Mouthing Off With Dr Lewis Ehrlich

This podcast is a very important episode about an issue that is such a common health problem, but due to its non-specific nature, it often falls under the radar. We are talking about thyroid health. The thyroid gland is situated at the front of the throat, and its role is to secrete hormones to regulate many metabolic processes, including growth and energy expenditure. If the thyroid gland is overactive or sluggish, then metabolism will be affected as well as so many other aspects of our health. Around about half a million Australian’s are affected and there are so many more that have thyroid issues that don’t even know it. So for this episode, I thought I would get my friend Natalie Douglas on the show to discuss the things that are putting our thyroid under stress and how to keep our thyroid healthy throughout our life. Nat is a qualified dietician and in recent years has focused on using the power of real food, smart supplementation, quality sleep, stress management, appropriate movement, and spiritual wellbeing to transform people’s thyroid health. I found this chat very informative and practical – I sure hope you guys do to.

This episode is all about something that is so important to the health picture: Movement. Many of us aren’t doing enough of it, many don’t know where to start, some people arguably are doing the wrong type of movement for them, some of us are looking for short term gain at the expense of long-term health, there are fitness fads and there are people over promising and under-delivering. So to cut through all the confusion I thought, who better to interview than one of Australia’s best movement and lifestyle coaches, Aaron Mckenzie. Aaron has been making people fitter, healthier and stronger for around 20 years and runs his gym Origin of Energy in Sydney where he trains anyone from grandparents to elite athletes. Throughout his time as a trainer he has developed a holistic model for movement and health, integrating sustainable lifestyle changes, coupled with practical, functional, every day movements in his programs. The thing I’ve always found so inspiring about Aaron is the way he combines breathing, nutrition, and movement into his functional movement programs including not only movement of muscles but all the tissues of the body including cardio, respiratory, digestive and lymphatics.

In today’s episode we are “Mouthing Off” about all things heart health. We all have a heart, and we all need our ‘ticker’ in fine working order to live a long, happy and productive life. I read an interesting statistic the other day that said that if we live for 80 years and we average 80 beats per minute throughout that time, our heart will beat well over 3 billion times. What an amazing muscle! So, for today’s episode, I thought I would interview the inspiring cardiologist Dr Nikki Bart. Although I don’t believe there is such thing as an over achiever, if there was such a thing, Nikki would tick all the boxes. Nikki is a specialist cardiologist at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and did a PhD at Oxford University in the UK where she studied what a lack of oxygen does to the heart. Nikki is also an incredible Mountaineer. In fact, Nikki and her mother Cheryl were the first ever mother-daughter team to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. Nikki has literally been to the top of the world when she made the summit of Mt Everest. I should also mention that Nikki has achieved all of this and is still only in her early 30s. In this episode, we talk about the role of the heart, how to keep it healthy, the habits that are making your heart sick, the links between heart health and dental health, training for Everest, what it was like at the top, the mental tenacity it takes to be a cardiologist and climb the highest peaks in the world, plus so much more. I hope you enjoy this interview and find it informative.

In this episode, I’m fortunate to be interviewing the inspiring Deano Gladstone. Many of you may know Deano from the internationally recognised TV show Bondi Rescue which has been on air for an amazing 13 seasons. It is a show that has really stood the test of time. Not only is Deano an amazing lifeguard who has kept so many people alive over the years, he is also a Fitness Trainer, Yoga Teacher and has also studied at the Wim Hof academy. Many of you may be thinking: ‘What on earth is the Wim Hof Academy?’’. Essentially it is using a certain breathing technique and exposure to extreme cold every day for small periods of time to change your body’s physiology and make the immune system more resilient. This explores the notion of ‘hormesis’ – the idea that small exposures to things that in higher exposures, would otherwise kill us, actually improve our adaptive capacity. In today’s world where we are largely ‘coddled’, bringing some deliberate, short and sharp stresses into your life, might be a good idea. From a dental standpoint, Deano has a very unique story. He was the victim of a cowardly and unprovoked attack which resulted in severe trauma to his front teeth. We discuss how we take our teeth for granted and how crucial they are to nutrition, digestion and self-esteem. This is such a fascinating chat about so many different aspects of health as well as turning a huge negative into a positive. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Continuing on from the theme of anxiety and mental health with Dr Jodie Lowinger last episode, this one is all about meditation. So many of us know that we should be doing it but don’t really understand why or how. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do it…I can’t clear my thoughts”. So to help people understand why they should be doing it for good health, improved mental states and performance, I thought who better to talk to than Vedic meditation teacher, Janoah Van Kekem. Janoah learnt the art of Vedic meditation in 2014 and has been passing on his wisdom ever since. What I like about Janoah’s philosophy is that he hasn’t used mediation to abstain from the things he enjoys, but rather he uses meditation as a way of being the most creative, engaged and happy version of himself doing the things he has always enjoyed. Janoah’s easy going and practical approach to meditation makes it so easy for people to incorporate into their busy lives. Let’s face it, we are busier than ever and the vast majority of us live in a ‘fight or flight’ state. Eventually, something has to give. I hope this chat with Janoah encourages you to take some time to ‘treat yourself’ every day and get some meditation into your life.

When we think of health, we tend to focus on the physical, but mental health is such a major piece of the health puzzle. When we hurt our muscles we might see a physiotherapist, when we feel unwell we might see a doctor, and when we have a toothache we go and see a dentist, but when we are anxious, down, depressed or worried, so many see admitting to mental trouble and seeking help as a sign of weakness. That’s why, for this episode I’m really excited to be chatting to the inspirational psychologist, Dr Jodie Lowinger. Jodie has worked as a Clinical and Corporate Psychologist for more than 20 years. Jodie holds a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science from the University of Sydney, and was awarded the University Medal for Psychology. Jodie combines a compassionate and engaging personal style with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.

Jodie developed her skills in anxiety treatment, through her work at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital, the Boston Children’s Hospital, Sutherland Hospital and The Child Behaviour Research Clinic in Randwick. Jodie is also an experienced leadership and executive coach, having worked for and with organisations including Macquarie Bank and PWC.

In this episode, we discuss mental health, anxiety, and depression. As well as the toolkit of evidence-based practice to help. This can include things like harnessing worry, getting out in nature and focusing on something as simple as exercise. We also talk about the challenges we all face, but particularly young minds, from technology. This affects us all and we talk about some strategies for dealing with it.

When it comes to achieving good health, most of us know that we have to exercise, get a good night’s sleep and eat well, but what many of us don’t think about when it comes to our health is environmental toxins that we are exposed to on a day to day basis. Whether it is that facewash we use, that one food we just can’t get enough of, those pots and pans we use to cook on every day, those candles we light in our homes to set the mood, or even that toothpaste we are using day in day out….we often have no idea what is in them and what they may be doing to our health over time.  

That’s why, for this next episode, I’m really excited to be talking with the inspirational, Alexx Stuart. Alexx Stuart is an Author, educator, speaker, columnist and consultant to businesses. In 2010 she created her business ‘Low Tox Life’ after seeing the lack of transparency in our food system, personal care and cleaning products. She's built a movement that's non-judgmental, positive and committed to the health of individuals and in turn the environment. She runs online courses that focus on making living a ‘low tox life’ practical and ease and in recent times has written an amazing book called “Low tox life…a handbook for a healthy you and a happy planet” which is a must read!

In this episode we are 'Mouthing Off about cancer. Whether it is a family member, friend or a friend of a friend... we have all been affected by cancer in some way. It is one of the most common diseases in Australia. So I thought who better to talk to than Dr Olivia Wells. Liv graduated from Monash University with Honours and is on her way to becoming a paediatric oncologist.. or in more simple terms, a kids cancer specialist. Liv has seen cancer up close and personal and in this interview, she sheds light on the reality of being at the coalface of cancer. We discuss the rigours of what it takes to become a doctor, we define what cancer is, how it occurs, the risk factors, ways to reduce your cancer risk, the rise of oral cancer, the ways that Liv deals with such an emotionally demanding job and so much more. I hope you enjoy this chat I had with Liv.

Dr Ron Ehrlich amassed over 35 years of clinical practice. He is truly a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the many links between oral health and general health. Dr Ron is the cofounder of Sydney Holistic Dental Centre and has a Fellowship from the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM). He has also recently published a book A Life Less Stressed: The Five Pillars of Health and Wellness with his associated podcast Unstress and has spoken internationally about the importance of taking control of your oral and general health. In this podcast we discuss why health messages can be so confusing and what to do about it,  why your oral health is so important to your general health, we also identify the stresses that can break us down, ways to build resilience in the modern world, and Dr Ron’s own health battles. Dr Ron is a true ‘Wellness Warrior’ and whenever you listen to him, there is always so much to learn. 

In episode 1, I sit down with Drew Harrisburg, Exercise Physiologist and Diabetes Educator. At age 23, Drew was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This changed his life forever. We talk about the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, the importance of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels for people with and without diabetes, the mental tenacity and strategies it takes to deal with a life-changing diagnosis, as well as the influence of sleep, nutrition, exercise, mindset, and of course oral health on the management of diabetes but also for good health generally. Enjoy!