In this podcast I talk about the difference between having a curious mindset and a conclusive mindset:

– Looking at the world around you with open eyes vs shutting off anything that goes against what you “know”

– Learning to look at health as principles to apply to your unique situation, rather than a set of black & white rules

– How curiosity helps us grow, and how our health can flourish when we consider the principles of a traditional, whole food diet rather than relying on ‘diet rules and regulations’ and a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

I also discuss the question, “Is this food/product/supplement good for me?” Learn to work out the answer to this question for yourself, simply by asking yourself some questions relating to a traditional, “whole food” way of thinking. (See resources below for the list of questions I mention in the video.)

If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

Article: “Principles of a Whole-Food Diet” and questions to ask yourself when trying to decide if something is healthy or not – see my “Beginner’s Guide” here

Article: Is Dairy Bad for You? “What Have We Done to Dairy?”

Podcast: Curiosity and Regenerative Farming – “Dave Westbrook, The Farm Business Coach Giving Life Lessons to Help Farmers Achieve Their Goals”

Help with Gut Healing: The Gut Health Formula, 8 Week Program

Watch the YouTube video of this Podcast here!

The post QCC 166: Be Curious! The importance of having a curious mindset appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Watch the video here!

This week I answer listener’s questions which include:

– When will your new cookbook be available?

– What kind of things you can make with meat stock?

– How many hours a day do you cook?

– How can I heal my toddler’s gut? She’s a very fussy eater!

– Where do you buy your almond meal/almond flour?

– How much almond meal is too much in our diet?

– Will you share your Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe? … and the answer to the cheese sauce recipe question is YES! You will find the how-to instructions at the end of this Q&A, and the recipe is available here!: Link to the instructional Youtube video, Here!

RESOURCES –

“A Taster” ebook: 12 delicious, gut-healing recipes from my upcoming cookbook “Simple, Healing Food”. This ebook costs $10 and you will receive a $10 discount voucher for my new cookbook once it is released! Find it here!

– The extra special chocolate cake mentioned in this video will be in my new cookbook, but if you’re dying to try a decadent chocolate cake right NOW, try this one from my blog here

– How to make and use meat stocks, and the difference between meat stocks and bone broths

– The last cookbook published by Quirky Cooking, Life-Changing Food  

– Our 8 week program for improved gut health, The Gut Health Formula

Watch the video here!

If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.

The post QCC 165: Q&A and Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Watch the video Here!

This week I answer listener’s questions about activating nuts & seeds, such as:

– Why activate nuts & seeds, and do you always do it?

– Are some nuts harder on the digestive system than others?

– What is the difference between activating, soaking and fermenting?

– Can you use an oven for dehydrating soaked nuts & seeds?

– How do you avoid activated nuts/seeds from going mouldy?

– If I blanch and remove almond skins is that same as activating?

– What do you do with the pulp from nut milk?

– Can you activate nut meal or does it have to be whole nuts?

Learn the reasons behind soaking, fermenting and activating and what the best options are for those on a gut-healing diet!

RESOURCES:

– Soaking & Activating Nuts & Seeds – ratios & times: see page 23 in my Life-Changing Food Cookbook:  

– Program: If you need support, recipes and professional health advice to help you on your gut-healing journey, consider joining The Gut Health Formula, an 8 week program I run with Elyse Comerford, Integrative Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner: Find Her Here! 

RECIPES:

– Blender Batter Pancakes/Waffles

– Blender Batter Muffins

Watch the video Here!

If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.

The post QCC 164: Activating Nuts & Seeds – Why, How & When appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Watch the video Here!

This week I answer the question of where to begin when you want to work on improving your gut health, but feel like it’s all too overwhelming.

I share simple steps for a gentle approach to healing:

1) Start slowly!

2) Add in before taking out. Healing foods to focus on adding in:

– meat stocks

– good fats

– eggs, especially yolks

– organ meats

– bone marrow

– fermented foods

3) Transition to a whole food diet

4) Remove hard-to-digest sugars and starches from your diet while healing

5) Eat nutrient-dense meals to reduce the need for snacking

If you need support, recipes and professional health advice to help you on your gut-healing journey, consider joining The Gut Health Formula, an 8 week program I run with Elyse Comerford, Integrative Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner: Find Her Here!

You will also find plenty of gut-friendly recipes on my blog Quirky Cooking, and in our Life-Changing Food cookbook

Watch the video Here!

If you have a question you’d love for me to answer in my podcast videos, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.

The post QCC 163: Gut Health – Where Do I Start? appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Most parents struggle to keep up with cooking healthy, balanced meals for the family as well as working full time, taking kids to school and other activities, and finding some time for themselves.

Listen in for some time-saving tips for meal prep, and how to plan ahead so that everyone is well fed without lots of stress.

Watch the youtube video here!

USEFUL RESOURCES:

– Meal planners, and some sample meal plans: Here!  

– Past newsletters with sample meal plans: Here!

– Subscribe to my email for more meal plans and recipes for simple, family meals: Here!  

Watch the youtube video here!

The post QCC 162: Saving Time with Meal Prep appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Elyse Comerford, nutritionist and GAPS practitioner, joins me on the show to talk about healing the gut without getting bogged down by stress and overwhelm. We also give an overview of our gut health coaching program, “The Gut Health Formula”.

You can watch the video here on my YouTube channel!

Subjects covered in this podcast:

– what are the symptoms of poor gut health?

– should I get testing done to see if I have leaky gut?

– what are the first steps for healing the gut?

– what impact does stress have on gut health, and how can I better respond to stress that I can’t control?

– how do I begin to change my diet without feeling overwhelmed?

– what resources can I access to help me learn more about healing naturally?

www.quirkycooking.com.au

How to Make Meat Stocks, video here!

NOTEWORTHY QUOTES: “Improving your health and having a healthy diet is not about willpower. It’s not about shame, blame, guilt and deprivation. If that is the approach you’re taking… *spoiler alert * …It’s not going to work!. It’s never going to work.” – Elyse Comerford

WATCH THIS PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: Here!

The post QCC 161: Lamb, Leek, Lentil, Lemon Soup + Gut Health Q&A appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Each week I’ll be choosing a few of these questions to answer in a video/podcast, and I’ll share further resources, recipes, tips and links as well to help you delve further and find the information you need.

If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.

How do I get the family on board with healthy eating?

Health changes can be difficult to implement, especially when your partner is not on the same page, your kids refuse to eat new foods, and your friends laugh at your ‘weird’ way of eating! Here’s my tips for getting the family on board with improving the diet, and showing your friends that healthy eating can be delicious and fun!

WATCH THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/P6CmYx0OaDw

USEFUL RESOURCES

– Help for those overwhelmed with health issues and needing guidance with diet changes: https://www.wellbellyhealth.com.au/the-gut-health-formula

– Interview with Isaac Whitton (19 yrs old) sharing his experience of changing his diet (from 13 yrs old), and how he learnt to take responsibility for his own health: https://youtu.be/GSivfEhWCvA

– Family Favourites – recipes we love: https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/category/favourites/

– Fussy Eaters – podcasts to help you turn things around: * Fussy Eaters & How to Have Peaceful Mealtimes (with Beth Bonfiglio of Little Fusspot): http://thewellnesscouch.com/aqj/aqj-137-fussy-eaters-how-to-have-peaceful-mealtimes * Play Therapy for Fussy Eaters (with Crystal Poggioli, occupational therapist & GAPS practitioner): http://thewellnesscouch.com/aqj/aqj-133-play-therapy-for-fussy-eaters-with-crystel-poggioli-ot

The post QCC 160: Getting the Family on Board with Healthy Eating appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode you’ll learn about:

– why unrealistic expectations and comparing yourself to others can sabotage your efforts to heal

– ways to improve your health that don’t cost money

– reducing stress by reducing the busyness and lifestyle ‘clutter’

– the long term approach to improving your health

– the importance of nature therapy

– reducing food waste

– buying in bulk to save money on groceries

– how to store bulk ingredients

– how to reduce the meat in your meals

– how to bulk out meals to make them cheaper and more filling, without using starchy fillers

– how to ‘do what you can, where you are, with what you’ve got’!

If you haven’t already listened to my last podcast you might also find it helpful, as we discuss the importance of letting go of a ‘perfectionist’ mindset, and beginning where you are when working on health changes: “Spicy Cabbage Rolls + Done Is Better Than Perfect!”

Ingredients for “Toad in the Hole”:

– 8 beef or pork sausages (preservative free) – 200g soft ghee or tallow (melt if hard) – 140g almond meal or pepita meal – 100g water – 5 eggs – 1/4 tsp salt

Useful Links:

The Gut Health Formula – 8 week group coaching program: This program is run by myself  and Elyse Comerford (nutritionist and gut health specialist) and is especially helpful for beginners to gut health. It is a gentle, sustainable approach to health which includes reducing food and lifestyle stress, working out health priorities, learning to organise and plan ahead so that healthy choices are easier to make, and slowly adjusting the diet to include more nutritious, healing foods. You will work towards a diet similar to the Full GAPS diet, using these healing food principles in a flexible way that suits YOU. Our coaching program is like a health retreat you can do at home… Slow down, let go of the stress, be gentle with yourself, nourish yourself with delicious, healing foods, and learn to build the foundations of good health one step at a time. The next round begins 15th October, 2020, and runs for 8 weeks, then is accessible for 12 months. 

The post QCC 159: ‘Toad in the Hole’ + How to Save Money on Your Health Journey appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This episode is all about letting go of perfectionism and just jumping in and giving it a go… whether ‘it’ is cooking, starting a new project, business tasks you’ve been putting off, exercising, or anything else in life that is making you feel overwhelmed and ‘stuck’!

I have a bit of fun trying out a recipe I’ve never tried before, while swapping around ingredients to use what I have, swapping rice for cauliflower, adjusting for a double batch on the fly, overflowing the pot in the oven, and running late for dinner…

My good friend Helen Marshall of Primal Alternative then joins me on the show to chat about why “Done is Better Than Perfect”! We talk about what we do when we feel ‘stuck’, and many of the things we’ve learnt over the years that have helped us ditch perfectionism and move forward with our health and in our businesses.

GUEST INFORMATION

Helen Marshall is the founder of Primal Alternative – a range of nourishing, grain free foods, produced by individual licensees in their homes, and sold in stores, markets, and online throughout Australia, USA and the UK. Find out more about the business here.

RECIPE: SPICY CABBAGE ROLLS

You can watch this video here on my Quirky Cooking YouTube channel and cook along with me if you like! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave me a comment at the bottom of the video. I’d love to know what you think.

The original recipe is ‘Spicy Stuffed Cabbage’ from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon. In my video I’ve tweaked this recipe to make it grain free, and doubled the filling. If you’d like to try it, here are the ingredients for a single batch: – 1 large cabbage – 2 Tbsp olive oil or ghee – 2 brown onions – 3 garlic cloves – 500g beef mince – 500g cauliflower florets – 1/2 cup raisins – 1/4 cup fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill – 2 tsp ground cumin – 1 tsp cinnamon – 1/8 tsp ground cloves – sea salt & pepper – 1/2 cup almonds – 1 egg – 4 cups chicken stock – 2 fresh tomatoes or 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes – 2 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch

Enjoy!

The post QCC 158: Spicy Cabbage Rolls + Done is Better Than Perfect! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

For the first half hour of this episode I talk to parents of young people who need to move towards a healing diet and are not really keen to make changes, or are struggling to keep on track and focus on the long-term goals.

Isaac (now 19 years old) joins me for the next hour to answer questions from listeners.

Isaac shares:

• his initial reactions to mum saying he needed to go on a special diet
• what he found hardest about being on GAPS
• how he coped with peer pressure while trying to stick to healing foods, and his advice for social situations
• the improvements he saw in his mental and emotional health, and how long it took to see changes
• how his skin and sleep has improved, and what he finds most affects them
• the ups and downs with healthy eating (yep, it’s normal)
• how he gets back on the ‘healthy eating wagon’ when he’s fallen off
• what he would tell his 13 yr old self now he’s older and wiser
• his advice for young people struggling with anxiety and mental health issues
• how his experience with the GAPS diet has affected his thinking as an adult
• avoiding addictions in other areas besides food – doing a ‘dopamine detox’
• why he’s so much happier now, and what helps the most
• his answer to the question, “Was it worth it??”!

Cooking segment!

We didn’t manage to cook on this episode as it was already so long, so here is a link to a video of my boys cooking together that your teenagers may enjoy. 🙂

• Isaac & Simi cook Sweet ‘n’ Sour Pork (and have an unexpected visitor to the kitchen!)

Useful links:

• Starting diet changes slowly and gently – listen to this podcast with Elyse Comerford
• Working with fussy eaters
  • listen to this podcast with Beth Bonfiglio of Little Fusspot
  • listen to this podcast with Crystal Poggioli (OT) on Play Therapy
  • read this article on the ABA method for little ones needing to do GAPS
• Top tips for gut health, and making healthy swaps in your cooking – read this article
• Stress trumps all!! Reduce the stress in your home and help your kids to heal.

“It’s about creating an atmosphere of joy and peacefulness and calm, as much as creating healthy food.” – Jo Whitton

The post QCC 157: Helping Teens to Heal – Q&A with Isaac Whitton appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

2020 has been a year of changes, and as Jo nestled in to her home during lockdown and shared her everyday cooking via videos on social media, she found that her listeners were excited to have practical help with cooking for good health – not just the science and nutrition information, but how to put it all into practice in everyday life. So “A Quirky Journey” has become “Quirky Cooking Chats“, where you can listen (and watch!) as Jo cooks in her kitchen and chats about ‘real life’ nutrition and healthy living with her friends and guests.

• Watch practical, doable cooking videos, ask questions, and be inspired to make simple changes that will maximise your health and wellbeing without the stress and overwhelm.
• Cook along with Jo, absorb her knowledge of “food as medicine”, develop a healthy mindset towards nourishing your family with real food, and learn how Jo balances the food prep and cooking for her family with running her own business and raising four kids.
• Listen in as Jo chats with friends and guests about everything from culinary medicine and nutrition to family food stories, healthy homes, regenerative farming, reducing stress, balancing work-family-life, saving time and money while eating well, and much more!

Watch this episode on the Quirky Cooking YouTube Channel, and cook along!

Recipes & Useful Links:

• Our Program: “The Gut Health Formula” – 8 week group coaching program with Jo Whitton & Elyse Comerford
• Recipes: Meat Stocks & Bone Broths
• Article: The difference between stocks & broths, and which is best for gut healing
• Video: How to make the best roast chicken & chicken stock from one chicken
• Video: Chicken pilaf (made with chicken stock & the leftover chicken)
• Cookbook: Life-Changing Food (for stocks, broths & lots of recipes to use them in!)

Ingredients & Products I use:

• Aussie Pink Lake Salt
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Aussie Pepper
• Bone Broth Concentrate (if you’re ok with long-cooked broths, for those days when you just don’t have time!)
• Solidteknics stainless steel 6L rondeau pot
• Solidteknics formed iron skillets

The post QCC 156: Meat Stocks & Bone Broths – How & Why appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jo and Fouad answer readers questions about:

• how to make do with what you’ve got in the fridge, freezer and pantry
• ideas for snacks and easy meals to keep the family filled up and happy
• how to cope on a special diet (like GAPS) while in lockdown
• foods that boost the immune system and reduce inflammation
• simple fermented foods to make at home
• bulking out meals to save money
• how to support local farmers and producers
• how to keep the stress levels low

Note: Readers sent in so many questions on this topic that they couldn’t all be answered in one podcast, so Jo will be answering many of them in her Instagram and Facebook stories, and in an upcoming blog post on Quirky Cooking. If you’d like to add your questions, send them to help@quirkycooking.com.au.

Useful Links:

Preparing Your Pantry to “Stay at Home” – article by Jo

Livestream Webinars with Jo & Elyse Comerford, “Nourishing Your Family”

Life-Changing Food cookbook or iOS app, for delicious, whole food recipes!

Fouad’s hummus recipe – visit his instagram to watch him making it!

Fermented foods to make at home (recipes for beginners)

Willow & Sage Mushroom Teas & other immune support

Contact Fouad about web design at @fookassab on Instagram!

The post AQJ 155: Quarantine Cuisine, with Jo and Fouad appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Kriben’s story began 8 years ago, when crippled with anxiety and depression, overweight, and lacking energy, he was told by his psychiatrist that antidepressants were the only option. But being a Food Scientist, he began to look at alternative ways including numerous research studies to treat his ill health. He attributes his health transformation largely to the GAPS diet and the ‘miracle food’ Kefir!

With more than 20 years of experience in the food industry (working in research and development and quality assurance), an honours degree in Applied Science (Food Science and Technology), and as a member of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition Society of Australia, Kriben knows what he’s talking about when he talks about the healing power of food.

Cultured foods like Kefir, Kombucha and Fermented Vegetables are some of the most beneficial foods for digestive health. And it’s super easy to make for your family every day. Kriben’s aim through Nourishme Organics is to guide people through the process of making their own traditional cultured foods, step by step, sharing the gift of digestive health and vitality which he has found so powerful for his own health.

Here’s a few of the benefits of milk kefir:

• Decreased Inflammation and Faster Healing
• Improved Digestion and Better Gut Health
• Antimicrobial Activity
• Balanced Neurotransmitters and Enhanced Brain Function
• A Healthier Heart and Cardiovascular System
• Faster Metabolism and Easier Weight Loss

Learn lots more in this podcast!

Useful Links:

Nourishme Organics Website, Instagram, Facebook

Gut Health Gurus Podcast, Instagram, Facebook

The post AQJ 154: How Kefir & Cultured Foods Can Help With Weight Loss & Mental Health – with Kriben Govender appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• Is it possible to recover from mould illness, sensitivity to EMFs, and other environmental overloads that can result in chronic illness?
• What are some simple ways to reduce the toxic load from our environment and boost our immune systems?
• How can we reduce exposure when living near a phone tower, or surrounded by wifi in home, school and workplace?
• How can you measure the level of EMFs in your home?
• How can we reduce our children’s exposure to EMFs when they are using smart phones, tablets and computers?
• How can electrical panels, smart meters, dirty electricity, fluorescent lighting, CFL bulbs, and other common hazards in the home affect health, and how can we minimise harm or find other alternatives?
• What toxins do we need to be aware of in furnishings, cushion fillers, mattresses, paints, lighting, carpets, air conditioners, building materials, fragrances, cleaning products, etc, and what are some natural alternatives?
• How can we create a healthy sleep environment and make the bedroom a ‘sanctuary’?
• What is the difference between ‘green’ building, and a well-designed building that is not just green in name, but is truly an extension of nature?

As Lucie says, “Yes we live in a scary world, but all we can do is what we can do”. Technology has brought many changes to our lives, and it all seems to be gallivanting along at a rate that’s totally out of control, with minimal testing, so parents need to be proactive and make sure we are boosting our children’s immune systems as much as possible. Lucie talks about the importance of teaching our kids to “fall in love with living a healthy life”, so they can go off into the world and look after themselves, and have the best chance for a healthy future.

Jo, Elyse and Lucie end the podcast with a discussion about Lucie’s 350 year old luxury chalet in the Italian alps, Baita 1697, and the traditional, clean methods used in its building and design. “Baita 1697” is the ultimate in luxury, as it combines beauty, elegant design, and health – a true sanctuary from the world!

Come stay at Lucie’s beautiful chalet with us during our Luxury Health Retreat, and learn about healing from the inside out (gut health, reducing stress, slowing down and taking time to rest), and from the outside in (reducing the toxic load in your home and environment).

EARLYBIRD PRICE: Book in to this Luxury Health Retreat by Monday 17th February, 2o20, for 10% off! All the details here.

—–

Useful Links:

Lucie McCullough Interiors Website and Instagram

Lucie’s chalet in the Italian alps, Baita 1697 and on Instagram

Finding a Building Biologist in Australia, UK, or USA

Nourishing Your Family Events, with Jo Whitton and Elyse Comerford

The post AQJ 153: Designing a Healthy Home, with Building Biologist & Interior Designer Lucie McCullough – Part 2 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Lucie had a rocky start in life with poor health from a young age. Her health issues grew worse as a young woman working in the fashion industry in Europe (for Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Vogue!), due to lifestyle stress, poor diet, and genetics that meant she didn’t detox well. She began suffering from anxiety, was told she had Parkinson’s Disease and mental health issues, then suffered through repeated miscarriages while trying to begin a family with her husband Ronan. During her second full-term pregnancy, Lucie learnt that she and the family had been affected by mould in their home in Hong Kong and they needed to leave. They bought a 350 year old home in the Italian alps which they renovated as a holiday home; and the family moved to the USA where Lucie studied building biology.

Lucie shares her thoughts on dealing with illnesses exacerbated by environmental toxins like mould and poor air quality, discusses electro-magnetic fields, wifi and other possible health hazards in the home, and she offers a wealth of practical advice for building or renovating homes in the healthiest way possible. Her beautifully calm way of approaching issues that can be quite overwhelming give hope that with a few small changes, great health benefits can be achieved.

EXCITING NEWS! This summer, Lucie will begin hosting gut health retreats at her luxury ski lodge in the Italian alps, with the help of Jo and Elyse!

This is your chance to hit the pause button and hide away from the world in a charming hamlet in the heart of the Italian alps. Take the time to rest, destress, and heal, with the help of an experienced team of nutrition, exercise, and culinary medicine experts, a traditional whole food chef, and a building biologist and interior designer with a vision for creating homes that are sanctuaries from the world.

Learn more about the Luxury Gut Health Retreat here. Dates for 2020 are June 8-11, and June 15-19.

Read about Lucie’s chalet, Baita 1697, in this Forbes Magazine article.

Learn more about Lucie and her interior design and building biology business on her website, Lucie McCullough, and on Instagram at @luciemcculloughinteriors.

The post AQJ 152: Designing a Healthy Home, with Building Biologist & Interior Designer Lucie McCullough – Part 1 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Listen in as we talk about:

• the pros and cons of being so “connected” online
• the conflict of wanting to know what’s going on without becoming overwhelmed and desensitized by it all
• how to mindfully consume news without getting sucked into the vortex of tabloid news addiction
• our coping mechanisms in times of stress
• what kinds of foods and herbs are helpful for boosting immunity and reducing the stress on our bodies
• how to teach kids a positive outlook in life during difficult times
• what we are doing to make a difference
• how you can help even if you don’t live in affected areas
• and how the simple act of showing kindness can begin a ripple effect that changes the world around us.

If you love our recipes and would like to buy our Life-Changing Food cookbook app (for iOS), we are donating 10% of sales to the NSW Rural Fire Service for all of December and January.

We are also offering to replace Life-Changing Food cookbooks that have been lost in bushfires – please contact us at help@quirkycooking.com.au with your details if you would like to apply for a replacement copy.

[Photo: Our friend Elyse and her son at the beach, surrounded by smoky skies]

Useful Links:

• Listen to a great podcast by Marcus Pearce on mindful news consumption: News stories are like sugar – a limitless amount will never nourish you
• Get some ideas from the Functional Nutritionist for ways to support your health when being exposed to bushfire smoke
• And also from Nourish Melbourne for Asthma and Respiratory Support
• Read this post by Jo about the importance of showing kindness to one another at this time

The post AQJ 151: Finding Positivity in the Midst of Crisis appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Nat says, “I really wanted the mums in our program to hear from another mum who’s been through the hard yards, that they CAN do this, and that life does turn out great, and you can enjoy the teenage years! Don’t listen to all the critics, everything turns out for the best, these children were given to us for a reason. Mums really appreciate hearing from someone who’s done it, who’s been there, and has come out the other side – still smiling!” (Photo above: Jo and her son Isaac celebrating his graduation from grade 12 this year!)

Listen in as Jo talks about:

• understanding your child’s needs, and adjusting their environment to help them thrive
• the foundational importance of building connection and relationship with your children
• why ‘pushing’ your child too hard can cause set backs
• being an advocate for your child in a society that doesn’t always understand them
• her decision to homeschool and how that worked for them
• the importance of encouraging a love of learning and creativity in your kids
• how she trusted her gut instincts and worked through healing with her kids
• how she coped with the judgement and expectations of others and rejected the ‘mother shame’
• her top tips for parenting children who are happy, confident and connected

For more one on one help with your anxious child, we recommend Dr Nat and Leigh’s program, “Love Your Anxious Child“. As a special offer for our listeners, use the code “Love100” to receive the Love Phase for only $97! Over 50% off!

Learn more about Dr Nat and Leigh and the work they do, here.

The post AQJ 150: Supporting Your Anxious Child appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

After struggling for many years with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Shelley Grainger made the life-changing discovery that she could manage her condition through changes to her diet and lifestyle. As she worked towards a gluten free, dairy free, grain free diet, her body found its natural rhythm and her wellbeing significantly improved. Shelley and her husband Daniel were overjoyed when she fell pregnant naturally with their son Pacey-James—a result they had previously been told by doctors would be very difficult.

While Shelley was thrilled with her new way of eating, it was hard to find options for eating out that met her dietary requirements —especially delicious snacks and treats. So she began experimenting with making treats and carefully refined her recipes until they were not only full of super nutritious ingredients, but tasted great too!

At this point, Daniel and Shelley saw an opportunity to combine her passion for creating healthy treats with their business backgrounds to offer treat options to others, and they founded Nourishing Bites in 2013 as a market stall. These days, they have a small, passionate team working in their custom-built commercial kitchen in Townsville, North Queensland. They are always working on new ideas to create delicious, healthy treats and love sharing them with their customers.

HAVE YOURSELF A NOURISHING (BITES) CHRISTMAS!

“Nourishing Bites Christmas treats and gifts are hand-crafted in small batches with great care in North Qld by our family-owed, Indigenous business. We use only the highest quality, wholesome ingredients available to us so that you can enjoy your treats while also nourishing your body. All of our gift options are luscious and delicious and are also gluten, dairy and refined sugar free, and vegan. With everything from beautifully packaged packs of Gingerbread Cookies or Chocolate Bark, or jars of Heavenly Hazel with a wooden spoon for $10 (perfect for teacher or colleague gifts), to gorgeously decorated mixed Christmas Treat boxes for $80, we have something to suit everyone. Australia-wide delivery is available with free postage on orders over $100 or for a flat rate of $8.”

Find Out More:

Website: https://www.nourishingbites.com.au

Christmas Shop: https://www.nourishingbites.com.au/christmasshop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NourishingbitesAU/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishingbites/

Support Small Aussie Businesses via “Buy From the Bush”: https://www.facebook.com/buyfromthebush/

The post AQJ 149: Recovering from PCOS, Healing Food, and Healthy Treats – with Shelley from Nourishing Bites appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Listen as Elyse explains how these issues develop, and why it is absolutely crucial to take a gentler, step by step approach on your healing journey by focusing on healing the gut first, and how damaging it can be when we take drastic approaches to health.

If you want to heal more quickly and cause less damage to your body, then this is a must hear!

Useful Links:

Upcoming “Nourishing Your Family” Seminars & Cooking Classes

Layers of Healing, episode 98 with Elyse Comerford (start at 20 mins for main interview)

Elyse’s blog post about meat stocks and bone broths

Podcast with Becky Plotner discussing meat stocks (and lots of other interesting things!) 

Contact Elyse Comerford, and Elyse’s Facebook and Instagram

The post AQJ 148: Navigating Parasites, Metals and Candida When Healing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This is the story of a family farm where things are done differently. Dan and Leanne are farmers who are working for a ‘new normal’ in agriculture that is fair to soil, water, animals, and people.

On Bellasato farm, the chickens live a happy life – running around in grassy fields, scratching in the dirt and chasing bugs, nibbling edible plants grown just for them, and playing their part in regenerating the soil on the farm. The family’s maremma dogs keep an eye on the chickens 24/7, and are also an invaluable part of the team.

Small farm life sounds idyllic, but it’s not without challenges… flooding, snakes, hard work, and long days are all part of life for the Cordners. But they feel the lifestyle changes they’ve made are totally worth it. They get to spend much more time together as a family, Leanne has completely healed from her chemical sensitivities, and their chicken has won the state-wide Delicious produce awards twice!

Listen in and be inspired by this couple whose major lifestyle changes resulted in the healing of a chronic illness, a better life for their family, and a career that gives back to the land and community around them.

Useful Links:

Bellasato Farm on Instagram and Facebook

Article on Bellasato Farm by “Will Work For Food”

“Farming Democracy”, by Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (the book mentioned in the podcast that includes the Cordner’s story)

Episode 94: Joel Salatin – Regenerative wisdom from the world’s most famous farmer

Photo credit: Honey Atkinson

The post AQJ 147: From City Careers to Farming Life – The Story of Bellasato Farm appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Meet Justine of More Stories, Less Stuff. Justine and her hubby Phil did just this – packed up, left Melbourne, and have been travelling Australia with their three girls for the past nine months – and they don’t have an end date in sight. Justine says, “I began the minimalist journey and decluttered us out of a home!” And they definitely don’t regret it.

Jo was lucky enough to meet this gorgeous family last week as they were travelling in her home area, the Atherton Tablelands, and she persuaded them to hang around for the week. Little did Justine realise that when she popped over for a cuppa, Jo would rope her into doing a podcast…. 😀

This is a great interview – fascinating and fun, with many gems of truth that families will benefit from, whether they’re dreaming about travelling around Australia, or just want to simplify their life and spend a more quality time with their family. They chat about:

• how to begin working towards travelling with kids
• simplifying your life, and learning to make do with less
• what they most love about being on the road together, and how it has helped their family
• how an anxious child who doesn’t like change will benefit from this kind of experience
• how they cook while on the road (mostly without power)
• challenges they faced and how they overcame them
• working while travelling, and what it looks like for them
• simple ways to spend quality time together as a family
• becoming part of the Traveling Australia with Kids community, and making new friends on the road!

You can follow Justine, Phil and the girls on their travels here:

Facebook: More Stories, Less Stuff

Instagram: @morestorieslessstuff

The post AQJ 146: Travelling Around Australia with Kids appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

A very fascinating and practical podcast that any parent with an anxious or distressed child MUST listen to!

Useful Links:

Love Your Anxious Child online program starts on the 1st October. Quirky Cooking listeners get a special $200 discount if they use the code Q200 (for full price) or Q200pp (for the monthly payment plan).

Special Offer for Our Listeners: FREE initial phone consults for quirky listeners – email info@loveyourbeautifulbrain.com to arrange a time to chat personally with Dr Nat or Leigh about your anxious child’s symptoms.

Also listen in here to our first podcast with Dr Nat and Leigh, Childhood Anxiety & the Inflamed Brain.

About Dr Natalie Challis and Leigh Shinde: Dr. Nat is a specialist in children’s brain health. She is a Board-Certified Diplomate in QEEG – the highest qualification level achievable globally in her field. As a Psychotherapist specialising in Neurobiology, Dr. Challis has QEEG mapped 1000’s of children, allowing parents the unique experience of seeing into their child’s brain. This view helps parents to understand the neurological reasons behind their child’s behaviour of fear, anxiety and avoidance.

Leigh is a children’s Neuro-Nutrition Expert. She holds a Bachelor of Science with postgraduates in both Human Nutrition, and Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. As a Neuro-Nutritionist she investigates how food, additives, nutritional deficiencies, gut health and genetics can impact on your child’s neurological and physiological development.

The post AQJ 145: Anxiety – Analysing & Reducing Distress in Children appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

What do these terms mean? What are the symptoms and causes? And what can you do to heal from these issues?

In this interview, Elyse Comerford (nutritionist, health scientist and GAPS practitioner) explains:

• the natural function of histamine in our bodies
• causes for an imbalance of histamines in the body
• what histamine reactions look like, and how they differ to die-off reactions
• first steps to healing – taking it slowly
• having a mindset of healing with food, rather than just avoiding foods that cause reactions
• two very important foods t0 help with healing
• how the GAPS diet can help, and the mistakes people often make when trying this healing diet
• other factors besides diet and nutrition for rebalancing your system

Useful Links

• Elyse Comerford – nutrition consultation, recipes, help for healing
• Quirky Cooking – recipes, gut-healing program
• “Nourishing Your Family” seminars & cooking classes with Jo and Elyse
• What is GAPS? Podcast with Dr Natasha Campbell McBride (doctor, neurologist, nutritionist who developed GAPS protocol)
• To find out more about one-on-one mentoring with Jo and Elyse, email help@quirkycooking.com.au

The post AQJ 144: Understanding Histamine Intolerance appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• the importance of knowing what your goals are, and what you’re trying to teach your kids regarding health
• helping kids to take responsibility for their own health as they grow into the later teen years
• helping them to understand how food affects them, both positively and negatively
• what to do when your teens know all about the whys and wherefores of healthy eating, but choose to eat a SAD diet anyway because they don’t like to be different to their peers
• the importance of parents modelling a healthy diet and lifestyle, but without all the stress (it’s ok, we all mess up at times!!)
• what to do when there’s a food reaction due to poor diet choices
• how to make healthy eating fun and delicious, and encourage a healthy, happy attitude towards cooking and eating together
• … plus lots of random things like Jo’s latest favourite kitchen appliance, pancake parties, and the best soup ever!!

Grab a cuppa and enjoy the chat. 🙂

This podcast follows on from the previous one: Helping Teens to Eat Well, with Dr Damian Kristof & Jo Whitton

** Learn more about how to encourage your kids to eat well at the new Quirky Cooking event **

“Nourishing Your Family”, with Jo Whitton and Elyse Comerford – https://quirkycooking.com.au/events

There is so much pressure on parents these days. Parenting in the digital age is tricky, plus there’s all the confusion and conflicting nutrition information we are bombarded with, and the stress of chronic illnesses and developmental disorders that are a part of life for many… it’s a minefield! 

Join Jo Whitton (Quirky Cooking) and Elyse Comerford (Nutritionist) as they present ‘Nourishing Your Family’ – a simple, wholesome blueprint created from their real-life experiences with their own families. They will take you through every step from building the foundations of good health and happiness, to then delving further into gut health and how it relates to the health of our whole system, and what you can do if you are suffering from acute and/or chronic health issues. Combine this with practical nutrition guidelines, food preparation tips and cooking demonstrations to help you reduce the food stress, and you have an evening jam-packed with inspiration (and the perfect amount of information!). 

If you are feeling stuck (and petrified!) with no idea where to start, or you are on your health journey already but would love some encouragement from two mums who have battled through many obstacles to nourish and heal their families, then this event is not to be missed! 

Learn from Jo and Elyse:

• How they worked through major health issues in their families
• How to build the foundations for a healthy life
• Reducing the stress in key areas so you have space for change
• Focusing on what’s important and working out first steps
• How to encourage your family to be ‘on board’ with a healthy diet
• How to move forward when you’re struggling with chronic health conditions, fatigue, anxiety, developmental disorders, and more
• The importance of good gut health and how to achieve it
• Traditional, healing foods you can make very simply and cheaply
• Nourishing lunchbox and snack ideas
• Bringing back the joy and deliciousness without sacrificing the nourishment!

Book in here!

The post AQJ 143: Helping Teens to Eat Well, Part 2 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this podcast, Fouad interviews Dr Damian Kristof (naturopath, nutritionist and chiropractor) and Jo (Quirky Cooking) about how they’ve coped with the teenage years and their kids’ food choices. They discuss how they taught their kids to eat well while young, the difficulties they’ve faced along the way, the changes that happen in the brains of teenagers and how it affects their food choices, what to do when kids get ‘off track’ with their eating, how to help teenagers to take responsibility for their own food choices, and much more.

Useful Links:

Listen to Jo’s son Isaac talk about diet changes from a teenager’s perspective 

Learn more about Dr Damian Kristof 

Damian’s seminars, “The Power of Food” and “Crack Your Stress Code”

Damian & Marcus’s Podcast, “100 Not Out” (all about ageing well)

Read Jo’s story, and how her family healed with food

The post AQJ 142: Helping Teens to Eat Well, with Dr Damian Kristof & Jo Whitton appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Background:

Weston Price was a dentist with an interest in nutrition and health, who travelled extensively in the 1930’s, observing the dietary habits of diverse cultures including the Lötschental in Switzerland, Native Americans, Polynesians, Pygmies, and Australian Aboriginals, among many others.  His extensive research materials include some 15,000 photographs, 4,000 slides, and many filmstrips.  He observed that various diseases endemic to Western cultures of the 1920s and 1930s were rarely present in non-Western cultures, and that as non-Western groups abandoned indigenous diets and adopted Western patterns of living, they showed increases in typical Western diseases. He concluded that Western methods of commercially preparing and storing foods stripped away vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent these diseases.

Initially, the medical and scientific communities vigorously rejected this controversial work as lacking scientific precision, nevertheless, as time went on, research has confirmed his observations and modern medical orthodoxy is slowly accepting that lifestyle and diet are a major factor, perhaps the major factor, in the degenerative diseases that plague the developed world.  Many have credited his book, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects“, with greatly improving their health. [via amazon.com.au]

This Episode:

Jo interviews Hilda Gore of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) in the US about her work, the foundation’s commitment of sharing knowledge and research around “food, farming, and the healing arts”, and her upcoming trip to Australia. They talk about this non-profit group’s dedication to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. WAPF supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labelling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies.

Bonus – Intro with the cooks at the Hope for Health “Together Retreat”!

Jo is recording this episode from Noonamah, NT, where she and her friends and cooking at an Indigenous health and cultural learning retreat – the perfect place to talk about traditional cultures, the effect of a western diet on indigenous people, and the importance of traditional healing foods!! Jo, Leah and Shantell share their experiences of cooking for and with the Yolngu people of East Arnhem Land – fascinating indigenous foods, knowledge and bush craft were shared with the Balanda (non-indigenous) people at the two week retreat, and much connection, learning and healing took place. Such a beautiful experience for all who attended. (You can find more info about the “Together Retreats” here.) Jo and the girls were adopted into the Yolngu clan, and Jo is looking forward to travelling with Hilda up to Elcho Island to spend time with the Yolngu people in September, learning more about their traditional foods. You can check out Jo’s photos and videos of this retreat on her Quirky Cooking Facebook page, here.

Useful Links:

Learn more about The Weston A. Price Foundation

Visit Hilda’s Website, Holistic Hilda

Listen in to Hilda Gore’s Podcast, Wise Traditions

Help support Hilda’s upcoming trip to Australia

Learn more about the work of Hope for Health in Australia

The post AQJ 141: Healing with Traditional Foods, with Hilda Gore of WAPF appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jo and Foo share their experiences of working through recent childhood illnesses and health issues – eczema, chicken pox, colds and flus – and discuss natural ways you can help to boost your family’s immunity this winter. They also discuss the pros and cons of antibiotics and western medicine, the importance of working out the root cause of illnesses and dealing with that, looking into environmental triggers, the benefits of healing diets and herbal remedies, and how they blend natural and western medical practices in their own families.

If you’re interested in learning more about foods, herbs, spices and natural supplements that can powerfully boost your immune system (and your moods!), you’ll love this podcast!

Useful Links:

Healing eczema by improving gut health, podcast with Elyse Comerford

Healing eczema naturally, Emma’s Story (article)

Foods that help with Microbial Health, podcast with Dr Jason Hawrelak

How to make a healing meat stock, and the benefits over bone broth (article by Elyse Comerford)

Kakadu Plum Powder (a powerful, natural vitamin C supplement)

Host Defence (medicinal mushroom powders & tinctures)

The post AQJ 140: Children’s Health, Eczema, Antibiotics, & Boosting Immunity appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Jo chats with her friend Dani Valent about everything from simplifying your cooking, decluttering your pantry, reducing stress in the kitchen, and using the ingredients you have on hand… to teaching your kids how to cook and eat well, and how to get them started on the path of loving good food! If cooking dinner makes you feel stressed, or you don’t know where to begin with teaching the kids to cook, listen in and get some great ideas to make life easier.

Dani is a mum of three, has over 20 years experience as a food writer, is the author of three amazing Thermomix cookbooks, has run cooking classes all over the world, and loves to share her passion for good food via her classes, cooking videos, website, and cookbooks.

“The way I see it, good food is central to a life well-lived. It’s nourishment and energy. It’s a way to gather – in the field, the market, in the kitchen and at the table. It’s culture, ritual, history and future. It’s art, craft and science. It’s sensual and – believe me – it can get emotional. Let me tell you about the time I wept with joy over some beautiful cheesecake… Of course, it’s also just breakfast, lunch and dinner, simply getting yourself and those around you fed, fuelled and satisfied in a practical no-nonsense way. I get it!… I’m also a mum so I know all about getting food on the table for the family.” – Dani Valent

Listen in as Dani shares some of her best tips for teaching kids to love good food as much as you do, and learn to enjoy spending time together in the kitchen.

[Illustration by Meg Rennie, for the Melbourne Kitchen Project]

Useful Links:

Our “Simple Magnificence” Cooking Class in Brisbane, 15 June – Collaboration with Dani Valent, Jo Whitton and Fleur Sharpe

Dani’s “Restaurant Club” at e’cco, Brisbane, 13 June – Collaboration with chef Phillip Johnson, menu incorporating Australian indigenous ingredients

Read about Dani Valent

Dani’s Thermomix cooking video library

The post AQJ 139: Teaching Kids to Cook, with Dani Valent appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr. Nat first became interested in children’s mental health when her son started showing signs of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours. “He was 4 when his anxiety began. Watching him struggle was the hardest and most distressing thing I’ve ever been through. I remember the utter frustration of trying and failing, time and again, to get him the help he needed. My intuition told me it wasn’t his personality and we were the best parents we knew how to be. Yet these were the reasons offered to me by multitudes of medical professionals. Luckily I listened to my intuition and successfully treated my child.”

Working alongside Dr Nat is Leigh Shinde, a neuro-nutritionist, and together they successfully treat children at their Kids Development Centre, using a wholistic approach around the brain, body and gut. They use cutting edge science with regard to brain and gut inflammation through brain imaging and biochemical testing. Dr. Nat says, “When a child presents with symptoms of anxiety, we need to look at what’s happening in the brain, the body and the gut. Anxiety is a symptom of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is on the rise because of our lifestyle. We eat an excess of processed food, we’re less active, and we’re exposed to more toxins than ever before. This means we need a whole body approach to supporting your anxious child… In the medical world, so much emphasis is placed on psychology, rather than looking at what’s going on biologically. We can achieve real results when we reduce inflammation in the gut, body and brain. Children become calmer and happier because their whole body is balanced.”

Nat and Leigh are passionate about getting this information out to parents who haven’t been able to get the help they need for their child. They have developed a 9 week online program called “Love Your Anxious Child” for those who can’t get to a clinic for treatment. The program is designed to give parents evidence-based knowledge and actionable steps to support and treat their anxious child. You can find out more about this program here: Love Your Beautiful Brain. “We want to make a real change, to the disheartening rise in children who suffer from anxiety, and to despairing mothers everywhere.” – Dr Nat & Leigh

About Dr Natalie Challis and Leigh Shinde: Dr. Nat is a specialist in children’s brain health. She is a Board-Certified Diplomate in QEEG – the highest qualification level achievable globally in her field. As a Psychotherapist specialising in Neurobiology, Dr. Challis has QEEG mapped 1000’s of children, allowing parents the unique experience of seeing into their child’s brain. This view helps parents to understand the neurological reasons behind their child’s behaviour of fear, anxiety and avoidance.

Leigh is a children’s Neuro-Nutrition Expert. She holds a Bachelor of Science with postgraduates in both Human Nutrition, and Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. As a Neuro-Nutritionist she investigates how food, additives, nutritional deficiencies, gut health and genetics can impact on your child’s neurological and physiological development.

Useful Links: Find out more about their Kids Development Centre here Dig deeper and read the research behind their work here

Learn more about their online program here

The post AQJ 138: Childhood Anxiety & the Inflamed Brain appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Beth Bonfiglio of Little Fusspot helps people from all over the world with mealtimes that are less than peaceful. She is known as the ‘supernanny of mealtimes’! Beth brings the core fundamentals of many different professions together to make a one stop shop for all types of fussy eaters, from the extreme to the simply reluctant.

Beth completed her clinical nutrition qualifications in 2012, then began creating 1 on 1 therapy workshops, perfecting her courses, and eliminating advice that is now redundant or counterproductive to raising happy and healthy children. She is always interested in learning new techniques and approaches to tackling fussy eating, and says that her constant research and development means that her methods are always evolving, constantly updated and shared among a supportive community with the same goal of “making every bite count”.

Beth’s main motivation for learning all there is around food aversions and feeding disorders is her own son. He was diagnosed with a severe sensory processing disorder when he was 2 and has always struggled with any foods other than beige and white carbohydrates that come in packaging. She sets small goals each month and uses her own techniques to stretch the range of food he eats. He now happily enjoys colourful salads, sushi (massive accomplishment!), green juices and smoothies!

“I’m passionate about being able to help every child who has aversions to eating. More than anything though, it is the success of every child that makes my job as a feeding therapist such a rewarding one.”

Listen in and learn about: · Particular foods that are known to cause fussy eating · Sensory processing disorder and how to overcome it · Common questions like, “Will my child eat broccoli if I serve it up 20 times?” · How to avoid having a fussy eater · Picky eaters VS problem feeders · When to get professional help

Useful Links:

Find out more about Beth and “Little Fusspots” here

Find out more about “Primal Alternative” here

Listen to Helen of Primal Alternative talking about finding fulfilment in your work

Our “Simple Magnificence” Thermomix cooking workshop, Brisbane 15 June

Hope for Health “Together” Retreat, 16-28 June

Our interview with Hope for Health

The post AQJ 137: Fussy Eaters & How to Have Peaceful Mealtimes appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Maybe you have been out of the workforce for a few years because you’ve been busy with babies and small children; or maybe you’ve had to take a break due to health issues, and now you feel a bit lost and not sure how to begin finding work that will ‘fill your bucket’ as well as your bank account!

That was the case for Jo, who put her graphic design career on hold to begin a family, then realised after 10 years of being home with kids that her career no longer fit in with who she was and what she wanted to do in life. Helen Marshall of Primal Alternative also had this predicament – she left the corporate world to have kids, went through a major change in her diet and lifestyle, and when she was ready to begin working again she knew she needed to find something that fits better with her young family.

Jo and Helen discuss how to find fulfillment in your work, and Helen shares her dream of giving women the opportunity to build their own business doing something they love, something that has a purpose, is family-friendly, promotes good health, and fosters beautiful connections.

We love what Helen is doing with her community based business, Primal Alternative – check it out here. If you’d like to know what’s involved in starting your own Primal Alternative franchise you can find out more here.

Helen also does health coaching, and has her own podcast: Primal Alternative Podcast

Primal Alternative are the producers of our Quirky Cooking Grain Free Pastry (and our Sweet Potato Pastry), and will be stocking more of our products soon!

From the Intro:

Jo has been in the Northern Territory cooking at the Hope for Health retreat for the past week. Find out more about Hope for Health and the work they are doing to improve the health of Indigenous Australians, here.

Interested in the Hope for Health “Together Retreat”, June 2019? Learn more here.

The post AQJ 136: Finding Connection & Fulfilment in Your Work, with Helen Marshall of Primal Alternative appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

– What is autism?

– How has our understanding of autism changed over the past 50-70 years?

– If autism is a behaviourally defined condition, why do we need to be looking beyond the behaviours?

– Can nutrition make a difference for autistic children?

– What can parents do at home to support the health and development of their child?

Rhiannon is the host of Homebase Hope a fortnightly podcast dedicated to empowering parents of kids on the spectrum. She is hosting Australia’s largest free and online autism event in April – The Autism Summit.

Useful Links:

Rhiannon’s Website, Homebase Hope

Australia’s largest, free and online, Autism Summit – learn more here

Our Quirky 10th Birthday Giveaway! 

Hope for Health Indigenous Health Retreat, Darwin

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

The post AQJ 135: Empowering Parents of Kids on the Spectrum, with Rhiannon Crispe appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• What foods you can and can’t take on flights overseas (and in Australia)
• Her favourite travel snacks, and how to pack them
• Tips for travelling gluten free in Spain
• Eating out, and what foods may have hidden gluten
• Doing your research before you go and preparing ahead
• Mistakes they made and what they learnt on the trip
• The importance of travel for kids (and adults!)

You’ll also hear about the places they travelled and their itinerary –  so watch out, you’ll be wanting to book flights to Spain after this episode!!

Make sure you also listen to the intro of the last podcast, which was recorded in Spain with their friend and tour guide, Victor Garrido of ‘We Love Malaga’! Listen here.

Useful Links:

A Gluten Gree Guide to Spain

Top 10 Food Markets in Spain! (Always check out the markets wherever you go – they’re amazing!)

Food Tours in South Spain that we recommend – let them know if you’re gluten free and they will accomodate you!

• Malaga Walk & Taste Tour
• Gourmet Malaga Tapas Tour
• Authentic Andalucian Food Tours & Cooking Classes
• Sevilla Tapas Tours

The post AQJ 134: Travel Tips – Travel Food, Eating Out and Being Prepared! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Intro: Jo introduces listeners to her friend Victor Garrido (a tour guide and quirky cook in Spain), and they chat as they drive through South Spain about the Spanish way of life, and why Spanish people generally enjoy long, healthy lives despite some habits that would seem to work against health and wellness. Once again we see it demonstrated that good health is so much more than just a great diet!

Victor Garrido runs the We Love Malaga tour company in South Spain, and is a long-time follower of Quirky Cooking. He is passionate about sharing his country and its history and culture with visitors to Spain, loves to cook, and his history and food tours are well worth experiencing!

You can find Victor at @boke and @welovemalaga on Instagram, and on the We Love Malaga website. You will find reviews for his tours here on Trip Advisor. If you’re thinking of visiting Spain, we highly recommend looking him up!

Main Interview: Jo interviews her friend Crystel Poggioli (Paediatric Occupational Therapist and GAPS Practitioner) who works with special needs kids and super fussy eaters about the strategies she uses in therapy sessions to help them learn to eat well. She discusses why healing food is so vital for reducing the symptoms of ADHD/ADD/Anxiety, the importance of play therapy, and many of the strategies she uses to help support these children.

Crystel Poggioli has been a Paediatric Occupational Therapist for over 23 years with a range of experience including Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane; the inclusive education system in Vancouver, Canada; and working all over Far North Queensland in the education and health system.

She established The Whole Child in 2011 and has been providing holistic occupational therapy services to children and families ever since. Having a private practice allows Crystel to blend her passion for natural health, down-to-earth strategies including gut healing and play therapy.

Crystel had the privilege of training in person with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to become a Certified GAPS practitioner, and she loves how occupational therapy and GAPS work together so well to bring healing and recovery.

The Whole Child provides occupational therapy and GAPS services in the clinic, in the community and via Skype or email. As well an online shop stocks products that Crystel really believes in (10% discount on books for the month of February).

At the same time Crystel is blessed with her own family life – and on a homeschooling journey with 6 children… so far they’ve been homeschooling for 10 years, with the youngest being 3 and the eldest 15. Crystel finds that above all else being a mum is the biggest self-development program you could ever embark on!

You can find out more about Crystel and on her website, The Whole Child

You can also connect with Crystel on Facebook, The Whole Child

The post AQJ 133: Play Therapy for Fussy Eaters, with Crystel Poggioli (OT) appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Sharon’s online course, Calming the Chaos, offers life changing strategies to parents who have a child or children with ADD, ADHD or anxiety.  This course offers practical information about how to structure the home to assist the whole family. It tackles everything from organising your home, creating routines and systems, becoming your childs’ advocate, and transitioning your child from activities, to creating joy in your home. Everything that you need to survive and thrive as a parent of a child with special needs.

We are shaping future adults. Right now it might be a child who has trouble brushing their teeth and getting ready, but in the future it could be the adult who can’t get to work on time.  It’s so important to teach them the skills now, so they can grow up to be functional, happy and well-adjusted adults.

Useful Links:

The Functional Family website

Calming the Chaos course – $20 off!! (plus more info about the course here)

Facebook page

Instagram

The post AQJ 132: Calming the Chaos – Supporting Kids with ADD, ADHD & Anxiety appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

“You know what I also like about this approach? …[The food is] put out in a way where you have to take a bowl, and when you’re pouring for yourself you have to pour for the person next to you, so it makes you of service to the people around you. So you’re sharing a meal in a really communal way… you’re actually connecting with someone as you pass the plate to them… and no matter how the year has been with them, if you put something on their plate an exchange of gratitude takes place.” (Fouad Kassab)

In our last podcast for 2018, we sit down with Jude Blereau of Wholefood Cooking for a wonderful chat about food that nourishes both body and soul, and how to make the Christmas season a beautiful time of connection and joy.

Grab a cuppa and and join us around the kitchen table, as we discuss:

• Delicious, whole food dinner party ideas
• How to create a Christmas dinner that brings everyone together in a beautiful way
• Some traditional recipes that need to be brought back
• Making space in your life for the things you want to do
• Pre-Christmas pot luck dishes – great recipes to make and take
• Wholefood desserts, seasonal foods, roasting a turkey
• Why ‘keeping things simple’ is not about quick recipes, it’s about getting organised
• Avoiding the food pressure and enjoying this time with family & friends
• Bringing joy and deliciousness to your Christmas table!

Useful Links:

• Jude’s online Christmas cooking class
• More Online Cooking Classes for the New Year!
• Jude’s cookbooks
• Jude’s blog

The post AQJ 131: A Delicious Wholefood Christmas – with Jude Blereau appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

We chat about:

• Whole food and GAPS menu ideas
• Elyse’s favourite Christmas foods and treats
• Healthy main dishes, salads, and desserts that everyone will love at a potluck Christmas dinner
• Food prep short-cuts
• Nourishing treats for the adults and kids
• How to cope with food reactions if they happen
• GAPS friendly food gifts to share
• Tips from Elyse on other ways to make Christmas special besides the food!

(Elyse Comerford is an Integrative Nutritionist and Certified GAPS (Gut & Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach, Exercise Scientist, Keynote Speaker, Mentor, Mum to Dylan, and a massive sustainability advocate. Elyse is also the GAPS mentor for members of our Quirky Cooking for Gut Health Program, and helps answer questions from listeners on our podcast.)

Useful Links:

For those of you working towards beginning GAPS on the school holidays, you can begin with a consultation with Elyse and you’ll be off to a great start! Elyse has a 50% off consultations special for a limited time, you can contact her here.

Join in Elyse’s 12 Days of Christmas to get some nourishing Christmas recipes!

Make Jo’s GAPS Gingerbread ]]> Christmas is a dangerous time of year for those living in the GAPS village. Taken out of their natural habitat – clean water, chemical-free living, wholesome whole foods without additives colours and preservatives – and instead plunged into the chaos of conventional diets means GAPS folk need to be extra careful. Today we interview the wise elder Elyse Comerford on her experience on how to face the world during Christmas. This episode is full of tips and ideas that will make it easier for GAPS people to enjoy delicious, healing food with their loved ones during the holidays.

We chat about:

• Whole food and GAPS menu ideas
• Elyse’s favourite Christmas foods and treats
• Healthy main dishes, salads, and desserts that everyone will love at a potluck Christmas dinner
• Food prep short-cuts
• Nourishing treats for the adults and kids
• How to cope with food reactions if they happen
• GAPS friendly food gifts to share
• Tips from Elyse on other ways to make Christmas special besides the food!

(Elyse Comerford is an Integrative Nutritionist and Certified GAPS (Gut & Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach, Exercise Scientist, Keynote Speaker, Mentor, Mum to Dylan, and a massive sustainability advocate. Elyse is also the GAPS mentor for members of our Quirky Cooking for Gut Health Program, and helps answer questions from listeners on our podcast.)

Useful Links:

For those of you working towards beginning GAPS on the school holidays, you can begin with a consultation with Elyse and you’ll be off to a great start! Elyse has a 50% off consultations special for a limited time, you can contact her here.

Join in Elyse’s 12 Days of Christmas to get some nourishing Christmas recipes!

Make Jo’s GAPS Gingerbread ]]> The Wellness Couch false No 3125 AQJ 129: A Simple, Healthy Christmas with Cyndi O’Meara https://quirkycookingchats.podbean.com/e/aqj-129-a-simple-healthy-christmas-with-cyndi-o-meara/ https://quirkycookingchats.podbean.com/e/aqj-129-a-simple-healthy-christmas-with-cyndi-o-meara/#comments Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:00:00 +1000 http://thewellnesscouch.com/?p=23025 Over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, Jo and Fouad are interviewing a few of their favourite health-foodies about their best Christmas tips, with a focus on ways to reduce the holiday stress and enjoying a beautiful, healthy Christmas with friends and family. Each one will share some of their favourite Christmas traditions, and what the holidays look like for their family.

In this episode, take a sneak-peek into nutritionist Cyndi O’Meara’s family-focused Christmas! Jo and Cyndi chat about:

• Cyndi’s family traditions
• ways they enjoy Christmas without the stress
• how to reduce the ‘gift clutter’
• the fun of going away for Christmas
• the importance of time out together over the holidays
• learning to say ‘no’ to the craziness
• how Cyndi helped her kids make good food choices on their own
• the wisdom in not being too ‘precious’ about food at Christmas and how she let her kids learn for themselves how food makes them feel
• her thoughts on the importance of ethical, sustainable food at Christmas
• some fun ideas for stocking stuffers
• and Cyndi’s delicious substitute for rum balls – recipe coming to her FB page soon!!

Cyndi O’Meara is a nutritionist, film maker – ‘What’s With Wheat?’, best-selling author, international speaker and founder of Changing Habits. Learn more about Cyndi here.

Useful Links:

Cyndi’s ‘Changing Habits, Changing Lives’ book

Cyndi’s online ‘Marketplace’

The Changing Habits Facebook page

Our upcoming events

The post AQJ 129: A Simple, Healthy Christmas with Cyndi O’Meara appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 128: Your Gut Health Questions Answered, with Elyse Comerford appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

More about Carl here

Carl’s Health Fit Collective website – health assessments, programs, online education, corporate health, and more!

Carl’s Podcast, Best Me Radio

Our upcoming events 

The post AQJ 127: FUNctional Movement with Carl Hammington appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

Weston A Price’s recommended diet for pregnant & breastfeeding mothers

Our Life-Changing Food Cookbook for simple nourishing meals

Solidteknics Pans – our favourite non-toxic cooking ware (use the code 10QCP for 10% off)

Podcast: Ulcerative Colitis and Changing Your Mindset for Healing

Vegetarianism Explained by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride

Fouad’s “Fire, Feast, Fable” Event

The post AQJ 126: Q&A with Jo & Foo appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Kale Brock is an award nominated writer, producer and speaker. With a background in TV journalism, Kale has a special interest in health & wellbeing. His recently released documentary, The Gut Movie, investigates the human microbiome in a scientific and fun journey in which he travels to Namibia to live with The San tribe. Kale’s books, The Gut Healing Protocol and The Art Of Probiotic Nutrition, have generated international acclaim. (More about Kale Brock here.)

Useful Links:

Watch Kale Brock’s video discussing My Health Record here.

Follow Kale on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Find out more about Fouad’s Fire, Feast, Fable event in the Blue Mountains!

The post AQJ 125: My Health Record – What’s It All About? appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

Elyse Comerford – Website, Facebook, Instagram, Podcasts, Blog, Events & Retreats

Microbiome Store

Iodine program

Blue Blocker Glasses Rosita’s Cod Liver Oil

Iodine Books:  ‘The Iodine Crisis’  Lynne Farrow; ‘Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It’  Dr David Brownstein Adrenal Fatigue Webinar with Elyse

The post AQJ 124: Healing Adrenal Fatigue – Part 2 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

Elyse Comerford – Website, Facebook, Instagram, Podcasts, Blog, Events & Retreats, Online Programs, Shop

Adrenal Fatigue Webinar with Elyse

Kakadu Plum Powder for Vitamin C

The post AQJ 123: Healing Adrenal Fatigue Part 1 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

For thousands of years the Yolngu of East Arnhem Land had thrived, enjoying a vibrant and self-reliant culture. However,  in just 50 years their diet has changed so dramatically that they now face a significantly reduced life expectancy due to a resulting epidemic of chronic disease. But there is hope.  Through the development of this Indigenous-driven, diet and lifestyle program, the community is seeing transformational changes. By blending traditional Yolngu culture with experiential nutritional education and an integrative approach to medicine a movement within the community has been created. We welcome you to join us in supporting this pioneering program empowering the Yolngu people.

Jo and Fouad will be joining Hope for Health on their next retreat as volunteers, managing the kitchen and cooking nourishing food for the attendees and workers. Hope for Health depends on donations and community support for these retreats, so if you’d like to do your bit to help, please see links below. Thank you!!

Useful Links:

Learn more about Hope for Health

Join Hope for Health on this journey by becoming a regular monthly sponsor or making a one off donation: https://www.hopeforhealth.com.au/donate

Follow their journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and please share with your friends!

The post AQJ 122: Hope for Health – Reawakening Indigenous Health appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• how to make a nutritious, healing meat stock (and how meat stock helps to heal the gut)
• natural relief for headaches
• how to deal with adrenal fatigue
• working through constipation and diarrhoea
• how to deal with candida
• what to do when kids will only eat limited veggies
• how to support the body when having surgery
• important factors to look at besides GAPS when working on healing
• and lots more!

Helpful Links:

Becky’s website, Nourishing Plot

Our last podcast with Becky, “Healing with Food”

Upcoming Life-Changing Food Events

The post AQJ 121: GAPS Q&A with Becky Plotner ND appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Alexx has recently released her first book, Low Tox Life, and Jo and Foo review the book plus chat with her about ideas for simple improvements in the home. They then dig deeper into Alexx’s personal story of recovering from mould illness – the symptoms, tests, and solutions, and what she has learned along the way.

Useful Links:

Alexx’s Low Tox Life website

The Low Tox Life book – available in our online store, and from bookshops in Australia or through Amazon UK & US

Our upcoming ‘Life-Changing Food’ and ‘Nourishing’ events in Tasmania, Adelaide & Perth

Fouad’s ‘Spice & Smoke’ dinner in Katoomba

The post AQJ 120: Low Tox Life with Alexx Stuart appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 119: The Island Where People Forget To Die – Marcus Pearce on Visiting Ikaria appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

Our “Top Tips for Good Gut Health” – this is a free download on our Quirky Cooking for Gut Health home page.

Elyse Comerford – videos about Adrenal Fatigue on Facebook

Help to detox your home: Low Tox Life

Help to declutter your home: The Konmari Method

Our upcoming events: Life-Changing Food Events

The post AQJ 118: Before You Change Your Diet appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

Learn more about Dr Jason Hawrelak here

Dr Jason’s ‘Meet Your Microbiome’ 4 week online course

Our upcoming Life-Changing Food Events

Concentrated ‘Meadow & Marrow’ broth, our cookbook, Solidteknics pans, and more… in our online store

The post AQJ 117: Meet Your Microbiome, with Dr Jason Hawrelak appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Bek is a teacher, has three young children, her husband works away a lot, and she has an illness which can debilitate her for hours when she’s really tired – so she really has to think ahead with the meals for her family. Her priority is her family’s health, and she has been on a mission to find ways to keep them all eating well, even on days when she doesn’t have the time or energy to do a lot of from-scratch cooking.

Bek plans and prepares all the dinners for three months – (a whole school term!!) – on the school holidays, writing out meal plans and ingredients lists and packing her freezer with wholesome meals for the family. She shared photos of her holiday cook-up with Jo, and Jo shared them with the Quirky Cooking community, and the internet went crazy and questions came flooding in!!

“How do you cook so much food in two days?? Don’t you get tired of frozen meals? How do you afford to do such a big cook-up? How do you store the food? How do you thaw and reheat it? Do you include fresh veggies in your daily meals, not just frozen? What kinds of meals do you freeze? Do you prep for school lunches? Can you share your meal plans and recipes? How do I get started with meal planning and bulk cooking?”

In this episode, Bek shares her tips and secrets for successful meal planning and bulk cook-ups. And don’t worry, bulk prepping doesn’t mean you only eat ‘frozen, reheated food’ – and you don’t have to cook for three months – but having a meal plan and some basic meals in the freezer can really save you time, money and your sanity!

Bek has recently started a Facebook group called Once a Term Cooking – if you’re interested in learning more, join the group! Or you can connect with Bek on Instragram at @rebekah_freeman_.

In the intro, Jo and Foo also discuss the Wim Hof deep breathing method which they’ve been trying for the past week, and their experience of increased energy, improved mood and calmness, and reduced inflammation.

Enjoy the discussions, and join in the chats on the Quirky Cooking Facebook Page and Chat Group, or feel free to email Jo and Fouad at help@quirkycooking.com.au.

The post AQJ 116: Bulk Cooking, Meal Planning and Freezer Meals appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

It’s easy to get so focused on diet that we forget all the other important facets of healing; and sometimes the stress of trying to ‘do it all’ undermines our progress. Be encouraged that sometimes taking a step back is the best way forward. Keeping stress levels low, taking time out to relax and be in nature, and finding joy in every day life and relationships are some of the best things you can do for your family’s health.

Useful Links: Elyse’s website Wim Hof study Wim Hof Method Earthing Elyse’s GAPS Camping Trip GAPS Group Coaching with Elyse

The post AQJ 115: A Balanced Approach to GAPS, and How to Get Deeper Healing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Filmed over 2 years, in over 50 locations, in 9 countries, on 3 continents, this film looks at the key lifestyle, environmental, and physiological components to avoid chronic disease, increase health span, and put the brakes on ageing in our modern world.

Learn more about the film here: https://humanlongevityfilm.com/

The post AQJ 114: The Human Longevity Project with Jason Prall appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Wendy Myers of Myers Detox shares with us the reasons for the increase in heavy metal toxicity, talks us through the symptoms, and gives many practical tips for detoxing, including the use of near infrared saunas. You’ll find more information on her website, Myers Detox, and can also tune into her podcast here.

Useful Links:

Our online program to help with a detoxing diet: Quirky Cooking for Gut Health

Grain free, whole food baking (including our premade Grain-Free Dough) as mentioned in the podcast: Primal Alternatives

The post AQJ 113: Heavy Metal Detox with Wendy Myers appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 112: A Life Less Stressed with Holistic Dentist Ron Ehrlich appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links:

You can find out more about the work Amina does on her website,  http://lymenatural.com

Amina’s book, Lyme Natural, is very helpful for those with any stealth diseases, autoimmune diseases, or any food and environment related chronic illnesses.

You can also find Amina on Facebook here.

The post AQJ 110: Lyme Disease & Other Stealth Illnesses appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Leila specialises in autism, ADHD, behaviour problems, OCD, recurrent infections, nutritional deficiencies, breastfeeding, asthma and allergies, and answers many of our listeners questions on these topics.

Useful Links:

For a great, practical book on natural children’s health, we highly recommend Dr Leila’s book, ‘Children’s Health from A to Z’. (Also available on Kindle)

Dr Leila Masson’s website

Buteyko Breathing technique for reducing asthma symptoms

Dr Leila’s Facebook page

The post AQJ 109: Child Health with Leila Masson appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

A new study that compares the effects of heat on a variety of oils has just come out in May, and goes beyond the usual approach that investigates smoke point as the determining factor of whether an oil is good for us or not. Jo and Fouad discuss the findings of this study, which really helps to shed some light on this confusing topic.

Click here for the study on oils, from ACTA Scientific Nutritional Health

Other podcasts on the topic of oils, fats and cholesterol:

Fouad’s Story: Fats, Carbs & Healthy Eating

Low Carb, High Fat, with Christine Cronau

Fat Adapted: Using Healthy Fats as an Energy Source

The post AQJ 108: Good Oils, Bad Oils appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Access Nicole’s website here.

Australian College of Environmental Studies can be found here.

Get our cookbook, Life-Changing Food here.

Weleda Evening Primrose Range:  Get 10% off your order and free shipping over $90. Use coupon code QUIRKYJOURNEY on heck out. Solidteknics Aussie Iron Pans: Get 10% off your order. Order here: quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use coupon code 10QCP.

The post AQJ 107: Building Biology and Healthier Homes appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Giving the foot less support and using specific exercise and movement patterns allows for proper strength and postural development. This is a great episode that introduces the concept of barefoot or minimalist footwear and is especially important for those of us with children, or those who deal with their own foot and postural issues.

In the intro, Fouad also gives us a little glimpse into his recent “Vision Quest” wilderness experience – nine days in the bush with no phone or technology, water fasting for four of those days, and taking some time out to rest, refocus and reset. What a beautiful experience! This will inspire you to put down your phone and get out in nature yourself, even if it’s only for a few hours!

Useful Links:

Paul Thompson, The Barefoot Podiatrist

Mother’s Day gift ideas from our Quirky Cooking online store

Jo and Fouad’s upcoming Life-Changing Food Events

The MINDD Forum which Jo and Isaac will be speaking at in May

Live Streaming of the MINDD Forum for those who want to watch from home

The post AQJ 106: Healthy Feet with the Barefoot Podiatrist appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

After one year, her son was completely well. After a few more years of hard work, she was well also. How did she do it? Becky says it took a lot of prayer, GAPS, and learning to listen to their bodies.

“No one can tell you where to start. Only that person’s body can tell you where to start. And if you make one better step today, or tomorrow, or one better step a week, you are closer to an answer.” (Becky)

In this fascinating podcast, Jo and Becky talk about Becky’s story, the science behind how the gut works, how it is damaged, and how it heals, the importance of fermented foods, iodine deficiency and how to turn it around, sensory processing disorder, and so much more.

Becky is a naturopathic doctor and traditional naturopath (ND, CGP, D.PSc.) in Georgia, USA, and she works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, and by Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. She continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. You can find out more about Becky on her blog, Nourishing Plot.

Useful Links:

Becky’s delicious GAPS/Keto pizza base recipe, mentioned in the podcast!

Jo and Fouad’s upcoming Life-Changing Food events

The MINDD Forum which Jo and Isaac will be speaking at in May

Live Streaming of the MINDD Forum for those who want to watch from home

The post AQJ 105: Healing with Food, Becky Plotner appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Mary says, “We did GAPS Intro and my son healed incredibly. We then did full GAPS for 4 years before we started to introduce more ‘Nourishing Traditions’ foods (properly made sourdoughs and spelt pastas and things like that)… The kids have been chomping at the bit to no longer be on GAPS…

“There comes a point in your journey where you need to accept that you have healed. And you have to accept that you are not in control of their health, you’re just trying to influence it. And the point I reached was where I realised that I had been white-knuckling the whole time, and it was like God was trying to undo my fingers from the reins and go, “You know what? It’s time for your child to make some choices and you have to stop being afraid of his choices because even if he makes the wrong choices, it’s all resolvable.” That has been – not just for this journey on GAPS – that has been my whole life. Trying to control. It’s like I was learning that HUGE lesson in this environment of food, because it’s a very good teaching environment. And it’s relatable to all areas of life! It’s like a circle. All of our life is made up of these circles, and they all link together in a chain that makes up our whole life, and they all start with a message and they end with being reminded of that original message. Then you move on.”

Join us for this touching episode where we talk about the anxiety mothers often go through while learning to ‘let go’ and allow their kids to take some responsibility for their lives. We also discuss parenting gifted children, working out whether your child’s meltdowns are gut health related or not, Mary’s struggles to heal after a miscarriage and a third baby, postpartum depletion, the importance of focusing on your health over your ‘ideal weight’, having healthy boundaries, and working through anxiety, stress and overwhelm as mums.

Useful Links:

Mary’s website: Good Mood Food Mary’s healing balms Post Natal Depletion (podcast with Dr Oscar Serrallach)

Past Podcasts with Mary:

Anaphylactic Allergies, FPIES, Post Natal Depression, Parasites, and Hope for Healing Healing from Anxiety and Depression Dealing with Parasites Preparing for the Birth of a Healthy Baby Healing with GAPS When You Can’t Tolerate Many Foods

The post AQJ 104: Mary Kelly – Letting Go, Moving On appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful Links: Elyse Comerford, Health Scientist and GAPS Practitioner: http://www.elysecomerford.com/ Join us for our Life-Changing Food seminars to learn more about healing with food: Life-Changing Food Events.

Natural, non-toxic balm that is great for eczema sufferers: Good Mood Food Healing Balm

Weleda Evening Primrose Range:  Get 10% off your order and free shipping over $90. Use coupon code QUIRKYJOURNEY on heck out. Solidteknics Aussie Iron Pans: Get 10% off your order. Order here: quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use coupon code 10QCP.

The post AQJ 103: Healing Eczema with GAPS appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This episode will also give you a simple framework through which you can understand food to enable you to make better decisions as you reclaim ownership of your health.

Useful Links:

Top 6 Foods for Gut Health

Where do I start with GAPS? (Or with whole foods!)

Quirky Cooking for Gut Health online program (For those ready to step up the healing! Simple, nourishing recipes and plenty of support.)

Solidteknics Aussie Iron Pans (Non-stick, seasoned, multi-generational warranty.) Use the code 10QCP for 10% off.

Weleda (Organic, Non-Toxic Body Products.) Use the code quirky15 for 15% off.

Zazen Water Filters (Clean, alkaline, remineralised water.) Use the code qcwater15 for 10% off.

EVENT ALERT

The Wellness Basecamp hits Adelaide THIS Saturday April 7. 

Catch Kim Morrison, Damian Kristof, Brett Hill, JP & Andy from Smashed Avocado and Marcus Pearce for one day of inspiration and education.

And the best bit? You can get TWO tickets for the price of one when you click here or buy your tickets below. Bring along a friend or family member to double the transformation and empowerment!

The post AQJ 102: First Steps on the Health Journey appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Links from show:

Star Anise Organics: You can find Soulla’s online store here.

Healing Balms: These are the natural healing balms from Good Mood Food which we mentioned on the show, including the Black Poultice which is used for drawing out thorns, splinters and other foreign objects – amazing stuff!!!

Solidteknics Non-Toxic Pans: We love these naturally non-stick, Aussie pans! You can get 10% off if you use the code 10QCP.

Life-Changing Food: If you need help with cooking nutrient dense, whole food meals for your family, you’ll find our cookbook invaluable! Recipes include both Thermomix and conventional methods, and multiple variations for different dietary challenges.

The post AQJ 101: Whole Foods 101 with Soulla Chamberlain appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Natasha is a medical doctor with two postgraduate degrees: Master of Medical Sciences in Neurology and Master of Medical Sciences in Human Nutrition. She is well known for developing the GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) protocol, which she described in her book Gut And Psychology Syndrome – Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression and Schizophrenia. Thousands of people around the world follow the highly successful GAPS Nutritional Protocol to help heal themselves and their families. You can learn about GAPS on www.gaps.me

In this podcast Dr Natasha shares her story – how and why she developed the GAPS protocol, the influence of her medical training combined with the age-old traditions of nutritional healing that her Grandmother taught her growing up in Russia, and how these principles helped her autistic son and many, many more of the patients in her clinic and all over the world.

The concept of nutritional healing using foods our bodies are biologically designed to eat has been part of traditional wisdom and cultures for thousands of years, but our society has wandered away from these basic principles and is now paying the price in the rapid rise of chronic illness. Dr Natasha speaks beautifully about the importance of returning to whole food traditions, and gives practical guidance in the ways to do this.

Dr Natasha makes it clear that although basic biology dictates what foods our bodies need to heal and rebuild damaged cells and to rebalance our microbiome, our bodies are all different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to diet. We each need to adjust our diet to what is specifically needed for our own body and the season of life we are in. You can read more about Dr Natasha’s thoughts on the flexibility of healing foods in this article: One Man’s Meat is Another Man’s Poison.

We’ve used GAPS for our own personal healing, and Dr Natasha is a personal hero of ours. We are delighted to bring this eye-opening and information packed podcast with such a world leader in health to you.

Other books by Dr Natasha:

On heart disease: Put Your Heart In Your Mouth! – What Really Is Heart Disease And What We Can Do To Prevent And Even Reverse It.

On vegetarianism/veganism: Vegetarianism Explained

Stories of healing: GAPS Stories

The post AQJ 100: GAPS with Dr Natasha Campbell McBride appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is the invisible signals emitted by all wireless devices – mobile and cordless phones, base stations, computers, tablets, routers, baby monitors, microwave ovens, smart meters, smart TVs and other WiFi devices. The term ‘EMR’ is also used to include the electromagnetic fields from electrical sources: powerlines, wiring, meter boxes, transformers and appliances.

Lyn established EMR Australia in 2004 to inform people and help the many people she knew experiencing problems from exposure. ‘I’d already been working on this issue for twelve years, so I’d had plenty of conversations with people who were affected by EMR and desperate for help. At that time, there was nowhere else for them to turn.’

This episode brings to light the symptoms of EMR, and how to minimise exposure in your home and workplace.

You can find out more about the work that EMR Australia do here: http://www.emraustralia.com.au/

We highly recommend reading Lyn’s book “Wireless Wise Families” – what every parent needs to know about wireless technologies. You can find the Home Test Kit mentioned in the podcast here: http://www.emraustralia.com.au/shop/meters-testing/home-office-test-kit-hire-1 Follow EMR Australia’s Facebook page for regular updates: https://www.facebook.com/EMRAustralia/

The post AQJ 99: Electromagnetic Radiation Effects and Solutions appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

We also continue with last week’s discussion about MTHFR and histamines, and answer nitty gritty questions from readers about MTHFR, heavy metals, parasites, signs and symptoms of these health issues, and knowing when to test and when to wait. (We go into a lot more detail about MTHFR and testing in the last episode, Healing with MTHFR & Histamine Issues.)

We highly recommend getting in contact with Elyse if you need a practitioner’s help with working through these difficult health issues. You can find Elyse’s website here: http://www.elysecomerford.com

Elyse also has a gut health retreat coming up in Byron Bay in July – find out more here: https://lifewellnessco.clickfunnels.com/nourish-flourish-byron-bay-2018

For help with the diet changes for gut healing and cooking for GAPS, see our online Quirky Cooking for Gut Health program, here: http://gaps.quirkycooking.com.au/

To find out more about the Primal Alternatives business mentioned in the intro, visit: http://primalalternative.com

The post AQJ 98: Layers of Healing – Elyse Comerford appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Elyse Comerford, health scientist and GAPS practitioner, joins us in this episode to talk us through the above questions, and many more, in a scientific but easy to understand way. If you are struggling to cope with detoxing and gut healing, and MTHFR and histamines are doing your head in, you need to listen to this podcast!

Visit Elyse’s website here: http://www.elysecomerford.com/

For help with the diet changes for gut healing and cooking for GAPS, see our online Quirky Cooking for Gut Health program, here: http://gaps.quirkycooking.com.au/

The post AQJ 97: Healing with MTHFR & Histamine Issues appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

If you haven’t yet seen this documentary, you can find details of screenings here: http://kalebrock.com.au/gutmovie/

Find Kale’s books and products here: http://kalebrock.com.au/products/

Follow Kale on Facebook and Instagram.

The post AQJ 96: The Gut Movie with Kale Brock appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 95: Hitting Rock Bottom with Dr Brett Hill appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Joel is a personal hero of mine and I was quite nervous to interview him – he is a deeply intellectual, deeply spiritual human being and a beacon for light and sanity in this world that we are all trying to help heal.

Links: Polyface Farms

Joel’s Google Talk: Folks, This Ain’t Normal

Additional Viewing: Alan Savoury uses grazing animals to reverse deserts

Come and see Jo and Fouad in Brisbane (Feb 20th and 21st)

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/life-changing-events/

Save 10% off your Solidteknics purchase. Use coupon code 10QCP when shopping at http://quirkycooking.com.au/solid

The post AQJ 94: Joel Salatin – Regenerative wisdom from the world’s most famous farmer appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode we explore SIBO, its diagnosis and treatment, with naturopath Lynda Griparic. Lynda is a wealth of knowledge on the topic as she specialises in SIBO treatment and she gives us a lot of information on how to understand and tackle this condition.

The post AQJ 93: SIBO – Your Questions Answered, with Lynda Griparic appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Links: Christine Cronau can be found at:

www.christinecronau.com

www.christinecronau.com/12-week-program

www.facebook.com/ChristineCronau

www.instagram.com/christinecronau

Come see Fouad in Adelaide on the 30th of Jan. Use coupon code FOUAD to get 2 tickets for the price of 1:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/finding-the-wild-within-tickets-42115258873

Come and see Jo and Fouad in Brisbane (Feb 20th and 21st)

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/life-changing-events/

Save 10% off your Solidteknics purchase. Use coupon code 10QCP when shopping at http://quirkycooking.com.au/solid

The post AQJ 92: LCHF – Low Carb High Fat with Christine Cronau appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

See Fouad’s video about his first two days on a water fast, here.

The post AQJ 91: Fasting – A Key Tool for Health & Wellbeing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

To kick off the year, we’ve decided to reshare an older podcast as it’s one that we think will be really helpful to those of you wanting to make gut healing your goal for this year.

If you are beginning the GAPS protocol in January, or are working towards gut healing in other ways, have a listen to this talk by Elyse Comerford to help you understand the science behind GAPS, the steps you need to take towards healing the gut, and how GAPS works to nourish and heal your body.

Elyse is an experienced GAPS practitioner who helps to coach our gut health program members through the early stages of the GAPS protocol. She shared this talk at our Life-Changing Food Gut Health Retreat last year, and we found it so helpful we wanted to make sure it was available to those who couldn’t make it to our retreat. Elyse’s focus is on nourishing the body with healing foods, supporting the body to detox effectively, and taking a ‘do no harm’ approach to healing. You’ll find it encouraging, educational and inspiring, whether you have been on the gut healing journey for a while, or you are just beginning to look into it.

Feel free to email us with any questions, at help@quirkycooking.com.au. You can contact Elyse through her website, www.elysecomerford.com Learn more about our gut health program at www.gaps.quirkycooking.com.au Find out more about our Life-Changing Food events here: www.quirkycooking.com.au/life-changing-events/

The post AQJ 90: GAPS 101 Elyse Comerford appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

For the last podcast of the year, Jo and Fouad recorded a fun, live video-podcast, where they answered questions asked by readers on Facebook. This episode is called “Ask Us Anything!” and the questions cover everything from ‘how did you meet?’ and ‘if you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 foods, what would they be?’ to ‘how do I get my white-food-loving child to eat vegetables?’ and ‘how do you glaze a Christmas ham?’

You’ll learn about the best Christmas gifts to make in a Thermomix, what things they don’t travel without, their thoughts on chemical sweeteners like xylitol and erythitol, which sweeteners they prefer to use and why, what foods they love and hate, what to do when you’re pregnant and craving heaps of carbs, and whether they’ve ever lost their cooking mojo and how they get it back when they do!

Get to know Jo and Fouad a bit better and learn lots about food (and healthy eating with enjoyment!) in this episode.

Useful links:

Where Do I Start With GAPS: simple tips for transitioning the family to a gut-healing, whole food diet

The Top 6 Foods for Gut Health: start getting these foods into your diet before trying to take out foods

Jo and Fouad’s Life-Changing Food Cookbook

The Quirky Cooking for Gut Health Online Program

Weleda Australia: organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

Solidteknics Pans: natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

The post AQJ 89: Ask Us Anything! QandA with Jo and Fouad appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Tom O’Bryan is a functional medicine practitioner, and an internationally recognised speaker specialising in the complications of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and coeliac disease. A Quirky Journey is so pleased to be able to bring you Dr Tom’s deep knowledge on this extremely important topic. Even though Fouad and Jo have been following a gluten-free diet for a very long time, they learned so much from Dr Tom. So if you want to have a solid understanding of what gluten is doing to our bodies, or if you have a family member or friend who you wish to educate on this topic, this is a great episode to listen to and share.

Jo and Fouad also cover their favourite options for a gluten-free, fuss-free, whole food Christmas. An information packed episode!

Useful Links You can find Dr Tom O’Bryan here, and learn more about his book ‘The Autoimmune Fix’ here.

As a special gift for you, Dr Tom has shared his video series ‘Betrayal-The Autoimmune Disease Solution They’re Not Telling You’ for free. This series was created for people to learn the ‘big picture’ principles from scientists and Clinicians, with many patient testimonials of reversing MS, RA, and Chronic Fatigue.  The entire 9 Episode Series is free to watch here.

Our Sponsors

Solidteknics Pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda Body Products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 88: Gluten – All you need to know, with Dr Tom O’Bryan – plus Quirky Christmas tips! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This week Jo and Fouad catch up with their good friend Dani Valent in Melbourne for a foodie chat! Dani calls herself ‘a writer, eater, traveller and cook,’ and she does all these things with equal passion. She is a travel and food writer, journalist, restaurant reviewer, a frequent guest on radio and TV speaking about current issues in food, and has authored three amazing Thermomix cookbooks. Not only that, she also has an online program that is a bit like Netflix or SBSonDemand for Thermomix cooking videos – inspiring, fun, professionally filmed videos of Dani cooking with chefs and foodies from all over the world!

Dani is giving away a one year membership to her cooking site to our listeners – to enter, CLICK HERE!

(Competition ends Friday Dec 15th at 3pm)

You can find out more about Dani and her books and cooking show here: https://danivalent.com/

Our Sponsors

Solidteknics Pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda Body Products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 87: Dani Valent – Write, Eat, Travel, Cook appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jo and Fouad catch up before their trip to Echuca and share some of their easiest tips for getting healthy. How to simplify the health process, prioritize what’s important, reconcile with your body and much more. An easy listening episode with lots of great, actionable ideas!

Solidteknics pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda body products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 86: Simple tips for a healthier you appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In today’s episode, fellow podcaster Helen Marshall shares her story of how conventional health advice made her sick, and how following a gluten-free, primal diet brought her back from deteriorating mental and physical health. Not only did Helen start spreading the word on healthy cooking, she started spreading baked goods too! Helen is the founder of Primal Alternative, a delicious range of primal foods to help people transition from and settle into a gluten-free wholefood diet. She is also leading a new model of franchising that is collaborative and people-centric, perfect for those of you who want to work from home while looking after the kids. If you’ve thought about turning your home kitchen into a home business, you’re going to love this podcast!

You can find Helen and the Primal Alternative website here: http://primalalternative.com/ You can listen to Helen’s podcast here: http://primalalternative.com/blog/

Solidteknics pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda body products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 85: The Primal Alternative with Helen Marshall appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Patience is a lost virtue, and fermentation is the art of patience. In a world of instant gratification, what can we learn from the slow art of fermentation? Today we speak to Sharon Flynn, founder of the beautiful Melbourne-based business, The Fermentary, and we delve into her beautiful cookbook, Ferment For Good, ancient foods for the modern gut. Sharon shares her life experience and wisdom on fermentation, putting into perspective the joy and benefit that is available to us by simply putting some vegetables in a jar and waiting for them to go sour. A great, heart-warming podcast for those of you who are in need of a gentle hug!

The Fermentary details and online shop: www.thefermentary.com.au

Solidteknics pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda body products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 15% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 84: Ferment For Good – Bubbling Away with Sharon Flynn appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

“Dogs have a biological right to be able to eat real food. It saddens me that more and more dogs aren’t able to tolerate real foods because their body is being destroyed from processed foods. We need to keep in mind that it is their biological right to be able to eat real food, and try to feed them as much of those wholesome foods as you can.” – David Agius

In today’s episode, Jo talks to canine nutritionist David Agius about how to feed your dog the foods they need for optimum health. They discuss many questions that readers asked on Facebook, and David shares his thoughts on:

• why we should feed dogs a whole food diet instead of just packaged foods;
• what foods to focus on and what to avoid;
• how much to feed your dog;
• how to get started changing their diet;
• how to ensure it is balanced;
• how to keep their teeth healthy;
• how to include probiotic foods in their diet;
• exercise for dogs, and much more.

If you have a dog in your family, or you are thinking of getting one, you will want to listen to this interview!

Jo and Fouad also have a chat in the intro, sharing what they’ve been up to the past week, including:

• working towards a job that is your life path and something you love, not just something you do to survive;
• Fouad’s transition back into a low-carb way of eating;
• the benefits of temporarily getting your body into a ketogenic state and how that helps to increase energy levels, reduce pain and inflammation, and lose weight
• their new Christmas recipe ebook which is soon being released for subscribers
• and their upcoming events in Melbourne, Echuca and Brisbane.

If you have any questions for Jo and Fouad, you can email them via help@quirkycooking.com.au.

Useful Links:

David Agius, Canine Nutritionist: Website http://davidagius.com.au/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DavidCanineNutritionist/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/david_caninenutritionist/

Recipe for fermented seeds for dogs: https://www.facebook.com/DavidCanineNutritionist/posts/555684378107186

Solidteknics pans: Natural Aussie iron, non-toxic, non-stick, multi-generational and awesome! Go to quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order.

Weleda body products: Organic, biodynamic, non-toxic body products that feed your skin. Go to www.weleda.com.au and use the code quirkyjourney to get 10% off your order. Free postage if your order is over $90.

The post AQJ 83: Whole Foods for Dogs – Canine Nutritionist David Agius appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Today we talk to Mark Henry, engineer, and founder of Solidteknics, an innovative Australian company producing virtually indestructible cookware from high quality materials. Mark’s philosophy is to build multi-generational products that can be used for hundreds of years to come. This is a fantastic talk with a down to earth visionary that will surely inspire.

Learn more about Solidteknics here: http://www.solidteknics.com/

Solidteknics’ newest wrought iron pans on kickstarter: http://kck.st/2yCkicJ

To purchase one of our favourite Solidteknics’ pans, visit http://quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use the code 10QCP to get 10% off your order!

For organic, non-toxic body products, we love Weleda: www.weleda.com.au Use our coupon code quirkyjourney to get 10% off your order, and postage is free if your order is over $90

The post AQJ 82: Solidteknics – Innovation in the face of a throw-away culture appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Read about the cutting of private health insurance for natural therapies and sign the petition to protest this decision here.

Learn more about Damian Kristof on his website: https://damiankristof.com/.

Visit Damian’s clinic, Vida Lifestyles, in Melbourne: https://www.vidalifestyles.com/

Try Damian’s Forage Cereal: http://www.foragecereal.com/

Use the code QUIRKYJOURNEY when ordering from Weleda Australia to receive 10% off your order. (Orders over $90 will also receive free shipping.)

Use the code 10QCP to receive 10% off orders of Solidteknics Aussie iron pans from our partners at quirkycooking.com.au/solid.

The post AQJ 81: Adjusting to Good Health appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

They then move on to the main subject of the podcast, where they discuss the fascinating topic of low dose naltrexone (LDN) – a medication being used effectively to treat a large variety of chronic illnesses around the world. Very few people have heard of this potentially life-saving drug. Jo and Fouad interview Linda Elsegood, the founder of the LDN research trust, who shares her incredible journey of recovering from paralysing Multiple Sclerosis to becoming the most vocal advocate for LDN education. Linda is also the author of The LDN Book. This is an eye-opening podcast for anyone struggling with autoimmune issues or chronic illness.

The post AQJ 80: Treating MS and Autoimmune with LDN appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Learn about the three main keys to unlocking the door of healthy, happy hormones, and the answers to questions like:

– Is there any way to balance your hormones without having to take expensive medications all the time?

– Why have my periods become so heavy after having children, and what can I do about it?

– What are the best options for natural birth control?

– How can I make natural birth control methods work with broken sleep cycles?

– How can I naturally lower my oestrogen levels?

– Are AMH levels a true indication of fertility?

– What are the pros and cons of getting your tubes tied from a hormonal perspective?

– Is there a link between parasites and endometriosis?

– Can menopause cause an increase in auto-immune symptoms, and if so what can you do about it?

Nat Kringoudis is a doctor of Chinese medicine, Acupuncturist, Author, Speaker and all-round natural fertility expert. She’s also the founder of Melbourne women’s health clinic, The Pagoda Tree, creator of Yo’Nuts and producer of HealthTalks TV.

You can find out more about Nat and the work she does at http://www.natkringoudis.com/ and on her Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/nataliekringoudis/.

Nat’s books are available here: http://www.natkringoudis.com/e-books/

Nat’s e-courses are available here: http://www.natkringoudis.com/e-courses/

Find out more about Solidteknics wrought iron and stainless steel, non-toxic Aussie pans here: quirkycooking.com.au/solid (use the code 10QCP to get 10% off)

Find out more about Weleda non-toxic body products here: weleda.com.au (use the code quirkyjourney to get 10% off your order, and don’t pay any shipping if the order is over $90)

The post AQJ 79: Hormones & Fertility with Nat Kringoudis appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

What makes the food we eat wholesome and healthy? And what makes it ethical and sustainable?

Listen in as Jude beautifully shares her thoughts on whole, living foods – as well as nourishment, deliciousness, health (mind, body and spirit), ethically raised food, sustainability, love, and community.

Learn more about Jude here: http://wholefoodcooking.com.au/

Read Jude’s thoughts on what good food really is: http://wholefoodcooking.com.au/good-food/

Get yourself some non-toxic pans from Solidteknics: quirkycooking.com.au/solid (use code 10QCP for 10% off)

Swap your body products over to organic, biodynamic, non-toxic products from Weleda: http://www.weleda.com.au/ (use code quirkyjourney to receive 10% off, and free shipping for orders over $90)

The post AQJ 78: Whole Food with Jude appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Useful links:

Louis & Susan Chan, My Dental Care: http://www.mydentalcare.net.au/

TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre: http://www.tmjsleepcentre.net.au/

Solidteknics pans (use the code 10QCP for 10% off): quirkycooking.com.au/solid

Weleda non-toxic skincare (use the code quirkyjourney for 10% off): http://www.weleda.com.au/

Biological pecan nuts, pesticide and fungicide free: https://www.facebook.com/thebigpecan/

The post AQJ 77: Holistic Dentistry appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Find out more about Weleda’s natural skin care tips and products for eczema here: http://www.weleda.com.au/sensitive-and-eczema-prone-skin-care-tips/

Use the code QUIRKYJOURNEY when ordering from Weleda Australia to recieve 10% off your order. (Orders over $90 will also receive free shipping.)

The post AQJ 76: Eczema – Causes & Treatment, with Liezel Barnard ND appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In today’s show, we separate fact from fiction, and also discuss a practice that is as old as time: fasting. Fouad goes on a one meal a day experiment and tells us about his experience!

Thank you to our sponsors, Weleda Australia and Solidteknics! Please use the following codes to receive 10% off orders with our sponsors:

Weleda Australia – coupon code quirkyjourney (plus free shipping over $90)

Solidteknics (via Emporio Organico) – coupon code 10QCP 

Useful Links:

What Fasting Does for the Brain (TedX talk, youtube)

“What the Health” Review: checking out the ‘evidence’ (article with studies linked)

The Vegetarian Myth (article by Lierre Kieth, vegan for 20 years)

The Hidden Cost of Veganism – (podcast interview with Daniel Vitalis and Lierre Keith)

Vegetarianism Explained (book by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride)

Weston A. Price website – traditional foods and farming

The post Fasting, Feasting, and “What the Health?” appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jo has enjoyed Lauren’s delicious recipes over the last few years, and was interested to hear that the GAPS diet was the first step in Lauren’s healing journey. During our talk, we cover how Lauren got over her auto-immune condition, avoided a life-long relationship with a colostomy bag, and the mindset needed for healing. Lauren also shares a deeply powerful framework to understand the healing journey. Her framework is modelled on the work of one of Fouad’s favourite mavericks, Joseph Campbell, and his concept of the “Hero’s Journey”, so there was a lot of excitement during this talk!

We are also very excited to have Weleda join us to be our first ever podcast sponsor. Weleda is an incredible holistic care company which produces some of the most amazing skin and body care products on the market. Their formulas employ organic, biodynamic or wild-crafted plant ingredients and the results are incredible. Get 10% off your Weleda order by using the coupon code QUIRKYJOURNEY when you check out at http://www.weleda.com.au/

Links:

• Find Lauren at empoweredsustenance.comand https://meoenergetics.com
• Find Weleda at http://www.weleda.com.au/and use coupon code QUIRKYJOURNEY for your 10% discount
• Listen to Joseph Cambpell’s lectures on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXameWHxm60IU

The post AQJ 74: Ulcerative Colitis and Changing Your Mindset for Healing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Show notes… Anne-Marie has recently started blogging about her condition. You can read more about her journey here: http://www.livingwellwithas.com/

Anne-Marie’s AS facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/211791165975927/

Guest blog post Anne-Marie wrote for Good Mood Food: https://www.goodmoodfood.net.au/single-post/2017/03/30/Hope-for-Healing-auto-immune-disease

And here are links to our upcoming events and helpful resources… Our upcoming gut health retreat: https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/life-changing-food-gut-health-retreat/

Life-Changing Food cooking class & seminar in Melbourne: (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-changing-food-seminar-cooking-demo-melbourne-tickets-34742560935)

Life-Changing Food cooking class & seminar in Thirroul: (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-changing-food-seminar-cooking-demo-thirroul-tickets-34680726988)

Our online gut health program: http://gaps.quirkycooking.com.au

Life-Changing Food cookbook: http://www.quirkycooking.com.au/order-life-changing-food/

The post AQJ 73: Recovering from Autoimmune Arthritis – Anne-Marie Raymond appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Marcus Pearce loves to speak on this subject, and has developed a program to help people learn to make the very best of they lives they have, called the ‘Exceptional Life Blueprint’. Jo and Fouad talk with Marcus about his ideas, and some steps we can all take to create a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Find out more about the Exceptional Life Blueprint Live Event in Melbourne, 3-4 June, here: http://melbourne.marcuspearce.com.au/quirky/

The post AQJ 72: Marcus Pearce – It’s Not Just About the Food You Eat! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

So how do you heal the gut when the food intolerances and allergies are so overwhelming that it seems impossible to even eat the most basic foods recommended for gut healing? Mary broke it down for us in this talk at our recent Life-Changing Food Gut Health Retreat, and we just had to share it with you all.

“But I have the MTHFR gene mutation!” Then heal the gut. “But I’m depressed!” Heal the gut. “My son has anaphylaxis!” Heal the gut. Focus focus focus on that, and everything else comes right, says Mary.

Mary has helped many, many families move forward in their quest for healing. Her approach is motherly, loving and encouraging, with plenty of humour, and now and then a bit of a kick up the backside… you just can’t help sitting up and listening when she speaks!

You can learn more about Mary Kelly on her website, www.goodmoodfood.net.au.

The post AQJ 71: Mary Kelly- Healing with GAPS when you can’t tolerate many foods appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Fouad has been eating a whole food, gluten free, mostly paleo diet for about 7 years, but realised he had deeper healing to do. It all became clear to him when he decided to quit coffee (his best friend of 20 years!) and realised the coffee had been masking symptoms like tiredness, histamine reactions, and body pain. Tests showed his body has been struggling with an autoimmune disease and a major dust mite allergy, so GAPS was the obvious next step in his healing journey.

He’s been on GAPS for 4 weeks now and is on stage 2, taking his time to heal properly. We talk about how it feels to begin GAPS, how to know when to move on to the next stage, what some foods are that he’s loving and how he’s getting creative with the recipes, and the improvements he’s already seeing in his health.

There’s lots of laughs in this episode as Fouad talks about getting serious with gut healing while still enjoying your food (despite ditching the coffee!). Join Jo and Fouad for a bit of fun and lots of inspiration in this ‘back to basics’ gut health episode!

The post AQJ 70: Fouad Starts GAPS! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Kale Brock is an award-nominated journalist, researcher and professional speaker. With qualifications as a Health & Exercise coach, Kale has worked in the health and wellness industry since 2007 alongside some of the best naturopaths and health personalities in Australia. Now specialising in the areas of gut health and the microbiome, he shares a well-rounded and comprehensive message on these areas to the general public.

Recently Kale has been working on a very special project – The Gut Healing Summit – which features over 14 world renowned experts on the gut and microbiome. Airing from 27th-30th March, the Summit covers leading edge information mainstream media can not cover. It will inform and inspire YOU to take action immediately & to make empowered decisions when it comes to your health. Find out more about the Gut Healing Summit here.

Visit Kale’s website: www.kalebrock.com/

The post AQJ 69 : The Big Picture of Gut Health, with Kale Brock appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Naturopath and Medical Herbalist Melissa Gearing answers these questions, and gives us her perspective on how herbal medicines can be used to improve health.

You may like to also listen to Episode 51 with Dr Kelly Brogan to hear another viewpoint on holistic therapies and modern medicine: http://thewellnesscouch.com///aqj/aqj-51-healing-the-mind-without-medications-dr-kelly-brogan

You can find Melissa’s website here: http://www.mgherbs.com

Melissa’s books and herbal ‘first aid kit’ are available here: http://www.mgherbs.com/shop/

The post AQJ 68: Herbal Medicine with Melissa Gearing ND appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Matt has always had a gift for learning and picking up new things. Growing up on a farm in the Australian bush, physical competence, efficiency and adaptability were all a part of Matt’s daily existence. His father taught him and his brothers much about bush craft, carpentry, survival, hunting, tracking, butchery and blacksmithing. He credits this early education in natural movement and adaptability to his success as a coach, a semi professional rugby athlete, a fighter, a craftsman, artist and even a Protection Bullfighter. His passion now is using natural movement as a way to help people unlock their own adaptive and creative potential.

Learn more about natural movement and fitness here: http://www.stage6fitness.com.au

The post AQJ 67: Matt Rutley – MovNat Natural Fitness appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jen is the author of two healthy eating cookbooks, Living on Little, and Lovely Little Lunchboxes, which focus on eating well on a tight budget, and cooking from scratch. The recipes are gluten free and whole foods recipes, using basic ingredients, with updated versions of the good, old-fashioned food from her childhood.

Jen’s passion for reaching out to youth in need has caused her to begin a not-for-profit project called ‘Emerge’, which offers a holistic mentorship program and will be based at the Emerge Café in Toowoomba. The cafe is a social enterprise project that aims to deliver training and employment opportunities to youth facing barriers in the Toowoomba region.

Jen believes that by meeting young people facing challenges where they are at and supporting them through a holistic mentorship and training program, they can become valuable assets to our community and become the best versions of themselves.

The training program helps young people to take part in on the job training in a hospitality setting, and encourages healthy living through fitness activities, cooking skills, goal setting, self care and positive mindset. The participants are also given the help they need to ensure they have a safe and supportive home environment.

If you’d like to help get the Emerge Cafe off the ground, you can purchase Jen’s cookbooks which help with funding. Click here for more information.

Follow Jen’s journey with the Emerge project on her Facebook page, Barefoot Kitchens.

You can learn more about Jen here: About Jen

The post AQJ 66: Jen Shaw- Living on Little appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Listen in as they discuss:

– interesting ways to use cauliflower – naturally purple foods and why they’re so cool – the awesomeness of mushrooms for immune boosting – ethically raised meats – how to cook awesome pork belly with crackly skin – buddha bowls and burger bowls – ancient grains and gluten free baking – safer sous vide – flexitarian diets & learning to adjust the way you eat to suit your body – sugars, carbs, starches and having a balance – seasonal eating – how to eat pesticide-free on a budget – keeping it simple!

The post AQJ 65: Food Trends & Food Goals for 2017 appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Does your head spin when you try to work out the answers to these questions?

This week Jo chats with Kate Waterson of zazen Water about all things water and filters! Jo gets questions every week in her chat groups about water filters, and how to go about improving water quality for drinking and showering, so she gathered the questions together and asked the expert.

Kate is a nutritionist and a manager-partner of zazen Water – a business focused on improving water for our children, and bringing better health to our communities through an improved water supply. Listen in and find the answers to these questions and more:

– What health benefits are there to drinking pure, mineralised water?

– What should you look for in a water filter?

– How important is it to remove chlorine and fluoride?

– What are the benefits of alkalising your water and adding back in the minerals lost through filtration?

– What’s the most affordable water filter for a family? Can you get good results from just using a Brita jug?

– Is a reverse osmosis filter the best option?

– What about rain water, spring water, distilled water and tank water? Which ones need to be filtered and which don’t? Do they need to be remineralised?

– Why is it so important to filter not only drinking water, but also shower water?

– What’s some good options for those renting or travelling?

– How can my child’s school learn more about getting free water filters for the school?

A very helpful interview that will give you the answers you need.

Kate has generously offered a discount on water filters to our listeners! Go to http://www.zazenalkalinewater.com.au and enter the coupon code QCWATER15 to receive 10% off your order. (the discount has changed from 15% to 10% off). 

The post AQJ 64: All Your Water & Water Filter Questions Answered! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Over the years, Fouad’s diet has evolved to a more flexible paleo-style diet which includes some safe starches and less fats. Jo and Fouad talk about how the way we eat changes as we heal, and as we go through different seasons of life; and how important it is to understand that healing takes time, and ‘diets’ can’t be expected to change everything overnight.

Fouad loves to share his experiences of using food for healing in the hope that others may also benefit from it. He and Jo are working together to write recipes, teach classes and speak at health seminars to help others on their health journeys. Fouad is also beginning private health coaching and can be contacted at fouadkassab.com or email at me@fouadkassab.com.

The post AQJ 63: Fouad’s Story: Fats, Carbs & Healthy Eating appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

– how gut health relates to sleep

– how to get out of the vicious circle of stress causing poor sleep, and poor sleep causing stress

– how your diet affects anxiety and sleep

– how to reduce your need for caffeine and not rely on it to ‘prop you up’ each day

– how heavy metal toxicity can affect sleep, and Lucy’s experience with detoxing

– how detoxing on GAPS can affect sleep

– why you may be waking at a certain time every night

– before bed snacks that will help you sleep

…. and more

We also discussed the importance of seeing a sleep specialist if you’re having major sleep issues, such as David Cunnington of SleepHub.com.au.

Listen in, and enjoy more restful sleep!

The post AQJ 61: Sleep Nutrition, with Lucy Lichtenstein (part 2) appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Lucy writes a nutrition and lifestyle blog called Reconnected.me that compiles her thoughts, experiences, ideas, lessons, perspectives, perceptions and wholefood recipes. Her four part series on Sleep Nutrition is very helpful for those who are struggling to sleep well at night, and wanting to improve their sleep patterns.

The post AQJ 60: Sleep Nutrition, with Lucy Lichtenstein (part 1) appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Kim began studying nutrition and aromatherapy at 19, lived the celebrity life with her famous cricketer husband, and went on to write best-selling self-care and skincare books with a friend. Then suddenly, just as she was about to launch her own skincare brand, everything came crashing down. She shares how she and her husband worked through the hard times, and how the challenges changed her own focus, and the direction of her business.

Kim became very passionate about helping women to challenge their potential, take responsibility for their own health and well-being, acknowledge their own strength and beauty, and take good care of themselves. In this day and age, we are often so busy running around taking care of everyone else and struggling to keep our heads above the water, that we neglect our own selves. Kim shares the importance of learning to nurture and nourish yourself, which in turn helps you to nurture and nourish those around you.

A big thank you to Kim, who has generously offered to give our listeners some tools to help get started!

Click on this link to get a free download of her best-selling book, ‘Like Chocolate for Women’, her ‘Manifesto for Living’, and a 10% discount on her lovely Twenty8 essential oils.

(Discount available until midnight, 30th September, 2016.)

The post AQJ 59: Kim Morrison – Twenty8 Essential Oils appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 58: All About Permaculture appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Cyndi began her research into wheat and gluten allergies and intolerances, and what causes them, when she began to have problems with wheat at 40 yrs old. She realised that out of anyone, she shouldn’t have any reactions to wheat – she had a very clean diet, had never had antibiotics and medications, ate mostly organic, had never had any food intolerances, so surely had a very healthy gut… Why was it suddenly causing her to react?

Cyndi answers questions like:

Is non-coeliac wheat sensitivity real? What are scientists saying about it?

Why do we see such an improvement in health when modern wheat is taken out of the diet?

What about organic wheat? Or ancient grains?

What about sourdough bread?

What is an optimal diet? Or are there different ways of eating to suit different people?

How can we reduce the toxins in our food, and make changes that will help to improve the way our society eats?

As Fouad says, “This documentary will be a big catalyst for change in our world, and a big help to so many people. Cyndi, the world owes you one!”

You can watch Cyndi’s film here: https://www.changinghabitsaffiliates.com/158-1-3-1.html (affiliate link)

Learn more about Cyndi’s health and nutrition programs here: https://changinghabits.com.au

The post AQJ 57: What’s With Wheat? Cyndi O’Meara appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

If you’re thinking this podcast will only make you feel like a bad mother who did everything wrong, and it’s too late to change things for your baby – think again!! Mary is very adamant that wherever you are, in whatever stage of pre-conception, pregnancy, baby days, or even toddlers years, there are things you can do to help your little ones to be healthy and well, and to recover your own health also.

Mary struggled with major post-natal and peri-natal depression with her first two pregnancies, her son had multiple allergies (some of which were life-threatening), her daughter had ADHD, and they all struggled with parasites. After working through the GAPS protocol, the changes in her family’s health were so amazing she couldn’t keep it to herself, and began a blog and coaching business called Good Mood Food, to help others on their healing journey. She now has a beautiful, healthy third child, and is helping other mums to work towards healing themselves so that their children will benefit also.

Listen to Mary’s previous podcasts on A Quirky Journey, here:

Anaphylactic Allergies, FPIES, Post Natal Depression, Parasites, and Hope for Healing!

Dealing with Parasites

Healing from Anxiety and Depression

If you need some help with cooking for good gut health, or if you are wanting to begin the GAPS protocol, check out Jo’s Quirky Cooking for Gut Health Program – you will find it takes away the overwhelm and stress to have the program to show you the way.

The post AQJ 56: Preparing for the Birth of a Healthy Baby – Mary Kelly appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Igor also discusses ways that people on special diets like vegetarian, low salicylate, and low FODMAPS, can be sure to get the vitamins and minerals they need from their food. He talks about his recovery from chronic fatigue, and how learning to listen to our innate cravings for good food can help us to heal.

‘Staying Healthy’ will be available from Thermomix in Australia very soon. You can find many others of Dr Igor’s books on Amazon, and learn more about his work on his website, http://www.nutritionreviewservice.com.au.

The post AQJ 55: Staying Healthy – Dr Igor Tabrizian appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 54: Mid Year Wrap Up appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

A couple of months ago, Jo and her kids were tested for Pyroluria (Pyrolles Disorder), and found their levels were quite high. Pyroluria (pyrrole disorder, kryptopyrrole, kryptopyrroluria, pyrroluria, mauve factor or hemepyrrole) is a common metabolic condition that occurs when pyrrol, a key component of haemoglobin, is overproduced by the liver. It is a contributing factor to anxiety, stress and gut issues.

Jo began asking naturopaths, doctors and friends for their thoughts on Pyroluria, and what can be done to help lower the levels of pyrroles in the bloodstream. In this episode, Jo and Fouad talk to naturopath Jules Galloway about Jules’ experience with Pyroluria, and what she has found helpful.

Jules Galloway is a qualified naturopath, healthy foodie, wellness blogger and podcaster, who specializes in gluten, dairy and cane sugar free living, and runs an online wellness program called Shiny Healthy You – Fatigued to Fabulous in 12 Weeks. Check out Jules’ podcast, Shiny Healthy You, on The Wellness Couch, and visit her website Jules Galloway for lots of fabulous recipes and health tips.

The post AQJ 53: Pyroluria with Jules Galloway ND appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 52 : The Keep in Mind Project, Melissa Stainwald appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Kelly has recently written a very controversial book called “A Mind of Your Own” where she destroys a few myths about depression, explains how depression and anxiety can be healed naturally, and shares some of big pharma’s biggest secrets when it comes to anti-depressants.

In this episode Dr Kelly talks about why depression is not a disease, why the serotonin theory of depression is wrong, why many psychiatric diagnoses are caused by underlying physical ailments, and what your first steps should be if you suffer from depression.

Dr Kelly Brogan is the keynote speaker at the upcoming MINDD Forum in Sydney, 20-22 May – more info here: http://mindd.org/mif16-speakers/

Dr Kelly Brogan’s website:http://kellybroganmd.com

The post AQJ 51: Healing the Mind without Medications – Dr Kelly Brogan appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Did You Know?

• Australian children are struggling with epidemics; allergies (1 in 3), asthma (1 in 4), ADHD (1 in 10); Autism (1 in 100). Childhood cancer, diabetes, obesity and depression have each well more than doubled over the past 2 decades.*

• Nutritional deficiencies create an imbalance in neurotransmitters which can affect behaviour, concentration, mood, sleep and addictions.
• Many individuals with learning and behavioural disorders have auditory, visual or sensory processing issues that do not show up in standard hearing, vision or behavioural tests.

• Digestive health can drive allergies, anxiety, ADHD, arthritis, asthma, autism, bedwetting, depression, diabetes, eczema, infections, learning delay, mood and sleep disorders.

“ Many of today’s complex and chronic diseases are multi-system problems that do not have a quick, one stop fix but that can be improved dramatically with an Integrative approach. This is not a replacement or alternative to conventional medicine but a complementary approach that can yield dramatic result when tailored to the particular needs of the individual. The only question we need to ask is “Are we prepared to do what it takes to be well? ”

– Leslie Embersits

Find out more about the MINDD Foundation and Forum in this fascinating interview.

The post AQJ 50 : The Mindd Foundation, Leslie Embersits appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 49 : A Quirky Recap with Isaac Whitton appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Fouad has spent the past week with Jo’s family in Far North Queensland, to begin their next project, and to get a bit of an insight into Jo’s crazy life! Join Jo and Fouad for a friendly chat at Jo’s kitchen table, and hear all the latest news…

Find out about:

– Jo’s Quirky Cooking for Gut Health program – what does it include, what does Fouad think of it (a bit of a review), when will it be ready, who will benefit from it?

– Jo and Fouad’s upcoming cookbook of Paleo and Wholefood Recipes – new title, new ideas, new cover – an exciting project for Quirky Cooking!

– The Mindd Forum “Food is Medicine” seminar, which Fouad, Jo, and Jo’s son Isaac (14) will be speaking and cooking at, May 20–22

– Jo’s life in Far North Queensland – a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse (see lots of photos here)

– Helping each other out with healthy hospital meals: “Quirky Healthy Hampers”

– Fouad’s big news: why he quit his ‘real’ job as a software engineer; the beginning of his new focus on health, cooking, writing and getting closer to nature; and his two big goals for the year!

– How being in nature helps with healing and reducing stress

– Natural spring water and the difference it makes to drink ‘wild’ water whenever possible (ReWild yourself by Daniel Vitalis); plus recommendations for good water filters for the home

– A bit about our supportive Quirky community – the Quirky Cooking Chat Group!

– Recipes we’re working on for the new cookbook, which we can’t wait to share!

If you have any questions about today’s podcast, or have some recipes you’d like to suggest for our book, please feel free to ask in the Chat Group!

The post AQJ 48 : A Quirky Catch Up – with Jo and Fouad appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ47 : The Science Behind Allergies, Dr Igor Tabrizian appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The winner of the giveaway was Melissa Furmedge, and on this episode, Melissa shares with us her family’s story, and what kinds of foods they love. They discuss:

– Struggling with behavioural and health issues in kids

– The Failsafe Diet, and how it helped

– Being gluten, dairy, corn and soy free

– Reactions to salicylates

– Sugar highs, carb addiction

– Eating to reduce ASD symptoms

– The trepidation parents feel when needing to change kids’ diets

– Their favourite foods, and how to make allergy friendly versions

– And lots more food and recipe talk!

Jo will be sharing the recipe she developed for Melissa on her blog: Crunchy Grain Free Buffalo Wings and a special dessert. So stay tuned!

(As well as links to other low carb/low sugar/gluten/dairy/corn/soy free recipes, and some tips for GF wrap options.)

The post AQJ 46 : Melissa Furmedge, Recipe Development for Special Diets appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 45 : Inflammation and Chronic Illness, Igor Tabrizian appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Rachel shares her continuing story – her discovery that she had candida and an infestation of parasites in her gut meant she needed to change her diet again. To fight them, she has had to transition to a ketogenic version of GAPS.

Rachel receives a lot of questions about ketogenic GAPS, enemas, parasites and candida, she answers those questions, explaining why and how it is helping so far.

The post AQJ 44 : Parasites, Candida & Ketogenic GAPS, Rachel Favilla appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Jo is joined by her new co-host, Fouad Kassab, and her friend Rachel Favilla (author of Real Soup for the Real Soul, and soon to be podcaster for a healthy teens show), to answer questions posted by readers in the Quirky Cooking Chat Group. They talk about:

– What oils are the best for frying?

– What veggies are important to have organic?

– Are dehydrated bone broths ok if you’re time poor?

– Is it possible to do the GAPS diet if you are fructose intolerant?

– How can I meal plan in a way that really works, so I’m not making dinner at 9pm and buying lunch everyday?

– How can I gain healthy muscle mass on Paleo/GAPS?

– What are some tips for helping little people gain weight?

– Is there a Thermomix version of any Paleo cookbooks coming out soon?

– How much butter does Fouad eat each week?

… and more!

If you’d like to contact any of us directly, you can find us here:

Jo: Quirky Cooking Blog, Quirky Cooking Facebook, Quirky Cooking Chat Group

Fouad: The Food Blog, The Food Blog on Facebook

Rachel: Real Soup for the Real Soul Blog, Real Soup for the Real Soul Facebook

The post AQJ 43 : Q&A with Fouad Kassab & Rachel Favilla appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

‘A healthy Christmas’ isn’t just about the food – it’s also about keeping stress levels low, not getting caught up in the ‘spend heaps of money’ holiday hype, and simply enjoying this special time with family and friends.

This fun episode is full of great ideas, and answers readers’ questions like:

What can I cook that will cater for the special diets in our family and still be enjoyed by all?

What are some delicious and simple GAPS and Paleo dishes for Christmas dinner?

What’s the best way to handle family and friends who don’t like us eating differently to them, and give us a hard time?

What can I make ahead and freeze, so I’m not overwhelmed on Christmas day?

How do I deal with food reactions if I eat something that doesn’t agree with me?

What are some ways to keep Christmas simple, enjoyable, and stress free?

How can I practice gratefulness and contentment at this time of year?

The post AQJ 42 : A Healthy Christmas appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 41: Surviving Percreta – Christina Matthewson appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Mary Kelly of Good Mood Food goes into detail about her family’s experience with parasites. After 18 months on GAPS, they felt like they’d ‘hit a brick wall’, and some symptoms just weren’t going away. After some research and testing they realised they all had parasites. Mary explains that parasites multiply in the gut for good reason – and to get rid of them you have to deal with the root cause.

Learn the answers to the above questions, and find out what gut health has to do with parasites. For more information, see Mary’s blog article, Parasites, The Hidden Menace; as well as her Natural Parasite Treatment Plan.

The post AQJ 40: Dealing with Parasites appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 39 : Toxic Kids: A Health Professional’s Experience with Healing Her Daughter appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Healthy weight loss is much more about healing than ‘dieting’. Some important factors are:

– detoxing the body

– getting rid of ‘trigger foods’

– giving the gut a chance to heal

– getting into the right mindset and reducing stress

– breaking the cycle of emotional eating

– balancing hormones

– eating healthy fats

… and there are many more things to consider.

It may seem like it’s all way too complicated, but Brenda and Naomi are very experienced at helping women to navigate the weight loss minefield. Brenda is a certified health coach, and Naomi is a naturopath, and together they have put together a fabulous program to help women uncover the reasons their bodies may be resisting weight loss and work out a plan to work on positive, thriving health.

You can check out The Breakthrough! Program here!

Visit Brenda’s and Naomi’s websites here:

Brenda Janschek, Certified Health Coach

Naomi Judge, Naturopath

The post AQJ 38 : Healthy Weight Loss, and why ‘Diets’ Don’t Work! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

If you, or someone close to you, has struggled with depression, you know how debilitating it can be, and how hard it is to pull yourself out of the vicious cycle of eating badly, which only makes things worse.

How do you even begin to get back on track with healthy eating when you feel completely overwhelmed by everyday life? And does it even help to change the way you eat, anyway? What else can you do to help yourself to heal?

Mary talks about the importance of just putting one foot in front of another each day, doing what you can, but not putting yourself under the pressure of a time limit for changing your diet or getting off medication or feeling well again. It takes time, but there is definitely hope, and if you have hope, you have everything.

Mary has been through deep depression herself, due to her son’s illness, post-natal depletion, and her damaged digestive system, and is passionate about helping others through this dark time. She shares five key areas to work on that will make a very big difference to your health and well-being, and recommends taking it one step at a time, as you feel ready. Mary also explains the importance of adding good things in that contribute to healing, before trying to take the bad things out.

This is a very encouraging and hopeful podcast, showing how healing the gut can totally turn around the way you feel both mentally and physically.

The post AQJ 37 : Good Mood Food – Healing from Anxiety and Depression appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, she chats with her friend, Fouad, about how they both found their lives were getting way too complicated, and what they have done to help simplify things. They talk about the importance of not getting so caught up in all the ‘doing’ that we neglect the ‘being’, learning to say no, learning to cook more simply, decluttering, disconnecting from the constant barrage of social media, how lists and prioritising can help, and how little things we do to live a simpler life can help someone else to have a better life.

The post AQJ 36 : Simplifying – with Fouad Kassab appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Nicole Azzopardi has some great tips for how to have a good day! She came up with a “Better Day Plan” with the help of her children, and as simple as it sounds, there are good reasons behind each idea, and they really work!

This is a very practical podcast which will be a big help to parents of GAPS kids, or kids with anxiety or stress issues. Working on gut health makes a big difference for these kids, but for those first few months when the gut is still healing, you will also need other wats to help your child cope with the everyday stresses of life.

Jo and Nicole also discuss:

•  dealing with constipation problems in kids
•  tantrums and mood swings
•  how important ‘the village’ is when raising children
•  and how to look after yourself when everything is a bit crazy – caring for the carer!

You can read about Nicole’s “Better Day Plan” here: http://www.mummacare.com/blog/previous/3

And follow Nicole on Facebook at MummaCare! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mumma-Care/405299626262430

The post AQJ 35 : Nicole Azzopardi – The “Better Day Plan” appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Nicole also shares the story of her family’s healing journey, starting with a low salicylate, additive free diet to help her daughter with severe food allergies, sleep issues, and autism symptoms. Her health improved, but Nicole asked herself, ‘Once you work out what foods are bothering you, are you stuck with avoiding those foods for the rest of your life?’ After much research, Nicole decided the answer was no!

Knowing that you’re reacting to different foods just highlights that there’s some work to be done with your digestion, and Nicole believes the GAPS diet can totally heal your gut so that you can bring many, if not all, of the problem foods back in over time.

The changes in Nicole’s family have been amazing, and as a busy mum, Nicole shares that it was much easier to work on changing the way they ate than to continue on dealing with the overwhelming allergies and health issues. Although it takes time and effort to change cooking and eating habits, it’s so worth it in the long run.

Nicole shares her recipes and tips online at Mumma Care, and can also be found on Facebook. She is passionate about helping mothers look after themselves so that they can better care for their families, and loves to help other mums get on track with healthy eating.

The post AQJ 34 : Nicole Azzopardi – Healing the Gut with Traditional Foods appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• how to decide if GAPS is right for you
• should testing be done before starting GAPS
• how to do GAPS when you have histamine reactions
• when slow-cooked broths are not good for you
• how to add healing broths and fermented foods to a sensitive person’s diet
• why raw cacao may not be a good idea
• coping with the amount of time it takes to cook from scratch
• when to push through a die-off reaction, and how to know if it’s an intolerance or die-off
• the best probiotics to use, and how much and when to take them
• how much you can ‘cheat’ on GAPS before it affects healing
• are there benefits if you start doing full GAPS without doing the intro
• how to fill kids up on GAPS food
• is this way of eating just too much meat
• can you do GAPS if you’re vegetarian
• how to cope with eating out
• will GAPS make me lose weight/gain weight
• what you can do if GAPS didn’t work for you and more.

Shalani shares that there is no magic formula, everyone is different, and each person needs to work out the healing diet that suits their body. GAPS may need to be done a little differently for different people, so if in doubt or needing help, please get in touch with an experienced GAPS practitioner.

Jo has invited Shalani to come back for another podcast as there are still more questions from readers that they didn’t have time to answer, so stay tuned for part two. If you’d like to send in some questions, please contact Jo via her blog or Facebook page, and they will be added to the list!

Visit Shalani’s Website here, Live Alive, as well as her Facebook page and Instagram. Shalani is based in Sydney, but is also available for Skype appointments.

The post AQJ 33 : GAPS Q & A with Shalani McCray – Naturopathic Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Anaphylactic to wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, and sesame seeds, and allergic to just about everything else except white rice and corn, life was difficult for little Daniel. He survived on a hypoallergenic formula, but was not thriving at all – always sick, coughing, vomitting, underweight, and reacting to so many things in his environment. His mother, Mary, was so traumatised and exhausted by her son’s condition, that she suffered from debilitating depression. A visit to the allergist was followed by her spending days in bed trying to cope with the stress of the situation.

After much research, and grasping at the only hope that seemed left to her, Mary decided to try a very slow and careful version of the GAPS diet, to see if that could help their son. One drop at a time, they added broth to his formula… and the healing began.

Now, 2 years later, they have a different child. He’s no longer is allergic to everything – only tree nuts are left on his list of reactive foods, and it’s no longer an anaphylactic allergy. He’s a happy, healthy little boy, mum’s depression is gone, and the whole family have seen major changes in their health through this healing diet.

It sounds too good to be true, but listen in as this mum explains her years of researching ‘white papers’ and working out the best way to help her son and the reasons behind her decision to try GAPS – and the difference it has made in their lives.

Mary shares her story and her research, as well as her family’s favourite recipes, on her website, Good Mood Food.

Follow her inspiring posts on Facebook, and if you need some one-on-one coaching from someone who knows the science behind GAPS, and how to begin GAPS when your child can’t eat ‘anything’, contact Mary here.

The post AQJ 32 : Anaphylactic Allergies, FPIES, Post Natal Depression, Parasites, and Hope for Healing! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Should GAPS or the Paleo diet be something you stick to for the rest of your life? How long do you continue to eat this way before beginning to add some restricted foods back in? What would you add back, and when? What happens if you react to something you add back in? If you do begin reacting to foods, do you have to begin right back at the beginning again?

Fouad began the Paleo diet in 2011, and it changed his health dramatically. He now eats what he describes as a ‘high nutrition, low toxicity’ diet, which is close to Paleo but he prefers not to ‘label’ the way he eats. He’s much more flexible with the foods he eats now that his body has healed. He explains why he feels that you can’t expect a certain way of eating to always be exactly what your body needs, and how we have to stay aware of our body’s needs and change our diet to suit, as time goes on.

Fouad will be regular on “A Quirky Journey” now that he’s closed his pop up restaurant, Baraka. He has a great interest in the science behind healthy eating, and is a talented cook, writer and speaker. You can connect with Fouad on his blog, The Food Blog, and also on his Facebook page, Baraka.

The post AQJ 31 : Should GAPS or Paleo be a lifetime diet? appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Samantha Bulloch of The Alchemist’s Tree, naturopath and aromatherapist, joins us to explain the basics of essential oils.

•  why she began using essential oils, and how she went about studying them
•  how essential oils are made
•  how they differ to herbal medicines and flower essences
•  how to use them safely and effectively
•  her favourite oils and how she uses them
•  basics to have on hand
•  where you can study aromatherapy or do short courses to help you use them in your own home

Jo and Sam also discuss where to buy good quality, pure essential oils from, but agree that this is very much a personal choice and there are many great brands out there to choose from.

Next week Sam will share some practical tips and answer specific questions asked by Jo’s readers, so stay tuned for part 2!

You can also join Jo’s Quirky Cooking Chat Group and read more detailed information about these topics in the ‘Files’ section of the group.

If you’d like visit Jo’s DoTERRA essential oils page, you can find it here.

The post AQJ 30 : Essential Oils 101 with Samantha Bulloch of The Alchemist’s Tree appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Are you worried they will refuse to eat the food you make?

Are you wondering how other families have coped in this situtation?

Listen in as Jo talks to her friend Cathy about what it was like for them when they began their kids on GAPS – the struggles to get the kids to eat, the emotional upheaval, the fear about ‘am I doing the right thing?’… but most importantly, how they overcame these things, their successes, and how their girls have learned to love their food.

If you have kids on GAPS and would love some support, join our GAPS for Kids support group on Facebook.

The post AQJ 29 : Cathy Benson – How to help your kids to cope with starting GAPS appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dr Oscar Serrallach is a GP in Mullumbimby who has done training in Nutritional and Environmental Health and has a special interest in post natal repletion (helping mothers recover from the biopyschosocial ordeal of having kids).

In our society, many mothers are already nutritionally and physically depleted before conception and pregnancy, and this can escalate after the birth, to the stage where mums are ‘running on empty’.

How do you know if you are suffering from postnatal depletion, and what tests should be done to show what to work on?

What are some simple steps to follow before and after having a child to make sure your body doesn’t become run down and nutritionally depleted?

How does gut health impact on postnatal depletion?

What is the peak time for postnatal depression, and do mums who have depletion commonly end up with depression?

How important is a support network for new mums?

Answers to these questions and more! This is a fascinating podcast which really highlights the importance of caring for our new mums.

Useful Links:

• Dr Oscar’s website, Facebook page, and Instagram
• A great Q&A about Postnatal Depletion with Dr Oscar, here on Goop

The post AQJ 28 : Dr Oscar Serrallach – Postnatal Depletion appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Leah shares some recent results of their family’s healing journey, the story of their big move out of the city, and their recent transition from homeschooling to public schooling – big changes for the Follett family!

Listen in to learn more about how kids can function so much better when they have a healthy environment – both inside and out. Gut health and stress affect everything from behavior, to concentration, anxiety, food reactions, sensitivity to chemicals in their environment, sensitivity to noise and distractions, ability to cope with change, and more. Big kudos to Leah and her husband for all their hard work – the changes they’ve seen in their kids in the past four years have been amazing.

To learn more about Leah’s story, and how she’s worked with her kids to reduce ASD symptoms, listen in to Our Stories.

To learn more about Jo and Leah’s homeschooling journeys, listen here.

To learn more about helping kids with learning difficulties and special needs, listen here.

The post AQJ 27: How good gut health helps kids cope with the world around them! appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

How can fermented foods help in the gut-healing process? And what do you do if you really just don’t have the time (or the patience) to make your own? Are the fermented veggies you can buy at the grocery store any good? Where can you buy traditionally prepared sauerkraut, and what are the benefits? What is ‘wild fermentation’? Does it make a difference if the vegetables used are organic or not? How should you begin if you haven’t really eaten fermented veggies much before, or are just beginning GAPS? What do you do if you are low FODMAPS – are there some options for you? What if you have issues with histamines? Which ferments go best with which foods?

Katrina also has plenty of helpful information, recipe ideas, tips for getting started with GAPS, and answers to the most common GAPS questions on her website and Facebook page, so check out the links below!

• GAPS Intro Meals: see what Katrina cooked for her family while on the GAPS intro diet
• Ideas for GAPS friendly kid’s lunch boxes
• Katrina’s GAPS and Paleo recipes
• Where to buy top quality gelatine

Where to buy Kehoe’s Kitchen’s Organic Raw Artisan Sauerkrauts, Kim Chi, Sauerkraut Juices, Cultured Paleo Tasty Cheese, Cashew Yogurts, Coconut Yoghurts and Raw Activated Paleo Bars: Find a stockist in your area

The post AQJ 26 : Kehoe’s Kitchen: helping to heal the gut with fermented foods appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Jo and Isaac discuss simple ways to start implementing these gut healing principles into your everyday cooking, without stressing out the family; and how to take some baby steps to get started. Not everyone can jump right in and do strict GAPS, but there are some basic things you can do to begin healing, adding in other steps when you can.

They also answer readers questions like:

– how GAPS has changed Isaac’s life socially

– how to help kids not feel like they’re ‘missing out’ when around friends eating differently

– tips for kid’s snacks

– how to manage GAPS with toddlers

– do people lose weight on GAPS

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, have a listen to these simple ideas and tips from a teenager on GAPS!

Useful links:

• How to make bone broths
• Easy recipe for fermented veggies

Good quality gelatine: GoBio or Great Lakes gelatine (available at health food shops)

• Getting healthy fats into your diet

The post AQJ 25 : Q&A with Isaac – gut healing simplified, and kids on GAPS appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Listen in to Marlies’ fascinating story of the healing power of food, and how eating natural, nutrient dense foods and living a lifestyle closer to nature has changed their lives. Out of it has also come a successful family business with cafes popping up all around Australia, and many other people being helped to change their health for the better.

You can find lots of the delicious Paleo Cafe recipes here on the Paleo Cafe website.

The Paleo Cafe Lifestyle & Cookbook, by Marlies Hobbs, is now available in most bookstores and department stores, including Big W and Kmart. Or you can order it online, here.

And don’t forget to follow the Paleo Cafe Australia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post AQJ 24 : Changing your life by the way you eat with Marlies Hobbs of the Paleo Cafe appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Rachel is the author of the blog, “Real Soup for the Real Soul”, where she shares her delicious, GAPS friendly recipes. She is studying nutritional medicine at the Endeavour College of Natural Health, and wants to become a nutritionist, with a focus on healing the gut.

Listen in as Rachel shares lots of tips for learning how to heal your body, and how to cook for good health in a way that is simple and easy for everyone.

Real Soup for the Real Soul: http://www.realsoupfortherealsoul.com

The post AQJ 23 : Rachel Favilla: Fighting an Auto-Immune Disease appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ21 : Jo & Leah Catchup appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

– her family’s food journey and how they got to where they are now

– why they began GAPS

– the link between depression, anxiety, OCD, and gut health

– the differences GAPS has made in Jo’s family

– how Jo copes with such a busy schedule while cooking everything from scratch

– ideas for quick meals, easy nutritious breakfasts, and time saving tips

– coping with special diets while travelling

– getting the kids involved

and more!

If you are new to “A Quirky Journey”, this is a great place to jump in, as Jo summarises her family’s food journey in this information-packed interview. It’s lots of fun and there’s plenty to inspire you, so listen in and enjoy!

Useful links:

Marlow FM radio online

Nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche – Lunchbox Doctor and Facebook page

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

The post AQJ 20: Quirky Cooking Interview on “The Health Show” appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Alexx Stuart is an expert at helping people to de-tox their homes and food, and her simple, practical approach to low-tox living is a breath of fresh air to overwhelmed mums all over the world. Not to mention, she has amazing recipes on her blog!

Listen in as Leah and Jo pick Alexx’s brains and learn some tips for things you can do today to begin getting toxins out of your lives. We also talk about GMO foods, organic farming, knowing where your food comes from, getting back to real foods, simplifying your food and life, avoiding food waste, and much more.

Alexx has a great ecourse to help with detoxing your life – find out more about it here on her website.

Useful Links:

Video by Dr Vandana Shiva for the low down on GMOs, Planet on a Plate

Organic Savings Tips

Redefining Treats

Vague symptoms and endless searching

Keep your cleaning toxin free with these 7 easy homemade cleaning products

100 ways to use your scraps and leftovers!

Mindful eating

The post AQJ 18: Organic and Low Tox Living: Interview with Alexx Stuart appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Catch up on all the news, and be inspired for a healthier Easter!

Useful Links:

The Mindd Foundation 

Pete Evan’s Paleo Way Tour

Nourished Kitchen 

GAPS Facebook Page

The Healthy Home Economist 

Easter Recipes

Leah’s Raw Chocolate (unsweetened)

Jo’s Raw Chocolate (sweetened)

Jo’s Salted Caramel Chocolate

3 Ingredient DIY Easter Eggs

Leah’s Homemade Marshmallows (GAPS friendly)

The post AQJ 17: Catching Up on the News and a GAPS Easter appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This week Jo and Leah are discussing how they buy in bulk through co-ops to save money, and to find hard to source ingredients. They are joined by Jo’s friend Sarah, who is moving out west to a station and needs to be able to order in bulk and have goods sent to her. Jo and Leah answer Sarah’s questions, as well as others on their Facebook pages, such as:

– what is a co-op and how do I find one?

– what do you buy through co-ops?

– is it only for dry goods?

– what’s the difference between a co-op and a CSA?

– how do you store your bulk foods?

– what if you can’t find a co-op to join, how do you start one?

– what if I just want to buy in bulk on my own, not through a co-op?

…and lots more.

Listen in and learn how you can start cutting down on your grocery bill, while eating healthier!

Useful links:

– Bulk buying: an explanation on Jo’s blog of co-ops, bulk buying, and how to begin your own co-op. Also see Where to Order From, Pantry List, and Storage of Your Bulk Orders

– Find a co-op near you: check Leah’s page, Jo’s FB page, and if you’re in Jo’s ‘Quirky Cooking Chat Group’ you can find co-ops in the “Quirky Resources” Albums in the Photos tab (and add your favourites).

The post AQJ 16: Bulk Food Buying and Co-ops appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

• What they mean by a real food kitchen, and the importance of going back to homemade foods
• Kitchen tools they have invested, in both good and the misguided, and what they recommend as alternatives
• Their top five tools that they can’t live without

Jo and Leah share their thoughts on best options for cookware, comparing aluminium, non-stick, ceramic, cast iron pans, and even the baking paper they choose to use and why.

At the end of the day, the main thing is to be in the kitchen preparing nourishing meals… but could you be undoing a lot of your hard work because of the types of cookware that you are using? Could your cookware be the source of heavy metal toxicity or adding to the chemical load of your family?

Join us for an informative little session on the making your kitchen as healthy (and functional!) as possible.

The post AQJ 15: Kitchen Tools: Our tips for a well equipped kitchen appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 14: Bone Broths: How and why to make them appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Kristen was a fashion designer when her third child was unexpectedly born with Down syndrome, and so began a dramatic change of focus to natural therapies and alternative interventions to help him achieve his best.

Through exhaustive research, natural treatments and home-based therapy, Kristen’s son’s health and development results astounded her family and health professionals alike. In 2010, Kristen published her book – Naturally Better – which imparts a wealth of knowledge to the wider community, now providing hope and strategies to families worldwide.

Kristen is the Co-Founder of Grow Foundation which helps parents access alternative therapies for their children with neurological conditions. She is the founder of www.NaturallyBetterKids.com and www.StreetOrganics.com and she blogs at www.kristenmorrison.me

You can contact Kristen at: kristen@ naturallybetterkids.com www.GrowFoundationForKids.org.au

The post AQJ 13: Natural Approaches for Special Needs Children – Interview with Kristen Morrison appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if your child was diagnosed with severe allergies?

What kind of approach do you take to help and heal this baby?

In this episode of ‘A Quirky Journey’ we speak with the brilliantly driven Joanne Hall, aka Leah’s best mate, Jersey.

She shares with us the story of her baby, Casey, and his struggles with Autism, reflux, chemical sensitivities, food allergies/intolerances, skin conditions and general gut issues, sharing their struggles from newborn to young boy at school, and how they learnt to deal with these issues in their everyday life.

Jersey shares openly and practically about her journey and how it felt to have to take another road rather than the mainstream medical options available to her. Her intuition got her through the hard times and led her to making the right choices for her family.

If you know a family with similar problems, then listen in to how one mother has been healing her baby with natural therapies, and where he is now.

Useful links:

RISA http://www.reflux.org.au/

Biomedical intervention http://www.autism.net.au/Biomedical_treatment.htm

The post AQJ 12: Mother Knows Best: Interview with Joanne Hall appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The Home Education Unit, Qld Government: http://education.qld.gov.au/parents/home-education/home-ed-unit.html

Distance Ed style homeschooling through ACHS: http://www.achs.edu.au/

Sydney Home Education Network: http://shen.org.au/

The post AQJ 11: Homeschooling: How and why we educate our kids at home appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Just six months ago, Isaac was so sick that he couldn’t feed himself, dress himself, or cope with everyday life. His fears, phobias and anxiety had totally crippled him. His family were also struggling to cope, and this led to many changes in the household, including the change of diet to a gut-healing diet, in an effort to clear the fog in Isaac’s brain and make it easier for him to cope.

Listen to Isaac’s story as he tells how grateful he is that his mum made the decision to try GAPS, and what successes and struggles he’s had along the way. He also describes how GAPS has helped the rest of his family, and how his friends have helped and encouraged him through this difficult time.

Isaac hopes that through his experiences, other kids will be willing to try GAPS if they need to, knowing it really does help and is totally worth the initial ‘pain’ of letting go of the foods you love.

The post AQJ 10: GAPS from a kid’s perspective: Isaac’s journey so far appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Have you ever been in a situation that requires urgent medical intervention and you know the decisions you make now will affect your entire life?

What would you do if your body was failing you and you had a newborn baby to support, on your own?

If any of these things sound familiar to you, then this podcast may very well change your life. It will most certainly change your perspectives on the current treatments available for people with gut issues.

Talisha Kendall faced these problems as a young, single mum, and her inspirational story of her journey back to good health will amaze you. Talisha shares her journey from successful model travelling the world, to a very sick young mum, separated from her baby and told her intestines needed to be removed if she was to survive, and how her life was completely changed through the decisions she made.

Talisha is the designer of Little Mashies Reusable Squeezie Pouches, and you can contact her through her website: http://www.littlemashies.com.

The post AQJ 09: Interview with Talisha Kendall: Healing IBS, Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, Naturally appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The discussion then turns to fats, and Jo and Leah are joined by a return special guest, Mark Follett. Mark explains how to identify healthy fats and the not so healthy ones, and how to incorporate fats into your diet. He also talks about how to get your body fat adapted, which means your body is able to use fats as an energy source. We discuss what this means for everyday people and sports people alike, what the benefits are for the family, for athletes, and for those in the workplace.

The insights that Mark offers are part of his own personal experiences and he makes reference both to research on the subject, and also to how it feels, and the practical, everyday benefits

If you are still confused about where fats fit into our diet, this episode will impart some knowledge and direction for personal research. Below are links to information that is discussed during this podcast:

-Dr Stephen Phinney and Co: http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/research/

– Tim Noakes: http://originaleating.org/the-noakes-foundation/prof-tim-noakes

– Bitters: http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/bitters-the-revival-of-a-forgotten-flavor/

The post AQJ 08: Fat Adapted: Using healthy fats as an energy source appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This podcast is not just for women wanting to fall pregnant – it’s information every woman should know about her own body, from young teens to mature ages. And it’s helpful for the guys too.

An amazing podcast that you don’t want to miss!

The post AQJ 07: How Gut Health Affects Hormones, Fertility & Women’s Health – with Samantha Bulloch appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

You’ll also learn what you can do to support your body through any reactions you may have, realising that every body is different; how to reduce the load on your body; and learning to be patient with yourself as it will take time for your body to heal.

The post AQJ 06: Why am I more sensitive to foods, now that I’m on GAPS? appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

So how does it feel to go through the die-off phase of GAPS? What kinds of foods were we eating before we started GAPS, and what happened when we switched to gut-healing foods? What happens when your body begins to change over from feeding on sugars, to using fats for fuel?

In this episode, Leah’s husband Mark joins the show to share his experiences of the first couple of weeks of GAPS, and explains from a scientific viewpoint what the body is going through during this time of change.

The post AQJ 05: Gut healing, de-toxing, and how it feels to go through the die-off phase of GAPS appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 04: The How To’s of Making Home Changes for Health and Healing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In this episode, Leah and Jo delve deeper into their personal stories to help listeners understand the whys and wherefores of beginning GAPS. They give a good explanation of what GAPS involves and the difference between GAPS and Paleo, and why some people find the need to go down this road. Whether you are beginning GAPS or not, you will be inspired by this episode to get started on the healthy lifestyle changes you need, without being overwhelmed.

Jo and Leah also explain how to transition to GAPS gently, what the first couple of weeks feel like, the emotional hold food has on us, how to break up with sugar, and how to put these changes into practice in everyday life with a balance of structure and flexibility.

Keep up with our family’s day to day journeys via our Facebook pages: Quirky Cooking and Leah Follett, and feel free to post your questions there.

The post AQJ 03: Preparing for Change: Where to start with GAPS appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

We’d love for you to share your healthy, quirky Christmas ideas by posting a photo on our Facebook pages, or tagging us on Instagram or Twitter. Hashtag your photos #aquirkychristmas – let’s make some new traditions! Merry Christmas!

Facebook: Quirky Cooking and Leah Follett Instragram: jowhitton and akesisbalance Twitter: QuirkyJo and akesisbalance.com

The post AQJ 02: A Quirky Christmas! Surviving and Thriving this Season appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

The post AQJ 01: Our stories: why sometimes wholefood isn’t enough appeared first on The Wellness Couch.