Funky Forest Health & Wellbeing

Naturopathy | Nutrition + Dietetics | Medical Herbalism | Y oga
Natural medicine clinic and apothecary in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterlands.

We are community minded + believe in highly individualised natural healthcare that is as effective and accessible as possible.

We operate from a Body Acceptance, Health at Every Size® philosophy which values people for who they are. We prioritise physical and mental wellbeing over weight.

We offer 1:1 consultations in Australia and worldwide, as well as:
Liquid Herbal Dispensary | Functional Pathology Testing | Practitioner-only Products
Apothecary | Yoga + Herb Classes | Community Naturopathic Clinic | Herb Walks

Funky Forest Health & Wellbeing acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation, and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging.

Have I Fully Recovered Yet?

Nov 7, 2024

This is a question many of my clients in eating disorder recovery (ED) ask. Here I offer the aspects of recovery as I view them through a 5-element lens. This approach is founded in the wisdom of both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. Here are five basic elements to consider when asking the question, "have I fully recovered yet?"...

Read more...

The Beauty of Bitters

Oct 10, 2024

Bitter foods offer a multitude of health benefits, such as improving digestion, enhancing liver detoxification, and clearing up your skin when hormonal issues lie at the root of issues like acne. But did you know bitters can also improve your mood, clearing feelings of depressed malaise and calming the fires of impatience and anger?...

Read more...

THE "THIS HERB FOR THAT" CONUNDRUM

Mar 13, 2024

If you ask me, "what herb is good for X?", you're going to get a long answer. This is because traditional herbal medicine is nuanced and individualised. Unlike in modern pharmacology, where you might pop a Panadol for a headache (regardless of what kind of headache it is), there are no herbs "for" any one disease state. Instead, there are herbs that can...

9 NUTRIENTS TO CONSIDER WHEN TAKING ANTIDEPRESSANTS

Nov 28, 2023

Many of the clients I work with have taken SSRIs and/or TCAs for years, yet until we discussed it they had no idea that the chronic use of these antidepressants can induce subclinical and clinical micronutrient deficiencies. Over time, these deficiencies can cause additional symptoms and increase the side effects of the medication...

Read more...

4 FOUNDATIONS OF EATING FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Nov 8, 2023

We know there's a connection between how you eat and your mental health. Wild-caught salmon, matcha, blackberries, cacao, probiotic foods, and turmeric are the mental health superfoods du jour. And "cutting out sugar and anything processed!" is a catch cry in the wellness worlds I inhabit. Yet many people I see in clinic are under eating or...

Read more...

HERBS FOR EATING DISORDER RECOVERY

May 4, 2023

Have you considered using herbal medicines as an adjunct to ED/DE recovery in yourself or your clients? This is a controversial topic that needs discussion. As an ED dietitian and nearly-qualified naturopath, I believe that we ought to consider the significant support that plant medicine can offer to those experiencing food and body image concerns.

Read more...

SHOULD YOU REDUCE CAFFEINE? PART 2

April 19, 2023

Before we make any decisions about coffee, the most important question to ask is, “does it work for me?” Whether you’re using it to sharpen focus and concentration, improve sports performance, or simply to feel more energised, does it fulfil the intended purpose with minimal to no negative side effects?

Read more...

GOLDEN ROD: WAY CLEARER OF DAMP HEAT

April 14, 2023

You may have mistaken this plant as a yellow sea growing in golden swathes in abandoned pastures, grasslands, and along roadsides. Despite its cooling anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and astringent properties, Golden Rod is considered a weed by numerous city councils (all the best medicinal plants are pests, IMO).

Read more...

NUTRITION FOR NEURODIVERGENT FOLK

March 8, 2023

As a nutritionist and mother of an amazing child who has recently recognised SPD, I've found there is plenty we can do with nutrition to support kids, teens and adults on the spectrum! In general, with folks experiencing sensory processing issues I aim to support the brain and nervous system...

Read more...

Should you reduce caffeine? Part 1

February 23, 2023

Caffeine enhances short-term energy, performance and focus. It helps us get things done faster and more efficiently. But have we become so dependent that we need it just to feel functional? In this article I discuss caffeine's positive uses, physiological effects, downsides of caffeine use, how to know if coffee is right for you, and gentle ways to reduce...

Read more...

VEGAN DIETS FOR ATHLETES: GAME CHANGING?

February 20, 2023

Ever since the influx of multiple pro-vegan documentaries over the last 10 years (and one 2019 Netflix movie in particular), there's been a steady stream of clients asking me if a vegan/plant-based diet will improve their athletic performance, and if animal protein harms it. Let's start by saying that most Australians are not eating...

Read more...

ELDERBERRY: A MONOGRAPH

February 13, 2023

Elder is the primary herb I use for working with cold and flu, alongside Echinacea. Elderberries bring up phlegm, alleviate bronchitis, and reduce fever (as do the elder flowers). A few times a year I make a syrup from fresh or dried elderberries to support my family through cold and flu season. They clear stuffed ears and sinuses and bring warmth to the body...

Read more...

HOW TO FUEL PROPERLY AFTER TRAINING

January 29, 2023

Eating well after exercise can be the deal breaker when it comes to hitting your strength and fitness goals. Whether you’ve done aerobic or strength training, you need to replenish your glycogen stores in order to minimise soreness and tiredness, and optimise muscle mass gains. Here are my biggest DOs and DON'Ts on post-workout nutrition...

Read more...

PCOS, HA & DISORDERED EATING

October 1, 2022

These conditions can look so similar that many women are mistakenly diagnosed with PCOS when they actually have hypothalamic amenorrhoea. That's bad news, because women with PCOS are told to eat less carbs, and/or eat less overall. And women with HA are already under-fuelling which is why they have HA in the first place!

Read more...

LOVE AND DARKNESS: DITCHING HEALTHISM, SPIRITUAL BYPASS & TOXIC POSITIVITY IN YOGA

May 15, 2022

The yoga and wellness industries are not all love and light.
In the yoga and wellness community there is often a systemic repression of the dark side: the less palatable feelings, thoughts and behaviours we house. When fertilised with capitalism, this darkness becomes refracted as toxic positivity, spiritual bypassing, and blatant healthism.

Read more...

HOW TO RESPOND TO WEIGHT LOSS "COMPLIMENTS" IN YOGA AND FITNESS

November 22, 2021

In this video I’m going to give you some ideas on how to respond to “compliments” about weight loss… especially when you have a history of disordered eating and body dysmorphia, and these comments actually make you feel uncomfortable or upset...

10 WAYS DISORDERED EATING SHOWS UP IN YOGA

November 15, 2021

In the yoga and wellness worlds, ahimsa is often reduced to not hurting other people and mitigating violence against animals, but sometimes there is little to no regard for the level of violence being turned inwards. Here are 10 of the most common ways I've seen disordered eating sneakily show up in the yoga and wellness worlds...

Read more...

WHAT IS DISORDERED EATING, ACTUALLY?

November 8, 2021

There are many people who don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders but who still struggle with disordered thoughts and behaviours around food. In this article I discuss some red flags that may indicate disordered eating: thoughts, behaviours, and physiological signs and symptoms...

Read more...

WHAT YOGA TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NUTRITION & BODY IMAGE

November 1, 2021

In this video I talk about something that is very important to me and dear to my heart, as someone who is a part of the yoga community, and as a yoga teacher of 15 years. And that is the growing prevalence of nutritional misinformation, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia in the yoga community...

Read more...

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

August 20, 2020

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

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

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

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...

Mugwort: Grandmother Medicine + Magic

October 29, 2019

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

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...

7 ways to boost your fertility with food

October 9, 2018

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...

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

May 14, 2018

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...

3 WAYS TO ROCK YOUR Golden Month

April 3, 2018

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

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...

Why "pre-baby body" is a Bullshit concept

December 30, 2017

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...

Superfoods: Worth your money?

December 27, 2017

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...

Treating allergies naturally

October 10, 2017

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...

Are you DIETING YOUR SEX DRIVE AWAY?

July 21, 2017

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...

DETOX: so NOT about juice fasts & colonics

April 20, 2017

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...

YOGA FOR NON-MYTHICAL CREATURES

March 19, 2017

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...

I'm Casey Conroy,
HAES-aligned Dietitian, Naturopath, Herbalist, Yoga Teacher, host of the Non-Diet Yogi Podcast, 80's glam metal-loving mum + consultant for people who aren't getting the results they hope for, despite doing what is considered "healthy".

I am PASSIONATE about helping folks from all walks of life reach a deeper level of health. My mission is to support people in all bodies to live a life of WELLBEING - free from food, weight and body obsession.

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

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