HCA Talks Health

If we already know what’s good for our health, why is lasting change still so hard to make?
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In this episode of HCA Talks, Health Coaches Academy Joint CEO and Co-Founder Ann Garry shares her remarkable journey from a high-pressure corporate career in London's financial district to becoming one of the UK's most influential voices in Health Coach training. She opens up about the personal turning point that led her to retrain in nutrition, and how a chance meeting with co-founder Carolyn helped her discover that real, lasting change comes not from information alone, but from coaching and behaviour change working together.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why information doesn't automatically lead to action
- The science behind lasting behaviour change
- What Health Coaches really do
- Whether AI could ever replace a Health Coach
- The future of prevention, lifestyle medicine and personalised healthcare
Whether you're curious about becoming a Health Coach, passionate about improving your own health, or simply wondering why healthy habits can feel so hard to stick to, this episode will leave you feeling inspired, reassured and equipped with practical insights you can start using today.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Ann Garry and her corporate to health coaching journey
02:00 - The moment Ann realised there was more to life than her corporate career
10:00 - What it means to lead Health Coaches Academy today
19:00 - The evolving role of health coaching in a changing world
25:00 - Why knowledge alone isn't enough for lasting behaviour change
29:00 - The "Passenger vs. Driver" metaphor explained
43:00 - Can AI replace a Health Coach?
50:00 - Ann's advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed by their health
54:00 - The "Upstream Prevention" philosophy in lifestyle medicine
Ann's story is proof that meaningful career change is possible at any stage of life, and that the world needs more people willing to guide others towards healthier, happier lives. Tune in now to discover the real work behind lasting health change and the role Health Coaches play in supporting this.
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What if the secret to better mood, weight, and energy started in your gut?
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You could be eating the finest, most nutritious food on the planet, but if your gut isn't working well, your body barely benefits from it. In this episode, Zena Le Roux sits down with Mpho Tshukudu, registered dietitian and author of Your Health Begins In Your Gut (2025) and co-author of the award-winning Eat, Think, Lose Weight, Gain Health, and Find Yourself. Together they explore why the gut truly is the cornerstone of your health, and how understanding it can transform the way Health Coaches support their clients.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why the gut is the cornerstone of your overall health, and why "you are what you absorb"
- How the gut-brain axis works, and why around 90% of your serotonin is made in your gut
- The surprising connections between your gut and your skin, muscles, liver, and hormones
- How your gut microbiome influences weight, body composition, and insulin resistance
- The way sleep, stress, and exercise can either heal or harm your gut
- The simple "30 plant points a week" strategy for a healthier, happier gut
- What a healthy gut actually looks like, and how to know if yours needs some love
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Mpho Tshukudu and her new book
01:00 - Why Mpho chose to write about gut health
03:30 - The links between the gut and conditions like weight, cholesterol, and skin
06:00 - How the gut affects weight, body composition, and insulin resistance
08:30 - What a healthy gut really looks like
12:00 - The gut-brain axis and mental health
14:30 - Nutritional psychiatry and rethinking depression
17:00 - The gut's connection to ADHD and dementia
18:00 - How the gut influences hormones and appetite
21:00 - Causes of poor gut health: sleep, stress, and exercise
23:30 - Where to start: dietary and lifestyle strategies
26:00 - The 30 plant points strategy and colourful eating
29:00 - A simple plant-rich meal idea and the magic of sorghum
31:00 - Where to find Mpho and her book, Your Health Begins In Your Gut
32:00 - Final message: take care of your gut
Whether you're already guiding clients on their wellness journeys or simply curious about how the gut shapes so much of our health, this conversation is warm, practical, and full of insight. Mpho makes gut health genuinely accessible, showing that small, colourful changes can make a real difference, no strict rules or wellness hacks required. A truly nourishing listen for any Health Coach wanting to support their clients to feel their best.
Connect with us:
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👍 Facebook → https://tinyurl.com/facebook-hca
🌐 Website → https://tinyurl.com/healthcoachesacademy

Interested in the impact health coaching can make in the lives of others? 
📖 Download our Healthy Futures Magazine → https://tinyurl.com/healthyfuturesmag
📗 Download our Careers Guide → https://tinyurl.com/careersguidehca
💻 Register for one of our Introductory Webinars → https://tinyurl.com/hcafreewebinar 
What if everything you thought you knew about fibromyalgia was wrong? 
In this episode, Zena Le Roux sits down with Helen Roome, occupational therapist, chronic pain specialist, and author of Your Pain Playbook, to explore how Health Coaches can play a truly transformative role in supporting clients living with this complex and often misunderstood condition.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why fibromyalgia is so widely misunderstood, and what the research actually tells us
- How central nervous system sensitisation drives fibromyalgia symptoms
- Why lifestyle-based, top-down approaches are often more effective than medication alone
- How Health Coaches can create safe, validating spaces for clients in chronic pain
- Practical strategies you can use to help clients manage their symptoms day to day
- The concept of proactive acceptance and why it can be a game-changer for clients
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Helen Roome
01:30 - Why Helen specialised in fibromyalgia
04:30 - Common misconceptions about fibromyalgia
08:45 - What fibromyalgia actually is: central nervous system sensitisation
13:00 - Causes, vulnerability factors, and triggers
18:00 - The role of Health Coaches and practitioners in creating safety
23:00 - Bottom-up vs. top-down treatment approaches
28:00 - Practical lifestyle management: routine, sleep hygiene, diet, and hydration
33:30 - Redefining success and the concept of proactive acceptance
38:00 - Why sustainable habits beat wellness hacks every time
44:00 - Why Health Coaches are uniquely positioned to support clients 
45:00 - How to find Helen and her book, Your Pain Playbook
Whether you're already supporting clients with chronic pain or simply want to deepen your understanding, this conversation is packed with insight, compassion, and practical takeaways. Helen's expertise and lived experience make this a truly eye-opening listen, one that could transform the way Health Coaches show up for clients.
Connect with us:
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👨‍💻  LinkedIn → https://tinyurl.com/hca-s-linkedin
👍 Facebook → https://tinyurl.com/facebook-hca
🌐 Website → https://tinyurl.com/healthcoachesacademy

Interested in the impact health coaching can make in the lives of others? 
📖 Download our Healthy Futures Magazine → https://tinyurl.com/healthyfuturesmag
📗 Download our Careers Guide → https://tinyurl.com/careersguidehca
💻 Register for one of our Introductory Webinars → https://tinyurl.com/hcafreewebinar 
What if the real driver behind so many of your clients' chronic health struggles could be traced back to one root mechanism? In this eye-opening conversation, internationally recognised functional medicine expert Dr Tom O'Bryan, known as the "Sherlock Holmes of Chronic Illness", reveals how systemic chronic inflammation quietly fuels autoimmune disease and cognitive decline. For any health and wellness coach ready to move beyond symptom care and truly investigate root causes, this episode is a genuine game changer.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why systemic inflammation sits at the heart of chronic illness & how to help clients spot it
- How gluten triggers leaky gut & molecular mimicry in every human
- Why standard gluten-free diets can backfire & the Mediterranean Gluten-Free approach
- Simple, empowering micro-changes your clients can make to lower inflammation
- How to grow from symptom care into a confident Health Coach & true root-cause investigator
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Dr Tom O'Bryan
00:48 - The scale of the chronic illness crisis
01:40 - Declining birth rates and what they mean
02:45 - The rise in autism rates
04:15 - Inflammation as the leading cause of death
04:45 - From symptom care to health investigator: a key mindset shift
06:50 - The role of Health Coaches in tackling chronic illness
08:35 - Air pollution, LPS and brain health
10:00 - Diet as the primary source of inflammation
11:00 - The one hour a week habit for client transformation
12:10 - Using continuous glucose monitors with clients
13:40 - Gluten sensitivity and early death risk
14:50 - Celiac disease, mortality data and clinical risk
18:50 - The risks of a poorly managed gluten-free diet
22:10 - Childhood versus adult celiac diagnosis and lifespan
25:50 - Standard gluten-free diets and microbiome damage
26:35 - Tracking inflammatory biomarkers over time
27:00 - Why wheat is problematic for everyone
29:20 - ADHD, stimulants and brain blood flow
30:20 - SPECT scans and brain hypoperfusion in wheat-sensitive people
31:40 - Molecular mimicry and gluten's effect on the immune system
32:15 - Zonulin, leaky gut and the inflammatory response
32:45 - How NF-kappa B directs inflammation
38:15 - The Mediterranean Gluten-Free diet
40:40 - Zonulin research and its impact on chronic illness
43:10 - Explaining digestion and leaky gut to clients
45:30 - Why inflammation shows up differently in each person
49:00 - Practical micro-changes for clients
50:15 - Simple lifestyle swaps to reduce toxin exposure
52:00 - Closing thoughts and next steps
Visit Dr O’Bryan’s official website at www.thedr.com and use the promo code CGP30 for a discount on his practitioner courses.
Key Studies and Research:
- Dr Alessio Fasano's Zonulin Paper - "All disease begins in the 'leaky gut': the role of zonulin in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases," explaining the five factors behind chronic inflammation.
- Swedish Celiac Mortality Study - The largest study of its kind, reviewing 351,000 biopsies over 30+ years and revealing raised early death risks linked to gluten sensitivity.
- Scottish Celiac Study - Research showing a 4.85-fold increased risk of death in the first year after a celiac diagnosis.
- British Medical Journal Microbiome Study - A study of 10 healthy adults showing how a standard gluten-free diet reduced microbiome diversity within a month.
Connect with us:
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🌐 Website → https://tinyurl.com/healthcoachesacademy

Interested in the impact health coaching can make in the lives of others? 
📖 Download our Healthy Futures Magazine → https://tinyurl.com/healthyfuturesmag
📗 Download our Careers Guide → https://tinyurl.com/careersguidehca
💻 Register for one of our Introductory Webinars → https://tinyurl.com/hcafreewebinar 
What if cognitive decline wasn't inevitable, rather, it was reversible? In this episode, host Zena Le Roux sits down with Dr. Dale Bredesen, internationally recognised expert in neurodegenerative disease and creator of the ReCODE Protocol, to explore the science of Alzheimer's prevention and reversal through precision medicine and lifestyle intervention.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why traditional single-drug treatments for Alzheimer's fall short
- How the brain switches between "connection mode" and "protection mode"
- Practical steps to reduce your risk, from the Keto Flex 12/3 diet to the Seven Basics
- How early detection tools like the P-Tau 217 blood test can identify risk years before symptoms appear
- The critical role Health Coaches play in helping clients translate complex protocols into lasting daily habits
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Dr Dale Bredesen and the ReCODE Protocol
01:00 - Why traditional single-drug treatments fail
06:30 - The brain's connection-to-protection mode switch
18:30 - The major drivers of decline: energetics, inflammation, and toxins
22:30 - The Seven Basics and achieving metabolic flexibility
30:00 - The four phases of cognitive decline and the power of early prevention
35:30 - Precision medicine, clinical trial results, and reversal case studies
45:00 - Daily routines: sleep, Keto Flex 12/3 diet, exercise, and detox
01:15:00 - Finding trained practitioners and closing thoughts
A must-listen for Health Coaches working in brain health, healthy ageing, and lifestyle medicine.
All resources mentioned can be found at www.apollohealthco.com:
- The First Survivors of Alzheimer's, The Ageless Brain, The End of Alzheimer's
- Free cognitive test - know-your-cq/ 
- Recode 2.0 practitioner training 
Connect with us:
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🌐 Website → https://tinyurl.com/healthcoachesacademy