Wellness Unfiltered | Episode 1 | ~58 mins
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Show Notes
So many high-performing wellness seekers look fine from the outside. The smoothies are blended. The skincare routine is on point. Life feels handled. But inside, it can feel like you're wading through one scandal after another, gut confusion, and influencer hype without clear answers. You keep scrolling for more tips, more products, more opinions, and somehow you feel less equipped, not more. If you've been chasing wellness truths amid the noise, this episode is for you.
In our debut, myself, Lee Holmes (Clinical Nutritionist) and Irene Falcone (Founder of Clean Nectarine) pull no punches from our secret cabin hideout. We'll unpack sunscreen scandals shaking Australia, demystify prebiotics vs. probiotics with a live caller, fix that stubborn "beer belly" for the men in your life, and deliver a fiery rant on influencers staying in their lane. No sugar-coating, greenwashing, or woo-woo — just 30 years of combined clinical expertise, raw laughs, and actionable hacks.
🛡️ Sunscreen Scandals Down Under (09:14)
CHOICE bombshells on Ultraviolette SPF recall and overseas testing drama (09:51)
Private-labels with identical formulas (13:03)
Spotlight on sunscreen chemicals in the media (15:29)
📣 You're on Speaker (Live with Bondi Di!) (24:38)
Prebiotics vs. probiotics: real microbiome differences and daily food hacks (25:27)
Spotting truly natural beauty products amid so much greenwashing (29:00)
💪 Womansplain Men's Gut Fixes (32:43)
Visceral fat truths for the "skinny everywhere but belly" guy (09:52)
Ditch liquid calories, boost breakfast protein, add gut-feeding fibre (34:38)
Incidental exercise and why consistency beats intensity (36:05)
😤 Epic Rant: Influencers, Stay in Your Lane! (37:44)
Expertise creep, private-label flops, and spotting inauthentic products (37:53)
Nutritionist Nerd Notes
Freedom of Information Article: Irene discusses Courier-Mail/Herald Sun on sunscreen ingredients.
TGA Sunscreen Search: Type ARTG # + "TGA" into Google for full ingredients: https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/artg
Prebiotics vs Probiotics Breakdown
Probiotics: Live good bacteria (reinforcements for your gut ecosystem). Found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut. They populate the microbiome to keep good vs bad bacteria balanced. Disrupted by antibiotics, high sugar, smoking.
Prebiotics: Non-digestible plant fibres that feed existing good bacteria (like fertilizer for hungry babies). Examples: inulin (chicory root), resistant starch, onions, garlic, oats, asparagus, leeks, bananas, apples (with skin).
Daily Tip: Eat both every day for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that boost digestion, immunity, and reduce inflammation.
General Gut Health Ecosystem
Microbiome = trillions of bacteria. Balance via diet; imbalance from poor habits. Pro/prebiotics restore harmony for overall wellness.
Prebiotics and Probiotics resources:
Love Your Gut Diatomaceous Earth Powder
Visceral Fat (Bustin's Gut) Nutrition Hacks
Targets men over 40: Stress (cortisol) + low testosterone = deep abdominal fat around organs (metabolically active, inflammatory).
Cut liquid calories: Alcohol (liver prioritises detox over fat burn), sugary drinks, juices, sports drinks.
Breakfast protein: Eggs, Greek yogurt, smoked salmon to stabilise blood sugar (prevents cortisol spikes).
Fibre focus: Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, peanuts – grow in pods), oats, fermented foods. Feeds microbiome to regulate fat storage.
No starvation: Avoid extreme restriction (raises cortisol). Aim for consistency over intensity.
Learn About Legumes
Legumes are a great source of protein and fibre. Here's a lovely legume cheat sheet with great recipes too. Green beans/snow peas/snap peas are "fresh legumes" vs. dried pulses. All feed microbiomes via prebiotic fibre!
Thank you so much for tuning into Wellness Unfiltered! We're beyond grateful you're here with us in the cabin and would love a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts — it helps us cut through the greenwashing and reach more truth-seekers like you.
Follow us on Instagram: @wellnessunfilteredleeirene, @leesupercharged, @cleannectarine, @superchargeyourgut
P.S. Keen to sponsor an episode and connect with our wellness audience? Reach out to wellnessunfilteredleeirene@gmail.com for collab details.
🎙️ Listen to this episode
Listen & Subscribe on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube
This show is for educational purposes only — please chat with your qualified health professional before incorporating new wellness solutions.
PRODUCER'S NOTE: Read the Full Episode 1 Transcript (Show/Hide) ▼
Wellness Unfiltered Episode 1 Transcript
[00:00] Intro
Irene: Well, hello out there. So, you're Lee and you're Irene. And together we're Wellness Unfiltered. Yay! Welcome, everybody. This is the very first episode of Wellness Unfiltered with Lee and Irene. And we are coming to you live from a very secret cabin location. And we are so glad to have you here with us.
Lee: Finally, Lee, we have been talking about doing this for years because I know we're both just so done. We are so done with the sugar coating, done with the greenwashing, and done with the wellness gaslighting.
Irene: Exactly. And this show is all killer and no filler and no hidden agendas either, because we just want to talk about the clinical facts. We're going to put in a bit of common sense and the unfiltered truth about what you're really putting in and also on your body.
Lee: Together, we have a combined 30 years in health and wellness and beauty, especially the natural kind. We just love what we do so much. It's so dynamic and so interesting, and change is constant but so much fun. It sure is.
[05:20] Hosts' Introductions
Lee: So, I'd like to start with a little intro all about the force of nature that is sitting right alongside me. Drumroll, Miss Irene Falcone. So about 15 years ago, do you remember we met when we were both single parents, and we were kind of just trying to make ends meet? And back then, remember, you were working at Universal, and I was at ABC.
Irene: Fast forward to today, we actually genuinely just live around the corner from each other and we're still super close friends. I feel like some friendships are just meant to be. Looking back on those really simple acts of kindness when we were both building our businesses, and now we help others live healthier, more conscious lives.
Lee: Oh, Lee. First and foremost, your blog. It was back in 2008 about then, and it was literally the only really good genuine food blog at the time. I was obsessed. It was your blog that inspired me to start my blog, Living Toxin Free, which became my first business.
[15:40] What's Popping: Sunscreen Discussion
Lee: We're kicking off our What's Popping segment by lifting the lid on something almost every Australian uses: sunscreen. It's super confusing. There is a lot of red tape and a lot of confusion in the market.
Irene: It all kicked off with this Choice story. For some reason this year, it's really been picked up because an iconic brand was underreporting their SPF rating. It was Ultraviolet. They had a base formulation used across many brands that was being SPF tested overseas. I've tested US sunscreens labeled SPF 30 that came back as SPF 3 here in Australia.
Lee: The TGA system absolutely works for consumers. I'm pro-TGA. Trust the SPF rating first. Check the TGA number on the pack for rigorous Australian testing. If it has no TGA number, there is no guarantee.
[28:30] You're On Speaker with Di: Gut Health
Di: I read a lot about prebiotics and probiotics, but I don't know the difference or how often I should have them.
Lee: Think of the gut as a beautiful ecosystem called the microbiome. Probiotics are like reinforcements; they are good bacteria found in yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. Prebiotics are the fertilizer. They are non-digestible fibres like chicory root or garlic that fuel the bacteria already in your gut.
[34:15] Natural Beauty Tips with Irene
Irene: In beauty, often less is more. Look for "100% natural" — legally, they can't say that if it isn't. Avoid made-up logos saying "green." Look for certified natural or certified organic logos to know it's full of goodness.
[42:10] Womansplain: Myth Busting Bustin's Gut
Justin: I'm asking for a friend, "Bustin." He's skinny everywhere except his gut. How does he get rid of it?
Lee: That's visceral fat. It's hormonally disruptive and usually tied to stress (cortisol) for men over 40. Step one: cut liquid calories (alcohol and sugary drinks). Step two: more protein at breakfast. Step three: fibre and legumes to feed the gut microbiome.
[52:45] Rant or Rave: Stay in Your Lane
Lee: My rant today is about "expertise creep." Success as an influencer is not a free pass to be an expert in everything. You see people launching products full of preservatives just because they have a following. That's not expertise; it's capitalization. Find your lane, love your lane, and fix the potholes. People smell inauthenticity a mile away.
[58:00] Closing
Irene: That's all for episode one! Hit follow and leave us a review. For full research and nerd notes, head to your favorite podcast platform. Bye!
Wellness Unfiltered is a production of Clean Nectarine and Supercharged Food. Information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
