Where Did It All Begin?
Hello! I’m Sami, a lawyer turned copywriter, turned yoga teacher, health coach and nutritionist. I’ve certainly tried on many hats! I worked in both Sydney and New York before my own health complications prompted me to make positive life changes, revitalising my health and leading to a drastic career change. As a clinical nutritionist, I draw upon my own experiences from my dysfunctional relationship with food and body image as well as hormonal chaos, to my passion for plant-based nutrition. I help women and men reconnect with themselves and relearn to eat with ease and with their health in mind. My studies taught me to utilise scientific evidence and holistic principles to treat each individual case in a way that is effective, sustainable and enjoyable for my clients. My philosophy is deeply rooted in whole food, plant-based nutrition and using food as the wonderful medicine that it is. I absolutely love the career I have tirelessly worked toward and truly am grateful for every mistake I have made along the way. When I am not seeing patients or teaching yoga, I am working on my blog.
I don’t think luck is irrelevant but relying on it or blaming it won’t get you very far. To me, success is all about living in a way that you can be proud of. My background of disordered eating and a broken relationship with myself certainly was the catalyst for my changes. I was exhausted by the never-ending thought-pattern of “never good enough”. I don’t like to say I had an “aha” moment, because I think it oversimplifies the very complicated process of finding your way. There were moments of clarity, moments of weakness steps forward and steps backward. I will say that there was an important turning point for me when I opened my heart and mind to the practice of yoga. Yoga was instrumental to my healing – the days I did yoga I didn’t want to deprive myself or have nasty thoughts. Instead, I learned to honour my body and all that it did for me. From here, I began to experiment in the kitchen, learning how to make some of my favourite meals with a healthy twist, and I became hooked on how good it felt (and tasted) to eat clean. I am a typical A-type personality, so it seemed only natural to me that if I was going down this path, I had to learn it all! I did my Yoga Teacher Training and enrolled into full-time Nutritional Medicine. During my studies, I was drawn toward veganism, which has only seen my health and my passion for health skyrocket and was definitely another “uh ha” moment for me.
To me, it is all about living in alignment – having what you do match up with what you believe in as much as possible so you live authentically and with passion. This is why self-awareness is so critical- when you live by what you value and you take the time to get to know what it is you want, everything becomes clearer. Always checking in with myself that I am practicing what I preach, that I am reflecting and inspiring a life that I can be proud of and that aligns with my values is what holds me true to myself and motivates me to continue on – professionally and personally.
Beauty & Health Is More Than The Surface…..
Beauty is all the good things! It is kindness, it is confidence, it is self-awareness, self-respect, ease, grace, happiness, and compassion. When you live your life with these in mind you embody beauty and share it with those you come into contact with. That’s what makes a beautiful person. Health is all about being kind to yourself. In these times, I feel health has incidentally become equated to aesthetics, when in fact, it is so much more. How you look from leading a healthy lifestyle is truly a happy side effect of being kind to your body. It is making choices in each moment that serve you – sometimes that is eating the slice of cake, or taking a nap, or saying no, and sometimes it’s about waking up early to workout and choosing fresh veggies over take-out. At the end of the day, it is about striking a balance between making choices with your bodies best interests in mind and living life to the fullest.
SKINCARE & WELLNESS
I wake up anywhere between 5:40 and 6:30 am depending on my workout for the morning. After a yoga or reformer pilates class, I rehydrate, alkaline and wake my body up with a glass of warm water with the juice of 1⁄2 lemon and a pinch of sea salt. Whilst I sip this I have a 5-10 minute facial routine I do every morning, that includes a cleanser, warm towel, spray, serum, facial massage, eye cream, and moisturiser. I use Eminence products (some favourites are the hydrating neroli mist, stonecrop serum, strawberry rhubarb mask and arctic berry moisturiser), but also have a few Cosmedix products I use from time-to-time. I like to ensure my beauty products are cruelty-free and vegan. Around 7:30 am I take my dog for a walk and/or to the park. I grab a soy latte on my way and enjoy every sip! I’m home around 8:30 am, and I go straight to the blender and make a big green smoothie. I try to drink this over the course of 20 minutes. If I am lucky I might squeeze in 5 mins of meditation or breathwork. Then I get ready for work and am usually at my desk by 9:15 am.
In the evening, I finish up consults around 6 pm. If I didn’t get a break during the afternoon to take my dog out, it’s off to the park I go again! Then, I wash my face, get into my comfy clothes, make a ginger tea or sip on apple cider vinegar diluted in a tall glass of water, put on music and get to cooking! I generally have some vegetables, grains and sauces prepped to make dinner simple. I’ll whip together a nice, wholesome meal for my husband and I and try to eat before
7:30 pm. Afterward, I might apply a face mask or just put on my nighttime serum, moisturiser, and eye cream and wind down with a chai latte and a square or two of dark chocolate or my tahini bark, snuggled up next to my husband and dog, and watch a favourite show or read a book. I love to diffuse essential oils in the morning and evening too.
MENTAL HEALTH & SELF-CARE
I truly believe, when we are in tune with ourselves we can help ourselves. Self-awareness allows us to really act in our best interests. Taking the time to get to know yourself, name how you are feeling and express it either to yourself or another is really important. In terms of self-care, there are so many things you can do – earthing, meditation, deep belly breathing, yoga, journaling – and these are all wonderful things, but sometimes trying to do even a few of them can be stressful in and of itself. If you’re like me and a little bit Type A, they just become part of your never-ending to-do list. For me, it’s about shifting my mentality to just simply being. Taking time out to reflect on whether I am being present, pausing for a breath, eating lunch outdoors. These are things I try to do every day. I try to do one thing at a time, simplify where I can, breathe in fresh air and just support myself in small ways every day.
