Sarah Durham Wilson : Rebel with a cause

Topics covered : Fibre, relaxation, routine, sleep, gut-brain axis, impact of stress, IBS, microbiome, biotics. Registered dietitian Lorraine Cooney has just released her book ‘Why you can’t go and what you can do to find life changing relief from constipation’ and this conversation is all about that! She talks about the importance of fibre, relaxation and routine when it comes to a healthy digestive system. Why supporting our microbiome is crucial and the differences between pro, pre and post biotics. I learnt a lot listening to Lorraine and I feel that my own habits have improved since we spoke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Politics, Gaza, threat of the Far-right, people power. This week I speak to farmer, scientist, feminist and leader of the Social Democrats, Holly Cairns. She lives in West Cork on her family farm with her partner Barry, her dog Hei Hei and her cat Blaze. And in this conversation she talks about growing up in a blended family, her bond with her mother, how she got into politics, her stance on the devastating situation in Gaza, the threat of the Far-right and the importance of unity, now, more than ever. I have wanted to sit down and chat to Holly for a very long time as she's someone I really admire so I am delighted that we made it happen. We met in 2019 for the first time and I liked her instantly. She was genuine, down to earth and great company and I for one, am so glad that she decided to venture into politics, as her voice is so badly needed in the Dáil. ​Political quiz 2024 Political Quiz (isidewith.com) checktheregister.ie If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Failure, faith, religion, awareness, meditation, death, compassion, love.  This is a re-release of an episode I recorded with author, playwright, podcaster, poet and all-round wonderful human being, Michael Harding in December 2022. Michael is someone I had wanted to speak to for years so it was an absolute pleasure to speak with him. In this enlightening conversation we talk about his love of religion, the power of failure and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. His latest book ‘All the things left unsaid – confessions of love and regret’ is a stunning collection of letters he wrote for the people who deeply affected him over the years and it’s available now in all good bookshops. He's charmingly self-deprecating, reflective and his voice is one I could listen to forever.  I hope you enjoy our conversation. If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shelly Mooney is a historian and artist who lives in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their sonFerdia and Lola their dog and she runs the brilliant Instagram page ‘Tales from the Wood’ which explores the history and mythology of Ireland. In this bite-sized episode she talks to us about the ancient Celtic festival of Bealtaine. She speaks of the importance of the Hill of Uisneach, the tradition of handfasting at this time, and the significance of the Hawthorn tree.  The Hill of Uisneach - The Sacred Centre of Ireland. If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered : Illness, grief, miscarriage, motherhood, divorce, diet culture, overcoming challenges, self-regulation, thriving.   This week I speak to author and midlife coach, Alana Kirk. Originally from Belfast, Alana lives in Dublin with her three teenage daughters, Daisy (18), Poppy (16) and Ruby (13), their 2 cats, Tiggy and Puka and their rescue dog Mojo. She works as a midlife coach and is in the process of writing her third book. And in this conversation she shares her own story with us which is really powerful. We also talk about how much our lives have changed in the 16 years since we first met, and throughout our conversation she shares nuggets of wisdom and practical tips to bring into our own lives. Alana is a gorgeous person, she’s compassionate and quick witted and I took so much from this chat. Her current book is ‘Midlife, redefined: Better, Bolder Brighter’, a self-guided exploration of you and your midlife, with exercises so the reader ends up with her own bespoke midlife (wo)manual. She can be found at www.themidlifecoach.org and on Instagram @midlifecoach and for Alana's next online workshop Revive & Thrive, which is focussing on overwhelm, click https://www.themidlifecoach.org/revive&thrive If you like this pod, you might appreciate previous episodes like the one I recorded with visibility coach Kate O’Dwyer from October 2023, and the Menopause episodes with Catherine O’Keeffe from April 2021. If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.