Numerology : A beginner's guide

Trigger warning : Disordered eatingA few years ago I spoke to Aoife O’Brien about life with and after an eating disorder. Aoife now lives in Co. Clare with her fiance Damian and their 2 little boys, Liam (5) and Samuel (2). She is a Nutritionist (MSc), Body Image and Wellbeing Coach with a specialist interest in disordered eating and through AOB Coaching, she helps women develop a healthy, balanced and peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. For years she was controlled by an eating disorder which went unnoticed for a long time. Now having fully recovered she is passionate about getting the message out that life after disordered eating, is very much possible.In this conversation, we discuss diet culture, the signs of eating distress and how best to address it.Helpful questions for journaling…1. What did I do well today?2. What did I learn?3. What would I do differently?To connect with Aoife...HomeIf you like this podcast, please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Feb 58min

Topics covered : Anorexia, grief, shame, perfectionism, recovery, gratitude, the inner critic, CBT, social media, filters, boxing, meditation, femininity, spirituality, letting go.In this episode I speak to one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met, boxer Mary Kate Slattery.Originally from Dublin, Mary Kate spent parts of her childhood in Lahinch in Co. Clare.She’s the eldest of three girls, a law graduate from Trinity College Dublin and when she was only 9 she developed anorexia. She spent time in and out of Crumlin children’s hospital in Dublin and eventually had to go to London to receive treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.In this conversation we speak about her battle with anorexia, perfectionism, therapy, meditation, femininity, letting go and her love of boxing.It’s such an inspiring yet challenging conversation in parts, so please be aware before you listen.Also as you can hear in this episode, Mary Kate is very thankful to her psychiatrist Fiona McNicholas for helping her recover from anorexia and if you're worried about yourself or someone you love, you can reach out for help here...Bodywhys | The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Feb 1h 20min

Topics covered : Body acceptance, shedding shame, diet culture, disordered eating, body image, unlearning, motherhood, loss of identity, blended family, love, responding over reacting, self-talk, respect, bouncing forward, self-worth, stretch marks, regret, healing, empowerment. In this episode I speak to the truly wonderful Sarah Nicole Landry. She’s a body acceptance advocate, a speaker, a writer, an occasional model and podcaster and she’s better known online as ‘The Birds Papaya’.Sarah Nicole is married to Shane and she’s the mother of 4 kids, she has 3 teenagers from her previous marriage and their daughter Lemmie is 2.She’s one of the most important voices right now on diet culture and body acceptance and her Instagram page alone has 2.3 million followers!In this conversation she covers a multitude on the topic, so if you want a feel-good episode that will potentially give you goosebumps (as it did for me!) this is the pod for you.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.

25 Feb 54min

Topics covered : Traumatic childhood, abandonment, disappointment, pain, breaking negative cycles, self-worth, sport, faith.Last year I sat down to speak to my next guest and I’m finally releasing our conversation.I spoke to Irish professional athlete and coach at Oberstown Children’s Detention Centre, Ger Redmond.He’s married to Pauline, who he describes as his rock and they have 5 kids together, 4 girls and a boy.A childhood of neglect and dysfunction led him on a destructive path in life which involved joining a gang for nearly 20 years.He turned to a life of criminality when his dream of becoming a professional footballer came to a cruel end due to an event that had devastating consequences for his family and another.He’s not comfortable talking through the details of it during our conversation, out of respect to all involved.Many years later Ger himself spent a couple of years in prison but becoming a father to a son was the catalyst for change.When his son Ross was born in 2016, he completely changed his life. He threw himself into sport and set about breaking the negative cycles of behaviour that had caused so much harm to him and his siblings and today, his life’s work is about helping and motivating others.To connect with Ger, go to…Ger RedmondYou can also scroll back and listen to my conversation with Ray Goggins (released 22nd of October 2021) who is mentioned during our chat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Feb 1h 9min

Topics covered : Feeling ignored and unheard, suffering, honouring how you feel, acceptance, expectation, disappointment, judgment, jealousy and envy, controlling what we can control, compassion.This week I speak to chartered psychologist, Allison Keating.We spoke on Monday and we wanted to record something that might help those who are in the thick of it right now, many are still without power around the country and suffering as a result of the damage caused by Storm Éowyn and this is also an episode for anyone who is experiencing difficulty in their lives at the moment.During this conversation she covers the importance of truly honouring how we feel and how acceptance (as difficult as it can be) is so beneficial. She also talks about expectation and judgement, the difference between jealousy and envy and how important it is to have compassion for ourselves and others.Find Allison on InstagramAllison Keating | thepractical.psychologist (@thepractical.psychologist) • Instagram photos and videosBook -‘It’s all too much – practical ways to pause panic attacks, reduce anxiety and overwhelm and rediscover everyday joy’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Feb 37min

Topics covered : Imbolc and the symbolism and significance of Brigid.In this episode, I speak to historian and artist Shelly Mooney who runs the brilliant Instagram page ‘Tales from the Wood’ which explores the history and mythology of Ireland.She lives in the countryside in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their baby Ferdia and Lola their dog.After several years of campaigning, St Brigid’s Day has finally become a public holiday in Ireland and it’s the first one to be named after a woman.In this conversation Shelly talks about the ancient pagan festival heralding the beginning of Spring called ‘Imbolc’ and the significance of Brigid and her resurgence in recent times, including the story behind her cloak and the cross of St. Brigid.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.

31 Jan 15min

Topics covered : Climate crisis, capitalism, activism, Gaza, LA wildfires, Iran, community care, resistance, joy. Raeeka (they/she) is a British-Iranian social & climate justice activist and poet. They work for Parents For Future UK, a group focused on empowering parents and carers into the climate movement. Raeeka is also on the Stop Rosebank team, working to stop new oil and gas in the UK. Raeeka amplifies the feminist revolution of their Iranian siblings in the fight for a free Iran. They have a special focus on intersectional collective liberation as a framework for how we build the world we need. They have recently self-published a poetry book: BELOVED: Words for the new way.In this conversation we talk about the climate crisis and how finding out what your skill is and leaning into that, is key with heart centered activism.To connect with Raeeka…Raeeka | climate justice & social justiceBritish Iranian (@raeekayassaie) • Instagram photos and videosRaeekaYassaie.com | Poetry for collective liberationResources they mentioned…ParentsForFuture Ireland instagram - great landing place for climate for any parents listeningParentsForFuture UK Stop Rosebank - learn about stopping new oil and gas in the UKClimate Defiance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Jan 47min

Topics covered : Gaza, parenting, co-sleeping, attachment, worthiness, cancer, thyroid, compassion. In my first episode of 2025, my guest is the one and only Dr. Gabor Maté.He is a retired physician and bestselling author known and loved for his ground-breaking medical work and writings. His most recent book, ‘The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture’, has been and continues to be a bestseller worldwide.n this conversation we talk about Gaza and as a Holocaust survivor what he has to say is so valuable. We also explore parenting, we talk about illness and the lessons to be learnt through these often very difficult experiences and he also shares his insights regarding Ireland.He has been top of my dream guest list for years now so to have him on the podcast really is as good as it gets. A heartfelt thank you to Catherine for all her help in connecting me with Gabor.Books​Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder 1999​When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress 2003Hold onto your kids : Why Parents need to matter more than Peers 2005In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction 2007The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Jan 50min