Tess Talks

The Chinese New Year isn’t just a cultural moment, it’s an energetic reset. And this year? It moves fast.
In this powerful episode of Tess Talks, Tess is joined by accredited Feng Shui Master and Chinese astrologer Kelly McCloskey to break down what the Year of the Horse really means — and how to work with its energy instead of burning out or being left behind.
Horse energy is bold, fiery and high-momentum. It rewards confidence, leadership and action, but it also exposes chaos, impatience and misalignment. This episode is your guide to navigating the year with clarity, strategy and intention.

In this episode, we cover:
Why Chinese New Year is a more powerful energetic reset than January 1
What Horse energy represents — and why this year feels faster, louder and more intense
How to use Horse energy to your advantage in career, business and life
The biggest mistakes people make during high-momentum years (and how to avoid burnout)
Why your Chinese zodiac animal matters more than you think
A high-level breakdown of what each zodiac animal can expect this year
Simple feng shui shifts to support momentum, health and balance
How to stay grounded while still making bold moves

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Find Kelly at www.kellymccloskey.com

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gut health is everywhere — IBS, inflammation, leaky gut, food fear — yet so many of us still feel confused, bloated, exhausted, and unsure where to even begin.
In this episode, Tess sits down with board-certified gastroenterologist and bestselling author Dr Will Bulsiewicz for the release of his new book Plant-Powered Plus. Together, they unpack why inflammation has become one of the biggest health issues of our time — and why the solution might be far simpler (and more hopeful) than we’ve been led to believe.

Will explains why the gut microbiome is the command centre for human health, how 70% of the immune system lives in the gut, and what’s actually happening when people say they feel “inflamed.” They dive into IBS, leaky gut (aka increased intestinal permeability), histamine intolerance, chronic fatigue, bloating, hormonal symptoms, and why so many women feel dismissed when their tests come back “normal.”

This conversation cuts through wellness noise and extremes — from restrictive diets to supplement overload — and brings things back to basics: food quality over food rules, consistency over perfection, and simple daily habits that genuinely support healing.

In the episode:

Why inflammation is so widespread in modern life
The real science behind leaky gut and IBS
How ultra-processed foods quietly disrupt the microbiome
Why fiber helps some people — and hurts others (and how to approach it safely)
The four pillars of a gut-healing diet
Why fermented foods aren’t for everyone
The surprising gut benefits of coffee ☕
How morning light, routine, and circadian rhythm affect digestion and energy
Why healing doesn’t have to be complicated — and can begin quickly

This episode is empowering, practical, and deeply reassuring — especially if you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of symptoms, restriction, or overwhelm.
Healing is possible. And it often starts in the gut.

Find more here:

Purchase ‘Plant Powered Plus’ Here

Follow Dr Will Bulsiewicz: @theguthealthmd

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What if most chronic illness wasn’t inevitable — but simply detected too late?
In this episode of Tess Talks, Tess sits down with Dr Steven Lu, one of Australia’s leading voices in preventative health and longevity medicine. A GP turned entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience across ICU, surgery and general practice, Steven has seen firsthand where modern medicine saves lives — and where it fails people long before they ever reach hospital.
Steven is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Everlab, a pioneering health platform using advanced testing, imaging, biomarkers and AI to identify disease risk before symptoms appear.
Together, Tess and Steven unpack what actually predicts how well we age — and why “normal” health results are often misleading.

In this episode, we cover:
Why muscle mass and bone density are two of the strongest predictors of longevity (especially for women)
The hidden dangers of visceral fat — even in lean, active people
Why BMI and standard GP blood ranges often miss early disease risk
How cardiovascular disease develops silently — and why it’s still the #1 killer
Genetics vs epigenetics: how much control do we really have over our health future?
Why stress is one of the most underestimated drivers of metabolic and heart disease
The difference between biohacking noise and the fundamentals that actually move the needle
How personalised prevention can help reverse or reduce damage from earlier years
The biggest “return on health investment” actions most people overlook

Steven also shares sobering statistics about ageing and disease — along with practical, empowering steps you can take now to protect your future health without fear or overwhelm.

Visit www.everlab.com.au

Follow EVERLAB on Instagram: @everlab_health

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As the year comes to a close, this solo episode is a gentle pause — a moment to reflect, recalibrate, and intentionally step into the season ahead.
This year has held immense polarity: expansion and contraction, joy and grief, certainty and surrender. In this episode, Tess reflects on the lessons, growth, and quiet moments that shaped the past year, while offering a grounded and soulful approach to welcoming the new one.

Rather than leaning into the typical “new year, new you” narrative, this conversation is about alignment over pressure — closing chapters with intention, reconnecting to your inner compass, and creating space for what’s next.

Tess shares her personal practices for:
Reflecting on the year that’s passed through journalling and compassionate self-inquiry
The importance of symbolic closure and why it matters for emotional and energetic clarity
How she sets goals rooted in identity, values, and how she wants to feel — not just what she wants to achieve
Her manifestation process, combining meditation with intuitive journalling
How vision boards can act as visual anchors for the life you’re consciously building

This episode is an invitation to slow down, release what no longer belongs in the next chapter, and step into the new year feeling grounded, clear, and aligned — without hustle, urgency, or reinvention.

If you’re craving a more meaningful way to welcome the year ahead, this episode is for you.

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Today on Tess Talks, I’m joined by Kelli Zakharoff — midwife, author, educator and one of Australia’s most outspoken voices challenging the modern maternity system. After decades working across public hospitals, private practice, alongside obstetricians, and as a home-birth midwife, Kelli has seen both the beauty and the deep fractures within birth care.

Her book The Midwife Crisis: From Trust to Trauma exposes the emotional toll placed on midwives, the systemic failures impacting women and babies, and the realities no one wants to say out loud. This conversation goes beyond birth stories — it questions power, autonomy, trauma, and who our maternity system is really serving.

In this episode:
Why midwives feel “muzzled” and unable to speak openly within the system
The emotional, physical and psychological toll of being a midwife
Home birth vs hospital birth — autonomy, safety and evidence
Caesarean rates, medicalisation and risk-driven maternity care
Birth trauma and the rise of obstetric violence
What really happened at the end of Kelli’s midwifery career
The lack of support for healthcare workers after traumatic events
COVID’s impact on maternity wards and frontline staff
Why continuity of care matters more than most women realise
The myths — and realities — around home birthing
Empowerment, choice, and reclaiming trust in birth
What midwives actually need to survive in the system
Why telling these stories is the first step toward change

This episode will challenge what you think you know about birth, hospitals, and the people entrusted with bringing life into the world. It’s essential listening for women, parents, healthcare workers — and anyone who believes women deserve to be heard.

Follow @kellizak

Read Kelli's Book: midwifecrisis.com.au

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.