Learning Theatre Program
International Convention Centre Sydney
At our Free From + Allergy Learning Theatre, you can attend informative seminars presented by industry experts and professionals. Discover the latest trends and advances in the industry while engaging with like-minded individuals. Our informative seminars will provide you with valuable insights and knowledge to help you navigate the world of free from and allergy-friendly living. Join us and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this ever-evolving field. View the full program below.
SATURDAY 21 October 2023
Learning Theatre Day 1 MC
Sharon Selby, Health Coach, Speaker & Founder, Deliciously Allergy Free
Health Coach and presenter Sharon Selby is on a mission to share that we have so much more power than we think to transform our health, and it starts in the kitchen. As an expert in gut and immune health, Sharon runs classes, workshops and online courses educating families, adults and kids how to use food to thrive and effectively manage allergic conditions.
10.30 – 11.00am
Alexx Stuart, Founder & Author, Low Tox Life
Practically navigating allergy and intolerance
Often, we feel like the world has fallen apart when we have a diagnosis of a food allergy or intolerance. “Will this be forever? Is there anything I can eat? How am I going to find the time to learn about this / cook differently when I have trouble cooking already? Why is all the food in the supermarket all of a sudden trying to kill me/my child?” All very common responses and big feelings. Alexx Stuart takes you through the mindset for successfully navigating food intolerance/allergy and some of the best tips for saving time and money by eating a ‘different way’. You will leave feeling empowered with fresh ideas for timesaving and budget-cutting as well as ways to improve your health.
11.30 – 12.00pm
Jackie Nevard, Author, Allergy Educator and Founder of My Food Allergy Friends
Food Allergy SMART Session
Calling all Kids….Come and join us for our ‘Allergy SMART Session and Storytime’! A fun session of storytelling and allergy awareness. What we cover:
- The top 9 food allergens.
- Common allergens, including environmental and other allergic diseases.
- Help kids become ‘Food Allergy Smart’ and learn how to keep themselves or friends safe.
- What is an EpiPen & Anapen?
- Symptoms of an allergic reaction.
- Why we don’t share food.
- How we can include our friends with allergies.
- Every child will receive a certificate for attending our session.
12.40 – 1.00pm
Eddie Woo, Charity Ambassador for ausEE
Supporting young people to thrive with allergies
Families that live with allergies face many unique challenges as children grow through school and enter adulthood. How can we support the young people in our lives and equip them with strategies so that they can safely and confidently navigate the world around them? This panel discussion will delve into the issues that arise from safety at home, navigating social situations and school-based scenarios.
1.15 – 1.45pm
Aline Duerr, Founder & Director, Vegan Interior Design
3-Step Approach to Creating an Allergy-Free Home
With a focus on allergy-free spaces, you will learn an easy to implement 3 step strategy to create a cruelty-free, vegan and allergy-friendly space, be it a home, workplace or hospitality. It’s a hands-on approach that will be backed up with founded industry knowledge and leave participants ready and pumped to turn their homes in a healthy, allergy-free and cruelty-free space right away.
2.00 – 2.30pm
Carla Veith-Carter, Nutritionist, Keto by Design
Are you intolerant to carbohydrates?
There are many foods that are commonly known to produce allergies and intolerances, but is it possible to be intolerant to a particular macronutrient, namely carbohydrates? In a world where ‘moderation’ is idealised, we need to challenge this paradigm that does not allow for the large percentage of the population who are unknowingly intolerant to carbohydrates. Poor metabolic health is pervasive in Western society, and at the core of this crisis is poor blood sugar regulation, caused by insulin resistance. Learn how different types of carbohydrates affect your body, how to tell if you are carbohydrate intolerant and what to do about it.
2.45 – 3.30pm
Dr Douglas Jones, Director Immunity Group Australia
Individualized approach to food adverse reactions
Douglas H. Jones MD will give an overview of the various types of adverse reactions that can occur. He will provide information on the various types of validated and non-validated tests and what they mean and present an individualized and integrated approach to a person to better manage food adverse reactions.
4.00 – 4.30pm
Joanna Baker, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Everyday Nutrition
Looking after your Gut on a low FODMAP diet
The low FODMAP diet is shown to reduce the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiome due to reduced intake of prebiotic and reduced variety of plant foods. This session will cover:
- What is gut health?
- The influence of diet on the gut
- IBS and gut health
- Tips for a healthy gut while following a low FODMAP diet.
SUNDAY 22 October 2023
10.30 – 11.00am
Olivia Jackson, Managing Director/Publisher, Yum Gluten Free
Dining out with coeliac disease
Discover how to make dining out safer and more fun while navigating coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. Olivia will share how to get equipped post-diagnosis, learn to read labels, what equipment to be wary of or replace, what testing your family should consider speaking to their medical professional about, how to speak to family, friends, restaurant owners and more about your condition, how anxiety ties into this complicated autoimmune condition and tips for managing your mental and emotional well-being.
11.15 – 11.35am
Diane O’Reilly, Director OMG Decadent Donuts
How a humble donut can change the world
Learn the many elements, trials, and tribulations of creating inclusive products that just about anyone can enjoy and how that journey has led down a path that whilst difficult, is oh so rewarding. How a humble donut can literally make people cry! Why making products that people can enjoy can also make people with allergies feel included. Why it’s just not fair that at a kid’s party – a child with allergies so often misses out. And why looking at Accreditations and Certifications is important.
11.45 – 12.15pm
Chelsea McCallum, Nutritionist, Chelsea IBS Dietitian
Low FODMAP Diet 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Reducing Digestive Discomfort
Are you struggling with digestive discomfort, such as bloating, gas, or abdominal pain after eating? Do you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and want to learn how to manage your symptoms effectively? If so, the low FODMAP diet may be the solution you are looking for.
Come along to this introductory session on the low FODMAP diet where Chelsea will explain what FODMAPs are and how they can trigger digestive symptoms. She will guide you through the low FODMAP diet plan, which involves eliminating high-FODMAP foods from your diet and gradually reintroducing them to identify your trigger foods.
You will learn about the foods that are allowed and restricted on the low FODMAP diet, as well as some practical tips for meal planning and grocery shopping. This presentation is designed for beginners who are new to the low FODMAP diet or those who are considering trying it to alleviate digestive symptoms.
12.30 – 1.00pm
Professor Sheryl van Nunen OAM FRSN, Representative, National Asthma Council Australia
Asthma and Allergy
In this session Dr Sheryl van Nunen OAM FRSN MSSB MM will help us understand:
- What is asthma?
- Who contracts asthma?
- The prevalence and Impact
- What causes and triggers asthma?
- Asthma, Allergy & Thunderstorms
- Testing for Allergies
1.10 – 1.40pm
Jackie Bowker, CEO & Founder, Global Feel Better Institute
Taking back control: Why you’re the expert on your own health
Explore the idea that you are the ultimate authority on your own health. We’ll discuss how societal pressures, fads, misinformation can often leave us feeling powerless instead of powerful. By reclaiming our power through an understanding of how to feel good, we can create a personalised health plan that is right for us. Through practical advice, we’ll explore the connection between gut health and nutrition on our energy and how getting our energy back transforms the impact we can have.
2.00 – 2.30pm
Alexx Stuart, Founder & Author, Low Tox Life
How to keep your friends and family when you have an allergy or intolerance diagnosis
Attend this powerful session on how to navigate the psycho-social aspect of an allergy or intolerance. The school birthdays and birthday parties, going over to a friends’ house, the “no one ever had these allergies in my day” comments and more, so you are armed with productive, empowering things to say in the moment, and a plan for what to do in a variety of situations that ensure you or your children don’t miss out on being social and carefree with friends and family and interacting with family members whose love language is food. It can be a source of frustration but with the useful tips from this tip-packed session, it doesn’t need to be.
