The Wellness Collective with Nat Kringoudis

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

In this episode, I’m joined by Davina Rankin. You may know her from her reality TV days, but there is so much more to her story. We talk about the different versions of ourselves we move through, the hard seasons that can completely change us, and what it takes to find your way back to yourself.
Davina opens up about mental health, postnatal struggles, public scrutiny and the moment she realised she had to start looking inward. We talk about journaling, breathwork, nervous system regulation and the small steps that helped her rebuild her relationship with herself.
We also talk about motherhood, switching off our phones, getting out of the rat race and why sometimes a few intentional days of less noise, more nature, movement, connection and nourishing food can change how you feel.
At the heart of this conversation is a reminder that you are so much more resilient than you think you are. You don't have to stay stuck in an old version of yourself. Sometimes you just need to take the next small step and keep following the breadcrumbs.
🌿 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How Davina rebuilt herself after some of her hardest seasons
✅ Why we need to stop managing other people’s opinions of us
✅ The power of switching off and creating space
✅ How journaling and self-reflection can change your life
✅ Why motherhood can completely shift your priorities
✅ How small steps can lead to a completely different life

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes on self-care, healing, and empowerment!
👤 Guest Info:
Davina Rankin: https://www.instagram.com/davvyxx/?hl=en 
👇 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

In this episode, I'm joined by Anthea Todd, a chiropractor with a Masters in Reproductive Medicine and Women's Health, to talk about the connection between our physical body, emotions, nervous system and the stories we carry. We dive into why symptoms aren't always something to silence, but can be information worth listening to.

We talk about why women have been conditioned to look outside themselves for answers, the problem with a one size fits all approach, and why Anthea's philosophy is to use your body, not your bias. Sometimes you need medication. Sometimes you need movement, sleep, nutrition, herbs or simply a little more space.

We also get into the connection between emotions and physical symptoms, why we can get stuck in our heads, and what happens when we're constantly pushing, overthinking and avoiding what we're actually feeling. And honestly, the idea of creating more space in your body, your calendar and your life might be something we all need a little more of.

🌿 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why your symptoms aren't necessarily the enemy
✅ How emotions and physical symptoms can be connected
✅ Why we need to move beyond a one size fits all approach
✅ What happens when we live constantly in our heads
✅ Why creating space can help your nervous system
✅ How to listen to your body without letting bias make the decision

📌 Chapters (Jump to your favorite part!):

00:00 - Intro & Anthea's Story
07:31 - When the System Doesn't Have All the Answers
09:29 - Use Your Body, Not Your Bias
12:27 - When Emotions Show Up in the Body
16:08 - Why We Get Stuck in Our Heads
19:34 - The Push Crash Cycle
23:44 - Your Body Is the Solution
28:30 - Creating Space for Your Nervous System
32:05 - Nobody Is Coming to Save You
33:39 - Becoming the Lioness