Have you ever wished you could just get rid of all the clutter that weighs you down, sell your house or rent it out, reduce what you own to what you can take with you in a caravan, take your kids out of school, throw away the to-do list, leave the city behind, and travel Australia with your family? No deadlines, no pressure, nowhere you have to be, off on an adventure under the wide open skies with those you love…. Sounds like a dream come true, huh! Most of us are not brave enough to make it happen, but those who do it say they have NEVER regretted it!!
Meet Justine of More Stories, Less Stuff. Justine and her hubby Phil did just this – packed up, left Melbourne, and have been travelling Australia with their three girls for the past nine months – and they don’t have an end date in sight. Justine says, “I began the minimalist journey and decluttered us out of a home!” And they definitely don’t regret it.
Jo was lucky enough to meet this gorgeous family last week as they were travelling in her home area, the Atherton Tablelands, and she persuaded them to hang around for the week. Little did Justine realise that when she popped over for a cuppa, Jo would rope her into doing a podcast…. 

AQJ 146: Travelling Around Australia with Kids

What happens when a well known healthy food writer hits a brick wall with her children’s health? She goes back to square one and begins the long journey of gut healing, both for her children and herself. Join Jo Whitton of Quirky Cooking as she shares her families’ journey to good health.

Cook with Jo in her kitchen; absorb her knowledge of food as medicine to develop a healthy mindset towards nourishing your family with real food; and learn how Jo balances the food prep and cooking for her family with running her own business and raising four kids. 

Listen in as Jo chats with friends and guests about everything from culinary medicine and nutrition to family food stories, healthy homes, regenerative farming, reducing stress, balancing work-family-life, saving time and money while eating well, and much more!

You will find links to recipes and information discussed in the show notes of each Quirky Cooking Chats episode, along with a link to the Quirky Cooking YouTube Channel where you can watch each episode and cook along with Jo.

This podcast began as A Quirky Journey&quot; in 2014, as Jo recorded her son’s story of recovery from severe OCD and anxiety. Together with her co-hosts and friends, Jo has shared inspirational stories and interviewed many nutrition and health experts over the years, helping listeners to find ways to improve their health and wellbeing for the better. 2020 has been a year of changes, and as Jo nestled in to her home during lockdown she found that her listeners wanted help with practical, everyday cooking for maintaining good health in a doable way - not just the science and nutrition information. So A Quirky Journey has become Quirky Cooking Chats, where you can listen (and watch) as Jo cooks in her kitchen, and chats about ’real life’ nutrition and healthy living with her friends and guests. Listen in, ask questions, and be inspired to make simple changes that will maximise your health and wellbeing, without the stress and overwhelm!

Health & Fitness

Having a curious mindset is of major importance in all areas of life, and is especially crucial in the area of health and wellbeing. If you find yourself shutting down anyone who challenges your thinking around health and diet, you may be shutting down opportunities to learn and grow, and prolonging your health struggles.
In this podcast I talk about the difference between having a curious mindset and a conclusive mindset:
– Looking at the world around you with open eyes vs shutting off anything that goes against what you “know”
– Learning to look at health as principles to apply to your unique situation, rather than a set of black & white rules
– How curiosity helps us grow, and how our health can flourish when we consider the principles of a traditional, whole food diet rather than relying on ‘diet rules and regulations’ and a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
I also discuss the question, “Is this food/product/supplement good for me?” Learn to work out the answer to this question for yourself, simply by asking yourself some questions relating to a traditional, “whole food” way of thinking. (See resources below for the list of questions I mention in the video.)
If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Article: “Principles of a Whole-Food Diet” and questions to ask yourself when trying to decide if something is healthy or not – see my “Beginner’s Guide” here
Article: Is Dairy Bad for You? “What Have We Done to Dairy?”
Podcast: Curiosity and Regenerative Farming – “Dave Westbrook, The Farm Business Coach Giving Life Lessons to Help Farmers Achieve Their Goals”
Help with Gut Healing: The Gut Health Formula, 8 Week Program
Watch the YouTube video of this Podcast here!
The post QCC 166: Be Curious! The importance of having a curious mindset appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

QCC 166: Be Curious! The importance of having a curious mindset

“Q&A and Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce” 
Watch the video here!
This week I answer listener’s questions which include: 
– When will your new cookbook be available? 
– What kind of things you can make with meat stock? 
– How many hours a day do you cook? 
– How can I heal my toddler’s gut? She’s a very fussy eater! 
– Where do you buy your almond meal/almond flour? 
– How much almond meal is too much in our diet? 
– Will you share your Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe? … and the answer to the cheese sauce recipe question is YES! You will find the how-to instructions at the end of this Q&A, and the recipe is available here!: Link to the instructional Youtube video, Here!
RESOURCES – 
“A Taster” ebook: 12 delicious, gut-healing recipes from my upcoming cookbook “Simple, Healing Food”. This ebook costs $10 and you will receive a $10 discount voucher for my new cookbook once it is released! Find it here!
 – The extra special chocolate cake mentioned in this video will be in my new cookbook, but if you’re dying to try a decadent chocolate cake right NOW, try this one from my blog here 
 – How to make and use meat stocks, and the difference between meat stocks and bone broths
– The last cookbook published by Quirky Cooking, Life-Changing Food  
– Our 8 week program for improved gut health, The Gut Health Formula
Watch the video here!
If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.
The post QCC 165: Q&A and Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

QCC 165: Q&A and Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce

“Activating Nuts & Seeds – Why, How and When?” 
Watch the video Here!
This week I answer listener’s questions about activating nuts & seeds, such as: 
– Why activate nuts & seeds, and do you always do it? 
– Are some nuts harder on the digestive system than others? 
– What is the difference between activating, soaking and fermenting? 
– Can you use an oven for dehydrating soaked nuts & seeds? 
– How do you avoid activated nuts/seeds from going mouldy? 
– If I blanch and remove almond skins is that same as activating?
 – What do you do with the pulp from nut milk? 
– Can you activate nut meal or does it have to be whole nuts? 
Learn the reasons behind soaking, fermenting and activating and what the best options are for those on a gut-healing diet!
RESOURCES:
– Soaking & Activating Nuts & Seeds – ratios & times: see page 23 in my Life-Changing Food Cookbook:  
– Program: If you need support, recipes and professional health advice to help you on your gut-healing journey, consider joining The Gut Health Formula, an 8 week program I run with Elyse Comerford, Integrative Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner: Find Her Here! 
RECIPES:
– Blender Batter Pancakes/Waffles
– Blender Batter Muffins
Watch the video Here!
If you have a question you’d love for me to answer, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.
The post QCC 164: Activating Nuts & Seeds – Why, How & When appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

QCC 164: Activating Nuts & Seeds – Why, How & When

“Gut health – Where do I start??”
Watch the video Here!
This week I answer the question of where to begin when you want to work on improving your gut health, but feel like it’s all too overwhelming.
I share simple steps for a gentle approach to healing:
1) Start slowly!
2) Add in before taking out. Healing foods to focus on adding in:
– meat stocks
– good fats
– eggs, especially yolks
– organ meats
– bone marrow
– fermented foods
3) Transition to a whole food diet
4) Remove hard-to-digest sugars and starches from your diet while healing
5) Eat nutrient-dense meals to reduce the need for snacking
If you need support, recipes and professional health advice to help you on your gut-healing journey, consider joining The Gut Health Formula, an 8 week program I run with Elyse Comerford, Integrative Nutritionist and GAPS Practitioner: Find Her Here!
You will also find plenty of gut-friendly recipes on my blog Quirky Cooking, and in our Life-Changing Food cookbook
Watch the video Here!
If you have a question you’d love for me to answer in my podcast videos, email me at help@quirkycooking.com.au with the subject line, “Ask Me a Question”.
The post QCC 163: Gut Health – Where Do I Start? appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

QCC 163: Gut Health – Where Do I Start?

In this episode I share some tips for keeping up with the cooking when you have young kids & work full time.
Most parents struggle to keep up with cooking healthy, balanced meals for the family as well as working full time, taking kids to school and other activities, and finding some time for themselves. 
Listen in for some time-saving tips for meal prep, and how to plan ahead so that everyone is well fed without lots of stress.
Watch the youtube video here!
USEFUL RESOURCES:
– Meal planners, and some sample meal plans: Here!  
– Past newsletters with sample meal plans: Here! 
– Subscribe to my email for more meal plans and recipes for simple, family meals: Here!  
Watch the youtube video here!
The post QCC 162: Saving Time with Meal Prep appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

AQJ 146: Travelling Around Australia with Kids

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