Shiny Healthy You

You may remember Lara Briden from Episode 21 of this podcast, when we had a very enlightening chat about PCOS and endometriosis. She is a naturopathic doctor, an educator, an author, and a women’s health activist. She literally wrote the book on how to have a healthy, stress free, pain free cycle – it’s called the Period Repair Manual and it’s loved by both practitioner and laypeople alike. And now she’s back with a new book called the Hormone Repair Manual – Every Woman’s Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40, which is all about perimenopause and menopause. Which I have to say, that as a woman who is about to have her 45th birthday, I find this more than a little timely. So just like last time, we are going to talk about what’s normal, what isn’t normal, how to address unwanted symptoms naturally, and how we can navigate this tricky time with grace and ease. If you’re a woman over 35 years old, this episode is a MUST. In this podcast we will cover: What a healthy perimenopause (and menopause) is supposed to lo

You may remember Sharon Collon from Episode 7 of Straight Talking Natural Health, where we talked about ADD/ADHD, and her business, The Functional Family. Several members of her household have ADHD, which in the past led to her becoming burnt out as she learned to navigate everyone’s needs, constantly putting herself last. She developed an autoimmune disease and had to embark on a long road back to recovery, learning a lot along the way about self care. Sadly, this isn’t an unusual scenario for mums of kids who have additional needs. Anecdotally in both our businesses, Sharon and I have both noticed a HUGE link between having neurodiverse kids, and the mums developing chronic illness, especially autoimmune diseases and health conditions associated with long-term stress. So I’ve got her on the show to pick her brain about nourishing the mother, and how to create a structure and lifestyle where EVERYONE is healthy and happy. Listen as we chat about: The warning signs of burnout in mums. The horrible affliction

Meet Jess Jones – she runs a club that in her own words, you never wanted to be in. But sadly it’s a club to which many of us could subscribe, or have been a good candidate for in the past. It’s a club that I think is on the way to have many more members too, if we don’t start taking steps to avoid it. You see, it’s called the Burnout Club, and it’s a place for women to learn a new way to live, work and most importantly, practice self care. And by self-care, I do NOT mean a pedicure or massage (although they’re great). Think of it as a complete mindset shift and habit change for many women. Basically this is rehab for Type A’s. And it’s SOOOOO needed. In this interview, we chat about: Jess’ own burnout story, and how being super-driven placed a massive strain on her career, health and relationships. Why burnout is often driven by unresolved emotional stuff… and what to look out for. The shame associated with burning out, and Jess’ learnings from that. How Jess prioritised self-care, and what that looked like

You may remember Emma and Carla Papas (aka The Merrymaker Sisters) from long, long ago when they featured on my podcast when it was called Shiny Healthy You. Back then we chatted about all things food, healthy eating, and how to eat gluten, dairy and sugar-free whilst still being excited about food. Since then, their business has taken a bit of a different direction. You see, they have gone down the rabbit hole into yoga, pilates, meditation, and all things body acceptance and self-kindness. But of course they didn’t stop there. They launched an app which has brought everything together in one place – amazing recipes, motivation, pilates, meditation, yoga… the lot. Through their app, their podcast, their blog and their social media, they reach 118,000 people every single month. That’s huge. But what’s even more amazing is that their work has transcended age groups – they serve people who are at all stages of life – from kids and teenagers, to busy mums and professional women, and those aged 60 and beyond. Emm

Some of you may remember Hayley Dawson (aka The Rural Naturopath) from episode number 17 of Straight Talking Natural Health, where we talked about what it’s like to be a natural health practitioner in the country areas of Australia. It was an eye opener that revealed the unique issues that our rural and remote communities face when it comes to wellbeing. I’ve gotten this legend back on the show to share with you a personal story about her own health issues, and a warning. If you’re on tank water, if you visit somewhere regularly that has tank water, or if someone you love is on tank water, listen up, because this episode contains information that you may find shocking, and that you 100% need to hear. Do NOT put this off. This is one of those “take action now” kinda podcasts. In this episode, you will learn: The types of pathogens or toxins we can find in our tank water. The symptoms of water-borne pathogens. How these tank water pathogens can affect mental health. How we can get rid of the bugs out of our s

Caitlin Cady is an absolute powerhouse of a woman whose CV kinda reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. On one hand, she’s a driven business person who owns two nightclubs and has been known to listen to gangster rap. On the other hand, she exudes a calm radiance, is a devoted yogi, and has been described as “spiritual AF.” She has a beautiful, heart-centred business that’s all about getting people to meditate regularly. She makes meditation accessible, enjoyable… and dare I say it… fashionable. (Ahem – just ask her about her super cute line of clothing.) Most of all, she’s now a published writer of a fabulous book, “Heavily Meditated.” In this episode we chat about: What meditation is… and what it isn’t (“There are so many myths around it – that you need a calm mind… that you need to stop thinking”). How meditation helped Caitlin heal from a serious chronic illness… and also “chronic perfectionism.” Why driven women need meditation, and how we can teach ourselves to stop and ACTUALLY do it! Overcomin

Amie Skilton is quite simply one of the warmest, most approachable, most intelligent and well researched practitioners in our industry. She’s a bit of a legend when it comes to skin issues and some of you may know her from her social media where she is known as “That Naturopath.” But her interests and her zone of genius took a pivot in recent years when she developed a very serious case of mould illness and CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome). In 2017 Amie went from being a normal, healthy woman, to being completely physically and neurologically debilitated… due to mould exposure in a water damaged building. She was told by a doctor that “there’s nothing is wrong with you.” So she did what any good naturopath does – she sought out further studies so that she could help both herself and others with the same issue (because that’s what we do!). She threw herself into the world of building biology and is now a qualified mould testing technician. Mould illness is a huge issue in Australia – naturopaths s

Lara Briden is an absolute superstar when it comes to women’s hormones. She’s a naturopathic doctor, educator, author and women’s health activist. She believes it’s every women’s right to have a stress-free, pain-free period without drugs (and yes, this includes the oral contraceptive pill). Tune in as we chat about: Why endometriosis and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) are often misdiagnosed. Why PCOS has nothing to do with cysts on the ovaries – and how we should be diagnosing it instead. Why period pain is not a symptoms of PCOS. Why endometriosis should no longer seen as a condition of hormonal imbalance, and which systems in the body we need to address instead. Why the contraceptive pill is not the answer for either condition. Post-pill acne, and why it’s a symptom of PCOS. Natural solutions for both endometriosis and PCOS, including which diet is best for you. What a NORMAL period should be like (you might be shocked by this one!).   Want to connect with Lara? Website: http://larabriden.com. Facebo

Meet Emily Hazell – she has built an oasis in Melbourne that helps people escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A place that has become a sanctuary for busy people who need a moment to chill out away from the pressure of their fast paced lives. A place with a menu full of incredible, healthy foods… with a twist. You see, she has designed everything around boosting your happy, feelgood neurotransmitters, and in particular, a little guy called Serotonin. In fact, she refers to her business as a “happiness centre.” I’ve spent years being dazzled by her instagram feed, full of colourful, vibrant food that literally makes me drool. So I’m so excited about having her on the podcast. In this episode, you will learn: What serotonin actually is and why we need it. Ways that we can boost serotonin. Things that deplete our serotonin. The pitfalls of our fast paced lives, and how we can bring things back into balance. How to create moments of calm and happiness whilst living in the city. What to do when yo

Meet Liz Cook – a trailblazer in the perfume industry, because she’s doing it very differently to the big names. She has the most beautiful brand called One Seed, which makes organic perfumes with nothing nasty added. And there was a real need in the marketplace for this to happen. Why? You see, most of them are super toxic. Like, full of chemicals that will disrupt your hormones toxic. And there are some high profile “natural” companies out there who are claiming to be low tox, but are actually anything but. So what are the scary ingredients that we want to avoid? How can we spot dodgy synthetic fragrance companies that are pretending to be natural? You’ll be shocked at how many of them are out there! (Because #healthwashing.) Why would we want to consider using natural perfumes over essential oil roll-ons? Let’s chat to this amazing woman and find out.   Want to connect with Liz and One Seed? Website: http://oneseedperfumes.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/oneseedperfumes Instagram: http://instagram.com/on

It’s great to be back!!! Here’s a very quick recap of 2020… and what to expect in 2021.     Want more of Jules? Follow her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/julesgallowayhealth and Instagram at http://instagram.com/julesgallowayhealth. Visit her website at http://julesgalloway.com. Are you at risk of burnout? Take this quiz to find out: http://julesgalloway.com/health-check. The post STNH 18: Well, that was an intense year appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Following on from last week’s episode with Jody Vassallo and Farmer – The Cookbook, we are keeping a rural theme… this time focusing on something that’s incredibly important – the health and wellbeing of our farmers. If ever there was a niche that was sooooo needed in Australia right now, this episode’s guest has definitely found it. When I came across her work recently I was like “OMG, of course! Thank god for this human!” Meet Hayley Dawson – a naturopath who works with people living in remote and rural areas, people who don’t have access to naturopathic care, and get this… she even has a program that’s just for farmers! Talk about a lightbulb moment. So many of our farmers are facing crisis at the moment, which can seriously impact both their physical and mental health. And Hayley saw an opportunity to help. Tune in as we chat about: The specific health issues that face farmers and their families (that sometimes city practitioners just don’t get). Her thoughts on pesticides/crop sprays, sheep dips and far

This episode is soooo important if you are looking for meaningful gifts this Christmas (or if you just want to treat yourself and give back at the same time!). Jody Vassallo has some mad skills when it comes to creating healthy recipes. She’s worked with everyone from Donna Hay to the Jamie Oliver franchise, and there’s every chance that if you’ve bought a recipe book in the last 20 years, you’ve seen recipes that have been developed by her or styled by her. And that’s not all – she is also a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic coach, so you know that her own work is always about nourishing meals and healthy, wholefood cooking. Her own cookbooks, Beautiful Food and The Yogic Kitchen, are legendary, and well worth a look. BUT… That’s not even why I’ve invited her on the show! You know… sometimes you come across someone who is just a bloody good human. And Jody is also one of the most generous and giving people I know. When times are tough she steps it up, gathers her people and launches into action. Recently the drough

“Hormones are like children – they need to be attended to at all times.” Today’s guest is someone that I only recently discovered when watching some seminars online… but when I came across her, I was hooked! She boils the hard stuff down to make it easy, her talks are super relatable, and dare I say it, maybe even a little bit entertaining. Yep – she’s my new functional medicine nerdy girl crush. She’s also the Clinical Medical Director of Precision Analytical, a company that does some pretty cool functional medicine testing. So of course I did what any nerdy girl would do – I asked her to come on the show so that I can pick her brain about her zones of genius – women’s hormones, adrenals, and functional testing. Yep, we’re getting into the technical stuff today – so grab a pen and paper, strap yourself in, and soak up the wisdom that is Dr Carrie Jones. In this episode you will learn: The reason that women are more affected than men when it comes to toxic exposure. Why plastics (and bottled water!) are so b

Meet Carly Woods – a qualified naturopath and Buteyko Breathwork Practitioner. Yep, this episode is all about breathing – are you doing it right, how can you do it better, and the amazing health benefits that can happen when you harness the breath. In this episode, you will learn: What is Buteyko breathing, how do you do it, and why should you learn it? Why most of us aren’t breathing correctly How breathing correctly can positively affect your own life and health How you can switch from sympathetic dominance (fight and flight) to parasympathetic dominance (rest, digest and repair) Why we actually want MORE carbon dioxide in our system (say whaaaat?) Who this type of breathing is good for How it can help conditions like snoring, asthma, hayfever/allergies, anxiety, panic attacks Why this breathing can improve sports performance Want to know more about Carly?  Visit her website here. Check out her upcoming workshops in Melbourne and Byron Bay here. And here is the link to her quick quiz “Are you a dirty mout

“Every cell and tissue in the body requires thyroid hormone. So it’s massive.” Meet Tara Nelson, an outspoken and passionate naturopath who wants to set you straight on thyroid disorders. Tara is based in Western Australia with over 24 years of clinical experience. After many years of seeing loads of thyroid conditions in her clinic, she went into research further education in order to create better outcomes in her most complex patients. She has gone on to write a thyroid recovery program she shares online and with her patients, and she also offers a 6 week online practitioner thyroid training program which she runs twice a year to educate practitioners in thyroid health. But most of all she is on a mission to bring awareness and education to the public and practitioner community alike about the importance of thyroid health on a deeper level. “I was looking at all the pathology results, and on paper they were ok, but they still had all the symptoms… I was getting more and more of these people, and they weren’

Dr. Brandon Brock is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Chiropractor with multiple clinical interests including orthopaedics, soft tissue injuries, and functional integrative neurology. In Dallas Texas he serves as a staff clinician at Foundation Physicians Group. Dr Brock was inspired to “work with brains” after watching his great-grandmother’s slow and tragic deterioration with Parkinson’s Disease. “Her twilight years were completely decimated.” Dr. Brock has a passion for lecturing and providing his students with skills in a way that is easy to digest, comprehend and utilise in a clinical setting. His work has impacted people from multiple educational and clinical backgrounds, including medical doctors, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, physical and occupational therapists, dieticians, naturopaths, acupuncturists, oriental medical practitioners, health coaches and lay people that want to learn how to live a healthier life. In Dr Brock’s private practice, he sees countless autoimmune cases, joint a

“Dr. Lombard is part Sherlock Holmes part Sigmund Freud.” -Jay Walker, Founder of Ted Med Dr Jay Lombard is a forward-thinking neurologist like no other… and a trailblazer in the field of integrative neuropsychiatry. His curiosity and tenacity, combined with a heartfelt compassion for his patients, is widely respected throughout the integrative medical community. In this episode we talk about integrative medical interventions for neurodegenerative conditions like ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. “Even to this day, most of neurology is ‘diagnose and adios,’ meaning that we’re very good as diagnosticians… but we have very few proven beneficial interventions to choose for patients who are suffering from these diseases.”  Dr Lombard strongly believes that there is a huge link between underlying infections in the body (especially gastrointestinal bugs like C. Difficile) and neurodegenerative diseases. These bugs are evolutionarily designed to be resistant to e

“Everybody knows a cancer survivor… Nobody knows an Alzheimer’s survivor.” Meet Dr Dale Bredesen, an internationally-recognized expert in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, Dr Bredesen’s career has been guided by a simple idea: that Alzheimer’s as we know it is not just preventable, but reversible. Dr. Bredesen’s research explores previously uncharted territory in explaining the physical mechanism behind the erosion of memory seen in Alzheimer’s disease, and has opened the door to new approaches to treatment. This work has led to the identification of several new therapeutic processes that are showing remarkable early results. You can read about his findings and research into the 2017 New York Times best-seller The End of Alzheimer’s. “Instead of ‘alternative medicine,’ I call it ‘no-alternative medicine,’ because when it comes to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, there’s no alternative.” In this podcast, we chat about: Genes and their role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease

First, they deny it. Then they reject it. Then they accept it. Then they claim it. “We are in a medical renaissance. In the next five years, there’s going to be tremendous opposition.” When interviewing guests for my podcast, there have been a couple of “pinch me” moments where I’ve sat down with someone who’s actually a MASSIVE deal to me. Someone I’ve looked up to for being a trailblazer and leader in the industry. This is one such occasion. Dr Albert Mensah is the co-founder of Mensah Medical in Warrenville, IL, USA. Dr. Mensah has extensive clinical experience in biochemical imbalances, and began his career in the field at the former Pfeiffer Treatment Center under the direction of William J. Walsh, PhD, president of the non-profit Walsh Research Institute (if anyone knows me well, they’ll know that I consider this institute to be the absolute leader in the world for pyroluria/pyrrole disorder). Dr. Mensah presents at conferences internationally, participates in physician training programs, and consults w