HCA Talks Health

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:
📸  Instagram → https://tinyurl.com/hca-instagram
👨‍💻  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:
📸  Instagram → https://tinyurl.com/hca-instagram
👨‍💻  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 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:
📸  Instagram → https://tinyurl.com/hca-instagram
👨‍💻  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 
Can AI support mental health without replacing human connection?
In this episode, Zena speaks with Steve Peralta, co-founder and former Chief Wellbeing Officer of Unmind, a workplace mental health platform supporting over 2 million employees globally. Steve opens up about his own catastrophic breakdown in 2024, what healing really looks like, and why true flourishing has nothing to do with self-optimisation.
He also shares a refreshingly honest take on AI in mental health and coaching, what it can genuinely support, and where human presence remains irreplaceable.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why a proactive, preventative approach to mental health beats simply treating problems
- How managers can shape our wellbeing even more than therapists
- What genuinely helps when nothing else seems to work
- Where AI can support your mental health and coaching, and where it simply can't
- Why human presence remains irreplaceable for Health Coaches
- How true flourishing comes from becoming whole, not from self-optimisation
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Steve Peralta
01:00 - Overview of the Unmind platform
03:00 - Strategies for proactive workplace mental health
06:00 - Has mental health gotten worse over time?
07:00 - Steve's personal story and breakdown
11:00 - What actually helps when you're really struggling
14:00 - AI and mental health, what it is and isn't
20:00 - Should Health Coaches use AI in practice?
23:00 - Will AI replace coaches?
25:00 - What really helps people heal
31:00 - Where to find Steve
32:00 - Steve's one key takeaway for listeners
Honest, grounded, and deeply human, this conversation is a must-listen for Health Coaches, offering rich insight into what truly supports healing, how to hold space for clients with real presence, and why human connection remains at the heart of lasting change, even in a world of AI.
Connect with us:
📸  Instagram → https://tinyurl.com/hca-instagram 
👨‍💻  LinkedIn → https://tinyurl.com/hca-s-linkedin 
👍 Facebook → https://tinyurl.com/facebook-hca 
🌐 Website → https://tinyurl.com/healthcoachesacademy

In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Nelson, a personal trainer, former bodybuilder and founder of Body Image, a fat loss and longevity practice built around systems rather than quick fixes. Jason works primarily with people over 40, helping them preserve strength, metabolic health and cognitive function so they can build bodies that support the life they want to live now and for decades to come.
Jason shares the deeply personal experiences that shaped his work, from watching his mother battle Alzheimer’s to navigating intense stress during his own bodybuilding journey and discovering just how powerfully stress can disrupt metabolism, body composition and long-term health. We talk about why getting leaner after 40 requires a different approach, why weight loss alone is too narrow a goal, and why strength, recovery, sleep and muscle preservation matter so much more as we age.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Why stress can block fat loss and recovery
- Why sleep matters more after 40
- How muscle supports long-term health
- Why “eat less, move more” can backfire
- How simple systems make habits easier
- Why GLP-1s and peptides should support, not replace, strong foundations
This conversation is a powerful reminder that healthy ageing is about much more than the number on the scale. It’s about building strength, resilience and vitality in a way that supports a long, capable and meaningful life.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Jason Nelson and his work
00:01 – Jason’s personal why and prevention focus
00:03 – Why stress matters more after 40
00:04 – Sleep, recovery and overall health
00:05 – How stress affected Jason’s metabolism
00:06 – Stress management through planning and structure
00:08 – Meal prep, systems and simplification
00:09 – Why Jason focuses on people over 40
00:10 – Why longevity matters beyond weight loss
00:12 – Strength, muscle and bone health after 40
00:14 – Why nutrient density matters
00:16 – Digestion, training intensity and muscle preservation
00:18 – Why recovery becomes more important with age
00:19 – Common mistakes people make in their 40s
00:21 – Closing the gap between knowledge and action
00:24 – Jason’s view on GLP-1s and peptides
00:28 – Muscle loss and strength on GLP-1s
00:32 – How Jason coaches clients one-to-one
00:35 – A simple starting roadmap for change
00:38 – Why basics done consistently matter most
00:39 – Jason’s message: your best health is ahead
00:40 – How biological age can improve in months
00:41 – Final thoughts on longevity and healthy ageing
Connect with Health Coaches Academy:
📸 Follow HCA on Instagram: @healthcoachesacademy
🌿 Explore a rewarding career in Health & Wellness Coaching: https://www.healthcoachesacademy.com
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