The Health Hype Roast: Monthly Podcast Round-Up (January Edition)
Kevin GillespieI'm 46 years old with a kombucha & non-alcoholic drinks shop and taproom in Otley, Leeds. I've been running Functional Drinks Club for nearly 3 years now, and it just felt right to start a podcast on everything I see and hear each week in the health and wellness space.
If you'd told me five years ago that I'd be sitting in front of a microphone every week roasting health trends with a proper nutrition scientist, I'd have laughed you out of the room.
But here we are. Welcome to the very first monthly round-up of The Health Hype Roast.
What Is The Health Hype Roast?
I'll be straight with you, and I think most of you know this anyway. The wellness industry is absolutely wild.
Every week there's a new superfood, a miracle supplement, or some influencer telling you that cold plunges will cure everything from anxiety to your dodgy knee.
We're drowning in health advice. And most of it? Absolute rubbish.
That's why we started The Health Hype Roast. No fluff. No filters. No fads. Just me (Kombucha Kev) and my mate James Ellis having honest conversations about what actually works and what's complete nonsense.
Each episode, we take one big health trend and put it under the microscope. We look at the science. We share our own experiences. And we tell you whether it's worth your time and money, or whether you should run a mile.
Meet James Ellis: The Science Behind the Operation
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Kev, you sell kombucha. What makes you qualified to talk about health?"
Fair point. Which is exactly why I brought in James Ellis.
James is a Registered Nutrition Therapist with an MSc in Nutrition Science. The man knows his stuff. But here's what makes him different from most nutrition experts you'll find online. He's not sitting in a lab somewhere pontificating about optimal protein intake. He's out there living it.
James is a seasoned ultra-marathon runner. We're not talking about your standard 26.2 miles here, mate. He's completed multiple Spartathlons. That's 246 kilometres from Athens to Sparta. In one go. Through mountains. In the Greek heat.
So when James talks about nutrition, recovery, and what your body actually needs to perform, he's speaking from experience. Real, gruelling, pushing-your-body-to-the-absolute-limit experience.
He's our resident nutritionist and health guru. And honestly, having him on the show keeps me honest. I can't just spout off about gut health without him pulling out actual research to back it up. Or shut me down entirely.
It's brilliant.
Why We Started This Podcast
I've been in the health and wellness space for a while now. Running Functional Drinks Club has opened my eyes to just how confused people are about what's actually good for them.
Customers come into the shop asking about kombucha, about gut health, about whether that supplement their mate recommended is worth the forty quid price tag. And most of the time, they've been fed a load of marketing nonsense by companies who just want their money.
James and I wanted to create something different. A space where we could have real conversations about health trends without the corporate speak. Without the sponsored content. Without pretending we have all the answers.
Because here's the truth. Sometimes the answer is "it depends." Sometimes the answer is "that's completely overhyped." And sometimes, just occasionally, the answer is "actually, yeah, this one's pretty good."
The First Five Episodes: A Proper Round-Up
Since we launched back in November, we've put out five episodes. Here's what we've covered and why you should give each one a listen.
Episode 1: Creatine: Game-Changer or Gym Bro Fairytale?
Released: 26th November 2025
We kicked things off with one of the most talked-about supplements in the fitness world. Creatine. Every gym bro swears by it. But is it actually doing anything? Or is it just expensive wee?
James breaks down the science, and I'll be honest, this one surprised me. We talk about who should actually consider taking it, who's wasting their money, and why the research is actually pretty solid on this one.
Episode 2: Vitamin D: Winter Lifesaver or Overhyped Nonsense?
Released: 5th December 2025
Perfect timing for this one, right in the middle of the dark, miserable British winter. Everyone and their nan is popping vitamin D supplements. But do we actually need them? How much is too much? And can you really get enough from food alone?
This episode gets into the weeds on sunshine vitamins, seasonal affective disorder, and why living in the UK basically guarantees you're deficient for half the year.
Episode 3: Inflammation: Why Your Body's Not Broken, Your Diet Is
Released: 18th December 2025
This one's a banger. Inflammation has become one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around constantly. "Anti-inflammatory diets." "Inflammation is the root of all disease." "This supplement reduces inflammation."
But what actually is inflammation? Is it always bad? And why does James keep banging on about your diet being the biggest factor?
If you're dealing with joint pain, brain fog, or just feeling a bit rubbish, this episode might change how you think about food.
Episode 4: Top 10 Hangover Cures: What Works and What's Rubbish?
Released: 24th December 2025
Christmas Eve. Obviously we had to talk about hangovers.
We go through all the classic remedies. Hair of the dog. Fry-ups. Berocca. IV drips. Activated charcoal. All of it.
And because we're nice, we actually tell you what the science says about preventing hangovers in the first place. Spoiler alert: the best hangover cure is not drinking. But if you're going to, there are some things that actually help. And a lot of things that are complete nonsense.
Episode 5: Food Hacks That Work
Released: 20th January 2026
Our most recent episode. We're not talking about those rubbish "life hacks" you see on TikTok. We're talking about genuine, science-backed ways to get more nutrition from your food, make cooking easier, and actually enjoy eating well.
James shares some of his personal food prep strategies that he uses for ultra-marathon training. And I talk about how I've completely changed my approach to eating over the past few years.
Practical, actionable, and honestly quite fun.
Where to Listen
We're available everywhere you get your podcasts. Seriously. We made sure of that.
Spotify: The Health Hype Roast
Apple Podcasts: Search "The Health Hype Roast" and you'll find us.
YouTube: For those of you who like to see our faces while we roast health trends.
We drop a new episode every week. So if you're tired of wading through wellness nonsense and want someone to just tell you straight, hit that subscribe button.
What's Coming Next
We've got some cracking episodes lined up for the coming weeks. Without giving too much away, we're going to be tackling intermittent fasting, the whole "clean eating" movement, and whether those expensive probiotics are actually worth it.
Plus, we're thinking about bringing on some guests. People who actually know what they're talking about. Maybe some who don't, just so we can roast them properly.
If there's a health trend you want us to tackle, drop us a message. We're always looking for topics that genuinely confuse people.
Subscribe and Join the Conversation
If you've made it this far, you're clearly interested in sorting the health facts from the fiction. So do yourself a favour. Subscribe to The Health Hype Roast.
Every week, you'll get a new episode delivered straight to your podcast app. No fluff. No filters. No fads.
Just me and James, having an honest chat about what actually works.
See you in the next round-up.
