Ep.57 How to find calm in our busy lives with Jillian Lavender

Is it possible to find that calm, still place with the busy, fast pace of modern motherhood? Jillian Lavender says absolutely. Jillian has been teaching people to meditate since 2003. She co-directs London Meditation Centre and New York Meditation Center with her partner, Michael Miller, from their base in London. Through teaching Vedic Meditation, the world’s most ancient form of meditation, Jillian has helped thousands of people across the globe to transform their lives.

We chat about:

- What vedic meditation is

- Why it helps and how it works

- Meditation and lack of sleep

- Her experience with motherhood and meditation

For full show notes see www.motherkind.co

https://www.londonmeditationcentre.com/jillian-lavender/

Ep.56 Motherhood and mental health with Bryony Gordon

The one you have all been waiting for! Bryony Gordon needs no introduction - she is an amazing force of honesty, positivity and humour. She is a journalist at The Telegraph, best selling author, mental health campaigner and mum of one. She is also the founder of Mental Health Mates, a peer to peer support group.

We chat about:

- Her journey with mental health and her recovery

- Motherhood

- Her new book - You Got This

- What she would tell her younger self

- The one gift she would give to all mothers in the world

https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/?hl=en

Ep.55 Wellbeing, motherhood and business with Sadie Reid

Sadie Reid is a mum of 2, and founder of Hip and Healthy and Luxe and Hardy. We discuss the realities of being an entrepreneurial mum, how she manages the juggle, her own self care, how she found herself after the first year of motherhood and the latest wellbeing trends for mums. For full show notes see www.motherkind.co https://hipandhealthy.com/ 

Episode 53: The power of talking about money with Alex Holder

Alex Holder has been named by the Evening Standard as one of today's 5 Inspiring Female Leaders, she is a brand consultant, writer and mum to a 3 year old boy. Alex has just published a book called 'Open Up. The power of talking about money' and is on a mission to get us all talking about this still taboo subject.

This episode is sponsored by MORI -babymori.com/
For £15 off £50 use code 15OFF50.

Episode 54: Are you burnt out? With Amelia and Emily Nagoski

What is burnout? How do you know if you are burnt out? And how you recover from it? 
Emily and Amelia Nagoski are highly accomplished in their fields as individuals, with Emily working as a well-known sex educator and Amelia working as a conductor in the competitive world of classical music. Despite these accomplishments, the two struggled with stress, feelings of inadequacy, and veering towards burnout in their careers, and have since dedicated themselves to educating women across all careers on the factors that lead to burnout and the best way to avoid it.
For full show notes go to www.motherkind.co
This episode is sponsored by MORI -babymori.com/
For £15 off £50 use code 15OFF50.

Bonus episode: the one act of self care we all need to do

Episode 52: "The most important inner work a parent can do" with Mastin Kipp

This week's episode is with Mastin Kipp. Mastin is a number one best-selling author, speaker and Creator of Functional Life Coaching™ for people who are seeking rapid transformation in their lives. He has been recognised as a “thought leader for the next generation” by Oprah Winfrey. I've followed Mastin for years, and seen him talk a number of times, so it was a real honour to chat with him. 
Mastin and I chat about: 
- What trauma is and how you know if you have it 
- Mastin's own trauma 
- How you can heal from trauma 
- Emotional trauma and parenting 
- The one gift he'd give to all mothers
mastinkipp.com/

Books Mastin mentions:

Dr Shefali Tsabury

Episode 51: How to stay healthy with Dr Jenna Macciochi

Dr Jenna Macciochi joins me this week to discuss everything related to the immune system, why we get ill and how to stay healthy. Jenna is an expert on immune systems, with over twenty years experience in the field. She is also a Mum of twins and understands the added challenges of parenting when we ourselves are unwell- so it was a pleasure to learn more about what we can do to stay healthy more of the time.

Jenna has an accessible and clear way of explaining the topic, whilst also being rooted in a depth of evidence-based scientific expertise, which made this a fascinating discussion. She also shares her personal experience and provides applicable and practical tips to have the best immune system we can.

Jenna gives detailed insight into the four pillars of immune system health; movement, rest, stress and nutrition.

We chat about-

• Her path to developing a fascination and career in the field of immunology, and what drives her passion today. Jenna explains how her curiosity as a child into all things health and disease related, led her to dedicating herself to understanding everything about the immune system

• Movement for a healthy immune system, and why it is so important. Jenna shares that certain parts of the immune system are reliant on movement and our muscles to work, and the vital importance of keeping our muscle moving to the health of our immune system. Jenna explains how our muscles actually produce molecules that work to stop a crucial gland linked to our immune system from shrinking.

• Rest and sleep, and why it is so crucial for fighting viruses due to its healing and restorative effects. We discuss the pivotal role of Circadian Rhythms, and how eighty percent of our immune system is under Circadian Rhythm control. Jenna gives insight into how to support our immune systems when getting poor or broken sleep, including the impact blue light can have.

• Stress and how it impacts on our immune system, and what we can do to counter stress hormones which make us ill. Jenna clearly explains how stress and the immune system are linked, and the role our evolution has had. She gives practical guidance to stopping stress impacting on our immunity, including the power of giving your life a positive narrative.

• Nutrition and the three elements we should focus on for our immune system. Jenna describes why fibre, phytonutrients and fats are essential to immune health. She explains exactly which foods we can find these in and how they impact on our immune system. We also talk about why a plant based diet may have positive effects on our immune system.

Interesting questions I ask Dr Jenna;

5:22 ‘Is it true that some people have good immune systems and some people have bad immune systems, and what can we do to keep that system in regulation?’

19:38 ‘What does rest give us, and how can we get better sleep, and what can we do when we are feeling tired to feel more energised again?’

25:15 ‘What can we do to support our immune system whilst we are getting this broken, unnatural sleep?’

38:49 ‘What can we do to counter this cortisol, as you described, constantly in our bodies, which is making us ill’

51:00 ‘Should we sterilise everything, and follow our babies around with Dettol? What’s your view on that?’

Jenna can be found at:

https://www.drjennamacciochi.com/

IG: dr_jenna_macciochi

This episode was supported by MORi - www.babymori.com

Use code 15OFF50 for £15 off orders over £50.

Episode 50: My motherhood journey with Zoe Blaskey

It’s the 50th episode and this one is with me!

I chat to my friend and councellor, Nicky Clinch, we discuss:

• Why I wasn’t sure if I wanted children and my journey to pregnancy

• My birth and how it planted the seed for starting Motherkind

• My past challenges and what I’m working on right now

• Why I started the podcast and my most challenging interview to date

• The one gift I would give to all mothers

Episode 49: Losing (and finding again) our identity in motherhood with Lou Kirby founder of Woman Ready

This week I am chatting to the amazing Lou Kirby, founder of Woman Read- a global platform to help inspire, support and empower us to be the women we want to be but also talk about the issues we face as women today.

Lou and I chatted about:

• Her background and journey. Lou shares her experience of having a demanding corporate career whilst being a new Mum and the challenges it brought her. She openly describes the invaluable lessons she learnt about working as a Mum, including the importance of putting yourself as a priority.

• Her expectations going into motherhood and why they didn’t help. Lou explains her expectation that she would manage motherhood with ease, and take competing demands in her stride. She explains how this was far from the reality she experienced, and we discuss how motherhood is often an on-going challenge no matter what stage you’re at.

• Losing her sense of self and how she found it again. Lou chats about how she lost her sense of identity when she went back to work following maternity leave. She explains exactly what she did to overcome this- including positive affirmations and the power of stopping over-thinking.

• Her top tools and tips for empowerment. Lou gives valuable insight into how to deal with your negative inner voice, through self-kindness and ultimately having a better relationship with yourself. She also discusses the benefits of writing down positive statements, such as everything you’re doing well, on a daily basis.

https://womanready.com/

Episode 48: A new way to think about confidence with Amy Rushworth

In this Episode, I am joined by Amy Rushworth. Amy is a leading confidence mentor, wellness speaker and life coach, specialising in confidence in women, and runs wellnesswithamy.com.

We cover-

-        Where Amy’s passion for confidence from. Amy shares her personal journey to reviving her own confidence, from childhood to today. She explains how pivotal childhood experiences can be, and the importance of looking at exactly when your inner self-worth was lost.

-        The first things to do when looking to improve your confidence. Amy describes why it’s important to look back when thinking about your current limiting beliefs. We discuss exactly how to go from understanding when you lost your confident self, to re-finding that confidence.

-        Why women can lose their confidence as they transition through life, and how to regain it. Amy discusses the importance of having a foundation of understanding that you’re enough whilst pursuing external goals.

-        How to start feeling enough. Amy discusses just how important a role self-kindness and self-awareness play, and practical tools for these. She shares her insight on why it’s necessary to take action with self-kindness.

-        Fear around parenting and being the perfect Mum. Amy shares advice on perfectionism, which she finds is often magnified in Mums. She explains why we should also celebrate failures, and how viewing life through a perfectionist lens can create blocks in connecting with people.

-        Instilling confidence in children. Amy describes the importance of love, releasing the need to control and letting go of the need for children to be continually happy. We chat about why it’s so important to allow children to have their own feelings and their own space.

Amy can be found at-

https://www.wellnesswithamy.com/

Instagram: @wellnesswithamy

Episode 47: Finding balance within the busy with Kelly Pietrangeli

This week, I am joined by Kelly Pietrangeli. Kelly is the founder Project Me, which aims to help busy Mums lead more balanced lives. She has also written the book ‘Project Me for Busy Mothers: A Practical Guide to Finding a Happier Balance’ which is highly recommended.

I was really excited to talk to Kelly as the truly understands the highly stressed and time-poor life that will resonate with so many Mums. She provides a wealth of practical advice to identify where the stresses in your life are coming from, and ways to improve this to achieve the happy balance you deserve.

We cover-

-        Why she started Project Me. Kelly explains what the light bulb moment in her starting her current work was, and why her house renovation inspired her to make a change.

 -        The path to where she is now. Kelly shares her fascinating career history including working for Johnny Depp. She explains how embarking on her Project Me journey had a transformative effect on herself and her experience as a mother. We discuss the ‘Why’ that drives her mission.

-        Why time management and productivity is crucial for Mums (and how to improve it). We chat about the importance of designing your day, and being feelings led in your day-to-day life. Kelly shares the power of having a game plan. She provides practical advice on putting changes to your life in place when you don’t have much time.

-        Personal growth and how everything in your life flows out from it. Kelly explains her definition of personal growth, and the benefits of thinking beyond your physical body.

 -        Health and fitness and the importance of deciding what it means for you. We discuss practical strategies for fitting in fitness activities, and how scheduling can help. Kelly explains just how crucial checking in with yourself once a month is when it comes to personal health.

Project Me can be found at: https://myprojectme.com/

IG: kellyprojectme

 

Episode 46: How was your matrescence? With Dr Alexandra Sacks

In this Episode I am joined by Dr. Alexandra Sacks, who is a Reproductive Psychiatrist and world-renowned expert on matrescence. She reached a global audience with her TED Talk, ‘A new way to think about the transition to Motherhood’, which resonated widely with Mums across the World.

Alexandra is at the forefront of the worldwide discussion on matrescence, and shares an invaluable insight into the topic, whilst also giving some practical and easy to apply advice for this time in your life.

We talk about:

-        Her background and how her passion for matrescence developed. Alexandra shares how her career in Reproductive Psychiatry led her to talking to women who didn’t have Postnatal Depression, but didn’t feel the same since giving birth. Alexandra describes how this led her to develop her understanding of matrescence, and why it isn’t covered in traditional medical training.

-        Exactly what matrescence is and why it’s important. Alexandra explains why matrescence is a stage just like adolescence, but for mums. She clearly explains how it is not the same as Postnatal Depression, and shares the vital importance of us talking about it and being aware of it.

-        Practical steps we can take to help ourselves in the matresence period.  She urges us to recognise that we are in this period, and emphasises the importance of asking for help. Alexandra also provides guidance on when it’s time to call your doctor regarding your health during this time.

-        Self-care post birth and why your children need you to take care of yourself. Alexandra shares why taking care of yourself isn’t selfish and how it provides a positive model to show your children.  

Alexandra can be found on Instagram: alexandrasacksmd

Dr. Alexandra Sacks has co-authored a book being released on 23rd April 2019, called ‘What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood’, which is available to pre-order on Amazon.

Timestamps

06:00     Alexandra’s background and how she came to give her Ted Talk

10:50     The pattern she recognised in her patients; matrescence

15:00     Where the concept of matrescence comes from and what it means

18:00     Why some women feel ashamed when going through matrescence

19:05     Does every woman go through matrescence?

22:15     The Push/Pull effect and what it means

28:00     Alexandra’s book and what it covers

31:00     Practical advice for when you’re going through matrescence

36:40     Why your baby needs you to take care of yourself

40:40     If you could give just one gift to all the Mums in the world, what would it be and why?

Episode 45: From stressed to serene: finding your way back to health with Suzy Glaskie

This week I am joined by Suzy Glaskie. Suzie is a Functional Medicine Health Coach and also Mum of three. We have a really open, honest and at times emotional chat where Suzy explains her journey and what she’s learnt along the way. She also shares invaluable tips on any health issues your child may be having and how to develop effective self-care; which I know will be incredibly useful for so many mums.

Suzy has a unique perspective as she’s experienced both the competing strain of a demanding professional career whilst being a mum and also has incredible insight into health due to her experience and wisdom as a Functional Medicine Health Coach.

We discuss;

-        Suzy’s journey from a stressed PR professional to finding true health and happiness today. She explains how she started becoming involved in health and well-being, and reveals the tipping point for her pursuing it full-time. Hear how she immediately knew why health coaching was her lives’ purpose.

-        The powerful story of her sons’ health issues and his path to being healthy. Suzy openly describes how traditional medicine failed him over a number of years, and reveals how it was natural diet changes that made the real breakthrough. We discuss how Suzy’s realisation that the body can heal itself, informed what she’s done and learnt since this.

-        Suzy’s best advice if you have a health issue or problem with your child. She shares the transformative effect taking your child off gluten can have on many problems. Suzy also stresses the importance of persistence in finding someone who will listen, and who understands the pivotal role of the gut.

-        Self-care and why it’s a necessity and not a luxury, and how it’s vitally important for our children to see we make our own health a top priority. Suzy shares her top three tips for self-care; finding some support, knowing your ‘why’ and taking baby steps.

 Suzy’s company provides Health Coaching and can be found at: http://peppermintwellness.co.uk/

Twitter: @SuzyGlaskie

Facebook: @PeppermintWellness

Timestamps:

4:40 Suzy’s background and journey

11:00 Her struggle with her career whilst having young children

16:15 How Suzy came into working in health and well-being

19:28 Why she immediately knew that Health Coaching was her purpose

20:05 Suzy’s sons’ health issues and story

29:50 The breakthrough in treating her son’s health issues

31:38 The body can heal itself given a chance

32:50 Advice for finding natural treatment for your child’s health issues

35:40 The top things Suzy sees in busy women as a Functional Medicine Health Coach and the changes we can make

45:30 Suzy’s top three self-care tips

48:54 If you could give one gift to all the mum’s in the world, what would it be and why?

Episode 44: The power of vulnerability with Anna Mathur

Episode 44 is with Anna Mathur, who is a Psychotherapist, mental health writer and speaker, Mum of 2 and is currently pregnant. She is well known for her Instagram account where she shares insightful Psycho-educational content.

This is Anna’s first ever Podcast, and she was very open in discussing her own experience of mental health issues, including Post-natal depression and low self-esteem, and how she overcame them. Our discussion is really informative because in sharing her story Anna gives invaluable insight and advice on how to overcome mental health issues, using both her professional and personal experience.

We discuss:

-        Her journey to posting content about mental health on Instagram. Anna explains her passion for Psycho-education and sharing practical techniques that people can apply themselves, in an accessible way.

-        Anna’s experience of Post-natal depression. She shares exactly why she first reached out for help, what the big turning point for her was and when she finally realised she needed support.

-        How Anna overcame perfectionism, low self-esteem and self-hate through addressing her inner dialog, and why this is one of the most challenging (but important) things you can do. We also chat about the power of the language we use with ourselves and others.   

 -        The importance of self-care, and how Anna’s perception of it has changed. She describes why it is so important to her, and how she applies it in practice. She also chats about why looking after yourself isn’t self-indulgence.

Follow on @annamathur (Instagram)

mamasscrapbook.com

Timestamps:

03:04 Anna’s background and the story behind her Instagram account

05:35 Why Anna came to work in Psychotherapy

08:30 Postnatal depression and Anna’s experience of it

10:45 What Anna initially did to address her postnatal depression

13:42 The first steps in Anna realising she couldn’t do it alone, and what stopped her asking for help

16:50 Speaking out in your darkest times

18:31 What does someone do if they don’t have anyone to share feelings with?

21:10 Addressing the inner dialog

28:47 Consciously overcoming apologising all the time, and the power of words

31:30 Anna’s self-care practice and how her perception of it has changed

35:50 Where Anna is at today mentally and emotionally

Episode 43: How to help our children be healthy and happy with Lucinda Miller

Lucinda Miller brings a fascinating perspective on childhood nutrition. She is a Naturopath, Herbalist and Functional Medicine Practitioner with over twenty years expertise. Lucinda specialises in children, particularly in helping those with learning, behavioural or mental health challenges. She also has a wealth of experience in helping fussy eaters, children with immunity issues or those with digestive problems.

She has a clear central message; if you’re worried about your child in any way, don’t forget the profound impact nutrition can have. Her mission is simple, yet far reaching- to remind us that what we feed our children can have an impact on every aspect of their lives (and ours).

Lucinda has recently released her book “The Good Stuff: Delicious recipes and tips for happier and healthier children”. She has a practical perspective on cooking and food, and believes making one healthy meal from scratch a week can have a true difference.

We discuss-

-        Her background and why she wrote her book. Lucinda explains exactly what her specialities as a Naturopath, Herbalist and Functional Medicine Practitioner are. We discuss the stark difference between traditional medicine and naturopathy; where you’re treating an individual as a whole, rather than individual symptoms.

-        ADHD in children, and her approach to treating it. Lucinda shares the moving story of her own son, who had developmental problems as a child. Hear how after testing him and treating his underlying gut issues and deficiencies, he was transformed and is now applying for University. She explains how this motivated her to pursue her specialism today.

-        What you should do if you are concerned about a health issue with your child. We discuss the importance of not forgetting to consider wider issues such as physical health, diet and environment, if you’re worried about your child from a mental health perspective.

-        Her food philosophy for children. Lucinda reveals exactly why she believes over-processed foods are the root cause of most modern health conditions. We discuss sugar, and how it can be detrimental, but also chat about the dangers of low-sugar alternatives.

Lucinda’s book “The Good Stuff: Delicious recipes and tips for happier and healthier children” is now available on Amazon.

Timestamps

05:10     Why she wrote the book

10:00     The central message in her book

12:06     Functional medicine becoming more mainstream

14:20     Different cultures and their perspective on health and nutrition

17:10     The story of Lucinda’s son

24:00     What to do if you’re concerned about your child

27:50     Her food philosophy for children

32:33     For busy mums: try to get one healthy, made from scratch meal made per week

35:44     Sugar and children

39:40     If you could give one gift to all the mothers in the world, what would it be and why?

Episode 42: how to have children, a career and stay sane (ish) with Christine Armstrong

Christine Armstrong is the Author of ‘The Mother of All Jobs: How to Have Children and a Career and Stay Sane (ish)’, which has immediately had a huge impact on the Motherhood and career conversation. She is a mum of 3, Contributing Editor to Management Today and also a co-founder of a communications consultancy.
Her message is clear; if you’re struggling with working and motherhood you’re not alone and it’s not your fault. We have an honest, practical and at times funny discussion on this topic which is
at the heart of so many of our lives and yet often goes unspoken.

We discuss: 
- The reality of working and motherhood
- We discuss why it is the system fundamentally failing and not us as mothers.
- What needs to change; how society has shifted, but the systems in place for childcare and education for children aren’t meeting our needs. 
- Who the happiest people are in the modern system of work and parenting. Learn why those that aren’t in fixed patterns and are flexible are the most happy.
- How to live a life with competing demands and practical solutions.

Christine’s book is available on Amazon ‘The Mother of All Jobs: How to Have Children and a Career
and Stay Sane(ish)’
Christine is active on Twitter: @CArmstrongLDN

Episode 41: Finding your purpose with Jessica Huie MBE

Jessica Huie MBE went from being a teenager mum, expelled from school and living in a hostel, to being an award-winning entrepreneur and PR maven (working with some of the World’s biggest names including Meghan Markle). She was also listed in Glamour Magazine’s Power List as one of the UK’s most influential women.

Jessica is a mum of two, a step-mum and an author; having just released a book with Hay House called, ‘Purpose: Find your Truth and Embrace Your Calling’.

We cover;

• Her background and how she came to be where she is today. Jessica reveals the inner issues that came with the massive success she achieved. We also discuss the transformative effect meditation had on her outlook and life.

• Her spiritual outlook on the world; Jessica explains how and why being of service to others is so vital to our well-being, and what happens when we stop doing this.

• How she found her true purpose, and why staying connected to a higher power has changed her life from being unsustainable and feeling unsupported to one where she ultimately knows she is supported. Jessica explains how this has led to a radically different view on life.

• Her challenges and growth as a mother. We chat about how she aims to create an environment where her children can evolve, rather than shaping them in a pre-determined way.

www.jessicahuie.com

@jessicahuiembe

Jessica’s book ‘Purpose: Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling’ is available now on Amazon

Timestamps

04:56 Jessica’s background

07:10 Her path from a highly successful career to an inner focused way of living

09:15 The transformative effect of her dad’s diagnosis of cancer

12:10 Pain as a teacher

14:40 Where we experience true joy and purpose

15:57 Receptions to Jessica’s book

17:55 Her purpose today

22:40 How Jessica approaches a problem now

25:10 Creating an environment of spiritual growth for children

29:50 Where should people start their journey of inner work?

31:04 Important books on Jessica’s journey

Episode 40: Amelia Freer on self care and the first year of motherhood

This week I was honoured to be joined by Amelia Freer, who many of you may be familiar with already. Amelia is a qualified Nutritional Therapist, best-selling author of three books - the latest being the beautiful ‘Nourish & Glow: The 10 Day Plan’ and a Mum to her one year old daughter.

We discuss;

- Amelia’s difficult journey to becoming pregnant with her daughter

- Her approach to nutrition and diet, and how she came to it. She shares her relationship with food and how going to see a Nutritional Therapist set her on the path that led her to where she is today.

- Whether she has managed to put herself at the top as a priority since becoming a Mum, and why we should do this.

- How she has managed to overcome the difficulties of working whilst being a Mum to a young daughter.

- How her nutrition and diet have changed since becoming a Mum.

Follow Amelia on Instagram @ameliafreer

Amelia’s latest book ‘Nourish & Glow: The 10 Day Plan’ (2017) is available on Amazon

Her website is ameliafreer.com

Timestamps

4:30 What Amelia does and her journey into motherhood

08:25 Amelia’s experience of pregnancy

9:07 Food cravings during pregnancy

13:45 Her journey to forming her nutritional outlook and the history of her relationship with food

18:23 The Positive Nutrition Pyramid

22:00 Putting yourself first

26:45 The importance of talking about the realities of being an early Mum

30:30 Work and Motherhood; how Amelia structures her time

38:20 How has Amelia’s diet changed since becoming a Mum

44:58 If you could give one gift to all the Mums in the World, what would it be and why?

Episode 39: Katherine Ormerod on why social media is ruining our lives

Katherine Ormerod worked as a journalist for over a decade (Sunday Times Style, Grazia, Glamour). She is also a social media influencer in her own right and in 2017 she launched workworkwork.co an anti-perfectionism platform. She recently released her book ‘Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life’, which looks at the impact that social media is having on society, and the necessity of distinguishing it from real life.

We cover:

- Katherine’s journey of becoming an influencer on Instagram and then writing her book.

- The life experiences that have formed where she is now, including the massive impact her divorce had on her life and outlook.

- Social Media and the impact it has on us, our children and society as a whole.

- Motherhood and Social Media. Hear why Katherine only shares pictures of her son on a second account and the dilemma of not being able to ask children for permission for pictures.

Follow Katherine on;

@katherine_ormerod (Instagram)

workworkwork.co

Her book ‘Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life’ is out now at Amazon.co.uk