Fit Chat: Haley Thompson (puts the "Peachy" in "Peachy Clean"!)
I'm all for supporting local businesses, especially if they're wellness-related and ESPECIALLY if they're run by gorgeous, genuine people like Haley Thompson of Peachy Clean.
...this girl is sunshine personified. So I wanted to find out how she keeps herself looking like she's made of radiating the joy of life's greatest things (the final present in Pass the Parcel, baby giraffes & fresh flowers). It's Fit Chat time!
What do you do for a living?
For a living I'm a nature loving, tree hugging, champagne drinking dreamer! Ha ha! it's what I like to say when asked what I do for a 'living' ;) The parts of my living that allow me an income include television presenting and running the online organic beauty and wellness boutique PeachyClean.com.au Peachy Clean is my baby and my way of spreading the word of good health, great skin, clean living and self love!
[ed's note: You gotta order if only for the cute packaging and card you'll get with your incredible skincare prodcuts ;)]
Most people haven’t always followed a healthy fitness and nutrition regime. How did you get into living a healthier lifestyle, or was it part of your upbringing?
My gorgeous nanna Pinky was so far ahead of her time with natural remedies and my mum taught me to look after my skin from an early age, so to a degree it's always been in-built to love natural remedies and to look after skin and health.
The real turning point came when I started having to wear a lot of make up for my jobs as a TV presenter and social columnist - that's when I noticed how bad my skin got! All the products being caked onto my face were causing havoc with my skin. So I started researching ingredients to see what could be causing my dry flaky skin - and let me tell you, once you start learning about the side effects of everyday ingredients in regular beauty products (things like infertility, eczema, asthma, immune dysfunction, breast cancer - it goes on) you will be converted for life, too! So I switched to organic and 'poof' it was like the great skin fairies paid me a visit! The difference was incredible. I just couldn't believe how hard it was to find truly natural and organic products (just because something says 'organic' on the label...doesn't mean diddly!) I was driving all over town to buy face wash and shampoo and toothpaste...it was a nightmare! So I thought "Well this is nonsense, I'm going to create an online store that only stocks fabulous organic products that I know work, that can be delivered overnight with none of the BS - no greenwashing, no pinkwashing no false claims' and so Peachy Clean was born!
What are your guiding nutrition principles when it comes to day-to-day eating for you?
Keep it real! I've always been a healthy eater - I love my broccoli and purple carrots but I know it doesn't come naturally to a lot of people who may not have been brought up with it. Luckily there are some amazing healthy websites these days with fabulous clean recipes to get everyone inspired. Eat the rainbow - natural foods that are rich in colour are also rich in goodness so mix it up. My salads look better than a packet of Skittles I swear ha ha! I also don't eat sugar - it's really not hard, just substitute it for something like honey, or coconut sugar, agave or even lucuma which is a really great tasting superfood - it has a citrusy caramel taste to it YUMMO!
What sort of exercise do you do and how often?
I live on the beach - it's so awesome to literally wake-up and see the waves crashing on the sand so I'm always out swimming, walking or surfing (I'm a terrible surfer but I have fun ha ha!). Plus I've got a great personal trainer who sets me up with some great routines - while I love yoga, I love weights and TRX training more! It's just what works for me. I go to the gym 3 times a week but each session takes me under half hour to complete so I'm in and out quickly with better personal results than when I was going to hour-long classes every night. My energy, clarity and general happiness improve so much when I exercise. It's so important to find out what works for you - if you can find something you enjoy (or at least don't hate) you'll stick with it much longer.
What do you do to relax and unwind?
I never have a problem saying "I deserve a nap" or "I've earned a trip to the spa" ha ha! I meditate daily and have fabulous long lunches with the girls every chance I get. It's so important to appreciate the things that actually matter. I love nothing more than turning my phone and computer off and just going for a big beach walk and taking my own damn time about it ha ha! The world still spins when I take a break - it will if you take a break too ;) I carry my Sodashi 'Space Clearing Mist' in my handbag - a little spray instantly resets my stress levels on the go, it smells incredible!
A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone that has helped you re-focus your mind?
Breathing! It's so easy to simply forget to breathe properly! When I'm anxious, stressed or nervous I take a few deep breaths in and exhale really slowly - long past when there's any air left - it almost sounds like weezing but it gets rid of the carbon dioxide build up - it should take you almost 5 times as long to breath out than it did to breathe in. Repeat a few times - the calmness is instant. [ed's note: Yes, I did try this while editing this Fit Chat and got a couple of strange looks from the fam. But woah. Instant zen zone, folks!]
Name three things that make you happy.
My puppy Max (aka ratbag!), my nieces and champagne! ha!
Name three health/food/fitness/beauty/wellness products you’ve been diggin’ lately.
I'm crazy about my superfoods - just recently I went a week without my morning green smoothie while away from home and I was wondering why I was so tired and just couldn't be 'bothered' - the difference my morning green smoothie makes to my energy, focus, clarity and mood is absolutely huge! My regular morning smoothie includes banana, kale, probiotic yoghurt, organic blueberries (these are important to buy organic as the pesticides in regular berries is crazy!), honey, my Rainbow Superfood Blend, Super Greens Blend and Camu Camu - it tastes amazing and does me so much good! I'm also addicted to TRX workouts at the moment - such a great core workout. I'm also a big tea drinker so I decided to start stocking these amazing organic, fair trade Love Chai Love Teas - Skin Glow and White Tea, Rose and Goji Berry are my favourites! I love making iced tea with them - so gorgeous in summer, there's always a big jug of iced tea in the fridge!
What is your guilty food pleasure?
Pumpkin Pie! My brother in law is American so we celebrate Thanksgiving every year and oh my god - I get so excited for the pumpkin pie, my sister makes an extra one just for me ha! Seriously ;) [ed's note: Check out my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie!]
Are there any popular fitness, nutrition, wellness or health “trends” you’d like to see disappear?
So so many! It's ridiculous! 'Fitspo' kills me - don't aim to be anyone else, particularly not a photo-shopped-to-death someone else. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment and a self esteem hit. It's not real. Same as all these Facebook pages offering to make you look like whoever is in the photo. It's not that hard - eat well, exercise and focus on being happy no matter where you're at and you'll get results.
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You can stock up on lovely natural skincare and beauty products AND superfoods and teas at www.peachyclean.com.au