Welcome to the Urban Wellness blog

Your gut and your brain are in constant communication. Not metaphorically, but through direct physical pathways that affect how you feel, how clearly you think, and how resilient your mood is. In midlife, when hormones are shifting and stress is often at a peak, this connection becomes even more important. Here's what the gut-brain axis is, and what it means for your mental health.

Low body weight is almost always framed around one thing: wanting to lose weight, or relate to an eating disorder. The narrative is so dominant that when someone is underweight for entirely different reasons, they fall into a gap. They don't fit a typical ‘underweight’ profile, and they often, don't get the right support.

Perhaps you have been on antidepressants for a while and are considering coming off of them, or maybe you’ve tried titrating down only to experience significant side effects. This is one of the most common conversations I have with midlife women, and something I tell every single one of them, is that you need to have good foundations in place before you even start reducing your medication. Let’s explore this further.

Folate (vitamin B9) plays a significant role in mood, brain function, and mental wellbeing throughout life. Midlife women are one of the groups most likely to be low in it. In this post we look at why folate matters for your mental health, why many women aren't getting enough, and why the synthetic version you'll find in most supplements is not a reliable substitute.

PCOS is being renamed PMOS, something that as a functional medicine clinic we support. It is a much better descriptor for what is actually happening in the body. In this article we explore more about what PMOS is, how it can affect your mental health, but also what you can do support your wellbeing

We often think of bile as simply a digestive fluid, something that helps break down fats after a meal. But emerging research is revealing a much broader role. Bile acids are not just digestive helpers; they are powerful signalling molecules that interact with the gut microbiome, influence inflammation, and may even shape brain function.

When we think about digestion, bile often flies under the radar. But this little digestive fluid plays a massive role in breaking down fats, removing toxins, and even shaping the health of your gut microbiome, espically in perimenopause. Let’s dive into bile acid formation, its flow, and why it matters for your gut.

Hormonal changes during perimenopause can directly impact bile flow, leading to symptoms like bloating, nausea, and reflux. Nutritionist Sophie Nielsen explains the connection and what you can do to support your digestion.

Oestrogen gets SO much attention when it comes to women’s health, especially in perimenopause and menopause. Of course it is a really important hormone, but it gets far more airtime than its sister hormone, progesterone. Progesterone is one of the most important – and most overlooked – hormones when it comes to midlife mood, anxiety and sleep.

When eating struggles resurface in midlife, the conversation is often reduced to weight, willpower or “just cutting back a bit”. For many women in perimenopause or postmenopause, this can feel deeply invalidating and can miss what is really going on beneath the surface - which is where a functional medicine, eating-disorder-informed approach steps in

If you've had blood work done showing your thyroid is "fine," but you're still struggling with depression, you're not alone.

Deep inside every cell in your body, a process called methylation is happening right now. But when methylation becomes dysregulated you accumulate stress chemicals in your bloodstream, your neurotransmitters don't get cleared properly, your oestrogen backs up, and you feel anxious, depressed, and wired but exhausted.

7 Physiological Causes of Depression in Midlife Women (That Your Doctor Might Miss)

Why Every Midlife Woman Should Optimise Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the unsung heroes behind vibrant gut health, balanced hormones, and a sharper, more resilient mind. Maximising your body’s production of these vital molecules may just be the next major wellness upgrade for midlife women. Photo by Dannie Sorum on Unsplash What Are SCFAs? SCFAs are powerful compounds made when your gut bacteria break down the fibre you eat. The three mai

Why Maximising Fibre Can Transform Gut and Mental Health for Women 40+ Fibremaxxing started trending over on TikTok, and whilst that may be more for the ‘kids’ (Gen Z) it is a trend that as midlife women, we can get on board with. This trending health movement is all about encouraging you to increase you daily fibre intake for profound benefits in digestion, hormonal balance, brain health, and overall well-being. This approach is rooted in evidence, not hype, and it is espec

Creatine is a substance found in every cell in the body, and it is essential for producing energy. It is more commonly known as a sports supplement, as it can enhance muscle strength and power, and can therefore lead to better results. However, creatine is now being researched for its potential neurological and psychological benefits, including improving cognition, memory and mood. How creatine is used by the body for energy Whilst we can get creatine from food, meat and

Is your child struggling with sleep, feeling anxious, or having trouble staying focused at school? Magnesium might be the missing link to help them feel more calm and focused. Magnesium is an essential mineral that gently supports your body’s natural rhythms, playing a crucial role in everything from mood regulation to sleep quality. Often referred to as the ‘relaxation mineral’, magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, making it essential for overall health. It

In recent years, biohacking has become more mainstream: influencers on social media, apps and tracking devices that we can use to monitor everything from stress levels, sleep and blood glucose levels, books, supplements, and even a Netflix documentary about an anti-aging advocate who spends millions every year to live longer. Biohacking is essentially an approach to achieving optimal physical and mental health by making changes to your diet and lifestyle that allow you to n

With so many testing options available today, it can be overwhelming for parents of children with ADHD to know where to begin ...

Every January, we are bombarded with new diets, detox products, and promises of a "healthy" lifestyle, yet if all these quick fixes worked, the diet industry wouldn’t be a multi-billion-dollar business, right? It thrives on our desire for fast results, but what happens when they don’t last? We end up blaming ourselves for not sticking to the latest trend … and the cycle repeats. Beliefs about the necessity of "Veganuary" or other New Year health trends are often driven by cl