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I also run the health and wellness blog Healthy Always, a place I share healthy recipe ideas and tips. Although health is something I am deeply passionate about, Healthy Always actually stemmed from a period of poor health - I didn’t always walk the talk, and was once living off a trio of convenience foods, stress and repeated late nights. Eventually my body rebelled, manifesting in an unusual condition known as New Daily Persistent Headache syndrome, characterised by an unremitting tension type headache – basically I had a headache that would never go away! I was studying at the time, and the persistent nature of the conditions wore me down and forced me to stop and revaluate how I was living my life. I had to start really prioritising my heath, and along the way set up the Instagram account @healthyalways, a place to keep myself accountable, motivated and share my healthy recipe ideas I was trying. The platform became very therapeutic.

Last year I expanded to a proper online website and blog, www.healthyalways.co.nz – where I share full recipes, extended blog posts and health inspiration. I create the content myself, which includes developing the recipes, shooting the imagery and writing the words for posts. Cooking is something I adore, and so it’s not unusual for me to spend a whole day in the kitchen, making a mess. I also think when it comes to nutrition, recipes are a great way to translate how to live healthy into a practical sense. If you can inspire someone to cook something new in the kitchen and the outcome is something they’ve enjoyed (both the process and the food itself), then they might be inspired to cook along the same lines again.

Outside of the food side of things, keeping fit and active is something I find so beneficial. For me it’s a way to let off stress, and look after myself – I sit a lot at work, and so getting everything moving is so important for feeling good, otherwise the body starts to feel a little creaky. Yoga is my favourite, but I also include strength based exercises and cardio – right now I’m loving boxing, and are working with a PT to get stronger. I’ve never been wild about long-distance events, but this year I ticked off the Auckland half marathon which was an exciting achievement and totally outside of my comfort zone.

When it comes to exercise, it’s important to refuel our bodies properly so we can workout harder and recover faster and stronger. One of my favourite smoothies to enjoy is my Get Fit smoothie, which contains a good balance of carbohydrates (energy), protein (muscle support and recovery) and healthy fats. Although achieving our daily protein needs through a balanced wholefoods diet is easy enough, protein powders offer a convenient way to recover after exercise or support weight loss/management (as protein is ace at keeping us feeling full). Here’s the recipe:

Get Fit Smoothie