Funky Forest Health & Wellbeing
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team >
      • Casey Conroy
      • Andreas Kuhn
    • Our Philosophy >
      • Non-Diet Approach
      • Health At Every Size HAES ®
      • Intuitive Eating
      • Holistic Dietitians
    • Our Treatments >
      • Dietetic & Nutritional Therapy
      • Eating Disorder Therapy
      • Herbal Medicine
      • Flower Essences
      • Prenatal Nutrition & Yoga
      • Postnatal Nutrition & Yoga
  • Podcast
  • Services
    • COVID-19 Services
    • Consultations >
      • Dietitian
      • Naturopath
      • Nutritionist
      • Book a Consult
      • Consultation Info >
        • What To Expect
        • Fees & Rebates
        • Complete Wellness Program
    • Classes >
      • Schedule
      • Offerings >
        • AcroYoga
      • About
      • Praise
    • Bodywork
    • Courses
    • Freebies >
      • FREE 15 Minute Consult
      • Dark Moon Newsletter
      • A Modern Yogi's BS-Free Guide to Wellbeing
      • Elimination Diet Email Series
      • Videos
    • Upcoming Events
  • Apothecary
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Dark Moon Newsletter
    • News

natural healthcare
for EVERY body.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

We are a friendly family-based practice offering evidence-based dietetics, nutritional therapy, naturopathy, and Zenthai Shiatsu consultations.

We also offer body inclusive movement classes in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands, including yoga, strength & conditioning.
​
We operate from a Non-Diet, Body Acceptance, Health at Every Size® philosophy which values people for who they are.
​We prioritise physical and mental wellbeing over weight.

If you're looking to get skinny or "lean" at any cost, then we
probably aren't the right fit for you.
But if health, fitness, strength and vitality are what you're after,
we might be exactly what you need!



CUTTING + BULKING + MACROS, OH MY!...

October 12, 2020
Picture
The fitness industry enforces diet culture in many ways, and cutting and bulking for a competition, for bikini season, or just for the weight loss-hell of it, is one of them. This is a form of dieting focussed on building muscle by eating in a calorie surplus (bulking) followed by caloric restriction for fat loss (cutting). Or for many women, just cutting...
Read more...

15 BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW YOU LOOK

August 20, 2020
Picture
I am a strong believer in the benefits of moving our bodies in ways that enhance our joy, health, and overall quality of life. Strength and Conditioning does this. ​All bodies can benefit from S&C. You can benefit if you're a yogi who has never touched a weight before, if you're in a larger body, an older person, you're peri-menopausal, or if you're in a disabled body. 
Read more...
​

performative activism: feigned anti-racism & white supremacy in yoga

August 9, 2020
Picture
There has been a phenomenal uptick of rising yoga and wellness influencers posting anti-racism sentiments on social media. Yet in stark contrast to the important message of bringing light to police brutality against BIPOC, or tackling underrepresentation of coloured folks in wellness spaces, these feeds are filled with white, thin, able-bodied, cis-het women doing yoga...
Read more...

CHICKWEED MAGIC & MEDICINE: SOOTHER OF FIRES, MAIDEN STRENGTH

May 10, 2020
Picture
It's autumn, and Chickweed (Stellaria media) has been popping up in semi-shaded glades and pockets of dark, rich soil all around the countryside where I live in South-Eastern Queensland. I have been waiting for six months for this delicate little plant to reappear, eager to ask her to lend a soft and soothing hand to wind-burnt, dry skin and irritating eczema...
Read more...

RED-S, LOW ENERGY AVAILABILITY, AND AMENORRHOEA IN FEMALE ATHLETES

April 29, 2020
Picture
Missing or irregular periods are a massive issue in the female athletic community. Often they're dismissed as a "normal part of being a female athlete" and brushed aside. This is a grave mistake! Periods - also known as the fifth vital sign - tell us a great deal about female health, and any disturbance in normal, regular periods should be investigated.
Read more...

COVID-19 ONLINE SERVICES: NUTRITION & YOGA
April 12, 2020
Picture
Given the big changes happening right now I’ve felt a strong desire to offer my services in a way that is of value, flexible and most of all accessible.  Here are the COVID-19 services I am currently offering:  Nutrition services with Bulk-billed, Medicare rebates, and Sliding Scale options. By donation LIVE weekly yoga classes. Sliding scale ONLINE private yoga sessions ...
Read more...

INTRODUCING THE NON-DIET YOGI PODCAST!

December 13, 2019
Picture
I warmly invite you to tune in to my new podcast Non-Diet Yogi, where we explore yoga, earth-based living and gentle nutrition through a non-diet lens. We discuss the wacky and sometimes worrying places where the yoga world and diet culture overlap, as well as exploring how social justice, feminism, and motherhood fit within the Yogaland/diet culture Venn diagram.
​
Listen in...
​

THE PALEO DIET: PROS + CONS

November 18, 2019
Picture
Like most diets or ways of eating, there is both good and bad to come out of the Paleo diet. Unlike other fads, there is scientific evidence supporting some of the Paleo diet claims. But how solid is the evidence, and what are the long term pros and cons of the Paleo diet? To answer these questions from a balanced perspective, we need to dive a little deeper.
Read more...
​

THE MAGIC & MEDICINE OF MUGWORT

October 29, 2019
Picture
Mugwort has helped give me my groove back. Like the bent yet sturdy spine of the crone, she has carried me through to the other side of a dark tunnel I wasn't completely aware I had been moving through. ​I am communing with nature more and it seems the plants are much easier to communicate with, now that mugwort has opened the door.
Read more...
​

ESSENTIAL OIL INGESTION: JUST DON'T DO IT

October 6, 2019
Picture
​Pre-dating the rise of MLM essential oil giants, only herbalists and aromatherapists were qualified to prescribe internal use of essential oils. These folks have a working knowledge of herbal medicine and pharmacodynamics, which is crucial since ingestion of certain essential oils can be dangerous. Here are three main problems I seen with essential oil ingestion...
Read more...
​

FIRST MONTH ON OUR HOMESTEAD

October 4, 2019
Picture
We've moved to Crystal Waters, a place where it's the norm to grow, raise and preserve our own food, and harvest and make our own medicines... or swap, barter or buy from our neighbours. This way of living feels like it facilitates the exchange of food and medicine for the people, with local, organic food costing the same or less than what it costs at the supermarket...
Read more...
​

THE ALTERNATIVES TO DIETING

September 30, 2019
Picture
Sick of dieting? There are a number of fantastic approaches that at their foundation, encourage you to use your body as the first port of call ​when making decisions about food, eating, and your body - a collective approach I like to call Embodied Nutrition. Here are some great ways to learn to trust your body again, and help you reach a place of normal eating.
Read more...
​

THE CALL FOR WISE, OLD WOMEN

July 31, 2019
Picture
I'm excited when I meet older women who glimmer with the prospect of holding some wisdom inside them. Like a treasure chest with it's lid barely ajar, these women radiate quiet confidence, an unshakeable fierceness and graceful strength. A potent, irresistible combination that comes not just with ageing, but ageing with grace, courage, and clarity.
Read more...
​

THE WELLNESS DIET CYCLE

July 17, 2019
Picture
The Wellness Diet is the most insidious form of modern day dieting we are surrounded by. The typical person I see in my clinic is female, in her 20s, 30s or 40s. She goes to yoga and only shops at organic markets. She has seen numerous health practitioners prior to seeing me. And despite her utmost efforts to be healthy, she has long list of health conditions.​..
Read more...
​

BODY PEACE & PERMACULTURE: THE PARALLELS

March 4, 2019
Picture
The 'natural' farming and gardening approach of permaculture has some uncanny parallels to the non-diet approach and Health at Every Size movement. Diets are like chemical fertiliser - they seem like a good idea at the time and may bring about short term results, but as each year passes more and more fertiliser - more dieting efforts - are needed.
Read more...

THE LAID-BACK parent's GUIDE TO BABY'S FIRST SOLIDS

February 13, 2019
Picture
Starting a baby on solids is a time of great trepidation for many parents. But by taking a laid back approach, you can help your child learn to feed themselves in a timely manner, get all the nutrition they need, and have fun doing it. Here's how I navigated starting my kids on solids when they were around 6 months old and into toddlerhood, all whilst being responsibly lazy.
​​
Read more...
​

CAN VEGANS GET ENOUGH DHA FROM FOOD?

February 4, 2019
Picture
Getting adequate essential fatty acids (EFAs) is extremely important for everyone, but especially for vegetarians and vegans. And especially if you are trying to fall pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding. And if you're a vegan pregnant or breastfeeding mama, you've got to be EXTRA sorted on the essential omega-3 front.
Read more...

DON’T CALL ME YOGI.

January 27, 2019
Picture
Recently I changed my Instagram handle from @forestyogini to my actual name. It may seem insignificant - just petty semantics - to some. But to me it's no small decision. It’s a personal (de)identity shift I’ve been thinking about making for some time. Why? I no longer feel comfortable calling myself a yogi or yogini.
Read more...

The Bitter Truth

January 11, 2019
Picture
In Chinese medicine and in Ayurveda, the hallmark of a balanced meal is the inclusion of all of the flavours. ​​By including all of the flavours in a meal, you’re going to feel very satisfied. And satisfaction is a crucial element of enjoyable, intuitive eating. One of these flavours is bitter, a very important taste that many of us are missing on our plates.
Read more...
​

CALLING OUT BS IN THE MAMA, YOGA & WELLNESS SPACES

October 15, 2018
Picture
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Fiona Sutherland, host of the Mindful Dietitian Podcast. If you want to hear us wax lyrical about motherhood, yoga culture and the BS inherent in the "wellness" spaces (including hear me share about my recent experiences as a new mum of two), tune into Episode 36 of the Mindful Dietitian Podcast...
Read more...
​

7 ways to boost your fertility with food

October 9, 2018
Picture
A balanced ‘fertility diet’ and healthy lifestyle can significantly increase your chances of having a baby, whether you plan to conceive naturally or go down the IVF route. A few strategic tweaks can do wonders for your body, and your emotional and mental well-being going into pregnancy. Here are seven simple but crucial ways to boost your fertility naturally with food.
Read more...

Witches don't diet.

September 7, 2018
Picture
Intuition is rooted in the body. Food rules keep us in our heads. You can wear a bone necklace made by a Hopi shaman, burn sage until the neighbours call 000, and do a three-hour headstand atop a giant piece of clear quartz... but as long as you're still stressing about how much sugar you ate yesterday, you're going to stay largely shut down to your intuition.
Read more...

I'M NO EARTH MAMA, AND IT'S OK

July 12, 2018
Picture
I lasted six months. Six months of trying to be the new age Gold Coast attachment parent I thought I needed to be. The infinitely nurturing, gluten-free cake baking, cooing-at-my-baby-all-day, $300 boho dress-wearing Earth Mama I once thought I needed to be. I failed miserably at this. And as politically incorrect as it may seem, I'm ok with the fact that I'm no Earth Mother.
Read more...

Is it really food sensitivity?

July 6, 2018
Picture
Trying to address tummy troubles can lead folks down a winding trail, one with many time and money-consuming sidetracks. Two of these are unsubstantiated food intolerance testing, and questionable elimination diets. And if you have a history or current reality of disordered eating, diagnosing oneself with food sensitivities is entering murky waters...
Read more...

BARBELLS and BREASTFEEDINg

May 29, 2018
Picture
Motherhood is hard. But when I'm in a gym squatting, bench pressing and deadlifting, something lights up in my over-worked, baby vomit covered, under-appreciated mama soul. I feel as though I'm reclaiming my sanity and sense of self-worth, rep by rep. Here are the 5 main reasons why lifting weights has without a doubt made my life as a mum of two young kids, better...
Read more...

​The ‘sexy, spiritual, successful woman’ ideal – why it hurts us

​May 14, 2018
Picture
Despite the sexy, spiritual wrapping of inner-goddess-path-to-success workshops, overpriced juice cleanses, body-beautifying yoga challenges and expensive detox retreats, the SSSW ideal is yet another marketing tool that feeds off a woman’s sense of ‘you’re not good enough.’ In this case it’s dressed up in the disguise of quasi-spiritual, female empowerment.
Read more...

BEYOND PITTA, KAPHA & VATA:
​AYURVEDA, TCM & INTUITIVE EATING

April 15, 2018
Picture
When used with wisdom, Ayurveda and TCM can be doorways into intuitive eating. These systems offer concepts and ideas to experiment with, and can provide you with the courage needed to depart from diet culture tenets like "eat mostly raw salads". They can help you to curiously explore whether or not a concept applies to you. But first, you must get into your body...
Read more...

AYURVEDA & TCM:
​INTUITIVE EATING OR dietary DOGMA?

April 12, 2018
Picture
Ancient systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) seem a lot more accommodating to the seasonal fluctuations in food cravings that I experience. But does this mean I should cast aside my intuitive eating principles and rest easy in the comfort of eating according to my dosha (Ayurveda), or whether I'm ruled by the metal or the wood element (TCM)? ​
Read more...

3 WAYS TO ROCK YOUR Golden Month

April 3, 2018
Picture
Going through pregnancy, labour and delivery demands a lot from a woman - physically, mentally,  emotionally, and spiritually. Our recovery from childbirth is an extremely important - yet overlooked - time for new mums. We have a desperate need, both as individuals and as a society, to nourish the mother during this time more than any other...
Read more...
​

3 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT POSTPARTUM NUTRITION

March 29, 2018
Picture
What you eat during the month after you give birth has the power to radically improve your strength and recovery. It is said in Chinese medicine, that what you eat and how well you take care of yourself during this crucial time has the power to impact your health decades down the track. Here are the three big nutritional principles to follow in your Golden Month. 
Read more...

Baby Kairi's Birth Story

January 12, 2018
Picture
This is the story of the home birth of our second child, beautiful baby girl Kairi. It was the birth I felt I needed to have to heal from the trauma of my first childbirth experience. Although I had already worked through much of the trauma, disappointment and self-induced guilt, I still needed to know that yes, I could do it. I did the work. And amazingly, it happened. ​
Read more...

Why "pre-baby body" is a Bullshit concept

December 30, 2017
Picture
Diet culture is relentless in sending new mothers messages about needing to "bounce back" and lose the baby weight within weeks of giving birth. Sadly, the way many new mums attempt to live up to this impossible standard is through restrictive dieting and over-zealous exercise. Neither of which are in the best interests of mum or baby, especially if mum is breastfeeding...
Read more...
​

THIRD TRIMESTER update

December 29, 2017
Picture
We've been camping, unexpectedly moved house, I've sat uni exams, finished work for the year, written a bunch of articles, and I was a guest on a cracking anti-diet podcast! And at 38 weeks pregnant, I'm on the homerun and finally sliding into rest, nap and birth preparator mode after what's been a bloody exhausting third trimester full of ups and downs...
Read more...

Superfoods: Worth your money?

December 27, 2017
Picture
The marketing of certain "superfoods" reeks of false advertising. Think photoshopped women in bikinis laughing at acai bowls. And I think they're overpriced. If you genuinely dig the taste of acai, maca and chia they might be worth the money, but there are definitely cheaper alternatives that are just as (if not more) nutritious, and don't necessitate thousands of food miles...
Read more...

I'M RECOVERING FROM AN EATING DISORDER: CAN I STILL BE VEGAN?

October 18, 2017
Picture
I work with a lot of yoginis and yogis, alternative lifestyle leaders, animal rights activists, and environmentally conscious folk. I also work in the field of disordered eating. So naturally I often find myself in the situation where I'm chatting with somebody who is very keen to heal their troubled relationship with food... but they don't want to budge on their vegan ideals. Is this a problem?
Read more...

SECOND TRIMESTER Update

October 13, 2017
Picture
I'm glad to say that this time around things have been refreshingly different. In this blog I share my thoughts on being a "nasty" woman, my pregnancy self care regime, gentle nutrition, herbs, movement, real life emotional stuff, toddler breastfeeding agitation, bump shots (of course!)... and yes, a gender reveal.
Read more...

Treating allergies naturally

October 10, 2017
Picture
Do you dread high pollen count days? Is spring a season of antihistamine overload, soggy tissues, and hiding indoors? Treating seasonal allergies naturally is straightforward with the right know-how. ​When working with patients to become allergy-free I get them to picture a pyramid with three levels: a base, middle and apex...

Read more...

HOW I FAILED AT POSTPARTUM YOGA

September 20, 2017
Picture
After I gave birth to my first child, my personal yoga practice was feeling spiritually unfulfilling, and physically depleting as hell. The yoga I knew and loved just no longer worked. It was not giving me the vitality, peace and stillness it once did. It has taken many painful mistakes, and a near-complete abstinence from yoga for me to come out the other side. Here's what happened...
Read more...
​

WHY I QUIT YOGA (AND WHAT BROUGHT ME BACK)

September 19, 2017
Picture
​For the last year and a half I have not taught yoga.
​Why? Partly because I've had a gutful of how WANKY yoga culture has become. For some time, the joy I once derived from my practice disappeared - and the social injustices I see interwoven into western yoga culture have been a huge part of that. I want to share my taboo thoughts with you...
Read more...

"I stopped DIETING - BUT NOW I've gained WEIGHT AND I HATE MY BODY."

September 17, 2017
Picture
"Hey Casey,
​I've quit dieting, but now I've gained weight, my clothes feel too tight, and I can't stand how I look. 
How do I get out of this place of utter self-loathing and disconnection from my body?"
This blog is my answer to this very common question. 
Read more...

SUMMER BODY WOES ARE MADE IN WINTER

August 15, 2017
Picture
In late winter when we hear an escalation of mantras like, "Summer bodies are made in winter" - along with increased pressure to buy services and products that employ this rhetoric - I say, "Body shame is perpetuated by sayings like 'Summer bodies are made in winter.'" Your body is not the problem. Your belief that your body is the problem, is the problem.
Read more...

MY FIRST TRIMESTER... AGAIN!

August 8, 2017
Picture
Ok, so this blog comes a little late. I'm now 17 weeks pregnant, meaning I'm well into my second trimester. With a wedding, a honeymoon, a not-really-weaned toddler, recommencing uni, and the busiest spell I've had in clinic EVER, I've been a bit slack on the personal blogs! But I'll do my best to recount things from those first three lunar cycles of this pregnancy, my second...
Read more...

WEDDING! + 1 MORE EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT...

July 30, 2017
Picture
Yep, it's official... Andreas and I are finally married! On the morning of Saturday 8th of July, we enjoyed a fantastic day surrounded by our closest friends and family. We were wed by amazing celebrant Rachel Harwood of Fire & Earth Ceremonies​ in a picturesque park in Currumbin, then had a lunch time feast down the road...
Read more...

Are you DIETING YOUR SEX DRIVE AWAY?

July 21, 2017
Picture
Any form of dieting that (however temporarily) dwindles away crucial female body fat, wrecks havoc on hormones, destroys healthy body image, and is a fast track to not feeling in the mood... and not comfortably being able to get it on even if you do somehow feel up for it. To ask women to become unnaturally thin is to ask them to relinquish their sexuality...
Read more...

PREGNANT? DON'T TAKE THIS CELEBRITY TRAINER'S DIETARY ADVICE.

July 20, 2017
Picture
With grossly incorrect caloric recommendations coming from everyone from celebrity trainers to practitioners seeking to profit from the hCG weight loss diet, it can become very confusing to know just how much women need to eat. So let's set the record straight about how much food we need to maintain optimal health - including our fertility and sex drive...
Read more...

AVOCADO HONEY & LAVENDER FACE MASK

July 18, 2017
Picture
Check out this recipe for a homemade avocado-based face mask featuring lavender essential oil. If only for the novelty of not having any MLM brands name-dropped and shoved down your throat. A great way to use ripe (read: frustratingly over-ripe) avocados, entertain your kid for a brief moment, moisturise, and feel like you're indulging yourself... all at the same time!
Read more...
​

THE SSSW IDEAL: WHAT IT IS + WHY IT HURTS

July 3, 2017
Picture
It's a female sexuality course, a yoga training, or a detox program that teaches you how to be the "right" kind of female: Sexy, Slim, Successful, and let's not forget the one caveat that makes it all cool: Spiritual. For years this has bothered me. As a yoga teacher and health professional, I've innately felt that there's something really icky about this kind of marketing...
 Read more... 
​

HUNGER, darkness & the WILD WOMAN

June 20, 2017
Picture
Hunger and fullness attunement is a wonderful tool for everyone to learn. But beyond helping you to reconnect with your body and heal food issues, this work can activate long withheld desires, instincts, intuition, and inner knowing: your inner Wild Woman. As the Winter Solstice approaches, there is no better time to embrace the darkness and...
Read more...

5 ways to turn shitty diet rules into gold

May 25, 2017
Picture
You may no longer be dieting. You may look in the mirror and recite your body positive affirmations every morning, religiously. You may have read all the non-dieting books, unfollowed those diet-y social media accounts, and shunned diet culture. "So why," you may be wondering, "do I still obsess about food?" Here I share my 5 top tools for...
Read more...

LABNEH: HUNG YOGHURT CHEESE

May 3, 2017
Picture
Autumn is traditionally a time to make fermented foods and preserves for winter. Labneh is a beautiful addition to any autumn meal, or just as a moreish snack with crackers and veggie sticks to keep you powering through a chilly afternoon. It's irresistably delicious, creamy, salty and tangy. This recipe is ridiculously easy and nearly makes itself, all you need is...
Read more...

BOOST YOUR FERTILITY - PART 2

May 2, 2017
Picture
Welcome back to part 2 of this three-part series on boosting your fertility, naturally, with minimal stress, and - of course - without weight loss dieting, BS fads, or restriction! If you missed out on part 1, you'll really want to read that one first, it's THAT important. If you're up to speed, then read on.. it's time to cover my other top tips for pregnancy preparation starting with...
Read more...

7 FERTILITY-BOOSTING TIPS BESIDES 'LOSE WEIGHT'

April 27, 2017
Picture
The number of women I see torturing themselves with 12-week weight loss challenges, meal-replacement shakes, and/or some other form of restrictive dieting after receiving weight-centric medical advice, is both staggering and heartbreaking. And the worst thing is, even if they do manage to temporarily lose weight through these avenues, the hard-won weight loss often...
Read more...

7 ways to slay diet mentality

April 25, 2017
Picture
Diet mentality, or diet thinking, leads to dieting behaviours. And dieting behaviours build a cage around a person that places serious limits on their capacity to live and enjoy a rich, full, and meaningful life.​ The mid-autumn moon cycle is known in many parts of the world as the Blood Moon or Hunter's Moon. And it is the perfect time for you to put this diet thing to bed, for good...
Read more... 

DETOX: so NOT about juice fasts & colonics

April 20, 2017
Picture
When you hear the word "detoxification", what springs to mind? Juice fasting and colon cleanses? Coffee enemas and starvation? Health spas and slimming teas? For years, this is what I thought of when I heard that oh-so-sexy-sounding word, and practised, much to my body's distress. For the vast majority of people, these things are totally unnecessary. Here's why...
Read more...

The top 3 diets... to avoid

April 18, 2017
Picture
"It's not dieting, it's a lifestyle change." Sound familiar? Let's clear something up. Dieting – whether a fad, old school diet, a “detox,” or a “lifestyle” – is not just a verb; it’s an entire way of thinking that pivots on the intention of losing or controlling weight. It is both an individual mentality, and a cultural paradigm. So let's be super clear: Dieting is any approach to food that...
Read more...

THE PROBLEM WITH "THE NEW SKINNY"

April 11, 2017
Picture
Nowadays it's hard to dodge those stupid memes about "the new skinny". Like "fit or strong is the new skinny." Or even "curvy is the new skinny." But with this new standard of beauty disguised as health, we see the same obsessive, compulsive, unhealthy thoughts and behaviours that "the old skinny" generated: restrictive dieting, dangerous overtraining, and body hatred...
Read more...

11 "I'M NOT DIETING" DIETS

April 4, 2017
Picture
"I'm not dieting - I'm doing this for my health." Everyone knows that diets fail 95% of the time. But whilst I hear plenty of people declaring "I've given up dieting," a closer look at their eating habits says otherwise. They may no longer be doing weekly weigh-ins or counting calories, but the dieting thoughts remain. Those dieting thoughts look something like this...
Read more...

LIVER PÂTÉ RECIPE for the brave

March 27, 2017
Picture
When someone comes to me with low iron, one of the first foods I think of is liver. Yes, I know. Gross. But hear me out...
Liver is a true superfood – and you know how much I loathe using that word, so inundated is the health food marketing world with claims of it. So when I use it you know I really mean it. And you know I really, REALLY mean it when...
Read more...
​

Have you hit DIET ROCK BOTTOM?

March 24, 2017
Picture
This lunar cycle could be known as the Moon When Barramundi Enter Shallow Waters. In terms of making peace with food and our bodies, it relates to hitting diet rock bottom. Will you seize the chance to make change while the tide is low? Will you take the road less travelled, to finally catch yourself - and diet culture - out?...
Read more...

13 MOON CYCLES & INTUITIVE EATING

March 23, 2017
Picture
Body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, confusion around diet, and obsession with weight are a relatively modern phenomenon. They are a symptom of disconnection from our selves, and from the natural world. We can learn a great deal from observing nature, and from ancient traditions. Being aware of the 13 moon cycles can teach us about food, health...
Read more...

​YOGA FOR NON-MYTHICAL CREATURES

March 19, 2017
Picture
Mermaids. Unicorns. Goddesses. Walk into a yoga studio these days and you may find yourself swamped in a glittery sea of them, depending on where you are. Self-proclaimed mythical creatures with an incredible yoga practice that makes a beginner want to give up then and there. What I want to know is, Where are the fat people? The trans people? The old people?...
Read more...

11 essential tips for autumn Health

February 18, 2017
Picture
At this time of year, as the sap of the trees and flowers returns to their root systems, we too are preparing to turn inward. In virtually every ancient medicine system, this season of harvest was seen as the time of the year to pull inward and gather together on all levels; a time to plan for the approaching darkness and stillness of winter.
Read more...
​

Heatwave food: Tom Yum Soup Recipe

February 11, 2017
Picture
Here's an easy recipe for Tom Yum soup, which is possibly the most delicious symphony of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and something-I-can’t-describe-in-words, imaginable. All hot people eat spicy food, literally. Think of every traditional cuisine from an equatorial region – be it Mexican, Thai, Southern Indian, Vietnamese, Caribbean. You name it, if you can...
Read more...
​

Clean eating, dirty bleeding

January 30, 2017
Picture
Clean eating started innocently, but it has now taken on a new, twisted meaning. The implication is that if you're not "eating clean," then what you're eating is dirty or unhygienic - and YOU, by extension, are dirty. As women this hits a MIGHTY sore spot. We wouldn't embrace eating clean in its current elitist, food- and body- shaming form if we didn't think we were intrinsically...
Read more...

YOGA TEACHERS: PLEASE STOP GIVING TERRIBLE DIETARY ADVICE TO YOUR STUDENTS

January 23, 2017
Picture
I write this as a yoga teacher, and as a yoga student. I write this as a dietitian and nutritionist who sees the women and girls in clinic at the back end of yet another gruelling 10-day juice fast, or another winter freezing through raw foods; their thyroid, adrenals, and/ or reproductive health just a bit more depleted. Their relationship with food and their body having slid...
Read more...

TOP 3 Quick and easy blender recipes

December 19, 2016
Picture
Here are my favourite three easy peasy blender recipes to help you feel vibrant over the holiday season in the easiest possible way - they are great to taste. For all of them, you simply blend the ingredients together in a high speed blender and add any toppings suggested or desired. Savoury or sweet, if you're short on time (honestly, who isn't) - I think you'll find a favourite here!
Read more...

COCONUT KEFIR RECIPE

December 8, 2016
Picture
Kefir is a cultured milk product, very similar in taste to yoghurt. However, you can also make many yummy vegan forms of kefir, as it can be successfully made from the milk of nuts, seeds, coconut, or cereal grains. Kefir confers a wide range of health benefits, from relieving constipation to suppressing the growth of Salmonella, healing ulcers, and strengthening the immune...
Read more...

herbs for a hellish week

December 1, 2016
Picture
These 4 superfoods and botanicals helped me get through an intense pre-Christmas week. Four days of severe sleep deprivation has gifted me with the under eye bags of an English bulldog with conjunctivitis. This article covers what I did in the last week to help Archie deal with his mild fever (37.8 degrees Celsius at its highest point) and to support myself...
Read more...

Pyjama huevos rancheros

Picture
I love this protein-and-flavour-rich dish for an easy, filling and nutritious breakfast. The herbs and spices in the recipe are what bring it to life – so don’t be shy with them.
This recipe is best enjoyed in pyjamas and with a few slices of sourdough toast with butter...

Read more...

Paleo is like a pair of jeans

October 1, 2016
Picture
Like any therapeutic diet, paleo must be tailored to fit the individual. Like shopping for a good pair of jeans, there are several things to remember when looking for a paleo approach that suits you. This article is specifically for those currently eating paleo or thinking about it - but it can be easily applied to any food or eating ideology...
Read more...

20 SIGNS YOUR BODY CONFIDENCE IS ON THE RISE

September 20, 2016
Picture
A war is being waged against women’s body image, at the profit of certain corporations and industries, and at the detriment of women’s self-esteem and self-worth. Here are 20 ways to fight the good fight - things that I’ve noticed in my recovered clients, other body-positive women, and on good days - myself. And even if you don’t feel you’re completely on top of this...
Read more...

Why you binge, starve, and purge

August 17, 2016
Picture
In my work, I see people overeat, binge, emotionally eat, purge, restrict, starve, diet, dogmatically detox, clean-eat and over-exercise... In an attempt to feel a sense of safety, normality, rightness, and to quell uncomfortable feelings, if only it works temporarily. In my past, I've done all these things and more in my quest for certainty and safety...
Read more...
​

Dismantling diet rules

August 4, 2016
Picture
Got limiting diet beliefs? Rules like, "Carbs make me fat, " or "I must not eat after 6pm." The vast majority of my clients have at least a few diet rules, usually many more. I know it's a cliché but I love my work. I work with people experiencing eating disorders AND disordered eating (a.k.a. weight loss dieting). I especially love helping chronic dieters...
Read more...

11 tips for a healthy winter

July 1, 2016
Picture
Does winter leave you feeling congested or cosy? Sick or strong? Does the cold crisp air leave you devitalised, or invigorated? Grab a hot mug of golden milk, rug up and read on to discover how to get through this season flushed with health. Addicts to any kind of doing, many of us have been conditioned to think that if we aren’t moving, achieving, or acquiring, then we are...
Read more...

DIETITIAN OR NUTRITIONIST?

June 25, 2016
Picture
What is the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist? This is a common question that I get asked on a near-daily basis. There is a consensus that the two professions draw on different philosophies. Dietitians are usually seen as being conventional practitioners who administer food pyramid-based diet plans. Nutritionists may be perceived as...
Read more...

my postpartum fitness regime

June 16, 2016
Picture
Since becoming a mum my exercise routine has changed drastically. I no longer have the luxury of spending an hour a day doing yoga, or trail-running 3-4 times a week for as long as I like. Most of my exercise routine incorporates baby Archie. It has to be maximally efficient in the limited time I have. Here’s what I do in a typical week...
Read more...

METALLICA & MEDITATION – THE PARALLELS

June 1, 2016
Picture
If meditation were a musical genre I dare say it would be metal and all of its sub genres. I love metal music. Mostly good old stuff like Metallica, but also alternative metal, and a little bit of crazy glam metal. I love that it can be dark, gritty, and sinister… or energising and transcendental, depending on which genre and artist you listen to...
Read more...

Rock your menopause

May 1, 2016
Picture
A full 85% of women suffer hot flushes, vaginal dryness, and emotional turbulence during menopause, and to top it off we are told that our risk of heart disease and of osteoporosis is rising! But does it have to be this way? Most of us know some women who seem to sail through menopause, and come out the other side stronger, wiser, and full of vitality.
Read more...

WHY MUMS SHOULD EAT MORE CALORIES & CARBS

April 30, 2016
Picture
There are lots of reasons women (and men) under eat calories, carbs, or both. But whatever your reason is for undereating, there is a price to pay for under nourishing your body in both the short and long term. Mamas are especially prone to under eating, and I'm no exception. I am constantly telling my clients to eat regular, well-balanced meals. So I feel a bit hypocritical...
Read more...

INTERGALACTIC CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

April 24, 2016
Picture
You know those times when you create something so unexpectedly delicious, so unapologetically radical, so exceptionally epic, that it makes you want to jump up in glee and dance like a Beastie Boy in a Japanese train station?
Well, this was one of those times. The secret ingredient in these truffles is known in TCM to prolong life. 
Read more...

IMMUNE-BOOSTING SHIITAKE STIR FRY

March 11, 2016
Picture
Here's one of my favourite vegan autumn recipes, using the principles of TCM, and based on a recipe from my Chinese-malay mum! It's quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious. Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) were a favourite ingredient in my mum's Chinese cooking while I was growing up, and I still love them today. 
Read more...

Natural first aid kit for summer

January 11, 2016
Picture
Summer is synonymous with sunburn, stings, and muscle strains as we take up warm weather sports and exercise more, and over the summer holidays, stress levels soar and overindulgence leads to sore tummies and slow digestion. Here are my top 15 nutraceuticals, herbs, and other natural goodies to ensure a smooth and healthy summer for the whole family.
Read more...
​

The non-diet approach

January 3, 2016
Picture
Weight cycling brought on by years of yoyo or crash dieting is unhealthy. A huge amount of research shows that putting on weight, losing weight (putting on more, losing a little), over and over again, is detrimental to our physical, mental, and emotional health. And it crushes the spirit. The kicker is that dieting almost never results in the permanent weight loss people want...
Read more...
​

A sunshiny pregnancy

November 30, 2015
Picture
Did you know that many prenatal vitamins do not contain enough vitamin D to prevent deficiency in pregnancy? Most prenatal vitamins only contain 400 to 600 IU of vitamin D, which simply isn’t enough to keep your vitamin D at normal levels without regular midday sun exposure. Worse, studies suggest the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women...
Read more...

How to make Vegetables yummy

November 19, 2015
Picture
We all know we need to eat more vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are particularly important, and eating enough of them will reward you with wonderful health benefits. It's easy to make vegetables taste wonderful with herbs, spices, different cooking methods such as caramelising and roasting, adding delicious dressings to salads, and of course always...
Read more...

Why I ate my placenta.

October 31, 2015
Picture
This is easily the weirdest, freakiest post I have ever written. But given that it's Samhain or Halloween today, it's kind of fitting! The main reasons some new mothers throughout the western world are embracing placentophagy (the practice of mammals eating the placenta of their young after giving birth) centre around these: mood stabilisation...
Read more...
​

BREASTFEEDING & BIRTH RECOVERY

October 16, 2015
Picture
Nutrition, Herbs, and other Goodies for Postpartum Wellbeing. When I was pregnant, everything was about the birth. Meeting my baby was to be the summit of the whole experience of conception plus nine roller-coaster months of pregnancy. All the books I read were about healthy pregnancy, prenatal yoga, and active birth. I barely gave a thought...
Read more...
​

BABY ARCHIE'S BIRTH STORY

October 5, 2015
Picture
It's Saturday afternoon and I'm looking out the main window of our cosy forest shack at the sun dappling through the trees, and reflecting off a little billabong. It's warm and quiet except for the washing machine tumbling a load of towels that were used during the home birth part of the massive experience my fiancée and I have just shared...
Read more...
​

5 FOODS TO EMPHASISE DURING PREGNANCY

September 17, 2015
Picture
These are the top 5 foods I felt intuitively drawn to during my pregnancy. They have hundreds if not thousands of years of use in our diets. Modern science is just beginning to reveal why these foods serve such an important role in our health. Discover which nutrients are abundant in these nutrient-dense foods and how they support foetal development and mum's health...
Read more...

My third trimester

September 12, 2015
Picture
For most of the third trimester, life has been peachy. The endorphins my body has been pumping out during pregnancy (and will continue to do once labour starts) are natural painkillers that relax me and reduce pain. For most of the last two months since my last pregnancy blog, I've been living in a comfortable cloud of pregnancy bliss...
Read more...
​


Best of the blog

Dairy - yes or no?

August 20, 2015
Picture
Tonnes of clients ask me what "I think" about dairy. With the paleo movement at its zenith, the anti-dairy mania couldn't be higher - but it's an equal and opposite, inevitable reaction to the "got milk?" attitude of recent decades, where anyone who didn't drink milk was made to think their bones would crumble like feta the second they hit 60.
Read more...

Decode your cravings

June 16, 2015
Picture
There are many reasons why we experience food cravings, including genetics, upbringing, environment, hormones, emotions, nutritional deficiencies. Decoding the reasons why you'd do uncouth things for a slice of salami at 4pm can help you to break free from borderline food addictions, and reclaim your taste for nutritious foods.
Read more...
​

Moontime nutrition

May 11, 2015
Picture
Nurturing your body and mind through the four phases of your menstrual cycle could be the best decision you make as a woman. An earlier menarche, better nutrition, fewer pregnancies and a longer life expectancy mean that today’s woman will have many more periods in her lifetime than her ancestors did. And with that increase...
Read more...

​garden super foods with a powerful punch

September 15, 2014
Picture
Many herbs and spices double as surprisingly effective disease-fighting superfoods. Plus they’re potent, delicious, and far more affordable than many other foods being marketed as superfoods. Any health-conscious individual worth their weight in kale will tell you that your morning super smoothie just isn't complete without acai berries, maca, or chia seeds...
Read more...

The environmental impact of superfoods

August 11, 2014
Picture
Any die hard yogi, health coach, or budding nutritionist will tell you that your smoothie just isn't complete without acai berries, maca, or chia seeds. But did you know that far many flung "superfoods" carry a heavy environmental and social footprint? There's a lot of work and resources involved in getting those superfoods from far away into your blender.
Read more...
​

Dark side of the spoon

May 30, 2014
Picture
Paleo. Raw. Vegan. 80/10/10. Sugar-free. Not working for you?
Unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably heard of some or all of the above approaches to eating. I've seen people benefit greatly from each of these diets. And when that happens, it's awesome. But I've seen these diets fail enough times to want to say something about it...
Read more...

​Superfoods – sexed-up or everyday?

May 15, 2014
Picture
Want to feel great? Your pantry need not be filled with rare concoctions sourced from the Amazon. Affordable and delicious superfoods are all around you! The weeds in your garden may rival the most exotic superfoods on the market. What do acai berries, maca root, Gisele Bundchen and tango have in common? How about acerola, maqui, Brazilian bikinis...
Read more...

​Not in the mood? Look at your food.

March 31, 2014
Picture
There are myriad sources telling us what to eat for a great sex drive. Eat chocolate, chilli, avocados, oysters. Throw a few spoons of maca in your smoothie. Sip on damiana tea to get in the mood. But what about the foods you are eating on a regular basis that may be suppressing sexual desire? And beyond what you eat, does how you eat...
Read more...

Dieting undone: intuition VS nutrition

March 20, 2014
Picture
If you're a chronic dieter (whether that's calorie counting or being a juice fast junkie), and you're NOT happy with yourself and your body, I encourage you to take some time to NOT diet. You may well become healthier and happier. Do you want to eat in a way that guarantees you'll reach a healthy and comfortable weight, and stay there? Do you wish...
Read more...


Picture
Picture
I'm Casey Conroy,
Non-diet Dietitian, 
Holistic Nutritionist,
Movement Teacher, host of the Non-Diet Yogi Podcast, 
80's metal-loving mum + consultant for people who aren't getting the results they hope for, despite doing what is considered "healthy". 

Our family-based team is PASSIONATE about helping folks from all walks of life reach a deeper level of health. Our mission is to support people in all bodies, genders, and income brackets to live a life of WELLBEING - free from food, weight and body obsession.

We support our clients in feeling their best with a blend of nutritional counselling, intuitive eating, traditional wisdom, body acceptance, and LOTS of loving encouragement!

You can read more about us here.
​
I look forward to helping you to nourish your mind, body and spirit!
Picture

Follow casey

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Funky Forest Health & Wellbeing

podcast

Picture

GET FREEBIES

Picture
Picture
Picture

Instagram Feed

We love . . .

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
All content copyright Casey Conroy - Funky Forest Health & Wellbeing. For more information please click here to see my disclaimer.
Natural health for EVERY body. Copyright © 2019  
0432 618 279 | info@funkyforest.com.au