Beyond The Surface Podcast

What happens when the symptoms you’ve spent years dismissing as “normal” turn out to be something far more serious?
In this episode, Belinda sits down with fitness and nutrition coach, mum of four, author and podcaster Danni Duncan to talk about her journey from body image struggles and disordered eating to rebuilding her relationship with health, and ultimately being diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 39.
Danni opens up about the extreme fatigue, low iron, bloating and ongoing gut issues that eventually led to her diagnosis, as well as the emotional reality of undergoing surgery and chemotherapy while raising four young children.

We talk about:
Growing up as a ballet dancer and believing skinny meant healthy
Moving from restriction and body obsession to strength and balance
The symptoms Danni experienced before her bowel cancer diagnosis
Learning to listen to your body and advocate for your own health
Navigating cancer treatment while being a mum of four
Why sustainable health isn’t about quick fixes or perfection
Building healthy habits that actually fit your lifestyle
Letting go of comparison and finding what works for you

This conversation is a powerful reminder to pay attention when something doesn’t feel right, ask questions and focus on building a version of health that you can actually sustain.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine, matcha, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit Belinda’s affiliate link to see the full range: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au?sca_ref=12293034.mtZdtecqmnjT

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Danni:
Website: https://danniduncan.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danni.duncan_

In this episode, Belinda sits down with men’s performance coach and endurance athlete Lachlan Stuart to unpack the lessons behind some extraordinary physical challenges, and the mental battles that came with them. From losing his identity after professional rugby to rebuilding his life, becoming a father and pushing himself to his limits, Lachlan shares what resilience looks like when motivation disappears.

We talk about:
Losing your identity and rebuilding after hitting rock bottom
Running 58 marathons in 58 days and rowing 30 marathons in 30 days
Changing the meaning you give to pain and adversity
Why standards are more powerful than motivation
Men’s mental health, relationships and taking responsibility for your life
What becoming a father has changed about Lachlan’s purpose
His next challenge: running across Australia
Why your achievements don’t define you, how you show up does

This is a conversation about resilience, identity, purpose and discovering just how much more you’re capable of.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Lachlan:
Website: https://www.lachlanstuart.com.au/

In this solo episode, Belinda explores how the way we start and end our day influences what we think about, how we feel, what we focus on, and how what we repeatedly give our attention to doesn’t just fill our day, it shapes our life.
It’s not about creating the perfect morning or evening routine. It’s about becoming more intentional about what we allow into our minds, particularly in those first and final moments of the day.
From reaching for your phone first thing in the morning to taking the stimulation of the day into bed at night, Belinda looks at the impact of constant consumption, distraction and the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves.

We explore:
Why your day starts with what you give your attention to, not when you get out of bed
How reaching for your phone first thing can shape what your mind focuses on
Why natural morning light is important for your body clock, sleep, and mental health
How what you repeatedly consume can become the environment you create for your mind
Why boredom, silence and creating mental space can be valuable
How brain rot and constant stimulation can contribute to mental fatigue and difficulty concentrating
Why the way you end your day can affect how you wind down for sleep
How writing things down can help you put tomorrow’s problems down for the night
The importance of paying attention to the people, content, conversations and environments influencing you
Why the way you speak to yourself matters
A simple five-minute morning and evening ritual

Your attention is one of the most valuable things you have. If you don’t consciously choose where it goes, there’s no shortage of people, platforms and outside noise that will happily choose it for you.
Sometimes changing your life isn’t about adding more. It’s about becoming more selective about what you allow in.
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

There’s no new episode this week, so instead, I’m taking you back to Episode 14, the most-listened-to episode of Beyond The Surface. It’s a short one at just 14 minutes, and if you enjoy it and want more, there’s a Part 2 in Episode 42: Estrangement Isn’t Betrayal Part 2: Healing, Boundaries & Brave Decisions.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

In this episode, Belinda sits down with coach Nick McCallum, owner of Outlier Performance, to unpack a different way of looking at pain, training and movement, and why understanding joint position, posture and the way we train can make such a difference to how our bodies move, function and feel.
Nick shares his perspective on back pain, pelvic control, stretching, glute and posterior-chain strength, the role of the nervous system, and why a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily define what your body is capable of.

We cover:
Why pain isn’t always coming from where you feel it
The connection between posture, joint position and pain
Common training mistakes that may reinforce dysfunction
Why back pain can be linked to pelvic position and muscle imbalance
The importance of glutes, hamstrings and abdominal strength
Stretching, mobility and reducing muscular tension
Why you shouldn’t become defined by an MRI or diagnosis
Why strength training matters
Rebuilding movement and coordination after experiencing pain
Nick’s perspective on peptides and why they shouldn’t replace addressing the underlying biomechanics

A valuable conversation that will have you thinking differently about pain, movement, strength and how you train.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Nick:
Website: https://outlierperformance.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachnickmccallum/