Veggie Interview: Jia Ni Teo of Happy Healthy Abundant

I am crazy excited for today’s post.  We are lucky enough to have a little Q&A with my blog friend, Jia Ni Teo!  She’s writes an amazing blog called Happy Healthy Abundant.  The title describes it quite well.  She blogs about empowering yourself to live a happy, healthy, abundant life.  I’m sure you’ll find her as inspirational as I do!

How would you describe your diet?

JNT: I eat a plant-based, mostly vegan (except for honey), wholefoods diet. My diet consists of green vegetables, lots of colourful seasonal vegetables (think carrot, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, avocados, eggplant), fruits, seeds, nuts, and grains. I also stay far away gluten, as well as processed and refined foods such as trans-fat, white sugar and refined salt!

What is your favorite veggie, and how do you like to eat it?

JNT: Tough question – I have an endless list of veggies that I adore! I’d probably pick avocados, because they’re so versatile. I love to mash them up to make guacamole, slice them on a piece of warm, home-made gluten-free toast, have them in my salad or with cooked quinoa!

Sliced avocado + herbs (chives, cayenne pepper, pinch of Celtic sea salt) + fresh sprouts on a slice of toast = quick, healthy and easy meal!

Technically a fruit, but I love avos because they keep me full, satisfied and energized to go power through a busy day.

What was/is your biggest motivator for changing and maintaining your eating habits?

JNT: If you had seen me a year ago, you’d be shocked! I was constantly energy deprived and tired. I felt sluggish, irritable, and I had to rely on caffeine to fuel me! I didn’t have the energy and drive to do what I wanted to do. Deep down inside, I had big dreams – I wanted to travel the world, I wanted radiant skin, I wanted to write, and I strived to be the best version of me! I couldn’t do that with low energy levels, and that was a huge motivator for me to start to find a way out of that!

I was a cheerleader back in high school, and I have always loved sport, so I wanted to be able to increase my energy levels and recovery time so that I could be stronger and fitter and perform to my highest ability as well. I couldn’t do that with low energy levels – to be honest, I couldn’t even drag my bottoms out to take a walk last year! Yikes!

I was also stuck in a negative cycle of dieting. I tried every single diet on the face of Earth that promised me that I would have a slimmer body and weigh less. The whole spectrum, you name it! However, these diets were not sustainable in the long run! I was always left feeling sluggish, depressed, and DEPRIVED.

I was sick of calorie counting, I was sick of feeling tired all the time, I was sick of constantly worrying about food. I knew there were better ways. Deep down, I knew that it was possible to be healthy without worry and anxiety. Afterall, our ancestors never counted or weighed their food – so why should we?

Thus, I set out on my journey (albeit a long one) to re-discover the ways of healthy eating, to re-awaken my ability to tune into my body, to re-connect with my soul, which had been deeply malnourished and neglected.

Through my journey, I started to clean up my diet and when I saw how well my body responded, I discovered my love for nutrition. I understood that our body’s natural state was a state of health – that our ideal weight, ideal body composition, and health were the natural state. The body heals itself if you provide it with the conditions to do so!

From all that I have gone through, I found great joy in helping others improve their lives and performance through their diet, without deprivation or strict rules. My hunger for knowledge on nutrition keeps growing, and I am now studying holistic health coaching and a degree in nutrition. I also started my blog Happy Healthy Abundant (http://jianiteo.com), where I started share my ever growing journey to happiness, health and abundance. I am so grateful to be able to connect with my amazing readers through this space as well!

What’s non-negotiable for you in your diet?

JNT: Fresh, real food are my essentials in life. I’m easily satisfied, and if you can give me that, I am all good and will be happy forever. That is really all I ask for.

None of those highly processed, genetically modified, artificial coloured, preservative-laiden food-like-substances. Or foods that are unpronounceable, contain a bunch of numbers, or ingredient list with what-seems to be a zillion items on them. No artificial hormones, antibiotics or health-harming chemicals.

Just good ol’ fresh, real, whole foods – the way nature intended it to be, as it has always been!

Describe what an average day of eats looks like for you.

JNT: Upon rising – Small shot of apple cider vinegar in warm water (great for skin health and stimulating digestion) or Warm water with freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Morning – Large green juice and/or green smoothie

Snack – Sprouted nuts / Fruit salad / Dips or Nut Butters with Veggie Sticks or Crackers

Lunch – Leftovers from last night’s dinner (usually a large salad with a grain like quinoa or millet, and avocado/seaweed + vegetables; or a wrap with avocado and vegetables!)

Snack – See above

Dinner – Huge cooked meal with grains, veggies and whatever fancies me. Sometimes I make a dessert (chocolate brownies, raw chocolate, raw cakes) to have after my dinner. Sometimes I have dessert before dinner if I feel like it. (I also cook wild caught salmon or organic meat for my sister for dinner as she is an omnivore.)

How do you like to get your sweat on?

JNT: I am a HUGE yoga lover. I love being a yogi! I adore yoga, and I am a firm believer that how we practice yoga on our mat reflects how we live our life. If we are rushing through our yoga poses, we will rush through our daily activities. If our minds are always filled with worries while we’re doing yoga, or if we’re constantly worrying about what people think about our flow during yoga – that all reflects on how we live our life.

Yoga grounds me and keeps me centered. It brings me back to the present, and reminds me that there is no better place to be than right here right now. Yoga allows me to understand that I am where I need to be, and that my journey is unfolding as it should be.

When I miss my yoga practice, I feel a huge difference – I tend to be rushed and anxious.

I also love being in nature – walking, trekking or hiking in the woods. I love walking and running on the beach. Any activity out in nature – call me and I’ll be there! Being in nature always lifts my mood and keeps me happy.

What is a natural beauty product you swear by?

JNT: Coconut oil! I love using it as a body and face moisturizer. It smells divine and keeps my skin moist.  I always get a huge jar of coconut oil, and use it for cooking, making raw desserts and as a moisturizer. The benefits of coconut oil are just amazing!

BONUS TIP: “If you wouldn’t eat it, you probably shouldn’t put it on your skin”. Your skin is your largest organ, and it absorbs what you put on it, so make sure you’re aware of what you’re putting on your skin!

What steps do you take to try to live a greener life?

JNT:

• I love walking to where I need to go whenever possible. (Exercise + Great for the environment!)
• I take reusable bags and boxes to the grocery store and farmers market every week.
• Support the local farmers’ market! (Fresher food + reduce your carbon footprint!)
• Run the washing machine on cold water (I also use a wash ball instead of detergent)
• Eating a largely plant-based diet. (Even if you’re not vegan, cutting down meat intake and enjoying high quality, organic meat & animal products occasionally will be beneficial for your health & great for the environment at the same time.) If possible, purchase organic, sustainably raised produce – they taste so much better. Happy animals = happy you!

What is/are your favorite book(s) about healthy living (physical, mental, or spiritual)?

JNT: I am an avid book reader! I always have books I want to read, books stacked on my night stand, and books in my bag. I have my parents to thank for my love for books. They have always been encouraging me to read ever since I was a young girl.

A few of my current favourites are:

-You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
-Wishes Fulfilled by Dr Wayne Dyer
-Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
-The Power of Intention by Esther Hicks
-Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
- A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson

What is the best piece of advice you have for someone looking to live a healthier life?

JNT: You are already half way there. Your mere decision and choice of DECIDING to live a healthier life; that intention you have – KEEP it close to your heart. Always remember it. Keep your goal in sight (whether your goal may be to achieve better health; radiant skin or feel more energy). Your vision will bring you forward, and it will lead you to your ultimate health and wellness.

Work on adding more wholefoods into your diet, replacing the artificial, chemical-laiden, highly processed foods. Always substitute and CROWD-OUT, never just remove. When you start to remove certain foods without adding more luscious, fresh foods into your diet – your body goes into a state of deprivation. Avoid that state by adding more real foods you love, be it smoothies, fruits, salads, nut pates or dips!

Do it one step at a time, don’t make changes too drastic if you don’t feel comfortable doing it. You’re taking a step forward – and that is HUGE! Kudos to you for that!

I also wanted to give you a challenge, because I KNOW you are up for it.

JNT: Do it now: Go through your pantry and kitchen right NOW. Throw out and remove all the food that is not conducive to your health and wellness. Anything that is highly processed, refined, or has harsh chemicals in them.

If you feel that this is wasteful, remind yourself that your health, energy and radiance are WORTH IT. YOU are WORTH IT. The medical bills that accompany ill-health are NOT. You are responsible for your health, and I know you can do it.

Surrounding yourself with healthy foods and a healthy environment {http://jianiteo.com/pantry-essentials/} is the surest way to succeed!

I promise you 100% that your path to wellness will rock your world and will be SO worth it. It will give you a whole new perspective on health.

And lastly, remember that your health and happiness are deeply intertwined. When you have health, you will no doubt have happiness! With health, the possibilities are endless – you will have the energy to pursue your dreams and desires; you will have the radiance to inspire others; you will be able to step up and live the beautiful life that is always meant to be!

To your health and happiness!

Much love,
Jia Ni

 

About Jia Ni

Jia Ni is an inspiration junkie, writer, healthy foodie, yogi, holistic health coach and the creator of the mind-body-soul blog Happy Healthy Abundant. She is easily inspired by the miracles that surround us, loves farmers markets, and enjoys spending time out in nature. Her passion is to guide and inspire people to live with bliss, health and abundance. You can find out more and connect with Jia Ni at jianiteo.com.

Website: jianiteo.com
Facebook: facebook.com/JiaNiHHA
Twitter: @jianiteo