Globally renowned women's health leader and bestselling author.
Globally renowned women's health leader and bestselling author.
If you are not already familiar with Dr Libby Weaver, she is a Gold Coast local who is also a thirteen-times bestselling author, speaker and founder of the food-based supplement range, Bio Blends. Dr Libby has announced her first live speaking series since 2019, which will see her visit seven centres around Australia, including the Gold Coast on Thursday the 29th of September, with her new event, What’s up with my hormones?
Armed with an abundance of knowledge, scientific research and a true desire to help people live with energy and vitality, Dr Libby empowers and inspires people to take charge of their health through her books, events and online courses.
We found out a bit more about Dr Libby ahead of her nationwide speaking tour, including how she juggles the work/life balance and what exactly she loves about the Gold Coast.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in Tamworth in Country NSW with chickens in the backyard, I then went to the University of Newcastle for 14 years where I studied Nutrition and Dietetics and then did a PhD in biochemistry. Since then I’ve worked with people for over 20 years, in a range of different settings, both my own business and in health retreats. I was part of the team who set up Gwinganna in the Gold Coast hinterland in 2005/6 which was a great fun and such a privilege. I still run retreats there occasionally. After that I lived in New Zealand for 7 years, where I still have an office, before moving back to the Gold Coast and continuing my business here, including formulating a food-based supplement range called Bio Blends. I’ve always loved the winters and in between seasons on the Gold Coast and glorious nature of the hinterland. I’m awed by how miraculous the body is and it is my belief that if more people lived in touch with this, they would be inspired to make changes to help them experience greater health. So I share what I have learned over the last two decades of research and clinical practice to help people get to the heart of their challenging symptoms. And I look at everything through three lenses: the biochemical, nutritional, and emotional.
What do you love about the Gold Coast?
The easy access to fresh, organic food—I especially love Ground Grocer. I love the sunsets and how you can go from the beach to bushland within a 30min drive. And I love how, even in the midst of the busyness of the city, there are so many pockets where it still feels quiet and unhurried.
Tell us a little bit about your new speaking tour?
For many women, their hormones are the bane of their existence. From the onset of their period, it’s a rollercoaster of challenging symptoms that often doesn’t let up even after menopause. It’s as if things like PMS, endometriosis, bloating, weight gain, night sweats, mood swings and anxious feelings have become synonymous with being a woman. All of these symptoms are common, but they are not normal. They are road signs indicating hormonal imbalances. Our body doesn’t have a voice but it will give us symptoms to let us know whether it’s happy or not with our choices and sometimes the feedback is asking us to eat, move, sleep, drink, breathe and/or perceive differently. Most common approaches to women’s hormonal issues involve using a pill or medicine to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. Through this two hour seminar, I will be sharing exactly what your body is trying to communicate, helping you get to the heart of your symptoms while offering what you can do to alleviate and, in many cases, irradicate them altogether
What are hormones and why is it so important that we better understand them?
Essentially chemical messengers that regulate cellular and organ activity, these tiny substances have an incredible impact on how we look and feel every day. In the correct amounts, hormones can be our best friend – increasing our energy, vitality, happiness and optimising every biochemical process in our body. When we have too much or too little of any hormone, it can wreak havoc. We might experience symptoms such as brain fog, irritability, low mood, anxiousness and poor sleep – as well as the more female-centric symptoms related to our cycle. When we understand how they work and what hormones need in order to be produced at their optimum levels, it empowers us with the knowledge to make changes that support them and free us from the challenging symptoms they leave us with when they’re out of balance.
As a very busy woman, how do you manage your time to really strike that work/life balance?
I prioritise things. This may seem incredibly simple yet getting clear on what your priorities are and deciphering what truly matters to you helps. Also being clear and honest about what is truly urgent (which most of the time is not a lot) is an incredibly valuable time management tool. Sometimes work is the priority, sometimes ringing my mum is the priority, sometimes weeding the vegie is the priority.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
Writing 13 books – with another one formed in my head and heart that I’ll write this summer.
If you could give anyone one bit of advice, what would it be?
Let yourself have what you already have. Too often we are striving for the next accomplishment, goal, destination—always reaching forward and missing what is here right now. Even if it is right in front of you every day, and you don’t let yourself have it — which means noticing it, taking it in, allowing yourself the pleasure of it — it is never yours. It never becomes part of the ground of goodness on which you can live, and this, the essence of this, forms so much of our foundation of health and energy that isn’t really discussed. If you don’t let yourself have an amazing sunset, a cool evening breeze on your face after a hot day, a majestic view, then what else are you denying yourself?
What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?
I used to roller skate as a child so when a dear friend asked if I wanted to start skating with her, it was an instant YES! So, I’m looking forward to using my new roller skates on the path at Currumbin Beach.
What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café/Coffee spot: Dust Temple
Restaurant: Burgster
Bar or place for a drink: Scottish Prince
Beach: Currumbin
How do you choose to spend your weekends?
I’m a homebody so you’ll mostly find me pottering around my house or garden. Other than being entertained by my backyard chickens – Moira, Alexis and Stevie (named after Schitt’s Creek characters) – and the local birdlife or working in my vegie patches, I might visit The Bathhouse at Currumbin Eco Village.