Is Being Negative Helpful?

Something rather strange happened online for me the other day. I spoke negatively about a beauty product. I didn’t name the brand just showed the product and said how displeasing it was to see medical professionals recommending it when they should know better. I thought I was about to come in for a lot of criticism for ‘starting’ but, as it turned out, the response was quite unexpected. I’d be curious to know what you think and whether it’s more helpful sometimes to have a trusted voice say ‘save your money’?Also, in this episode, products that are genuinely worth your time and attention from Superdrug. I’m their beauty editor so I’m lucky enough to be able to trawl their shelves at will and I’ve spotted some absolutely mega products that I have only positive comments about.Please do start/join the chat in the comments here.EmsHey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The question I think I'm asked most when it comes to beauty these days is, 'should I be taking collagen?' It sells a good story, doesn't it? Take this daily supplement and all that collagen and youthfulness we're told starts to deteriorate after we hit 30, will be topped up and wrinkles, jowls and sagging will have a much harder time showing up on your skin. It's all great but where's the proof? Just because we begin to lose our collagen stores as we age, doesn't mean eating or drinking collagen will do the job we think it will. In fact, whenever I have been asked whether collagen is something worth taking, my response has been 'it can't do any harm, but no derm I've spoken to says there's a direct and proven link so, for me, the jury's out'. Until now...In this episode, I chat with Maxine Laceby from Absolute Collagen who took a big risk by putting collagen through a gold standard double blind placebo clinical trial. A trial where neither the participants or the researchers know who is receiving the active treatment versus an inactive placebo. This kind of trial is accepted by medicine as objective scientific methodology that produces knowledge untainted by bias. Essentially, if the trial had said there was no proof of collagen's efficacy, Maxine would have completely torpedoed her brand. However, the results were compelling and she details them in this episode.We also discuss the newest collagen she has created, Pro Sculpt, designed specifically for people on a 'rapid weight loss journey' in the era of GLP-1s but, as you'll hear, it seems to me that this particular collagen is as relevant to someone on a strength training/body recomp journey as much as it is for people using weight loss jabs.Let me know what you think. Have you been taking collagen in the 'hope' it works and has this conversation convinced you that your money has been well spent, or are you now going to bite the bullet and try collagen to see if you can notice the difference?Absolute Collagen Sculpt Pro.Absolute Collagen Hair Pro.If you have thoughts, feelings or questions about this episode, please do share them over on Substack.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I my latest Superdrug Beauty Column, I share why the best skincare routine is one that hinges on the 'Core Four'. Four proven active ingredients that protect, hydrate, restore and regenerate your skin and provide the foundation for a truly epic, fool-proof routine. Would you strip your routine back to these four actives?Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've written about my thoughts on Steven Bartlett's life-ruining alcohol consumption here and my Superdrug column can be found here.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you seen it? Did we need to see it? Miranda Priestly is back but should she have told the town car to 'Go!' instead of making a soft return?Also in this episode, details of my beauty column in Superdrug. Read my beauty column here: https://www.superdrug.com/emma-guns-mayAd info: Paid partnership with Superdrug.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Thorn is a Sunday Times Best-Selling author and comedian who joins me on the show to talk about her new book How to Face Big Change and Come Back Stronger. It's a brilliant and gentle guide, with the help of 50 incredible women, to navigating the crappy things that happy in life without letting you have any less of a good time.I've always found Helen to be kind, warm and generous and this book, full of advice, wisdom and camaraderie is a book only she could have written. I highly recommend you buy a copy for yourself and for anyone in your life who you think may benefit from its kindness and comfort.I hope you enjoy the conversation!EG xxHey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This isn’t goodbye, but it is the end of a chapter. In this episode, I’m sharing why I’m pressing pause on new episodes (although there will be some surprise mid-week pop-ups) and taking a step back to rethink the podcast and what I want it to become. I’ll be revisiting and republishing past conversations while I figure out what comes next.Please do follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack to keep up with everything I'm doing...Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend was all about the Manosphere after I watched Louis Theroux's documentary Inside the Manosphere and read Jack Burke's piece in The Times on Looksmaxxing. Both of these phenomena focus on male-dominated online spaces that veer to the far right with extreme misogynistic and anti-feminist sentiments. They are two pieces of media that really made me think and I've unpicked, in part, why in my latest Substack, which you can subscribe to and read here.I would absolutely love to know what you think - please do go to the comments section and share your thoughts.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you subscribe to my Substack (I love you!) then you would have seen my column about how wellness messaging on products has, in my opinion, gone too far. We are all entitled to create a spa-like experience in our own home but it's my belief that brands latching the benefits of their products onto you taking a moment to yourself is really quite disingenuous. In this episode, I explain why it got me so riled and why we should expect better of brands.If you've been here a while then you'll know I am often vague when making a point about something contentious. I don't name names and I'm not interested in starting a fight with anyone. However, I break my own rule in this episode when it comes to the lack of reciprocity in podcasting. I was talking to a fellow OG podcaster (someone who also has 10 plus years of podcasts to their name) and we were saying how disappointing it is when you share your platform with someone and they seem indifferent and don't support you back...Plus. there's a short but sweet update on my fitness and nutrition strategy. Short and sweet because I'm wondering whether too much focus on it is as helpful as I think it is...Speaking of, this is the episode of Ready To Talk I mentioned in the show.Please do chat with me and your fellow listeners over on Substack. I'd love to hear your thoughts.EG xxHey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little white ago I stepped away from conversations about hormones, perimenopause and menopause on this podcast.Not because women’s health stopped being important, for from it! It was because the conversation became louder, more crowded and, for many women, more confusing than helpful. Conflicting advice, competing experts and endless rules have left many of us wondering what actually matters, and what we should actually do day to day to feel better.In this episode, I’m joined by physician and bestselling author Dr. Amy Shah to discuss her new book, Hormone Havoc. Rather than another conversation focused solely on treatment or supplements, we talk about the practical, everyday habits that support women through perimenopause, menopause and beyond.We explore how hormones intersect with modern life, why midlife can feel uniquely overwhelming, and how small, consistent changes around nutrition, sleep, movement and recovery can make a meaningful difference.This is a calmer, clearer conversation about a stage of life that doesn’t need to be feared, it just needs to be understood.In This EpisodeWhy women feel more confused about hormones than everPerimenopause as a gradual hormonal transition rather than a sudden eventThe impact of modern stress and midlife responsibilitiesMoving from dieting culture to strength and longevityDr Shah’s 30–30–3 approach:30g protein in your first meal30g fibre per day3 servings of probiotic foodsGut health and hormone regulationUltra-processed foods and metabolic healthGLP-1 medications; benefits, realities and cautionsSleep, circadian rhythm and the importance of darknessAlcohol, ageing and brain healthWhy menopause can mark a powerful new phase of lifeAbout My GuestDr. Amy Shah is a double board-certified physician specialising in integrative medicine and nutrition. She is the bestselling author of I’m So Effing Tired, I’m So Effing Hungry, and Hormone Havoc, which explores how modern lifestyles influence women’s hormones and how evidence-based daily habits can support healthier ageing.If this episode resonated with you, follow the podcast so you never miss future conversations like this one. If you want to share your thoughts on this conversation with me and your fellow listeners, subscribe to my Substack.Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.