Sara’s passion is teaching women about our female sex hormones and how they play a vital role in our health and our lives. She believes that women need to know more about their bodies, hormones, and fertility - beyond just making babies.
You’re a new mum (congratulations!) and owner of a successful business - how do you find your balance
I am not sure that I do! Learning to slow down and be more responsive, rather than relying on predictability, has been a challenge for me in motherhood but one that I think will give me more understanding for what life is like for my clients that are mothers too. I try my best to prioritise tasks and I have non-negotiables for myself each day like movement. I also think that being present and living in the moment has helped me feel like I am achieving balance even when the to-do list is piling up. Learning to just be present with him and know that everything else can wait has been a gift!
How has your work supported the lives of women and their everyday needs?
As a women’s health Dietitian I help women to feel empowered to look after themselves and their unique needs by making nutrition and lifestyle changes. I believe that being fertile is more than making babies and teaching clients that having healthy, pain-free and regular cycles each month can benefit them beyond wanting to conceive is powerful! From regular cycles and the production of hormones Estrogen and Progesterone women have improvement in mood, libido and health outcomes like less bone injuries in sports. I also help women navigate their relationship with food and their body which can feel like conflict for a lot of people and that work very much changes peoples lives.
Any health tips for working mums out there navigating the juggle with their own goals?
You can’t do it all mumma, and outsourcing is an excellent way to make nutrition a little easier. Online grocery deliveries and boxed meal services are a great option that take a lot of the work out for you. I also think that being a mother is about compromise, and while we might not have time for an hour gym session or run, think about how you might be able to move your body in the 20 minutes that you do have. I call this gray thinking rather than black and white (I can’t go to the gym so I won’t move my body today). Health is also about your mental well-being so aim to have some non-negotiables when it comes to your mental health woven into your week. Mine is listening to music (transports me to a time before I had so much responsibility!), for other women it's connecting with a friend, finding a moment of silence or taking the extra few minutes to enjoy your coffee in the morning.
Do you have a favourite pick-me-up meal to make at home when times get busy or you're feeling out of balance?
My mum always said if you have eggs you have a meal and even in the depths of new born life I would manage to make an omelette or something egg based as a high protein easy meal to carry me through! I also love oats, cooking them slowly on the stove and adding lots of nutrient dense toppings such as pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, coconut chips and berries.
How would you suggest that we women become more in tune with our bodies?
The busy, stimulating lives we all live makes it difficult to turn inwards sometimes but it is important to check in with our body. Our digestion, sleep quality and cycle symptoms are all systems that give us clues when we are functioning well or otherwise. I ask clients to track their cycle and note are their periods regular, painful or pain free, heavy or light and do they experience other symptoms such as PMS? You can track your cycle using an app (there are many free and easy to use options) or a simple diary or calendar. If you notice a change in your period experience, can you reflect on your lifestyle over the past 4-6 weeks and note any correlation between your symptoms and what life has been like for you? For example if you have been under more emotional or physical stress, could this explain your longer cycles? Could skipping meals be leading to more intense sugar cravings right before your period is due?
Do you have a go-to outfit or signature daily style that makes you feel most confident?
At the moment being mostly at home with my son and working only online my style is nothing but comfort! When I am consulting with clients my favourite work out-fits are high waisted pants and a blazer of some sort. A capsule work wardrobe is something i am working on to take the thought out of getting ready in the morning!
What's next for you, any exciting plans in the pipeline you can share?
I am returning back to seeing clients in a few months time which is very exciting! I am also working along-side a female led brand that is developing an app dedicated to helping women train with their cycle which we are so excited to launch!
FURTHER READING
