The Wellness Collective with Nat Kringoudis

What happens when conversations about our values, relationships and the world around us feel harder to have?
In this episode, I’m joined by Zana Pali, a lawyer, podcast host and mother, for an open conversation about speaking with conviction, navigating disagreement and the way our views can shape our relationships and communities.
We talk about gender roles, parenting, traditional values and what each person might bring to a relationship. Zana also shares some of her own experiences, including divorce, becoming a mother and how her perspective on relationships has changed over time.
We also touch on public debate, politics, safety and social connection, and why it can be valuable to make room for different perspectives while still being thoughtful about how we speak to one another.
This is a conversation that raises plenty of questions. Take what resonates, and make space to think through the rest for yourself.
🌿 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Zana’s perspective on speaking openly and standing by your values
✅ Why disagreement can be difficult to navigate
✅ Different expectations around gender roles and relationships
✅ How becoming a parent can shift your priorities
✅ Zana’s reflections on marriage, divorce and choosing a partner
✅ Why community and connection matter
✅ How to approach conversations where people see things differently
📌 Chapters (Jump to your favorite part!):
00:00 - Introduction
01:54 - Speaking Openly About Difficult Topics
06:28 - Politics, Safety & Community
08:02 - Public Debate and Differing Views
33:04 - Relationships, Marriage & Expectations

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on self-care, healing, and empowerment!
👤 Guest Info:
Zana Pali: https://www.instagram.com/zana_pali/ 
The Audacity Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theaudacitypodcast.official/ 
👇 All the Good Stuff 👇
FREE Hormone Quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/a3wsLZF6 
Nat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natkringoudis
NK The Membership: https://site.natkringoudis.com/membership 
HRT Masterclass: https://site.natkringoudis.com/hrtmasterclass

What happens when becoming a mum changes the way you see yourself, your body and your whole life?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dominique Elissa, model, podcaster and soon to be mum, for a really honest conversation about pregnancy, body image, grief and everything that comes with stepping into a completely new chapter.

Dominique opens up about losing her mum and what it feels like to enter motherhood without having her there. We talk about the importance of finding your people, asking for help and building a community around you, especially when life feels completely unknown.

We also talk about body image, food and the unexpected ways pregnancy has changed Dominique’s relationship with both. From learning to eat when she’s hungry to letting go of the pressure to look a certain way, there’s a beautiful reminder here about listening to what your body actually needs.

And at the heart of this conversation is intuition. Those little signs your body gives you, the things we often ignore, and what can happen when we finally slow down enough to listen.

🌿 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ The reality of pregnancy beyond the obvious changes
✅ Dominique’s experience with body image and food during pregnancy
✅ Navigating grief while entering motherhood
✅ Why community and asking for help matter so much
✅ Learning to trust your intuition and body wisdom
✅ The pressure social media can put on new mums

📌 Chapters (Jump to your favorite part!):
00:00 - Meet Dominique
04:00 - Pregnancy, Grief & Becoming a Mum
06:00 - Why Community Matters
09:30 - Comparison & Social Media
14:20 - Pregnancy & Body Image
18:00 - Changing Your Relationship With Food
35:00 - Trusting Your Intuition
42:15 - Listening to Your Body

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on self-care, healing, and empowerment!

👤 Guest Info:
Dominique Elissa: https://www.instagram.com/dominiquelissa/
Selfdom Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7a24MjicbKYDu7bCFWwzLI
Selfdom website: https://selfdom.au/

👇 All the Good Stuff 👇
FREE Hormone Quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/a3wsLZF6
Nat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natkringoudis
NK The Membership: https://site.natkringoudis.com/membership
Hydrogen Health Hydration Guide: https://site.natkringoudis.com/sipwell
HRT Masterclass: https://site.natkringoudis.com/hrtmasterclass

Keywords:
Dominique Elissa, pregnancy, motherhood, becoming a mum, first time mum, pregnancy body image, body image, pregnancy and food, intuitive eating, motherhood journey, grief and motherhood, losing your mum, pregnancy mental health, maternal mental health, community for mums, motherhood support, doula, social media and motherhood, women's health, hormones and pregnancy, body confidence, intuition, body wisdom, self care, women's wellness, Nat Kringoudis, The Wellness Collective, Australian wellness podcast

If you're already having hot flushes, night sweats, or generally feeling hotter than you used to, the idea of voluntarily sitting in a sauna might sound a little counterintuitive.

But stay with me.

In this mini episode, I'm diving into why I think sauna actually gets more interesting after 40. As we move through perimenopause and menopause, our hormones don't just change in isolation. They influence everything from temperature regulation and stress to sleep, cardiovascular health and metabolism.

I unpack why controlled heat exposure can help the body adapt, what hormesis actually means, and why more stress is definitely not always better. Because the goal isn't to see how long you can survive in a sauna. It's about giving your body the right amount of stimulus, then allowing it to recover and adapt.

We also get into hydration, sweating, detoxification, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and why sauna is one of my favourite tools for building resilience as we get older.

And importantly, this isn't another wellness hack to add to your already enormous list of things you're apparently supposed to be doing.
It's about understanding your body, the changes happening through midlife, and finding simple ways to support your health along the way.

🌿 What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why sauna gets more interesting after 40
✅ What happens to your body's thermostat during menopause
✅ How heat adaptation can help build resilience
✅ What hormesis actually means
✅ Why recovery matters just as much as the stress itself
✅ How sauna can support your health beyond just relaxation

📌 Chapters (Jump to your favorite part!):
00:00 - Why Sauna Gets Better After 40
02:20 - Your Changing Internal Thermostat
04:00 - Heat, Stress & Hormesis
06:10 - Why More Isn't Better
07:20 - Hydration, Sweating & Detox
10:00 - Sauna & Cardiovascular Health
12:30 - Metabolism, Recovery & Resilience
14:19 - Why I'm Obsessed With Sauna

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on self-care, healing, and empowerment!

👇 All the Good Stuff 👇
FREE Hormone Quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/a3wsLZF6
Nat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natkringoudis
NK The Membership: https://site.natkringoudis.com/membership
Nook Saunas: https://nooksaunas.com.au/
Free Sauna Guide PDF: https://site.natkringoudis.com/infrafix

How often do women get told that feeling exhausted, anxious, unable to sleep or completely unlike themselves is just something they have to accept?

In this episode, I’m joined by Harmony Rutledge, CEO of ANNA’s Wild Yam Cream, to talk about women’s hormonal health, natural medicine and why so many women are looking for more ways to support their bodies.

Harmony shares her journey into the world of natural health, growing up surrounded by it, and eventually taking over one of Australia’s most recognised women’s wellness brands. We unpack what wild yam cream actually is, the myths surrounding it, and why it’s important to understand exactly what you’re putting in and on your body.
But this conversation is about so much more than one product. We talk about perimenopause, menopause, anxiety, sleep, environmental factors and why this stage of life can sometimes expose the things our bodies have been trying to tell us for years.

And the message that really stayed with me is this: you don't have to suffer in silence. There are options, there are conversations worth having, and there is so much power in being informed enough to ask questions and find the support that feels right for you.

🌿 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ What wild yam cream actually is and what it contains
✅ Why hormonal health isn't a one size fits all conversation
✅ The symptoms women are often told to simply accept
✅ Why asking questions about your health matters
✅ How perimenopause can expose underlying issues
✅ Why women don't have to suffer in silence

📌 Chapters (Jump to your favorite part!):
00:00 - You Don't Have to Suffer
02:00 - Harmony's Journey Into Natural Health
04:25 - What Is Wild Yam Cream?
09:13 - Natural Medicine & Asking Questions
19:44 - Perimenopause & Hormonal Symptoms
21:28 - Why Community Matters
23:00 - HRT, Options & Finding What Works
24:11 - Thriving Instead of Suffering

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on self-care, healing, and empowerment!

👤 Guest Info:
ANNA’s Wild Yam Cream IG: https://www.instagram.com/annaswildyamcream/
ANNA’s Wild Yam Cream Website: https://annaswildyamcream.com.au/

ANNA'S Presents Bloom Through Every Stage
📅 Sunday, 18 October
⏰ 10:00am to 2:00pm AEDT
🎤 Featuring expert insights from Kim Morrison, Dr Tara Hanaphy and Nat Kringoudis

Get your tickets here:
https://events.humanitix.com/bloom-through-every-stage

👇 All the Good Stuff 👇
FREE Hormone Quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/a3wsLZF6
Nat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natkringoudis
NK The Membership: https://site.natkringoudis.com/membership
Hydrogen Health Hydration Guide: https://site.natkringoudis.com/sipwell
HRT Masterclass: https://site.natkringoudis.com/hrtmasterclass