I moved to Spain in 1988! Initially for work (i wanted to travel the world and go to Australia) but then met my now husband and the rest is history. Australia is yet to be visited 🙂
I have lived all over Spain in 30+ years i have lived here. The Baleares, Levante, Barcelona but mainly in Madrid (over 20 years). However we have now relocated to the Costa del Sol for a more relaxed way of life and a kinder climate, so we are enjoying San Pedro de Alcantara and the surrounding areas. My top 3 reasons you should come here are:
1. The kinder, milder weather…
2. The jaw dropping coastline with its majestic sunrises and sunsets – they stop me in my tracks.
3. The plenty of places to visit nearby (Gibraltar, Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Marbella, Sotogrande) there is never a dull day.
Identify what is really important to you and build that into your new life.
As we are new to the area, each day brings something new to learn and no day is quite the same. However, I have a passion for food. I love food, who doesn’t. So cooking meals from scratch is a part of my day and escaping out to try new healthy eating bars and restaurants is also a joy!
However, I have a bigger passion for helping people. I am an experienced coach and registered nutritional therapist. Putting these 2 skills together I work with women 40+ helping them take back control of their health, so they feel energised and reconnect with themselves again. Each age involves transition and brings with it its own challenges as I have just experienced first hand!! Who hasn’t woken up one day to discover that the body they have is a stranger to them? Suffering gradual weight gain, after having children, menopause etc. And with the passing of time several health and weight challenges have cropped up that seem to be out of our control.
My clients have usually tried every diet in the book and are now tired of being a “prisoner” to eating and just want to enjoy life (including their food & drink). They want to age healthily and that is what I spend most days doing. Supporting women, researching cases and reading about new research and ways to live a healthier lifestyle.
I understand the challenges of the “expat” life; adapting to a different country. You are trying to blend the new country’s food with the traditional home favourites, enjoying the social life and emotional eating & drinking that can come with that.
Most of my day is spent at home as I run my clinic online so each client can have their session from the comfort of their homes or anywhere in the world should they be travelling. However I have a wonderful maltese dog called “Bubbles” and venturing out for walks and discovering new ones is something we always take time to do. I also really enjoy reading, cooking and yoga.
I have achieved a lovely clinic globally by working on line. My clients may live in Spain or other parts of the world. They may be busy corporate ladies who travel (or did before the pandemic) or they may be local but just don’t want to have to get in the car. Instead they can come to their session in pjs if they want to. It is full of wonderful ladies, all with different stories but who have all openly let me into their lives. For that, I am grateful. We learn so much from each and everyone of them. They help me grow as a person.
My favourite people would be my children, my friends and family. We would eat my homemade lasagne or aubergine Parmigiana with salad. And for dessert a chocolate avocado mousse or pavlova. Plus a nice bottle of wine.
My listening skills. Not only do I listen to the words but I need to listen to the voice and the body. This way I can really understand what is going on in a woman’s life and then we can take steps forward. We all different. We have different bodies, different lives and different needs. By really listening I can give each woman what is right for her and tailor my programmes to her needs.
"Listen to your body, it will tell you everything you need to know"
I say this to my clients all the time. Our body wants to be in balance and strives to continually get back there. However when it struggles it sends us signs. They could be aches and pains, colds, bloating, feeling low, low on energy or cravings. These are all signs that your body needs something.
My spiraliser – oh my when i discovered the benefits of spiralling courgettes and substituting it for pasta, I never went back. This isn’t to say I never have pasta, but it does mean I can get more veg into my diet and enjoy a good bolognese without pushing my blood sugar up.
I love all kinds of music from all eras but I do enjoy the Bee Gees. It’s just music that doesn’t seem to age and was music my mum would have on often whilst cooking Sunday lunch, so brings lots of warm memories.
I have lots of favourite books but one i am reading at the moment is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – a lovely story about a Korean woman’s life living in Japan. On the non fictional front i am reading Low Tox Life by Alexx Stuart. Toxins have such an impact on our lives that i am always for looking for ways and ideas to “clean up”.
"One day you will laugh at this"
I remember in a very dark moment being told this, and at the time thinking – NEVER. However with time what might seem a huge drama today you will laugh at later in life.
My Ageing Fabulously Website: www.ageingfabulously.com
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