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. 8h ago

    What to do in the week after a pre-diabetes text from your GP

    Most people in the UK don't find out they're pre-diabetic in a conversation with their GP. They find out by text message, a few days after a blood test that was done for something else. There's no appointment with the practice nurse. There's no real explanation of what HbA1c is or what the numbers mean. There's often just a text, a link to a leaflet, and a feeling of being slightly stunned in the kitchen. In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate walks through what a pre-diabetes diagnosis actually means in plain language, why it so often comes as a surprise even to people who have been eating sensibly for years, and what to take from it if you've recently been told. This is the episode for anyone in the week after that text — newly diagnosed, slightly panicked, and not sure what they're supposed to do next. Three takeaways: 1. Pre-diabetes is the body's warning shot, not a verdict. Insulin resistance has often been quietly developing for years before the blood test finally notices it, and the diagnosis is the moment a measurement caught up with a reality that was already there 2. The next three to six months are one of the most responsive windows in the whole metabolic continuum. The pancreas is still working, the cells haven't given up on insulin signalling, and what you do now does more than what you'll be able to do later 3. The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is heavily oversubscribed in most areas, with long waiting lists, so the moment a person is most ready to act is often the moment they receive the least structured support. You don't have to figure it out alone 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

    10 min
  2. A normal blood test isn't the same as a well body

    Jun 8

    A normal blood test isn't the same as a well body

    The HbA1c blood test is one of the most commonly used measures of blood sugar health, and one of the least well-explained. It's the test your GP uses to decide whether you're pre-diabetic, diabetic, or "fine." But what it actually measures, what it can't see, and how to interpret your own results — these are conversations that almost never happen in a ten-minute appointment. In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains what HbA1c is actually telling you, the three real limitations of the test that almost nobody is told about, and what to ask for instead if you've been told your numbers are fine but you don't feel fine. This is the episode for anyone living in the gap between a normal blood test and a body that's clearly trying to say something. Three takeaways: HbA1c is an average across three months — meaning two people having completely different days can produce the same result. A "normal" number doesn't always mean a well body The clinical thresholds are conservative. People sitting at 39, 40, 41 are often dismissed as fine when the more important question is which direction their numbers have been moving year on year A continuous glucose monitor, symptom tracking, and a fasting insulin test (which you usually have to ask for explicitly) give you a much fuller picture than HbA1c on its own 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

    11 min
  3. Your gut and your brain are having a conversation

    Jun 1

    Your gut and your brain are having a conversation

    If your digestion gets worse during stressful weeks — even when you haven't really changed what you're eating — there's a reason, and it isn't always food. In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains the gut-brain connection most people have never had properly explained to them, why your nervous system has more to do with your digestion than your diet does, and what actually helps when "just relax" is the worst possible advice. She unpacks the surprising direction of traffic on the vagus nerve, the common patterns she sees in busy weeks — sudden bloating, food reactivity, brain fog after meals, unpredictable bathroom days — and the small, practical changes that shift the nervous system through the body rather than through the mind. This episode is for anyone who's been told it's "probably stress" and left with no useful answer about what to do about it. Three takeaways: Roughly 80% of the information flowing through your vagus nerve travels from gut to brain — not the other way around. Your gut is talking to your brain almost constantly Under chronic stress, digestion is physiologically deprioritised. Stomach acid drops, motility changes, the gut wall becomes more permeable, foods that were fine become reactive You can't think your way out of nervous system stress — it shifts state through the body, not the mind. Breath, sunlight, sitting down to eat and proper evening wind-down do more than meditation apps 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

    6 min
  4. You're eating less. Your numbers are up. Why?

    May 26

    You're eating less. Your numbers are up. Why?

    If you've been eating less than ever and your blood sugar still isn't doing what you'd hoped — or worse, your numbers are climbing — there's a good chance you're caught in a pattern that almost nobody talks about. In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains why chronic undereating can actually push fasting blood sugar up, the cortisol mechanism behind it, and why women in their forties and fifties so often find that the way they used to eat has quietly stopped working. This is the episode for anyone who's been told to be more disciplined, eat less, and try harder — and is doing all three, and feeling worse for it. Three takeaways: Chronic undereating triggers cortisol, which signals the liver to release glucose — meaning fasting blood sugar can climb even when you're eating less "Be more disciplined" is the wrong advice for most women in midlife who've already been dieting hard for decades — the discipline is being aimed in the wrong direction Front-loading protein and fat earlier in the day, and eating every four to five hours, often brings blood sugar down — not up 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

    6 min
  5. Fifteen years. No diagnosis. Eventually, this.

    May 18

    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
  6. Eight hours of sleep. Still exhausted.

    May 11

    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

  7. May 4

    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

  8. Apr 27

    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
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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

Information

  • Creator
    by Frances Norgate, CertION, mFHT, MA
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Frances Norgate
  • Show Website
    Nourished & Found