Get Nourished With Mel Kenny ~ PART 1

On meeting our gorgeous friend Mel (AKA @SheIsNourished) for the first time, there was something that instantly made us feel at ease. There's an enthusiasm lighting up her face when she speaks to you... a zest that melts into the air around her and makes you feel it too. Her energy is there in the moment and you can really feel it.

Mel's passions run far and wide, but most know her these two - maintaining healthy body to walk in, and a healthy earth to walk on - two concepts that can be (and should be) symbiotic.

With the post-Splendour Flu infecting the office like a plague and the Byron air still crisp... we called on our favourite health foodie to bring us her favourite Winter warming recipes over the next couple of weeks... But first, we spoke a little about life, living and carrying a little compassion wherever you go.

Describe a day in your life:

I start my day very early. I am up at 5am so that i can fit in a meditation before the day starts. I practise vedic meditation which involves meditating twice daily. Depending on the day i do a 6am yoga class in Bondi or get my butt kicked by my amazing Personal training.

Breakfast at the moment is Oats, much like the recipe above!

Then it's into my day. My full time job involves back to back meetings educating clients on digital media so it can be pretty full on!

Lunch is generally with a client at the moment I'm favouring soups for this season!

My meetings generally wrap up by about 3.30pm. I schedule in my second meditation for the day at this time to avoid 3.30itis and it gets me focused for an afternoon of admin.

Nights at the moment are a mixture depending on how brain dead i am from the day! I'm brainstorming on a new direction that my website is going at the moment so I will work on that, do a little study, read or if i'm really brain dead i sometimes just get wrapped up in the world of Vanderpump rules.

What does “She Lives Free: mean to you?

Freedom to be who you want to be.

Freedom caring about how others are judging you (lets face it there are some judgey people out there but we don't have to care about what they are thinking!)

Freedom to discover different worlds & experience difference.

The Freedom of safety, to know that you don't have to worry about being harmed in your relationships or environment.

I think living free is security of knowing who you are 100% and playing life completely in that zone.

Life is hear for you to live it, not to live it how others see fit.

Tell us about your favourite place in in the world

Straight up, the ocean. There is something the consistently draws me back to it for sanity and healing. I can't get enough!

Favourite place at the moment is Bali. It's on my list to live their one day. I am itching to get back there for a visit soon!

Where has your passion for health come from? Was it always there… or was there a defining moment?

As a kid i was always super into my sports. I lost it for a little bit in my early 20s but after a pretty traumatic break up, losing way too much weight from stress & getting sick it all became a focus for me again. I was thinking about studying nutrition and was encouraged to jump in by a friend of my who has always been an amazing cheerleader!

You campaign for a compassionate life - what is your biggest environmental focus right now?

I've never really understood the arguments from people that are against the talk of global warming. I can't seem to find any logical argument that make sense to me for us not to reduce the impact on the planet.

At the moment i've really become conscious of how much plastics that we use. I've started to try to reduce my consumption, I carry a reusable coffee cup and water bottle, have the cutest glass green froggy straw and take my own bags to the shops. I haven't been really great at this in the past but it's something that I am working on. A scoop wholefoods store has just opened in Bondi so I've started buying just what i need from there & storing the rest in glass jars. I'd love to challenge myself one day and see how little i can have as waste!

It does my head in that there is a giant trash vortex the size of Texas in the North Pacific ocean already and smaller ones in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

What’s the biggest health lesson you’ve learned:

To listen to your body and to practise what you know.

There have been a few significant times when i know i have been pushing the limits of my bodys' health and rather than listen i've chosen to ignore it. Not one of the times it has worked out for me & i've ended up sick! Listen to your body when it's telling you it needs a break.

In regards to healthy living, so many people say 'i know that already'. The question is 'are you doing it?' We all know how good for the body fruits and vegies are but are we really consuming the recommended 2 & 5 each day?

WARMING OVERNIGHT OATS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups organic oats

2 cups of Almond milk

2 x Pears

Raspberries

Cinnamon

Pumpkin Seeds

Chia Seeds

Nut butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. The night before mix oats and almond milk in a bowl and refrigerate.

2. Set over to 180 degrees. Cut pairs in half and sprinkle with cinnamon. Wrap in foil. Bake in over for 20 - 30 minutes. I normally pre bake pears to save time in the morning if need be.

3. Heat oat on the stove until desired temperature.

4. Serve in two bowls. Decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon, pears, raspberries, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and a dash of nut butter. Depending on season you can mix these fruits up so you are eating season foods.