Quirky Cooking Chats

Broth Broth. Has the world gone mad for the stuff? What’s so good about it? This week on A Quirky Journey we share the art of preparing bone broth – also known as stock – and how it can help with both healing the gut, and adding deliciousness to your meals! We discuss the history of broth making, the benefits of making it a kitchen staple, and the many ways of preparing this natural super food. What we will share: – Why all diets benefit from broths of some sort, and even how to make a vege version suitable for vegans – Why broths are so important in a GAPS diet or any other gut healing protocols – What medicinal properties are in broths – What other benefits there are besides gut health – What bones to use and where you can get them – Simple ways to make broth for busy people – How to get your family used to broths – How to use them and how much is recommended per day We know that after this episode you will feel confident in preparing this nutritionally dense and vitally important food. Useful links: Jo’s broth recipes: Bone Broths (Liquid Stocks)Leah’s broth recipes: Bone Broth Jo and Leah’s broth making video: Making Beef Bone Broth Dehydrated bone broths, for travelling or when you’ve run out! Broth of Life The post AQJ 14: Bone Broths: How and why to make them appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

This week Jo and Leah are joined by Kristen Morrison, to talk about natural approaches for special needs children. 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.

What do you do when your newborn baby screams constantly in pain? 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.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to educate your kids at home? Are you wondering what would make a family decide to homeschool? Do you have questions about the benefits to the kids and the family overall? Find out why both Jo and Leah felt they didn’t fit ‘the system’, and what made them decide to home educate their brood of youngsters. Learn about: – The various styles of home education, and what it looks like in Jo and Leah’s homes – The resources available and what they use – Registration within Australia – The socialization aspect of homeschooling – Why they chose this for their families’ needs – The importance of support and community – How they cope as homeschooling parents, and how they get everything done – How to encourage a love of learning in your children Useful links: Homeschool Australia: http://homeschoolaustralia.com 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.

This week we have a very special guest – Jo’s son, Isaac, who is the main reason her family began GAPS. Isaac is 13 years old, and very eager to share his experiences with changing his diet and how it has helped him to heal and recover from severe OCD. 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.

Do you suffer IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, or Crohn’s Disease? Do you struggle with absorbing nutrients, and suffering from low energy levels, even though you eat well? 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.

This episode begins with Jo sharing where she is at with her and her family’s health and GAPS journey, the ups and downs, and the importance of marking time while waiting for the gut to heal. 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.

In this episode we interview Samantha Bulloch, ND, Clinical Director & practicing naturopath, who is an expert in women’s health issues and helps many families with healing infertility issues. Samantha gives us a fascinating insight into what is happening in the body when gut health breaks down, and how it affects everything else in the body, including hormones and fertility. She explains how the gut can be healed, and the difference that can make in a woman’s body. 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.

Are you on an elimination diet of some kind, whether GAPS or another one, and finding it frustrating that you seem to be reacting to foods more strongly than you used to? In this episode Jo and Leah discuss why this happens in the early phases of GAPS, and why it’s not a bad thing. Your body gives you warning signals, and an elimination diet helps you learn to listen to those signals. 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.

For most people, it’s a bit scary to think of moving away from your usual way of eating to a gut-healing diet like GAPS, and one of the scariest things is the thought of the de-toxing and die-off symptoms that you’ll go through. 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.

Whether you are beginning the GAPS diet, or just working towards a healthier lifestyle, your home is an important place to start. In this episode we share our practical tips for preparing yourself and your home. Learn about detoxing your home and personal care products, finding the right water filter, helpful kitchen tools, getting started with broth making, how to save time on meal prep, finding good food suppliers, choosing the right time to begin, where to get information from, and more. This podcast will help you put together your action plan so you can start confidently! The post AQJ 04: The How To’s of Making Home Changes for Health and Healing appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

What is the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet? What caused our families to embark on this journey? How have we avoided being overwhelmed by the many changes? 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.

Throughout the year many of us have made lifestyle changes that will not fit into our usual Christmas celebrations. Our family is now following a modified GAPS diet, and many others have changed the way they eat in the past year because of newly diagnosed allergies. This episode is about incorporating your favourite Christmas traditions into your new lifestyle, so that the whole family can enjoy a happy, healthy holiday season! There’s no need to feel like you’re missing out – let’s share ideas for a Quirky Christmas. 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.

Welcome to the first episode of A Quirky Journey! Grab a cuppa, sit down, and enjoy getting to know Jo and Leah as they share their personal stories with you. Learn about the health challenges that prompted them to seek healing through food, how their experiences led them to where they are now, why sometimes whole foods is not enough, why they decided to go down the path of a GAPS/Paleo diet, how they’ve coped with big diet changes in their families, and the events leading up to the decision to start a podcast. The post AQJ 01: Our stories: why sometimes wholefood isn’t enough appeared first on The Wellness Couch.