Throw Buddha On The Barbie

Waz and Jay have had a bit of a hiatus of late (sounds medical doesn't it?) but the boys are back on the mic...and Waz's soapbox! It seems there's been a lot going on since the last episode, in particular some of the global tragedies. On a local scale there's also been some 'interesting' news stories, not least of which was the banning of clapping in a school in NSW and the prohibition of hugging at another. We all know Jay loves a good hug so the fellas throw some of these events on the Throw Buddha barbie and see what culinary and intellectual delights they can grill up. Especially when it comes to how we individually deal with some of these happenings on a daily basis and ensure we don't get sucked into the vortex. They even examine some of the comments made by Waleed Aly and Sonia Kruger about muslims and Australia's immigration policies...this episode has some super hot Tabasco spilled on the plate!

There's an oft told story of Tiger Woods' coach defining the value of external feedback, because we "can't see ourselves swing". Whether it's golf, business or life, it can be tough to observe our own behaviours and the results (or lack of) they create.  In terms of happiness and peace, developing a level of self awareness is key to healthy self-love and therefore relationships with others and today, the guys share some tips and ideas on how to increase your ability to observe yourself. Jay also decides he needs to get off Facebook as he's been a bit critical of others...with not so pleasing results!

Life is busy. With access to more technology, more gadgets, more information and more possibilities than ever before we're able to cram incredible amounts of 'stuff' into our lives. You would think, that with all our advances and time saving inventions, we'd be the 'happiest' we've ever been. Sadly, the reverse is true with even higher rates of depression, anxiety, violence and other social ills than ever before in human history. It seems our modern lives are at odds with our need to simply 'be'. Kelly Exeter and Brooke McAlary are a couple of friends who've decided to share their insights into how to just 'be' with the world. They do this via their podcast, Let It Be and they're our guests at the BBQ today where we discuss boundaries, social media challenges, busy-ness and 'slow living'. Tune in, check it out and let it be...

Today we invite someone on the show who is a member of a profession we made some 'interesting' comments about in a previous episode. Gabrielle Maston is a dietician and exercise physiologist who thinks her profession gets something of a raw deal when it comes to criticism about their advice being outdated. We pull the Throw Buddha rissole apart and get Gabrielle's take on 'fad' diets, why she has a problem with 'That Sugar Film' and also her opinion of the social media frenzy around celebrities and public fiures such as Dr Tim Noakes, Robb Wolf and more. Strap yourself in for a red hot episode!

Ever since recorded history, the difference between men and women has been talked, written and sung about! We all know we're different but what of it? What of the whole gender equality issue, the feminist movement and how all this relates to modern society and modern suffering? What if we're focusing on the wrong thing and in fact, making these issues worse by trying to deal with things in a way that is judgemental and blinkered? We invited a woman to the bbq to help us understand...well...men! Listen in as the blokes feel the heat in a discussion that touches on domestic violence, sexism and other, often taboo topics!

We've all been one or the other at some point in our lives. Most of us start out as employees, working for 'the man'. Then some of us figure out that we can do a better job than our lunatic boss so we start our own company and become an employer. That's usually when we work out that being 'the boss' isn't all golf games and long lunches! Either way, there's a lot of angst between employers and employees and it seems the divide just keeps getting bigger! Wazza and Jay decided to do something about it. Then they decided it'd be better if they recorded this episode instead...

We've talked a bit about labels and stigma on the podcast before and today we dig a little deeper into the stereotyping of 'seeing a psychologist'. We happen to know a guy who just completed his psychology degree so we thought we'd ask him to give some insights into what psychology is, why and when you might see a psychologist, some interesting facts about depression and its treatment as well as the usual BBQ tangents! If you or someone you know has ever suffered depression, anxiety or any other form of mental 'illness' you'll enjoy this grill session with our mate Gee Holmes.

We all know that not setting goals is like sailing a ship without a rudder.  Right? Well, maybe this thinking is flawed. Especially if you're the sort of person who's ever set a goal and not achieved it. Our guest today has worked with thousands of individuals and business owners alike to get more from life, by not setting goals! Jane has a technique that avoids the negative loop set up when we miss a target and gets some pretty spectacular results. So, chuck out those New Year resolutions and grab a pen and paper for a very practical barbecue chat!

Gary Belcher has seen his fair share of success. Perhaps more than most of us. As one of Australia's top level rugby league players in the 80's and 90's, Gary went on to pioneer 'The Footy Show' which became one of the country's top sports review programs.  Gary, or 'Badge as he's known by his mates (and most footy fans) has also seen some tough times. Both himself and his mates. Sadly, he lost a very close friend to suicide not too long ago. Listen in as we have a candid chat to a sporting great and find out more about Badge's latest project to support blokes and their mates who might have fallen on hard times.

Ok, the boys don't exactly go toe to toe 'on air' but they do flip the rissoles aggressively on the BBQ today. Jay quotes from one of his trusty, dusty books on the subject of our experiences in life being an internal construct, rather than a result of external influences as many of us believe. If you're after a bit of a post-pudding head bender, then this should do it!

What do cows and people have in common? Well, more than you might think. We chat to a man who teaches farmers the art of low stress stock handling and find out that the principles of stress management apply to us too. 

Being a victim. It's something we all experience to varying degrees. But is it something we have to experience?  Wazza and Jay lift the lid on this BBQ and take a look at the forms our 'victimhood' takes. Oh, and they put a call out to anyone willing to share their experience!

In this episode we chat with a woman who went a whole year without buying anything new! (apart from groceries and other essentials) She then wrote a book about it to share her experience and you might be surprised to hear some of her insights. Rachel Smith is also the author of 'Decongested', a book that examines our growing issue of urban traffic congestion and the impact it's having on our quality of life. If you've ever been stuck in traffic or stuck in a department store, this episode could help you immensely!

In this episode the BBQ blokes catch up with Richard Kelly from Invicta Youth. Richard (Rich) is a former professional rugby player with South Africa and has worked his way from cleaner to Director in a family business in just over 10 years. He's experienced some highs and lows in life and believes strongly in the value of mentorship, especially for our young men. So much so that, since moving to Australia, Rich has founded a program aimed specifically at providing guidance and mentorship to boys aged 13 to 18, to equip them for life in the 'real world' and to create our next generation of gentlemen and true leaders.

The boys head into the boondocks (is that even how you spell it?) to catch up with an old friend of Jay's who now lives 'off the grid' in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Mikey is also a muso, Ayerveda officionado and all round great bloke. Mikey talks about his battle with substance abuse, his return to health, the principles of Ayerveda and many other topics PLUS, Waz and Jay get to see Stevia in its natural form!

Michelle House is in the house! Terrible dad-joke we know. In fact, almost as bad as Jay's jokes at the top of the show.  Today's episode has the fellas invite a 'money maven' to the bbq to discuss a very wide range of topics. Money of course is on the menu but so is home schooling, desires, keeping up with the Jones' and what Ali G has to do with our guest. With many people having more stuff than ever before, more convenience, more 'social' media connections, why are people so unhappy? Listen in as Michelle House shares her thoughts and observations as seen on Sunrise and other well known media.

The fellas wheel the barbie onto the trailer and head out to meet a Separation Consultant in her living room. Alvia Turney has a pretty compelling 'why' behind her business and her work with couples and individuals alike. She not only helps people navigate separation in a less emotional, less spiteful way, Alvia also supports couples who aren't entirely sure of their 'right path' with their relationship, often bringing them closer together in the process. In this episode, Wazza also demonstrates his ability to ask very long questions and Jay shares some more inappropriate humour.

Yep. We've done it. Broken our own rule about NOT discussing nutrition on Throw Buddha On The Barbie. Well, it was bound to happen eventually so here goes. We chat with Jane Jordan from Jane Jordan's Nourishment Plus about the pros and cons of vegetarianism, how eating meat could actually save the planet and also dig deeper into humans' relationship with food and why do some of us get so bent out of shape when it comes to food choices? We hope you can digest this one!

The second in our relationships series, we get the inside running from Steve Novak, an experienced relationships counsellor who's worked with hundreds of individuals and couples to help them succeed at the art of relationships.  Steve shares his 12 principles, sets Wazza straight on a few things and also gives us his number one strategy for knowing whether you're in a healthy... or dysfunctional relationship.