My story begins the half way through my career. I had proven to the world that a woman could be a respected and successful corporate restaurateur. However, I started to notice that my body was reacting to the extremely long hours of work. I also became psychologically exhausted because of the cumulative anxiety that I experienced worrying about maintaining my success.
In retrospect, it was clear that I had no balance in my life but only obsessed with working harder. Consequently, I required medical intervention. This meant prescribed medication and counselling to combat the anxiety and depression, as well as, the inability to control my weight.
Some six months later, I felt worse because I lost the energy, I needed. This turned into a reliance on medications I had to maintain the work, and, hence, the continuing success of my business. After some time, I began to reflect on my life, work, and general health when I had an epiphany that changed me forever.
Successful people achieve their goals in life through hard work or by working smarter. I began to analyse myself and realised that I had proven myself, worked ridiculous hours but at the cost of my health. Proving myself to the work may have been achieved had I not ‘pushed’ my body to exhaustion and ill health. However, simply, may have taken a longer time.
It was at this time in my life that I made the decision to change. I chose to be more proactive, and take more care of my physical and psychological self religiously. I would eat a varied, healthy diet and began exercising by walking regularly. In addition, I began rejecting cigarettes in favour of attending to the needs of my body and mind. From then I noticed weekly changes in my life. Firstly, I became fitter, stronger, calmer, and more controlled in my mind. I also felt happier as I completely changed my life but still managed the restaurant, taught commercial cookery at college level and judging culinary competitions.
I recall people telling me I looked 10 years younger, and I felt it! As well as continuing my increasing responsibilities, I began doing charity work with the Australian Culinary Federation which I enjoyed and felt fulfilled. I then met my husband, also a chef, who purchased my restaurant so we could spend more time together.
In recent times I have finished 8 years as part of the World Association of Chef’s Societies’, doing charity work as a committee member and regional representative of the Woman’s Leadership forum. I have a Diploma of Hospitality Management, Diploma of Business, and a Cert 4 in Commercial Cookery. As well, I have been involved in contract consulting, recipes development, testing and costing. In addition, I have produced cookbooks and videos for my professional industry, working and travelling the world with work and my husband.
Throughout my story and my journey with food and a healthy lifestyle, I believe I have found strategies in developing better health and to reverse the deleterious effects of poor diet. By studying diet and nutrition, food psychology and wellness coaching, I have developed programs online or personalised. These include some 10 workshops to empower others to learn practical effective and evidence-based skills to enhance your lifestyle. I have also been consulting on food and lifestyle products in Australia and International markets. My commitment and focus have been to improve people’s corporate nutrition and wellbeing by adopting the moto “be the best you can be”.
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