Conscious Health & Life

In this week's episode we have the knowledgeable Georgina from The Holistic Sleep Project! 💤🤩 Georgina is a Holistic Sleep Consultant, Qualified Naturopath and Mother. Her interest in sleep was born out of her own sleep issues and the tragedy of her own mother dying when she was just 13 weeks pregnant with her son. In order to preserve her own wellbeing and mental health in the 4th trimester, Georgina actively prioritised her baby’s sleep and it paid off! He has been a dynamite sleeper ever since! Her baby was essentially her first client! 👼🏻 From there Georgina studied an International Holistic Sleep Qualification while her son was taking his day nap and together with her Naturopathy background created her own uniquely holistic and gradual method to help babies and toddlers get more sleep which in turn completely transforms the family dynamic and positively alters the experience new parents have as their babies are completely well rested and so are they as parents. She has her own podcast “The Holistic Baby and Toddler Podcast”, consults with families on a 1:1 basis, has a membership “The Sleep Collective” and recently has become a Finalist in 4 International business and Health/Wellbeing Award Categories in the Women Changing the World Awards announced in London during May 2024. In this week's episode we dive deep into the following amazing topics:

• What is the role of a holistic sleep consultant?
• What is the 4th Trimester?
• Preferred environment for sleeping baby like a pitch black room, white noise on a timer, etc.
• Is there a place for feeding to sleep?
• Soothing sounds like white noise, shushing, lullabies, anything preferable?
• How to know if bubba is overtired, in pain or still hungry when crying?
• Societal 'norms' or 'myths to bust' about baby sleeping routines.
• Do you find that post-natal depression or anxiety affects sleep for mum, dad and bub's in early days?
• How to not feel guilty as a mum with the pressure of everything when bub not sleeping 'well'.
• Top 3 tips for promoting positive sleep at home.

In this episode we have the amazing Mel Briggs back for a PART 2 of our thyroid series.
In this epsiode we are delving deep into Hashimoto's disease!

Did you know that 80% of hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto's autoimmune disease.

So many people with Hashimoto's go undiagnosed and therefore the root cause is never addressed and they end up consistently struggling and having to increase doses of medications.

In this episode we will cover:

• What is Hashimoto's
• Subclinical versus overt Hashimoto's
• Why medication - Thyroxine is not enough
• Why Thyroxine is an inactive storage hormone - still needs converting and it doesn’t really address the autoimmune component of the disease.
• Nodule/goitre/thyroid cancer risk - Do I need an ultrasound?
• Risk of further autoimmune diseases.
• How COVID affects autoimmune disease.
• Link with EBV and Hashimoto's
• Stress and Hashimoto's
• Implications in fertility
• Environmental toxins and Hashimotos - living on a farm, painters, pesticides, mould exposure, fake tanning, mercury fillings, exposure to chlorine and flouride etc.

In this weeks episode we have the lovely Kristina Rasmussen - AKA The HPV Naturopath on the show talking all things Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Topics we cover in this episode:

• What exactly is HPV?
• What are some of the triggers for HPV?
• Does it always show symptoms or can it be asymptomatic (cervical dysplasia vs genital warts)
• If I got the vaccine for HPV - why did I still contract HPV
• Is it risky to “wait for it to clear up itself” or is there other treatment options ?
• How birth control and hormone imbalances affect HPV?
• How does thrush, BV and other vaginal microbiome imbalances affect HPV?
  

Do you suspect you have a hormonal imbalance?
Have you been told that you just need to go on contraception to fix everything?

Hormone imbalance is not a one size fits all, there can be MANY varying different symptom pictures for each individual.

Some common signs of hormonal imbalance that can be fixed and are not normal or something you have to just "put up with" can include mood swings, period pain, acne, sugar cravings, fatigue, migraines & headaches, heavy periods, clots in period blood, painful or swollen breasts, spotting throughout the cycle, sleep issues, hair loss, excess hair growth, dry skin, sluggish digestion - plus many more.

There are many different factors that can imbalance your hormones including endocrine disruptors, stress, contraceptives, gut and liver issues just to name a few.

Testing for hormone imbalances is essential and this is something covered in this episode.

Links referenced in this episode:

How many times have you heard “Your blood tests came back all normal” and you’re sitting there in front of your healthcare practitioner with your eyes hanging out of your head and about to cry if you hear that line once more?

Honestly, the amount of times I have heard that from patients is absolutely uncountable! Blood pathology is such an exciting part of your health journey and can uncover so much more than what you may think. Blood pathology optimal ranges are based on the people who get the blood tests done. Usually “healthy people” don’t get sent to do blood tests all too often. Blood test optimal ranges are based on an average of the people who get the blood tests done. Therefore, the optimal ranges I want my patients to be in are often different to the “standard” on the lab form. Blood pathology can mean so much more than just what google says. I have spent many years studying how to interpret blood pathology better and more in depth. Even a simple iron test can tell us a lot about how your immune system, adrenals and hormones are functioning.

Do you find yourself constantly running from the metaphorical tiger, aka your stress response?

Well, it turns out that this may not be helping your hormones at all.

Our body's natural response to protect us may actually be hindering our health journey, including our gut healing, mental health and fertility.

In this episode you will learn all about: 

- What is the stress response - difference between fight or flight and rest and digest 

- What symptoms show up in an elevated stress response vs a relaxed state 

- How running from the tiger affects your fertility 

Tune in to learn how running from the tiger can negatively impact our fertility and other aspects of our health journey. 

Join me, Naturopath Ellen, in this informative solo episode where we delve into the world of male fertility and explore the often-overlooked topic of sperm health. As someone who has witnessed many couples struggle with fertility issues in my clinic, I am passionate about educating others in this area.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The crucial role sperm quality plays in fertility
• How to read and interpret a semen analysis report
• Lifestyle factors, hobbies, and occupations that can negatively impact sperm health
• Essential nutrients needed for optimal sperm health
• The link between stress and fertility

Tune in to learn more about male fertility and how you can optimize your sperm health for a healthy future.

Check out my new course Natural Fertility here:

In this week’s episode, we speak with Rebecca Edwards, Director of Education at Activated Probiotics all about iron deficiency, Why aren’t we absorbing iron & what to do about it - especially in women.

This episode is quite technical language heavy but trust me - it will all make sense in the end!

Low iron is something that Doctors, Naturopaths and Nutritionists see A LOT of in clinic - would even say approx 80% of my clients present as iron deficient when starting initial treatment with me. And often, despite having taken high doses of iron supplements or even iron infusions in the past they find their levels simply do not budge. It can be so frustrating to many which is why I want to unpack the misconceptions around iron absorption in this episode.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Reasons why we may not be absorbing our iron - Eating too little? Supplement not strong enough? Taking too much?
• What actually blocks our iron - you may have heard of coffee & other tannins but what else!!
• Learn how our gut health is VITAL part of the puzzle to your iron levels
• Why taking iron everyday may be stopping you from building up your iron stores
• How other supplements like zinc and calcium levels affect your iron absorption

Rebecca is a speaker, writer, educator, and qualified Naturopath. She has over twenty years experience in education and has lectured in Australia, the UK, and the US, and delivered naturopathic education to healthcare practitioners all around the world. Rebecca is also the Director of Education at Activated Probiotics, where she is finding and sourcing the latest research.

Check out more of my favourite probiotics @activatedprobiotics

This week we cover everything you need to know to take control of your fertility, whether you want to fall pregnant or avoid it all together.

Our guest is Mel Angus, a certified fertility awareness educator and Tempdrop team member. She discovered cycle charting as a means to avoid pregnancy naturally and soon discovered how much hormone health impacted wellness. She is passionate about helping others benefit from this knowledge. Mel loves having the opportunity to work for a company like Tempdrop that is leading the way in this area through Femtech advancement.

Mel explains:

• How cycle charting and basal body temperature tracking (BBT) can help give insights into overall well-being
• How Tempdrop makes BBT tracking easier (better than ovulation strips and a thousand times better than period apps)
• Using BBT for getting pregnant without the guesswork
• How to use BBT for avoiding pregnancy (Please note: Tempdrop is not a contraception device)
• Limitations of manual BBT tracking (shift work, young bubs waking, poor sleep)
• How to use Temp drop for tracking sleep cycles
• How to use Tempdrop when coming off the oral contraceptive pill
• How long for temp drop to start giving info about fertile windows

In this week’s episode, I am joined by a dear friend and colleague of mine, Melissa Briggs who runs 'Elixir Naturopathy' in Brisbane, to discuss everything thyroid and Hashimoto's. Mel has been through her own thyroid journey which has driven her passion to support people in this space.

As Naturopaths, thyroid health is a huge aspect of what we can support really really well - if I do say so myself!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Best thyroid tests to get done - do not just accept TSH test and that "everything is fine with your thyroid"
• What is Hashimoto's - many people get disagnosed with it but get no explanation about what it is.
• Pregnancy & thyroid health - 1st Trimester foetus is dependant on Mum's thyroid hormones + link with miscarriage
• Risk factors linked to thyroid disease
• Why thyroxine does not actually help Hashimoto's
• How gut health & foods impact Hashimoto's immensley
• Nutrients & common deficiencies linked with thyroid issues
• Importance of checking for iodine deficiency

Maria Casamatta is an environmental scientist based in Vancouver, Canada. Through years of experience restoring contaminated environments, she became interested in the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on human health.

Maria started her company Oliver when she learned that women are exposed to EDC's through personal care and cosmetics. Her mission with Oliver is to create a hormonally healthy future by creating products that are free of endocrine-disrupting ingredients.

In this episode we discuss:

Kate Ibrahim is a women's facilitator with a heavy focus on positive menstrual cycles and breaking the stigma which surrounds them. She runs women's circles, first moon circles, Mother's blessings and has an online store with many menstrual cycle-loving products such as reusable pads, adjustable cycle wheel, cycle oils & so many more amazing goodies!

In this episode we discuss:

• The 4 phases of your menstrual cycle! All the way from Day 1 - Day 28
• Learn about why women are not actually designed to feel the same way every day of the month & how you can use your cycle to your advantage instead of hating it
• What to expect in the 4 phases - everything from hormone changes, emotions, energy, sleep, what to do and what not to do in each phase.
• Learn about rituals to honour each phase of your cycle and help you sync up to the moon
  How your menstrual cycle syncs to the moon. Learn about what it means to cycle with the new moon or the full moon.

In this episode, Amy Mingin and I discuss how to make an actual change in your life & reach your true potential. Amy is a coach for influencers, health practitioners, NLP practitioner trainer & is also a Naturopath herself.

We discuss:  

• What is standing in your way of success  
• Why we make excuses & avoid making a change even when we really want it 
• How the way we speak to ourselves affects so many aspects of the process of change  
• Learn simple tools to assess & implement change

"Anyone who does anything [from] endurance and major life changes - it's mindset over what is actually happening in physical reality"

In today's episode, we discuss Kayla's journey with Breast Implant Illness (BII) & her journey to wellness. Kayla is the co-founder of Morning Light Yoga Studio, and a yoga and pilates teacher. She's also an Ayurvedic health counsellor and she used to be a Registered Nurse.

We cover so many amazing topics around her journey through breast implant illness:  

• Why BII does not get spoken about & uncovering the myths & misconceptions around how implants affect the body   
• Breast implant illness signs and symptoms & how it can present in many different ways  
• Symptoms that developed straight away from breast implants put in - all the way to 10 years later just before getting the implants removed 
• How to get tested for breast implant illness  
• Kayla's surgery to remove her implants
• The reason why Kayla got breast implants in the first place 
• Learning to love your natural body

Amie Skilton, a functional medicine practitioner of over 20 years, is a well-known and respected educator in Naturopathic medicine. For over 15 years, she has graced conference stages, TV sets and - in recent times - laptop screens via Zoom; and in that time has presented more than a thousand keynotes to functional medicine practitioners, integrative GPs, holistic pharmacists and the general public.

In this episode, Amie and I discuss:  

• Amie's journey with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) caused by mould  
• Symptoms that can present with CIRS - it's more than just sneezing and coughing  
• How does mould happen in our homes - the hidden mould might not be obvious 
• How to clean mould - p.s. bleach does not work 
• How does humidity affect mould in the home & how to fix it 
• How to test & find if you have mould in the home & if it is affecting your body  

Check out Amie's course 'Mould Proof Your Home' - use code "ELLEN 15" for 15% off this fabulous course to protect you and your family.

In this episode, I speak with Courtney, a clinical Naturopath, and Nutritionist with over 10 years of experience, a Mum of two beautiful boys & an amazing mentor. Courtney works in clinic seeing clients with very complex cases and also assisting through pregnancy and postpartum care. Courtney loves doing proper testing and using evidence-based medicine.

We discuss:

• Courtney has been through her own pregnancy and postpartum challenges & shares with us many clinical insights in this episode.
• How common post-natal depression is - doesn't mean that it's normal but it shows the lack of clinical work in the postpartum space
• Private midwifery care, public hospital births, home births
• How to get support postpartum after the common 6 weeks
• Postpartum care & common nutrient depletions
• Higher need for calories during breastfeeding
• Being a first-time Mum
• Dr. Google & where to get proper information
• How to manage postpartum when you have other kiddies already
• Ways to manage cooking, cleaning, visitors etc postpartum

In this episode, I speak with Paige Redford, a food and body freedom coach. She consults 1:1 and also has online programs to help people with mindset work around food, and body image, and help them to reach their full potential.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Paige's story - how she got to where she is today through her own health journey & eating disorder - anorexia nervosa and orthorexia
• Understanding your relationships with food
• How recovery from an eating disorder works
• What is intuitive eating & how to implement it while still keeping a healthy body
• How food restrictions for a long time can create disordered eating patterns
• How shame is commonly presented with the taboo of disordered eating
• Pressure of social media and body image
• How our eating patterns form early on in life from age 0-7yo - from our parents, during school etc.

In this episode, I speak with Tom Cronin, a coach, meditation teacher, author, speaker, and producer of The Portal film.

We discuss:

• Tom’s journey from Wolf of Wall Street broker & party life to living and breathing Vedic meditation as a teacher and coach.
• Symptoms of stress, dark night of the soul, how our body responds to stress, bifurcation point of the body with stress.
• How meditation practice can help manage our “units of stress” as a cumulative amount and how it can work as a preventative measure so our body can handle stress better and restore at faster rates.
• How meditation affects serotonin, melatonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.
• How we can feel internally fulfilled rather than getting fulfillment from external sources.
• How meditation can affect your intimate relationships in positive and interesting ways.

In this episode, I speak with Ant Marino, an amazing life and relationship coach who helps people who feel lost. He helps them to create healthy strong relationships with themselves & others, build self-confidence, overcome limiting beliefs and help people level up in life.

In this episode we discuss:

In this episode, I speak with the wonderful Inga Dennett. Inga uses various modalities to explore what gives YOU meaning by helping you in your healing relationship with yourself and others. Some of these modalities include counselling, meditation, mindfulness, and inherited trauma awareness clearing. Inga’s counselling therapies are divine offerings and are open-hearted, authentic, mindful, intentional, connected, aligned, respectful and human. She will provide you with a safe and peaceful space where there is no judgment, just undivided attention to work on unlocking the potential in you.

In this episode we discuss:

• Inga’s story of going from working in suicide prevention as a counsellor and going through her own breakdown and becoming housebound - all the way to helping her clients process their ancestral trauma, connecting with their true selves and their potential, teaching meditation and creating whole transformational change in their lives.  

In this episode, I speak with The Health Hypnotist, Bianca Brown. 

Bianca is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, NLP Master Practitioner and Yoga Teacher. With a genuine love for creating uplifting experiences, helping people transform their issues into possibilities and sole intention to leave clients in a more resourceful and positive state than when they first arrive, she aims to create a unique experience tailored specifically to each clients needs.

In this episode we discuss:

• How hypnosis can help your health 

• What a session with Bianca looks like  

• How our subconscious mind can be used to empower us  

In this episode, your host Ellen discusses how to connect to your inner wisdom, discover your body's innate intelligence to transform physical health & dive deep into mind, body, and spirit.  Learn about Ellen's story - health, career, volunteering - how everything has unfolded into the practitioner and business owner she is today.