What better way to contribute to “dry January” than sharing an episode with Gary from Sober N Sound?!

I had so much fun chatting to Gary who is mega relatable, articulate and open about his journey with alcohol. Describing himself as an alcoholic, he talks about what that meant for him. The difficulties around stress, physical dependency, financial difficulties, recreational drugs.

Over the last decade, he has transformed his life and says there is nothing more enjoyable than “pure living”.

Gary gives practical and REAL advice on how you can become sober too! He swapped the night time madness for day time goodness.

Please see link below to follow Gary:

https://www.instagram.com/sobernsound?igsh=MWtubmN5N2RyYmpkbQ==

Iman (means faith in Arabic) is a youth bereavement ambasador for Winston’s Wish charity. She has been an advocate for young people experiencing loss and grief.

My favourite thing about this conversation was Imans focus on Islam. It was truly inspirations and I felt in awe of the wisdom she has.

Iman talks about her bond with her father and their memories together. She tells us about her fathers upbeat personality. She is so articulate at such a young age.

She was 20 when her father passed away and describes it as being “forever stuck at 20 and he will forever be stuck at 51”. She also says how her “internal pain and loss is repetitional”.

In this episode, Lisa, a dedicated mother of two teenagers (ages 18 and 16), opens up about the challenges of parenting children with various health issues, including asthma, allergies, Coeliac disease, and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE).

Reflecting on the difficult times of 2020, she recalls how both of her children received their diagnoses, saying, “Christmas that year was particularly tough.” Lisa emphasizes the crucial role of reading labels and adapting recipes to meet her family’s dietary needs.

As an active member of the allergy community, Lisa works for a company called “Equal Eats,” which provides translation cards and ID cards for families traveling with dietary restrictions.

Safiya is a taekwondo and Pilates instructor, as well as a mother of four children. In this episode, she shares her story of growing up in France and being raised by agnostic parents. However, from a very young age, Safiya was intrigued by Islam. Her interactions with a couple of Muslims had a life-changing impact on her.

When she moved to London in the 90s, Safiya began to read books about Islam. During a miraculous encounter with another convert on a bus, Safiya took her Shahada on Eid day!

Safiya talks about some of the challenges of converting, the issues around acceptance as well as the importance of supporting converts.

Follow her on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/saflolune?igsh=NjYzZWlsczlqcDRq

Jo Tosh, a mother of two, grandmother of one, retired nurse and principal lecturer. Jo is an advocate for Parkinson’s disease and has been on TEDxWarrington to raise awareness. She has also worked with Parkinson’s UK and filmed a series called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and Me. This emotional series takes us on a journey with Jo and can be found on YouTube.

Jo also talks about some of the ways in which we can help and support our loved ones living with Parkinson’s.

She is all things inspirational, infectious and optimistic. Since her diagnosis, she has made the most of every opportunity and has the view of ‘we get one life’.

Follow her on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ladyduffgordon?igsh=MXVlN3BqeXBwZXVuMA==

YouTube documentary:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKFjZWJUf6s&pp=ygUUUGFya2luc29ucyB1bSBqbyBkYnM%3D

Yahya takes us through his journey of sight loss and navigating life since ~the~ his diagnosis during lockdown.

Yahya broke the world record this year by running a marathon untethered (without a guide). His yearn for life and adrenaline-seeking personality is truly inspiring and I feel so honoured to have spoken to him.

He is a counsellor based in Swindon and an advocate for the blind and visually impaired!

And that’s not all – he also likes to travel to the world’s most dangerous countries. He has visited Syria, Ethiopia and Afghanistan to name a few!

In the past year, we have witnessed truly inexplicable horrors and an onoing genocide. Many commentators have given heartfelt and passionate analyses and insights into the events of October 7th 2023 and the following indiscriminate onslaught by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people.

However, few have explored the deeper history of the ‘Holy Land’ and the origins of the ‘conflict’. In today’s episode, my guest and I try to decipher one of the most difficult and heartbreaking topics of modern times, and one that is close to our heart.

We hope the episode sparks some questions, brings about more understanding of the history of the region and leads you to seek out further knowledge and insight, which the mainstream media fails to address or glosses over.

In our hundreds and in our millions, we are are all Palestinians. They are forever in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

Recorded this episode whilst on holiday abroad Sharing some thoughts and reflections, on life, on the episodes I’ve shared and the people we’ve met on holiday!