Renee Interviewed by Path to Wellness

How young are you?
29

Where do you live?

I’m from Auckland but live in the vibrant city that is Sydney!

Current occupation:

Naturopath/Nutritionist/Writer/Mum

Tell us a little bit about your beautiful self...

a Naturopath and Nutritionist from New Zealand, with a background in media. I believe in a balanced and realistic approach to healthy living, which means I work with clients around the world to help them achieve their health goals while still having fun along the way! I was chronically ill for the majority of my teenage years with chemical poisoning which led to a debilitating battle with CFS. I tried a million things to get better, but it was a natural health treatment that saw me through in the end. This naturally fuelled my desire to study the profession and now I love helping others on their own health journey.
I share my knowledge and passion via my blog www.reneenaturally.com/blog and as a writer for various international magazines and publications. I’m crazy about cooking (and eating!) too. I’ll find any excuse to get in the kitchen and devour my experiments, while creating healthy recipes to share with my readers.

My heart has expanded exponentially over the last 12 weeks, as I have become a Mum to my darling boy Arlo. He’s making life a whole heap busier of late, but I’m always mindful of living life in balance and so I’m loving being a working Mum.

Why is fuelling your body with beautiful food and thoughts important to you?

Food brings me so much joy and I think it’s important to tune into what feels right for you and your body and not beat yourself up if you veer from your own guidelines on occasion. This ties into the importance of beautiful thoughts because if we are good and fair to ourselves, we tend to make the best decisions rather than constantly worrying about what we should be eating/thinking/saying/being. So for me, enjoying beautiful foods and encouraging positive thoughts are the fuel for a healthy and balanced life!

What does self-love mean to you and why is it important?

Self-love is being honest with myself and not trying to fit into anyone else’s mould. It’s something that has to be constantly nurtured and encouraged because we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others and in turn, dulling our own unique qualities. For me, the most important marker of true self-love is when we’re able to laugh at our quirks and mistakes and realise those who love and support you do so both in spite of, and because of all those imperfections!

Tell us why you started your blog/business and what it means to you?

I started my blog and business with the intention of creating a place to share, learn, laugh, inspire and be inspired. I wanted to create a community of kindred spirits that valued health, energy, and growth without losing balance. My personal naturopathic consultations are an extension of this, where I get the chance to offer qualified one-on-one guidance along the road to wellness. In essence, I wanted to create a space that delivers health info without the medical jargon, green living minus the hippy fluff and style with substance

What are your top 5 tips to stay healthy and happy?

1. Surround yourself with positive and inspiring people.
2. Truly listen to your body. Don’t subscribe to what you feel that you ‘should’ do, but rather be guided by what actually feels healthy for you.
3. Be honest and kind. It creates goodness in every aspect of your life, and encourages it for those around you. It sounds simple and a little cliché, but it has a cyclic effect that manifests health and happiness.
4. Move your body daily, in a way that challenges you but that you enjoy. To balance this energy output, regularly fuel your body with natural, unprocessed wholefoods, but allow yourself indulgences on occasion too if it helps to keep you happy!
5. Don’t self-diagnose. ‘Dr Google’ can scare the daylights out of anyone, so always seek a professional opinion before making any drastic changes to your health regime

What are your big dreams, goal and aspirations?

I love dreaming big…where to start?! I want to launch my cookbook within the next year, and inspire more people by arming them with health and wellbeing knowledge via my blog and other channels. Naturally, I aspire to be the best Mum I can be by being an example of how healthy living creates boundless energy for me to love and inspire my family to live in balance and consequently, live their dreams.

What’s your favourite live by affirmation, mantra or quote?

‘Laughter is the best medicine’ (seriously, how amazing do you feel afterwards?! ) I also like the mantra ‘I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection’. I like these two quotes/mantras as if you happen to fall from grace on occasion, you can only laugh, learn and move onwards and upwards! Trying to obtain perfection is far too exhausting to live a healthy and happy life.