10 random things about me
What is your favourite book to read?
I have two books that I very much enjoyed, one being ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ by Janice Hadlow, the second being ‘I Am Pilgrim’ by Terry Hayes. So you see I am either into anything Jane Austen, or a gripping thriller - another favourite being any Jack Reacher book!
Do you have a go-to breakfast that you enjoy?
I definitely go through phases of different breakfasts, but I usually always come back to scrambled eggs in some gut friendly ghee. I love them either with some freshly sautéed zucchini and mushrooms, or just on a slice of paleo toast with some sauerkraut on the side. The options are endless, but I always make sure whatever it is, has plenty of protein and is low in sugar - which steadies my insulin and therefore glucose, so I have no energy crashes while I go about my day.
What are three things that have helped you heal your gut?
After dealing with SIBO (a bacterial overgrowth) I learned many things about my gut, which will be different for everyone but three things would be;
To mindfully eat your food, chewing properly so your digestive juices are properly activated before food enters your system - therefore it can break down the food particles better making it easier on your digestion.
Optimise your vegetable intake and reduce unnecessarily processed foods. Vegetables have so much goodness in them, making sure I had an adequate amount each day really helped diversify my microbiome numbers, which was important for reducing my gut issues. Paying attention however to which vegetables aggravate your symptoms (or in my case my histamine issues), so in my case I don’t eat too much broccoli, or tomatoes as this is what made my symptoms flare. Most unnecessarily processed foods contain high amounts of sugars, refined oils and ingredients such as MSG, all which do no wonders for me (personally) and inflammation in my body.
Working with a naturopath and listening to holistic medical professionals through podcasts. I love learning about the body, so often when I talk to my naturopath, it feels as if we are having a conversation and we could talk for hours about the gut and body! She helped me immensely with the process of healing my gut, and finding SIBO in the first place after struggling to get my normal doctor to listen. She showed me lots of different ways to help my gut, whether it be little lifestyle changes or supplements. The great thing about podcasts these days, is that truly incredible holistic doctors are able to share their knowledge on a wide variety of subjects! I personally love listening to Bewellbykelly, she gets the most amazing guests - many of which are gut health and hormone specialists.
Is your full time job really being a professional dancer?
Yes it is! I started learning ballet when I was three years old, and just kept going! I absolutely love ballet, its a very beautiful art form which is also very athletic. After having a few injuries when I was younger due to inflammation, I started paying attention to how food was actually impacting my dancing, which is why I often lean towards any sort of anti-inflammatory way of eating. This coincides with the paleo approach, which is also why my baking is made with nutrient dense gluten free ingredients, as opposed to some gluten free baking which still are rather inflammatory as they contained refined grains, oils and sugars. Despite what some people think, we work a full week, with plenty of rehearsals during the day! We go on around 3 large national tours of New Zealand a year, with a small regional tour also.
Do you have a favourite snack that you enjoy eating?
I either have time, which is when I would make a comforting and high protein cacao drink. But often I only have a few minutes so either have home-made protein ball or a pear (I find pear the most easily digestible fruit - not including berries - that actually keeps me full)!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to walk and explore! I am an early bird in the morning, so I like to get on with the day and make the most of it. My family has a lovely holiday house by Lake Taupo, so if it’s a long weekend, its almost a guarantee that I will be on the boat and swimming all day.
Do you have a favourite movie?
I love lots of different movies, personal genre favourites being rom coms and action movies! I really love Pride and Predjudice (the 2004 version to be precise), but any marvel movie and or mission impossible movie I will happily watch.
If you could eat only three things for the rest of your life, what would they be?
This is somehow an easy to answer question..
tahini (must be hulled or otherwise it’s definitely not on the list)
cacao (I am one of those people who actually enjoys 100% chocolate)
sweet potatoes (the japanese - the red and white variety - to be particular)
What are your best money saving & meal prep tips?
Find a bulk bin shop and a veggie market that you can easily go to! Often the supermarkets are selling vegetables for eye watering prices, but at the market it’s completely different - plus you are supporting the local producers. Bulk bins (for certain ingredients only) make for an extremely cheap option when buying seeds and some flours, which is great also for reducing plastic waste. I like to buy a few chicken breasts on a Sunday, chop them and portion them out into separate bags and marinate them with different flavours. I then freeze them all and then I can take one out in the morning before work and then cook it while i’m preparing the rest of my dinner, as I think fresh is best! You can take this approach with many things, I think the most important thing to remember is lots of flavours can completely change a dish - so think of different sauces/toppings or spices you can add!
Do you have a country you would like to visit & what has been your favourite to travel to so far?
I would love to visit any country in Africa, though Malawi and Tanzania are definitely the bucket list destinations! I love visiting lots of places with different cultures and or a different way of life, so a real highlight for me so far would be visiting Colombia and Japan. Colombia was full of incredible sights, a personal highlight would be travelling around and on the Amazon. Whereas in Japan, though I have much yet to see, it was incredible to see a beautiful culture and visit some of the most gorgeous shrines and temples. I am so lucky to have been able to explore the world so much as I have, I think there is so much to learn from each country and the culture that comes with it\.
