JUNE/JULY NEWSLETTER

1.  WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN & SURVIVAL GUIDE

Not only can’t I believe that we are half way through 2016 but also that the kids are now on school holidays. EEEkkk! School holidays are mixed blessings for me. I love not having that ‘gun to the head’ pressure of rushing to get out the door by a certain time like there’s a full scale emergency complete with sirens and flashing red lights with the neighbours looking on musing “There goes that crazy mother again…” No more packing of school lunch boxes and rushing the kids to an inch of their lives. I’m sure all mothers can relate. Now for lazy cosy sleep-ins (if the kids let you!) and simply letting kids be kids. The flip side is that order and routine goes out the window and the house looks like a cyclone has hit it well before mid day. And of course juggling the competing needs of work and kids, and trying to be present to both while feeling like you are not doing justice to neither! Let’s be real, the modern mother has challenges our female forbearers did not. They are different in nature, not harder or easier, just different but, I think, more complex.  

For me, summer holidays are an easier beast to tackle, despite their length.  The default in summer in Sydney is making a bee-line to the beach and spending the day there. It’s a no-brainer, especially with so many stunning beaches at our door step. Kids and adults alike can spend countless hours in the presence of 3 simple magic ingredients: sun, surf and sand. It’s the best on every level (especially for an ol’ Gold Coast chick like me!). Winter, trickier.

I used to make the mistake of loading my kids with back to back activities fearing that “they will get bored” unless there was a scheduled activity each and every hour of every day. But truth be told, while there certainly is a time and place for structured activities, I think school aged kids (especially mine) just love hanging around the house, playing with their toys and games that they rarely get a chance to do during the school week with all their dreaded homework. Relaxing, resting, being creative with drawing and paints, art ‘n craft, playing card games, marbles, back yard trampolines, building with Lego, reading books and playing their imaginary made up games. Simply giving them the space to entertain themselves and then checking in with them every so often to see how they are going or to join in if I’m so inclined, is not a bad thing. Here is an article I read a few years about why unstructured time is so important for your child’s healthy development.

In terms of activities out of the house, here are some mostly free (or cheap) school holiday outings that I like to do with my kids over the winter school holidays that you might like to draw some inspo from

• Visiting our local library to borrow a stash of new books including talking books….these are a great alternative to screens!
• Ice-skating at Bondi outdoor iceskating rink as part of their annual winter magic festival. There’s also one in the city neat St Mary’s Cartheral. A little small and hectic, but good to do once.
• Visiting historic buildings like Vaucluse House, Elizabeth Bay House or the QVB in the city. My kids and I love the rich history these buildings afford. Check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art shop in the QVB and the tea room on level 1 with their exquisite tea cups and pots!
• Art gallaries especially The Art Gallery of NSW or the Museum of Contemporary Art in the City (then coming home and drawing or painting with the inspiration from the morning outing).
• The Grounds in Alexandria is great for kids and adults with that lovely outdoor space and also run some school holiday kids activities
• Coastal walks… enjoy the fresh coastal air and the stunning views at our doorstep eg Bronte to Bondi, Bronte to Maroubra, Northern beaches, Middle Harbour to Manly.
• Bushwalks especially around Ku Ring Gai National Park (I’ll be writing a comprehensive blog post on this one soon!)
• Exploring and picnicking in the Royal Botanical Gardens in the CBD
• Cycling, scootering, walking, horse-riding and/or hiring a peddle buggy around Centennial Park
• The Australian Museum in the Sydney CBD. The Trailblazers exhibition that is showcasing at the moment is one that both kids and adults (and grandparents!) will enjoy. Follow it with a picnic in Hyde park across the road afterwards

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 2. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

A.   CURBING SUGAR CRAVINGS TALK

I am excited to be co-presenting this talk with Anthia Koullouros, renowed naturopath and founder of Ovvio Organics, on a topic that is near and dear to our hearts: curbing sugar cravings. Both Anthia and I think that this is a topic that many people in modern society will benefit from as both of us see this come up a lot in our consultations with clients.

In this talk we will be discussing how to curb your sugar cravings:

•    What is sugar?
•    Why we crave sugar?
•    How to curb sugar cravings?
•    Why eating a wholefood diet eliminates the craving for sugar and snacking?
•    Healthy alternatives to sugar.
•    Healthy snacks and treats.

The cost is $60 per person and includes:

•    Detailed discussion on how to curb sugar cravings.
•    Expert advice from experienced naturopath Ovvio Organics founder Anthia Koullouros, and founder of Star Anise Organic Wholefoods and Broth Bar & Larder Soulla Chamberlain.
•    Food Tasting by Star Anise Organic Wholefoods
•    Tea Tasting by Ovvio Organics.
•    Q & A.

This workshop is ideal for:

•    Those who are looking to curb their sugar cravings.
•    Those who are looking to transition from eating processed foods to whole foods.
•    Those wanting no-nonsense advice on choosing and cooking real, honest food.
•    Those who are wanting food, health and wellness inspiration.

When & Where: There are 2 dates with 2 different venues for this talk. 

1. Wednesday 20th July 6:30-8:00 pm Loft & Earth (formally The Intuitive Well), Bronte Rd Bondi Junction; OR
2. Wednesday 27th July 6-7:30pm Two Governors Café, Sydney CBD

To book you will need to:

1. Text Soulla Chamberlain on  0407 871 884 to confirm that there are spaces available (spaces strictly limited).
2. Once I confirm that there is a spot available you will need to transfer $60 referencing your name and “SugarTalk” into the following bank account within 24 hours (as places can only be reserved for up to 24 hours):
Star Anise Organic Wholefoods Education P/L
BSB 062 000
Acct 1628 4526
I will then email further details closer to the date.

PLACES WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD TO ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS
CANCELLATION POLICY: ONCE FUNDS ARE DEPOSITED INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT THEY ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

B.   ORGAN MEATS WORKSHOP

My organ meats workshop for Wed 3rd August is fully booked but there are a few spaces left for the workshop on Wed 10 August.

By incorporating a few different organ meats into your diet you can really can take your health to the next level. Organ meats are what I call one of the 3 foundational foods (along with bone broth and fermented foods) that have served mankind for millennia but have fallen by the wayside in modern society in recent times. My mission is to bring nutrient-dense traditional wholefoods, like organ meats, back to the modern table by educating people (especially time-poor parents!) on how to make them simply, easily, deliciously and affordably.

To book and for further information click here. 

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3. New products

 A.   CAROB BEARS

I am delighted to see that our little artisan carob bears are being wholeheartedly embraced by young and old. And who wouldn’t love these little fellows?!

The impetus for crafting these was the lack of a healthy carob bear on the market. I’m not a fan of milk powers nor soy lethicins, so I wasn’t happy giving products containing these ingredients to my children. So as not to feel deprived, I promised my kids I would create my own. Our carob bears only contain 2 pure ingredients: carob power and raw cacao butter. That’s it! We think carob is naturally sweet enough and doesn’t require any additional sweeteners. Carob also doesn’t have the stimulatory effects of raw cacao powder so better for little ones especially near bed time!  I also have many clients who can’t tolerate the theobromine in raw cacao powder so this is an alternative treat for them. Raw cacao butter is a source of healthy fats, gives that melt-in-your-mouth cholocately smoothness and helps to slow down the release of blood sugars from carbohydrates.  Both ingredients are certified organic and with no added sweeteners these are truly no guilt treats.

Sold individually or in a pack of 2. Also sold at The Health Emporium.

Stay tuned for our new peppermint carob bears about to hit the market soon!! “Oh EM Gee!” as my 8 year old says.  We are wanting taste testers for this new mint variety so please pop into Broth Bar & Larder and tell my friendly staff that you have signed up for the role as official taste tester of the new peppermint carob bears. What a burden, I know ;-)  My staff and kids gave them the big thumbs up but I would LOVE your feedback too!

And here’s the damage…

B.   CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP & CHICKEN ZOODLE SOUP

Our latest soup offerings at Broth Bar & Larder are a chicken noodle soup made with rice noodles, chicken stock, chicken pieces off the bone, sliced kale and leek. All ingredients are certified organic and we only use filtered water in all our products. 

We also have a completely grain-free version made with spiralized angelhair zucchini “noodles”: a simple chicken zoodle soup that has proved so popular with not just little ones but adults too. This is a little more substantial than a simple cup of broth but less hearty than one of our other 6 signature soups or the meal of the day. 

At the moment these are offered as dine-in or take-away options only at Broth Bar & Larder. I would be interested to know if you would like them also available pre-packaged and frozen like the rest of our soups? 

C.   STAINLESS STEEL LUCH BOXES WITH DIVIDERS, INSULATED CONTAINERS AND NESTING TRIO OF CONTAINERS

If you follow me on social media you will see that I regularly post photos and descriptions of what I pack for my 2 monkeys to take with them to school for lunch and morning tea. I often use stainless steel lunch boxes with dividers to separate the various contents of their lunch boxes. I also use insulated containers to keep food warm (e.g. casseroles, soups) or cold (e.g. yogurt). I also use smaller containers of various sizes for morning teas and to house dips, nuts & seeds, nori strips, fruit, cheese, cured meat etc etc. 

Surprisingly, I am constantly being asked from where do I buy all these lunch containers. In fact “Where do you get those lunch boxes with the dividers?” is my most frequently asked question on social media. Who would have thought that they are so highly coveted! So to make life easier for all the mums and dads and carers out there prepping healthy school lunches I decided to sell these at Broth Bar & Larder. We have 3 different options at the moment:

1.     Stainless lunch boxes with REMOVABLE dividers. You can remove the divider when packing a salad or sandwich or other meal that doesn’t require compartmentalisation. This makes washing the container easier too than the ones with permanent dividers.  

2.     A nesting trio of 3 round containers of various sizes with coloured lids. These are so handy.

3.     Insulated containers for keeping food warm or cold. My trick to keep food warm is to pour boiling water into the container to really warm it up for 5-10 minutes. Then tip out the water and add the hot food. To chill food, place container in freezer before hand. 

Our products can be purchased in the following ways:

1.     At our retail store Broth Bar & Larder in Bronte open 7 days 8am – 6pm

2.     Through our online store. We deliver dry goods Australia wide and refrigerated items to Sydney and Wollongong. At this stage only the Star Anise Organic Wholefoods products can be purchased on our online store and not third party products like lunchboxes, Red Boat sugar-free fish source, fermented cod liver oils, raw milk cheeses, wild Canadian salmon and tuna, GelPro gelatin and collagen powders, olive oil etc. I aim to include include these their party products in our online store in the coming months.

3.     By emailing orders@staraniseorganic.com and you can either collect from Broth Bar & Larder or we can ship to you as above.

4.     At various stockists (note that not all stockists stock the entire range of our products. Best to call ahead to confirm if they have what you’re after). 

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4. NEW STOCKIST:
LETTUCE DELIVER

We warmly welcome Lettuce Deliver as a new stockists to the Star Anise Organic Wholefoods family. Lettuce Deliver is one of Australia's longest running organic food home delivery services. They are a family run business specialising in the delivery of CERTIFIED ORGANIC produce and products across Sydney to most areas twice a week.

Funnily enough this story goes full circle. I started using Lettuce Deliver 10 years ago when Will was a bubba. Being new to Sydney and dealing with the struggles of being a first time mum I turned to an online organic delivery business (recommended by a mother in my mothers’ group). I thought their name was pretty cute too ;-) They were my online one stop shop as they sold so much more than just produce- from bones, to organ meats, raw milk, pantry items and personal care products.

And more than that they really care. I received a phone call from Ben one day “Um, Soulla, I just dropped off your delivery and left it on your kitchen bench. Do you often leave the house with the door wide open?"

Response: “Ben, as a sleep-deprived frazzled mother of 2 young children without family in Sydney, that is the least of my shenanigans”.  

Who would have thought that 10 years on I would now be supplying my products to them to include in their range. They are stocking a selection of our activated nuts, date coconut balls, broth (beef, chicken and veggie), broth based soups, choc power bars, sokolata (raw dark chocolate), sage & thyme chicken liver pate, and fermented veggies. 

The full list of our stockists can be found here. For enquiries about becoming a stockist please email info@staraniseorganic.com. Or if you have a local organic or health food store who you think might like to stock our products please ask them to contact me directly. 

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5. KINGSMORE MEATS

Kingsleys Meats (located at 22 Plumer Road Rose Bay) have had a name change to Kingsmore Meats and have opened up a second new location at The Saporium, Sydney’s newest food destination at 61 Mentmore Ave Rosebury. They are a family owned and run artisan butcher, selling superior quality pastured meats sourced from small independent local farmers who raised animals naturally, humanely and sustainably. They will be stocking some of our product lines in the coming months. We wish them all the best with the new location. The Saporium is also home to Wholefoods House (who stock our broth and activated nuts). The Saporium also has a market every Saturday.

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6. NEW RAW MILK

A new raw (unpasturised) milk recently hit the Sydney market that is allowed to be sold for consumption purposes. Currently raw cow milk is prohibited from being sold in Australia for consumption purposes. It can only be sold for cosmetic purposes e.g. Cleopatras bath wash. This new milk, produced by a NSW start-up called Made by Cow, is able to be sold for human consumption on the basis that it is ‘pasteurised’ not through traditional heat methods but through high water pressure. Approval from the NSW Food Authority involved a rigorous 2 year process. 

I spoke at length to the producer Saxon Joye recently and asked him some tough questions:

Q. “What does the high pressure do to the enzymes and beneficial bacteria content of raw milk?”

A. The upshot is that they only test whether half a dozen or so specific pathogenic bacteria exist in their milk after high water pressurisation. Because they do not test for the presence or absence of beneficial bacteria or enzymes they can not say with any certainty what happens to them. 

Now if high water pressurisation is powerful enough to destroy certain pathogens should they ever be present in raw milk, then one would presume (but can not be certain without any lab testing) that that process would also destroy at least some of the beneficial bacteria and even possibly enzymes. Saxon conceded that that is probably the case in respect of beneficial bacteria and could not say what the position was regarding enzymes. And that is my concern. 

So on the basis this high new high pressure processed milk presumably does not contain as many beneficial bacteria and possibly enzymes as completely raw milk, it would not on that basis be as health promoting as a completely raw cows milk that has not been treated or processed in any way. However, Australian law forbids me for recommending the consumption of a truly raw unprocessed cows milk. What people do in their own homes is, of course, up to them.  

Q. What are the cows eating?

The cows are fed exclusively grass except when they are being milked when they are fed grains (wheat and barley).  Note- This is not dissimilar to Cleos. 

Q. Are any petro-chemical fertilizers used in the soil? 

A. No

Q. Are the cows administered antibiotics?

A. No they are not routinely administered antibiotics. If they are given antibiotics, that cow’s milk is discarded.  

Q. Is the plastic bottle the milk comes in BPA-free and food grade?

A. Yes.
 
In summary…

I think this new milk definitely is a far healthier alternative to your standard heat pasteurised cows milk that most people are drinking which heats the milk to such high temperatures that ALL enzymes and beneficial bacteria are destroyed. This new cows milk is also unhomogenised and for that reason alone is far healthier than your standard pasteurised and homogenised milk. Homogenisation is a very outmoded concept that forces fat molecules to be evenly dispersed throughout the milk through a chemical process to avoid us lazy Westerners from simply shaking the bottle. Fat naturally rises to the top of protein so that’s why raw milk naturally has a layer of cream on the top. Ask your grandparents or even parents and they will tell you that’s how they found their milk in days gone by. All you need to do is shake the bottle to evenly disperse the cream throughout unhomogenised milk. 

Secondly I think that this is a terrific product for food and beverage businesses (like mine) to use in their commercial kitchens for recipes incorporating milk. Because Australian law forbids me to use raw milk like Cleos in my business, I now have a legal alternative that I could use if I wanted to offer, for example, hot drinks or smoothies made with dairy.

In terms of the taste, I couldn’t really tell the difference between this new product and Cleos (note that I can only recommend Cleos for cosmetic and not consumption purposes so taste testing was at my risk). 

This new milk, while more expensive than Cleos, does have a longer shelf live (21 days). 

For these reasons I commend Saxon for his commitment in bringing this product to the Australian market. I definitely think it will provide Australians with a healthier choice for dairy milk than any of the pasteurised milks on the market. 

For more information about the high water pressure process read this article. 

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7. WE ARE HIRING!  

Star Anise Organic Wholefoods is expanding under the pressure of increased demand and we are seeking more kitchen hands to join our ever growing and dynamic staff at Broth Bar & Larder in Bronte to do the early morning shift starting from 5 or 5.30am working up to 38 hours a week Monday - Friday. 

The work is physical and involves making and/or straining our signature bone broth and producing our other artisan organic wholefood products. 

We are after people who: 

• work super fast/efficiently 
• are on the same nutritional page
• take initiative (esp with washing up!)
• are clean/ hygienic
• are tidy/organised 
• follow procedures/ instructions/ lists
• have a sense of humour and take life's vicissitudes (aka f%#k ups) in their stride.

If you think you fit the bill, or know someone who does, contact me 0407871884. 

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8. MY FAVOURITE WAYS OF STAYING WARM OVER WINTER

Sydney has had an icy blast over the past couple weeks. Being a Gold Coast girl with Mediterranean blood, the cold isn’t my friend. Over the years I’ve fine-tuned sustainable and healthy ways to stay warm down to a fine art. Read this previous blog post I wrote that sets out my 8 favourite ways of staying warm over winter.

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9. COMBAT COMMON COLDS AND SORE THROATS NATURALLY

At this time of year I see many people with common colds, sniffly noses and sore throats. You might like to read this previous post I wrote about what’s in my medicine cabinet to alleviate common colds and sore throats.   In addition to the things listed there I would now also add pure essential oils such as Young Living which are reputed to be the most potent and pure on the planet. I add a few drops into the bath, in a diffuser and in a bowl of steaming water to inhale. For common colds I use eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil, and blends like Thieves and Purification to clear the air of pathogens. DoTerra’s EasyAir is also a great blend.

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I DO NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMISSIONS, FREEBIES OR KICK BACKS FROM ANY SUPPLIER. I SIMPLY PROMOTE BUSINESSES WHOSE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES I PERSONALLY USE AND WHO HAVE A SIMILAR ETHOS TO MINE.  MY BLOG STARTED OVER 6 YEARS AGO AS A WAY OF EXPRESSING MY LOVE FOR REAL FOOD AND THINGS THAT MAKE ME TICK. I LOVE SHARING WHAT I KNOW. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING THIS NEWSLETTER.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, Kali Orexi (that’s Greek for good appetite!)

SOULLA X

Organ Meat Workshop!

I am excited to be running my first organ meats workshop for the year limited to 14 people on Wednesday the 3rd of August (SOLD OUT), Wednesday 10th August (SOLD OUT), Wednesday 17th August (SOLD OUT) and now Wednesday the 31st August!

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WHY ORGAN MEATS?

Organ meats from pastured animals are the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Given that the functions and systems of the human body are built from and runs on nutrients, we ought to be consuming organ meats ideally once a week, if not more frequently, for vibrant health and longevity. Organ meats were part of all traditional diets and were the most highly prized parts of the animal for our hunter-gatherer ancestors (along with the fat and bones of the animal….the muscle meat was often discarded!). Most people in modern society simply don’t consume organ meats on a regular basis. 

If the idea of preparing and eating organ meats scares you (and it did for me once as I used to be a hard-core vegetarian!) then this is your opportunity to get outside your kitchen comfort zone, expand your culinary repertoire, and build reserves of strength and vitality for you and your family. 

You will be surprised and delighted at how delicious organ meats can be. I also showcase how to sneak them into everyday meals without anyone being none the wiser ;-)

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IN THIS WORKSHOP I WILL BE SHOWCASING HOW TO INCORPORATE:

• Chicken livers (in the form of pâté, san choy bow, bacon liver roll ups and shepherds pie) 
• Lambs brains (via cheesy omelette) 
• Lamb sweetbreads in a creamy mushroom sauce
• Bone marrow (via vanilla berry custard)
• Chicken hearts (via mortician flavour skewers)
• Ox tongue (served on cooked and cooled potatoes with horseradish mustard and coriander) 

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COST IS $120 PER PERSON AND INCLUDES:

• Detailed theory discussion on the nutritional benefits of organ meats
• Detailed workshop booklet (20 pages) including theory, recipes and where to purchase organ meats
• Practical demonstrations
• Hands-on experience
• Food tasting
• Opportunity to ask questions

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THIS WORKSHOP IS IDEAL FOR:

• Those who are interested in including organ meats (whether prominently or in disguise!) in their home-made meals  
• Those who suffer, or have family members who suffer, from low immunity (eg frequent colds, infections) 
• Those who want to take their health and well-being to the next level with the introduction of organ meats
• Those who want to try new things and expand their culinary repertoire!

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WHEN AND WHERE:

WHEN: Wednesday 17th August: 6.30PM - 9.30PM (ISH), Wednesday August 31st: 6.30PM - 9.30PM (ISH)
WHERE: BROTH BAR & LARDER, 49 BELGRAVE STREET, BRONTE (FREE STREET PARKING)

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TO SECURE YOUR SPOT YOU WILL NEED TO:

1.  Text me on 0407 871 884 to confirm that there are spaces available
2.  Once I confirm that there is a spot available you will need to transfer $120 referencing your name into the following bank account within 24 hours (as places can only be reserved for up to 24 hours). I will then send out further details by email closer to the date...

Star Anise Organic Wholefoods Education P/L
BSB 062 000
Acct 1628 4526

I look forward to seeing you at one of my workshops soon!

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PLACES WILL BOOK UP QUICKLY!
IF THE CLASS IS FULLY BOOKED I WILL RUN MORE CLASSES IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD TO ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS

CANCELLATION POLICY: ONCE FUNDS ARE DEPOSITED INTO MY BANK ACCOUNT THEY ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

My harrowing experience of living with mould and how it caused my (and my kids) health to unravel

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IMPORTANT NOTE!

SINCE FIRST WRITING THIS BLOG IN 2016:

• DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF QUERIES I RECEIVE ON A DAILY BASIS ABOUT MOULD, I HAVE PUT TOGETHER A ONE PAGE MOULD PROTOCOL – AN EXCLUSIVE RESOURCE FOR YOUING LIVING MEMBERS IN MY TEAM- WHICH SETS OUT A FOUR STEP PROCESS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH MOULD (BOTH IN YOUR HOME AND IN YOUR BODY). IF YOU WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON HOW TO BE A PART OF MY TEAM TO ACCESS THIS PROTOCOL PLUS MORE, PLEASE FILL OUT THE CONTACT FORM ON THE ESSENTIAL OILS PAGE OF MY WEBSITE AND ONE OF MY TEAM LEADERS WILL CONTACT YOU.
  

• I WOULD NOW CLEAN MOULD USING YOUNG LIVING THEIVES RANGE OF PRODUCTS AS PER THE PROCEDURE SET OUT IN THE MOULD PROTOCOL REFERRED TO ABOVE.
  

• I NOW EXCLUSIVELY USE AND RECOMMEND THESE BUILDING BIOLOGISTS AS MY BUILDING BIOLOGIST OF CHOICE.

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This is one of my most personal blogs to date.

I am writing to share my experience of living with mould and how it quickly caused my health and that of my kids to unravel. The more people I spoke to about this issue, the more people came out of the woodwork wanting information and pleading for me to share my story and my learnings.  A word of warning that the photos contained in this blog are a somewhat graphic.

So a little background...

I moved into my current home (double-brick free standing) a little over 2 years ago. The kids and I have had on the whole vibrant health for the best part of the past decade since eating a traditional wholefoods diet. In early February 2016 I feel ill with a virus that was doing the rounds of Sydney. Even though I rarely get sick it (and when I do I bounce back within a couple days) I didn’t think it was too surprising that I succumbed to this virus given that I was extremely sleep deprived (having averaged only 4-5 hours sleep per night for 3-4 months straight in order to open Broth Bar & Larder under extremely stressful conditions in late 2015). “I’ll kick it in 3 days like I usually do” I thought to myself. A week day came and went and I was still really sick. “Well I guess I was extremely stressed and sleep deprived to get the retail shop off the ground so perhaps this virus will take me a little longer this time. I’ll start going to bed super early”. So I made a concerted effort to get at least 8 hours sleep per night.

Two weeks later my symptoms were getting worse. I started to develop severely mucousy sinuses constantly blowing my nose, having to carry a box of tissues wherever I went. “Hmmm, this ones got me good. But any day now I’ll knock it. My diet is impeccable, so it’s just got to be a backlog of stress and sleep deprivation working its way out. I’ll get even more sleep and knock it ” went the voice inside me. So I started going to bed at the same time as my 2 kids and getting 10 hours sleep a night. We all sleep in the same king sized bed in the master bedroom downstairs.

Here’s the thing. The more sleep I got, the sicker I got. And the sicker I got, the more slept, creating a weird cycle. My 2 kids also started to develop sinusitis. The 3 of us blowing our noses constantly and never being able to clear it. We’ve never had anything like this before. We tried nasal sprays, inhaling steam, increased bone broth intake, took olive leaf extract, extra cod liver oil etc.

The weeks went by like this. A month later Michaela’s symptoms cleared but Will and I were getting worse. I started to develop a really rattly cough.  “Surely this will pass any day now. I means it’s been a whole month!”

One month turned into 2 months.

My cough was so bad that I thought I would break a rib. I sounded like a wheezy smoker of 50 years. My nose was red raw from going through 1 box of tissues per day. I was coughing up 1 cup (I kid you not) of mucous per day. My sinuses were so inflamed they were raised up from my face. I looked and felt the worse I had been in a very very long time. The last time I had been this sick for so long was in my late twenties when I had a emotional and physical breakdown after working 100 hours per week as a lawyer for years on end which made me question that industry and my lifestyle choices (but that’s a whole other story).

After 2 months I raised the white flag. I reached out to my trusted naturopath Anthia Koullouros.  She assured me that I had been extremely stressed and sleep deprived and gave me a herbal tincture to clear the mucous and told me to avoid mucous forming foods. 2 weeks later with no improvement at all she sent me off to see integrative GP Kate Norris who confirmed that there was no chest infection thankfully despite the rattly cough but I needed a stronger herbal tonic.  Back to the naturopath.  That night I was blowing my nose so hard in a bid to clear the mucous that I forced the mucous up my ear canal which blew something in my ear. The pain was exquisite. It was worse than childbirth. And I’m not exaggerating. It brought me to my knees. If had someone to look after my 2 children I would have checked myself into a hospital. I literally crawled into bed at 6pm in a bid to get some respite from the pain inside my head. “Mummy are you dying?” asked my son who was scared to his wits end at the sight of me. “Hopefully not tonight, beautiful.” Back to the GP the next day to examine my ear and thankfully no ear infection – the pressure from the mucous in my ear ruptured a blood vessel and caused a hole in the tube which made everything sound echoey and out of tune and I could hear myself talking in my head if you know what I mean. By this point I was so exasperated, I lost my appetite, I started losing weight and felt like I had hit rock bottom.

That weekend I opened one section of my wardrobe in my master bedroom that I rarely open as we were packing to go away for the weekend. It was full of toiletry bags, black tie dresses, heels, leather jackets, and jewellery from another lifetime ago. To my horror I noticed that everything – everything- was covered inch thick in furry mould. The more I examined the wardrobe, the more I saw how pervasive it was. The leather bags, shoes and jackets copped it the worse. See exhibit A below. This was once a black leather handbag. It was under a couple of cotton backpacks that were not so badly affected so it went unnoticed for a period of time. There were no signs of mould on the carpet, ceiling or walls- just in the wardrobe. 

After I recoiled from the disgust that this was only a meter away from where we sleep, the penny dropped. Loud and clear. “I wonder if this mould is causing our health problems!” I didn’t know much about mould at all but I knew enough to know that it was toxic to inhale. I emailed my naturopath and she confirmed “Yes that’s it! Mould and chronic sinusitis go hand in hand!!”

I examined the entire house and couldn’t see any other obvious signs of mould other than on the shelf of the adjacent room where my old workshop used to be (see picture below). Since Broth Bar & Larder had been set up I never entered the old workshop anymore but my cleaners did and I figured that if they had seen anything untoward they would have told me (apparently not). 

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While I was relieved to finally (after 2 months!) get to the cause of my unravelling health I was equally unnerved at this revolting beast growing in my house. What the heck do I do about it?!??! Do I have to move house? Can I get rid of it? And how? We will be sick forever? Is this curable?  

I remembered that Chris Kresser had recently released a podcast on mould as he too had recently gone through a massive mould issue in his house. He interviewed Dr Ritchie Shoemaker on his podcast. Dr Shoemaker is renowned as the world leading expert in mould and its related health issues and has a website www.survivingmould.com. Kresser had a mould detection person come to his house and examine and test it for mould. I needed someone like! But where do I find them? Frantic emails and text messages flying back and forth to my trusted GPs Dr Kate Norris and Dr Min Yeo followed. They pointed me to the Surviving Mould Australian Face Book Support Page and to a company called Mycotox Pty Ltd who does mould testing and examinations. There was also another company recommended on that FB support page (strangely both of them are based in Newcastle) but Vince Neil from Mycotox was very quick off the mark to respond to me, so I went with him. His title is “Investigative Microbial Assessor”. He’s basically a doctor for a house. There are loads of “building hygienists” around but they are more generalists.  I wanted someone highly specialised, qualified and scientific in mould detection. Vince Neil had been asked to speak at Dr Shoemaker’s conference in the USA.  He was booked to arrive in 2 days.

In the meantime, I then proceeded to do something I never should have done.  I tried to clean the mould! Just with a cloth and some eucalyptus oil, just treating it like common household dust.  It was a huge mistake because I had no idea that mould needs to be cleaned in a very particular way. I sent black mould spores flying all throughout my house. I felt lightheaded, and my symptoms got markedly worse.

Vince Neil arrived with 2 massive suitcases full of testing equipment for both house and humans. He first to test the kids and I for the inhalation of what are called in the industry “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs). Mould is just one microbial contaminant. There are a whole range of biotoxins (including mycoplasma, mycotoxins, endotoxins, enterotoxins, exotoxins). Each chemical has its own toxicity and potential for causing different health effects.

Common symptoms of exposure to  VOCs include:

Short-Term (Acute) to high levels of VOCs:  eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, worsening of asthma symptoms.

Long-Term (Chronic) to high levels of VOCs may lead to an increased risk of: cancer, liver damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage (Minnesota Dept. of Health).

Testing on humans involves a very specific eye contrast test developed by Dr Ritchie Shoemaker. The theory here is that VOCs cross the optical nerve that affects the eyes and the ability to contrast black against white.  The results of our testing indicated that we were all affected but that I was hit much harder than the kids. You can do the testing yourself at home to see if mould has possibly affected you here.

Testing VOCs in the house is done via an ERMI test where the DNA of dust molecules is examined. The ERMI test did in fact indicate that the downstairs of the house was “too dangerous to occupy”. Elevated levels were also found upstairs.

These were his recommendations:

· Clean EVERYTHING in the entire house (both contents of everything in and out of cupboards as well as all internal surfaces of the house including every inch of the walls and ceilings). And it had to be cleaned in a very specific way: with HEPA filter gas mask and plastic suit on, with a vacuum cleaner using a HEPA filter to absorb the mould spores, then all surfaces in the entire house wiped down with a wet cloth in a solution of 80% vinegar and 20% water.

· Hot wash every single item of clothing in the house and sun dry them on the line or get them dry cleaned.

· Throw out all curtains, carpets, mattresses and pillows.

· Clean all of the rugs.

· Pull down the wardrobe in the master bedroom to see what’s going on behind it.

·  Remove all of the plaster from all the walls downstairs to see what exactly what is happening behind them. Let me tell you that seeing the house that you’ve only bought 2 years ago being pulled apart at the seams is more than hair raising. But being able to see the innards of the house with its ‘skin’ removed gave us a really good appreciation of what was going on inside and takes out all of the guesswork.

· Buy an air purifier and run it 24/7 alternating the rooms.

· Get all of the pipes in the house checked to rule out any leaky pipes.

· Get the roof inspected to rule out any leaks from there.

· Move upstairs as far away from the mould as possible and completely seal off the downstairs area while it is being remediated. This meant that the entire contents of my bedroom (clothes, shoes etc), laundry and study are strewn upstairs and I had to sleep (in fact still sleeping) in a fold out in my daughter’s room while the works downstairs are ongoing.

· Go back to your GP and get some bloods done, mould sensitivity gene testing as well as a Marcons nasal test to assess how the mould has impacted our health.

Once I digested the enormity of the tasks above that he laid out for me (especially point 1!!), I did what any person would do: I burst into tears feeling completely overwhelmed. I then got on the phone to my sister in Qld and asked for her help. There is no way I could this alone even if I was feeling 100% healthy let alone barely holding it together. Cleaning the entire contents of your house is a 1000 times worse than moving house. It involves taking EVERYTHING YOU OWN out of its rightful place, then cleaning all of the cupboards that house it in a certain way, assessing whether you want to chuck or keep the item, if yes clean or wash it a particular way, then putting it back (whilst wearing a gas mask and plastic suit no less). This job was HUGE!!! It took us an entire week of working from 6am till 10pm (while I was also juggling kids on school holidays and a business) to trawl through every square inch of the place leaving no stone unturned. We threw out an entire skip worth of stuff.

Here were the problems we identified:

· Rain water flows directly under the house due to lack of drainage and a sloping block. Modern houses are built with drains to prevent rain water running under the house but an old house like mine doesn’t have such adequate drainage.

The rain water was pooling in the laundry at the bottom of the house and then trickling down behind the walls of the adjacent master bedroom. See photos below that show what was happening behind the laundry and master bedroom walls when we removed plaster. You can clearly see water trickling down. 

· There was no ventilation in the master bedroom. The windows are tiny and often closed as there is no security grills on them. The stagnant air pools near the corner of the wardrobe. As Chris Kresser states in one of his articles "Exposure to an indoor environment is a burden on health when that environment contains inadequate ventilation. High concentrations of particulates from smoke, burning wood, cooking emissions, or overexposure to biotoxins such as mold are some of the most problematic factors with respect to indoor air quality." [emphasis added]

· The washing machine tap was leaking further adding insult to injury with water running under the floor of the laundry and pooling on the inside wall of the master bedroom.

· There were a couple leaks in the roof and the gutters needed replacing.

· I used to have 10 dehydrators and 5 stock pots going 24/7 (without the exhaust fan on) adding further moisture to the walls and floors generally.

· The leather couch in the lounge room was sitting flush against the wall causing mould to grow on the back of the couch and on the wall, not visible to the naked eye.

· Since opening up my retail shop I used to use the clothes dryer several times a day to dry the shops’ towels and all our clothes and never hung anything on the clothes line (for apparent lack of time). Thus adding further moisture in the laundry. The master bedroom wardrobe is located just on the other side of the laundry wall. 

· The house was full of MDF (stair treads, skirting boards) which absorbs moisture (MDF is also toxic and banned in Europe). So the stair treads and the skirting boards all needed to be replaced.

· The exhaust fans in the laundry and bathrooms simply pumped air under the floor above or in the roof cavity instead of out of the house!

· The side of the house was completely overgrown with shrubs and 2 massive rain water tanks preventing air circulating leading to mould behind certain skirting boards not visible to the naked eye and mould growing behind photos hung on the wall also not visible to naked eye. See photos below:

The above factors all accumulated to create the perfect mould storm. So it wasn’t just one thing, but a toxic cocktail of a number of things…

Vince Neil recommended that I get in a mould remediation consultant to advise how to deal with the water drainage issues now that water accumulation under the house had been detected. Vince’s expertise is in detecting mould but not necessarily on how to remediate the house once mould has been detected. So in comes the mould remediation consultant (a couple of times) who advised on establishing a drainage system in the front of the house so that rain and hose water trickle into the drain and then down the side of the house into the storm water drain instead of going under the house (see photo below of kids earning their keep by ‘helping’ to build the drain out front). He also recommended another drain system in the laundry to catch any water that does for whatever reason sneak under the house. 

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I was also advised to get in a ventilation company to advise on how to better ventilate the downstairs of the house to avoid air remaining stagnant. This involved getting a SonAir system in my bedroom which is the next level air-conditioning unit (I don’t like aircon systems as I don’t think they are very healthy). The SonAir is a much smaller slicker system that sits on your wall and sucks air from the outside, purifies it, then pushes it into a room. Much like a water purifier for air. They also installed a series of silent mechanical fans that sit under the house and operate 24/7 that ventilate the subfloor to keep air moving. They added a few more vents outside the house and replaced the bathroom exhaust fans and made sure that the air was being pushed outside the house and not simply recirculating inside.

While I was at it, I also got my retail shop, Broth Bar & Larder, tested by Vince Neil to rule out any issues there. Thankfully all was ok there, other than to replace the MDF shelving units with proper timber and to have the exhaust fan turned on whenever the stove top is being used.

All up Vince came to see me 3 times and held my hand through this process. Each time he retested me, my levels of VOCs dropped considerably as the house was decontaminated.

In terms of our health, the results of my blood test and Marcons test were all normal (other than low zinc which is rapidly absorbed through times of intense stress). Fortunately I do not have the mould sensitivity gene. If I did I would have been affected by the mould in the house at a much earlier point in time. What Dr Norris thinks happened is that I succumbed to a virus which lowered my immunity and that made me susceptible to the mould in the house. Long term exposure to mould can open the way to what is called “Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome” which is a chronic illness due to the toxins produced in a water-damaged building. Fortunately for me and my kids, this is not something we have- as soon as we moved upstairs and quarantined the downstairs area and removed the mould from the house our health immediately returned in a matter of days.

The most potent lessons I have learnt:

I have learnt so much over the passed few months in dealing with this mould issue and recovering from chronic sinusitis that it has unwittingly become kind of like a sub-speciality for me! Here are the most potent things I have learnt.

1. If you see visible signs of mould or smell a musty smell in your house don’t ignore it. And here I’m not talking about a bit of black mould growing in the grouting in your shower recess that everyone has. I’m talking about mould of whatever colour growing in places that you wouldn’t expect to find it (eg ceilings, walls, in cupboard, on clothes, on shoes, back of photos on walls). The reason why we don’t ignore it is because, in the words of integrative GP Dr Kate Norris, “Mould is toxic to everyone”. Inhaling mould spores in sufficient quantities causes health problems. In addition to mould testing equipment used by professionals, nothing beats a visual or smell test- they are your first port of call.

2. If you do discover mould, merely cleaning it up isn’t going to cut it. Firstly cleaning it needs to be done in a certain way otherwise you will spread the mould spores throughout the house far and wide. Secondly you need to find the CAUSE of it. Unless you find WHY it’s growing in the first place, it will simply come back time and again. Closet moisture absorbers that you buy from the supermarket are bandaids and “completely useless” according to Vince Neil of Mycotox. The cause of mould is typically water coming into a building and /or stagnant air pooling in a certain location causing elevated moisture levels. I had both of these things happen simultaneously. I appreciate that many old houses on downhill slopes in Sydney have water flowing under them due to lack of drainage at the front like mine. But that makes it a ripe place for mould to thrive when that water pools in a location under a house that isn’t ventilated. Just because something is common doesn’t mean its something we have to live with especially if it’s causing health issues! I had well meaning friends tell me to just live with it and don’t spend any money fixing it. Living in such a poor state of health is not an option for me. The quality of my life was so severely impacted that I couldn’t work, exercise, run classes or do the things I love doing. And when I tried to do those things I was struggling so much that I wasn’t enjoying them. And worst of all was seeing my kids sick. They deserve vibrant health. We all do.

3. If I was ever in the market to buy a house again I would certainly be mindful of drainage issues. Houses should be waterproof so rain can’t get in, over, around or under them.  Modern houses have to have drainage according to building standards but many old houses don’t. Water was simply flowing straight under my house every time it rained or I used the hose out front. I hear time and again that pre-purchase building inspection reports are not worth the paper they are written on (and certainly my lack of drainage was not mentioned on my report when I bought my house 2 years ago!). Instead I would get a good builder to examine the property. Having said that until you live in a house and/or start pulling apart the plaster to see what’s happening behind walls especially after solid rain you don’t really know 100% that’s its properly draining.

4. Keep the house ventilated as much as possible with windows open to allow fresh air to circulate unless it’s teaming with rain. For me this meant installing Crimsafe security grills (and I appreciate that they are NOT cheap!) on all the downstairs windows and doors so I can leave them open 24/7 (unless its raining) and have peace of mind when I’m out of the house. 

5. Whenever possible hang clothes on the line to dry in the sunshine instead of using the dryer. The dryer is a huge money sapper (my electricity bill tripled when I was using it instead of the clothesline on a regular basis), has a huge environmental impact and denies clothes the antibacterial properties of the sun. As my holistic osteopath says “each ray of sun is like a nuclear bomb for microbial contaminants”.  I used to think hanging clothes on the line was a huge waste of time. “There’s a million things I could be doing in this time” I use to hear myself thinking as I was pegging up the clothes “why don’t I just chuck all these things in the dryer and be done with it because I’m sooooo busy”. But now I see it as a non-negotiable important part of my daily work, no different to cooking nourishing meals, or driving the kids to and from school, or exercising.  Whether you like it or not its got to be done. So I do it, and now I do it with gratitude. I’m grateful for the sun that’s hitting my skin and my clothes as I’m hanging them up. I’m grateful that I even have clothes to hang on the line. I’m grateful that I live in a building that even has a clothes line (as many people around the world don’t). For those times when its raining and you can't hang clothes outside on the line, I recommend buying a condenser dryer which do not vent out hot air into the room. Instead they convert the hot air in the dryer into water and that water then drains out from a pipe from the dryer into your laundry sink. I bought mine from Appliances Online. If you don't have a condenser dryer I strongly recommend that you ensure your dryer vents the hot air outside and not into the room. 

6. Turn the exhaust fan on every time you are cooking on the stove top to absorb moisture. I never used to do this and to think that I had 6 x 20L stock pots and 10 dehydrators going 24/7! Was it any wonder that the walls showed elevated moisture levels?!? While making bone broth and activated nuts has become my life over the past 10 years I appreciate now that it is not healthy in a residential context to have the stove top and dehydrators going 24/7 when cooking in commercial quantities because even a residential exhaust fan will not cut it. Commercial volumes require   commercial exhaust fans. It is now a mandatory requirement of my commercial kitchen that the exhaust fan is on whenever the stove top is used which is typically 24/7.

7.  If you have mucous, cutting out mucous-forming foods like grains, dairy, avocado and bananas may help but in my recent experience cutting out these foods didn’t help reduce the mucous while the mould existed in the house. Getting to the root cause of the issue (removing the mould and creating an environment where it did not reappear) was fundamental for improving my symptoms. I kid you not that within merely 1 week of removing the mould from the house, our symptoms completely disappeared and we returned to vibrant health! This is startling given that we had been sick for months! Fortunately because I don’t have the mould sensitivity gene and I have good detoxification pathways, I could completely eliminate all the biotixins from my system so that they didn’t linger. It is as though we had never experienced it (other than a very dismal bank account).

8. If you suffer chronic upper respiratory issues that are not budging after you have nailed all of the other foundations of health, I would consider whether something in your environment that you are breathing in may be causing it. Indeed the quality of the air we breathe is so fundamental that it is one of the 8 foundations of health (along with nutrition, hydration, movement, sleep, stress management, pleasure & connection, and spending time in nature). However I only used to spend a passing reference to the breath (how we breathe and what we breathe in) in my health coaching sessions. This is something that I will be more mindful of with my clients especially in Sydney which has a HUGE mould issue due to our humid climate. Those living in once water basin areas (Paddington, Double Bay) are said to be even more affected. Getting some blood work done and testing if you have the mould sensitivity gene may be worthwhile. If you do have the mould sensitivity gene, then living in damp conditions or in a water damaged building is not an option.

9. After being sick for so many months and having come out of it I now fully appreciate the exquisite feeling of being 100% healthy. While I never took my health for granted, I now have an even greater appreciation of what it means to have vibrant health. Without good health, getting through day to day life is an uphill battle. If you have good health though, you have the mental and physical fortitude to better deal with whatever life throws at you. In addition, I feel that I can now better relate to my clients, customers and all those around me who are unwell. When you fighting fit 100% of the time its harder to empathise with those who are not. 

10. If you are feeling overwhelmed or sick for an extended period of time, do not be afraid to reach out for support from trusted practitioners, family and close friends. I honestly would not have be able to get this through this nightmarish episode without the support of my naturopath Anthia Koullouros, and intergrative GPs Dr Min Yeo and Dr Kate Norris. For all their supportive texts, emails, phone calls, consultations and words of assurance I am forever indebted. And the biggest thanks goes to my family especially my sister who flew down in a heartbeat from Qld and helped me clean up my house and contents. Having a family member or a close friend to lean on in times of need makes the battle less confronting. This whole experience shows me the power of community and reminds me to not be afraid on lean on others in times of need. If I had my time again I would definitely have reached out much sooner and not waited 2 months. My naturopath reminded me that if you are otherwise healthy, you should be able to budge a run of the mill cold in a few days. If it is not clearing after that time then it is time for support! And if things don’t shift after 1-2 consultations with trusted practitioners, then some serious consideration needs to be given to what is really going on – perhaps there is something out of left field that is causing the issue.  Reaching out for support is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you take your physical and mental health so seriously that it is time for action.

11. We need to balance our energies among our house, our health, and our work. I had been so focused on my business for months on end that all my energies were going there and I had neglected the health of my house. Well the universe gave me a big slap on the wrists and a reminder about that! While I had cleaners coming every fortnight there is really no substitute for opening up cupboards and wardrobes every now and again and having a good clean out to keep on top of any potential issues. And to that end, the less stuff we own the better!

The purpose of this article is not to scare people or be dramatic. It is simply to share my experience in the hope that others may find it helpful and if so my ordeal was not all in vain. For those who have spotted mould in their house and don’t know what to do about it or even where to begin I hope that this article is a good start. I felt so lost and afraid when I first realised that I had a massive mould issue and that it was the cause of my and my kids’ health issues. I didn’t know who to contact to get the problem fixed as it was not something I had ever experienced before. I’d hate for others to go through that sense of panic and confusion.  

If you do have mould in your house and you or a family member also suffer any upper respiratory issues then perhaps the association between the 2 is worthy of investigation. I am not insensitive to the cost of addressing mould issues but if the alternative is ill health then you really don’t have an option. It’s either “fix it or move” as my dad bluntly put it. Despite the fact that I feel financially guttered, I can rest assured that when my kids and I are at home we are breathing clean air and I have done all that I can to create a healthy and clean environment for my family.

If you rent rather than own your place, obviously one solution is to simply move premises if your landlord is not going to fix the building.

To all my readers and followers, I am here if you need me and pleased to say that there is light at the end of the (mouldy) tunnel. Remember that everything is fixable. Both house and health.