From the Depths, With Cabbage - and UTIs
The body breaks, the heart aches-and still, we rise (with probiotics)
It’s been a big few months.
Big like: how-is-this-my-life big.
Big like: a little too much universe, please calm down now.
Grief has had sticky fingers all over my family lately. I’ve written about it because, let’s be honest, it touches all of us eventually - often when we least expect it, and almost always in inconveniently layered, non-linear ways.
If you’ve been reading my recent Inner Alchemy posts, you’ll know I haven’t shied away from this tender subject. It matters. And yet, while I’ll never tie a bow on grief, I’m feeling the stirrings of a new season - one that still digs deep, but offers different soil.
So here’s a little roundup of what’s been happening behind the scenes…
Life lately
I wrapped up my BODi business (if you missed it, you didn’t dream it - it’s true).
I finished writing my first book, The Daily Renewal (and some of you kind souls have already left reviews - thank you, deeply).
I’m about to launch my Etsy store with digital downloads to support grief, menopause, mental health, mindset, weight management and more. (Yes, that was a list.)
I’ve been living on spreadsheets, sleep-deprived ideas, and fermented cabbage (recipe at the bottom).
All of that has meant my own health habits have taken a knock. Not catastrophically, but honestly. Like many of you, I got stuck. And if you're in a stuck place too, here’s what’s helping me unstuck:
25 minutes of strength training most days (currently loving Steam Train by Joel Freeman: efficient, effective, and noticing fast results).
30 minutes of outdoor walking (non-negotiable for my sanity).
Hydration. (So simple. So powerful.)
Watching my nutrition: cutting down late-day carbs, upping protein, and being mindful with snacks (less "handful of nuts = meal", more "nuts are not a lifestyle").
Result? My sleep is deeper, my self-esteem is climbing, and I feel like I’m slowly re-emerging from the depths. Sharing this not because I’ve nailed it, but because I know how common it is to feel overwhelmed and quietly lost. You’re not alone. We're not alone.
What I'm Reading
Just finished The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd… and while I wanted to love it (and many do), it didn’t quite land. It felt a bit like listening to someone else’s unfolding and trying to feel something familiar. Not for me, this one.
But If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie? So far, that one is landing - although I’ve literally only just started reading it. There seems to be a depth, resonance, and a thread of sacred womanhood I find myself tracing with curiosity and hope.
Have you read either of these?
Any other books that shaped your view of womanhood, spirituality, or the reclamation of self? I’d love to hear.
Rewilding, Roots & Rebirth
This reading rabbit hole is feeding into my Inner Alchemy and Rewilding Verses - the messy, magical creative work that continues to surprise me.
Why am I reading books on myth and feminine psyche and spiritual reconnection? I’m not entirely sure…. But I think it’s because I know I’m not the only one seeking something deeper than “just cope” advice. As women, we are shape-shifters. We bleed, we birth (literally or metaphorically), we burn down, and we rise. All while being told to shrink ourselves into likeable, manageable pieces.
But we’re not here to be manageable.
We’re here to be MAGNIFICENT!!
And maybe - just maybe - we get to reimagine that on our own terms.
Have You Ever Had an Akashic Reading?
For the spiritually curious: I had an Akashic Reading a while back, and I’ll admit it was goosebump-inducing.
The Akashic Records are said to be an energetic archive of every soul’s journey across all lifetimes - like a universal database with divine Wi-Fi. In some regression hypnotherapy sessions, I’ve even seen people travel back not just into their earlier years, but into lives that don’t seem to be theirs… timelines that suggest we might carry echoes from other eras. How cool is that? It makes the little hairs on the back of my neck tingle!
Have you ever had an Akashic Reading? Or regression hypnotherapy? Or one of those moments that made you question time, reality or your own goosebumps? Hit reply and tell me everything.
Visualisation, Resilience & the Power of the Brain
Remember those visualisation audios I shared as part of the visualisation workshop? If you’ve been listening to them - brilliant. Keep going. If they’ve slipped off your radar, this is your nudge to bring them back into your routine.
Here’s why:
When we visualise (and I mean really feel it, see it, breathe it in), we create new neural pathways in the brain. These pathways become easier to access over time, which means the “life we dream of” doesn’t just stay on the vision board - it becomes a map, a route, a possibility. However, it requires consistency. Even when you don’t feel like it - remember that feeling stuck is way worse than the few minutes it takes to dive into your Perfect Life visualisation - and how exciting when you start to notice things changing! Because they do!
Visualisation doesn’t fix everything. But it builds emotional resilience - and resilience? That gives us options. Even the sense of having options can be life-changing.
Sauerkraut & Gut Health
In completely unrelated but also somehow perfectly aligned news: I’m making a new batch of sauerkraut.
It’s the recipe from my upcoming Menopause Nutritional Blueprint (coming soon to Etsy - watch this space!).
I’ve added the full recipe at the bottom of this email in case you want to try it:
Cabbage + Salt + Time = Gut Gold.
And if you're into the science behind it, I highly recommend Super Gut by Dr William Davis. Fermented foods can be a game-changer for mental health, immune resilience, and that wonderful gut-brain axis we’re only beginning to understand.
Menopause Monday + A Quick Ask
My Menopause Monday videos will continue - if there’s anything specific you want me to cover, reply and let me know. From brain fog to belly fat to libido to “is it menopause or am I just done with everything?”- nothing is off the table.
And if you’ve bought The Daily Renewal, thank you so much. Truly.
If you’ve left a review, I adore you. If not... could you? Even a few words helps pull it out of the Amazon abyss and into the hands of someone who needs it.
Here’s today’s Menopause Monday episode - if you struggle with recurrent UTIs, a “senile vagina” - not my words!!, dryness, low or non-existent libido and these things bother you, the first ever GSM (genito-urinary syndrome in menopause) guidelines have just been published - and they’re exciting!
Learn more here:
Let’s Chat
I’d love to know:
What are you reading right now?
Have you ever had a reading / regression / something unexplainable happen that stayed with you?
What helps you get out of a stuck place?
Do the GSM guidelines fill you with a renewed sense of hope?
And - if you’re still here - thank you for walking this road with me. For being part of this Inner Alchemy community. Whether you’re in grief, in growth, in the in-between... you’re not alone.
Now, check out the sauerkraut recipe below as it’s one of the easiest fermented foods you can make; it doesn’t take too long before you can start to eat it; it stores well and if you use red cabbage, it looks really pretty too!
(As per my video - eating it will help your vaginal health - just don’t use it as a vaginal suppository…)
Sauerkraut Recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium green or red cabbage (about 2-3 pounds)
8 to 9 g of sea salt, kosher salt or Himalayan salt per pound of cabbage
Method:
Prepare the Cabbage: Remove outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside. Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the core, and finely shred the cabbage. White or red or both will do.
Mix with Salt: Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and combine. Leave for 30 minutes. Massage the cabbage for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes watery and softened. If there is not enough brine produced naturally, add more water. Repeat 2 to 3 times. (Use unrefined salt - avoid salt that contains anti-caking agents or other additives)
Pack into Jar: Transfer the cabbage into a clean glass jar, pressing it down firmly to eliminate air bubbles. Leave about 1-2 inches of headspace at the top.
Add Weights: Place the reserved cabbage leaves on top and add a weight to keep the cabbage fully submerged in its juices. Sauerkraut is an anaerobic process which means all cabbage particles, including the leaves which you place beneath the weights, must be covered with brine to prevent mould forming.
Ferment: Cover the jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band or string. Alternatively screw a plastic lid loosely onto the jar, or use a specially designed fermentation lid which keeps the sauerkraut sealed while allowing carbon dioxide to leave the jar safely. Leave it at room temperature for 1-4 weeks, checking it daily to make sure it is submerged and no mould is forming. Ferment longer for a stronger flavour. A warmer room will make it ferment faster; a cooler room will slow down the fermentation. Keep out of direct sunlight.
Store: Once fermented to your liking, transfer the sauerkraut to airtight containers and refrigerate. It can last for several months - depending on how fast you eat it. (In our house, it doesn’t last long…..)
Bon appetit!