She’s a chef, health coach, book author, wife and a mum of three… Meet one of South Africa’s game changers of the wellness industry: the gorgeous and multi-talented Christine Phillips.
Q: What is your idea of beauty and (how) has it changed for you over time?
Your face tells so much about you and I am in the business of trying to look healthy. I am always listening out for great skin products for my face. The older I get the more my skin needs to feel hydrated. Moisture is key as we age and I want my skin to feel nourished. Beauty for me is what you project: the happiness or sadness that comes through on your face.
Q: What do you look for in skincare cosmetics for yourself?
I have started looking very long and hard into what I am putting onto my skin. Having teenage daughters, I am concerned about what goes onto their skins and I am very aware of toxins in all our products. I am making small but steady progress in adding more natural products to our daily regimes – from face products, soaps and toothpaste to cleaning products. It takes time. My girls will only use organic toothpaste now and want to only use organic products themselves.
I was introduced to MYHRU High! Serum as I was given it as a gift. After trying it I just loved everything about how it made my skin feel. It is so nourishing, but not greasy. I love that it is all natural and it lasts so long. I have used it all summer and my girls use it now too.
Q: What made you decide to become a health coach and found Health Yourself?
I have always been passionate about cooking and food. I wanted to add more value and gain knowledge to share with my clients about the reasoning for eating a healthy balanced diet. Basically, I wanted something behind me so I could back myself up as I have always believed that food is medicine and what we consume effects us in different ways.
Now, when I cook I am a lot more conscious about where my food comes from and how it’s benefiting my body as well as the health of my clients. Coming up with healthy, nutritious and tasty foods is what I strive to do now. I want my clients to LOVE eating healthy and enjoy it. I love seeing the results after my programs and seeing how people change their views on what they are consuming. This is a very rewarding privilege.
(See Christine’s recipe for MYHRU here).
Q: Most of us grow up with clear notions of what healthy is, and yet more and more people need guidance in wellness… why do you think that is?
I think media and marketing has made us all so confused! We need to keep “healthy” simple: fewer ingredients, less out of the box and more directly from the earth.
Q: You work on the premise of bio-individuality. Can you tell us more about this concept?
Yes, I love this. What it means is that what works for you and your body doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. We’re all different and we need to find an eating plan that works for us.
Q: You have founded the original cooking school for children, Little Cooks Club – what a fantastic idea! What made you think of this?
It started with my passion for food and cooking, and then obviously having my own children. I wanted to work from home and have the best of both worlds so I started The Little Cooks Club Brand. I found that introducing children to new foods and having fun with food was a great way to get them to eat healthier foods. It was a huge success and I franchised it. It’s been a wonderful small business which I have loved and expanded over the last 13 years.
Q: Tell us about your interactive food journal – who can benefit from it and how?
This recipe book is great for all new mums. It is a personal handbook packed with great recipes and ideas. It’s designed to be interactive and for you to keep all your favorite recipes. All recipes kids love and actually eat. They are all Little Cooks Club recipes but the book is filled with great advice and tips on what I have done with my family over the years.
Q: At MYHRU we whole-heartedly believe in a whole-listic approach to well-being. Apart from good nutrition, what other advice can you give to modern families who want to live happy and healthy?
To be whole-listic is to find the balance …. This is so difficult but if you can teach your children to have balance, I believe you have accomplished and taught them so much! Life is stressful and if parents are stressed, kids are probably just as stressed. Good balance between eating well (using the 80/20 rule), moderate exercise, work life and family quality time is the key to a healthy life style. This is a work in progress for many of us but as long as we keep trying…
Q: Apart from all your amazing career accomplishments, you’re a gorgeous mum of 3. How do you do it all? Care to spill your superwoman secrets?
I am the furtherest from being a superwoman! I work hard but I love what I do so I don’t see it as work. I am there for my children each day – not that I think they actually appreciate it most of the time (I have 2 teenages now) – but I rely on the support of my friends. I am very blessed to have a great bunch of supportive women in my life who help me on daily basis. A network of women for me is something I feel very blessed to have.
My big advice is t0 cherish your special girl friends! Women truly are a great support, whether it’s to help out, cry with or have a good laugh over a glass of wine.