Meet Alyse Co-cliff, Holistic Health Coach, founder of www.anappleaday.net.au and author of three beautiful recipe books filled with real food recipes that revolve around seasonal produce.
I first met Alyse when we were modelling with the same agency a few years back. Alyse's story is similar to that of many models who have felt the extreme pressure to maintain the 'perfect' body (I certainly experienced this pressure during my years of modelling - I remember the panic that set in every time I booked a big underwear or swimwear job - and to be completely honest, the pressure and self-critical thoughts still linger for me).
After a period of brutal workouts and restrictive eating to maintain the �perfect� body whilst modelling in the US, Alyse was left with hormonal imbalance, poor digestion and general exhaustion. Knowing that her body was suffering, she took it upon herself to find a way to start healing the damage. She is now an in-demand Holistic Health Coach who is leveraging her knowledge and experience to help others heal and achieve optimal health and wellbeing.
I sat down with Alyse to chat about her experiences, her top tips for staying fit and healthy and her popular Choc Chia Loaf!
Following a successful modeling career, what inspired you to become a Holistic Health Coach?
Throughout my modeling career, I always thought I was the �healthy� one. I would work out for at least an hour (sometimes 2 hours) a day, I would restrict fats and carbohydrates; I skipped the naughty stuff and would only indulge in vodka, lime and sodas when I hit the town, I did all the things I was told to do, but I could never maintain �that perfect body�.
Following this way of life, I always felt fatigued, I dealt with a lot of anxiety, I was sleeping but never woke feeling rested, I was bloated most as soon as I ate breakfast and my muscles were constantly under strain. Looking back, I�m not sure why I persisted; I guess I assumed you couldn�t look great and feel great at the same time� boy, was I wrong!
A real turning point for me was my stint in the US. I worked tirelessly to achieve the perfect body (I would spend hours on the treadmill, sometimes even at 11pm!), but nothing was ever good enough. Under pressure to �look my best�, I resulted to restricting calories. Whilst I got results, I began to feel even worse. I was willing to try anything; I went vegan, then vegetarian and whilst I convinced myself that I felt better, I began suffering from amenorrhea. I convinced myself this was because I came off the pill at the same time and it was �normal�. I was never unhealthy skinny, I looked great and clients started to agree. Before too long I started booking the big jobs and I put my concerns about my health aside.
I returned to my agency here in Australia and they were amazed at how great I looked. They were full of so much praise and enthusiasm. I tried to be excited with them. They asked me how I felt and all I could muster was �tired�. I was exhausted; I went home and slept from 11am through to 5pm that day.
I woke up that evening and I knew I had to do something different. All the advice from all the �diet books�, personal trainers, nutritionists etc. weren�t working. Always being a big fan of natural remedies, I began investigating holistic health. Turns out I had major hormonal imbalances, my digestion was all but destroyed and my body was in a constant sympathetic (stressed) response. I was a mess and needed some professional help. After searching high and low, I found some incredible people to help guide me through the repair process. I began to build my health from the ground up.
That�s when my life really turned around and I knew from that moment on, I wanted to help others do the same.
What do you love most about what you do?
Without a doubt, I love helping clients reach that �a-ha� moment. That moment where good health is no longer a struggle, a chore or a guessing game, I love this. There is something incredibly beautiful about watching someone become so empowered it gives me goose bumps every time.
What are the most common problems that you tackle with your clients?
Digestive issues are a big one. With our constant exposure to the pill and other medications, environmental toxins, processed food, flavours, chemicals, additives and the like, our gut health is really struggling and this is one of the first things I look to address. As Hippocrates says �good health starts in the gut�. Another extremely common problem is that of PCOS. Unfortunately, this is becoming a much bigger problem in society today. We have had some great results with PCOS patients; it�s an area I am really passionate about.
We hear a lot about the powers of �superfoods� in the media. Are there any �superfoods� that you think truly live up to their reputation?
One of the first things I explain to my clients is to ditch anything in their pantry labeled �super food�. We are constantly being told to buy this and buy that, in order to feel better, but in all honesty, a handful of Amazonian berries won�t help if you are still munching on foods that are causing you ill health. In my opinion, all REAL food (fresh, local, organic and seasonal food) could easily be labeled a super food in it�s own right, especially organic greens. I can guarantee that a serve of green vegetables at every meal and 2L of purified water daily will make you feel better than any �super food� ever will.
How do you stay fit and healthy?
I love to hike! After spending years on the treadmill, I love the outdoors and this is something I really enjoy doing. We just got back from the most amazing hike in New Zealand. I can�t wait to do more.
I also love to run barefoot in the sand, I love working with my amazing Pilates instructor (she has really changed me for the better) and I also love to indulge in the occasional Bikram yoga session.
Exercise is something I used to force myself to do. I used to smash myself at the gym for hours on end. Now I make sure that I keep active by doing the things I love. I have to work hard on keeping that stress response switched off!
What�s in your fridge?
Loads of seasonal vegetables! We pack our fridge full of greens and then aim to fill our plates with colors of the rainbow at each meal. Vegetables make up 80% of our fridge contents.
We don�t eat a lot of fruit, but if we do, it�s seasonal and organic and whilst I continue to repair my digestion (something I�ve had since I was a little girl), I like to eat things like papaya or pineapple for those added digestive enzymes. We also have free-range organic eggs, grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish on hand throughout the week.
We don�t eat a lot of dairy but if we do, it�s goat�s cheese or raw grass-fed cream (for a frittata). We also have some ghee on hand, as well as some coconut oil (but usually in our pantry). Eating more fat has been one of the most incredible tools for balancing my hormone levels.
Then we have things like our sauerkraut and kombucha (to help increase gut health). And of course there is some dark chocolate � a girl has got to have some of that!
What�s your top tip for people trying to clean up their diet?
Avoid the supermarket. I always ask my clients: �If there is such thing as a health food aisle in the supermarket, what does that say about the rest of the food in the store?� By skipping the supermarket, you automatically cut out all of the processed foods. This is a great place to start.
My next piece of advice would be to do your research, seek the help of a professional you trust (this would have saved me so much heartache) and skip the diet fads (they don�t work � trust me, I�ve tried most of them and the one�s I skipped, I know others who have� and each one of us has always failed).
Alyse was kind enough to share the recipe for her popular Choc Chia Loaf from her eBook Health, Happiness & Wholefoods, available here. The loaf uses zucchini instead of flour and is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. It's rich, moist, full of chocolately goodness and contains chia seeds and magnesium rich cacao (nice!).
CHOC CHIA LOAF
ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded (equal to 2 cups shredded zucchini)
- 2 organic free-range eggs, whisked
- � cup almond butter (any nut or seed butter will work here)
- � cup raw honey, maple or rice malt syrup
- � cup cacao powder
- ?� cup coconut flour?
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- � tsp baking powder + 1 tsp lemon juice, combined
- 32g or 4 tbsp of chia seeds
- Pinch of salt
preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 180�C.
2. Shred your zucchini either using the shredding attachment on your food processor or cheese grater.
3. Place zucchini in a bowl with the rest of your ingredients; use ?a large spoon to mix well until all the ingredients are combined and you have a deep chocolate colour.
4. Line your loaf tin with baking paper before pouring your ingredients into the loaf pan.
5. Place in oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when you poke it. Let it cool, cut and serve!
A huge thank you to Alyse for sharing her story, knowledge and delicious recipe!
You can find her recipe books here.
You can also follow Alyse on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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