Ben Seymour’s Wildest Story Yet

    In this episode of Below Her Surface, Lily sits down with personal trainer, former pro athlete and founder of RHISE Performance, Ben Seymour, to uncover what drives someone to push beyond the limits most people would never dream of crossing. From ultramarathons in the Atacama Desert to building a fast-growing performance supplement brand, Ben shares the mindset, discipline and purpose behind everything he does, and why integrity matters more than ever in the fitness industry. Together, Lily and Ben discuss: • The evolution – Ben’s journey from professional rugby to online coaching, recovery therapy and now launching RISE Performance. • Fuel, focus, performance – why he created RISE products, how endurance training exposed gaps in the supplement market, and why women deserve better performance formulas too. • Carrying 16kg through the desert – the wild reality of a 250km self-supported ultramarathon across Atacama, dehydration, altitude, torn-open shoes and the mental battles in 45-degree heat. • Internal vs external purpose – how charity work, family, and a bigger “why” helped him push through some of the darkest points on the course. • From rut to resilience – life after sport, rebuilding identity, and finding new challenges after leaving the team environment of rugby. • The discipline blueprint – lessons from childhood, travel, and elite sport that shaped his work ethic and integrity today. • The danger of “fitness influencers” – why clickbait, fake marathon times and unqualified coaches are harming the industry and how to find credible guidance. • Moving forward with RHISE – building a media-led performance brand, showcasing everyday athletes, and creating space for female-focused performance products. • Purpose in action – Ben’s passion for Kids Foundation, supporting children with trauma, and how he plans to integrate charity into future RHISE events.

    31 min
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About

Below Her Surface hosted by Lily Cook, founder of Metaphysical Wellness, dedicated to unpacking the clinical and human realities of health. Cut through the noise and guesswork with conversations that feature health experts, women in business and lifestyle, and individuals with lived insight - delivering accessible, science-grounded information you can actually use. From hormones to mindset to biology - no trends, no fluff, just what works.

Information

  • Creator
    Lily Cook
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19

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