What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

https://linktr.ee/thenutritionalbean

The Nutritional Bean, Bruton (2026)

21/08/2026

I’m looking forward to the day when a woman’s hormonal landscape is considered during major hormonal transitions alongside mental health challenges, as in this traggic case happening now.

I wish this not just with postpartum depression or psychosis, but with challenges during puberty, with PMDD and during perimenopause too.

It seems the mainstream is still operating from the understanding that the mind and body are separate.

But as we women know, it very much isn’t.

These phases - puberty, the luteal phase, postnatal and perimenopause - are four times when a woman’s hormones shift dramatically, and when her mental state so often shifts with them.

And yet the question rarely asked is the most obvious one: what is her hormonal system doing, and how is her body responding to it.

Have you ever had that question asked of you if you’ve struggled with any of these?

Love
Bean x

18/08/2026

Please don’t fear carbs: we need them to fuel important processes in the body!

The brain, thyroid and liver are energy demanding organs that need sustenance.

Yet, even in 2026 the messaging from the 90s is still impacting how easy our relationship with carbohydrates is. Many of you still limit carbs, feel guilty when you eat them, judge yourself endlessly for what you eat, talk about being ‘naughty’ when you do, and feel virtuous when you don’t.

Yes, there is a spectrum of kinds of carbs, and yes the ones further along which contain more fibre and important nutrients tend to support your body more and enable you to feel better*.

And yes, the more of the kinds you eat that are towards the simple, processed end tends to do the opposite.

(*your gut health can impact how good you feel when eating fibre. More on this another time.)

This distinction is perhaps more obvious to most people, but still there is fear around eating things like sourdough, roast potatoes, whole fruit, beans, a lovely pudding, crisps, focaccia, chocolate…

Those of us who went through the 90s have had the simple pleasure of enjoying our food for its own sake minimised or pushed away - when it is so important.

These pleasures are anything but frivolous and are not ‘naughty’ or something to be earned once you’ve been ‘good enough’ (whatever that means). They’re a meaningful part of being a human alive in the world, experiencing life’s pleasures to the full.

Love,
Bean x

14/08/2026

I know we struggle to trust carbs because I didn’t either, and I see this pattern in clinic - restriction and/or raging guilt and shame.

I restricted and avoided carbs myself for years. To the point that my periods stopped. I’m sure it impacted my energy and gut health, and it’s taken me going through my nutrition training and building my own confidence with my myself and my body to let this fear go and to enjoy all kinds of carbs as I did as a child.

There’s more nuance to come, but for now I really wanted to speak to the very harmful emotional impact it’s had on so many of us - and continues to have today.

There’s something sick and fcked up about a culture that creates the pressures and expansions on women to:
Be slim.
To shrink and take up less space.
To be good, controlled and disciplined…
…all while starving ourselves of what nourishment we need.

It’s horrifying when you pan out and see this with perspective.

Thanks to Leanne Rose | Psychotherapist | Source Trans-Channel for the juicy chats this week about this and who has influenced this post.

Love Bean x

07/08/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆.

For most of us, it’s not worth doing any hormone blood testing to ‘diagnose’ perimenopause (FYI it’s a normal phase for women, not a disease, so why ‘diagnose’ it?) because hormones are fluctuating, often wildly, so it may not provide any reliable information.

However, running a simple, but comprehensive blood test provides so much useful intel about your general health, that it’s always my starting point.

Getting a gauge on your general health is really helpful if you want to pass through this phase easily, because generally the more calm, balanced and resourced your body is, the smoother the ride will be.

There may be underlying issues running under the surface that start causing issues in perimenopause because you’re losing the protective influence of oestrogen and progesterone. Or, because you’re running really low on crucial nutrients (so common!). THIS is why risks of various ill health patterns increase in midlife - not because menopause causes it itself:

Perimenopause removes the protection. It’s important, therefore, to look under the hood and find out how things really are.

I also like to use genetic testing, from Lifecode Gx because it gives precise information about your genetic blueprint and therefore what systems and processes may struggle and need specific input. Very helpful if there are important health risks to consider, like breast cancer, or symptoms are not improving with the ‘usual’ things. An ideal partner to comprehensive blood testing.

If you’re navigating through perimenopause and want to support yourself as well as possible, this is where to start.

Love
Bean x

04/08/2026

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗.

It’s important, for your wellbeing - and mental health - to have your vitamin D levels topped up.

In blood, I aim for my clients to be somewhere between 100 and 150nmol/L (NHS ranges will be lower).

You probably know it’s good for bones, it’s also important for mental health, like I just mentioned (low levels linked with anxiety and depression).

It’s also needed for gut health, muscle function, a balanced immune system, insulin regulation, sleep - vitamin D is needed so much that it’s almost thought of as a hormone.

In perimenopause, it really helps to have necessary resources like vitamin D, nicely topped up.

We have all sorts of supplements that enable us to get good levels whenever we want. And, always mindful of keeping things simple, natural, and cheap - you can use the sun, in the summer, to top up. But make sure you read the caption to understand that you can’t make vitamin D naturally, on your skin, all year round.

I’m particularly interested in some emerging research which presents the most elegant (and glaringly obvious) idea…

🌞 We make vitamin D in the summer months when the sun is highest and hits our skin at a certain angle. The sun, and daylight inhibits production of melatonin, which makes us sleep.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 🌞 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗.

🌚 We make melatonin, a really important antioxidant as well as a sleep trigger, in the dark, when it’s winter.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺.

While it’s nice to think of this elegant way of topping up your vitamin D, the most important thing is to get it topped up, by whatever means in your capacity. And if that’s in the sun - now you know how!

Love,
Bean x

27/07/2026

Your body isn’t a machine with a correct setting to aim for.

Your body is in perpetual flux, communicating, adjusting, fine-tuning, 24/7, in response to everything happening in and around you.

This is how your metabolism, immune system, digestion, sleep and circadian rhythm, menstrual cycle, energy production, stress response and mood are orchestrated.

But there is imbalance.
It’s not an imbalance that can be ‘fixed’ with a pill, a food or gadget though.

It takes consistency, and the solutions aren’t s*xy, and can’t be bottled and sold but they are sooo effective and so undervalued.

It looks like:
Waking, eating, moving and sleeping at similar times, most of the time.
Eating nutrient dense and nourishing food.
Being with friends and family, laughing, doing things that are pleasurable and feel good.
Being out in nature and daylight.
Resting and honouring your natural, cyclical feminine body.
Seeking help from a trusted practitioner if you have issues with any of those things.

Giving your body the conditions it needs, consistently, allows it to do what it knows how to with far more ease.

I’m here to help if you need it.

Bean x

P.s.
I think so many people feel lost and overwhelmed at the idea of doing some of these things I listed that are so profoundly helpful. It’s not surprising because they all may involve building some boundaries, challenging some beliefs, potentially letting some people down, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.

That’s because the way we’re living relies on running women into to ground (and then pathologising the issues when our bodies scream in protest). We’re unused to putting our needs high up the list - it feels like rebellion. Which is a shame because it’s very much the medicine.

24/07/2026

I need you to understand that you can’t “balance” your hormones.

That’s not how it works, even though you’re sold the quick fix gadget or supplement or food that promises to do so.

Your hormones are constantly in communication, synching, regulating, instructing, adjusting as you go about your day, 24/7.

They’re always in flux and this is the point.

Their role is to keep the systems in your body - your menstrual cycle, your metabolism, your circadian rhythm, your ability to respond to stress and relax, and digest - working smoothly as your body moves through the day in an environment that’s always changing.

Your nervous system communicates to your hormones what’s going on internally and externally and your hormones respond to it and adjust and tweak functions accordingly.

It is so highly evolved and exquisitely refined and intelligent. There is simply no way that one supplement, gadget or food can fix that. It just doesn’t work that way.

What works is providing stability and rhythm, which looks like:

Waking, eating, moving and sleeping at regular times, most of the time.
Eating nutrient dense, nourishing food.
Being with friends, laughing, doing things that are pleasurable and feel good.
Being out in nature and daylight.
Resting and honouring your natural, cyclical feminine body.

Doing THESE things, consistently (not perfectly), is the medicine.

What these things do is reduce the amount of chaos that your hormones have to respond to and operate in. Less chaos means your hormones aren’t constantly bracing, correcting, defending and firefighting in a body that is low on resources, rife with inflammation and not enough sleep

They get to do what they’re actually best at with precision and without the noise.

01/07/2026

It’s 1st July today.

Would you like me to pull you a card for the month ahead?

Just ask and I promise to send you one. Sometimes quite a lot of cards jump out and you’ll get a few!

Today, for me, I got a reminder to forgive myself and others (I had an argument last night), and confirmation that good things are manifesting for me (also true! Lots of collabs and ideas are popping up).

These cards know. Shout if you’d like one!

Bean
X

30/06/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼?

I hear your resistance. Each of those reasons mentioned here, and the others that I don’t name, are absolutely real and valid.

And yet, I want to gently but firmly challenge these reasons, because they’re built on illusion. But of course they feel so real. (So please offer yourself some deep self compassion for what comes up for you personally, if you’re not jumping joyfully into the idea of pleasuring yourself.)

In your 40s and 50s, all these reasons that are founded on systems that don’t allow women to thrive, and which encourage women to reject and lose ourselves,
stop
making
sense.

I want to suggest to you alternative ways of thinking about pleasure, ones that do make sense:

Choosing pleasure during one of the most demanding transitions of your life is a radical act against anything that has led you to feel less than.

Pleasure offers 𝘴𝘰 many physical benefits. It restores you, and replenishes you and may protect specific aspects of your health, like vaginal dryness and atrophy.

Importantly, pleasure generates life force energy. It enables you to feel ALIVE.

At a time when you’re feeling increasingly overlooked, what better way to signal to yourself that you’re important enough to feel pleasure? What better way to show that you matter and are worth it?

Isn’t it the biggest ‘fck you’ to the harmful suppression, repression and Good Girl conditioning we’ve all been exposed to?

And isn’t it a brilliant antidote to a phase of life when you feel drained, deeply fatigued and disconnected?

This is exactly what psychotherapist Alexander Gray Alexander Gray | Twickenham Therapist and I have been exploring together — he from the psychotherapeutic perspective, me from the physical, and lived experience of a woman.

Our free Pleasure Guide has just been updated with his contribution, and it goes deeper into all of this: exploring pleasure, wellbeing, self-connection.

Link in bio to download.

Love
Bean x

26/06/2026

Female pleasure - essential for the soul?

I love this quote, which Carly Mountain shares in her fabulous new book ‘Untamed Pleasure’ (go check it out, it’s a really excellent, necessary read).

It’s a quote by Naomi Wolf, and in the book (reviewing study after study into this), she is suggesting that female pleasure is absolutely entwined with how our brains operate and with our sense of self.

So the question is, what are we missing out on by denying ourselves our pleasure?

Could it be that we lose connection with our vitality, creativity, and identity? I think so, and this is incredibly sad.

It’s what makes the idea of pleasure in midlife so important, because it’s not just about s*x and indulgence and whatever other negative trope we have internalised, but about feeling fully alive, expressive, and connected to ourselves.

Which is interesting because those are just the sort of things that start to go missing for so many women at this time of life.

We dismiss the value of our pleasure, for so many reasons. But at what cost?

Love,
Bean x

The Nutritional Bean

21/08/2026

18/08/2026

14/08/2026

07/08/2026

04/08/2026

27/07/2026

24/07/2026

01/07/2026

30/06/2026

26/06/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm