Interview with Claire from The Life Delight

We are pleased to introduce our new brand ambassador, Claire Rother, from the Life Delight. Claire is an amazing medical herbalist, nutritionist, researcher, writer and recipe developer who will be collaborating with Sports Philosophy for our series of Yoga and Brunch clubs in Marylebone, London. Here, she talks us through her experience of dealing with nutrition, health and stress:

What inspired you to become a medical herbalist and nutritionist?

I have always had a love of nature and plants, and since a young age I was interested in health and fitness. I grew up on a farm and to a very natural and health conscious mother. She would never buy us junk food, made everything from scratch (She is the most amazing cook!) and believed in the importance of eating properly for good health. The turning point in my life was my journey through depression and an eating disorder, which spurred me on with great passion towards learning how to help others heal themselves.

What is your philosophy towards your work?

The analogy I often use with my clients is of a lighthouse and a ship; I see my role as that of a lighthouse – I show people the way, guide them safely and with care, and I will keep shining for them but they must steer their boat in the right direction. They are the captains of their own ships.

People sometimes find it hard to stay healthy all year long – how do you do it?

It’s really all about cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself; if you can be your own best friend and really love yourself, then staying healthy is just a natural thing you do because you care about yourself. Often people create a lot of tension and resistance around their effort to be healthy mostly because they come at it thinking: “I should do this, I should do that.” This can drain so much energy and bring out people’s inner rebel. I have been there and it’s not much fun.

Top tips?

• Cultivate a loving attitude towards yourself and develop your self-compassion.
• Make time each day to relax and de-stress. Stress can zap your energy, make us crave high sugar/junk foods and affect our decision-making ability.
• Make sure you enjoy the foods you are eating and the exercise you are doing. Healthy living should be fun, not some kind of martyrdom. If you don’t like the taste of those buckwheat groats you have every morning, then scrap ‘em! Find something you do love and it will get you excited to get out of bed and eat it! Same goes for exercise – find activities you have fun doing, set up a positive reward cycle and you’ll naturally be propelled to do it.
• Finally, be gentle with yourself – we all have ‘off days’ and that’s okay too!

How do you motivate your clients?

I remind them that anything worth doing takes two essential ingredients: effort and time, and with that you can achieve almost anything. A key part of maintaining motivation is managing expectations – when you understand the value of the journey, you not only learn to love it but you also realise how much sweeter it is when you give your time and effort to something worthwhile.

Who has inspired you in your life and why?

My mother. She is the most compassionate and kind woman I know. And if there are two qualities in life that will see you through and generate happiness, it’s being compassionate and kind to others.

Do you have a life motto that you live by?

Yes. Many. I adore mottos! My favourite would have to be: “Remember to be grateful.” Gratitude is so powerful.

Everyone has cheat days – what’s your favourite guilty treat?

Oh that’s a hard one. It would probably be a Mr Prempy’s Mothercake. But to be honest, it’s actually full of goodness, so although it tastes seriously bad-boy, I’m not sure how much of a ‘guilty treat’ it is as opposed to a ‘treat’!

Finally, stress plays a key part of most people’s lives. What is your advice on dealing with stress at work or at home?

Developing stress management skills is one of the most important things that we can do. Although there are many short term things we can do to feel less stressed like a hot lavender bath; my advice is to practice mindful meditation. Much of our stress is generated internally, and practicing mindfulness helps us to still our minds, notice our thoughts and put perspective on them to cultivate a sense of inner peace. In time our minds become so much clearer, focused and we gain a sense of true power over our lives. 

Come and meet Claire at one of our Life Philosophy Series of Yoga and Brunch Clubs, kicking off on the 4th July, where she will be hosting a short talk and Q&A session. Tickets are available at https://eventbrite.co.uk/event/17440277339/.