Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Exciting news - pre-order my debut book 
https://linktr.ee/HealthySBTH?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=9db12bc6-b7d3-4df4-bc5c-260e0303792c

Most of us have an opinion on porn. Very few of us have actually looked at the evidence.We talk about gut health, hormones, sleep, and stress. But there's one part of our sexual lives that almost nobody is talking about honestly, and it might be quietly shaping our relationships more than we realise.

This week on Live Well Be Well, I'm joined by Silva Neves, an accredited psychosexual and relationship therapist and author. Silva holds deeply taboo topics with total clinical clarity and zero judgment, helping us have the conversation about porn that most people are too afraid to start.

Here's what we explore together:
- How porn is classified as "neither healthy nor unhealthy" by research, and why that nuance changes everything.
- Why there is no proven causation between porn and relationship breakdown, misogyny, or erectile dysfunction.
- What compulsive porn use actually looks like, and when it signals something deeper going on emotionally.
- How shared values around porn can make or break a relationship, and why most couples never have this conversation.
- Why dopamine isn't the villain we think, and how habits around technology and porn really form.
- What research says about fantasies, kinks and fetishes, and why most are far more normal than we realise.
- How shame silently shuts down sexual communication in long-term relationships, and what to do instead.

Love,
Sarah Ann 💛

***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/ 

***

The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***

If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:Why You Still Can’t Orgasm (The Step-By-Step Guide) | Dr. Laurie Mintz, Sex Therapisthttps://youtu.be/gr6RWK2LFJEBetter Sex EVERY TIME? Dr Rena Malik Tells You Howhttps://youtu.be/C8HJAH5plVw

***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:20 Is Porn Healthy or Unhealthy? Silva's Honest Answer
00:05:13 Porn Is Not a Monolith: Understanding the Many Types
00:10:18 How Many People Actually Watch Porn?
00:14:23 Is Porn Addiction Real? The Clinical Truth
00:19:01 Porn, Cheating and the Agreements We Never Have
00:22:36 Why Couples With Shared Porn Values Tend to Thrive
00:28:21 Dopamine, Habits and Digital Attachment
00:37:00 What Age Should Young People Be Exposed to Porn?
00:39:13 The Manosphere: Fear, Misogyny and Online Extremism
00:53:06 Fantasies, Kinks and Fetishes: More Normal Than You Think
00:58:24 How Shame Kills Sex in Long-Term Relationships
01:01:00 Talking About Your Erotic Mind With a Partner
01:07:31 Asexuality as a Valid and Underrepresented Orientation
01:11:10 What Good Relationship Vows Really Look Like

Are you comparing what you see on YouTube to what feels normal in your own life? If you’ve ever watched online content and thought it looks like a very different scenario than what’s actually normal, this conversation will feel familiar.This clip explores the gap between what’s presented on YouTube and what someone considers a more typical, real-world situation, highlighting how online examples can shape expectations and perceptions.
Listen to the full episode ⁠⁠here⁠⁠
Watch the full episode on YouTube ⁠⁠here⁠
***

This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/

Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell

***

The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***

Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

Do you ever feel a bit awkward talking about vibrators? Because even in a light, laughter-filled moment, it can be clear there’s still a lot to say and a lot of discomfort around the topic. This clip explores a candid exchange about vibrators, capturing how quickly the conversation can move from hesitation to humour and openness.As a nutritionist and health communicator, Sarah brings a grounded, educational tone to wellbeing conversations, even when the topic feels a little taboo. Here, that comes through in a simple but telling moment: acknowledging there’s “quite a lot” to discuss, and then leaning into how “fabulous” and “amazing” it can be to talk about it more honestly.
Listen to the full episode⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the full episode on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/

Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell

***

The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***

Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

Exciting news - pre-order my debut book 
https://linktr.ee/HealthySBTH?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9db12bc6-b7d3-4df4-bc5c-260e0303792c
That feeling of being utterly exhausted but somehow unable to switch off. The tight chest. The 3am wake-ups. The gut that never quite settles. Most of us have been quietly living with these signs for years, chalking them up to a busy life or just the way we are. But what if they were your body trying to tell you something far more specific?

This week on Live Well Be Well, I'm sitting down with the brilliant Dr. Arielle Schwartz, somatic psychologist, certified yoga therapist, EMDR trainer, and one of the leading voices in nervous system healing and complex trauma. Arielle has this rare gift of translating some of the most intricate neuroscience into something you can actually feel in your own body. She is warm, grounded, deeply wise, and this conversation genuinely moved me.
Here's What We Dive Into:
- What a dysregulated nervous system actually feels like in the body
- Why stress and dysregulation are not the same thing
- What polyvagal theory is and why your vagus nerve matters more than you think
- How the body moves through fight, flight, and freeze responses
- Why ADHD may be a nervous system regulation challenge as much as a cognitive one
- How to stimulate your vagus nerve using just your own hands
- Why crying is one of the most healing things you can do for your nervous system
- How self-compassion directly improves vagal tone
- Why breathwork is the fastest nervous system reset available to all of us
- What EMDR is and how it helps the brain finally let go of trauma

Love,
Sarah Ann 💛

***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO

NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/ 
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe:http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast
💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:30 Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System
00:05:00 How Dysregulation Affects Your Gut, Hormones and Immunity
00:12:00 Polyvagal Theory Explained Simply
00:17:00 The Vagus Nerve and the Mind-Body Connection
00:21:00 Fight, Flight and Freeze: The Three Nervous System Responses
00:24:00 Wired and Tired: Why You Can't Switch Off
00:29:00 ADHD and Nervous System Dysregulation
00:38:00 Somatic Healing, Yoga and Complex PTSD
00:43:00 Free Vagus Nerve Stimulation Techniques
00:49:00 Why Crying Is Good for Your Nervous System
00:53:00 How to Feel Safe in Your Own Body
00:57:00 Self-Compassion and Vagal Tone
01:01:00 Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation
01:07:00 What Is EMDR and How Does It Heal Trauma

Have you ever wondered why sexual education rarely talks about variety? It’s often treated as a topic we skip over, even though it can be a key part of a healthy, enjoyable sex life and better communication with your partner. This clip explores why doing the same thing every time can become limiting, and why introducing variety matters. Sarah discusses how this is something many people are never taught in sex education, and how changing things up can help keep intimacy feeling more connected and responsive rather than repetitive. As a nutritionist and health communicator, Sarah brings her practical, supportive approach to a topic that sits within wider wellbeing, relationships, and how we learn about our bodies.
Listen to the full episode ⁠here⁠
Watch the full episode on YouTube ⁠here
***

This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/

Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell

***

The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

***

Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/