Low Tox Life

She's BACK: Maggie Dent is here to give us parenting gold as we celebrate her new book “Parental as Anything”. We talk about winning and losing, boundaries, brides, reward, building friendships, learning and teaching covering from 4 to teens - it's a cracker of a show if you're a parent or carer giving you a tonne of tools and vocab to use with your child(ren) to support them in thriving as the individual humans that they are and within the context of living happily in society. Share it with parent and carer friends, this is not a show to be missed. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another instalment of our parents and kids series during these few weeks and it's another super helpful show. Do you ever doubt yourself as a parent or carer? If the answer is ‘oh yeah I do sometimes!' then enter today's guest: Rod Soper is deeply committed to increasing the wellbeing of every child through saturating their lives with wellness. Rod is a veteran educator, having served as a classroom teacher and school principal for more than twenty years. Currently, Rod heads up Thinkers.inq, Personhood360 and is the principal consultant with Thinkers.inq consulting. He is also the chief investigator of The Playing with Gratitude research Project, a wellness project supporting change in about 3000 Australian children, families, and teachers.  All parents and carers want to contribute to the development of resilience in children as they grow, helping them with good self-regulation skills, perseverance, courage, and also developing their ability to move through big emotions and get themselves unstuck when they experience an emotionally or physically challenging situation. Today's show is packed with the kinds of tips and things to say in different situations that you will absolutely want a notepad and pen for so pour a cuppa, take it in, and share with a friend who might want some support raising their kids. The resources we talked about are in the shownotes over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast as well as show sponsor offers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week continuing our parents and kids series, I interview Pip Lincolne, author of the book “Days Like These” which really is a hug in a book for parents, whether you have one child, two or several, whether you have a generally great time as a parent or find it often a very challenging experience, or float somewhere between the two. Parenting is an incredibly expansive experience that fills our days with many, many things to do just to keep our little people alive and growing and as they get older, to support them in starting to make their own decisions in a healthy way. We forget that we might need support and care during this time to help us thrive through the monumental task at hand and so this show, we explore what that help, support and connection looks like. I love the example of the shower, when thinking about the challenges of parenting at the newborn stage. I remember before I became a parent, secretly wondering how on earth my highly intelligent friends who'd had a baby couldn't get showered and changed in the morning and were still in pyjamas at 4pm! Of course all was revealed in time when my boy came along, darn it. I laughed at my pre-mum self as I dragged the bouncer into the bathroom at 3pm one day so that I could have a shower and keep my eye on him if he got upset. Sound familiar? I hope you enjoy and find comfort in today's show and you can head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we begin a 4 week series on parenting and kids health topics - mental and physical and I can't wait to share the upcoming guests with you. To kick us off I speak with Carrie Rigoni, Chiropractor and Pilates instructor with a special passion for vagus nerve support as a key factor in our babies', kids' and parents' ability to thrive on the parent-child journey. We explore: What is the Vagus Nerve - how much has our knowledge of its function and significance has grown in such a short space of time? How can we identify if our vagus nerve isn't functioning optimally/ optimally supported - in adults and in kids and babies? Does the birth delivery style/circumstance affect vagus nerve tone from day dot? And if so what can we do to support our bubs? What are the factors/symptoms that might suggest Vagus nerve support is needed in babies? And so much more. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this show, I am thrilled to bring psychologist Amanda Gordon back after such a powerful show on grief last time she was here. Check out show 226 for a must-listen for all humans. Today we talk about resilience building, stress reduction, boundaries, have-to's and connection to others and our partners while we navigate the stickier points of partnership and equality. It is once again, a drink of common sense reminders that really do help move the needle in our modern lives, where we can easily disconnect from others and a sense of purpose. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details and the show partner giveaway details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Got gut troubles? Needing to be on a “different” diet to family or friends stressing you out? Experience anxiety and want to look at how food plays a role? This is a powerful show! The gut, stress and mental health - I invite Integrative nutritionist Elyse Comerford onto the show to discuss food and mental health but it's not just an ‘eat this for anxiety' show - we actually also discuss at length the impact that having to eat differently either due to allergy, health condition or healing protocol can have on our stress and hinder deep healing. Elyse is an Integrative Nutritionist & Certified GAPS(Gut & Psychology/Physiology Syndrome) Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach, Exercise Scientist & Founder of Well Belly Health. Passionate about the implementation of nourishing & healing dietary principles, reducing client stress & the GAPS protocol, Elyse & her team at Well Belly Health have helped hundreds of families around the world overcome a host of health issues by focusing on listening to the body & tuning into what it needs. I hope you enjoy the show and it gives you good things to think about on your own journey. You can check out the show notes for more resources and details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we continue on this environmental toxins and chronic illness series, I interview once again, the incredible Beth O'Hara. When I first had Beth on the show a few months ago, we explored MCAS - Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and people with mast cell issues, how it presented and what might be some of the common causes for the syndrome as it's a symptom after all - there's a reason those mast cells are rising up to get all angry and protect us, as unpleasant as the ‘protection' feels. So in this show, we discuss the bigger picture of detoxification and resilience building for people with chronic toxicity exposures and illnesses that stem from it, and how we can get the body back to balance and on the road to recovery. It's an empowering and oftentimes emotional conversation and interview, given both Beth and myself have battled our own personal challenges in this area. Please, if there's someone who's struggled for a long time, share this with them. Don't give up and always have hope. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details on Beth's work over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often think of environmental toxins as things that can harm us from the outside, but what about toxins inside our bodies? This week, continuing our environmental toxin series I invite the wonderful Kirsty Wirth back to the show to discuss potential environmental toxins in our inner environment, especially the digestive tract. We talk testing, budget options, health practitioner team assembly, lifestyle hacks to embed before seeing a practitioner and the names of specific things to look for in gut/poop tests to investigate with trickier cases. Kirsty is a wealth of knowledge on things that can drastically move the needle in chronic health pictures from neurological challenges, to mental health, gut diseases and behavioral concerns to help people thrive.  Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details on Kirsty's work and this week's special low tox swap offers over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm talking about how to lead a low tox life and some of the guilt/shame snags people hit as beginners or when perhaps you're overwhelmed along the way. I take a look at some of the considerations as we move through our own personal journey becoming more aware of food, body, home and mind, and sometimes the weigh ups aren't black and white (actually they hardly ever are!) and how to navigate that to feel more empowered as we all simply try to do the best we can. I also cover some FAQs I get from the DMs and emails about mold / CIRS, EMFs, body products and more. I hope you find the show useful. Enjoy the show and head to the shownotes for all the links to things I mention on the show over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast and click on today's show. Alexx. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you have a range of ongoing symptoms affecting multiple systems in the body and no idea what's going on, getting no answers? This week we dive back into a topic close to my heart and  a health challenge I still struggle with 5 years later: Mould/Mold and Chronic inflammatory response syndrome also referred to as Biotoxin illness. Dr Sandeep Gupta, an Australian doctor at the forefront of research and treatment in CIRS is back on the show talking through allergy vs CIRS and what the difference is, treatment advances, detox do's and don'ts, what the leading practitioners around the world are bringing to the table on this subject, choosing a home, further resources to connect to and more. It's a powerful interview for people living with chronic inflammatory response syndrome. Please, if you have a friend, colleague or family member who's been ill and frightened about it for a long time, today's show is worth a listen. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hands up if you ever get overwhelmed about all the problems facing us and our world? If we simply ‘hope' with wishful thinking that things will get better, nothing happens, but today's author, Emily Ehlers reminds us that hope is a verb and what a powerful reminder it is. Her beautiful new book is full of illustrations, actions and information about how we can ensure we beat overwhelm and fear, and are always able - even after the hour's panic or overwhelm we'll inevitably feel along the way - to muster our next action and move forward. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details and our low tox shout out offers over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week continuing our people and planet series looking into the evidence for health benefits of an organic diet, with Liza Oates, PhD. Lisa did her doctoral research on the health benefits of organic diets after observing in clinic as a practitioner for decades, the wide-ranging benefits people felt when she transitioned them to organic food. We discuss organics, how the most important difference is ‘what's NOT' in the food, various associations' claims and media claims and how to engage in thorough research when we want to investigate claims, and we talk about nutrition confusion in today's world. It's a great, clarifying listen if you've been confused about this topic. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Confused about food and the planet? This week continuing our people and planet series with the president of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, Tammi Jonas - a farmer, author and in the throes of writing her PhD on the biodiverse and decolonising practices of agroecological farmers, and the technical, social, and legislative enabling conditions for an agroecological transition in Australia. Tammi has been president of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) since 2014. For 10 years, AFSA has worked as a collective of individuals and organisations to promote everyone's right to nutritious and culturally-appropriate food produced and distributed in ethical and ecologically-sound ways, and our right to democratically determine our own food and agriculture systems. On today's show, Tammi helps us navigate the complex world of food from a beliefs and preferences perspective, to what the planet thrives on, to animal care, health care and more. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You won't think this is tiresome when you're having to canoe to work in midtown,” said today's guest Professor Sandra Goldmark to a director she was working with who thought her ideas on using more sustainable materials for a show she was set designer for on Broadway, were a nuisance! She went on in her personal life to have 3 household things break one after the other, and, unable to get them easily repaired, it was another big wake up call. A Ted talk, creating pop up repair stores in NYC and a book “Fixation How to have stuff without breaking the planet” later, Sandra is a wonderful inspiration for how we can go more circular. Why can't we easily get things fixed? Often we experience guilt and shame for needing to buy a new ‘something' or frustration that there isn't an easy pathway to getting it fixed. Today's show is going to help you feel inspired to take next steps towards a more circular world. Enjoy the show and head over to the show notes for more details on Sandra's work, a link to her book and to join the Low Tox Club lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off our people + planet series looking at businesses and thought leaders creating change from their corner of the world, we have the wonderful Jarvis Smith from the UK, publisher, entrepreneur, hippy - and we explore how these different aspects of the self converge and find peace within the one person. Jarvis, once a budding musician who'd just released his first single, was invited onto a reality show, featuring a group of people who had to build a life on a landfill. The experience was so profound that he then founded the first “Green” Magazine” with National Geographic in 2007, now an independent quarterly magazine called the Green Pod that you can subscribe to in today's show notes - it's free! Today Jarvis and his partner Katie also run My Green Pod, an online retailer supporting products from around the world doing better by people and planet. It's a philosophical conversation, a window into a pioneering mine in the education and retail space and something that will leave you feeling better than when you started, that much I promise. Enjoy the show and head over to the show notes for more details and to join the Low Tox Club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am thrilled to bring you part 2 of the “brain retraining” work of Ashok Gupta this week, one of the wonderful resources I've found, investigating a long term issue of mine that I'd so dearly love to nip in the bud. If you missed show #213 I highly recommend you start there or at least go back after this one. Ashok suffered from ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, around 25 years ago when he was studying at Cambridge University. Through neurological research that he conducted, he managed to get himself 100% better. He then set up a clinic to treat others and then published the well-known recovery program known as the Gupta Program in 2007. His mission: To help people retrain their brains and nervous systems to respond as required - NOT as if it's a state of emergency all the time. He has published several medical papers and is continually researching chronic conditions that don't resolve despite ‘people doing everything right'. I've suspected for some time now, that my nervous system and immune response have started having irrational responses to even the slightest of change or stressor as a ‘hangover' from a negative reaction to anaesthetic and experiencing CIRS from mold 4 years ago. Hayfever from air fresheners; palpitations if I even walk through a mouldy house, or past an air-con system that's dirty. I get muscle twitches when at a traffic light near a phone tower.I started to wonder if it was a nervous system ‘PTSD'. Turns out, I was onto something. Can we rewire these reactions when we're no longer in chronic danger/ill health and return to lasting health and happiness? Ashok Gupta believes we can and his program has achieved results for many people healing from ME/CFS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, CIRS, EHS, Anxiety and more. So, in this follow up conversation, now 3 months into the program myself and experiencing great results, I'm excited to dive into more detail. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details as always on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you ready to stop hiding from yourself and feel truly empowered in your own life? That is what Dr John Demartini invites us to do and I'm thrilled to have him back on the show where we talk about self love, saying no more often, changing our inner dialogue, the true power of gratitude, actually getting done what is actually important - sometimes we say something is but it's not! Lastly, we talk about parenting kids to raise them to live their highest value and thrive, too. It's a powerful interview and one I have needed to re-listen to, just to ensure the gold soaked in properly. If you've not come across his work before, Dr John Demartini is a human behaviour specialist, International best-selling author, educator, founder of the Demartini Institute and the author of 40 books that have been translated into 39 languages. He has presented along-side Sir Richard Branson, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Steve Wosniak and many others. He has been a welcomed guest on Larry King Live, CNN, CNBC, is a contributor to Oprah Magazine and hundreds of other magazines. For more information on John's work visit, http://demartini.ink/web. Enjoy the show and head over to the show notes for more details, for the sponsor offer details and to join the Low Tox Club lowtoxlife.com/podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm going to make a bold claim: That every human needs to listen to this show today. I burst into tears. Big time. From thinking about loss close people to me had experienced in their lives, to then thinking about the whole community and the collective grief out there to then having a personal button pushed - grief I didn't even know I was still moving through, probably because I never fully came to terms with the loss, such is the strange situation of growing up thousands of miles away from your family. Grief is something all of us will move through and all of us will wonder if we're doing our best to support someone moving through it. So today, I have the wonderful clinical psychologist, Amanda Gordon on the show to help us understand our own grief when moving through it, as well as to live with that grief and tune into the ways to be a great support to someone grieving in our lives. I know this show will produce tears and pain and sorrow. It did for me. Lean into it. Reach out to someone today. Powerful, important stuff. And of course, as always, head over to the show notes for more details, our supporter offer and to join the Low Tox Club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jade Teta is back on the show with a quick metabolism research breakthrough at the start of the show and then straight onto one of his passion topics: Developing our minds into next level humans. This week's show will push your buttons. It may not feel comfortable but growth-thinking never is, right? We look at how much of a base level, culture level or next level human we are and what that looks like. We look at ecosystem vs ‘ego' system thinking; truth; beliefs; getting along with people who think differently or hold different beliefs; being open. I journaled for an hour after this show and pretty much could have gone double the time just to give you an idea of how much thinking you will be invited to do off the back of this show. Something I was drawn to from the beginning with today's guest, Jade Teta (who's a physician but doesn't like the label) is his NON black and white approach, for his true understanding of what motivates us, how truth and beliefs evolve just as science does and then in his physician's approach, the importance of the bioindividual approach. Today will probably push your buttons, you probably won't agree with everything, but you will think and in a world that has us choosing camps off the back of headlines and he said/she said, deeper thinking is a powerful way forward towards curiosity about each other's differences, embracing of our overlaps and greater peace and progress moving forward. Can't wait to hear what you think and the show notes has the details of our March podcast sponsor offer lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does pleasure mean for you? This week we kick off a series to optimise life - call it upleveling, deepening our sense of well being and satisfaction or cultivating happiness and more pleasure, we're exploring it all in the next few shows and on this show I interview Dr Jia Gottlieb on the topic of pleasure, a subject Jia has studied for decades which has culminated in this wonderful new book “Ahhh… The Pleasure Book”. We explore the pleasure and pain connection, addiction, guilt and shame surrounding pleasure, why it means so much more than sex and food and how to look at pleasure from physical, mental, emotional and spiritual perspectives to feel more deeply at peace, content and alive in your life. Now doesn't that sound wonderful? Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever experienced pain? Have a pain in your back that won't go away? How about your elbow? Having a range of chronic issues with muscles, joints, swelling that won't leave you alone? Well, it turns out one of the least effective things you can do is chase that pain - the answer is often in a bigger picture look at your body, emotions, the way you're moving - the lack of movement. Dr Perry Nickleston, a Chiropractic physician trained in multiple disciplines thereafter over two decades, joins me today from “Stop Chasing Pain” to go full detective on your pain and chronic issues and look at the largest contributing factors that could be driving them. We discuss cell health, detoxification efficacy, conventional treatments, eastern treatment and even what we all might do to start cultivating greater ease of movement, less pain and injuries from what we drink in the morning to the best way to sit or spend a minute's spare time. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reacting to everything? Itchy itchy scratchy scratchy? Maybe you can't sleep? Wired and unable to calm down? Everything sore and achy all the time? Brain feeling like you have to pass through thick mud to form a clear thought and action? This week continuing our health series, I interview a naturopathic doctor who I believe is going to transform the lives of thousands with her work on mast cell activation syndrome and chronic environmentally acquired illness: Beth O'Hara. Beth is a doctor practicing both online and in clinic from Ohio, USA and has not only studied MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) but she has lived it, with a seriously challenging persona health journey of her own. We talk about that journey in today's show, as well as MCAS, Histamine intolerance/excess, skin conditions, lyme, mold, electromagnetic fields and chemical sensitivity, as well as looking at contributing factors to healing including supplements, nervous system repair and more. Please do share this episode if you know anyone who has experienced strange, seemingly unrelated symptoms or who is chronically unwell, as I truly believe this show will support them on their way - as I hope it does you, if that's you! Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Got thyroid challenges? Turns out that a staggering 80% of people being treated for thyroid conditions, wished there were new treatment options to consider - only 7% are happy with their treatment. Yikes! This week I have Dr Alan Christianson back on the show talking dietary research, thyroid and most specifically, iodine balance, sharing what he learned through research and clinical trials in his new book, the Thyroid Reset. Alan is a naturopathic physician with over 25 years in the medical field, who shares the vulnerability of his own struggles with weight at a young age (read his full story in the show notes - what a tale!) and why that formed his passion for helping people optimise their health using all tools and research available. It's a great interview from which I know you will learn so much, as I did. Enjoy and head to the shownotes over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast and click on today's show! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week continuing our health series, I interview Dr Rosalba Courtney, PhD, who did her PhD in the area of breathing: How to define through testing what is optimal, what is suboptimal, and how to get a patient to regain breathing flexibility - all will be explained in the show, trust me. We talk about breathing ‘cult followings' and how to know what works for you and what won't as well as what won't; how to know you need help with your breathing, the fascinating link between optimal breathing and blood sugar regulation and so much more. A fascinating conversation with one of the world's most knowledgeable when it comes to all things breath and I'm thrilled to bring Rosalba on the show. Enjoy the show and head to the shownotes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much do you know about the electrical system of the body? Do you know whether yours is working optimally, why it may not be, and what to do about it? In this year's first show, I invite Dr Melina Roberts back on the show after a great chat about gut health last year on show #201, to talk about the electrical system in the body, what the relevance of ph balance, minerals, electrolytes are as well as the top contributing factors to achieving optimal heart rate variability - a sign your autonomic nervous system is working well. It was a fascinating chat where we dove into exercise types, the No1 thing you want out of your water and much, much more. Enjoy the show and head over to the show notes for more details and to join the Low Tox Club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Carrie Jones is a Naturopathic Physician with a Master's in Public Health having over 12 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine. She is the medical director of Precision analytical, the creators of the Dutch Test - a hormone test with a difference. Carrie is back on the show, this time talking about mitochondria and celebrating - those bumps in the road that if our mitochondria are in good shape, we can bounce back, but if not, we need to pay them attention, nurture them and get them working better. Mitochondria are essentially our energy batteries, powering various functions of the cell and organism as a whole - aka, very important! Enjoy the final show of the Low Tox Life podcast for 2020. Thank you for listening, sharing and letting me know of all the ahas that occur as a part of this show existing. I appreciate you and love showing up each week to share the incredible wisdom of our experts each week, Alexx xSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show a dear friend joins me to discuss openly and honestly what it is to really struggle with yours and your child's health, how surrounding yourself with supportive people and practitioners is key and then we go on to have delicious chats about Christmas festivities, our menu plans, cooking from scratch to success and more. Jo Whitton is an author, businesswoman and founder of popular health and cooking platform, Quirky Cooking. Growing up, Jo struggled with chronic health issues. As she watched her children grow up, she noticed that they struggled with similar health conditions and began to research ways in which they could improve their health, through a whole-food and low-allergen diet. In 2008, Jo created her blog, Quirky Cooking, as an outlet to document and share her learnings about healing with whole foods. Quickly, Jo became known for her honest approach to health and life, and Quirky Cooking became a go-to platform for easy and delicious recipes. She is the best selling author of 2 cookbooks already with a 3rd due out next year. Enjoy the show and as always, you can find the sponsor offer and more details about Jo's work over on the show notes, lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every once in a while a brand comes along that sets the standard for many to follow. One of those companies is indeed Weleda, founded by Rudolph Steiner 100 years ago next year, on the biodynamic principles he was defining at the time before being condemned by the Nazis - by Hitler himself - for his progressive ideas of oneness. From those first preparations, one of which is the still famous today, cult product Skin Food, has grown one of the biggest ethical, sustainable companies in the world. I am thrilled to have Annette Piperidis, International Strategic Sourcing Coordinator at Weleda global with us on the show, to take us under the hood of the brand and show us how they maintain high standards despite their scale. Annette is responsible for ensuring that all raw materials meet the company's high standards such as the highest standard of them all, the UEBT. Enjoy the show and head over to the show notes for our show sponsor offer and more details on Weleda at lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our second Eco-Building special release this week is with Australian business owners of Blue Eco Homes, Joe and Merylese Mercieca, from the Blue Mountains region. In this show we focus on Passivhaus building philosophy and implementation to help you understand not only what some of the drawbacks are to a regular house build, but what the many benefits are to getting it right for your health and the planet in the long term. Having spent a night in their show home to experience what it was like, I can tell you it's a home like no other. Joe had a vision to build sustainable quality homes, with minimal impact on the environment – both during construction and when occupied. This was the catalyst for Blue Eco Homes. With an aim to reduce environmental impact both during construction and habitation of their homes, Blue Eco Homes continues to pioneer sustainable innovations in the building industry. We work with local designers to build sustainable residential and commercial properties simply not offered by traditional builders. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building and renovating is something we get asked about a lot and anyone who's met me knows, I am NOT the best person to ask. I do however know how to find the best people to help us all navigate these bigger low tox goals and substantial investments to make the most of what is often one's life's savings and dream home vision. Enter one of two builders I've got on the show this week bringing you a northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere perspective: First up, Canada's Casey Grey, aka the Conscious Builder. Casey was born to build as demonstrated by a voracious lego habit as a child, a passion for construction and seeing how things fit together, leading to his first job in construction at 17 and his own construction business a few years later. One day asking “WHY?” he realised he wanted to fulfil a bigger purpose than simply building houses for people, but making the experience a conscious, low impact one from start to finish: The Conscious Builder was born and the rest is history. We talk passive house, building materials, renovation vs building pitfalls and more on today's show. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on today's show at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am thrilled to bring you the “brain retraining” work of Ashok Gupta this week, one of the wonderful resources I've found, investigating a long term issue of mine that I'd so dearly love to nip in the bud. Ashok suffered from ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, around 25 years ago when he was studying at Cambridge University. Through neurological research that he conducted, he managed to get himself 100% better. He then set up a clinic to treat others, and then published the well-known recovery program known as the Gupta Program in 2007. His mission: To help people retrain their brains and nervous systems to respond as required - NOT as if it's a state of emergency all the time. He has published several medical papers and is continually researching chronic conditions that don't resolve despite ‘people doing everything right'. I've suspected for some time now, that my nervous system and immune response have started having irrational responses to even the slightest of change or stressor as a ‘hangover' from a negative reaction to anaesthetic and experiencing CIRS from mold 4 years ago. Hayfever from air fresheners; palpitations if I even walk through a mouldy house, or past an air con system that's dirty. I get muscle twitches when at a traffic light near a phone tower. I got both when I recently changed the darn sheets and they'd been in the cupboard for a month. I knew it wasn't my conscious brain reacting so  I started to wonder if it was a nervous system ‘PTSD'. Turns out, I was onto something. Can we rewire these reactions? Ashok Gupta believes we can and his program has achieved results for many people healing from ME/CFS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, CIRS, EHS, Anxiety and more. So, here he is, explaining how a few exercises a day can help our nervous systems and immune responses stabilise. Fascinating work and hope for many.Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details as always on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes I have a guest on the show that makes me feel like I've had an hour-long hug and a cup of tea and all is just going to be fine in this topsy turvy world. Jane Milburn is such a guest. Author of Slow Clothing: Finding Meaning in What we wear. Her forever strategy is to use what you have to do what you can to ensure a resilient future. In today's show I inched forward a few extra steps in my readiness to get more creative with turning old clothes into something new, although my husband is the one who's handy with a sewing machine in our house. If you care about slow fashion, love repurposing things or perhaps feel a little lost as to how to get going doing better in this area, this show is very much for you. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm thrilled to continue an “Under the hood” fashion series, this week looking at jewelry after last week's denim show. Pyrrah jewelry are one of the few jewelry brands with full transparency and commitment to ethics in the supply chain and for their team who make the pieces so founder Danielle is. In 1993, Wade and Danielle Papin met, fell in love and began handcrafting jewelry at their kitchen table in Vancouver. Two years later—following myriad conversations about their shared appreciation for good design and old things—they founded Pyrrha with a commitment to letting their materials inspire their work. The resulting jewelry is Pyrrha's now iconic line of talisman necklaces, bracelets, cuffs and rings made from reclaimed silver, bronze and gold. Each piece is handcrafted in Pyrrha's Vancouver studio—a striking contrast to the glut of overseas, factory-made, mass-produced jewelry that is so common in their industry. "Everything seems to be cranked out at a staggering pace and then left for dead," says Wade. "Because we live in such a throwaway society, it's necessary—and joyful—to create some things that can be kept."While Pyrrha remains a local treasure in its native Vancouver, the talismans have captured international attention. The line has been embraced by celebrities and style icons the world over, and retails at such global boutiques as Liberty of London, Le Bon Marche Paris and United Arrows of Japan. In 2010 Wade and Danielle took what felt like their natural next step, opening their extraordinary flagship store in L.A. The Pyrrha store allows fans to experience the Pyrrha world, as well as to see the extensive talisman collection in its entirety.I hope you enjoy learning about the jewellery trade more intimately as well as this beautiful brand and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show and for the next 3 weeks we're talking fashion - denim, jewelry and becoming a confident textile repurposer and fixer! So this week, I have the wonderfully determined James Bartle on the show, sharing his purpose-led journey to creating Outland Denim. It's a brilliant example of business for social change and human rights justice and while this is a big feature in today's show, we also discuss where the denim industry is at with production, sustainability and ethics all along the supply chain. I hope you enjoy it. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on James and Outland Denim at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wade Lightheart is someone who knows by sheer experience of failure, trial, test, measuring and eventual success, what the keys to optimal health are for humans. From his experience competing in the Mr Universe, to putting on a lot of body fat shortly after, to a tragic family story in his youth and much, much more, Wade arrived at the acronym A.W.E.S.O.M.E and turned his focus to supporting people through education and his renowned supplement company, BioOptimizers. He uncovered much of the shady-ness of the supplement industry in both research and manufacturing (if you want to dig deeper, I interviewed Kate Johnston/Holm on this last year, too!) and then started on a journey to independently support as many people as possible with the issues plaguing us today: Poor digestive health and the flow on effect in all areas of our health. We talk about what the second world war had to do with the food industry history, how what we eat today is very different to what every other animal's diet is, to how to reestablish great digestive health and vitality with some key basic concepts and changes. I hope you enjoy learning from Wade. A wealth of knowledge. Lots of health nuggets. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on Wade and BioOptimizers at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you have a strange relationship with your dreams? Run to a dream dictionary to check the meaning of them? Not have them at all or struggle to remember them? Today I chat to Eric Tyrone-Brown all about dreams and how we can start to work more actively with them to have a richer dream-state life as well as using them to our advantage in our waking hours. It's a fascinating deep dive into dreams culturally, and also what some of the biggest scientific and cultural moments have been that were born from dreams. Enjoy the show and be sure to head to the show notes over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast to connect to our show sponsor offers and more details on Eric's work, Alexx xSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something like food waste isn't a very sexy front page story on the topic of global warming, but if you made food waste a country, according to Project Drawdown research, it would be the 3rd largest emitters behind China and the USA. True story. So food waste is huge, but then the modern person busy with a calendar full of to do's, sometimes finding it hard to get something on the table for dinner let alone a ‘considered' meal on the table asks: What can my little house do about the fact that of all food produced, the world wastes between 30-40% of it? Well, a lot. Enter Alex Elliott-Howery, founder of Cornersmith and author of her new and 3rd book “Use it all”. Alex has devised a unique and powerful way for everyone to get really comfortable with using it all up and I was so thrilled to discuss a deep passion topic of mine personally, with a leader in the Aussie field of making food waste reduction an appealing and clever thing for us all to do. Remember the saying “It's just 1 straw, said 8 billion people?” Well, same is true of food waste. Start where you are, do something, and as a collective we can dramatically change the story around food, grow our respect for it, our connection to it, and become clever, resourceful cooks (which means less stress in the kitchen!) SOUND LIKE A PLAN? Enjoy and head over to the show notes for this month's sponsor offer at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do finances and low tox living have to do with each other? A lot as we explored the first time the brilliant Melissa Browne was on the show (show #90). Think about one of the biggest stress drivers in a person's life or relationship? Money. Think about what chronic stress does to a person? Bingo. So, with a new book out that strives to unlock some truths about ourselves so that we can move forward more effectively and less stressed when it comes to our money stories and financial situations, enter this extremely useful chat about budgeting and why it doesn't work, but more importantly, about what does! I can't wait to hear what aha's came to you as we discussed the different financial phenotypes - I felt I had a lot to think about after this conversation. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've known this week's guest for years and been on his podcast, and when I heard Dr Brett Hill had been spending the past few years on the topic of emotional resilience after a life event that floored him - a marriage ending suddenly and not by his choosing - I wanted to bring this topic onto the show, given such events and their aftermath can be such a stressful time in our lives and also how Brett shows, they can be a catalyst for huge personal growth and our best times yet ahead.This is a very useful show to understand the impact of a relationship break up better, but also to take a look at what can help us grow emotional resilience as one of the ultimate tools in our low tox lives. Head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am thrilled to welcome our first fiction author to the show this week, looking at the power of fiction in a time when reality can be very confronting. It can give us strength, raise our levels of compassion and curiosity for all sorts of issues and we explore all that and more looking at Charlotte McConaghy's new book The Last Migration. We talk about what Charlotte found while researching her book as well as how the process has impacted her personally. The Arctic Tern, in its lifetime, will fly to the moon and back three times. It has the longest migration of any birdon the planet and flies from the arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Franny, the central character's search for a sense of home, family and belonging mirrors that great trek of the tern. I won't divulge more, you'll just have to listen. Enjoy this rich conversation and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show, I interview global expert on colour, the colour psychologist Karen Haller and boy was it a fascinating deep dive into the significance of colour in our lives - Have you got a colour you have ‘never liked?' or are you a lover of brights or muted tones? Learn why pink and boy became our gender stereotype colours; why black isn't actually slimming; how an event in childhood can have you hating a colour for decades unnecessarily; learn how different cultures perceive and catalogue colour and ultimately learn about yourself and your own relationship to colour. Karen also talks about how to tune into colour for comfort and security when uncertainty and low points in life come along. She is the author of the hugely successful The Little Book of Colour: How to Use the Power of Colour to Transform Your Life.Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If ever there was something we needed this year - for ourselves and to give to others, it's encouragement. Enter this week's guest who popped into my inbox just as I was looking for a guest to encourage us all regardless of the challenges in our lives! Michael Arterberry, Master Encourager, and Dynamic Motivational Speaker.As a teenager, Michael was fortunate to receive guidance from positive adult role models who helped him overcome adversities and set high expectations for his future. Grateful for the role these mentors played in his own development, Michael decided to dedicate his professional life to helping people navigate the difficulties of life and launch their future into motion. For more than 25 years, he has been helping teens and adults to use what they have gone through as a catalyst for success rather than an obstacle for failure.Michael received the 2010 USA Network's Characters Unite Award for exceptional commitment to combating prejudice and discrimination while increasing tolerance and acceptance within the community. He is also the recipient of the 2014 100 Men of Color Award for leadership in In 2008, Michael founded Youth Voices Center, Inc. a non-profit with the mission of helping young people to become active, productive members of society by overcoming their obstacles, their history, stereotypes and even their own self-image and limiting beliefs.Michael is the author of "Be Encouraged: 250 Days of Motivation and Encouragement", a daily motivational book and in today's chat we talk about his life, how he overcame the obstacles he faced, and how he used that to help countless others write a new story for their futures. I know you're going to enjoy it as much as I did and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're taking another look at Gut Health - this time with Canadian Naturopath doctor, Dr Melina Roberts. We look at gut wall integrity, enzymes, stomach acid, inflammatory foods, histamine, probiotics and more in this week's show. Melina is the author of Building a Healthy Child and Founder of Advanced Naturopathic Medical Centre in Calgary. She is recognized as one of the top Biological Medicine practitioners in North America and is a lecturer for the Paracelsus Academy. She is a leading authority in the field of naturopathic medicine specializing in Biological Medicine effectively treating digestive issues, chronic disease and cancer. Dr. Roberts is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. She did a 2 year post-graduate study in Biological Medicine with Parcelsus Klinik in Switzerland. Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we celebrate 200 shows! I take you through some of the highlights of the past 100 shows on food, body, home, mind and what I think the best thing for us to be focused on during these rocky times to quell fear and uncertainty and feel empowered. I also answer 10 community questions I received last week when I did a call-out on everything from washing soda, to hand sanitizer, my top 3 swaps, natural perfume picks, best dishwasher products! Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for all the additional resources. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of you loved Dale Bredesen's first interview last year, show #143 for you to go back and listen to the Alzheimer's 101 interview so that you're up to speed for today's show. I just had to invite him back given he has produced a wonderful program to nurture and protect our brains as well as to support the reversal of cognitive decline. Amazing times to be living in, right? Dale E. Bredesen, MD, is internationally recognized as an expert in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The End of Alzheimer's (Avery, 2017). He held faculty positions at UCSF, UCLA, and the University of California, San Diego, and directed the Program on Aging at the Burnham Institute before coming to the Buck Institute in 1998 as its founding president and CEO. He is currently a professor at UCLA. I hope you enjoy today's discussion about the latest treatment and reversal developments as well as the additional diagnostic factors coming into play for this disease that takes so many beautiful brains from people and their loved ones. It's time to tell a new story on cognitive decline now that we know we can do something to both prevent and reverse it. Head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on Dale's work and books, Alexx x lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am thrilled to have author, researcher and lawyer Barbara Freese on the show this week lifting the lid on coal, radium, leaded petrol and more. As an assistant attorney general in Minnesota, Barbara Freese cross-examined witnesses for the coal industry who disputed the reality of climate change, pushing back as they denied facts that threatened their company's bottom line. She wrote her first book Coal: A Human History during that time, and then as time went on, these courtroom interactions formed the idea for her deeply researched new book, INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH DENIAL. This new book looks at corporate denial through 8 powerful and infuriating case studies. A long-time analyst of environmental policy, Freese showcases the campaigns of denial from businesses involved in the production of leaded gasoline, tobacco, the fossil fuels destabilizing our climate, and more. Freese argues that while the cases are different, the psychology of corporate denial has remained the same over centuries. When confronted with the harm they cause—whether to individuals or to the environment—corporations deny the evidence, blame their victims, complain of witch-hunts, attack their critics, and rationalize their destructive behaviour. INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH DENIAL also delves into how society has fought back against corporate lies using tools of democracy like boycotts, government intervention, and media scrutiny. And the book explores the question: what is it about corporations that can foster this dangerous behaviour? Drawing on years of research into how cognition and morality are altered by tribalism, power, anonymity, and of course, money, Freese sets out to answer why big business is the way it is.  Enjoy and head over to the show notes for the sponsor offer and further details on xxx at lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Monique Allen, the Founder & Creative Director of The Garden Continuum, an award-winning landscape design/build and fine gardening company. This week we unpack what it means to ‘life-scape' and why that's better than simply landscaping. We go through tips for newbies, ‘black thumbs', veggie gardening and layering your plant types to create greenspaces, balconies and gardens that will feel like home. We also talk about the mental health benefits of creating a lifescape, what resources to surround yourself with to succeed and even redefining what success means when it comes to gardening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show we have Dr John Gray, known for his “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” and the many books he's done since. If you didn't catch show #147, head back and have a listen to last year's show where we looked at hormone balance as key to a healthy relationship, how to get the balance right and what we can do to start communicating better. This show, we deep dive into the questions that came after you listened last year - such good questions! On this interview, we talk about spending more time than ever together during the era of the ‘Rona and how we can do that to success, as well as practical examples to use during arguments, how doing more than the other is relationship sabotage, same-sex couples and how getting the balance right happens when the hormones are the same rather than complementary and much, much more. I hope you enjoy it. I always learn so much from John. Grab more details on his books and work over on the show notes lowtoxlife.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An important women's health topic this week: Author of “Fix your Period” Nicole Jardim was born to help women and girls with their periods. A health coach in the true sense of the word, she is supportive, positive, and can-do, full of solutions drawing on all the best science and research available to us today. In this interview, we discuss tween/teen periods - everything from conversations and resources to share with your kids, factors for establishing a healthy cycle in body and mind, right through to racial and class injustice when it comes to health care for girls around the world. It's a super helpful show for people who need this in their life right now. I hope you enjoy it and Nicole's book ‘Fix Your Period' for girls and women at any age and stage before menopause, to make friends with their cycle, not see their periods as enemy No1. The show supporter details are over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast Enjoy! Alexx See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So over the past month we've talked about home health and the role of a healthy home in our own health. Then we've looked at construction industry health and the potential for radical impact if we get what and how we build, into the future, right. This week, want to feel motivated to think about what you can do next when it comes to helping bolster our planet's resilience? Tune into this week's show where I talk to journalist, sea changer + Pip Magazine Permaculture Magazine founder Robyn RoenFeldt and plan your next inspired step. Enjoy and don't forget to take a look at the show notes to connect to Pip Magazine and our show sponsor, Alexx.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.