Episode 94. From ME To Mighty: How Jo Mayes Rebuilt Energy, Confidence, And Community Through Strongman Training

A decade ago, Jo Mayes rationed every ounce of energy just to manage the school run. Today, she’s stepping onto an invite‑only stone lifting field and carrying a 103‑kilogram rock for 36 metres—proof that small, repeatable steps can build a life you want to live.

We unpack the full arc of Jo’s transformation: pacing during COVID, daily walks that slowly grew, and the first gentle strength sessions that left her wiped out yet hopeful. She shares how a quiet garage gym became a bridge to the weights floor, why strongman felt both functional and empowering, and how a welcoming community turned training days into a source of energy rather than a drain. We talk candidly about imposter syndrome, competing alongside world‑class athletes, and embracing the event you can nail even when others don’t go to plan.

Nutrition takes centre stage too. Jo explains how tracking food supports her training, why she targets substantial protein to build and recover, and how simple carbs like oats and rice keep her sessions productive. We bust the “eat less, move more” myth for active women, dig into protein targets that actually sustain progress, and explore how strength training protects bone density, hormones, and long‑term vitality—especially in your 40s.

You’ll leave with practical takeaways: start with one step, choose training you enjoy so you can repeat it, fuel like it matters, and lean on community. If you’ve felt stuck, burned out, or unsure where to begin, Jo’s story is a reminder that consistency beats intensity and courage beats perfection. Enjoy the conversation, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, and if it helps, leave a quick review and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

Come into the Far to Fabulous Facebook group to see Jo's legendary video.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 93: How does stress show up in your digestion (and what can you do about it)?

Your body might be doing everything right—just at the wrong time. We dive into the overlooked power of how you eat: the timing, the pace, the breath between bites, and the simple rituals that flip your system from stress to digest. Drawing on lessons from French and Spanish lunch culture, we explore why protected mealtimes lead to steadier energy, calmer guts, and better sleep, even before you change your menu.

We talk frankly about the gaps in our food and health systems—chefs who aren’t taught nutrition, nutritionists who aren’t trained to cook—and how that disconnect shows up in everyday life. From school canteens with short breaks to workplaces that erase lunch, the result is rushed meals, screens at the plate, and a digestive system left in the lurch. You’ll hear practical shifts: a simple 12-hour eating window, moving more fuel to the first half of the day, and saving heavier carbs for the evening with a two to three-hour gap before bed to support sleep. We break down why three slow breaths before eating change everything, how chewing activates the TMJ and influences pain perception, and why something as ordinary as a short stroll after a meal can smooth your blood sugar curve.

This conversation is warm, real, and immediately usable. You’ll get no-nonsense tips to reclaim lunch, cook as a family to prime digestion, and swap the sofa for the table to turn eating into a restorative pause. Expect fewer afternoon slumps, lighter evenings, and a calmer gut—without a complicated plan. If this resonates, subscribe, leave a quick review to help others find the show, and share your best mealtime tip with us in the Facebook group. Your next great habit might be as simple as taking a breath before your first bite.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 92

Abs-urd: Why a Flat Stomach Isn’t the Point.

A single moment in a shop—two women, three stone lost, and still “not enough”—opened a bigger conversation about why so many of us measure our worth by a flat tummy. We take you inside the subconscious, where safety and belonging outrank motivation, and show how decades of programming and social media filtering make “smaller” feel like the only path to approval. This isn’t a willpower problem; it’s an identity problem. And identity, thankfully, can be upgraded.

We unpack the reticular activating system (RAS)—your brain’s built‑in filter that deletes, distorts, and generalises what doesn’t fit your current beliefs. If your inner map says “flat equals good,” your feed, compliments, and daily choices bend to that script. We trace how Gen X women inherited a thinness code from magazines, diets, and praise tied to shrinking, then layered on today’s quick fixes and ultra‑processed routines. The result? A scale reading can flip your mood in a second, even when your body hasn’t changed at all.

So we rewrite the playbook. Instead of punishing overhauls, we focus on identity-level shifts: “I’m a woman who takes care of her body and mind.” We swap shamey language (“I’ve been bad”) for kinder scripts (“I’m listening to my body”). We praise strength, stamina, sleep, and steady energy. We curate our feeds to normalise real midlife health—resilience, recovery, protein, lifting, walking, and rest. And we bring in practical tools that work with emotion: EFT tapping to calm spikes, simple visualising to rehearse better choices, gentle NLP timelines to unhook old loops, and habit stacking that feels safe to the subconscious.

This is about reclaiming attention for what actually improves life: deeper sleep, a steadier mood, easier movement, stronger lifts, calmer days, and a nervous system that feels regulated. The goal isn’t a flat tummy; it’s a body you trust and a mind that doesn’t bully you. If you’ve ever felt “I know what to do, but I don’t do it,” this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a roadmap you can live with.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more women can find it. Then join our free Far Too Fabulous Facebook group to continue the conversation and build a kinder echo chamber together.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 91

Most of us don’t give the gallbladder a second thought — until it becomes a problem. But this small organ has a big role to play in women’s health, especially during perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, I dive into the hidden connection between the gallbladder, bile flow, and hormone balance. You’ll learn why bile isn’t just for digestion, how sluggish clearance can fuel estrogen dominance, and the early warning signs your gallbladder may be struggling — before it becomes an emergency. I also unpack why gallbladder removal rates have skyrocketed in the UK, what life looks like after surgery, and, most importantly, how you can support gallbladder and liver health naturally.

If you’re navigating hormone changes in midlife, this episode will give you fresh insight into an organ that’s anything but irrelevant.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 90

Your body thinks there's a tiger in the room, but it's just your overwhelming to-do list. That constant state of fight-or-flight is driving you toward burnout, even if you're still functioning on the outside.

Most midlife women don't recognise the subtle signs of burnout until they're completely exhausted. You wake feeling unrefreshed despite sleeping. Small irritations trigger disproportionate reactions. You catch every cold. Sugar, salt, and caffeine become necessary fuels. Your libido vanishes. Yet you dismiss these warning signals as "normal life" because everyone around you is experiencing the same struggle.

What's actually happening is fascinating: your adrenal glands, responding to constant perceived threats, eventually become depleted. Your thyroid tries to help by "putting the brakes on" to conserve energy—essentially forcing you to drive with your foot on the accelerator while the handbrake is engaged. This biological response depletes essential nutrients and disrupts your entire hormonal orchestra, creating symptoms easily confused with perimenopause.

The good news? Burnout is reversible with consistent small actions. Three deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed signals to your body that the "tiger" isn't actually present. Mineral-rich vegetable broths replenish depleted reserves. Adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha help regulate stress responses. Even 30 seconds of cold water at the shower's end can reset your nervous system.

Remember, reaching burnout isn't a personal failing—it's your body doing its best to cope with demands it wasn't designed to handle. You don't have to make this journey alone. Connect with us in our Facebook group where we're sharing practical techniques like tapping to help you recover your energy and reclaim your wellbeing.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 89. Wellness Washing: Products that pretend to be good for us

That "healthy" product you're buying might be anything but. Catherine and Julie pull back the curtain on the deceptive world of wellness washing – products claiming health benefits while potentially causing harm.

The conversation ignites when Julie shares her frustration over a Dettol laundry detergent advertisement targeting parents with fear-based marketing about germs on children's clothes. Despite everything we now understand about the importance of a healthy microbiome, these chemical-laden products promise to "kill all known germs" – introducing harmful substances to our skin while disrupting beneficial bacteria we actually need.

From cleaning products, the hosts dive into food marketing manipulation. "Protein" yoghurts command premium prices while often containing less actual protein than regular Greek yoghurt and hiding added sugars. Breakfast cereals like Special K position themselves as healthy foods, despite having minimal nutritional value. Plant-based alternatives and gluten-free products frequently compensate for missing ingredients with chemical additives, poor-quality oils, and excessive sugar.

Most concerning is the impact of these marketing tactics on children. The UK has reached a troubling milestone with more overweight children than healthy-weight children. Supermarkets strategically place unhealthy items at eye level, use bright packaging, and create "child-friendly" versions of junk food. Products like flavoured waters, which parents believe are healthier alternatives to soda, often contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and colouring.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 88

Ever wondered if you could replace your wellness coach with ChatGPT or just follow along with YouTube videos? In this eye-opening episode, we tackle the provocative question: "Why should I use fitness, wellbeing, and nutritional professionals when I have AI and social media?"

Through candid conversation and revealing personal anecdotes, we explore the limitations of technology in the wellness space. We share stories of AI making potentially dangerous health recommendations—like misreading high iron levels as low and suggesting supplements that could damage the liver. The truth is, while technology offers convenient access to information, it lacks the human intuition, personalised approach, and emotional connection that make real transformation possible.

What happens when the real issue isn't what you think it is? As professionals, we often discover that clients come to us with one concern (like weight loss), only to uncover that the root cause lies elsewhere entirely. Technology can't connect these dots or read your body language, notice when you're dancing around the truth, or adapt recommendations based on your unique circumstances and emotional state.

The accountability factor also proves irreplaceable—that text message when you miss a class, the celebration of your wins, the adjustments to your plan when life throws curveballs. These human touchpoints create the foundation for lasting change that algorithms simply cannot replicate. While we embrace technology as a helpful tool (we both use AI for certain tasks!), we've seen firsthand why the wellness journey fundamentally requires human guidance.

Have you had any interesting—or disastrous—experiences with AI or YouTube wellness advice? Share your stories in our Far Too Fabulous Facebook group! We'd love to continue this conversation and hear your perspective on balancing technology with human expertise in your wellness journey.

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.

Episode 87: How do I prioritise my health when everyone else needs me first?

Ever feel like your well-being is the last item on an endless to-do list? You're not alone. This candid conversation tackles the reality of being a busy woman trying to prioritize health in a world that expects you to do everything for everyone else first.

Julie and Catherine cut through the noise to address what's really happening when women put themselves last – it's not laziness or lack of willpower, but programming we've received since childhood. That "guilt button" that seems permanently installed when you become a mother? We talk about how to acknowledge it without letting it rule your decisions.

The hosts share their own experiences as busy professionals and parents who've learned to integrate well-being practices without adding stress. Their practical approach focuses on micro-habits that create massive returns – from five-minute movement sessions to simple nutrition swaps that don't require meal prep marathons. You'll discover why sleep might be your most powerful wellness tool and how small adjustments to your evening routine can transform your energy levels.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is the emphasis on breaking the all-or-nothing mentality. Instead of waiting for the perfect time to overhaul your entire lifestyle (which never comes), you'll learn how to identify your "one thing" – that single, small change that creates momentum toward better health without overwhelming your schedule.

Ready to shift from survival mode to sustainable well-being? Join the Far Too Fabulous community in discovering how tiny, consistent actions can create life-changing results. The journey to prioritizing yourself without guilt starts with one small step – which will you choose today?

Got a question or comment? Send us a text message here!

Thank you for listening.

You can continue the conversation with us in the Far 2 Fabulous Facebook group. Come and connect with other women on a journey to empowered health.

For more information about Julie Clark Nutrition, click HERE
For more information about Catherine Chapman, click HERE

We look forward to you joining us on the next episode.