Next in our Inspiring People series is the awesome Belinda Tuki who is the creator of The Honest Food Co (who you may remember I did a post about a while back when she was crowd-funding for her new kitchen!). Belinda chats to us about her journey to a healthy lifestyle including leaving her corporate career, her story of finding herself and the creation of The Honest Food Co.
Hi I’m Belinda and I’m the creator of The Honest Food Company, stemming from what I have learned from my 12 years in the health and wellness industry as a Personal Trainer, NLP Practitioner, Wellness Coach, Grain and Dairy Free Advocate (Get me a soapbox!).
Tell us about your journey to living a healthy lifestyle…
12 years ago I was a skinny fat vegetarian! Back then, being a vegetarian for me meant lots of rice, bokchoy, broccoli, garlic bread and vodka! (NOT KIDDING).
I was in the Finance and Insurance industry, earning six figures and was tired, stressed and generally unhappy. So I gave up my contract, headed to India and found myself … 😉 corny but true! I came back home after a few weeks and didn’t know what to do, just knew I didn’t want to do what I had been doing, so I gapped it to the US on a 3 month visitor’s visa.
I was introduced to a bodybuilding personal trainer of my friend’s, had a free workout session, and I was hooked! I’d never been a sporty person, and had attempted the gym with no success. So this was a big thing for me! I trained 3 x weekly, only 30 min sessions, all weights, full resistance and to failure. Massive results really quickly!
Combined with my “bodybuilders diet” my body responded so favourably and instantly, people in the gym were asking my trainer what supplements etc I was on. His response “kiwi genetics” haha I knew the food component was 90% of the magic. High protein, low carb back in those days. I think it’s back 😉
I reintroduced boneless chicken breasts and fish to my diet to help with my protein intake, but mainly I ate scrambled egg whites. All the freakin’ time. It worked and I was able to add veges etc to make it a complete meal. I wish there was such a thing as social media back then. My selfies would’ve been on point haha.
I received my International Certification in Personal Training from the Cooper Institute, Dallas and never looked back!
Tell us about The Honest Food Co and how you came to create your protein goodies?
The Honest Food Co actually came about because my customers were asking me to create a protein bar that encompassed everything my teachings were about. I had a flourishing business, Eggcel, which was 100% pure egg white protein, online weight loss challenges, and workshops and coaching programmes focusing on the mind-body connection.
It took me around 8 months to achieve a protein bar that was high in protein, while being grain/dairy/soy/gluten/sugar free. I realised it could only be made by hand, and this excited me even more as my protein bars are truly made with love.
Not long after soft launching the protein bar at NZ Fitness Expo 2012 and selling out halfway through Day 1, I was contacted by a customer that they saw a product similar to Eggcel in the supermarket. Long story short, my manufacturer decided to launch their own liquid egg white protein through their supermarket distribution channel which I could never do due to the cost of manufacturing.
I practically had to switch my business off there and then, literally, by turning off my website, contacting my then 20 stockists and emailing my database of the situation. I couldn’t compete as the product on the shelf was only $1.50 more than what I was buying it at.
I decided to take the time to figure out exactly where my passion lies within the health and fitness industry and realised I was more about Wellness, complete and encompassing.
I had fallen off the wagon so to speak myself, as during all this time I had my beautiful daughter, after being diagnosed as infertile (this amazing story for another interview!), moved out of Auckland to Papamoa, and totally lost who I was.
The space enabled me to refocus my energies back onto my own wellness, went back to being grain, dairy and sugar free and with the clarity this gave me, the renewed, healthy, energised me, knew exactly what to do with my protein bars, and The Honest Food Company was born. Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes 🙂 This also meant moving back to Auckland. YUSSSS!! I’m a proud Jafa!
What exciting plans are in the future for The Honest Food Co?
Changing lives. This is the foundation of The Honest Food Company. Profit with a purpose. The goal with the kitchen is to have the sales growth, grow the Paid Internship Programme to help provide a community for single mamas who are returning to the workforce. They may not have the experience or confidence to nail down a job that inspires and motivates them.
The Honest Food Company will provide a bridging job, more than “just a job”, a chance to be part of a caring team, handcrafting with love, delicious protein snacks and goodies, while learning new skills, feeling a part of something bigger, of something that will fuel that fire inside to give them the foundation to pursue a position that is perfect for them. It’s a paid internship, which is combined with real, heartfelt mentoring.
I’ve also launched the We are One Initiative, which allows customers to become community superheroes, by providing protein bars to those in the community who need them the most.
The ultimate mission for The Honest Food Company is to be the most trusted brand in the convenience real food market, which will mean more traction with our programmes and the ability to make positive change within our community, for those who purchase and enjoy our collection, through to those who benefit from our customer’s purchases via our community initiatives.
What is your approach to balance and moderation in life?
All about balance! But first you need to recalibrate if you’re out of whack emotionally and physically. I am definitely an advocate for being grain and dairy free and have been for 12 years, and this naturally reduces a person’s processed sugar intake. But it’s not the be all and end all.
If your body is in balance, no inflammation, no gut aches, pains, lethargy, illnesses, intolerances, depression etc from the food and drink you’re consuming, then you’re able to start living again intuitively.
Trust your gut. You know how best to nourish yourself. We all do, since a baby, we all have that natural instinct, our body is designed for it, our brain is designed for it. But first, clean out your overloaded system. Give your body the best chance, give yourself the best possible chance in life.
What is your favourite form of exercise to do?
If you had asked me pre Layla when I was a gym rat, it would’ve been “ANYTHING LEGS” and then a Marine Hoo Haa at the end!
Now … as my body has evolved, and my priorities are different (and that’s ok too by the way ladies), it’s Yoga. It challenges me like a hard-core weights workout used to, and I enjoy the internal dialogue during practice.
I give myself props for going deeper into a pose, fill my lungs with love and guidance and breathe out love and gratitude. It truly is an amazing form of “exercise”.
What is your favourite healthy food/recipe?
Ok this is a hard one, but to be honest, I’m all about simplicity and getting things done quickly in the kitchen. And as I have a 5 year old, I like to be able to offer her food that creates balance, for example pancakes. What kid doesn’t love pancakes right?
Ours are easy peasy to make, as Layla does most of the work!
3 really ripe bananas, mashed
2 – 4 tbsp of Naked Protein Powder (part of The Honest Food Co’ collection)
- Start with 2 tbsp and blend well with the bananas, and add more tbsp if need be to get pancake mix consistency.
- That’s it folks! Pour into your hot pan, (coconut oil used here) and voila, you are making grain and dairy free pancakes!
- Add blueberries on top and whipped coconut cream. Enjoy
What is your number one tip for those who want to live a healthier life?
Trust your gut. Listen to your body. Love yourself.
What are your top pantry items or healthy foods that you swear by (other than your Honest Food Co products of course ;))?
Coconut Oil
Frozen blueberries
Frozen Spinach
What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?
Yours of course! [Aww thanks!]
Carly Flynn
Fork Off Gluten
In Rhi’s Pantry (for those treat moments)
On Facebook, definitely my beautiful friend Makaia’s Motivate Me NZ page.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Belinda, I love that it all began after a trip to find yourself 😉 You’ve created beautiful products for those who need grain-free, sugar-free, protein-packed goodies on the go! And with your paid internships and we are one initiatives getting under way you are well on the way to changing many lives as well!
You can find Belinda all over the web! You can shop for The Honest Food Co goodies on their website or check out all the other ways to contact Belinda below:
The Honest Food Co Facebook Page
Belinda on Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
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COMPETITION TIME!
As you may be aware, we not long hit our first year of this blog and we have been celebrating with a number of different giveaways! I have decided to do a little giveaway with the Honest Food Co goodies as well!
One lucky winner will receive an Honest Food Survival Kit (1 protein bar, 1 triple pack of raw chocolate protein balls and 1 30g serial primal protein mix), as well as an extra protein bar for yourself (so you get to try one of each flavour!) and I will also add a ‘We are one’ to the order which will help someone in the community who needs it the most so you get a bit of a feel good moment too!
[contesthopper contest=”5279″]