Quirky Cooking Chats

Welcome to Episode 36 of Quirky Cooking Chats (Season 2), with Jo Whitton:

Lucie McCullough (Interior Designer, Building Biologist) on GAPS, Mould Illness, Life in an Italian Village & Our Gut Health Retreat in the Italian Alps

Join Jo for an inspiring conversation with Lucie McCullough - building biologist, interior designer and culinary medicine enthusiast.

After a career in fashion that took her to Rome, Paris, Milan and London, with stints at Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Vogue, as well as a successful interior design business in Hong Kong, Lucie McCullough's personal health journey took her in an unexpected direction…

Lucie shares her incredible story of healing from mould illness and infertility, and how that led to a passion for food as medicine, building healthy homes, and creating a school environment where children learn in nature with a focus on health and community connection.

IN THIS PODCAST:

•  Mould illness, EMFS, neurological inflammation, infertility, anxiety, panic attacks, hormone issues, period pain… and healing with GAPS (Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome protocol)


•  Lucie’s reaction to the wastefulness and the toxic building materials in the interior design world, and how it led her to study sustainable design and building biology


•  Why Lucie and her family moved from the USA to a small Italian village during the height of the COVID pandemic, where she co-founded the Waldorf-inspired ‘Village Forest School’


•  Renovating a 326 year old chalet in the Italian alps with totally natural materials (now luxury ski lodge, Baita 1697, where we will be holding our gut health retreat in June - see below!)


•  Life in a small village, and the importance of community and connection


•  The importance of food as medicine, teaching children to cook and eat well, and why nutrient-dense meals are served at Lucie’s school, cooked by chefs who follow the principles of Weston A. Price


•  The benefits of ‘learning by doing’ and about our gut health retreat at Lucie’s luxury chalet in the Italian alps

Tune in to this episode to hear Lucie's inspiring story of natural healing and learn about her work at the Village Forest School and our upcoming gut health retreat!

LUXURY HEALTH RETREAT IN THE ITALIAN ALPS: https://bit.ly/italyretreat23

•  Where: Lucie’s luxury chalet, Baita 1697, in Pragelato - a rustic village 1600 metres above sea level on the French-Italian border near Turin, on the edge of a beautiful national park


•  When: 31 May - 4 June, 2023


•  Food: a GAPS / Weston A. Price style menu - gut-healing meals using local, traditional, biodynamic foods including locally-made cheeses, wild boar, venison, seafood, a wide variety of seasonal produce, hazelnuts (which the area is famous for) and foraged, medicinal herbs. (Meals are adjusted to include specific dietary needs of attendees.)


•  Learning: daily cooking classes (GAPS/healing foods, cheese making, gluten-free sourdough, fermenting and traditional Italian dishes), ‘learning by doing’, and teaching about gut-healing topics by Jo, Lucie and Naomi Miller (naturopath, nutritionist, herbal medicine, Chinese medicine, healing diets and whole-food chef); ask your questions and get expert advice on cooking for gut health and healing naturally


•  Activities: foraging, walking, natural movement, cooking, exploring the local villages, visiting local producers/artisans, relaxing outdoors, fireside chats at night, hot tub on the roof under the stars, magnesium baths, relationship-building, community and connection


•  Included: transport to and from Milan or Turin, luxury accommodation, all meals from arrival to departure (catered to your specific needs), all workshops/classes and activities, personalised advice to help you begin implementing gut-healing diet and lifestyle changes that suit your unique family and situation, a ‘goodie bag’ with local gifts and a cookbook by Jo, resources to help you continue your health journey at home

LINKS & RESOURCES:

Gut-Health Retreat in Italy: https://bit.ly/italyretreat23

The Village Forest School: https://www.villageforestschool.com/values.php

Visit Baita 1697: http://www.baita1697.com/

Lucie McCullough Interiors: https://www.luciemccullough.com/