About Julie – Nutrition Health Coach
I was born and raised in South Africa, in a Greek home where food and sweets were always abundant. My mother is a great cook and baker; so our family ate three home cooked meals every day, which was great! Or so I thought at the time….
Even though the meals were prepared with love, we hardly ever sat down and dined at table, together as a family. My parents owned supermarkets and bakeries, and were at work 24/7 until late every night. As a result, the easy access to sweets and desserts was the beginning of my sugar addiction and all the issues that came with it.
I would be visiting the dentist constantly, and suffered from constant fatigue and lack of energy most of the time. This really affected my life in that I never felt like going out or doing things because I always felt so tired.
As a teenager, it was hard to maintain a healthy weight and I was constantly trying new diets but always fell short because I couldn’t resist eating sweets. I was bloated most of the time and couldn’t figure out why, which lead to low self-esteem.
By the time I was 22 years old, I’d had two children and then suffered postnatal depression, which lasted forever. My dream of going to university went out the window and I spiralled into a life of pleasing everybody else apart from myself.
At age 23 I moved with my family to the beautiful island of Cyprus. I love the slow pace of life, the island feel and have developed a close attachment to the sea.
“Gastritis, divorce, smoking…a very unhealthy mixture”
I was diagnosed with chronic gastritis in my late 20’s and decided to try to make some healthy changes, but with no guidance, I didn’t do very well. The gastritis would flare up when I was stressed or when I ate certain things. On some occasions I had to be rushed to the emergency room from the intense pain. I knew I had to make drastic changes in my diet and lifestyle.
At the age of 34 my marriage ended, I changed careers and was on the path to a new beginning, but I still needed to make more fundamental changes.
So I quit my smoking habit, and started eating more healthily, but it wasn’t until I decided to enter the field of nutrition, that I really made a true connection between food, lifestyle, mental attitude and physical health.
Integrative Nutrition. A personal renaissance.
I enrolled In the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and that’s when everything changed. Through my training there, I have finally found my purpose, passion, and my health. I have learned new healthy habits and to always listen to my body. I feel happier and much more energetic.
I do occasionally have that dessert I love or a Greek coffee with friends. I now understand that “one person’s food is another person’s poison,” that we are all different and bio-individual.Ultimately we all know what is good or bad for us.
I have adopted a plant – based diet, which works for me, and has solved most of my health issues. That doesn’t mean that it works for everyone, but I can listen to your issues and suggest eliminating or reducing certain Secondary Foods to improve your overall wellbeing.
I now exercise more regularly and try to get out in nature as often as possible.
I love to cook and try new recipes, of which some are shared on this website.