Wellness by Designs - Practitioner Podcast

Most practitioners don’t burn out because they care too much. They burn out because the business model quietly demands unpaid labour: analysing labs after hours, writing protocols on weekends, replying to emails between consults, and squeezing “deep work” into gaps that were never meant to hold it. We’re talking about the hidden time cost of the hourly consult model and what it looks like to shift into a per...

Most people think saffron is just a spice, but when you look closely, it’s a surprisingly complex botanical with a real problem in modern supplements: the compounds you can smell, and feel are often the first ones you lose during processing. We sit down with biochemist and Active Inside co-founder Benoit “Ben” Lemaire to unpack why safranal (the signature aromatic molecule) is volatile, why many extracts struggle ...

Perimenopause can feel like your body has changed overnight, but what if the real problem is that the health system around you is stretched thin and your nearest “next step” is hours away? We sit down with Tamworth naturopath Jane Sharpham to talk about women’s health in rural Australia, where isolation, long travel times, and limited access to gynaecologists and integrative doctors can turn manageable symptoms in...

A client complaint can hit like a shockwave, but the truth is most legal trouble starts long before that with tiny “it’ll be fine” decisions that slowly blur your boundaries. I’m joined by lawyer and mentor Michelle Whitehead from Carefree Counsel to talk about the real legal risks that show up in everyday clinical practice, especially for health and wellness practitioners who were never taught how to protec...

If talking about money makes you squirm, your clinic might be paying the price. We sit down with Jabe Brown, practitioner and founder of Melbourne Functional Medicine, to get real about what it takes to build a sustainable naturopath or functional medicine practice in Australia without burning out or undercharging.

We unpack the mindset piece first: the quiet money stories that lead to discounting, overdelivering, and never ...

Brain fog, anxiety, low mood and memory slips are often brushed off as “stress” or “menopause” until life starts shrinking. We sit down with degree-qualified functional nutritionist Jo Grabyn to challenge that story and unpack a more useful lens: brain health as a bioenergetic problem where mitochondria, inflammation and fuel supply shape how well we think, feel and sleep.

Jo shares what pulled her in...

Menopause care has a memory problem. Many of us were trained in the shadow of the Women’s Health Initiative, where “hormones” became shorthand for danger, and a whole generation of clinicians stepped back from menopausal hormone therapy. But the products, delivery methods, and the evidence base have moved on, and women are the ones paying the price when we don’t keep up. 

We’re joined by na...

Ferritin looks “fine” on your blood test, yet you still feel wiped out, breathless, flat, and foggy. Or you take iron faithfully and nothing moves. That gap between symptoms and pathology is where iron gets genuinely confusing, so we brought in naturopath Laura Taylor, who specialises in gut health and iron deficiency, to explain what’s actually happening beneath the numbers. 

We walk through iron abso...

Menopause isn’t just a hormone cliff, it’s a whole-body turning point that exposes every habit, stressor and system you’ve been carrying for decades. I’m joined by women’s health expert Susan Hunter, who brings 20 plus years of clinical pattern recognition to the perimenopause and menopause conversation, with a refreshingly grounded take: test where it counts, treat the woman in front of you, and stop ...

Is perimenopause a hormonal breakdown or a redirection of power?

In this episode, we sit down with naturopath and feminine wisdom teacher Brenda Rogers to reframe menopause through a neuroadrenal lens. Rather than chasing fluctuating sex hormones, we explore what truly moves the needle in clinic: stabilising the nervous system, anchoring blood sugar, restoring sleep depth, and helping women discern what is normal in midlife change. ...

What if GLP-1 medications were not the end goal, but a clinical window to rebuild metabolic health with less noise and more intention?

In this episode, we sit down with naturopath Wendy Burke to cut through the hype, stigma, and confusion surrounding GLP-1 therapies and focus on what practitioners actually need to know to support patients well. From first dose to exit strategy, this conversation offers a clear, step-by-step framewor...

Want your patients’ brains to feel younger for longer?

In this episode, we explore neuro longevity through a practitioner lens with chiropractor and naturopath Damien Kristof - challenging the idea that better brain health comes from adding more hacks. Instead, Damien unpacks a clear hierarchy: heal the nervous system from the top down and inside out, remove interference, and let the body do what it’s designed to do.

Draw...

What if your gut symptoms aren’t about what you’re taking, but who you’re feeding?

Gut change doesn’t start with a supplement aisle sweep. It starts with the small but mighty species running your internal ecosystem. In this episode, functional naturopath Dan Sippel joins us to unpack how keystone bacteria shape gut barrier integrity, immune tolerance and metabolic health, and why the right polyphenols, fibres...

Why isn’t your acne responding, no matter how “clean” your skincare routine is?

In this eye-opening episode, skin specialist nutritionist Jacinta Barbagallo shares why stubborn breakouts rarely start on the skin’s surface—and why real solutions lie far deeper. Together, we explore the three root causes of acne: retention keratosis, hypersebum secretion, and skin pH imbalance, and the surprising internal...

Can modern qPCR technology truly deliver accurate, trustworthy results for your patients?

In this episode, we delve into the world of qPCR stool testing, with Dr Tom Fabian unravelling the common myths surrounding its validity and reliability. 

Throughout the episode, we explore the scientific evidence that underpins qPCR stool testing, addressing misconceptions and highlighting its role in clinical decision-making.

Listeners wil...

In this episode, Dr Brad Leech shares the exclusive results of his PhD research, which produced the first comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for intestinal permeability. 

Dispelling common myths about "leaky gut syndrome," Dr Leech explains why intestinal hyperpermeability is a legitimate physiological reaction—not a syndrome—and how his meticulously developed, evidence-based guidelines can transform clinica...

Why Women Are More Vulnerable—and What You Can Do Clinically

Could histamine intolerance be the hidden driver behind your patient’s anxiety, bloating, headaches, or skin flares? In this episode, nutritionist and epigenetics expert Zelda Graham breaks down the complex interplay between histamine, methylation dysfunction, gut health, and hormonal imbalances—especially in women.

You’ll gain critical insights into...

Is Ubiquinol the Missing Nutrient for Lifelong Heart Health?

In this eye-opening episode of Wellness by Designs, Dr Ross Walker, a renowned cardiologist with 25 years dedicated to preventative medicine, challenges the conventional approach to heart disease, statins and cholesterol management. Central to the discussion is ubiquinol, the active form of CoQ10, essential for mitochondrial energy production and a powerful antioxidant. Dr...

What if the key to growing your clinic online isn’t posting more - but posting with purpose?

In this episode, we sit down with naturopath and strategist Rebecca Talia to explore a calmer, more strategic way for healthcare practitioners to show up on social media. Instead of chasing trends or feeling pressured to be perfect, Rebecca reframes social platforms as a living extension of your website, a place where prospective clien...