A Rossland nutritionist is bringing Season 2 of the Missing Ingredient to Telus STORYHIVE this month.
Gwen Johnson is a Functional Medicine Health Coach who shares her expertise on gut health through her “Missing Ingredient with Gwen” program on STORYHIVE via the YouTube channel.
“We’ve been eating an anti-inflammatory diet based on gut health for close to a decade to support my husband’s autoimmune disease, so I’ve seen first hand the impact what we eat has on how we feel,” she explained. “I wanted to make a cooking show to introduce the idea that what we eat can make us feel amazing, and eating healthy doesn’t have to be some strange and painful experience where we only eat lettuce and aquafab.”
The Rossland News asked Johnson how she first heard about Telus’ online platform.
“My husband shared it with me after seeing a post on social media, and I jumped at the opportunity because I’ve wanted to start my own YouTube cooking show for ages and this was the nudge and support I needed to get started.”
Audrey Kiss, program manager of Telus STORYHIVE Voices, says Johnson was a perfect candidate for the initiative.
“The Missing Ingredient with Gwen is an amazing example of what can be accomplished in this program when you take advantage of what STORYHIVE has to offer,” said Kiss.
“Gwen jumped in head first and used not only the $10,000 in production funding but also dedicated herself to growing as a digital content creator through our training, community of support and distribution support.”
STORYHIVE is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and is proud of its growth. It started out with the intention of building a community of new and emerging digital content creators from diverse backgrounds who have a passion to share stories from and about their respective communities in B.C. and Alberta.
Telus STORYHIVE provided creators like Johnson production funding, training, a community of support, and distribution to over 1 million Telus Optik TV viewers.
“With documentaries, visual podcasts, digital series, live streams and more, we have a program for people from all backgrounds where no experience is required,” Kiss explained.
For Johnson, the program enabled her to share her passion, knowledge, and health tips, while making her audience feel better through an easily accessible and expanded platform.
“Telus STORYHIVE gives you an amazing framework to help you get started on your creative project, and then support, and a community that helps you express your concept with more confidence and clarity,” she told the Trail Times. “I learned so much working with them, and I’m excited to currently be working on season 2 of The Missing Ingredient Cooking Show.”
Those who are interested in accessing the platform can do so from the comforts of their own homes. The training sessions are provided online along with a digital content creator kit and resources to create your own series.
“Participants tune in online from all across B.C. and Alberta and we want them to all feel connected as a community and ensure everyone has equal access to all the resources available,” said Kiss. “One goal with all STORYHIVE programs is to showcase that content creators don’t need to be from big cities to create meaningful content.”
The Missing Ingredient Cooking Show is available on Telus Optik TV Channel 9 and STORYHIVE YouTube page, and soon on its own Missing Ingredient YouTube channel.
“This cooking show is all about gut healthy cooking while making fun and recognisable meals that everyone in your family will enjoy,” added Johnson. “The recipes are simple and easy to make and a great jumping off point for anyone who wants to prioritise their gut health and start feeling better.
“The Missing Ingredient in our current recipe is understanding how and what we eat impacts how we feel mentally, emotionally and physically.”
Since 2013, STORYHIVE has invested more than $52 million in 1,100 screen projects and nearly 2,000 hours of content telling uniquely Canadian stories from more than 270 communities. The program has supported new and emerging content creators with over 10,000 hours of training and one-on-one mentorship.
“I’m so proud of what Gwen has created and we’re excited to be welcoming her back for season 2 where she’ll continue to grow and create both an incredible show and some tasty and healthy meals,” added Kiss.
Explore award winning content on Telus Optik TV Channel 9 and STORYHIVE’s YouTube Channel.