Latest news with #HannahMendoza
Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Meghan tells of turning to ‘woo-woo' therapies during pregnancy
The Duchess of Sussex has described how she turned to an Ayurvedic doctor when pregnant with both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The former actress discussed her belief in the ancient Indian tradition of alternative medicine in the latest episode of her podcast series, Confessions of a Female Founder. She also spoke of the benefits of 'adaptogens', such as the plants, roots and mushrooms used in herbal medicine, although she admitted that some people consider the approach a 'little psychedelic and super woo-woo'. Meghan has invested in Hannah Mendoza's wellness food company, Clevr Blends Her latest guest was Hannah Mendoza, the founder of Clevr Blends, an instant organic lattes company that sold powdered drinks it said were upgraded with 'adaptogens, superfoods and probiotics'. The duchess is a financial investor in the Los Angeles-based company, which
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Meghan: I turned to ancient Indian medicine during pregnancy
The Duchess of Sussex has revealed that she turned to Indian medicine during her pregnancies. The Duchess, 43, said she used the traditional ayurvedic system of medicine while pregnant with her children Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, three. Speaking on the fifth episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, Meghan said: 'During my pregnancies I had an ayurvedic doctor and so much of it was about seeing food as medicine.' Ayurveda, which originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, aims to promote balance in the body, mind and spirit through a holistic approach to health and wellbeing with herbal remedies, dietary changes, detoxification and yoga. The King has also long been a lifelong supporter of alternative medicine, including appointing and honouring a pro-homeopathic doctor who still leads his medical team. Meghan's revelation was made during her discussion with Hannah Mendoza, the co-founder of a 'superfood' latte and tea company, about the power of adaptogenic mushrooms. The pair discussed the misunderstandings surrounding the non-psychoactive mushrooms – which include Reishi and Lion's Mane – that naturally help the body adapt to stress and improve balance. 'I think a lot of people when they hear mushrooms think 'oh okay she's just being hippy dippy and grounded' and all these things,' Meghan admitted. She added that if people 'aren't familiar with adaptogens, you can go to this place of 'oh it's feeling a little psychedelic and super woowoo',' but explained that they are 'part of our natural ecosystem and dietary system.' 'It's really just a food trend that I believe you were far ahead of in terms of saying 'hold on, these have properties that in some way make you feel differently' in a really safe way,' she told her podcast guest. Clevr Blends, founded by Ms Mendoza in 2017 with university friend Roger Coppola, features adaptogens, superfoods and probiotics in powdered latte blends for 'better energy, stress and sleep'. The Duchess was an early supporter of the wellness brand, investing an undisclosed sum in late 2020 as her first solo business venture after moving from the UK to California. She soon proved her worth by roping in her 'wonderful neighbour' Oprah Winfrey to endorse the business to her 22.5 million Instagram followers. Ms Mendoza explained how she 'fell on the floor' when she saw the video Winfrey had shared on social media making the brand's 'Golden SuperLatte''. The Duchess explained she had shared the products with Winfrey because she wanted the company to 'authentically' succeed. 'I'm fortunate that some of the people I want to share it with also have reach, and I remember calling you and saying 'look I just want to share it with my neighbour', my wonderful neighbour, Ms Oprah Winfrey, and it was a turmeric latte that I loved the most,' Meghan said. Ms Mendoza revealed the endorsement led more than 10,000 people to the company's website within '30 seconds' of Winfrey tagging them on Instagram and later resulted in the brand featuring on 'Oprah's Favourite Things' list for two consecutive years. The Duchess said she had sent the blends 'from the spirit of wanting to share it with people that would enjoy it…I didn't know at the time what the submissions were for Oprah's Favourite Things.' Ms Mendoza, who was raised in Buckinghamshire and is the daughter of wealthy British advertising veteran Marc Mendoza, described the moment as 'every founder's dream'. Meghan also told the British-born entrepreneur, who now lives in California, that what she loved about their first meeting was that Ms Mendoza provided an alternative way 'to help soothe the nervous system' separate to 'the Western ideology of just writing a prescription for someone'. Meanwhile, the King's appointment of Dr Michael Dixon as head of the Royal Medical Household in late 2022 caused a stir over his 'unconventional' views on homoeopathy and faith healing, but King Charles is thought to have relied heavily on Dr Dixon as he has navigated his cancer treatment plan. The doctor, who leads the Royal Medical Household, is also said to have developed Queen Camilla's deep interest in ayurveda, which Meghan practiced during her pregnancies. Their Majesties are also regular visitors to the alternative and holistic health Soukya resort in Bangalore, India, which is run by Dr Issac Mathai, who has spent years advising the monarch on his health. It comes after the Duchess revealed in the first podcast episode that she suffered from a rare 'life or death' birth complication called postpartum preeclampsia after having one of her children. The potentially life-threatening condition, where high blood pressure and protein in the urine develop after childbirth, was described by Meghan as 'so rare and so scary'.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Meghan Markle reveals she turned to ‘super woo-woo' ancient Indian doctor while pregnant with Archie & Lilibet
MEGHAN Markle revealed she used an ancient Indian medicine doctor and used mushrooms to help cope with pregnancy. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, invited businesswoman Hannah Mendoza in episode five of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast. 4 4 4 The instant latte brand, Clevr Blends, co-founder, who is originally from Buckinghamshire in the UK, is the daughter advertising giant Marc Mendoza. She kickstarted her creation in 2017 with pal Roger Coppol after starting with a pop-up coffee shop. Meghan prided herself in the podcast episode for being her very first investor in 2020. The pair discussed the healing benefits of foods and how Hannah used adaptogenic properties to create groundbreaking new coffee products. But the Duchess admitted mushrooms often had other "connotations" and could be seen as "a little psychedelic and woo-woo". Meanwhile, Prince Harry openly admitted in his memoir Spare and on his Netflix series to taking cannabis, coke and magic mushrooms before moving to California in 2020. It sparked a lawsuit brought by the Heritage Foundation against the US Department of Homeland Security. They had been seeking to disclose Harry's immigration papers to reveal whether he lied about past drug-taking. On the podcast, Meghan told her guest: "I think a lot of people when they hear mushrooms, they go 'OK, she's talking about being hippie-dippy, grounded in all these things'. "If you aren't familiar with adaptogens, you can go to this place of 'Oh, it's feeling a little psychedelic and super woo-woo'." Adaptogens are active ingredients found in some plants and mushrooms. They may help reduce the effects of stress on your body. They're not the same as hallucinogenic or 'magic' mushrooms and do not act on the mind or perception. The Duchess told how she went to an Ayurvedic practitioner during both her pregnancies. "So there are these items and ingredients that have been part of our natural ecosystem and dietary system for a long time, whether acknowledged or not, that somehow you say mushrooms, and now people have a connotation attached to it," she said. "But it's really just a food trend that I believe you were far ahead of in terms of saying, 'Hold on, these have properties that can in some way make you feel differently in a really safe way'. "During my pregnancies, I had an Ayurvedic doctor and so much of it was about seeing food as medicine." This comes after Harry also revealed in his memoir how they listened to Sanskrit songs in the delivery room when Archie was born. The couple also told their newborn they loved him immediately after their Ayurvedic doctor told them babies absorb everything said to them in the first minute of their life. Ayurveda, means the "knowledge of life" in Sanskrit. It is a holistic approach to balancing the body, typically using natural herbs and massage. During the podcast Meg also took the opportunity to boast about her own brand As Ever. "Business doesn't work unless people believe you, so much of entrepreneurship is convincing people your vision is worth their time and money," she said. "When I think about big milestones for my own business, As Ever, Netflix coming on as my business partner, huge, just having a global powerhouse that believed in me. "And the site selling out in the first 45 mins of launch - every single piece. "That told me people believed in me - that becomes your proof point that the late nights and midnight musings are worth it." This comes as Harry is set to miss his son Archie's sixth birthday as he heads back to Las Vegas without Meghan. The Duke of Sussex will head to the Nevada city to launch a new initiative in collaboration with The Diana Award today, the same day as Archie's celebration. His scheme, Pledge To Invest, is designed as an "opportunity for forward-thinking businesses to make a strategic, measurable and high-impact investment in the future of youth leadership." Harry will also meet two young recipients of The Legacy Award on his trip to Las Vegas, while Archie enjoys his birthday at home with Meghan in Montecito. The award, set up in memory of his late mother, honours exceptional social action and humanitarian work. This won't be the first time Harry has missed Archie's birthday, after the royal skipped the celebrations two years ago due to his attendance at the coronation of his dad, King Charles. For this year's celebration, Harry will instead be in Las Vegas to launch his youth leadership drive. What are adaptogenic mushrooms? Adaptogenic mushrooms are mushrooms that may help reduce the effects of stress on your body. Some people use them as herbal health products. They're not the same as hallucinogenic or 'magic' mushrooms and do not act on the mind or perception. In general, an adaptogen is a substance that works to reduce the negative effects of stress on the body. Adaptogens increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, and chemical stress, help promote normal functioning during times of stress, and protect against stress-related damage. The body's stress response is complex and involves multiple bodily systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis). This is the body's main stress response system. The primary function of the HPA axis is to release glucocorticoids, including cortisol. Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones that activate the stress response. Adaptogens primarily work by influencing the HPA axis and other key mediators of the stress response. By doing so, they enhance resistance to stress and promote recovery and homeostasis — or stability — in the body. Researchers have discovered that certain plants and fungi, including some mushrooms, have adaptogenic properties. Source; healthline is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun. 4
