This week’s guest, Dr Maya Shetreat,  indulges my desire to bring us a  BIG conversation this week. We explore the subjects of perimenopause and passage rites in life in general, as well as discuss the bridging of the gap between conventional thinking and mysticism, indigenous wisdom and the risk of its absence in plant medicine trends and traditional, sacred ceremony. We also discuss microdosing psychedelics, meditation and how healing doesn’t have to be an epiphany or explosive ‘moment’ and in fact. We go to all those places and more in one of the most epic shows I’ve brought to the podcast. Dr. Maya Shetreat is an adult and pediatric neurologist who believes we can inhabit multiple identities. She has spoken around the world and been featured in the New York Times, NPR and Dr. Oz - and she also listens and talks to plants every day. She is a mystic and ancient astrologer grounded in mitochondria, the microbiome and mycelial science. She is an herbalist, artist, ceremonialist, urban farmer, and forager. She is the author of two books, The Master Plant Experience: The Science, Safety, and Sacred Ceremony of Psychedelics (2023) and The Dirt Cure (2016) which has been translated into 10 languages.Dr. Maya is an expert in many things and also always endeavors to remain a beginner. Intrigued? Enjoy the show, Alexx.You can connect with Maya or know more about her work on the following platforms;Instagram: @drmayashetreat Facebook: @drmayashetreatVisit her website drmaya.com to discover her programs, enjoy freebies, and know more about how you can work with her.Be sure to join me on Instagram @lowtoxlife and tag me with your share4s and ahas of this week’s episode.Don’t forget our Sponsor offers: Ausclimate giving you 10% off their Winix Air Purifiers and Dehumidifiers at ausclimate.com.au CODE: LOWTOXLIFE at checkoutThe Natural Bedding Co, celebrating 40 years in business with a passion for ethics and quality workmanship are giving you 15% off a huge range of products from their online store or in store via this curated link with the CODE: LOWTOXLIFE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trauma - a buzzword, lots of awareness around it, solutions coming at us from all angles these days. Perhaps rather than being a ‘trend topic’ it’s actually a realisation happening globally that there is a lot of work to do if we want to stop repeating history on personal, cultural and global levels and start experiencing and creating more peace. But how do we: Stop being at war and be of service and in gratitude? Navigate out of the safe, small worlds we often create to protect ourselves when we’ve been traumatised and live large? Stop our stories torturing us or eating away at our creativity and braveryGet risky enough to have tough conversations personally, professionally, politically, and culturally, to break toxic patterns and ‘dirty trauma’ as Yemi puts it. Go deeper into understanding trauma and the perception of it or the definition of it changes around the world. Make peace with dark pastsGet men to feel safe evolving beyond their traumas when so often they’re told ‘chin up, don’t be a wus!’ Yemi Penn has made it her life’s work to muck in and be a part of the many potential solutions through her work as an author, filmmaker, speaker and PhD candidate - a woman wired for impact. We have a brave conversation today about trauma - personal trauma that different people might experience or hear about people close to them experiencing, but also cultural trauma, political trauma, the difference between men and women in trauma and what we know, and how we might work to break trauma lines in a variety of ways. It’s a conversation with questions, ideas, suggestions and exploration, not one with answers and blueprints and rigid opinions or beliefs. We dance in the grey area. Join us! You can connect with Yemi or know more about her work on the following platforms;Instagram:@yemi.pennFacebook:@YemiPennVisit her website yemipenn.com for awesome, helpful freebies!Her book Did You Get The Memo? Is also out now and her Ted Talk is a must. Certainly a must-read for those who feel their lives have taken an unexpected turn and have been left questioning everything! Yemi shares tips, tools and mindset hacks to rip up the memo and create the life you want.Thank you to our Low Tox businesses sponsoring the show and helping you make your swaps with their special offers: The Natural Bedding Company offering you 15% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE  in January 2024 with their curated link of products for us, celebrating their 40 years in business. Aus Climate  offering 10% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE with their Winix Air Purifiers and Dehumidifiers for a healthy home and support in wet seasons, humid climates and with unexpected leaks or weather events. And of course, join me @lowtoxlife on Instagram and share your aha’s in your stories about this or any other show - don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming shows, too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fancy a cheat sheet of 10 key probiotic and gut health needle-movers? Dr Jason Hawrelak, one of Australia’s leading researchers, teachers and clinicians in the gut health and probiotics space, is recently back from a global probiotic conference in ITALY, and on this show we cover: Probiotic recommendations, testing and choline for preconception health and babies. The question Jason asked world leading leaky gut expert, Dr Fasano: “Given the results of your two pivotal ex vivo studies, where you found gluten (gliadin) could cause temporary changes in intestinal permeability, even in healthy intestinal cells, do you agree with the recommendation, that some have made based on your research, that all humans should strictly avoid eating gluten?”. What did he say?! Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the use of Partially Hydrolysed Guar Gum? Still a good idea? Probiotics being bad for SIBO patients: Debunkable? Surely it's essential to have a deep understanding about which ones in which cases might be most helpful? Ellagitannins - get to know them and get consuming them: here's why...Blasto: Not so black and white as simply being 'bad and must be killed?'Glyphosate effect on Microbiome: What has a new study in November revealed? Dr Jason Hawrelak is one of the leading Australian practitioners and educators in gut health and probiotic science. Jason is a researcher, educator, Western herbalist, and naturopath with over 20 years’ clinical experience. He did his PhD examining the capacity of probiotics, prebiotics and herbal medicines to modify the gastrointestinal tract microbiota and teaches worldwide on the topics of microbiota modification and gastrointestinal health. He has published extensively in these areas, including 20 textbook chapters. Dr Hawrelak is on the Medical Nutrition Council of the American Society for Nutrition and is a Fellow of both the American College of Nutrition and the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia. Dr Hawrelak maintains a busy online clinical practice.  Connect with Dr. Hawrelak’s work here:Facebook: @probioticadvisorInstagram: @probioticadvisor Thank you to our Low Tox businesses sponsoring the show and helping you make your swaps with their special offers: Time for a Low Tox Bedroom upgrade? The Natural Bedding Co, an Australian business celebrating 40 years in business with a gorgeous website for online ordering,  but also stunning showrooms both in Sydney and on the Gold Coast that you want to call home, they’re so lovely. You have 15% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE with this link to a specially curated, massive selection of products Humidity, moisture issues, allergies or pollution on your mind? Aus Climate specialise in providing you with the best quality appliances for dehumidification and air purification at ausclimate.com.au - phone orders also available if you have questions to ask. 10% off their already discounted prices and now also including a portable air conditioner, use the code LOWTOXLIFE at check out. And of course, join me @lowtoxlife on Instagram and share your aha’s in your stories! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder whether you have the ‘right’ to BYO containers to the stores you shop from - especially with the ‘c*vid times hangover’ when single use was insisted upon for safety, it’s time to revisit this topic with Bianca Cottle, founder of byocontainers.org - Let’s refresh our enthusiasm for reusing containers and bringing our own wherever we go - I am first to put my hand up and say I let things slide during this time, in case anyone’s worried I’m perfect (That’s a HARD NO!) In this show, while the focus is on Australian rules, the themes apply to all of us wanting to reduce and reuse more of the things in our lives! We explore: The challenges of building a fully sustainable house (something Bianca and her partner have done!) How c*vid set us back in many ways whether it comes to progress for people and planet health but what we can learn from it.What the actual law is on reusing containers and cupsSome of the ways we can encourage businesses rather than criticising them, to drive re-use forward fasterWhat exactly the label ‘compostable’ means on bio-plastics and whether perhaps it's too good to be trueThe best reusable containers for different occasion types and situationsAnd a bunch more. Enjoy the show, share it, and let’s reduce our single-use items big time in the year ahead! Alexx xKnow more or connect with BYO Containers:Website: byocontainers.orgFacebook: @yocontainers.au Insta: @byocontainers.au LinkedIn: @byo-containers To check out more resources mentioned during our interview, visit lowtoxlife.com/podcastThank you to our Low Tox businesses sponsoring the show and helping you make your swaps with their special offers: KillaPilla code: LOWTOXLIFE gives you 15% Off the entire purchase with Free Shipping within Australia. Valid 13 November-31 December 2023. Visit killapilla.com.auAusclimate code: LOWTOXLIFE for an extra 10% Off their already discounted prices on ausclimate.com.au. Offer applies to over the phone orders too!And of course, join me @lowtoxlife on Instagram and share your aha’s in your stories! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clare Press has a way with fashion, a way with words and a passion for finding the threads required to weave a new story for fashion and clothes into the future with her new book “Wear Next” - a fashion world that is kind, just, regenerative, innovative and inclusive - ditching the dark underbelly of exploitation and microplastic-filled materials currently at play in most stores around the world. We explore How buying less, upping quality and reusing clothes and fabrics in fashion can practically play out and not lead to job losses en masseWe explore what's changed - has fashion's sustainability got worse or better? How can we create a more ethical and sustainable fashion future?What is the role of technology in fashion’s future? The divide between celebrity ‘art’ fashion and everyday  people’s choices Why did you write this new book, focused on solutions?The challenge of books and important work in a fast-info, head-linings-only worldI also read the first couple of pages of Clare’s book in the intro for you to get a taste of the book's journey and now want to start a new career in audiobook reading - it was so fun! I hope you enjoy it and remember - buy books. They matter -  authors are awesome! AlexxClare can be found at: Website: https://thewardrobecrisis.com/Podcast: https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcastInstagram: @mrspress and @thewardrobecrisis Facebook: @wardrobecrisisAnd her new book online here: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/wearnext And thank you to our Low Tox businesses sponsoring the show and helping you make your swaps with their special offers: KillaPilla code: LOWTOXLIFE give you 15% OFF entire purchase with Free Shipping within Australia. Valid 13 November- 31 December 2023. Visit https://killapilla.com.au/ Ausclimate code: LOWTOXLIFE for an EXTRA 10% OFF their already discounted prices on ausclimate.com.au. Offer applies to over the phone orders too!And of course join me at lowtoxlife on Instagram and share your aha’s in your stories! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not every mould situation is a massive problem or leads to complex chronic illness - the good news is there’s a lot you can do with a couple of tools and some literacy, to prevent mould in your home from causing symptoms or damaging soft furnishings. So, in this show, I answer some of the most common questions I’ve received heading into the humid season here in Australia and, in the show notes you have a tonne more resources to support you if you’re currently worried about mould affecting your home, possessions or health. So in this show you’ll learn how to: Gauge humidity levels in your homeKnow when it’s time to crank your dehumidification strategy Know what types of units, size/how many you might need if your air management systems in your home don’t manage humidity effectively enough as they are. Know how to not be annoyed by noise or heat generated by dehumidifiers with a simple ‘where we are not’ strategy for rotation. Know how often you need to dehumidifyKnow what testing you can consider if you think your problem in the home is beyond humidity and you need to think about mould testingAnd a bonus given I’ve been asked so much lately: Healing from mould on a budget - practical things you can do! Hope it’s helpful and any more questions, let’s keep the conversation going, AlexxFurther resources: Come say hi on Instagram @lowtoxlife Or at lowtoxlife.com The “So You Think You’ve Got Mould” resource blog I put together, points you to all the podcasts I’ve done over the years, my mould story (don’t worry the exte4nt of my experience is comparatively rare - this will only happen to a small unfortunate group of people with many factors playing into it)Access the Mould Festival  An interactive event series I hosted in October with some of the world’s top professionals in building, insurance, legal, health, healing, mould testing, building biology, prevention and more regarding mould from every aspect. Join the Low Tox Club - $49AUD ($30 US/Euro) and receive support from me and fellow low tox community members on all low tox topics but also workshopping mould situations and health.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Ben Reebs, founder of the Portland Clinic of Natural health joins me on the show today and it is a brilliant look at Complex Chronic Illness and the biggest things that he’s found to be helpful as a doctor. The questions I ask him are: How did you arrive at 7 laws of healing - not just for your book but in the way you practice medicine? Those laws are Vitality, Disease, Cure, Compensation, Resonance, Synergy, Intention and I’m looking forward to diving into some of them… You start your book with a quote about commitment from William H Murray and my mind went to a bit of an aha “Today, in our modern world we have to commit consciously and proactively to our health, instead of it being culturally and naturally a way of life - we have to choose it because our instinct and surrounds to help us ‘be it’ are mostly gone… is this why health might feel ‘hard’ to people in modern life? It can be a lot of energy to constantly swim against the tide, right? At the very start of discussing vitality you say “No one can heal you. There is only self-healing in the laws of nature”. I love this because for the main people are so disempowered in their health journeys and often forget it’s an inside job and you need to find the right supporting partners to help facilitate that healing - so often I hear “I’ve tried everything” and they’re in a really bad way, eating 4 foods, reacting to everything, inflamed, in pain all over: when someone is in that “I’ve tried everything” boat - what are some gentle words of wisdom to share as they look within and look to find a better way forward? You talk about a move from acute infection-style illnesses, to chronic illnesses such as autoimmune, as vitality wanes - what is the mechanism of this change in the immune system? Talking about signs and symptoms that are trying to promote balance/get our attention - how can we listen to them more effectively and act accordingly rather than medicate them to make them go away - almost feels like medicating is a part of the reason we’re forgetting to speak the language of vitality/homeostasis ( outside of an SOS context for physical mental health challenges that require that short term ‘get out of crisis’ to work on the long game of course) Thinking back to all those tylenols to fix the headache, instead of ‘hmm maybe it’s the fragrance cloud I’m working in at the department store every day, not a Tylenol deficiency, right? Can you give us some more examples of seemingly innocent quick fixes we use, leading us down the path of potential chronic disease because we’re not listening enough? At the end of the Vitality chapter you invite us to simply list 5 things that bring us vitality - and prescribe MORE of them, and 5 things that make us feel LESS vital and do less of them. I love this. It’s like a little ‘stock take’ - how often do you do this in your own life and check in? Then we look at the Law of disease and we’re reminded that when we go against nature’s order it produces toxicity, deficiency and disease. Do you see the many modern environmental and lifestyle changes of the past half century as the culprits of this draining of vitality and creation of chronic disease?Something doctors - naturopathic and integrative/functional have answered the call to is supporting people with these… Lyme comes up a lot; Mold too. With your deep understanding of these infections, can you shed light on how our modern lifestyles and environments might be exacerbating the risks of these conditions? It’s never just ‘the tick bite’ or ‘the mold exposure’ is it? And can we go a bit granular on some of the things that set the stage for chronic illness and talk about ‘leakiness’? Gut, brain, cells… basics/deep dive, would love to spend some time here…Enjoy the showAlexx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How intuitive are you? Oh this is a juicy exploration for you this week…I welcome Karin Luise PhD, to join us and explore intuition and harnessing the wisdom in what we can’t see, to ditch low-vibe shame (and realise how often it’s in the mix and hindering us!) and so much more: How can we feel in-power with big decisions in lifeHow can we come back to being like a baby - unapologetic for our needs, able to follow instinct? How we can become more aware of just how much we’ve ‘stuffed’ down because good kids don’t cry and what that sets us up for. The power of making the switch from ‘need/should’ and the underlying self-judgement of ‘need/should’. How to feel like your time is YOURSHow to not feel selfish for doing what you want (Self-first is NOT selfish!) How to identify what you might need to un-learn that’s holding you back. And so much more. I love, love, loved this conversation and hope you do too, Alexx xShare the show on Instagram to share your ahas - don’t forget to tag @lowtoxlife there so I can share it too! Connect with Karin here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorkarin/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrKarin/ Website https://doctorkarin.com/ And for your low tox swaps, our sponsors this week are: Bio-First Official is a sponsor this month and USA + Aussie peeps get 15% off site-wide with the code LOWTOXLIFE  to try/stock up on their brilliant remedies for the skin, crafted by Dr. Jude, and designed to support and heal, with no steroids or nasty hormones disruptors/preservatives: https://bit.ly/biofirstofficialAusclimate with 10% off their air purifiers and dehumidifiers with the code LOWTOXLIFE - Helping Aussie homes avoid excess moisture by having a good dehumidification strategy, and clean healthy air with the WINIX air purifier range. https://bit.ly/ShopAusclimate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Staci Whitman has an audacious goal: A cavity-free world. Here’s what we talk about:How to navigate the road towards better teeth for you and your kids if you have them, without freaking out - leaving your guilt at the door! Babies needing fillings now - what!?The health or lack of health in our mouths is relevant to the prevention of, and our risk factors for over 100 diseases - that we know of so far. How? A timeline of the biggest changes as humans and how they impacted our oral health. Toothpaste and brushing aren’t No.1 on the list for cavity prevention - but they help! The best ingredients for your toothpaste to haveFlossing for the win - if it’s pink in the sink you’ve got work to do!The biggest deficiencies driving tooth decay - hint, fluoride isn’t one of them.Endocrine disruptors/plastics and tooth decay - a new finding makes even more of a case for reducing endocrine disruptive ingredient use & exposureAssessing your dental procedures from a low tox/recovery perspectiveA day in the life of a pediatric dentist’s dental care regimeAn hour of power. Enjoy! AlexxAnd for your low tox swaps, our sponsors this week are: Bio-First Official is a sponsor this month and USA + Aussie + NZ  peeps get 15% off site-wide with the code LOWTOXLIFE  to try/stock up on their brilliant remedies for the skin, crafted by Dr. Jude, and designed to support and heal, with no steroids or nasty hormones disruptors/preservatives: https://bit.ly/biofirstofficialAusclimate with 10% off their air purifiers and dehumidifiers with the code LOWTOXLIFE - Helping Aussie homes avoid excess moisture by having a good dehumidification strategy, and clean healthy air with the WINIX air purifier range. https://bit.ly/ShopAusclimate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the 3rd time joining me on the show is Dr Jade Teta. I can tell you all of Jade’s ‘technical’ and ‘medical’ qualifications, being a physician, having written 5 books on health and metabolism; his having written chapters for naturopath medicine text books, but what I think is more important is that Jade is an evolver and upleveller; He’s a philosopher, he’s passionate about transpersonal psychology and is currently doing a PhD in this space. Today we’re inviting you to uplevel your thinking and use pain as purpose, with us by exploring the following: Transpersonal psychology is what you’ve now turned your hand to, currently on the PhD journey… what is tpp? Pain as a path to purpose - how has this shown up for you at various times in your life, Jade? Why is self-betrayal the worst kind? Physical injury and mental pain are more similar than we give them credit - can you help us make the link?Hurt as a way to help - I love this one because it helps us shift from victim to victor by helping others, a favourite Next Level Human example of mine, to use your terminology… Let’s Fake it Till you make it - Please don’t, you say: SO what do we do instead when we want to be in the room where it’s happening but we don’t feel we deserve to be there… Being it until you see it! A lot of the things that happen in our lives that we feel are ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ like relationships ending, someone passing away, losing a job feel like endings but let’s talk about them as beginnings and how the story we tell ourselves about these stories paves the way for whether they might result in being a positive force for our lives… How can we start to unpack our stories written in the subconscious? Why do stories we tell ourselves, that are unhelpful, and we sometimes even KNOW they’re unhelpful, seem so hard to dismantle? It’s a thought provoking show that I hope will help you in your life. AlexxAnd for your low tox swaps, our sponsors this week are: Bio-First Official is a sponsor this month and USA + Aussie peeps get 15% off site-wide with the code LOWTOXLIFE  to try/stock up on their brilliant remedies for the skin, crafted by Dr. Jude, and designed to support and heal, with no steroids or nasty hormones disruptors/preservatives: https://bit.ly/biofirstofficialAusclimate with 10% off their air purifiers and dehumidifiers with the code LOWTOXLIFE - Helping Aussie homes avoid excess moisture by having a good dehumidification strategy, and clean healthy air with the WINIX air purifier range. https://bit.ly/ShopAusclimate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.