Sistermixin' The Whole Circle

We have been inundated with questions about our "Additive Free Made Easy Online Course" we have decided to dedicate this podcast to answering some of your most asked questions. We discuss the length of the course and resources provided, whether there are any future online courses planned and our availability for support throughout the length of the course. You'll find out all the details on early bird prices, the full cost of the course and flexibility and payment options available. To name a few topics we cover in the course, we look at food colours, additives, sulphites, MSG and the effect of all of these on your body. We also have multiple interviews with health professionals and doctors and much, much more. We discuss why we don't include meal plans in the course and how each person is different in terms of food allergies, intolerance's and preferences. We love that we're not about taking things out of your diet (except the foods that contain additives) but rather about adding healthy options into your di

What Is Left To Eat? Trust us, you won't go hungry when you decide to eat additive free - the options are endless! We discuss simple food swaps that you can do. You don't need to eliminate everything from your diet. As you will hear, it's very easy to swap for an organic or additive free alternative and often won't cost you any more. In this episode we give you an array of simple swaps that you can buy from the shops. We just want to stress that it is really easy to swap most of your food for an additive free choice, you don't have to make everything from scratch and you will still be eating an array of foods that your family will love. We also touch on some of our most effective time saving tips to help you even more. Tune in as we share our most powerful testimonial to date sent in by Lucia, a busy mum whose life has been absolutely transformed by taking our "Additive-Free Made Easy" four week online e-course. Links & Resources: Online E-Course (open for registration until 6 Nov 2016): www.additivefreem

All About Labeling In this episode we learn about the importance of checking the back of food labels rather than being fooled into the clever marketing displayed on the front of the packet! We delve into certain marketing techniques, particular foods to steer clear of and how ingredients are categorised on the back of the packet. We have a big focus on the “Healthy Star Rating” and the “National Heart Foundation Tick” that exists on Australian food packets and give an in-depth run down as to why both of these measures of so called “healthiness” of food are flawed in many ways. We also discuss how food manufacturers are now masking some of the worst additives and preservatives, as they realise we as consumers are becoming more conscious of additives to avoid. Before Jo discovered additive free living, she believes her family could have been consuming well over 100 food additives every single day, even when she was buying products that claimed to contain no artificial colours or flavours. We dedicate a large s

Managing Judgement Over the past 50 years our food has gone from nutrient dense, home-grown food to horribly processed, bleached, stripped, glued and pulped. When you decide to eat additive free, it can be very hard for our friends and family to understand your reasoning; and this can often come across as very judgmental. In this episode we give some great tips on managing judgement from others (and also our own judgments), especially when we refuse to eat a certain type of food which we know is detrimental to our health. We discuss ways to build your confidence about your choice to be additive free and also ways to lightly educate those that become interested in the choices you openly make about food. We talk about why it's ok to boldly say "no I don't need that food in my diet!" and the pride that comes with making that decision. Judgement on yourself can be equally as harsh as judgement from others. When someone says something such as "you're being a bit over the top" then you might run that question agai

Time and Money We find the top questions we get asked when it comes to starting out additive free are "Is it expensive to live additive free?" and "Where do you find the time?" Both of these questions arise from a place of fear, the fear of not having enough money nor enough time! When you begin your journey into additive free living, you'll notice you begin to avoid buying the packet health food items at the supermarket, as they're not quite as healthy as you first thought! Those packet items certainly come with a price tag, therefore you will notice you might even save money going additive free! We discuss how you can still have "convenience" foods the healthy way, with tips for preparing meals in bulk and freezing for later use. As we are both busy mothers, working full time we believe everyone has the time to create healthier eating habits but they just need to shuffle their priorities! Links & Resources : Listen to Podcast 18 as we talk about How to Eat Organic While Sticking to Your Budget Online

Know Your Why Starting anything new in life can often be overwhelming and it's no different when it comes to implementing healthier food options into your life. We're here to help those that are starting out additive free and putting out a big reminder that it isn't as scary as it may seem! First you want to establish your "Why?". Why would you like to eat a certain way? Why have you had an interest in additive free? For Jo, in particular, her journey into additive free living began when her daughter, at just three years old, had major unexplained behavioral issues. Jo would often find her in the fetal position on the floor, scratching her face excessively or throwing lengthy tantrums. Luckily, around this time Jo was fortunate enough to overhear information on a certain additive that is linked to behavioural issues. She then delved into researching more about what might be affecting her daughter's behavior. She found the light at the end of the tunnel when she discovered an adverse reaction to a certain pres

Greg Newson is a qualified naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist, remedial massage therapist and has a clear passion for health and wellbeing. He treats people who are suffering from every day things like colds and flus right through to digestive issues, emotional and even life threatening conditions. His number one drive is to treat not just the symptoms of a disease but the underlying cause. This approach is unique to traditional practice found within medical centers and by GPs especially within Australia. Greg focuses on a particular disorder called pyrrole disorder, which is a biochemical imbalance that leaves the body unable to absorb key nutrients such as zinc at B6, which are vital for proper bodily function. Jo is particularly excited about this episode as she has recently been diagnosed with the disorder. Other than a seemingly endless list of alternative names for the disorder (kryptopyrole, mauve disorder and pyroluria to name a few) there is also a large array of symptoms and links to the disorder.

"Everything is figure-out-able!" Today we chat to Tash from "Healthy you Happy me" who discusses why true health goes deeper than simply just the food we put into our bodies. She has gone from a life as a professional singer to following her secondary passion of life coaching, health and wellbeing. She is driven and intrigued by the colorful life paths her clients take and brings a gentle approach to ensuring they meet the truest desires of their hearts. With a unique birds eye view, Tash loves to dissect what's important in each of her client's life and what's not. She also loves to focus on the creative pursuits of individuals, being a reliable mentor, shoulder to lean on and driving force behind our own inner pursuits. We get down to earth and chat about why the answers always lie in our gut feelings, especially as women with our inbuilt navigation systems that we so often ignore- aka our intuition! Tash describes why it's oh-so-important to truly take ownership of your life, giving yourself permission to

In this exciting second part of our sleep series podcast, we tune in once again with Lucy who gives us some great advice on what strategies we can use to assist in our sleep patterns in order to bring about a more quality rest. We gain valuable insight into the different types of food that can assist in a good night's sleep and also what foods or beverages to avoid. In particular we look at the effect of carbohydrates and how they influence the release of serotonin which in turn partners up with melatonin. We also explore the interesting factors of how sleep affects our body weight and the link between a poor night's sleep and the release of particular stress hormones. It's hard to believe how much our modern lifestyles are influencing our sleep patterns and Lucy dives right in to explain our body's internal clock or circadian rhythm and how electronic devices are interrupting that natural cycle and what we can do to improve our daily habits. We find out what exactly is going on inside the brain and how, thro

Today we're chatting with Lucy, a self proclaimed "sleep nerd" who spreads her wealth of knowledge on the topic of sleep nutrition. We all know how important it is to get a good nights' rest but Lucy breaks down the finer details of this well known fact. As a lot of our listeners are busy mums, broken sleep is a little too common in our daily lives and we look at factors that influence sleep patterns and how to tailor those patterns to suit your lifestyle. We look at what it actually means to be "asleep" and the technical aspects of being in a catabolic vs anabolic state. Lucy walks us through historic sleep patterns such as: naturally being guided by the sun and moon, and going to sleep at dark and waking with the light and how our modern Western lifestyles have altered that natural rhythm. We find what the best times are for the deepest rest and the type of sleep cycles our bodies go through and also the type of repair that takes place. Stay tuned for part two! Links & Resources Website: www.reconnected

In today's episode of The Whole Circle we speak with Rebecca who decided to ditch the standard nine to five and hit the road in a bus. Along with her four kids and her husband, she is travelling around Australia, soaking in all that this amazing country has to offer! Rebecca is spreading inspiration to those she meets along the way by allowing them to discover the world of essential oils. She advocates the amazing brand "dōTERRA" which is a range of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils that supports sustainable farming and communities. All plants used to make up the oils are grown and harvested in their natural habitat. From immunity to beautifying skin, supporting sleep or digestion, Rebecca explains how essential oils can assist not only your own health, but that of the whole family. Find out why 100% pure oils contain compounds which make them safe to digest and the many uses aromatically, topically or as a mood enhancer. Rebecca touches on the traditional oil wisdom spanning thousands of years

We're honored to be chatting with Victoria, a single mum of two who walks us down the bumpy roads of her past and how she is now helping others to achieve their goals and be the best that they are here to be. Victoria went through her first stomach operation when she was 10 months old and has been in and out of hospital most of her life. She has experienced deep depression after multiple surgeries and she knew she had to take steps to turn her life around and get her health back on track. We place a microscope on the changes she made in her life, in particular with regard to her mental health and how she managed her stress levels. Victoria discusses the biological effects of negative emotions on the body, especially at a cellular level. We look into the attributes of self-love and self-respect and why it's so important to pass this knowledge onto your children, especially those going through their teenage years, as it serves a solid foundation to get them through the many challenges of being a teenager. Victo

In this episode of The Whole Circle we are spreading inspiration on healthy eating, with Claire from Dom's Kitchen! Today we chat to the incredibly inspiring and energetic Claire from Dom's Kitchen who has transformed herself from a stressed out corporate lawyer, with a love for takeaway and frozen meals, to a self-proclaimed advocate for healthy living. Claire's making a difference, by spreading the message that you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen to change your eating habits, and that we can pass on the positive message of food, especially the eating habits passed down to our children. It was only a few years ago that Claire realised she needed to do something about her eating habits, like many of us innocently falling victim to everyday convenience foods. Once she realised the wool had been pulled over her eyes, she dug deeper and deeper to find the truth behind supermarket food labels. Claire is on a mission to turn our eating habits around, one step at a time, to avoid leaving us in an overwhelm

That’s our topic for today because we have put ourselves second for so long and that has to change! In this episode of The Whole Circle we share tips on how you can take care of yourself more. Whether you’re a single parent or are just feeling so stressed with managing the house and doing all the other things mommies do, this podcast episode is for you. Here are some tips we talked about in the podcast: Take a quick break. 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or half an hour, whatever works for you, take the break and give yourself the permission to do so. We talked about getting fit in a previous podcast episode and we’re saying it again here simply because exercise works wonders not just on your physical health but also on your mental health! Join or build a community who will help you do some of the taxing chores of being a mother, like babysitting. Don’t feel guilty asking for help. You need it. Alone Time. Go shopping alone, read a book, just do something you love and do it in solitude. Practices like meditation and y

What is sprayed on your food stays on your food,so when you eat your food it ends up in your system. This is something many of us don’t want to happen. People think going organic is difficult, or that is is really expensive, but we are here to tell you that it isn't, and anyone can eat an organic diet, with just a little bit of extra care! In this episode, we talk about how you can start eating more organic healthy food even if you’re on a tight budget. Here is a summary of the tips we talk about in this episode of The Whole Circle: Tip #1: Buy in bulk Whatever food you’re buying, if you’re buying in bulk you will definitely save money in the long run. One way to do this is to look around and join a coop. Buying through a coop can save you lots of money. If you can’t find one, start one! Tip #2: Buy in season When fruits and vegetables are in season they’re cheaper. Stock up, puree, freeze or preserve as much as you can. Tip #3: Use your freezer It's no secret that we love to freeze lots of things at Sistermi

“I’m busy.” It’s an expression that gets thrown around every day and we use it a lot as an excuse. Mostly to avoid the things that are beneficial for us: like exercise. In this episode of The Whole Circle Podcast, we give you five great suggestions to get you motivated to becoming more active, even when you’re busy. If you don't believe us, check out this article from the Canberra Times which states that - Sitting for at least eight hours a day could increase the risk of premature death by up to 60 per cent, the study of more than one million adults published in The Lancet found, with sedentary lifestyles now posing as great a threat to public health as smoking and causing more deaths than obesity. All our suggestions are totally free! So what are you waiting for – get down and give us 20!!!! Tip #1: Go outside Walk, jog, or ride your bike. If that doesn’t work, just get outside. Just being outdoors can motivate us to move more and it really feels great! Better than when we spent all our days sitting indoors.

Recently, we wrote quite a detailed post on how to throw an additive free birthday party. If you haven’t read it yet, you can check that out here. This episode complements that blog post by explaining, in depth, our five simple steps to create an amazing additive and preservative free birthday party. We’ve got it down pat now, throwing additive free birthday parties, for our kids, can be totally stress free and the bonus is that the kids really love it! Three of the best things we have noticed by having additive free parties are: Little to no fighting, or rough play, No tantrums, Kids are calmer, more relaxed, By following the steps we’ve outlined below, you can throw an additive (and stress) free birthday party. Get organized You don’t want to prepare the day, or night, before the party especially if you want to make it additive free. Serving an additive free menu means you will most likely have to bake. It can be easy, don’t let this put you off. There are so many simple things you can cook/bake that does n

Tracie Kim is a mother of three grown up children. She found yoga during a challenging phase in her life and the practice of yoga helped her calm down and find inner peace. She fell in love with this ancient holistic practice and wanted to help other people appreciate the benefits of it so she stepped up and became a yoga teacher. We invited Tracie to the show to talk about how we can get started with yoga and meditation to improve our lives from the inside out. In this episode, Tracie shares her thoughts on: The best time of the day to practice meditation or yoga Why our thoughts can be like trash that pile up in a trash bin How yoga can help us empty our trash bins A holistic meditation technique that can help us quiet our thoughts How teaching people meditation can help make the world a more peaceful place to live in Why watching or listening to the news can put us in a stressed state and what we can do about it Some questions we ask: What is yoga? What are the benefits of yoga and meditation? How can we i

We are asked all the time “How did you come back after losing your entire website?" And "Why did you make the effort to come back?” It was a bit of a touchy subject for a while, but now that we have moved on past the anger and hate we felt towards the company that did that to us, we feel it's time to answer and explain, and what better way than right here in this podcast. Hopefully, we can inspire you, the next time you are in a similar situation. Struggling with something that seems too hard to handle, not sure how to get past the first hurdle and let go of the anger or hatred, not sure of the next step to take, or when things just seem too hard... Let us share our story and explain the steps we took to make the comeback we deserved. In Jo's own words: “Shit happens and as devastating as it is, there is always a step forward that you can go.” This lesson is applicable not just in losing a site as big as ours, but also in your journey towards a healthier and happier you. Never underestimate the power of commu

We are so excited with this episode because we’re interviewing our very first male guest! Dr. Jeremy Princi is an expert in health and wellness and is a registered chiropractor. He provides chiropractic services to the Perth and Bunbury communities. He has authored research papers, has developed a food supplement to improve gut health, and is currently writing a book on fermentation. Our conversation revolved around Jeremy’s own story on how he became a chiropractor and how his own health challenges lead him to teach fermentation and gut wellness. We also talked about Jeremy’s tips on how we can improve gut health without spending too much. Some of his suggestions were really lifestyle change advice that we hear a lot like eating whole and unrefined food, having adequate sleep, and getting high quality filtered water. How these habits affect your gut on a much larger scale is what’s really enlightening! Jeremy also shares some more uncommon advice like how learning to ferment your food can improve your gut he