I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Dr Sara Pugh about Quantum Metabolic Therapy.

Not only does Sara add being 50% Kiwi to her credentials, but she also brings a wealth of knowledge with her extensive background in biochemistry and genetics. Her PhD in molecular mechanisms, where she delved into protein folding in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's Diseases, and her work as a Post-Doctoral Researcher on heart muscle cells, cholesterol, and statins are just a few examples of her expertise. She has also published numerous peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and is dedicated to training doctors and therapists, instilling in them a deeper understanding of biochemistry and neurology.

You may need to listen to this podcast a couple of times. We discuss the role of mitochondria in our health and the impact of light exposure on their function. We also talk about the effects of deuterium and the role of metabolic water and magnetism on our health. Sara then walks us through an example of using a quantum metabolic approach to improve health. She highlights simple, cost-free strategies to enhance energy, sleep, and mindset.

I highly recommend checking out Sara’s website, which has free introductory courses and explains the mechanisms she mentioned today. If you’re doing everything you can with nutrition and exercise but are still struggling to lose weight or reach your goals, implementing quantum metabolic therapy may be the missing link.

Connect with Sara:
https://www.facebook.com/sara.pugh

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today, I talked about nutrition and sugar addiction with Theresa Wright. Theresa has been named one of Today’s Dietician Magazine’s “10 Incredible Registered Dieticians Who are Making a Difference”.

She holds BS and MS degrees in Nutrition Science from Drexel University. She is a registered Dietician and Dietitian-Nutritionist.

Theresa and I talked about food addiction, trauma and mindset. And how these often intersect and paralyse people from making change, even when they want to.

Theresa shares her fascinating story and how she got into studying and working in nutrition. There are some real gems in this episode, that reflect Theresa’s lifelong work in this area.

We hope you enjoy this episode.

The website is: sanefood.com

Her email is: theresasez@comcast.net

You can find her on Linkedin as well

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today I have a fascinating talk with Dr Kiltz a renowned fertility doctor and author.

Dr Kiltz is a passionate advocate of the keto/carnivore diet, that he uses with his patients to help to reduce the costs of fertility treatments. His work is helping to shape the future of reproductive medicine. We talk about the root causes of infertility and the vital role nutrition plays in our reproductive health.

Dr. Kiltz is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Fellowship fellowship-trained and board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.  He is the founder, director, and practicing physician at CNY Fertility. He held a previous position as a clinical faculty member at UCSF Medical School and a current clinical faculty member at the University of Syracuse Medical School.

I really enjoyed talking with Dr Kiltz and we both hope you will share this with anyone who may find it helpful.

You can find Dr Kiltz’s keto/carnivore support community at Kiltz's Mighty Tribe.

This is the link to his blog: https://www.doctorkiltz.com/

He has published several different books on a variety of topics including his most recent cookbook collaboration with Maria Emmerich, the Keto for Fertility Cookbook. 

He has also launched his own line of grass-fed, pasture-raised, nutritional supplements, Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions. 

Dr. Kiltz hosts an interview series, Carnivore Conversations, which is broadcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.  Carnivore Conversations is a radical and enlightening examination of how the keto/carnivore diet can help to improve a wide range of complex health and environmental issues contributed to by the Standard American Diet (SAD).

In addition to his own media channels, Dr. Kiltz appears regularly on numerous popular blogs like DietDoctor.com and social media outlets, has shared his views as a speaker at TEDx, and is a frequent speaker at fertility and dietary conferences.   

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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I had another fabulous conversation today, this time with Dr Sarah Zaldivar. Dr Zaldivar is a Professor of Nutrition at Miami Dale College and is passionate about sharing her knowledge of nutrition, exercise, and mindset. She brings new thinking and research to the topics of diet, exercise, and achieving our goals.

Today we discuss a lot of different health topics and why a nutrition professor would adopt a carnivore diet. We talk about:

• Dr Zaldivar’s own health and weight loss journey
• The anti-nutrient side of plant foods and how these may contribute to pain, inflammation, gut dysbiosis, depression, and weight gain
• The benefits of a carnivore diet
• Thyroid function and hormonal health
•  How to break through a weight loss plateau
• The importance of exercise and exercising on a low-carb diet
• The problems with nutrition training in universities today
• Criticisms of the keto and carnivore diets
• Techniques to help with mindset and staying on track when progress slows down and you feel that life is no longer fun

A little more about Dr. Sarah Zaldivar:

Dr. Sarah Zaldivar received her doctorate in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Miami. She is currently a professor of nutrition at Miami Dade College and a full-time content creator on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms. For decades, Dr. Zaldivar taught other health professionals and college students alike at the University of Miami and the American College of Sports Medicine about health and fitness, while battling with her declining health due to following the dietary guidelines. She eventually found freedom from binge eating, acne, weight struggles, fatigue, sugar addiction, depression and anxiety, etc… on a carnivore diet, and that is why she is dedicated to raising awareness regarding the carnivore diet. She also selects a few individuals per month to coach with diet, exercise, and mindset programs.
 

You can find Dr Zaldivar at:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBXm-oCTN-dJdbD65gK5lEQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.sarah.zaldivar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drsarahzaldivar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrSarahZaldivar

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drsarahzaldivar/

Website: https://drsarahzaldivar.com/

This was a fabulous interview, and we hope you enjoy it. Please subscribe, like and share with others who may find it helpful.

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

Dr. Rachel Brown is a metabolic psychiatrist and author of the excellent book “Metabolic Madness - Understand Why Metabolic Health Is Key to Mental Health’.
During this episode, Dr. Brown and I talk about why our metabolic health plays such an important role in our mental health and how nutrition is the key to this process. 

This is an excellent episode to share with your GP or health provider, particularly if you are taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Despite the accumulating evidence, there remains a lot of resistance to the role that ketogenic diets play in helping to maintain a higher quality of life for these patients. This information needs to be shared widely.

We also discuss other issues such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and epilepsy. Dr Brown explains how the brain is a huge consumer of energy, but when our metabolic health becomes compromised it can no longer use glucose efficiently for energy and this is where ketones provide an alternative energy source. This is the kind of information that would help many parents desperate to find solutions for their children and for all of us as we age and want to stay healthy with good cognitive function.

You can find Dr. Brown at:
www.foodforthoughtpsychiatrist.com 

Instagram: @carnivoreshrink

Her book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metabolic-Madness-Understand-Health-Success/dp/1739614704/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1S14IMF93CB2B&keywords=metabolic+madness+rachel+brown&qid=1670423269&sprefix=metabolic+mad%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, and share with anyone who may find this interesting.

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz 

You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

I am so excited to be offering another informative live Q and A to help you get answers to your health problems.

This time we have Brendan Reid aka The Fat Ginger Nerd.

For Brendan, the idea that he could ever lose any weight at all, let alone keep it off afterward was, for so long, nothing more in his mind, than an impossible dream.  And yet, in under two years, that dream eventually, finally, become reality, and in the end, all it took was for him to have found advice that actually tangibly worked.

Having since lost more than 50 kilograms, he's remained weight stable now for five years and counting, and during that time he's had plenty of opportunity to reflect and even wrote a book on his experiences.

It was a great opportunity to ask those important questions and get the straight answers from someone who has lived and breathed weight loss - along with all the struggles and strains.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like, and share with anyone who may find it useful. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

Dr. Shahana Alibhai is an accomplished TEDx speaker, a renowned family physician, and an expert in the field of mental health.

I was delighted to talk to her today about why we can struggle so much to take care of ourselves, even when this is something we really want to do. 

Dr. Shahana shared her personal story of postpartum anxiety and the subsequent shame, denial, and mental health challenges she experienced, despite her professional background in cognitive behaviour therapy and mindfulness meditation. She explained what is going on when this happens to us and some strategies we can use to help ourselves recover.

I really enjoyed this interview, and couldn't believe how quickly the time flew by.  I'm looking forward to picking up the conversation in our next podcast.

You can connect with  Dr. Shahana here:

Website: www.drshahana.com

Email: info@drshahana.com

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/shahana-alibhai-rae

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, and share with anyone who may find this interesting.

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Dr Charlton graduated from Melbourne University, Medical School in 2000. She trained at Box Hill Hospital as a junior doctor and has been a General Practitioner since 2003. Originally she was born in Hong Kong and speaks fluent Cantonese. 

She has been a doctor for over 20 years, 15 of those practicing in Wantirna Mall Clinic. She has a special interest in obstetrics, women's health, paediatrics and recently nutrition and metabolic health.

Her children are now 13 and 10 years old. A few years ago, after her kids stopped being babies, she wanted to lose some weight. She joined the gym, going 3 times a week. After 3 months, no weight was lost. Subsequently, the gym did an 8-week transformation challenge and she successfully achieved her goal of losing 4kg in weight and 4% body fat. She also took up running, doing the C25K run app. Parkrun changed her life. She fell in love with running and was introduced to lots of running friends and a supportive community.

She progressed to endurance running and incorporating strength training. In the last few years, she progressed to completing two full marathons using the low carbohydrate approach.

In the last 3-4 years, she has taken up special interests in nutrition and the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. She has done extensive education with Low Carb Down Under and Nutrition Network. She is also affiliated with Diet Doctor, as a Diet Doctor Pro practitioner. She has done additional training with The Australasian College of Nutrition and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM). Currently, she is completing accreditation with The Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners. She is closely affiliated with low-carb practitioners in Australia and internationally.

Dr Charlton has helped many patients reverse metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes and helped them with weight management. She has extensive knowledge using the low carbohydrate approach.  She practices low-carb nutrition herself. 

You can find Dr Charlton here:

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If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today I talked with human behaviour expert and hypnotherapist, Tim Shurr. We discuss how our unconscious beliefs and thought patterns such as anxiety, procrastination, imposter syndrome, and other bad habits are the result of faulty unconscious beliefs and biases we acquired during our childhood. Essentially we have wired neurological pathways that have become entrenched automatic responses to certain situations we face throughout life.

Tim, who is the author of 6 books, explains how he helps his clients permanently rewire these pathways through his One Belief Away™ Method and how this differs from traditional types of therapy. He works internationally through Zoom consultations. We hope you enjoy this episode and would appreciate it if you subscribed, liked, and shared with others you may find this helpful.

Tim has generously provided a free gift to listeners – The Power of Your Unconscious Mind timshurr.com/gift along with a free introduction to hypnosis programme: https://timshurr.com/intro 

You can find Tim on his website: IndyHypnosis.com 

According to Dr. Joe Vitale, "Tim Shurr is the Best Hypnotist in the world!" Tim is an Unconscious Beliefs Specialist and the foremost expert on freeing people from anxiety, past trauma, PTSD, and bad habits. He is the creator of the revolutionary One Belief Away™ Method developed through facilitating over 15,000 individual Hypnosis coaching sessions and hundreds of group training experiences over the last 34 years.

As an award-winning Leadership Speaker, Tim has helped clients earn millions in annual revenue by upgrading self-limiting unconscious programming from their past, which instantly ignites focus, confidence, productivity, and collaboration in individuals and teams. He’s been featured over fifty times on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and the TEDx stage and is the author of six books including, Get Out of Your Way, The Power of Optimism, and One Belief Away! 

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Dr. Robert Cywes (MD, Ph.D.) is known as the Carb Addiction Doctor. Having suffered from carb addiction and obesity himself, he has both the personal and professional experience to help others overcome their addiction and restore their health.

He is a medical doctor and bariatric surgeon with a Ph.D., working in clinical practice. His area of interest was in adolescent obesity and the impact of the liver and metabolic syndrome on young patients. This research led to a comprehensive understanding of the toxicity of chronic excessive carbohydrate consumption as the primary cause of obesity and obesity related problems. His medical practice focuses on the psychology and physiology of carbohydrate addiction. He has developed a treatment programme for this. His background makes him uniquely qualified in this area. This is one of those interviews that is well worth sharing with your GP or health professional.

Our conversation today was wide-ranging in the topics we covered. Dr. Rob shares his own story of shame and humiliation that came with obesity and his growing understanding of the root cause and how best to manage this. He realised his weight struggle wasn’t a problem with calories; it was with a drug called sugar and his emotional management system.

We talk about the difference between being a carbohydrate addict, harmful user, or a social user. How carb addiction starts and that it is due to an individual’s unique genetic response to their food environment. It’s not due to a “flawed” personality. He explains some of the techniques he uses to help patients cope with their addictions and reclaim their health. Strategies for dealing with “falling off the wagon” are important and Dr Rob has some great advice.

This was a favourite interview for me. Thanks to Dr. Rob for his time and generosity in sharing such a wealth of information.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment.

You can find Dr Cywes at:

Website: https://obesityunderstood.com/
YouTube: @DrCywesCarbAddictionDoc
Instagram: @carbaddictiondoc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.cywes/ or https://www.facebook.com/carbaddictiondoc/
Amazon: Diabetes Unpacked: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/gp/product/B074CFNGG8/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Dr Ian Lake is a medical practitioner who has type 1 diabetes.

Since adopting a very low-carb lifestyle his day-to-day diabetes management has become so much easier with the added bonus of normal HbA1c. He says “as a result of smaller insulin doses, I am not tied down to strict meal times and can eat when I choose. Similarly, glucose control with exercise is far more predictable. Very low-carb for me gives as near to a ‘normal’ life as someone with diabetes can get”.

Dr Lake shares important information for type-1 diabetics, who may want to adopt a ketogenic diet but are feeling nervous. We discuss the key safety concerns for type-1, including dyslipidemia, diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia.

Dr Lake shares his own struggles with glucose control and insulin management when eating as the standard advice and dietary guidelines recommend.

In a well-executed fasting and exercise project, Dr Lake along 7 others, (including one type-1 diabetic) completed “Zero-Five-100”. They consumed zero calories, for 5 days and ran a total of 100 miles. The purpose of this project was to explore the safety and physiological effects of ketosis in people with and without diabetes, adding to the accumulating https://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Fulltext/2021/10000/Nutritional_ketosis_is_well_tolerated,_even_in.6.aspx\

The reason I wanted to talk to Dr Lake was to encourage GP’s to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic carbohydrate restriction for their patients, not just in diabetes, but in many of the chronic diseases experienced today.

Dr Lake offers comprehensive training for medical professionals with C.E.C. He is available to have a conversation about how a ketogenic diet could be included into a medical practice. https://type1keto.com/keto-courses/

We both hope you enjoy this episode and will share widely with friends and family who might be interested. We also hope you will share this with your GP along with Dr Lake’s contact details.

You can find Dr Lake at:

Website: https://type1keto.com/keto-courses-essential/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-lake-2bb869166/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

You can sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with the content I am publishing, monthly blogs, and Q & A webinars with experts from around the world.
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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

Today I talked with Rick Wilkes, from Thriving Now, about the use of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) to help us recover from a variety of psychological and physical issues, including pain, anxiety, phobias and weight control. 

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a form of psychological acupressure based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments but without the invasiveness of needles.

In addition to explaining EFT, we go deep into how to use this powerful technique to shift our engrained thought patterns and behaviour. Often, we desire to make a change, and we genuinely believe we want to do this, but then we sabotage ourselves for various reasons. Rick takes us through some setup options; these begin with the statement “Even though I feel” and different closing options depending on the individual goals.

I hope you find this episode helpful. There are many different techniques for mastering our thoughts and regulating our emotions. This one suits me and I find it very useful. We hope you enjoy this podcast and would love to hear your experiences.

To learn more about Rick and his work check out his website at Thriving Now, where you can book a free 15 minute chat with Rick to find out more. https://www.thrivingnow.com/start/

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

You can sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with the content I am publishing, monthly blogs, and Q & A webinars with experts from around the world.
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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz 

I'm so excited to have offered another informative live Q and A to help you get answers to your health problems.

This month we had Annica Strandberg-Schmidt who is a sugar addiction therapist and author from Sweden.

Annica's own battle with sugar addiction came very close to destroying her life and that of her family.

After coming to terms with her own addiction and then learning how to navigate the world as a sugar addict, Annica trained with Bitten-Jonsson to become a sugar addiction therapist and is qualified to use the sugar addiction assessment tool. She has gone on to specialise in sugar addiction in children and offers support to parents and families as well as the children themselves.

In this informative Q and A, Annica answers your questions about how to identify a child who has sugar addiction and how to manage this in a family and social environment.

- How do I know if my child is sensitive to food (a sugar addict)?

- Do we diagnose children as sugar addicts/food addicts?

- Is it important, or even possible, to get children totally off sugar and flour?

- How do I make the changes regarding food? What steps are beneficial?

- What is the most challenging in the process of making the changes?

- Is changing the food only about the food?

Thank you to Annica for sharing her knowledge and providing support.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like, and share it with anyone who may find it useful.

This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Sugar addiction expert Annica Strandberg-Schmidt has been a guest a few times now and will join us again in a few weeks for another Q and A on sugar addiction where she answers your questions.

In today’s episode, we are joined by her daughter Elin Strandberg. Sugar addiction affects whole families and children. Elin tells us what it’s like to grow up with a sugar-addicted mum. How this affected her life and friendships outside of her home. I’m really grateful to both Elin and Annica for sharing such a personal journey with us all – to help others who may be suffering.

If you enjoy this episode, please hit the subscribe button and like and share with others who may find this helpful.

You can find Annica here:
Website: https://annicastrandbergschmidt.com/2022/09/22/breathwork/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422301806669552/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

Annica Strandberg–Schmidt is a sugar addiction therapist, author, and YouTuber from Sweden

In this episode, Annica shares her powerful story about sugar addiction and how she came close to destroying her life and that of her family. 

After coming to terms with her own addiction and learning how to navigate her own world of addiction, Annica trained with Britten-Jonsson to become a sugar addiction therapist and qualified to use the sugar addiction assessment tool.

We talk about the differences between sugar addiction, harmful use of sugar, and social use. Addiction is a different beast and Annica knows from her own experience how destructive this is to living a full and rewarding life.

She is passionate about her work. She provides support for parents so they can help their children make the changes necessary to live a healthy life. 

During this interview, we talked about

•  How to identify a child who has a sugar addiction
•  Whether these children need to completely abstain from sugar and flour and is this possible
• How to make changes with a child’s food and how this fits into a family environment
• What is the most challenging part of this process
• How to discuss addiction with a child
• Is changing the food only about the food – are there other factors at play 

Annica has started a Facebook page for English speakers called “Small Sugarbombs”.
She invites anyone interested to sign up. She often holds Q and A and answers questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/422301806669552/?multi_permalinks=433115588921507%2C430723655827367&notif_id=1664713367148884&notif_t=group_activity&ref=notif

Her website is: https://annicastrandbergschmidt.com/2022/09/22/breathwork/

We hope you enjoy this interview. This is a very important topic and we would appreciate it if you could share this interview with anyone you know who may find it helpful. There are many children whose lives are negatively affected by undiagnosed sugar addiction. Finding ways to help support these kids and their parents through this challenging diagnosis is very important. We thank you for your assistance in sharing the word, that help is available.


If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz

Bitten is a registered nurse who was first introduced to addiction medicine 36 years ago and has been working in the area of food addiction and sugar addiction for 27 years ago. As she acknowledged and better understood her own addictions (cigarettes, alcohol, and sugar) she began working to help others address their sugar addiction problems and reclaim their health and lives.

We have a far-reaching conversation talking about where addiction starts – at the intersection of how our individual genetics respond to the environment and how sugar is the gateway drug to other addictions.

Bitten explains the important distinctions between social use, harmful use, and addictions. She explains why these need to be managed in very different ways. We also talk about children, why diet matters, and how we can set them up for problems later in life when we don’t understand the difference between a child who likes sugar and one who is addicted; as she was growing up.

This episode is full of very important gems. I love talking with Bitten and learning so much. Her passion, enthusiasm, generosity, and desire to help shine through. Please subscribe, like, and share with anyone who may find this helpful.

To receive Bitten Jonsson’s e-newsletter, please subscribe here:  https://www.bittensaddiction.com/en/contact/

You can follow her on:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bitten.jonsson.5

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bitten-jonsson-a46086a/

Contact Information for Bitten Jonsson, Addictions Specialist (SUGAR®/ ADDIS® Cert.) https://www.bittensaddiction.com/en/

Email:  bitten.jonsson@bittensaddiction.com

For health professionals: Bitten Jonsson is a world-renowned trainer of Sugar Addiction Counsellors, with nearly 40 years of experience in addiction medicine and treatment. Based in Sweden, Bitten is a registered nurse, addiction specialist and authorized provider of SUGAR® / ADDIS® diagnostic assessments and training. Her expertise spans the full range of addiction screening and diagnostic assessment to relapse prevention, long-term recovery, holistic addiction medicine, and comprehensive training for professionals. To find out about Bitten’s signature training courses check out these links:

https://www.bittensaddiction.com/en/professional-training/sugar/

https://www.bittensaddiction.com/en/professional-training/holistic-medicine-for-addiction/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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I had a great chat with Marty Kendall today. We share a common interest in the nutrient quality of the food we eat. Marty has spent years understanding and collating information on the foods that provide the best quality of nutrition for the calories that they contain.

With his background in civil engineering, he has brought his ability to analyse complex data into the nutritional world. He began with a strong interest in improving the health of his family. His wife is a type-1 diabetic and his son was recently diagnosed with type-1.   

His initial goal was to figure out the best nutritional strategies for his family. He is now sharing these with the world through his optimising nutrition programme. He provides mini-courses on micronutrients and a data-driven fasting challenge and explains these in more detail during this podcast. Marty is really making a difference in the nutrition world and helping us all understand more about the quality of the food we are eating.

I want to say special thanks to Marty's wife for being a guinea pig and allowing her data to be shared publicly to help others. This is real-life stuff and provides invaluable insights. 

You can find out more about Marty at:

Website: https://optimisingnutrition.com

Optimising nutrition Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/optim...

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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This was a long overdue interview, but worth the wait. Dr Glen Davis is a well-known GP for his work in reversing type-2 diabetes in his patients with a properly formulated ketogenic diet. He was awarded GP of the Year in 2021 for this work.

During this episode, we talk about the struggles of the NZ healthcare system, the need for lifestyle medicine, and how this may look in a modern GP practice.

Dr Davis provides a beautiful explanation of cholesterol and the impact that all carbohydrates (not just added sugar) have on the quality of our LDL and other proteins in the body. He talks about fat in the diet and how the different quality fats impact on our health. We also talk about the benefits of fasting and how to individual fasting for different situations.

I’m looking forward to having Dr Davis back soon for a Q and A where he can answer all your questions.

We both hope you enjoy this episode and will share it widely with your friends and family. I hope you will also share it with your own GP.

You can find Dr Davis at:

https://reversalnz.co.nz

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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This was a long-awaited interview with Victor Sagalovsky.

Victor is a health optimization expert, who has dedicated himself to understanding the effects of deuterium on human health. I came across the health implications of deuterium a few years ago, as more of the scientific community is dedicating research to this fascinating subject.

Harold C Urey received a Noble Peace Prize in 1934 for identifying deuterium. It is also known as heavy hydrogen or H2. Normal hydrogens only have one proton (H1). But some have a neutron as well, making them twice as big and twice as heavy. When these get into our mitochondria, we make “heavy water” as a by-product of our energy production. This interferes with our mitochondrial function affecting how our cells make energy. When they can’t make energy efficiently, they are unable to complete their cellular work and repair. Over time we begin to age and struggle with chronic diseases.

Victor is very knowledgeable about this topic, so it was great to talk to him about the ways that we can reduce the deuterium in our body, allowing our cells to age more gracefully.

A ketogenic diet can help us deplete deuterium because burning fat is a clean energy and produces light metabolic water. Time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting help in the same way. As we become metabolically flexible, we can use our own body fat for energy.

Other mechanisms to deplete deuterium are red light therapy, good sleep, and exercise. Diets that are high in processed foods and toxic seed oils increase deuterium, another good reason to avoid these foods.

In his pursuit of health optimization and longevity, Victor has developed a product called “Litewater.” This is deuterium-depleted water that you can drink on its own or add to your normal water to reduce the deuterium load on the body.

Victor explains all these concepts and talks about his “Litewater” and how this is produced.

You can find a lot more information and research on Victor’s website: https://www.deuteriumdepletion.org

We both hope you enjoy this episode. It might be a new topic for some of you and initially appears complex, but the concept is quite simple, even without knowing much about biochemistry. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can help you with.

Thanks for listening and please remember to subscribe, like, and share...

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This was a great interview with Kiwi entrepreneur Daniel Ebbett

Daniel’s story is one of struggle with chronic insomnia and migraines.

Despite trying everything he could from allopathic and natural medicine, his health continued to decline leaving him feeling frustrated and helpless. He was struggling to meet the commitments of his corporate job and powerlifting career.

In this episode, Daniel describes his journey from chronically poor health to the return of his energy and vitality. For him, the answers were in his over-exposure to artificial light. He has subsequently become an expert on how light affects our circadian rhythm and health. He says, “health is about light, not food”.

Daniel talks about the different frequencies of natural light, from getting the early morning light in our eyes to set our circadian clocks, to the red glow our ancestors experienced from their fires in the evening. There is growing research about the effects of light on the cell receptors in our body and how we need to match our food to the light environment we live in. When we are eating food grown in the tropics, in the middle of winter, this confuses our cells leading to a mismatch between them and the environment.

Daniel has gone on to develop a company called BlockBlueLight where he provides high-quality science-based lighting solutions, all around the world. His website is a mine of good-quality information.

You can check it out here: https://www.blockbluelight.co.nz/pages/about-us

We both hope you all enjoy this episode and consider the effects of light on your own health. Please subscribe, like and share with any friends and family who may find this helpful.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Neil is an author, speaker, and mentor who currently lives in Mexico.

After suffering from bad eczema for 30 years and receiving the same advice from doctors, Neil found the answer to reversing his condition. He has developed the “Pillars of Vitality” that he shares in his book “The Vitality Secret”.

In this podcast, we talk about chronic inflammation and the role that epigenetics plays in health and disease. I love that Neil’s website says, “There is no such thing as alternative health, there is health or there is medication”.

While nutrition plays an important role in our health, many other factors are involved, all affecting how our environment interacts with our genetics. Today, Neil breaks down some of those important factors and shares some tips on how we can upgrade our environment, including our beliefs and feelings to improve our health.

You can find Neil at

Website: https://vitalitysecret.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/neilcannon/

Instagram: instagram.com/NeilCannonVitality

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NeilCannon1980

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/NeilCannon80

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like, and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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In this conversation, I talked with the lovely Heather Heynen about why we struggle to follow through on our promises, even when they are important to us.

Heather has worked in private practice as a licensed mental health therapist, health coach and exercise professional for over 20 years.  There is considerable alignment between my career and Heather’s, including owning gyms and our passion for the outdoors. Heather is a keen rock climber and mountain biker and takes on solo multi-day challenges. She has a list of credentials after her name. (LPC-MH, QMHP, NCC)

Heather is a recovered binge-eater/restrictor and yo-yo dieter, so she understands the challenges both personally and professionally. In this episode, we have some good laughs about our personal experiences.

Heather’s mission is to bring whole person health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) to individuals so they can live their best lives.

Heather’s podcast is Weight Loss and Wellness for Real:  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heather1422 

Her website is: Https://heatherheynen.com

Instagram: @heynencounselingandcoaching

Facebook: Heather Heynen

 YouTube: Heather Heynen Wellness

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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I was so excited to be offering another informative live Q and A to help you get answers to your health problems.

This time we had Dr Millie Osborne, coming along to answer your questions about the link between diet, depression, anxiety, mental health and eating disorders.

Dr Millie Osborne has been helping people for more than 30 years as a doctor and  physician and holistic psychiatrist.

She has a passion for helping people restore their health.

If you enjoyed this LIVE Q&A, please subscribe, like and share with anyone who may find it useful.

You can also find this episode and many others on your favourite podcast apps.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Tia Reid is the Director of Nutritional Services at, Certified Dietary Manager and Food Protection Professional at Memorial Hospital in Illinois. She is a certified Health Coach Practitioner and accredited with the Metabolic Health Practitioners USA.  She has a special interest in metabolic syndrome, hypertension and carbohydrate addiction.

Today, Tia shares her inspirational story about how she recovered from type-2 diabetes, eliminated taking 20 drugs every day and lost 85 pounds.

Now she spends her time helping others to better understand their health problems and supports them in their own journeys to reversing disease through dietary interventions.

Tia’s story in overcoming her carbohydrate addiction is very inspiring, especially for others struggling with similar problems.
 

Where to find Tia:

Email: reidtiam@gmail.com

Instagram: @reidtia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reidshh

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tia-reid-cdm-cfpp-mhp-53b0a9a8

Nutrition Network:https://nutrition-network.org/practitioners/

Society of Metabolic Health Professionals:https://thesmhp.org/membership-account/profile/?pu=treidmhchester-com

LowCarb Lifestyle Healing Hub: https://lowcarblifestylehub.com/find-a-health-coach/
LowCarb USA: https://www.lowcarbusa.org/ https://www.bittensaddiction.com/en/patients/certified-licensed-sugar-professionals/

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today’s guest was very special to me. Dan John is someone who has had a huge influence on my career as a trainer, my own training, and philosophies on life.

Dan has blended his outstanding career in academia with professional strength coaching and success in high-performance competitive sports. At 65, he is still achieving competitive goals. He is an author of numerous books that blend his intellect, training philosophies, and trademark wisdom together. His books are insightful, inspiring, and humorous.  My two favourite quotes for life and training are – “how is what you do now going to affect your future?”, and “just pick heavy sh** up off the ground and lift it over your head”. Classic wisdom for living life.

Today we talk about osteoporosis, walking as the most enduring cardiovascular exercise and why getting up and down off the floor is so important. He talks about his schedule and how having FUN is important for a good life.

I'm a huge fan of Dan’s programme, “Mass Made Simple” (a warning, it's simple but not easy). Nor is the 10,000 rep kettlebell challenge – but it’s worth the effort. I love “Easy Strength”. This is something every one of us can do, regardless of where we are starting. It only takes between 8-10 minutes a day, and it is meant to feel easy; so there are no excuses.  I get to ask Dan a couple of questions about hitting plateaus in my own training at the end.

At Dan John University you will find a workout generator, where you log your equipment, age, gender, goals and time available. It will generate specific workouts for you. There is a free two-week trial, so I suggest trying it out.

Dan provides a huge library of free resources, a podcast called Dan John and his numerous books can be found on Amazon. I recommend his work to personal trainers and coaches. What I learned from him over the years certainly helped me become a better trainer, more focused, and to never let go.

I hope you love this episode as much as I did. I can’t believe I got to talk to the great man himself!  Please subscribe, like and share if you did, as this helps me to attract more wonderful and interesting guests.

You can find Dan at:

Websites: 

• https://danjohn.net
• https://www.danjohnuniversity.com

Podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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I had a great time chatting with the multi-talented Dr Vyvyane Loh.  I really enjoyed our conversation delving into obesity and how she incorporates nutrition and functional medicine with traditional medicine to turn around her patient’s health. We covered a lot of important topics including how to manage metabolic syndrome, when does obesity become a health problem, thyroid function, sex hormones, nutrients, and many other subjects. I am looking forward to having her back on the podcast and setting up a Q and A to answer your questions.

Dr Loh has a wonderful YouTube channel with lots of videos on these topics that is worth checking out. It’s called vlmd rounds – you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmSXxPLQCMMDny_b4Fbbuw

Her website is:  vyvyanelohmd.com

Email: drloh@transform-afh.com

Biography: 

Dr Loh is board-certified in Obesity Medicine and Internal Medicine. She graduated from Boston University School of Medicine and trained at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where she also served as Chief Resident.

Dr Loh worked at HMR and was the medical obesity specialist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Centre for Weight Loss Surgery before starting her own practice. Her other achievements include choreography and writing

She was the recipient of the Bunting/Radcliffe Fellowship in Fiction in 2006, a Guggenheim Fellow in Fiction in 2008, and shortlisted for the 2005 international IMPAC Award in Literature. Her diverse skills support her commitment to celebrating the full range of our humanity in an increasingly technological and disembodied world through art and the healing sciences.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today I had another fabulous conversation, this time with lovely Doreen Downing; psychologist, author, public speaker, podcast host and coach. She is a woman of many talents and great empathy.

Doreen’s coaching is unique; she helps us all find our voices. It may be public speaking, but just as often, it might be speaking up around the board table or in an office meeting. Perhaps you want to learn how to communicate better with your significant other, and have the confidence to know what you want and understand how to reach an outcome that works for everyone. In this episode, we delve deeply into questions about why many of us struggle to share our voices. 

In this episode, we delve deeply into questions about why many of us struggle to share our voices. Doreen struggled with her own voice for many years, despite being a psychologist. She shares her own journey and the tools and techniques that have helped her achieve her outstanding success.

I have listened to Doreen coach and share her insights and its very valuable with thought-provoking ideas and a ton of useful tools. For anyone feeling anxious and wanting to find their voice in any situation, this is full of real gems.

You can download Doreen’s 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking at https://www.doreen7steps.com.

She offers a free 30-minute anxiety breakthrough session to get started. Make the most of this opportunity if finding your voice is something you would like to do. 

You can find Doreen at:

Website | Course website | Other website |Linkedin | Facebook Profile |Business Page | Book Page | Instagram |Twitter |Pinterest |YouTube | Podcast | Training Director, Speaking Circles International

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

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I was so excited to have been able to offer another informative live Q and A to help you get answers to your health problems.

This time we had Dr Estrelita van Rensburg joining us to answer our questions about hormones, sleep, and weight control. If you are a young woman with hormonal imbalances, or are going through peri-menopause or menopause and have questions, Dr Estrelita loves answering your questions.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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https://susanbirch.co.nz/

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This was such a special conversation with today’s guest Zach White. What I love so much about Zach is his generosity, vision, clarity of thought, and humbleness.

Zach has learned his life lessons well and has taken the courage from accepting responsibility for the challenges. He’s done a heap of work on himself, understanding what he wants from his life and who he needs to become to achieve that. I’m inspired every time we talk. Not only to be better and more courageous but to accept with grace and humour where I am in my life today and how all the thoughts and decisions I have made in the past led me here.

Zach is an engineer and he has established a coaching business to help change the game in engineering and leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Oasis of Courage, known as OACO, a fast-growing company with unique and proven coaching programmes exclusively for engineers. He also hosts a top-rated show, The Happy Engineer Podcast. Zach is the World’s Best Lifestyle Engineering Coach!

You don’t have to be an engineer to learn from Zach. His message his relevant to all of us. If you want to master your mindset, build a successful blueprint for your life, and learn how to achieve your goals and dreams in life without burnout, then check out Zach’s podcast and website.

You will find Zach at:

Email: zach@oasisofcourage.com

Cell phone: 269.235.9633

Website: https://www.oasisofcourage.com/

LinkedIn: Zach White

Social: @oasisofcourage

Social: @thehappyengineerpodcast

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today I talk with Janet Stott a Christchurch-based entrepreneur who is interested in health, nutrition and taking care of the planet.

Listen as Janet talks about the company Homegrown Primal that she has established with her partner Marti.  This couple is producing high-quality NZ grass-fed beef liver and organ supplements.

Janet talks about her journey to finding health, why organs are so important in the human diet and touches on the role of regenerative farming in the welfare of animals, the environment and human health.

Janet's website is also a mine of information on nutrition topics and well worth a read. 

Thanks Janet for the great interview and taking the time to share your story.

You can find Janet's website here: https://homegrownprimal.co.nz/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today’s guest is my friend and fellow Neuro Change Practitioner Eugene Moreau. Eugene is based in Hamilton NZ.

Our conversation today is about how we can use neuro-change strategies to reset our mindsets so we can reach our full potential.

We talk about growth mindsets, what they are and how we can all develop a growth mindset.

GOING WAY BACK...

In 1990, Eugene began coaching business professionals to improve their public speaking and business presentations. He has trained thousands, across eight countries to stand and deliver confidently using his 13 Box Presentation Structure System™. Eugene has consulted, trained and coached in organisations such as Ernst & Young, Mainfreight, Carotrans, Westpac Financial Services, Lumley Services, Credit Repair Australia, Fletcher Building, New Zealand Home Loans, Steel & Tube and Auckland University Short Courses.

Using Eugene's words, "I wake up every day with the drive to help people reach their full potential. Sometimes you just need to reset your mindset. I have had to do this myself. I've experienced significant loss, been through a season of depression, failed at relationships and even suffered the tragic loss of a grandchild. This is why I know, that sometimes, you need help in resetting the mindset so you can reach your full potential"

EUGENE'S MISSION - "Is to help men and women who want more from their life get it through achieving clarity of purpose, overcoming self-limiting beliefs, creating a growth mindset and reaching the previously unreached potential.

Eugene can be found at: https://eugenemoreau.com/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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https://susanbirch.co.nz/

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The Live Q&A session with Dr Peter Delannoy - the real causes of metabolic diseases, weight gain and gout - was on the 28th of April.
 
Dr Pete has a Ph.D in Biochemistry, he is a Primal Health Coach, and Nutrition Network Advisor.

He is highly experienced in healthy weight loss, type -2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and gout remission.

Hear Dr Pete's personal story as well as the opportunity to ask him your most pressing questions.

“Conventional wisdom was killing me. The only thing the medical establishment could offer me besides guilt and shame was medication and disease management. Change my lifestyle, they said, even though I was doing what they asked!”

- Have you ever been diagnosed with gout?

- Are you wondering if conventional medicine is leading you down the wrong path?

- Hear about the alternative options during this live webinar.

We hope you enjoy it.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

You can sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with the content I am publishing, monthly blogs and Q & A webinars with experts from around the world.
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https://susanbirch.co.nz/

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I had a fabulous conversation with Jayne Bullen, the Chief Operating Officer of the Noakes Foundation and Managing Director of Nutrition Network. Jayne is a contributor/editor to the book The Science of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction in Human Health.

We talked about the different chapters in the book and the benefits of medical nutrition therapy. This book is designed to answer the questions and concerns that many health care practitioners have about implementing low carbohydrates diets in patients.

We both hope that you will share this episode with friends and family who may find it helpful, and if appropriate with your GP.

About Jayne

Jayne believes research in healthcare needs better funding and strong minds. As the Chief Operating Officer of The Noakes Foundation, she established Eat Better South Africa alongside inspiring colleagues and Prof Noakes and believes in building stronger collaboration in the nutrition and science game.

After realizing the dichotomy between brand research budgets and human health research, she decided to leave the formal research world, committed to bringing her global experience in big biz research, systems, and policy change expertise into new areas to affect change to human health.

Jayne is an MBA Chevening Scholar, High Dip in Marketing and International Relations graduate. In her MBA at Leeds University, she focussed on the regulation of marketing to children in the food and fast food categories, later conducting Pan European media research and strategy evaluation in this area for various global health bodies and brands.

As an extension of her collaborative vision for the future of human health and better healthcare systems, she co-founded Nutrition Network and has been its Managing Director since it was founded in 2018.

You can find Jayne and the Nutrition Network here:

Facebook @Nutrition Network

Twitter @NutritionNetwrk

Linkedin  @Nutrition Network

Instagram @nutritionnetworkglobal

YouTube @nutritionnetwork

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

You can sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with the content I am publishing, monthly blogs, and Q & A webinars with experts from around the world.
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You can follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/thehealthdetectivenz 

My guest today is Mia Moran who helps women balance motherhood, career and health, which can be a real challenge for most of us.

Today we talk about techniques that enable women to thrive, rather than just survive these challenges.

Mia talks about creating a vision for your life and then who do you need to become to create that life. What skills do you need to develop and how do you stick to a plan when life gets in the way? That is a challenge for us all. It’s easy to stay on track when life is rosy; but for most of us, life is tumultuous and we often find ourselves barely coping, falling into bed at night, promising we will do better tomorrow, only to repeat the cycle.

Mia talks about her own experiences and now she helps other women achieve what they desire in their lives.

She is a best-selling author, coach, and mother to 3 teenagers. She has a podcast called “Plan Simple with Mia Moran”.

Mia says “I envision a world where women don’t have to choose between meaningful work, motherhood, and their health. I now know it’s possible.”

You can find Mia:

Website: https://plansimple.com/about-mia/
Instagram:  @theMiaMoran, @PlanSimple.co
Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plan-simple-with-mia-moran/id1089766926

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Carl Ficks has a fascinating story of how he transitioned from a high-pressure law career to establishing his company "No Surrender". Carl went from litigating in the courtroom to helping other lawyers and professionals to reclaim their wellness.  Carl’s mission in life is to be in service to his family, friends, colleagues and the community, where he leads by example, keeps his word and lives an empathetic, passionate, honest and authentic life.

In our chat today we talked about Carl's passion for running and cycling and how staying fit helped him perform his best at work. He offers some great tips on how to get started on the well-being journey and staying committed to yourself when under pressure from all your other responsibilities and time is precious.

Carl is one of those really genuine people who is making a difference. He writes regular blogs and is available for speaking engagements.

You can find him at:
Website: https://carlficks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlrficksjr/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Anna Maydonova Ditchburn is the kind of brave, the world needs. Her story is one of courage, survival and optimism for a better future for herself and those around her. I am deeply moved by Anna's story and inspired by her courage in overcoming her past and never giving up on herself or her ability to create the life that she deserves.

Anna has reclaimed her power, freed herself from the tether of shame and pain, and has made it her life purpose to help others do the same. She is passionate about helping others live the life of their dreams.

I am very proud to have this amazing young woman as a friend. It is a privilege to her story and a reminder to all of us, that no matter where we are in life, we all have the power to step away from our past and create the future we desire. 

Anna is affectionately known as the "world's best self-optimisation coach". 

With her compassion, wisdom and support, she empowers others to replace shame, pain and guilt, with a new story of what is possible in the future.

You can find Anna at:

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/mrs.anna.ditchburn

Instagram - @mrs.anna.ditchburn

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsannaditchburn/

Website: https://annaditchburn.com/

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Many thanks to Brian Sanders from Peak Human Podcast for this interview. I particularly want you all to hear from Brian. In my opinion, he has one of the best-balanced podcasts on YouTube.

We share similar goals; working out the optimal human diet and sharing this information with as many people as we can to help make good decisions that improve health. Brian calls this the Sapien diet and this can be found at https://www.sapien.org/

Brian is also producing a film called “Food Lies” and we chat about this. A trailer to Food Lies can be found on the resources page on our website: https://susanbirch.co.nz/resources/

I am super thrilled to have my “It’s what else you eat, not the meat” tee shirt, from supporting Brian’s filmmaking project. This film is funded solely by public contributions. If you would like to help, you can do so here.

In our interview, Brian talks about: 

• His own health journey; he thought he was healthy, but he wasn’t really
• How we have been told the wrong things about diet and lifestyle
• There is more than one way of eating. 
• One size doesn’t fit all diets and some diets don’t fit anyone
• Quality of life comparison between our ancestors and modern times
• How plant and animal food diets evolved throughout human history
• The evolution of our gut and brain as we adapted to an animal-based diet
• The expensive tissue hypothesis; high nutrient availability of meat, fat and seafood changed our digestive tract as we evolved
• Nutrients that are specific to animal foods or not as bioavailable from plant foods
• Plant toxins and food preparation techniques to get rid of the anti-nutrients
• It’s harder to cure a disease that to prevent it from happening
• The myth of cholesterol and saturated fat
• Financial interests driving our food industry
• Food Lies film - tracing the real story behind our evolution and nutrition
• His interview with Dr David Kurfeld, protein, cancer and dietary guidelines
• Ideology around anti-meat agenda; religion, Belinda and Gary FettkeGame Changers Debunked
• Our primary diet is animal foods, with some nuts, seeds and berries
• Our fallback diet for survival;  temporarily relying on tubers and plants. Works short term - not the proper human diet
• Healing people from the vegan diet
• Importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age
•  Why people should care about changing their diet
• The role of elevated insulin in chronic disease
• How to feed our kids
• Final thoughts; making change, the importance of community, and keeping an open mind 

Click here to find the study Brian talks about from the American Journal of Cardiology

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Dr Lucy Burns is a GP and a lifestyle medicine physician.  Dr Lucy runs a weight loss clinic called Epiphany Medical Weight Loss. This was the inspiration to create an online learning platform to share this information.

Dr Lucy has faced her own health problems, with muscular dystrophy, obesity and depression. She changed her lifestyle and lost 20 kg and her depression is in remission.
She speaks regularly at conferences for doctors on weight management as well as events for the general public and is now considered an expert in this field.

In this podcast, Dr Lucy talks about her journey and the mindset struggles of making dietary changes. We also discuss the dietary guidelines, why animal protein is so important for the health of our children and many other topics.

Dr Lucy is warm, engaging and very compassionate about the health issues many people are facing. If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with your friends and family, and also with your GP.

You can find Dr Lucy at https://www.rlmedicine.com/meet-the-doctors and her number one podcast at https://www.rlmedicine.com/podcast

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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This couple, who have been married for 32 years, are passionate about how the proper human diet allows us to thrive in our modern world. Leon says, "it's such a shame medicine has conquered so many of the things that killed us in the past, is now killing us with poor advice, based on faulty science". 

Hear Dr's Leon and Tamora Bynoe's personal stories as well as attendee's most pressing questions.

- Are you concerned about your heart health?

- Do you have high cholesterol?

- Has your Dr said you should be taking a statin?

- How could your diet be affecting your risk of a heart attack?

- Are you confused with all the different advice you hear?

This was a perfect opportunity to come along and ask two experienced Doctors your questions about cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.

If you enjoyed this LIVE Q&A, please subscribe, like and share with anyone who may find it useful. You can also find this episode and many others on your favourite podcast apps -The Health Detective Presented by Susan Birch.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today’s special guest is Belinda Fettke. The reason I wanted to talk to Belinda is because of the tremendous work she has done on understanding the vested interests behind the plant-based movement, that is exploding throughout NZ and Australia. I have shared a number of Belinda’s posts and youtube clips over recent years, and we will link again to those in the show notes.

Belinda got involved in this work when the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency attempted to silence her husband Gary, who is an orthopaedic surgeon.  Gary began advising his diabetic patients to reduce the amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates they were eating and to reintroduce natural healthy fats.

In our chat today, Belinda begins the story with how Gary’s cancer diagnosis led him to make dietary changes and the low-carb, high-fat diet. Gary like many other medical specialists who have suffered personal health problems realised that nutritional biochemistry provides the answers. This is what happens inside our bodies. The other stuff is all on the outside of the body and is driven by a lot of different agendas.   

Belinda outlines all the evidence she has discovered over the last 4 years connecting these powerful vested interested groups, who not only have got the nutrition industry in their clutches but are also involved in the training of our doctors and dieticians. They want to silence those who speak up about why red meat and saturated fats are healthy foods, whereas the highly processed plant foods, with added sugar, vegetable oils and a bunch of chemicals that are currently marketed to us – are in fact toxic to our biochemistry.

You can find Belinda’s work here.

She has a Facebook page, Belinda Fettke No Fructose. 

There are also many YouTube videos of both Belinda and Gary. This is the link to the YouTube video we talked about today: The Role of Nutrition in Everything.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

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Meet Dr Hugh Jellie, an NZ veterinarian, with a passion for the planet and the welfare of animals and humans. Dr Jellie talks about his interest in regenerative organisations, animal welfare and a healthy microbiome. He explains the importance of soil ecology and why changing our thinking to a symbiotic - living systems approach to how we grow our food is important. 

Dr Jellie discusses plant-based nutrition, the health of the ecosystem, the complexity of nature and the unintended consequences of removing animals from the land. He talks about the Savory Institute and why we need a change in thinking around the role ruminants to play in soil preservation, sequestering carbon, water retention and human health. He also discusses the serious implications of our use of glyphosate and its effects on human health.

Dr Jellie talks about the potential of regenerative agriculture to feed the world. Why we need to know where our food comes from - the consequences of glyphosate in our food chain, particularly in plant-based nutrition. He discusses the importance of eating local and eating seasonally to improve our health as well as that of the animals and planet. We need to be looking at our supply chains and where our food is coming from. He ends by saying "we all have choices to make every day". I think it is to consider the consequences of our choices, not just now, but in the future.  He also says "food is the medicine of the future". Again, I wholeheartedly agree. Food is the most important drug we take every single day - we can choose healthful life-giving food or toxic poison that destroys our health.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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In this power-packed podcast, Walt Hampton provides us with a taste of what makes him stand out as an author, success coach and keynote speaker.

Walt is one of those inspiring people who walks his talk. He shares valuable insights about time mastery, how understanding your “why” is important to finding your passion and how to use this passion to get stuff done.

Walt, who began with a career in law, became an accredited coach under Tony Robbins and then moved on to become a director of the Success Academy and founder of the Positive Leadership Academy.

Walt’s success principles allow him to excel at his other passions in life; high altitude mountaineering, ultra-distance running and blue-water sailing.

I learned a lot from Walt, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

You can find Walt at:
Website: https://www.walthampton.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journeys-Edge-Living-Life-Matters/dp/1612060145/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walthamptonjr

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Author of the book “Crazy Good Living”, Dr Alvin Danenberg is a periodontist who has been in practice for 44 years. Dr Al was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

In this fabulous interview with him, he shares his story, protocols and ups and downs. This really worth a listen, particularly for anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Dr Al also talks about an important continuing education programme he has developed for dentists.  This provides a Certification in Biological Nutritional Dentistry and is offered by the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine.

If you enjoy what Dr Al has to say, please share this with your dentist.

Al talks about
- How he became interested in ancestral nutrition and lifestyle following a stroke.
- Developing his unconventional cancer protocols
- The importance of gut function for mitochondria health
- Genetics loads the gun; epigenetics fires the bullet
- Paleomedicina research
- The glucose connection with cancer
- Diet and the gut work together and affect the mitochondria in cells
- Glucose creates problems with insulin and fat, messes up the gut barrier and microbiome
- Fat to protein ratios and why these are important
- Why our guts are designed to digest animal products and absorb their nutrients
- How the anti-nutrients in plants may negatively affect our health
- Ancestral health and what research can tell us
- Is fibre necessary for good health?
- The side effects of chemotherapy drugs
- The benefits of manuka honey
- Toxic elements in our diet
- Gluten and the DNA connection
- Different types of diets
- Seed oils, flour, sugar and salt
- Gum, teeth and mouth health
- Bleeding gums and gut bacteria connection
- The benefits of honey to clean the teeth
- Healthy gut to get a healthy mouth
- Home teeth whitening and oxidative stress in the bloodstream, health hazards
- Baking soda as a tooth whitening strategy
and so much more

Links and contact details:
Virtual Consult
Contact Dr Al
IABDM Certification Course

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

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Recommendations to supplement with vitamin D and zinc have become standard practice from both allopathic and alternative medicine throughout the Covid pandemic; including from some of the people I respect the most.

As the Health Detective, my job is to look deeper into whether health recommendations are based on evidence rather than speculation. It’s important not to just accept them all at face value without asking questions. Often, as is the case with vitamin D, we find that natural sources from sunshine and food are vital for a healthy functioning body, but the case isn’t so clear about the efficacy of supplementation. The name vitamin D is misleading because this is a hormone (secosteroid) rather than a vitamin that has profound effects on the regulation of over 2000 genes.  

When I began reviewing vitamin D I found conflicting research and the influence of big pharma money behind the recommendations for increased testing and supplementation. Vitamin D, The Sunshine Supplement Has Shadowy Money Behind It.”

https://archive.ph/kpfV0

During my investigations, I came across the work of Jim Stepheson Jr. Jim has been reviewing vitamin D research for two decades and is one of the most knowledgeable people I could find on vitamin D pathways and the effect of supplementation for our health. I was thrilled that he agreed to this podcast and thank him for his time and sharing a little of his extensive knowledge; and keeping it at a level that we can all understand. This is a very complex subject, and I have so much to learn.

If you find this episode helpful, we would both appreciate you sharing it with friends and family. My goal for these podcasts is to bring you a variety of perspectives that may help you on your personal health journey.

 A little bit about Jim:
Jim's passion for research in the field of vitamin D began because of a family member’s health issues, which included severe osteoporosis at the age of 51. During his quest to help her,  she was prescribed 50,000IU of vitamin D, which caused her to continue to decline and get worse. This incident gave him the incentive to start doing deep research on the topic of vitamin D. 

His previous occupation in the fisheries industry taught him a lot about researching and writing scientific papers so as a natural progression, Jim applied that knowledge to his vitamin D research.  What he discovered was shocking! The truth was that supplementing vitamin D was causing severe, long-term health issues and that the claimed vitamin D deficiency was a lie and a hoax! 

For the past two decades, it has been Jim's passion and avocation to keep researching and spreading the word to help people learn about the dangers of supplementing with vitamin D.

If you would like to know more about Jim’s work you can find him at:

FB: Secosteroid Hormone D

If you have any health topics you would like covered or questions answered, please email me at susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today I talked with one of my favourite people; coach and personal mentor Nick Tumminello.

Nick is one of the best trainers out there and is world class educator to trainers around the world. He is the Editor-In-Chief for the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) Personal Training Quarterly Journal. In 2015 he was inducted into the Personal Trainer Hall of Fame and in 2016 he won NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year and won PCTD’s best fitness article on the internet. Nick is the author of 3 books and designed and sells NT Loop Bands. These are excellent fitness tools, particularly useful for home-based training. I hope you enjoy Nick’s pearls of wisdom in this interview.

Nick and I talk about all things exercise. While we all know the reasons we should be exercising, Nick explains some of the less known and discussed benefits that he believes are very important. These include making a commitment to yourself and your health, self-control and stress release. He explains how three different personality types respond to different kinds of motivation. It’s important to understand our internal drivers so we can choose the style of exercise that suits us best.

Nick talks about starting exercise as a  beginner and why keeping goals real in terms of commitment and outside factors is the key to long-term success. It’s better to have a lower frequency and volume of exercise and be consistent over time, than over-reach and then give up altogether.

We finish by talking about the importance of diet in improving our body composition as well as how the lack of sleep and other stress hinders fat loss. Everyone knows what they need to do, the question is why aren’t we doing it? Nick emphasizes the importance of making small sustainable changes and “abandon perfect”.

You can find Nick at:
http://nicktumminello.com
Facebook
NT Loop Band
Nick’s books: Strength Training for Fat Loss; Building Muscle for Performance and Speed; Your Workout Perfected.
Link to the article mentioned in the video:

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

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Today's guest is Zoe Harcombe, she is an internationally respected health researcher with a unique ability to dissect and explain nutritional research.  

Zoe talks about her background and own health challenges as a young woman and her poor relationship with food. She discusses how the obesity epidemic started to take off and how she became a full-time researcher, commentator and presenter. We also talk about Ancel Key’s and the importance of his work on low-calorie diets and how what that has taught us about the calorie in versus calorie out the theory of dieting.

 We talk more about low-calorie diets and how these affect our metabolism and increase our body fat storage. Zoe explains why we are in much worse shape after a calorie-restricted diet than we were beforehand and why fat and protein are essential for the repair and maintenance of our body, whereas the only role of carbs is to provide us with energy. The dietary guidelines have got this backward and are making us sick and overweight.

 Zoe discusses her research into dietary guidelines. She explains there was not one shred of evidence that plant and low-fat diets were more nutritious than protein and fats from animal foods. Animal protein and fats are extremely rich vital nutrients we need for a healthy body and are far more nutritious than plant foods.  Despite this animal foods have been demonised and while the virtues of a plant-carb heavy diet have been adopted worldwide with disastrous consequences for our health.  She discusses the work of Belinda Fettke who has uncovered the role the Seventh Day Adventist Church and Sanitarium play in influencing nutrition recommendations from NZ and Australian GPs and Dieticians.

Zoe talks about her 20 years of vegetarian experience and the many people who were previous vegetarian/vegans who now support the real food message due to suffering serious health consequences. Zoe had unnecessary eye surgeries due to nutrient deficiencies. She discusses why we need to know a lot more about food and what it does in our body and the difference between the availability of the nutrients from animal foods and plant foods.

Zoe talks facts about fat. The kind of fats contained in a range of food, surprisingly blueberries contain saturated fat. A little-known fact is olive oil has more saturated fat than a beef steak. Yet, we are told not to eat red meat because it is full of saturated fat. Another misconception is oily fish has more saturated fat than red meat, but we are told oily fish is good for our hearts
 and red meat is dangerous.

She talks about the difference between the vitamins and micronutrients available from plants and animal foods. “Eat food, mostly animals, quite a lot”.  Advice to parents for feeding kids and how to manage junk food. Great insights into managing children’s emotions around food and how we can teach them to eat real food. Where you can find Zoe and her numerous books.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

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Today’s guest is Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, an adjunct professor with Lincoln University and a farmer-elected director on the Boards of DairyNZ and Ravensdown. 

This was a very interesting discussion, where we talked about soil quality and the nutritional profiles of dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables.

We also got into a great discussion about the environment, methane and the impact of NZ farming on worldwide global warming. I found this very interesting and I hope you will too.

Dr Rowarth can be contacted by email: jsrowarth@gmail.com

You can find her many articles regarding food quality, soil and the environment on the NZ Herald, Country page.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe, like and share. This helps me attract more great guests to share their wisdom.

If you have any guests you would like to hear from or questions answered please let me know. Email susan@susanbirch.co.nz

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Today’s guest is Dr Robert Wolfe who is an expert in the role that protein and amino acids play in our health and vitality.

Dr Wolfe has an incredible biography. His career has spanned more than 50 years and at the age of 75, he is still involved in education and research. He has published over 600 peer-reviewed papers, review articles and book chapters. He has been cited more than 50,000 times in the scientific literature. I think it’s fair to say, he might know a little bit about protein.

We start by talking about protein and its importance in providing amino acids to our body. Dr Wolfe explains the difference between the essential and the non-essential amino acids and how these are used to build over 3,000 different protein structures in our body.

We are all aware of the importance of protein – amino acids in building and maintaining muscle, but these are vital for all our other body processes as well.

Dr Wolfe is a fan of maintaining muscle and he describes how this provides a metabolic sink for glucose, preventing insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes as well as acting as a reservoir for amino acids between meals. We need a constant supply of these in our bloodstream and our muscle provides these when we aren’t eating.

We also discuss some of the myths about protein and disease – heart health, diabetes, kidney function and mental health.

Dr Wolfe is the Chief Scientific Officer for a company called “The Amino Company” that produces formulations of amino acids for different groups. He is also the author of ‘A Guide to Amino Acid and Protein Nutrition: Essential Amino Acid Solutions for Everyone”. He calls this the EAASE programme. I am enjoying this book and it is a great summary of Dr Wolfe's research and experience in a very readable format.

We ran out of time today for all the questions I had – Dr Wolfe has agreed to come back for part 2, which I’m looking forward to very much.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, like and share with others who may find this helpful. This helps me to attract high caliber guests such as Dr Wolfe, to share their knowledge with us all.

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You can find Dr Wolfe here:

The Amino Acid Company: https://aminoco.com/collections/all?gclid=Cj0KCQjwn4qWBhCvARIsAFNAMii4D9WmeUXrP8quEk4l6efsLx7Lt7e9r1mDk_-0tBLNqnBKScNBc4AaAtgsEALw_wcB

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Amino-Acid-Protein-Nutrition-ebook/dp/B071YZFDXL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=LGK9BK3SCRMA&keywords=dr+wolfe&qid=1656983561&sprefix=dr+wolf%2Caps%2C329&sr=8-3

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrWolfeHealth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-robert-wolfe-0954b837/