Quirky Cooking Chats

AQJ 118: Before You Change Your Diet

It’s a common story. A person becomes sick, and then starts looking at ways to change their diet to heal. Other contributing lifestyle behaviours are often missed, and these can be important factors in the decline of their health. For many, identifying and addressing lifestyle issues before any food changes are made means that more space and energy can be given to the healing journey. Join Fouad and Jo as they talk about some of these issues, how to identify them, and possible ways of addressing them.
Useful Links:
Our “Top Tips for Good Gut Health” – this is a free download on our Quirky Cooking for Gut Health home page.
Elyse Comerford – videos about Adrenal Fatigue on Facebook
Help to detox your home: Low Tox Life
Help to declutter your home: The Konmari Method
Our upcoming events: Life-Changing Food Events
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AQJ 117: Meet Your Microbiome, with Dr Jason Hawrelak

We often talk about the bacterial microbiome on A Quirky Journey, and today we have Dr Jason Hawrelak, a leading expert on the microbiome. Dr Hawrelak has been researching the microbiome for around 2 decades, and is an educator and clinician whose work has been cited over 800 times. In this episode, Dr Hawrelak shares his wealth of information on the gut microbiome, and offers actionable insights on how to eat and supplement in order to support the colonies of bacteria that play such a massive part in human health. This is, without doubt, one of our favourite episodes and we know you’re going to love it too!
Useful Links:
Learn more about Dr Jason Hawrelak here
Dr Jason’s ‘Meet Your Microbiome’ 4 week online course
Our upcoming Life-Changing Food Events
Concentrated ‘Meadow & Marrow’ broth, our cookbook, Solidteknics pans, and more… in our online store
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AQJ 116: Bulk Cooking, Meal Planning and Freezer Meals

Ever feel like you can’t keep up with cooking healthy meals for your family because you’re just too busy? Enter Bek Freeman, a good friend of Jo’s who is an inspiration to all of us wanting to eat well, despite crazy busy lives!
Bek is a teacher, has three young children, her husband works away a lot, and she has an illness which can debilitate her for hours when she’s really tired – so she really has to think ahead with the meals for her family. Her priority is her family’s health, and she has been on a mission to find ways to keep them all eating well, even on days when she doesn’t have the time or energy to do a lot of from-scratch cooking.
Bek plans and prepares all the dinners for three months – (a whole school term!!) – on the school holidays, writing out meal plans and ingredients lists and packing her freezer with wholesome meals for the family. She shared photos of her holiday cook-up with Jo, and Jo shared them with the Quirky Cooking community, and the internet went crazy and questions came flooding in!!
“How do you cook so much food in two days?? Don’t you get tired of frozen meals? How do you afford to do such a big cook-up? How do you store the food? How do you thaw and reheat it? Do you include fresh veggies in your daily meals, not just frozen? What kinds of meals do you freeze? Do you prep for school lunches? Can you share your meal plans and recipes? How do I get started with meal planning and bulk cooking?”
In this episode, Bek shares her tips and secrets for successful meal planning and bulk cook-ups. And don’t worry, bulk prepping doesn’t mean you only eat ‘frozen, reheated food’ – and you don’t have to cook for three months – but having a meal plan and some basic meals in the freezer can really save you time, money and your sanity!
Bek has recently started a Facebook group called Once a Term Cooking – if you’re interested in learning more, join the group! Or you can connect with Bek on Instragram at @rebekah_freeman_.
In the intro, Jo and Foo also discuss the Wim Hof deep breathing method which they’ve been trying for the past week, and their experience of increased energy, improved mood and calmness, and reduced inflammation.
Enjoy the discussions, and join in the chats on the Quirky Cooking Facebook Page and Chat Group, or feel free to email Jo and Fouad at help@quirkycooking.com.au.
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AQJ 115: A Balanced Approach to GAPS, and How to Get Deeper Healing

In this episode, Elyse Comerford (nutritionist and GAPS practitioner) shares her knowledge and how her attitudes have changed over the last couple of years as a GAPS practitioner. She has a burning desire to share the need for a balanced, gentle approach towards healing, and an understanding that as important as a healing diet is, it is not the ‘be all and end all’.
It’s easy to get so focused on diet that we forget all the other important facets of healing; and sometimes the stress of trying to ‘do it all’ undermines our progress. Be encouraged that sometimes taking a step back is the best way forward. Keeping stress levels low, taking time out to relax and be in nature, and finding joy in every day life and relationships are some of the best things you can do for your family’s health.
Useful Links:Elyse’s websiteWim Hof studyWim Hof MethodEarthingElyse’s GAPS Camping TripGAPS Group Coaching with Elyse
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AQJ 114: The Human Longevity Project with Jason Prall

Fouad interviews Jason Prall, the creator and producer of The Human Longevity Project, a documentary film series that will take you on a journey around the globe, on a mission to discover the secrets of the longest-lived and healthiest populations on Earth.
Filmed over 2 years, in over 50 locations, in 9 countries, on 3 continents, this film looks at the key lifestyle, environmental, and physiological components to avoid chronic disease, increase health span, and put the brakes on ageing in our modern world.
Learn more about the film here: https://humanlongevityfilm.com/
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AQJ 113: Heavy Metal Detox with Wendy Myers

Are you doing all you can to eat well and live low-tox, but still finding you are low on energy, suffering from brain fog, having trouble sleeping, struggling with adrenal fatigue, fertility issues, or can’t lose weight? These can be symptoms of heavy metal toxicity, and are becoming more and more common in our society.
In this episode, Wendy Myers of Myers Detox shares with us the reasons for the increase in heavy metal toxicity, talks us through the symptoms, and gives many practical tips for detoxing, including the use of near infrared saunas. You’ll find more information on her website, Myers Detox, and can also tune into her podcast here.
Useful Links:
Our online program to help with a detoxing diet: Quirky Cooking for Gut Health
Grain free, whole food baking (including our premade Grain-Free Dough) as mentioned in the podcast: Primal Alternatives
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AQJ 112: A Life Less Stressed with Holistic Dentist Ron Ehrlich

Most of us deal with stress on a daily basis, and without managing and reducing stress, life could become really difficult. In this episode, Jo and Foo speak to Dr Ron Ehrlich, a Sydney-based holistic dentist, and author of the book, A Life Less Stressed. We discuss the pillars of stress as outlined in Dr Ron’s book: emotional, nutritional, environmental, dental and postural stress. We also discuss how you can take control of your health through managing your sleep, breathing, nutrition, movement and your thinking.
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AQJ 110: Lyme Disease & Other Stealth Illnesses

In this episode, Amina E. Hillier, naturopath, medical herbalist and nutritionist from Noosa, Australia, shares with us the importance of integrative medicine for the treatment of stealth diseases. Amina specialises in Lyme disease, mould illness, biotoxins and immune challenges, helping many patients whose cases have been put into the ‘too hard’ basket to regain their health! She is also currently studying nutrigenomics to better understand the interaction of nutrition and genes.
Useful Links:
You can find out more about the work Amina does on her website,  http://lymenatural.com
Amina’s book, Lyme Natural, is very helpful for those with any stealth diseases, autoimmune diseases, or any food and environment related chronic illnesses.
You can also find Amina on Facebook here.
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AQJ 109: Child Health with Leila Masson

For those of you with young children, this podcast is a must! Our guest, Dr Leila Masson, is a paediatrician and lactation consultant who uses a biomedical approach to treat gastro-intestinal, metabolic, immunologic or other problems impacting a child’s physical and mental health.
Dr Leila specialises in autism, ADHD, behaviour problems, OCD, recurrent infections, nutritional deficiencies, breastfeeding, asthma and allergies, and answers many of our listeners questions on these topics.
Useful Links:
For a great, practical book on natural children’s health, we highly recommend Dr Leila’s book, ‘Children’s Health from A to Z’. (Also available on Kindle)
Dr Leila Masson’s website
Buteyko Breathing technique for reducing asthma symptoms
Dr Leila’s Facebook page
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AQJ 108: Good Oils, Bad Oils

What oils are best to cook with? Confusion around this question has been around for decades and health advice encouraging cooking with oils such as grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil and canola oil is now considered by many health experts to be one of the largest contributors to chronic illness.
A new study that compares the effects of heat on a variety of oils has just come out in May, and goes beyond the usual approach that investigates smoke point as the determining factor of whether an oil is good for us or not. Jo and Fouad discuss the findings of this study, which really helps to shed some light on this confusing topic.
Click here for the study on oils, from ACTA Scientific Nutritional Health
Other podcasts on the topic of oils, fats and cholesterol:
Fouad’s Story: Fats, Carbs & Healthy Eating
Low Carb, High Fat, with Christine Cronau
Fat Adapted: Using Healthy Fats as an Energy Source
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AQJ 107: Building Biology and Healthier Homes

Is your home making you sick?  Nicole Bijlsma is the founder of Australian College of Environmental Studies and she joins us in this episode to discuss building biology and how you can make your home a healthier environment. With our focus on food, Nicole has really enlightened us on the environmental inputs in the home that could be significantly contributing to our ill health. She also gives practical tips to deal with electromagnetic waves, mould, toxic gases, household irritants, and much more.
Access Nicole’s website here.
Australian College of Environmental Studies can be found here.
Get our cookbook, Life-Changing Food here.
Weleda Evening Primrose Range:  Get 10% off your order and free shipping over $90. Use coupon code QUIRKYJOURNEY on heck out.
Solidteknics Aussie Iron Pans: Get 10% off your order. Order here: quirkycooking.com.au/solid and use coupon code 10QCP.
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AQJ 106: Healthy Feet with the Barefoot Podiatrist

While the majority of the podiatry world is prescribing more foot and arch support in the form of supportive footwear or orthotics, Paul Thompson (known as The Barefoot Podiatrist) is taking almost the exact opposite approach.
Giving the foot less support and using specific exercise and movement patterns allows for proper strength and postural development. This is a great episode that introduces the concept of barefoot or minimalist footwear and is especially important for those of us with children, or those who deal with their own foot and postural issues.
In the intro, Fouad also gives us a little glimpse into his recent “Vision Quest” wilderness experience – nine days in the bush with no phone or technology, water fasting for four of those days, and taking some time out to rest, refocus and reset. What a beautiful experience! This will inspire you to put down your phone and get out in nature yourself, even if it’s only for a few hours!
Useful Links:
Paul Thompson, The Barefoot Podiatrist
Mother’s Day gift ideas from our Quirky Cooking online store
Jo and Fouad’s upcoming Life-Changing Food Events
The MINDD Forum which Jo and Isaac will be speaking at in May
Live Streaming of the MINDD Forum for those who want to watch from home
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