INTERVIEW WITH NAOMI SMITH OF THE BALANCED KIWI

I’m thrilled to be introducing you to Naomi Smith today for our second interview.

Naomi Smith – ‘The Balanced Kiwi’ is a Health and Wellness Coach, Kinesiologist and Nutritional Therapist.

I caught up with her about family health and wellbeing and it is SUCH a good interview. I also practice a lot of this and can vouch for the huge benefits to myself and my family as a whole.

Q: What’s your best piece of advice for new mothers?

A: Be kind to yourself, trust your instincts, and remember you are doing the best you can…

As a new mother your body is raging full of hormones and you feel continually exhausted.. support yourself in whichever way you can…. that moment of fresh air, that nourishing meal, that 5 minutes to yourself just to breathe and let go of the stress…. I supplemented a lot during and after my pregnancy to boost my nutrient levels for both me and my baby…. there are a few I could suggest but a high quality vitamin b complex is particularly good to combat the stresses of being a new mum or managing a family – but there are plenty of great ways you can still feed and nourish yourself whilst settling into your new routine.

Q: Can you share a life hack that has helped improve your family’s health?

A: Be the change you wish to see for your family and get them involved. For example I’ve never felt the need to feed my child anything different from what I do for myself… I include her even in the preparation of food, the shopping for food and we have good conversations about the different benefits or lack of with food. Sure there are a few things that she doesn’t tend to eat but she’ll try basically anything and loves a wide variety of foods!

We have healthy conversations about lots of relevant health topics and I am always honest with her…. Sure we occasionally eat foods at parties and with friends and even sometimes at home that I would normally avoid but its about BALANCE. The majority of our diet is clean, organic and healthy with oodles of fresh and nutritious ingredients. She knows the difference between how we keep on the right side of health and I hope I’m encouraging her to make good choices.

Things like exercise, sleep and understanding our environment are the same – be honest, share your knowledge, and be the example.

Q: How do you keep your family healthy as a busy parent?

A: I think being organised is key to this really and also to keep things simple! The times I get myself unstuck is when I try to overcomplicate the basics and lose focus on prioritisation. Dedicate a little time ahead of things to get prepared in order to support yourself and your relevant activities. Order your weekly veggies ahead of time/set reminders…. plan family activities in areas where there is plenty of fresh air and a chance to have a good run around and as I’ve mentioned above include them and educate them on what healthy looks like and encourage each other.

Also when it comes to ‘snacking’ always be prepared with healthy ‘treats’ – today we are so fortunate to be able get lots of great healthy snack options – recipes made with wholesome ingredients that taste delicious! Or if time is a major stress then having it delivered such as Treat Trunk where you know exactly what is going inside. I always say to people when shopping at the supermarket READ YOUR LABELS, don’t just trust that something being labelled or marketed as healthy actually is, it is your responsibility to know what is in the food. There are some good brands in the supermarket but definitely watch out for sugars and other ingredients you cannot pronounce and remember less is more!

Q: What’s the biggest benefit to you eating healthily?

A: When I am eating well and nourishing my body and gut, my mood and mindset are so much brighter and more efficient. Who would not want to feel great about themselves and be achieving much more with less stress? Food and in fact exercise as well is key to keeping me on track with life.

Q: Do you find that healthy eating enables you to parent better?

A: Yes absolutely – and mostly because as I’ve mentioned above I feel so much better, my body is better balanced, I sleep better and can manage my emotions better… this is why for me gut health is so important. It links with almost every aspect of the body – all of which really help us when tackling this parenting thing 🙂

Naomi has a wonderful webinar coming up on the 7th March called The Healthy Gut Guide. I truly believe the gut is the key to our health and wellbeing yet there’s so little good information readily available that isn’t super academic full of scientific terminology. I can’t wait to watch this – I’ve put it in my diary with an alarm so I don’t miss it. Follow this link to register your attendance. Naomi will also be sharing a great offer in the webinar.

Naomi Smith – ‘The Balanced Kiwi’ is a Health and Wellness Coach, Kinesiologist and Nutritional Therapist.

Her original roots are in New Zealand, but she has also lived and worked in the UK for 15 years now. A passionate world traveller and cultural enthusiast she has spent time in over 50 countries to date with many more still on her bucket list.

Residing in Surrey, her favourite past times are food, travel and hanging out with her daughter.

Believing that everyone is unique and therefore requiring an individual set of needs she works with her clients to understand their issues and then works to define their health and wellness goals and achieve them. She has addressed a wide range of health issues with clients including digestive disorders, menopause, stress, painful body areas, lifestyle changes for greater health and wellness and pregnancy. Naomi uses both Kinesiology and nutritional programmes alongside the lifestyle coaching and is passionate about educating her clients and empowering them to take control of their wellbeing.

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