Emily is a Holistic Lifestyle Coach, copywriter, graphic designer, wellness junkie and barefoot bandit. She is the fair-haired maiden behind Emily Ehlers. She has a love of the planet and an unhealthy preoccupation with sloths. Her passion lies in helping magnificent women around the world to unleash their amazing – to get rid of anxiety and replace it with a healthy serve of self-love and a chaser of green juice. She truly believes that most people do not understand how amazing their bodies are designed to feel! So if you love practical wellness tips, interviews with fiercely inspiring women, a bit of soul-baring and a silly sense of humour then come say hi on Instagram and Facebook. Let go of fear. Love your body. Live your dreams. Repeat.

Tell us three things about yourself

• I am an idealist. I believe that we can have it all once we are really clear on what “it all” is.
• I am a DIYer. I make my own chemical-free cleaning products, body products and upcycle all sorts of things that other people consider rubbish (hello tin cans!)
• I looove animals. Nothing makes me happier than sitting on Leighton Beach in summer and having 100’s of dogs running up and introducing themselves to me with a big lick on the face. I am also partial to sheep.

What’s been the biggest health challenge you’ve overcome and what did you learn from this experience?

Ask me a year ago and I would have said anxiety, weight gain, hormonal issues or brain fog.  However I recently discovered that instead of separate issues they are actually all bundled together – Candida overgrowth. I am now on a very strict diet to try and overcome it – with no sugar (including fruit), carbohydrate, soy, dairy or legumes. Obviously my beloved glass of wine is gone too.

What I am learning is that I am stronger than I knew. I have dedicated myself to this new way of eating and for the first time I have really stuck to it. It has shown me that I have finally changed my attitude and I truly want to be healthy. After just a week on and I am already feeling amazing!

What’s your top tip for getting your day off to a great start?

Start every day as if it were on purpose. I feel completely off-kilter if I wake up in a rush and off schedule. So I set my alarm and leave it outside my room so that I have to get up to turn it off – and then I’m up anyway. May as well stay up.

I have also noticed a huge difference since I started saying affirmations in the morning. My fave at the moment is “you are getting stronger and healthier every day”.

Your brekky usually consist of…

Without fail I start my day with a warm lemon water with a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and coconut oil in it to really get my digestion firing. Then I either have a green juice or smoothie. Right now – as I can’t have any fruit – my smoothie is silverbeet, kale, lemon, ginger, avocado, spirulina and chlorella. YUM!

Which foods do you eat to nourish your body and give you vitality?

Green Leafy vegetables with every meal! I am also a massive fan of Maca. This is the only superfood that I feel an instant difference with. It balances your hormones, gives you heaps of energy and makes your skin ah-mazing!!!

Why is fitness an important part of your life and do you have an exercise routine?

If I don’t exercise regularly (and I do have weeks where that is the case) I feel a very significant shift in my attitude. I walk a bit more slumped, feel a bit more irritable and have trouble sleeping.

I walk the dogs early every morning and then head to the gym. I focus mostly on strength training (pump, CX) and yoga. I have found this SO important for my sanity as they have a great crèche and I get that third space where I don’t have to think about anyone but myself. I throw in a cheeky sauna to truly capitalize!

Your ‘perfect day’ in nutshell would be…

I’d start the morning early with a walk and dip on the beach with my family. Then we’d head to a farmers market and lazily stroll around drinking green juice and sniffing essential oils! After that it would flow on to a lazy lunch with friends and family, maybe a book, some painting or something crafty. Then watching the sunset over the water somewhere, probably with an SSB in hand.

Describe what motivated you to choose your current business or career path?

During my teenage years my attitude towards food turned poisonous. Then up until my mid-20’s I lived an existence swinging between under-eating, over-eating, purging and devouring every crappy diet book under the sun.  Finally after my daughter was born last year I made the commitment to sort myself out and be truly healthy. So I did.

Now that my relationship with food is good and healthy I want to help other people that may be struggling the way I was and truly unleash their amazing. I sometimes cringe at the 15 or so years I have taken to realize that food doesn’t have to be hard or scary.

What business or career challenge have you overcome and what one piece of advice would you like to pass on to others?

Balance. Balancing life, work, fitness, dreams, family and everything in between is unbelievably difficult at times. I am still perfecting the art of slowing down and appreciating every stage that I am in.

Be Present. Enjoy every stage – it is where you are meant to be. Everything will come to you at the right time when you are ready to receive it. Stop. Smell the roses.

Your favourite book or movie of all time is? And why?

Modoc by Ralph Helfer. It is a true story of a boy and his elephant – they are born on the same day and live a truly extraordinary life together.

Besides being an unbelievable travel story it is also a love story that shows how bloody amazing animals are. The connection between Bramm and Mo is love in its purest form. It’s actually breathtaking. But be warned… have a million hankies at the ready.

And lastly, do you have a recipe you’d like to share with us?

Yes indeed… this stuff is DELISH.

Raw Fruit and Nut Chocolate

• 110 grams raw almonds
• 170 grams virgin cold-pressed coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons raw cacao
• A handful of medjool dates, chopped (about 15).
• ¼ cup maple syrup (make sure it’s 100% pure – not just flavored syrup)

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper or alfoil and place in the freezer to chill.
2. Grind almonds in a blender / food processor until they are finely chopped (not quite a powder though).
3. If your coconut oil is solid, gently warm in a saucepan until it is all liquid (do not boil!).
4. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients; almonds, raw cacao, dates and maple syrup.
5. Pour the mixture onto your tray and spread it out evenly then put into the freezer until it has set. This won’t even take an hour!
6. Chop the chocolate into chunks or rough squares.
7. Note: Keep in the freezer!