What if your skin is trying to tell you something?

In this fascinating conversation, Dr Rosy Daniel and Karen Mellers welcome Weleda skin expert and esthetician trainer Elizabeth King to explore the extraordinary relationship between skin, health, emotions and healing.

Elizabeth shares her journey from a young aromatherapy enthusiast to becoming a pioneer in holistic skin therapy. Drawing on anthroposophic medicine and decades of experience, she explains why skin is far more than a surface to be treated, it is a living mirror of our inner world.

Together, they explore how skin reflects our physical health, emotional wellbeing, stress levels, relationships, boundaries and even our sense of purpose. Through powerful client stories, Elizabeth reveals how skin conditions such as rosacea, acne and psoriasis can sometimes reflect deeper life challenges and emotional patterns.

The conversation also explores the profound healing power of touch, the importance of trust and safety in skin healing, and how mindful, therapeutic facial treatments can calm the nervous system, support emotional wellbeing and reconnect us with ourselves.

Whether you're struggling with a skin condition, interested in holistic health, or simply curious about the deeper wisdom of the body, this episode offers a refreshing and compassionate perspective on skincare and self-care.

In This Episode You'll Discover

• Why skin is often described as a mirror of the psyche
• How emotions, hormones, digestion and stress can influence skin health
• The difference between working on the skin and working with the skin
• What rosacea, acne and other skin conditions may reveal about our lives
• How gentle facial touch helps regulate the nervous system
• Why trust and safety are essential for healing
• The anthroposophic approach to skin and wellbeing
• The healing role of rhythm, movement and presence
• How plant remedies are selected to support different skin conditions
• Why holistic skincare can be a gateway to deeper self-awareness and healing

Memorable Quotes

"The skin is constantly telling us a story."

"Instead of working on the skin, it became about working with the skin."

"The skin only heals when it feels trust and safety."

"The skin is a facilitator, a mediator and a mirror."

"This work is so far from being only about the face; it's a portal to the nervous system, the heart and the soul."

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What if the biggest risk factor for heart disease isn't cholesterol, but loneliness?

In this deeply personal and moving episode of Alive and Loving It, Dr Rosy Daniel and Karen Mellers explore the growing epidemic of cardiovascular disease through both a medical and human lens. The conversation is dedicated to their mothers, Margaret and Mary, who both died from cardiovascular illness, and becomes a heartfelt exploration of what truly keeps our hearts healthy.

"The heart is not just a pump. It responds continuously to how we live, eat, move, think, feel and connect with each other."

Drawing on cutting-edge research, integrative medicine, lifestyle science, and personal experience, Rosy reveals why our hearts are far more than mechanical pumps. From the pioneering work of Dr Dean Ornish showing that heart disease can be reversed through lifestyle changes and emotional connection, to fascinating studies on oxytocin, community, purpose and belonging, this episode uncovers the hidden emotional and social dimensions of heart health. You will discover why stress, isolation and unexpressed emotions may be damaging your cardiovascular system, and how love, touch, community and meaningful relationships can become powerful medicine.

Whether you're concerned about heart disease, high cholesterol, stroke risk, blood pressure, stress, or simply want to live a longer and healthier life, this episode offers hope, practical wisdom and a reminder that the human heart thrives on loving connection.

In This Episode we explore:

• Why heart disease remains the world's leading cause of death
• The emotional roots of cardiovascular illness
• The groundbreaking work of Dr Dean Ornish in reversing heart disease
• Why loneliness may be as dangerous as smoking
• The surprising role of oxytocin, the "love hormone"
• How community and belonging protect heart health
• Understanding cholesterol from an integrative perspective
• The impact of chronic stress on blood pressure and heart function
• The connection between grief, loss and heart disease
• Why touch, affection and emotional expression matter
• The importance of purpose, volunteering and meaningful contribution
• Lessons from the world's Blue Zones and longest-lived communities

Key Takeaways

❤️ The heart responds not only to what we eat, but also to how we think, feel and connect.

❤️ Chronic stress drives inflammation, hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular risk.

❤️ Oxytocin—the hormone of safety, trust and connection—helps lower cortisol and support heart health.

❤️ Community, friendship and social support are among the most powerful protective factors against disease.

❤️ Healthy fats, fibre-rich foods, movement and emotional wellbeing work together to protect cardiovascular health.

❤️ Purpose and belonging are essential human needs, not optional extras.

Resources Mentioned

• Dr Dean Ornish's work on reversing coronary artery disease – www.pmri.com
• Love and Survival by Dean Ornish
• The Roseto Study
• The Blue Zones research
• Dr Helen Kingston's Frome ‘Compassion Project’
• Human Givens approach to recognising and meeting our emotional needs
• Anthroposophic remedies including Cardiodoron and Aurum Rose preparations

To become a guardian of the podcast go to aliveandlovingitguardians.org

✨ Enjoy an exclusive 15% discount for our Alive and Loving It community with the code ALIVEPOD-15 at checkout. Discover more at cytoplan.co.uk

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In this powerful and emotionally charged episode Karen and Dr Rosy explore the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the UK and worldwide. With obesity affecting:

• 10% of children aged 0–5 rising to 22% by age 10–11
• 5.6 million adults in the UK living with type 2 diabetes
• 66% of UK adults overweight or obese (up from 53% in 1993)
• Diabetes and obesity ruining lives and costing the UK NHS over 20 billion annually

Rosy and Karen call for all of us to get active to diffuse the sugar bomb! Moving through sadness, frustration, and urgency we land in hope: showing how small, consistent lifestyle changes can radically transform health outcomes and reduce reliance on medication.

We unpack how modern lifestyles, ultra-processed foods, stress, and sedentary living are driving metabolic disease and, crucially, how diabetes can be prevented and even reversed through lifestyle change.

From childhood obesity statistics to the hidden role of cortisol and stress in blood sugar imbalance, this episode blends science and hope. The conversation also highlights practical strategies including nutrition, movement, intermittent fasting, and health coaching support to change our behaviour patterns.

This is an essential listen for anyone wanting to understand blood sugar health, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and natural approaches to reversing type 2 diabetes.

Key Topics Covered

• What is diabetes? Type 1 vs Type 2 explained simply
• The global rise of obesity and diabetes in adults and children
• Why ultra-processed foods are driving metabolic disease
• The role of insulin resistance and pancreatic overload in diabetes and obesity
• How stress and cortisol increase blood sugar and fat storage
• The link between diabetes, heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, and dementia, sometimes called type 3 diabetes
• Why sedentary living causes “sitting disease” which is a major risk factor
• The power of walking and movement in reversing disease
• Food as medicine: fibre, whole foods, and low-GI eating
• Why data from wearables like continuous glucose monitors changes everything
• The emotional and psychological roots of overeating
• Having Hope: reversal of type 2 diabetes is possible!

The episode emphasises that type 2 diabetes can be reversed through:

• Daily walking (even 1 mile per day shows reductions in mortality and need for medication)
• Reducing ultra-processed foods and refined sugars
• Increasing fibre, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables
• Managing stress and raised cortisol levels which releases stored sugar into the blood
• Eating within a shorter time window -known as intermittent fasting)
• Using data tools like continuous glucose monitors to see which foods spike blood glucose
• Health coaching, motivational and behavioural support for sustainable change

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and guest introduction

03:02 The alarming rise of diabetes and obesity

06:50 Understanding diabetes: Type 1 vs Type 2

08:11 The impact of stress on blood sugar and fat storage

12:01 Serious health consequences of unmanaged diabetes

15:41 Monitoring blood glucose and personal control

17:49 The economic and social costs of diabetes and obesity

20:38 Lifestyle changes and natural remedies for prevention

25:35 Policy and societal measures to combat the epidemic

28:35 Dietary strategies: fiber, low GI foods, and traditional diets

36:25 Psychological patterns and emotional eating

37:42 Natural supplements and herbal remedies

43:45 Changing social norms and food marketing

49:59 Hope and practical steps for diagnosis and management

To become a guardian of the podcast go to aliveandlovingitguardians.org

✨ Enjoy an exclusive 15% discount for our Alive and Loving It community with the code ALIVEPOD-15 at checkout. Discover more at cytoplan.co.uk

Join our Alive and Loving it Community find the loving support that you need to change, grow and heal

🌟 Visit www.aliveandlovingit.org for more resources, and follow us on Instagram