Don’t miss the latest episode of The House of Wellness with Chemist Warehouse on The Breeze where host Carolyn Taylor is joined by nutritionist, author and speaker Claire Turnbull, psychologist Sara Chatwin, fitness expert Rachel Grunwell and resident pharmacist Piyara Perera. 

Featured Guest: Claire Turnbull

Nutritionist, author and speaker Claire Turnbull returns to the show once again to chat about one of today’s hottest health topics - protein. 

Protein is a key building block of life, responsible for growth, repair and maintaining healthy muscle mass at every age. 

Claire explained that as women move into midlife, muscle naturally declines, making adequate protein and strength training essential to maintain metabolism and manage weight.

She recommended aiming for around 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight - around 20-30 grams per meal. 

Claire encouraged utilising everyday whole foods like eggs, edamame, oats, peas and even peanut butter, and warned against dropping vegetables in the quest for protein. 

Featured Guest: Sara Chatwin

Coinciding with National Gardening Week, Psychologist Sara Chatwin sat down to highlight the powerful link between gardening and mental health. 

Sara explained that spending time in green spaces and around flowers can significantly reduce anxiety, lift mood and boost positivity, with research from Harvard showing that even simply looking at flowers can trigger endorphin release. 

She emphasised that gardening offers a chance to disconnect from devices, slow down and quiet the noise of daily life.

Even those without gardens can benefit from bringing plants into offices or homes. 

“In winter and when you can’t access those areas readily, good vibes carry over into the workplace if you have plants,” Sara said. 

Featured Guest: Rachel Grunwell

Fitness expert Rachel Grunwell popped in to talk all things smoothies and how you can get the most out of your blend. 

Having spent years designing smoothie recipes for magazines and supermarkets, Rachel says the secret is in balance and simplicity. 

“If you throw everything in the blender… they can taste like swamp water,” she said.

While smoothies can work great as a meal or snack, she warns they can easily become high-calorie sugar bombs, especially when bought ready made. 

Rachel advises sticking to real, whole foods and mixing up your choice of fruits, greens and milk to keep things fresh.

Resident Pharmacist: Piyara Perera

This week Piyara joined Carolyn to chat about bone health. Piyara explained that early signs that your joints or bones may be weakening can be subtle, but knowing what to look for is key. 

Common symptoms include morning stiffness, persistent mild pain after activity, reduced flexibility and occasional swelling. More serious indicators can include frequent minor fractures and loss of height over time. 

She recommends prioritising bone density screenings and prevention strategies including a good intake of foundational nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. These can be found in dairy, leafy greens or with additional supplements.

Catch our extended chat with Claire Turnbull here and tune in next Sunday from 8am for The House of Wellness on The Breeze.