Jo Brownlow Holistic Health

Jo Brownlow Holistic Health Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, Personal Trainer and NLP Practitioner. Helping people find their path to a healthier, happier life

Cognitive dissonance (aka my love–hate with booze) was my biggest bugbear. 😅🍷How could I spend all week happy not to dri...
23/11/2025

Cognitive dissonance (aka my love–hate with booze) was my biggest bugbear. 😅🍷

How could I spend all week happy not to drink… then hit Friday and, without thinking, reach for the wine? I’d even wake up on Friday saying “not tonight,” then by evening tell myself it was the only way to celebrate the weekend. 🤦‍♀️✨

What helped early on: small swaps and simple plans. I’d go to a movie, swap the drink, keep the behaviour (hello kombucha), and—most importantly—remind my conscious brain to overtake the automatic habit.

I’d repeat: “I don’t need a drink to enjoy this.” That slightly uncomfortable feeling usually passes in about 10 minutes. ⏳

It’s been years now, and I barely remember the wobble. My husband sometimes stops for periods of time and says the same thing: if you get over the early-evening hump, it passes quickly.

If you’re looking to join a group for support in the new year, PM me and I’ll add you to the list. ☺️🩵

20/11/2025

End-of-term Body in Balance catch-up and my heart is full. 💛✨

We had such a lovely morning together – moving through Qi Gong with , exploring confidence and mindset around speaking with Julie, learning about posture and the nervous system with .osteo from .osteopathy, and finishing with natural skincare and face yoga tips from Juliet at .farmacy 🧘‍♀️🌿

kept us nourished with delicious gluten-free food (wow those quiches!), and we sipped on drinks and kombucha as we chatted. 🥰🥗

What I love most about these gatherings is the women themselves. In a world where being unhealthy and running on empty has become “normal”, it takes stepping out of your comfort zone to prioritise your health. Some people think that looking after your health takes too much effort – but the cost of not doing it is so much higher. 💪

That’s why community like this matters. When you’re surrounded by people who get how much your health shapes your mood, mental clarity and energy, making changes feels more possible – and a lot more enjoyable.

So grateful for the Body in Balance group, past and present, for choosing to invest in their health and support each other along the way. 💫

Thank you for the amazing images! 📸

Post 3 was about tolerance (GABA/glutamate) and the rebound. Today is different: Dopamine = Wanting. 🎯🧠With repetition, ...
14/11/2025

Post 3 was about tolerance (GABA/glutamate) and the rebound. Today is different: Dopamine = Wanting. 🎯🧠

With repetition, your brain starts to expect a drink in certain places or times, so the urge can pop up even when consciously you don't want to drink. 🍷🤔

When I first stopped, I started reframing that craving/wanting. Instead of “I need a drink,” I told myself, “this feeling means I’m doing something great for my body.”

I’d swap the drink, keep the behaviour (same friends, same laughs, different glass) and lean into small, steady joys—daylight, a walk, a good meal, a proper wind-down. ☀️🌿

Little by little, everyday pleasure came back into focus. It’s a slow and steady repair, not fireworks, but it works.

If you’re looking to join a group for support in the new year, PM me and I’ll add you to the list. ☺️💛

12/11/2025

Menopause + muscle = your midlife advantage
A few weeks back I sat on the panel to discuss menopause.
It was such a good reminder of something simple that keeps proving itself: lift weights, feel better.

What we covered (and what I see in my practice):
• Muscles steady blood sugar, mood and sleep
• Lifting protects bone + joints
• Detailed labs can explain symptoms that aren’t just perimenopause
• HRT can help—when and what type is individual
• Basics matter: protein, recovery, morning light, sleep & nervous-system support

Strength work has changed my life and my progression in to menopause. I have more energy, fewer aches & better sleep.

Want a simple start? Try 1–2 full-body sessions/week (push, pull, hinge, squat). Build from there.
Thanks also to , and Angela Locke
DM me if you want to chat further about my Bootcamp classes or some one on one support through your menopause journey.

Today’s post is about tolerance — why the same amount does less over time. 🍷Alcohol boosts key neurotransmitters: GABA (...
12/11/2025

Today’s post is about tolerance — why the same amount does less over time. 🍷

Alcohol boosts key neurotransmitters: GABA (calming) and softens glutamate (wake-up); with repeated use the brain adapts, so you need more alcohol to feel the same level of chill and the rebound bites harder. 🧠😌

So it's now been seven years and the need for the highs and the lows have gone. I don’t miss drinking in any way, why would I? The terrible wake-ups at 3 a.m. and too many “what did I say/do?” mornings. Studying functional medicine finally made sense of it. 😍

Now my body feels balanced, sleep has improved, and mornings feel fresh.

If you’re looking to join a group for support in the new year, PM me and I’ll add you to the list. 🤝

09/11/2025

Gorgeous Body in Balance gathering last week. We got into the tougher stuff—toxins, detox, autoimmunity—and the fulfilling pieces too: connection, self-care, and what actually helps day to day. 🧘‍♀️💛

I recently found some fantastic European foods now available in Singapore - my favourites are vegetables in olive oil (just the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes pictured here), sardines in delicious marinades, tuna etc, and the best EVOOs. I’m so impressed with the quality and flavour. 😍👏

We made Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon (serves 3–4)
✅ 450 g salmon, skin on
✅ 280 g asparagus, trimmed
✅ Zest of 1 lemon + juice of ½
✅ 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp dry white wine
✅ 85 g sun-dried tomatoes, diced
✅ 1 tsp dried basil, 4 garlic cloves, salt & pepper

Method - PM me for full recipe as this is condensed:
1️⃣ Heat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a tray with parchment.
2️⃣ Place salmon skin-side down; season. Add asparagus around it.
3️⃣ Mix zest, juice, oil, wine, tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt & pepper. Spoon over everything.
4️⃣ Bake 18–20 mins, until salmon flakes and asparagus is tender.

Enjoy! 💕

We’re physiologically wired to remember the highs and forget the lows. That bias helped humans keep trying and bounce ba...
06/11/2025

We’re physiologically wired to remember the highs and forget the lows. That bias helped humans keep trying and bounce back after hard days. Useful for survival… unhelpful when you’re rethinking alcohol. 🍷

It means weeks or months later you recall the laughter and connection, but not the broken sleep, 3am wakes, or next-day wobble. 🥴

My tip: keep a list of why you’re having time-out. Read it whenever you start to waiver. Create a list of what improves when you don’t drink.

📖 Your notes tell the whole story when memory doesn’t.

If you’re looking to join a group for support in the new year, PM me and I’ll add you to the list. 🤝

🌿🫧I’m doing a presentation on how your gut drives energy, immunity and mood at REKOOP on Tuesday 18th November.🫧🌿I’ll sh...
04/11/2025

🌿🫧I’m doing a presentation on how your gut drives energy, immunity and mood at REKOOP on Tuesday 18th November.🫧🌿

I’ll share how infrared sauna, ice/cold, cryo, hyperbaric and lymphatic massage support detox, better circulation/lymph, oxygenation and a calmer nervous system—so your gut can thrive.
It’s a Beautiful space and I’d love to see you there!

DM “REKOOP” for the link.

02/11/2025

We’re wired with ancient instincts that kept us alive on the savannah. Today we live in an always-on world of quick hits—alcohol included—which makes stopping tougher than it sounds. 🍷

The good news: once you understand the body’s workings, it gets easier (and even feels like freedom). 🧠💪

In this mini series I cover:
✅ Tolerance: why you need more to feel the same, and why rebound (hello 3 a.m. wake-ups) happens.
✅ Dopamine & quiet joys: big spikes mute everyday pleasures; with a reset, the small good things come back.
✅ Evening autopilot: same places/people prompt having a drink so swap the drink, keep the behaviour. (Opt for a coffee or walk instead of pub or bar!)
✅ Remembering highs, forgetting lows: the brain edits out the costs over time—keep a short “why I’m stopping” list so you don’t.

This isn’t about deprivation. With the right mindset and a bit of science, stopping can feel like relief—and you can learn to enjoy the process. 🥰

If you’re curious, follow along and message me any questions. 💌

My biggest hurdles weren’t cravings — they were old assumptions: that I needed a drink to fit in, relax, be fun, and not...
29/10/2025

My biggest hurdles weren’t cravings — they were old assumptions: that I needed a drink to fit in, relax, be fun, and not let people down. 🍷🤔

When I named those assumptions, I saw it was my own judgement (shaped by my past drinking self) holding me there.

Questioning them changed everything. Life without alcohol wasn’t smaller, it felt freer. 🌿✨

If you’re on the fence, get curious: which assumptions are you carrying, and are they actually true?

Seven years ago I didn’t “decide” to be alcohol-free. I got tired of the loop: big night → rough morning → be “good” for...
27/10/2025

Seven years ago I didn’t “decide” to be alcohol-free. I got tired of the loop: big night → rough morning → be “good” for a few days → repeat. Add the poor sleep, the anxious debriefs, and the feeling my body was pushing back… and it stopped making sense. 😵‍💫🍷

The hardest part wasn’t the drink. It was the identity shift. I’d been the party girl. Would I still be welcome? Would I still like myself?

A line that stayed with me: “Most of us only change when the pain of holding on is greater than the fear of the unknown.” That was me. I didn’t change because I was brave; I changed because staying the same cost too much—sleep, confidence, work, relationships, self-respect. 📝

Here’s what I couldn’t see from the middle: I didn’t become less fun. I became present. I still dance, still laugh, still love so socialise —just with clear eyes and feeling great the next day. 💃✨

If you’re on the fence, let your life show you—lean in with curiosity. When the mindset shifts from deprivation to freedom, you’ll thank yourself.

I’m bringing a group together in the new year. Fancy joining? PM me if you’re keen. 😊

Address

Singapore

Telephone

+6585354504

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jo Brownlow Holistic Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category