Such an important topic and when you hear the statistics that Joyce shares in this interview its truly so strange that we don’t talk about it more. The Blues, Depression….. We need to talk about it and we also need to know that there ARE solutions. Joyce shares so much wisdom and even better … she shares HOPE on this cast, I am truly feeling honoured to host such a show, and that we can get this message out to the masses that help is available and healing is possible and that it happens.

Enjoy the Episode!

x Kaz

Joyce Bergsma Bio:

Joyce Bergsma is a registered Nutritional Therapist, practicing Orthomolecular and Functional Medicine since 2010. Joyce has a BA from Canada and later trained as a Nutritional Therapist in the UK. Her interest is on how food affects mental health and she is an advocate for approachable change for her clients.

Before studying nutrition, Joyce worked for the largest private health insurer in the UK. Since moving to the Netherlands, she’s focussed on where food comes from and how it can be used to best promote our mental health.

Growing up in Canada, the kitchen was the centre of Joyce’s family home. Her mother taught her how to cook from an early age with the vegetables from their garden.

As she got older, she noticed how food affected her mood, energy levels, digestion and stress levels.

When several people close to her started developing serious health problems, she felt there was a connection between the illnesses and their diets. Would a healthier diet create a healthier life?

This interest led Joyce to study nutrition in the UK, where she learned to identify the connections between the systems of the body. She found out how diet, exercise, our environment and genetics affect whether diseases develop or not.

Joyce’s interest in preventing the same depression her close family suffer from inspired her to learn how mental health could be influenced by nutrient therapy. Understanding the challenges of adjusting our lifestyles in a consumer society, she is keen to motivate others in making practical changes that enable their bodies to heal themselves.

Change is difficult, there’s no two ways about it. Joyce works to break down the different factors that contribute to mental health into bite-sized pieces so each step is manageable. We all have busy lives, but making change just happens one step at a time.

Joyce is currently working on developing the Happiness Hub, a place to connect and learn about being mentally healthier. She also offers personal consultations and runs workshops for private groups on Stress Management and Fermenting Foods. You can book online at www.eatlivelovefood.com.

Joyce’s Quote:
You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take one step at a time

Joyce’s Recommended Resources:
Period Repair Manual – Lara Briden
Why Isn’t My Brain Working? – Datis Kharrazia
Brain Maker – Dr David Perlmutter
Grain Brain – Dr David Perlmutter
Healing Without Freud or Prozac – Dr David Servan-Schreiber

Joyce’s Links:
Website/Blog : http://www.eatlivelovefood.com/postpartum-depression/
https://www.instagram.com/eatlivelovefood/
https://www.facebook.com/eatlivelovefood
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgehr-uuZVkvSk416qLceng
https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/1099386/admin/updates/
https://twitter.com/eatlivelovefood

The post Joyce Bergsma – More Than Just The Blues appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Bianca Sprague Bio:
Sprague is a birth doula and lactation educator and has supported hundreds of families through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods. She feels particularly passionate around maintaining the family’s relationships and mental wellness. As a queer woman she advocates for inclusive language in the birthing space. She lives in Toronto with her spouse, Alana, and their daughter, Gray.

And a bio of bebo mia:
bebo mia inc. is a training & mentorship organization for women in the maternal health field, including pregnancy/birth professionals, childbirth educators & parenting specialists. They offer comprehensive skills, business support & community care through an innovative online structure that spans a global market.

A very different culture from both the patriarchal boardroom model & the female-centric multi-level marketing industry, bebo mia offers opportunities for women to work from home while making an income for themselves and their families. They develop inclusive, accessible trainings for women that provide the skills needed to grow & sustain a lucrative business. bebo mia remains fiercely committed to their original mission that was developed in 2008: To connect women to their intrinsic value and power.

Bianca’s Quote:
“not my circus, not my monkeys”

Bianca’s Resource:
Book – Danielle La Porte  – The Firestarter Sessions
Book – Brene Brown  – Daring Greatly
Book  – Elizabeth Gilbert  – Big Magic
Website  – Olivia Scobie.com  – Birth Trauma Healing

Bianca’s Links:
www.bebomia.com & www.babyandmefitness.com
Check out Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The post MUM 084: Bianca Sprague : Birth Trauma Myths appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Dotan Dagan Bio: 

Dotan was born in Israel and grew up in the Netherlands. She has been a carer for a decade and has owned a catering company. After becming a mother in 2012 she felt inspired to work with new mothers. Dotan is now an independent postpartum care taker, (kraamverzorgende) which is a recognized profession in the Netherlands and part of its unique maternity care system. She is focusing on a nourishing, natural approach for the postpartum period. Dotan has experience in methods such as attachment parenting, Aware parenting, baby wearing, baby led weaning, co-sleeping, long-term nursing and non-violent communication and is very respectful of the parents individual needs and wishes during this special moment in their lives.

Quote: 
“If you want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth: Listen to that secret sound, the real sound, which is inside of you.”  by Kabir a Sufi poet

Dotan’s Resources:
“Atachment Play” by Aletha Solter
“The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother”  by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, Marisa Belger
Mother’s Wisdom deck by Niri Dewart, Elizabeth Marglin

Dotan’s Links:
Natural Postpartum Kraamzorg
www.naturalpostpartum.nl
[email protected]
06-52611556

The post MUM 083: Early Post Partum – Dotan Dagan appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

In the first few minutes that I met Kamini, I realised that we speak the same language. Although she is a pregnancy yoga teacher and myself a pregnancy chiropractor, we have the same beliefs and philosophies on birth, the pelvis, sitting, opening. She is so refreshing and I am thrilled to share her wisdom on the cast.

Kamini Stam’s Bio
Kamini has worked as a massage therapist since 1998 and started teaching Yoga in 2008. She has had the privilege to study with various renowned teachers around the globe. Each one of them helped her deepen her understanding of the human body, and clarifying the interaction between body and mind. In 2010 she decided to specialize in Pregnancy Yoga. From 2011 she studied with Katy Bowman to learn more about how the body is really designed and meant to move. Kamini is passionate about alignment and intrigued about how physical alignment supports a positive mindset or ‘mental alignment’. During the course in Pregnancy Yoga and Alignment she will explain you how to adapt various yoga postures to the needs of your pregnant body, working on an optimal balance between flexibility and strength to prepare your body for birth. In her classes you will learn all about pelvic alignment, on how to get and keep your pelvic floor muscles toned ánd relaxed and why that is important. You will learn not just to squat, but hów to squat to prepare for birth and how to create the optimal birthing space in the (lower opening of the) pelvis.

Kamini’s Quote:
“our bodies are made to birth”

Kamini’s Resources:
WEBSITES:
*www.nutritiousmovement.com (Katy Bowman)
*www.birthlight.com (Francoise Freedman)

BOOKS:
*Spiritual Midwifery (Ina May Gaskin)
*The Female Pelvis-Anatomy and Exercises (Blandine Calais-Germain)
*The Architecture and Design of Man and Woman- The Marvel of the Human Body, Revealed (Alexander Tsiaras)

Kamini’s Deets/Links:
*www.kaministam.nl / FB: Pregnancy Yoga with Kamini
*Studio MAY-B, Amaliastraat 5, Amsterdam (Westerpark area) / FB: Studio MAY-B

The post MUM 082: Kamini Stam – Pelvic Alignment appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Eva Visser Plaza Bio: 

Eva Visser Plaza is passionate about guiding women to create ease, purpose and connection in their lives to become authentic inspired creators of their lives.

She was not born a coach, guide or mentor. She has done different studies and worked in different work environment. In 2009, while she was working as a project manager/consultant in a consulting firm, she became a mother for the first time. When she returned to her  job after her maternity leave, she struggled for a year to create purpose and alignment with her new self as a mother.

Her priorities hadchanged and her work field and activities did not resonate with her anymore. While she was juggling my role as a mother and consultant she landed in a burn-out in 2010. She took a wise decision by following her heart and started the three-year Rebalancing Bodywork therapy training where she was invited to reconnect with her heart and soul.

Fast forward, 6 years later she has become a certified Rebalancing Body worker and stress coach. Until today she have guided many intuitive, sensitive, creative, international women (and since this year many men are knocking on her practice door) successfully explore their mind, body, soul alignment to create ease, purpose, flow, authenticity and autonomy.

Since 2014 she is the the owner of the holistic coaching and bodywork practice Eva Authentic Living, based in Amsterdam.

She offers 1-1 coaching programs, workshops and training regarding soul-centered career coaching, Burn-out and stress recovery coaching and personalized rebalancing bodywork programs. She is on a mission to facilitate women and men to connect with their authentic self and embody themselves to transform them into leaders of the new economy.

She invites my clients to embody their soulful value through authenticity, compassion, intuition, collaboration, sensitivity and long-term view and contribute with that to a sustainable, heart-centered world. When we allow ourselves to step into our light, magic starts to happen and that transforms our lives and that of others and the world.

Eva’s Quote:
“Listen to your body to receive Wisdom”

Eva’s Resources:

• If Women Rose Rooted: Sharon Blackie
• Playing Big, Tara Mohr
• The Heroine’s Journey, Maureen Murdock.

Eva’s Details/Links: 

When you would like to receive more good resources and inspiration then you can sign up for Eva’s soulful conversations. In those mails she shares inspiration, motivation and guidance for living a life in alignment. You can sign up by clicking on the following link: http://www.evaauthenticliving.com/soulful-conversations/

When you have listened to the podcast and you are interested in working with Eva, then as mentioned on the episode, she invites you to book a free 30 minute introduction call to get to know her and her work and see if she can help you with your current challenges. If you are not based in Amsterdam, don’t worry, she offers online guidance also through zoom or Skype.
http://www.evaauthenticliving.com/introductory-call/

The post MUM 081: Eva Visser Plaza – Authentic Motherhood appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

I know that you have been waiting for me to an episode on Diastasis Recti and for thoset hat ahven’t I know that you will be grateful with this epsidoe too seeing as you will wnat to echck yourselves for it and it also might answer some unanswered questions about your post -partum body.

Becky was a joy to interview, she has a relaxing voice to listen to, an amazing accent that I LOVE  and also so much wisdom to share on the topic.

Enjoy the Episode and see you back here next episode.

X Kaz

Becky Spellman Bio: 

I was born in Liverpool in 1975 & because of a turned in left foot, was sent to ballet class at the age of 3 by our family doctor. 10 years of ballet school followed & I was lucky enough to have worked as a ballet dancer from when I was 19 until I retired at 30 when I had my daughter.

As a dancer I had always done Pilates, it was part of our curriculum at school (my teacher was Alan Herdman) & later in the companies I danced in, Pilates was part of our daily routine. Admittedly I didn’t like it but if I wanted to keep my body healthy & able to stand up to the demands of dancing 8 shows a week whilst touring, it was something I would have to do.

After retiring in 2006, I retrained as a Pilates teacher under the tutelage of Debbie Jenner & Suus Wilms in Amsterdam. It took a year to do the full comprehensive program & I was selected to work in Debbie’s studio allowing me to clock up my apprentice hours & learn from watching the more experienced teachers there.

3 years later I was accepted onto the 2 year Master Mentor Program under Lolita San Miguel in NYC.. The opportunity to learn from her was amazing and changed my perspective of what is possible with the help of Pilates. I graduated in 2011, making me one of only two Lolita trained teachers in the Netherlands & later that year opened my own studio.

As I began to study and explore the possibilities of the Pilates method I started to work with two really talented physiotherapists from Amsterdam, Joep Kamphuis & Roan Vierhout.

They would refer their patients to me with a “wish list” for their patient’s rehab. I delved into the traditional work that I had been trained in by Lolita to find solutions and then taught it to our clients. Not only was this in itself exciting to do, but we noticed that our patients were recovering much faster than we had expected through their combined physiotherapy and Pilates programs.

After working so closely with the physiotherapists, i realised that i want to deepen my knowledge of the human body in order to become a better Pilates teacher.

As of September 2016, i will be studying two days a week for my Bachelor degree in Physiotherapy at Thim van der Laan School of Physiotherapy in Nieuwegein, Utrecht.

Quote:
“I love seeing my clients more comfortable”

Resources:
Website :  Dianne Lee

Becky’s Details:
Website : Align Pilates

The post MUM 080: Becky Spellman : Diastasis Recti appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

A super important topic and it was a joy to hear Joann’a passion for her work adn also her drive in what got her started on her journey to the work that she is doing now. A wealth of knowledge and it was an honour to have her on the show this week

Please share far and wide!

Enjoy!
x Kaz

Joanna’s Bio:

Dr. Joanna Krzeslak-Hoogland is a certified nutritional coach, a registered paramedical natural medicine practitioner and a functional medicine practitioner in training. She has a Biology MSc from a Polish University (Warmia and Masuria University) and she has earned a doctorate in molecular microbiology at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. After her academic education she went on to work in the biotech industry. In 2015, following her gut and returning to her lifelong passion for health, microbes, nutrition and education she brought to life her own company ProBiotic DIGEST. Now, she consults and promotes health through education about nutrition, gut health, human gut microbiome and lifestyle to help people in their journey to wellbeing. She is a voice for voiceless microbes – to tell you how important microbes are in our lives. Dr. Joanna as a mother of two daughters is acutely aware of the impact of healthy living – physically, emotionally and psychologically – on children. It drives her to promote health for people of all ages. Joanna is an author of scientific publications and contributed to several books. She offers individual consulting and workshops. For more information visit her website www.probioticdigest.com

Joanna’s Quote: 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance, you must keep moving”. Albert Einstein.

Joanna’s Resources:

1. “Follow your gut” by Rob Knight

2. “The Good Gut” by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg

3. “Missing microbes” by Martin Blaser

4. “Eat Dirt” by Dr. Josh Axe

5. “The Mind-Gut Connection” by Emeran Mayer

6. “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” by Natasha Campbell

7. “The probiotics revolution” by Gary Huffnagle

8. “Food rules – an eater’s manual” by Michael Pollan

9. “The urban monk” by Pedram Shojai

10.“Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids” by Laura Markham

Joanna’s Details:
Web:  www.Probioticdigest.com
Email: [email protected]
Fb: Probiotic Digest

The post MUM 079: Joanna Krzeslak-Hoogland: Good Gut Health from Birth appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

An episode for all busy parents this week. You will love this mama’s jouney from corporate career to burnout to self taught chef to Dutch Masterchef finalist to cookbook creator.

Such a great one. Get listening. I can’t wait for the book and yes I have already pre-ordered.

X Kaz

Bojana’s Bio

Bojana is Serbian, living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is a wife and a mom of two boys. Bojana has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from INSEAD. During her corporate career, she held positions as a strategy consultant; investment banking associate; strategy and finance manager at eBay. Bojana is a self-taught chef and following her passion for cooking, she reached the finals week of the Dutch version of the popular TV cooking show Masterchef. She has since run her own culinary business Bojana Flavors (www.bojanaflavors.com) and is currently writing a cookbook. Her favourite cookies are still macarons.

Daily Dinners for Busy Parents: 

Pick, Prep and Plate Your Way To Delicious Family Dinners

For busy working parents, getting dinner on the table is a daily struggle. Stressed and pressed for time, they resort to the same tired recipes and processed foods to do the job.

Mom and Chef Bojana Snijders-Nikodijevic brings a method to the weeknight madness, making it easy to cook healthy, delicious family dinners in 10 minutes—or less.

Having been a working mom in a high-pressure corporate career, I know the challenges busy parents face. And as a professional chef, I have learnt invaluable planning and preparation skills that I have translated into a method suitable for home kitchens.

Bringing the efficiency of the professional kitchen into the home, her easy-to-follow approach teaches readers how to:

• Remove daily stress: plan, organize and prep the basics in advance, without sacrificing nutrition or quality
• Shorten daily rush time: finish healthy and delicious dinners in 10 minutes or less
• Provide flexibility: last minute mix and match approach to feed even the pickiest eaters without cooking two meals

Bojana’s zero-recipe method is a spark of genius that fills family dinners with variety and healthy goodness. She equips busy parents with the skills and strategies they need to provide the healthy, delicious food their family deserves—and to do it brilliantly every day.

Bojana’s Quote:
“I never anticipated how much becoming a mum would change me”

Bojana’s Resources:

• seriouseats.com
• Book recommendation: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/
• Amsterdam Mamas Facebook Group

Bojana’s Deets:
Website: www.bojanaflavors.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bojana.kookt
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bojanaflavors/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/BojanaFlavors/

The post MUM 078: Bojana Snijders-Nikodijevic : Daily Dinners for Busy Parents appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

So great to have Natalie on the show discussing this vital topi and sharing all about The Baby Sensory Program. We touch on so many aspects in this interview, those that affect new babies and their new parents and why these parents need to put attention to developing their child’s  awareness and experience with the world around them. Pure and simple getting back to basics, no gimmicks.

Such a great episode!

Enjoy.

Kaz xx

Natalie Van Gelder Bio:

As a mother of three young kids, Natalie decided to quit her job as Head of Research and Development at IMC Weekendschool. As a pedagoog (child developmentalist), she wanted to spend more time with her kids. But she also wanted to follow her ambition and start her own business. Natalie was looking for a way to combine her passion for children and parenting and her drive to run her own business, in her own time so she could be there with her kids. Then she discovered Baby Sensory and fell in love on the spot. What an amazing program. It is positive, preventive (not problem driven), and is a great inspiration for parents. At the course, parents learn all about children’s developmental phases and how parents can stimulate their development through play, communication, games, and music. And most of all it is just a lot of fun.

Natalie’s Quote:
“Live in The Moment”

Natalie’s Resources:
Maria Montessorri
Gordon Training

Natalie Deets:
Website: www.babysensory.nl
Facebook Baby Sensory
Baby Sensory, Toddler Sense & Mini Professors Amsterdam:
Instagram
Linked In

The post MUM 077: Natalie Van Gelder ” Baby Sensory and The Importance of Play appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Maartje Bruning : Having a Home Birth mindset in a Hospital Environment

It was so fun having Maartje o the podcast sharing her wisdom and personal experience on the topic. She is certainly rocking the Birth World bringing her Doula-dom and Doula-ness to the Doula-hood in Amsterdam.

Enjoy!

x Kaz

Maartje’s Bio:

Maartje is an Amsterdam based Doula and has guided already over 100 births in both medical and home birth settings.
Maartje was a fashion entrepreneur for many years in the shoes&bags importing business.
She became a mother in 2007 and 2011 of 2 vibrant, happy and healthy girls in a clinical setting.
JJ doula training in Amsterdam in 2013, adding Birthlight pregnancy yoga teacher training in 2014 and starting her doula business Mother Me Amsterdam.
Launch of partner workshops Birthing Basics and Gewoon Bevallen in 2015 and adding Spinning Babies and Rebozo techniques to her training.

Maartje’s Quote :

“Start celebrating the birth of your baby at the actual birth and do not wait for a year to bake that cake or hang up the bunting.
I will hand you the flag but you will have to put it up yourself.”

Maartje’s Resources:

www.evidencebasedbirth.com
www.prodoula.com by Randy Patterson (the rock ’n roll doula)

and their Facebook groups:
https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth
So You Think You Can Doula?
The Business of Being a Doula

Maartje’s Contact Details:

www.motherme.nl
www.facebook.com/MotherMeNL
www.pinterest.com/doulaamsterdam

The post MUM 076: Maartje Bruning- Having a Home-birth Mindset in a Hospital Environment appeared first on The Wellness Couch.