The Big Middle

Startup founders Yuru Guo + Frankie Docker

You're going to adore these two delightful founders of a very cool startup that features delectable world cuisine, social inclusion, and age and cultural diversity. Yuru Gua and Frankie Docker were Durham University students when they launched Hey! Food is Ready two years ago. They batted back ageist remarks about their ambitious plans - Yuru was 23, Frankie 19 - and got busy building an online platform that's thriving in the hyper-competitive world of corporate events catering. Their USP? Home cooks from across the world - immigrants, refugees, retirees and carers among them - making food magic to liven up lunch tables and party trays usually laden with soggy sausage rolls and beige sandwiches. What's more, their startup is a social enterprise. The platform opens the door to carefully vetted home cooks to make some good money from their skills. And event participants often get to meet the cooks as they savour their creations. They've got more than 60 cooks on their books now from 40 countries, including Iraq, Egypt, Ukraine, Lebanon, Thailand, Greece, Portugal and South Korea. Yuru and Frankie won grants from Durham University and the Inclusive Innovation Award from the government's innovation arm Innovate UK. That distinction includes a £50,000 grant to develop inclusive innovations within their business. They'll be looking for investment soon in keeping with the maxim Yuru learned from her father: "Always dream big then make it happen".LinksHey! Food is ReadyRecent writeup in Portfolio NorthYuru on LinkedinFrankie on LinkedinFollow The Big MiddleWebsite I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTubeHosted + produced by Susan FloryMusic: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin KocSupport The Big Middle     

Nutritionist Sally Norton

Can you harm yourself by eating too much spinach? Should those baby leaves we know and love as a "superfood" come with a health warning? And what about almonds? Both are super-high in oxylates.  If you’re not already rolling your eyes and saying Nooooo Susan, I’ve maxed out on worrying about what to eat when, this fascinating conversation will make you think again.Sally K Norton is a nutritionist and public health leader from Richmond, Virginia raising awareness about oxalates,chemical toxins found in many plants. She suffered decades of ill health before discovering they were the cause of her misery. Why focus on oxalates when all plant toxins - lectins, phytates, tannins, glycosylates and goitrogens - can damage our gut and immune system? "What makes oxalates special is they're nearly impossible to remove from foods. They accumulate in the body and create long-term damage. They're tiny and get everywhere, messing up cells by stealing essential minerals and electrolytes and causing both physical damage and oxidative stress in cells and their mitochondria. The preparation methods used to disarm many of those other compounds, such as fermentation and high-heat cooking, don't adequately lower the toxic actions of oxalates. " "Remember too that the affected cells include our immune system, nerves and brain, glands and critical organs. By the time we reach 40, we all have some degree of a toxic load of oxalate compromising our glands, bones, brain, etcetera. They cause us to miss out on our potential for enjoying our lives, beyond our youth."Toxic Superfoods, Sally's new book on oxalates, is out later this month. Enjoy learning all about oxalates. No more heaving plates of spinach for me! LinksSally's websiteSally's book Toxic SuperfoodsSally on Twitter and on InstagramFollow The Big MiddleWebsite I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTubeHosted + produced by Susan FloryMusic: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin KocSupport The Big Middle  

Sally Norton on toxic oxalates in 'superfoods'

NEW EPI of The Big Middle drops tomorrow

Dr Fayne Frey: The Skincare Hoax

How to keep your skin at its healthy best on this episode of The Big Middle, the podcast exploring longer, healthy midlife by design, learning from the sharpest thinkers around. Regulars will know and adore the sharp thinker I’ve invited back on the show. It’s Dr Fayne Frey, crusading age-positive dermatologist and skin cancer specialist - my guiding light as you may have heard last week through my encounter with a malignant melanoma. Episode 49 is when you'll hear her style herself as "the ultimate wrinkle defender". Dr Frey's book The Skincare Hoax rocketed to the top of various Amazon sales charts even before it was out. In it she lays out how our sexist, ageist and lookist culture fabricates insecurities the skincare industry exploits. “Kindness matters. Health matters. Accomplishments matter. None of those things come in a tube or bottle.” And remember, she says, your top layer of skin is 20 layers of dead cells. No lotion or potion with a dollop of this vitamin or that mineral can penetrate it to do anything more than moisturise it and plump it up, temporarily. Tune in to hear her shoot down the cultural norms, marketing buzzwords and predatory industry practises that abound in the glossies and on social media. And if you're addicted to an intricate skincare routine of 10 steps and as many expensive products, you'll be fascinated by Fayne's pared down route to her healthy, glowing skin. Enjoy! Links Buy The Skincare HoaxDiscover Dr Frey's product selector tool  on her website FryFace.comRead her blog here Fayne on Twitter Follow The Big MiddleWebsite I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTubeHosted + produced by Susan FloryMusic: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin KocSupport The Big Middle  

My Skin Cancer latest

A skin cancer update for you now if you’re a regular listener or viewer of The Big Middle - a mix of the personal and the general. Eighteen months after the first of two operations to cut out a malignant melanoma, I’m happy to report the scar on my outer calf has smoothed out impressively; it’s kinda bumpy-wavy now, nicely faded. I thought it would never settle down. It resembled a shark bite for the first six months after the surgeries. I still can’t quite believe the dark brown splotch that suddenly appeared turned out to be malignant. I can’t rave enough about the first-class treatment I got from the UK’s National Health Service, the NHS. I’ve edited together the two skin cancer podcasts I put out last April - in the thick of the pandemic when I wasn’t sure what that thing was on my leg. And a couple of weeks ago I had a new patch of strange checked by a lovely skin cancer nurse. Not to worry, she said, but good I’ve seen it. Whew. So please heed the advice you'll hear in this podcast, even if you haven’t been baking on beaches and been that bit careless about sunscreen. LinksHow do I know if I have skin cancer? – Dr Frey writing for thedoctorweighsin.comMelanoma: What you need to know about diagnosis and treatment – Dr Frey’s article on thedoctorweighsin.comDr Frey’s skincare education website FryFace.com – check out the Product Selector toolFayne on TwitterFollow The Big MiddleWebsite I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTubeHosted + produced by Susan FloryMusic: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin KocSupport The Big Middle