Quirky Cooking Chats

AQJ 20: Quirky Cooking Interview on “The Health Show”

Jo has recently been travelling in the UK with her Quirky Cooking classes, and while there she did a radio interview on Marlow FM’s “The Health Show”.  Jo chats with Ann Garry and Jenny Tschieche (nutritionists) about:
– her family’s food journey and how they got to where they are now
– why they began GAPS
– the link between depression, anxiety, OCD, and gut health
– the differences GAPS has made in Jo’s family
– how Jo copes with such a busy schedule while cooking everything from scratch
– ideas for quick meals, easy nutritious breakfasts, and time saving tips
– coping with special diets while travelling
– getting the kids involved
and more!
If you are new to “A Quirky Journey”, this is a great place to jump in, as Jo summarises her family’s food journey in this information-packed interview. It’s lots of fun and there’s plenty to inspire you, so listen in and enjoy!
Useful links:
Marlow FM radio online
Nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche – Lunchbox Doctor and Facebook page
Gut and Psychology Syndrome
The post AQJ 20: Quirky Cooking Interview on “The Health Show” appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

AQJ 19: Lifestyle Changes for Health and Wellbeing

Today Jo and Leah discuss their top tips for lifestyle changes for wellbeing. They share the small changes in their own lives that have helped them to move forward in their health journeys.
Small, sustainable changes lead to bigger things. Something as small as what you eat for breakfast can start you off on a whole new direction.
Listen in as they discuss:
– achieving small steps before moving on to new challenges
– changing directions as you learn more
– the importance of a support network and community
– teaching others through your failings and successes
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AQJ 18: Organic and Low Tox Living: Interview with Alexx Stuart

We live in a toxic world, and most of us are suffering from some kind of toxic overload in our bodies. How can we eat and live in a way that reduces the toxins in our environment and bodies? What differences will it make if we can only make a few small changes? How do we even begin?
Alexx Stuart is an expert at helping people to de-tox their homes and food, and her simple, practical approach to low-tox living is a breath of fresh air to overwhelmed mums all over the world. Not to mention, she has amazing recipes on her blog!
Listen in as Leah and Jo pick Alexx’s brains and learn some tips for things you can do today to begin getting toxins out of your lives. We also talk about GMO foods, organic farming, knowing where your food comes from, getting back to real foods, simplifying your food and life, avoiding food waste, and much more.
Alexx has a great ecourse to help with detoxing your life – find out more about it here on her website.
Useful Links:
Video by Dr Vandana Shiva for the low down on GMOs, Planet on a Plate
Organic Savings Tips
Redefining Treats
Vague symptoms and endless searching
Keep your cleaning toxin free with these 7 easy homemade cleaning products
100 ways to use your scraps and leftovers!
Mindful eating
The post AQJ 18: Organic and Low Tox Living: Interview with Alexx Stuart appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

AQJ 17: Catching Up on the News and a GAPS Easter

It’s Easter time! So of course, Jo and Leah talk about chocolate, healthy Easter treats, non-chocolate Easter gifts,  and Easter menus. But first, they discuss what’s been happening in the world of ‘GAPS’ and ‘Paleo’ – Pete Evan’s recent Paleo Way tour, how they are going with following a GAPS diet, and all about the MINDD foundation and the upcoming MINDD forum.
Catch up on all the news, and be inspired for a healthier Easter!
Useful Links:
The Mindd Foundation 
Pete Evan’s Paleo Way Tour
Nourished Kitchen 
GAPS Facebook Page
The Healthy Home Economist 
Easter Recipes
Leah’s Raw Chocolate (unsweetened)
Jo’s Raw Chocolate (sweetened)
Jo’s Salted Caramel Chocolate
3 Ingredient DIY Easter Eggs
Leah’s Homemade Marshmallows (GAPS friendly)
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AQJ 16: Bulk Food Buying and Co-ops

It can be very daunting when starting out to change your diet, as suddenly your food bill may go through the roof. How can this be avoided? Is it possible to eat healthy, organic or pesticide free (or at least low chemical) foods, without blowing the budget? We believe it is! The secret is in buying in bulk, as much as possible, and making the most of what is local and in season.
This week Jo and Leah are discussing how they buy in bulk through co-ops to save money, and to find hard to source ingredients. They are joined by Jo’s friend Sarah, who is moving out west to a station and needs to be able to order in bulk and have goods sent to her. Jo and Leah answer Sarah’s questions, as well as others on their Facebook pages, such as:
– what is a co-op and how do I find one?
– what do you buy through co-ops?
– is it only for dry goods?
– what’s the difference between a co-op and a CSA?
– how do you store your bulk foods?
– what if you can’t find a co-op to join, how do you start one?
– what if I just want to buy in bulk on my own, not through a co-op?
…and lots more.
Listen in and learn how you can start cutting down on your grocery bill, while eating healthier!
Useful links:
– Bulk buying: an explanation on Jo’s blog of co-ops, bulk buying, and how to begin your own co-op. Also see Where to Order From, Pantry List, and Storage of Your Bulk Orders
– Find a co-op near you: check Leah’s page, Jo’s FB page, and if you’re in Jo’s ‘Quirky Cooking Chat Group’ you can find co-ops in the “Quirky Resources” Albums in the Photos tab (and add your favourites).
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AQJ 15: Kitchen Tools: Our tips for a well equipped kitchen

This week Jo and Leah empty their kitchen cupboards and chat about :
What they mean by a real food kitchen, and the importance of going back to homemade foods
Kitchen tools they have invested, in both good and the misguided, and what they recommend as alternatives
Their top five tools that they can’t live without
Jo and Leah share their thoughts on best options for cookware, comparing aluminium, non-stick, ceramic, cast iron pans, and even the baking paper they choose to use and why.
At the end of the day, the main thing is to be in the kitchen preparing nourishing meals… but could you be undoing a lot of your hard work because of the types of cookware that you are using? Could your cookware be the source of heavy metal toxicity or adding to the chemical load of your family?
Join us for an informative little session on the making your kitchen as healthy (and functional!) as possible.
The post AQJ 15: Kitchen Tools: Our tips for a well equipped kitchen appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

AQJ 14: Bone Broths: How and why to make them

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
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AQJ 13: Natural Approaches for Special Needs Children – Interview with Kristen Morrison

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.comwww.GrowFoundationForKids.org.au
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AQJ 12: Mother Knows Best: Interview with Joanne Hall

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
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AQJ 11: Homeschooling: How and why we educate our kids at home

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/
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AQJ 10: GAPS from a kid’s perspective: Isaac’s journey so far

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.
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AQJ 09: Interview with Talisha Kendall: Healing IBS, Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, Naturally

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.