Jasmine is not only a Women’s Health & Nutrition Coach but also the founder of The Wholesome Heart.
She knows the overwhelming feelings of a demanding life, and now she is here helping to build a healthy mindset that can bring you back into balance lifestyle.
Why did you decide to pursue a career as a nutrition coach dedicated to women's health?
My very own health journey; a health rollercoaster is the best way to describe it.
The difference between myself and other health & nutrition coaches is, I’ve been where my clients are, I’ve gone through the lot, the painful bloating – when only maternity pants fit me, I always had gut issues, food intolerances (Gluten, Lactose & Fructose), nutrient deficiencies, chronic constipation, low immune function, kidney issues, intense sugar cravings, antidepressants, high blood pressure, adult acne, unable to sleep without sleeping tablets (the list could go on, but these were the main issues). But the final turning point was when I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I was literally stopped in my tracks. I could no longer work (at the time I was working in the corporate world).
This really made me look at the effects of our busy/demanding lives that are taking a toll on our health. I could no longer keep up the overworked/undernourished lifestyle, which was all I knew.
I studied from the bed and as my knowledge grew, my health got stronger and stronger, and I am so incredibly proud of the journey I have been on and that I can say I don’t suffer ANY of the symptoms I use to. PROOF is in the pudding, and I share these same principles and learnings now with my clients, so no one ever has to end up where I did.
Your specialisation is in Digestion and Gut Health, how these areas set apart in the nutrition field?
“All disease begins in the gut” – Hippocrates.
Each of my clients comes to me with an array of things going ‘wrong’ with their bodies, once we get through the list of symptoms and problems they have been suffering with (always for far too long), it all comes back to the gut! How well they are digesting and absorbing their food, the balance of bacteria’s etc.
Even someone who has hormone or period problems. We work on making sure their gut is eliminating their excess hormones, and not reabsorbing. This can happen when the gut isn’t functioning properly, that usually results in excess estrogen. Meaning their hormone issue isn’t in fact they are overproducing estrogen they just aren’t eliminating it as they should.
Why is it important for individuals to have dietary fibre regularly?
I LOVE fibre for so many reasons! It is super important for our digestive health, not only to keep us regular- which, if you follow me on Instagram you know poo is my favourite topic. I regularly explain how important it is to have a regular bowel movement to eliminate excess waste, toxins and even hormones! Dietary fibre helps to keep things moving along AND keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
When it comes to choosing a diet, how can we determine the best one for us?
Not one box fits all. We are all so different, from our genes, our bodies, hormones, gut microbiome, our lifestyles, our preferences that we can not possibly eat and live the same way our neighbour does, even our sister or mother!
Suppose you eat a certain way, e.g. high fat, vegan or high protein, low FODMAP and it gives you symptoms/issues… it’s a clear message from your body that this way of eating is NOT for you and that’s ok.
If you are finding you are getting painful periods, bloating, deficiencies - e.g. low iron - I would suggest working with a professional to determine WHY your body is rejecting something, or not absorbing and how to heal, so you don’t live a restricted life.
What is the advice you give to people that want to start to lose weight through proper dieting?
I look at weight gain or struggling to lose weight as a symptom. Like a message from the body that something is out of balance, whether its overeating, undereating, stress, sleep issues, hormone imbalances, gut dysbiosis, inflammation etc.
Getting to the root cause of why you have put on weight or struggling to make it budge is going to help you lose the weight and keep it off. Then understand you WHY, why you really want to lose weight, not just a number but how you want to feel when you lose it… this will help you to stay focused when harder days pop up.
What is the most difficult challenge somebody can face during a lifestyle change or a diet?
Ah! There’s a few, but cravings would be one. I look at client struggle with before they work with me.
I don’t want you to ignore these cravings, in fact, I want you to always acknowledge them.
Cravings should not be thought of as a weakness of willpower, but rather an important message from your amazing body telling you, that something is out of balance and needs your attention.
Once you understand what is triggering these cravings you can nip it in the bud, rather than trying to ignore them and ‘be good’… which will always end in disaster! As we all know.
Proper nutrition is important to have a balanced healthy life, but to achieve better results what other practices do you recommend?
I take a holistic approach to all my clients and my own personal health, meaning I look at all areas of your nutrition, your lifestyle, work, stress, sleep, relationships etc. they ALL play a part in our overall health.
You could eat all the kale in the world and a super ‘clean’ diet but if you aren’t dealing with the internal stressors on your body… you will be fighting an uphill battle.
One of the most important places to start would be your quality of sleep. I know we hear it all the time but your body does so much during those hours. If you don’t wake up refreshed… there’s a problem.
A couple of simple things to help you here would be, dim the lights or turn them off when the sun goes down – this tells your brain to release the melatonin and it can start to wind down. Reduce the amount of blue light from your screens before bed. Pop your legs up the wall for 10mins before you go to sleep and take a few deep belly breaths. We want to wind down not jump into bed after being stimulated and expect to fall asleep in an instant.
How can you help an unmotivated client?
What is your WHY? Like, your real why. Not just "I want to lose weight" – why do you want to lose weight? Is it because you want to feel sexy and confident in your body again? Is it that you want to have a sex drive? Maybe you want to have more energy and focus so you can get a promotion at work? There is always a deeper burn for the ‘weight-loss’ when we have a real why… we have more of a reason to stay on track.
Concluding with some simple tips. What are your favourite healthy snacks?
Gosh, I love some many, but I think my favourite thing to make and have in the freezer (so they last longer and I can grab and go) are my Bliss Balls. Made with REAL ingredients that keep you feeling full and nourished. I have a few recipes on my website but these Mint Slice Bliss Balls are on of my all-time favs: https://www.thewholesomeheart.com/mint-slice-bliss-balls/
If you are interested in taking the first step to love yourself to full health,
you can follow along with Jasmine on Instagram where she shares loads of daily tips www.instagram.com/thewholesome.heart or checks out the website www.thewholesomeheart.com