With all the fabulous restaurants, launches and events we’re so lucky to attend here at Glam Adelaide it’s safe to say our diet and lifestyle probably doesn’t always fall under the category of ‘healthy.’ So before we indulge in the silly season we thought it best to enlist an expert to help us get back in tune with our health and wellness.
We were lucky enough to steal five minutes of Naturopath and Nutritionist Kasey Willson’s time to chat about her passion for the industry, her passion for her clients and how her easy to follow, online program the Vibrant Woman Challenge is so different from the others out there.
Hi Kasey, it’s so great of you to take the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. So, for starters how long have you worked as a Naturopath & Nutritionist?
I have had the privilege of supporting patients in clinic for over 6 years. During this time I have started my own clinic, Aloe Health which snowballed so quickly. It now has a waiting list of over 4 months.
Wow! That’s certainly impressive. But I guess also not convenient for those who are wanting to do something about their health straight away?
Exactly. I feel so privileged that so many people want my help, but unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day. This was the driving factor behind starting to blog across at www.myhealthmyhappiness.com.au to share information and answer FAQs quickly. It’s also what helped me develop my online program, Vibrant Woman Challenge.
And what was it that led you to want to become a Nutritionist and Naturopath in the first place?
It really just started with my own struggle. I had my own health challenges, including adrenal fatigue, chronic candida overgrowth and digestive discomfort when I was younger. By the end of year 12 I was sick of it. I felt sluggish and moody all the time. I decided I would need to take my health into my own hands and started looking into studying Naturopathy and Nutrition.
I researched the underlying causes of my issues and realised how important nutrition was for my journey. I know it sounds cliché but it’s 100% true, that this knowledge gave me the power to overcome my own health challenges and genuinely feel happy and healthy again.
And I saw so many girls and women facing the same issues; poor health, bad skin and terrible self-esteem. I wanted to share what I had learned and gained with as many people as possible. To show them it’s not rocket science, and that you really CAN feel great day to day. So that’s why I started in the industry.
Who and what excites you in the health and wellness industry right now?
I love the science of it all, so I’d have to say health practitioners such as Dr Natasha Cambell-McBride, Dr Tom O’Brien, Dr Amy Myers, Dr Joseph Mercola, Chris Kresser, Nora Gedgaudas and scientist Dr Allesio Fosano and Dr Herbert Nagasawa excite me the most. The research that is being done on gut and mitcochondrial health particularly fascinates me! It sounds gross, but it’s a really great step in understanding how what we’re putting into our bodies is affecting our longterm health. Sorry for geeking out on you *giggles*
That’s quite alright, it’s great to see your passion for it all. So tell us about the Vibrant Woman Challenge… why did you create it? And what’s it all about?
I had reached a point in clinic where I had developed a lengthy waiting list for patients to see me and to be honest, it upset me. I knew there were women who needed support and I knew that I could give this support to them… if only I had more time.
Together with the help of a talented web designer, ideas started flowing. I released a few ebooks to give people some insight and inspiration to start turning their health around, but I really wanted something more informative and interactive. So the Vibrant Woman Challenge 8 week online program was born. It was created from a space of wanting to reach out and support many more woman than was physically possible through my clinic.
The content of the Vibrant Woman Challenge includes all the fundamental diet, lifestyle, testing and supplemental information that I was providing to my patients and gaining positive results with.
It is set out so that positive health changes are realistic and manageable. Lots of support is given, including lifetime access to the program so you can go back over the information again and again. It has over 200 healthy recipes, the opportunity for challenge members to ask me questions and a private support group to talk to other challengers too.
It sounds like it covers a lot. What can women expect week to week from VWC?
It does, but like I said we were really focussed on making the information manageable for people. We understand most are just starting out but wanted to find the right balance between giving enough information without overwhelming people all at once.
The Vibrant Woman Challenge is set out so that information is available week to week. This includes videos, more detailed written PDF downloads, recipes of the week and a particular challenge of the week.
Otherwise bonus resources are available right from the start when you join the program! This includes my eBooks, 21 Day Summer Detox, Winter Warmers Recipe Book & Healthy Habits For Dining Out, along with over 200 recipes and additional health handouts.
Obviously people have questions from time to time so they can email these in, to be answered in the weekly video. And you also get to meet other like minded women in the private Vibrant Woman Challenge forum.
The health and fitness industry seems to be inundated with blogs and eBooks at the moment. How does the VWC differ from all these crazy online programs we see so often?
It’s the level of expertise given. The content in the Vibrant Woman Challenge was created by me, a qualified and experienced Naturopath & Nutritionist. It’s not just based on opinion by someone with an interest in a particular field.
There has been countless science and research that has gone into this program. I have seen first hand how this information changes the lives of my patients time and time again and feel that it is something all women deserve to have access to.
The information is set out in the Vibrant Woman Challenge so health goals are achievable and easily maintained. Plus I give you the reasoning and insight behind my advice, so you can understand WHY you’re making these changes which is something I feel can be lacking in some programs.
And also, if the time is not right and life gets in the way, the information in the Vibrant Woman Challenge is available to go back to at anytime.
What’s one simple thing we can add to/change about our diets to improve our health?
Add more fats into your day! Yes, it sounds crazy to most. We’ve been programmed to think fats are so bad for so long. However, fats are extremely nourishing for the body. When you take fat it away, you end up with a meal higher in sugar. Sugar is what creates issues with weight gain and mid-afternoon slumps, not fat…the good kind that is.
Avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut, olives and even fat (from ethically raised animals), helps to keep you fuller for longer and provides a steady supply of mental and physical energy to the body.
What is your one top tip when it comes to your body’s health?
Learn to tune into your body and listen to what it is telling you. Maybe you feel bloated after eating, but your think it’s normal as you’ve had it for years. You might regularly experience a mid-afternoon slump and reach for some chocolate. Perhaps you’ve come off the oral contraceptive pill and started noticing skin breakout, or irregular periods.
These are signs of imbalance in the body, which indicates it is time for things to change. Proper nutrition can support your body back to balance, so you can feel naturally vibrant and healthy again.
If you had one message for women who are feeling down about their bodies and their health what would it be?
It can be done, and there’s no time like the present. No matter how young or old, your health story can be changed. By nourishing your body from the inside out, you can achieve better health and maintain it long-term.
Having the right information, tools and support to execute the positive health changes, makes it a fun and rewarding experience, as opposed to a chore.
We loved our experience chatting to Kasey about our health and wellbeing. Her passion for this cause is so inspiring. She has such a depth of knowledge that she’s just bursting at the seams to share, and her effervescent personality has us so excited for what the Vibrant Woman Challenge brings.
If all this inspires you like it has us here at Glam, you better make it over to vibrantwomanchallenge.com quick! The final challenge for 2015 is starting THIS WEEK and it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. This whole challenge is a simple and straightforward step to improving your health.
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