A humble and heart-felt welcome to my first Blog!
You’ve Gotta Live!
I am a certified holistic health coach focussed on helping mums who are “stuck”, get “unstuck”! Those mums who have been swallowed up by their roles (mum, wife, daughter, co-worker, auntie etc) and associated responsibilities and no longer make time for themselves. I WILL help you find YOU again. I will help you rediscover who you are and what you love to do. You deserve it and the whole world will be a better place for it. I will help you get yourself back into shape – in every sense of the word. I will help you prepare and enjoy more nutritious meals. I will help you re-clarify your own life goals and together we will put plans and strategies in place to support you in their achievement.
Today though I will start by sharing a little about me, my journey, how I came to be here in front of you and how I look to make positive changes wherever possible.. …. Here goes…
My foundation:
Since I can remember, people, food and biology have been my major passions. I was a “miss sporty spice” at school and continued my fitness beyond going to the gym, running and dancing. I was never “big” but my weight fluctuated a little.. I used to carry my weight in my breasts and my thighs! Some food made me feel queasy (milk) and others left me feeling on top of the world! My grandfather was a pastry cook and baker so I grew up surrounded (literally) by the most scrumptious fresh bread, vanilla slices, sponges, eclairs, lamingtons…ok, ok, you get it.. (excuse my drooling…) .. I used to have a very sweet tooth!
My 1st real “aha” in terms of the power of food on my body was at university. Over a summer holiday on a chartered yacht a friend called me “thunder thighs”. Ouch! I had also been feeling a little ill in the tummy. I decided I would cut out a few things to see if I could get of the persistent sick feeling (and maybe get rid of that title…). I stopped eating sugar, coffee, dairy and salt. I lost weight and felt much better. Someone commented when I went back to uni that I “had lost weight and looked great”. That began a campaign of“thinness”…not a well phase in my life. A dear friend snapped me out of that and I normalised my approach to food. But the power of “no dairy” (and sometimes “food”) was not lost on me. And it fuelled my interest in the power of food as medicine.
10 Years ago my passion “took over”! My “interest” turned to an obsession in 2007 when my then 18-month old daughter started to suffer with eczema. Then at the age of 2 she became wheezy – coughing with an intensity that scared me. Asthma! I was advised that “it was her lot” and to “get used to it”. I wanted to know what caused it! I was advised “it’s environmental”, to administer the medication and the symptoms
would go away. She was stuck with it. At that time my daughter showed her true strength and determination and absolutely refused to take/use the medication. She is a very wise soul! She hysterically refused. I listened. I HAD to find another way to heal her little body.
There began my absolutely dogged research to get to the bottom of her ailments. It has been a path of both successes and failures. It turns out that the food I was so carefully preparing and feeding her (thinking I was doing a good thing) had actually damaged her gut - her immune system. She has suffered from other awful symptoms over the years – excruciating stomach cramps, debilitating vomiting and a hospital visit with iv
antibiotics for rota virus. All symptoms of her barely functioning gut. To say I've been completely overwhelmed and saddened at times trying to get her better is an understatement.
And my health has suffered terribly as well....that story for another blog…..
My “here and now”:
It has been my long-standing belief that “you’ve gotta live”, quite simply because the alternative is bleak and completely unappealing!
You’ve gotta LIVE! Not “exist”. Not do “ho hum”. Not “same s**t, different day”…. None of that. I mean find the joy in every day. Really!
Do you stand in wonder at how quickly time flies by? See, you HAVE to make the most of your time and do whatever it is to be your best.
I am bamboozled by the row upon row of highly processed “food” that sits on supermarket shelves; I am bewildered that the producers of whole, organic foods are given less assistance than the manufacturers of the rubbish they go on to call “food”; (“food” is not “manufactured”); I am completely saddened that we as a society eat this “food” on a daily basis despite knowing it’s making us sick; floored we take a pill in the
hopes that it will “make us better.” Populations, globally, almost without exception, are getting larger and sicker by the year. I lament the future …..what are we doing to ourselves? What are we doing to our kids?! Fat (and I am talking obese – not just “a few extra kilos”) might be beautiful. But sadly it is unhealthy. It’s a ticket to a short life.
My Goals:
I want to help.
My mission is to do my part to reduce the mindlessness; to cut through the quagmire of nutritional advice; to support all who are willing to take back the reins and take control of their own health and well-being.
My aim is to help mums who are stuck, get "unstuck". I want to help those Mums
Rediscover “you” and what fans the flames of your own life’s desires
Help you heal your body by making simple changes to your daily choices
Show you how to re-energise your body and mind
Re-introduce the wonders of a deep and healing sleep
Empower you to shine, beyond your wildest imaginings
Live your dreams
So whilst I aim to help you make better nutritional choices, I also want to show you how to – figuratively (!) -hold your heart in your hands with a tenderness normally reserved for people you love - and discover your truth.
Live a better and more fulfulling life, in every senses of the word. AND lose weight by accident!
I promise to support and guide you to Eat to Live and Live to Shine.
You’ve gotta live! xxx
