The Art Of Slowing Down
Meet Tania Gault: Health Coach, slow-living advocate, and boho beauty.
We were lucky to be able to speak with Tania this month about her life as a holistic health coach, being a new mum, and her approach towards leading a more mindful life. Formerly a resident of Hackney, Tania now lives in the British countryside with her partner and beautiful baby daughter. Passionate about plant-based eating, holistic nutrition, and slow living, Tania helps her clients on their journey towards leading a long and healthy life. It is her belief that even small changes can make powerful contributions towards improving vitality, energy levels, and resilience. Read on to learn more.
You’re a holistic health coach. How do you help your clients reach the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves?
My role as a health coach is to help my clients help themselves. I am there as a guide and accountability partner, I help them make small changes in their everyday lives which in turn helps them become the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves. I truly believe everyone knows deep down what they need to get there, I'm just there to cheer them on and push them gently in the right direction!When and why did you start eating a plant-based diet?:
I became plant-based over 4 years ago now! I was vegetarian for 2 years prior to that. It's been one of the most powerful shifts in my life and for my health. I first made the change for health reasons (mostly after watching the What The Health documentary, but also after months of reading and research -- that's how my brain works!), but quickly after that, it became more about ethics and environmental reasons. I truly believe we would all benefit from eating more plants and it would benefit the planet too.How do you think the stressors of modern-day life are impacting our current day-to-day health?
I believe stress, especially low-level/chronic stress which we all experience in the modern world in one way or another. Stress in my opinion overrides most other healthy habits, so you could be in great physical health, eating a healthy and vibrant diet, but if stress is part of the equation your body will be affected in more ways than we realise. Low-level stress means your body is constantly in fight or flight mode, which in the long run can be detrimental to your physical and mental health. Living in big busy cities, spending a lot of time on our phones and social media, dealing with eco-anxiety, with negative news from around the world, working a high-stress job etc...all create micro-moments of stress responses which really do add up!What do you do to stay balanced?
I try and have ’non-negotiables’ that I stick to every day. These might change depending on what is going on in my life, on the season, how much time I have etc, but some of mine include starting the day with a green smoothie, and continuing to fuel my body with whole foods throughout the day, as well as taking high-quality supplements (I have found Enhanced Nootropics to be an excellent aid in fighting stress!) and drinking quality water. Moving my body is essential for me, whether it’s a workout or a long walk, taking some time alone to recharge (as a mother I find it to be even more important), meditating and breathing every day even if it’s only for 2 minutes.
You recently had a baby! How has the journey into motherhood been for you?:
It has truly been the most transformational journey of my life. I think most mothers would agree, but your world gets flipped upside down, in the best of ways. I am learning to become the best mother I can be for my little girl, and giving myself grace along the way. We go through so many intense changes, physically and emotionally, first of all growing a human for 9 months, birthing a baby, no matter your experience it’s one of the most profound experiences of our lives, and then learning to take care of said baby and yourself at the same time..! It’s a lot! My daughter is 16 months old and I am only just starting to feel like I am coming back to myself, as well as discovering this new me. It’s pure magic, a love like no other, it’s also very hard in many ways but the most rewarding journey of my life.Do you have any health hacks that you’d like to share with any fellow mums out there that have helped you stay balanced during your first year as a mum?:
Rest, rest and rest. I can’t stress it enough. I truly hate the bounce-back culture, and this pressure women feel to come back to their ‘old selves’ as if it was the ultimate goal. I truly believe women need to feel honoured and cared for after birth, the postpartum period is truly sacred and we should treat it as such. Many cultures around the world embrace this postpartum period so beautifully, I think in our society we tend to do too much too soon. We leave our bed too soon, we leave the house with our new baby too soon, we allow people into our bubble too soon, and push ourselves physically and emotionally too soon. So my best advice is to rest as much as you can, especially in those early days. Ask for help. Accept help. Look after yourself and nourish your body, because the baby will thrive and do better if you’re thriving and doing well!What does a day-in-the-life look like to you? Do you have any daily rituals?:
It changes a little every day, but as I mentioned earlier I have some non-negotiables that I strive to follow in my day-to-day. Motherhood is a ride though ha, so it doesn’t all happen every day and that’s ok. I try and hydrate first thing in the morning and I also love to do some tongue scraping and oil pulling if I remember. Then a big focus on whole plant foods: breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I love a good green smoothie (I’ve recently been adding Cellular Hydration into it and it’s a real boost!). Next, it’s off to the races with a day packed full of toddler activities, lunch is often leftovers (we try to go by the ‘cook once eat twice’ mantra to make our life easier), and nap time is then my time to catch up on work and emails, afternoons are normally at home and include a nature walk, and then we all have dinner together, it tends to be early, so we have some time to relax in the evening, or sometimes catch up on more work. I try to stretch before bed every night, and I love a good bath with lots of Epsom salts to help my body wind down before bed. I like to take Enhanced Nootropics in the evening too.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness to me is more of a feeling. I think it looks and feels different for everyone. It’s a feeling of balance between my physical and mental health, I feel calm and at peace, good inside and out. True balance is hard to achieve, but I try and be consistent in my habits to feel as good as I possibly can. Consistency is everything, especially on those days when you want to do none of it!
