Linde from Honest Nutrition Mcr is a Manchester based Dietitian. She favours a holistic and traditional approach to nutrition.

Her Instagram page is a constant source of knowledge for me, and after recently catching up with Linde at Dr Chatterjee’s gut health event and talking all things health, I put her down as one of the people I just had to interview.

I am extremely excited to have Linde as my guest in the “Mindset for Business” series to discuss life balancing life as a mum and a businesswoman, and to obviously get some nutrition tips.

Q.1 Hi Linde, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk to me today. What made you want to become a Dietitian? And how do you balance your career with being a mum?

Linde:

Hi Latoya! Thank you so much for contacting me and your kind words 🙂

I studied two years of economics before deciding on studying Nutrition. I now consider myself more a Nutritionist than a Dietitian (Dietitian has a clinical aspect) even if that was my initial degree.

I choose this path because it was the best degree for me to do what I want : help people become happier and healthier thanks to a better more Nutritious Diet. It is a challenge each day to balance it with mum life but I manage to do work in evenings from my laptop while my son plays or watches a cartoon.

Starting my business has been very hard and I’ve recently been working with a business coach to direct me and  keep me motivated through the process. At times it can be very fulfilling and everything I always wanted when at others I really doubt myself and feel like I am pedalling in the empty with the project.

On a good note the digital area is perfect for me, being a creative but introverted person.

Q.2 There is a big focus on Instagram on intuitive eating and body positivity. What advice would you give to someone who wants to stop counting macros and be more intuitive with their diet?

Linde:

I think being capable of intuitive eating comes with a bigger picture of life, finding joy and fulfillment in other areas of life so that the pleasure of food becomes only one of the many things that makes someone happy.

I understand this is hard to unlearn because many of us have been trained since early to associate treat food with happiness and celebration, and as a way to soothe sad feelings.

Fill your life with more emotional/ soul <<food >> through fulfilling relations with family, your partner and friends but also a nourishing hobby, a purpose , and sense of creation and your mind will naturally shift from an obsession to food to a happy relation to food, seeing it again as something enjoyable that feeds us and makes us happy, without overtaking our life.

I believe if soul food is lacking we try to fill that gap with physical food.

On a more physical note I believe once the emotional component has been addressed and someone still finds him or herself chronically yo-yo dieting, dissatisfied in their relation to food, and having cravings and binging regularly, then there might be a paradoxal issue of malnutrition underlying.

As I often talk about on my Instagram the Standard British Diet is poor in Nutrition despite our genetics need high amount of Nutrition, over time and years this can result in all sort of imbalances and hormonal shifts leading someone to be unable to resist unhealthy food and break the vicious circle.

With my traditional food program we will learn how to address these deficiencies effectively, strenghtening you and protecting you against cravings and obsessive eating by addressing the root cause of it.

I am all for body positivity, healthy at a larger size, if someone is living a truly Nutritious and Healthy Lifestyle and taking good care of themselves through Sleep, Mindfulness and exercise.

Size zero is very unhealthy and unobtainable anyway for most women, women are  healthiest at a <<average>> weight in order to get pregnant and to breastfeed a healthy baby, which is beautiful.

But I also wouldn’t celebrate the obesity that comes from eating much unhealthy unnatural food and not taking care of one’s body

Q.3 Nutrition is very important when it comes to overall health. Magnesium is very popular at the moment. What are your thoughts on Magnesium for conditions like anxiety and insomnia?

Linde:

I love Magnesium, especially Ionic Magnesium from Mag365. I think Magnesium can help reduce anxiety and possibly Insomnia, especially if these conditions are mostly physical. It helped me deal with panic attacks age 14 (alongside psychotherapy)

Insomnia (and anxiety) is a multifactorial symptom which possible causes are an unbalanced or inadapted Diet, Lighting, all types of Stress, Personal relations stress, Depression and many more. I would try it but not expect one single element to solve something as big as anxiety and insomnia.

Q.4 How do you incorporate self-care into your week?

Linde:

I think Meditation and Self reflection are very important. Things become more clear to me when I’m alone and I think mental health is just as important as body health.

Sleep also has a big importance in my life and I make it a no1 priority.

Q.5 What are your goals for the next 12 months?

Linde:

I am aiming to develop my online brand, and clarify my message even more so I can better help people looking to achieve optimal Health and Happiness through a Traditional Diet.

Q.6 Lastly, I know that you love gut health as much as me. What are your 3 favourite gut healthy food or drinks?

Linde :

I love a good kefir, especially made with raw milk if you can find it. And of course Kombucha, the cola taste one from No1 (in Sainsbury’s) is my current favourite.

Not a perfect gut health food but I also love my Sourdough bread, the one from Trove especially with a raw milk Cheese (which is also a source of probiotics 🙂

Amazing thank you for all the food for thought (pun intended). I always love our health chats and I agree about the cola Kombucha!

Linde:

Thank you for having me 

https://honestnutritionmcr.co.uk/