Have you ever been told that your metabolism is broken, damaged, or slowing down with age?

Social media often blames metabolism for everything from weight gain to low energy, but the reality is usually much more complicated. In this episode, I cover the difference between metabolism and appetite, why the two are often confused, and why that distinction matters if you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health.

Topics covered include:

• What metabolism actually is
• Why metabolism is often more stable than people think
• The research on metabolism and ageing
• Why appetite changes far more dramatically than metabolism
• The impact of sleep, stress, hormones and environment on hunger
• Menopause, weight gain and common misconceptions
• Why some medications can lead to weight gain
• The role of protein, fibre and lifestyle habits in appetite regulation
• Why “fixing your metabolism” is usually the wrong goal

If you’ve ever worried that you’ve damaged your metabolism or that age has made weight loss impossible, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on.

As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personal medical advice. If you have concerns about your own health, please speak to your healthcare professional.

Have you been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and found yourself confused by conflicting advice online?

Perhaps you’ve heard that T3 is the “active” thyroid hormone, wondered why you’re prescribed thyroxine (levothyroxine), or been tempted by thyroid supplements, private testing, or claims that conventional treatment is missing something.

In this episode, I cover how thyroid hormones work, why thyroxine remains the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, why T3 isn’t routinely measured, and where much of the confusion around thyroid health comes from.

Topics covered include:

• The difference between T4 and T3
• Why levothyroxine is usually prescribed
• Why T3 isn’t routinely tested
• How thyroid blood tests are interpreted
• Thyroid supplements, selenium and zinc
• Why some people still feel unwell despite treatment
• The role of fatigue, sleep, menopause and other health conditions
• How to approach thyroid information online with a critical eye

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting messages about thyroid health, this episode will help you understand the basics and make sense of the conversation.

As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personal medical advice. If you have concerns about your own health or treatment, please speak to your healthcare professional.

Fish oil used to be seen as universally “good for the heart.” Then suddenly the headlines said it might be dangerous.

So what’s actually true?

In this Pocket Prescription episode, GP Lynette Ewart explains what recent fish oil studies really showed, why different heart conditions matter, and why nutrition science so often gets reduced to simplistic headlines.

A practical, evidence-based guide to making sense of the confusion — without the hype.