WISH Radio: Straight Talk for Women's Health

Only about 8% of people who set new year's resolutions, actually stay committed and make them happen.*  And even then, only about 40% of people even make New Year's Resolutions in the first place. So if you're here, it certainly says something about how you are and how you want to live!

It's easy around the first of January to feel that "fresh start" feeling, renew your hope and enthusiasm that this year will be better than the last. But routines settle in, distractions come and it gets pretty easy to fall off the enthusiastic goal-setting bandwagon and settle back into old habits. But not this year! This year we're going to stick it out and make good things happen together. All you need to do is make sure you're signed up to the 21-Day New Year, New You Challenge here.

So if you were among the few who set new goals and resolutions, and perhaps even among the rarer few who dare to commit to achieving them, then this little adventure is for YOU!

You can access the transcript for this interview here. This interview was originally conducted by Alison Ramsay and Clare Dakin as part of our Back to the Wild series. You can access the other interviews in this series by choosing "Natural Lifestyle" at WISHRadio.com.

What exactly is a woman? How do we describe the feminine principle? With over 3,000 media messages per day, the majority directed specifically at women telling us how to look, think, be, what to wear, how to make him want you more, how to be successful, slim, funny and fabulous, it's no wonder there is a lot of confusion, convolution, frustration and depression from both sexes. For the last few centuries the feminine has fallen into the background of a masculine driven patriarchal world, devalued and even used. This has created a deep imbalance on a micro and macro level of our lives. So how can we restore this balance and accelerate the revaluing of the feminine, which we desperately need right now? Just like we can look to nature and the wild to restore our physical health, we can also look to nature to restore the balance of the sexes and the balance in how we interact with the natural world.

I am so thrilled to welcome one of my most favorite women ever. Someone who I am privileged and honored to know and share with, and one of the most soulful and courageous women I have ever met. She founded the women-powered global reforestation campaign, TreeSisters, after being delivered a life-changing message in a car crash. She is here to talk with us about nature and the feminine, the importance of environmental stewardship and the audacious campaign that will change the world – TreeSisters. Clare Dakin ... is here to talk with us about nature and the feminine, the importance of environmental stewardship and the audacious campaign that will change the world Dear, dear Clare Dakin. Thank you so much for being here to get a little wild with us today.

• What is the sacred feminine, and how can we tap into it!
• What really happened during the "Burning Times" and how does it affect our confidence as women still.
• What can we understand about the power of our menstrual cycles.
• The most empowering thing every woman needs to know about her relationship to the moon.
• The unsuspecting start to Clare Dakin's Tree Sisters and their mission!
• And much, much more about how to tap into the power of the sacred feminine!

You can learn more about Clare Dakin and her work with the Tree Sisters here!

Lurking in autumn-drenched corners of our forest, popping up overnight with fairytale delight are our spore-born fungal friends. Or are they? Reishi, chaga, chanterelle, morel and even the humble puffball, wild mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular as powerful healing foods. But in a world that associates fungus with infection and even death, how do we turn our eyes to the ground and learn to forage fungus safely?

Here to introduce us to the magical world of mycellium is Dwight Thornton, who as founder of North American's first and only mushroom hunting school is no stranger to those colorful caps. Dwight, thank you for being here to get a little wild with us today.

In this interview, you'll learn:

• How chaga mushroom tea saved Dwight's life and cured him of several diseases.
• Which mushrooms you should absolutely avoid!
• Some of the key signs to spot poisonous mushrooms in the wild.
• The most important things to understand about harvesting mushrooms in the wild.
• How you can learn a TONNE about mushrooms in just one week.
• Some of the most common edible and medicinal mushrooms and where to find them!
• And much, much more!

You can learn more about Dwight's Mushroom Hunting School here.

You can access the full transcript for this interview here. The interview was originally conducted by Alison Ramsay and Nadine Artemis as part of our Back to the Wild Summit. Visit "Natural Lifestyle" category at WISHRadio.com to see the other calls in this series.

Beauty, we all have it and we all want more of it. And instead of it being your wildly vibrant authentic self shining out to the world in a rainbow of wellness, it has become a commodity. Something stolen, packaged up in pretty plastic pots laden with petrochemicals and synthetic perfumes, priced ridiculously high and pimped back to us with the subversive promises of love, desirability and even freedom and fame. An all round toxic experience.

But I challenge you to turn your eyes from those rows upon rows of so-called beauty products which fill the cosmetic counters of our department stores, and think of a field of wildflowers or a magnolia tree in full blossom or the intricate life that is nestled alongside a sparkly stream.

Which evokes more beauty for you? Just like we are what we eat, we are what we lather on our skin, spray on the nape of our neck and wash through our hair. We are what we breathe, bathe and bask in.

I'm really excited to welcome back Nadine Artemis, founder of the world's best natural beauty care range, Living Libations, and the queen of wild and renegade beauty to regale us with her unending wisdom on how we should look to nature to heal and enhance our health and beauty.

• The truth about where wrinkles come from (it's NOT sun exposure).
• The key ingredients to a truly radiant beauty routine.
• The truth about sunscreen and what you should use instead.
• What conventional cosmetics and beauty products are doing to our skin.
• How to finally break free from toxic beauty products once and for all.
• Why "forest bathing" will be your best, new beauty trick!
• And much, much more!

You can learn more about her work and her botanical serums and natural beauty products at her website: www.livinglibations.com. 

This interview was conducted with Alison Ramsay and Arthur Haines as part of our Back to the Wild Summit. You can find the rest of the interviews in this series under "Natural Lifestyle" category at WISHRadio.com.

Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself." This is a quote from 1854 by a prominent Native American Chief, Chief Seattle, that I found on the website of my next guest. It illustrates the interconnection of all life on this planet and makes note of the fact that as a species humans are not excluded from this beautiful and intricate web. Every choice we make, every dollar we spend, everything we consume has an effect on this web, on each other and on ourselves. No exceptions. Our health as a species reflects the health of our home, our planet. The divorce from nature that has occurred in our distracted modern lives has acted as a kind of blindfold to this interconnection. If we are to restore our health and vitality we must also restore our connection to and respect for the natural world so that we may co-exist in a harmonious way with all life around us. I am thrilled to welcome our next guest, Arthur Haines, botanist, author, re-wilder, nature enthusiast and founder of the Delta Institute of Natural History, an organization which focuses on the development of self-reliance that promotes eco-conscientiousness.

• How to decipher what's really a healthy nutritional approach when there's so much conflicting information.
• The mind-boggling nutritional value of common wild edibles vs. common fruits and veggies.
• The most important thing you can do to improve your overall health and immune system.
• Why herbal medicine and conventional medicine is not a cure, but what is instead.
• How to get started on a wilder, healthier path in life.
• And much, much more inspiration for wild living!

You can listen to this interview below.

You can access the full transcript to this interview here. And visit Arthur's website (which is loaded with articles, books, events and more!).

The clock ticks, the bell rings and academia beckons. You head to your lecture hall packed with students fulfilling their worldly duty of higher education. Stuffy fluorescent lit rooms, Wi-Fi, projectors, notes and lecturers dishing out the newest nuggets of wisdom. This is university.

But what if there was a different kind of scholastic adventure to be had? One without pencils, papers, textbooks or tutorials. A university where the wilderness is your classroom, the forest your cafeteria and the teacher - the wild nature that is you. Here to talk with us about what happens when we take our learning outside of the classroom is Kenton Whitman, adventure, mindfulness and re-wilding instructor and founder of ReWild University. Kenton, thank you so much for being here to get a little wild with us.

In this interview you'll learn:

• How spending time in Nature puts you back in touch with yourself!
• Why Kenton has devoted his life to ReWilding.
• How modern living interferes with our parenting skills.
• The best way to get started on a more mindful, healthful path to life.
• The trick Kenton used to overcome his angry and negative emotions.
• And more inspiration for wild living!

You can learn more about Kenton and his Rewilding University here. And visit his Youtube channel here. This interview was conducted with Alison Ramsay as part of our Back to the Wild Summit. You can find the rest of the calls in this series on www.wishradio.com under the "Natural Lifestyle" category.

I had three friends in one week call with questions about how to handle difficult questions. Their situations ranged from mildly annoying to immediately life-threatening. No matter what situation you're in, this episode of Soapbox Talks has the answer! Tune in and turn up the volume. Sometimes getting the right information can make a big difference!

You can download the CheatSheet for this lesson here!

There will be a Youtube video coming out soon to accompany this podcast. I'll update this page when the link is available.

• The single most important factor that makes anyone feel alive (and actually BE alive).
• The problem of backing down or giving up when you encounter difficult people, that will make an even bigger problem later. 
• The first and most important thing to know about why people are "difficult."
• How to decide which people should be your friends and deserve your trust, and which you should create stronger boundaries with.
• The key to feeling confident in almost all your relationships!
• The one thing you must do no matter how difficult the situation is. (And it's NOT easy!)
• What happens the moment you've decide that any situation or person is "too much" for you.
• Loads of examples and inspiration to help you approach all your relationships with courage and confidence!!

Healthy living heroine and juice cleansing guru, Ritamarie Loscalzo joins us for a conversation about how, why, when and what to do in order to successfully juice cleanse. There's a fair amount of controversy on whether or not it's safe to do a short juice cleanse, and this interview dives in deep to discuss the details.

You'll love Ritamarie's warm nature and comprehensive knowledge of detox. Having worked with her for many years, and hundreds of hours, she's a woman of integrity who takes her patient's well-being to heart.

Dive in and discover why juice cleansing might just be the perfect next step for you, too!

You can learn more about Dr. Ritamarie here: http://www.drritamarie.com/

Meet Joe Cross. He picked up a juicer, traveled around the United States and changed the lives of people wherever he went sharing the story of how a juice cleanse helped him lose weight, get off medications and put an end to his chronic health conditions.

Joe is as juicy a character as he is an ambassador for health, and you'll love this refreshing and vibrant interview with the man who went from fat, sick and nearly dead, to smokin' hot and healthy in a very short time!

Learn more about Joe Cross here.

Learn more about our Gentle Juice Cleanse here.

Perusing the aisles of our supermarkets we find everything from plastic-wrapped, Styrofoam-cupped, microwavable, freeze dried, GMO noodle soup seasoned with MSG to pretty packaged, artificially flavored, colored and preserved food-like products to tantalize our taste buds and tempt our need to consume. We fork over our hard-earned dollars and take home these colorful shiny packets of pasta, breads, biscuits, butters, pickles, pies and jams and eat them with the intention of nourishing our bodies and fueling our daily lives.

So if we are what we eat, then what happens if instead we pluck a wild and living plant from the forest or munch a few pink petals from an edible flower, or gorge our gobs on berry bushes dripping with sweet and sour jewels, packed with nutrients and vitality, complete with sensual satisfaction. Do we then begin to embody this wild vitality or blush of beauty or sensuality? If there is one man in this world who really understands the secret world of foraging, it's Fergus Drennan, also known as the Fergus the Forager. After over 20 years of foraging experience including extended periods living off 100 percent wild foods, Fergus can speak to the health benefits and the fun of concocting, cooking and consuming wild foods. A warm welcome to you, Fergus. Thank you so much for being here to get a little wild with us today.

In this interview you'll discover:

• The key moments that got Fergus hooked on the wild side.
• The attitude you must have if you're going to connect successfully with wild plants.
• The truth about how long it takes to really get to know an area.
• Where to start in your foraging adventures.
• Many of the key plants to keep an eye out for.
• How to tell if plants are trying to "talk" to you.
• And much, much more!

You can access the full transcript to this interview here.

You can sometimes find Fergus here, but he prefers to avoid social media these days to prioritize his focus in the real world. There are some great posts on Instagram, too. And this is his website absolutely LOADED!!! with valuable articles, information and inspiration to guide you on your path back to the wild side of life!