Welcome to the third edition of my health series! This month you get the pleasure to hear from fellow Health Coach, Bettina! She’s from Germany, but lives in Brussels where she works as a Health Coach and yoga teacher. She helps busy professionals find that magic balance in life by upgrading their nutrition & other wellbeing habits so that they have more energy, a leaner body, a clear focussed mind & feel better in their skin again!

I hope you will enjoy reading this interview and please join the discussion in the comments  below.

Here we go:

Name, age, occupation: Bettina, 31, Health Coach & Yoga Teacher

What does health mean to you?

Health, to me, is experienced on three levels: physically we feel energized and are without pains or aches, mentally we are clear and focussed and emotionally we are balanced and calm. For me good health means being able to live my life from a point of truth and authenticity, so fulfilling my purpose in this world. It also means that I can give my full potential to my partner and my family, my friends and my clients. Lastly, it means independence and successful self-reliance until well into old age without having to worry about the frailty and helplessness that many people in industrialized countries experience because of a poor lifestyle since birth.

How do you achieve this level of healthy?

Healthy habits and being consistent with them is incredibly important to me. That starts off with wholesome, nutrient-rich nutrition, daily movement (be it yoga, a walk in nature or more strenuous exercise), time to myself to find clarity about where I am at with my life and where I want to take it, meditation to calm my mind, self care through taking time to read or do any of the healthy habits mentioned above, working actively on reducing limiting beliefs and negative chatter about myself in my mind to achieve a healthy mindset where I can be compassionate, forgiving and gentle with myself when I slip up or fall back into old patterns.

Why is it important to be and live healthily?

Because it affects every single thing you do each day: your own mindset, your ability to move and exercise, the way you work and interact with people around you, your relationships, your approach to life, the way you think about yourself…. and most importantly to live your life purposefully!

Why are you an expert?

As a former infectious disease researcher I have worked a lot in laboratory environments where disease-care rather than health-care was at the forefront. During this time I often also worked long hours and on weekends to the point of suffering from burn out by the time I finished with my last contract despite having a generally healthy lifestyle. Once I started to do yoga and learn more about nutrition and health as part of my coaching program, a lot of things fell into place for me. Most importantly, I realised that all the healthy food and regular exercise regime won’t do you any good if it does not go hand in hand with a healthy mindset and attitude about lifestyle in general. So, I have not just hands on experience in disease-care, but have my own personal experience with common disease associated with a Western lifestyle and its resolution using a holistic approach.

If you prefer credentials (some people do 😉 ), I hold a PhD in infectious disease biology, am an Integrative Nutrition health coach and a yoga teacher with a 500 hour accreditation. I am continuously working on integrating my knowledge on holistic health and chronic disease prevention through courses such as Andrea Beaman’s New Healer program. I also keep tabs on current research in the nutrition field to enable me to break down the confusing, often contradictory nutrition advice that is in the mainstream media and help my clients make informed choices for themselves so empowering themselves for a journey to top health!

What is your top health tip?

Stop punishing your body by restricting your diet unnecessarily and exercising in a non-enjoyable fashion. Instead, make your body your best new friends, start loving it up and follow its lead in executing healthy habits that make you feel good and nourished and not defeated and failed. It’s the mindset that counts, what you do from there comes by itself!

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Thank you so much Bettina for sharing your views on health and for your great health tip! Let’s indeed make peace with our bodies! If you want more information, please visit her website here. If you need a Health Coach in Brussels or some yoga classes, please do get in touch with her!

Want more health tips? Join our discussion in our group, Let’s Get Real Together! I am posting 1 health tips every day as we count down to Christmas. Join now – it’s FREE 🙂