Trusting your gut is a motto that nutritional therapist Sally Munro lives by.
After suffering from stomach issues as a teenager and being told to “ just live with it” by doctors, Sally decided to take matters into her own hands.
Through dietary and lifestyle changes, she has successfully turned her life and health around and is now on a mission to help others do the same.
“I had terrible tummy troubles and the doctor just used to say it must be IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) you’ve got to just deal with it,” says Sally who lives in Chapelton.
“There was never any chat about how changing my eating could help me.
“At university I was quite stressed so I started doing yoga and practicing mindfulness and that really helped.
“I put a lot of work into how I was feeling, the exercise I was doing and the food I was eating.
“I think you have to be your own warrior in health sometimes as you know yourself if something is not right with your body.”
Supporting people to be healthier and happier
Healthier and happier than ever, the 42-year-old, who is a fully qualified nutritional therapist and yoga teacher, now pours her energy into helping other people make small changes in their lives that can have massively positive results.
“I’m passionate about helping people as I don’t like to see anyone feeling unwell and not living their best life,” says Sally.
“It’s about fuelling up the best you can to feel great and to provide you with the energy you need for the day to think clearly, sleep well and be able to live your best life and be able to do what you want to do.”
Getting to the root of good nutrition
Kind and caring by nature, Sally left school and worked as a carer in a nursing home before starting a degree in psychology at Aberdeen University.
During her studies, Sally also worked as a lifeguard and a swimming teacher which is when she started to think about delving deeper into nutrition.
“I loved teaching and I still do that now but I always had this little niggle in my brain telling me that I should’ve done nutrition,” says Sally.
Acting on her instincts, Sally enrolled in a three-year course to become a nutritional therapist with the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
“I loved every second of it,” says Sally.
“It was a sacrifice as I had travel down to Edinburgh at the weekends as the course was held at Napier University but it was totally worth it.”
Fulfilling her lifelong dream of working for herself, Sally, who previously worked at Nourishing Insights, a nutritional therapy clinic in Aberdeen, hasn’t looked back since setting up on her own as a nutritional therapist and yoga teacher.
Far from just advising people to just eat their fruit and veg, Sally uses a holistic approach to help people improve their diets and lifestyles.
“It’s a whole lifestyle thing, I’m not just going to just say, go and eat your fruit and veggies,” says Sally.
“I don’t think people take into consideration other things like are they getting enough sleep, are they drinking too much coffee late at night, how are their stress levels because all of those things can have a massive effect on the body.”
Improved sleep and energy levels
From helping people to lose weight and increase their energy levels to improving sleep and skin conditions, Sally says it has been so rewarding to see the huge difference she has made to people’s lives.
As well as being mindful of what you eat, Sally says chewing your food properly also makes a difference.
“There’s a reason why we have the teeth to break down the food,” says Sally.
“So many people now are fast eaters now, grabbing food on the go and eating while checking emails or on the phone.
“It’s not mindful eating therefore sometimes that’s why people over eat because they’ve not even noticed what they’ve eaten.”
Yoga brunches
Based at her home in Chapelton, Sally does one-to-one online and in person consultations while also teaching yoga.
“I do some yoga brunches at my local café so the inspiration behind that is to get people together again,” says Sally.
“So we get together do some yoga and then enjoy brunch and just talk.
“A lot of people say they’re not flexible for yoga but it’s accessible and it doesn’t matter what age you are and whether you can touch your toes.
“It’s just about taking that time for your body to sit, to breathe and to connect with yourself.
“You don’t need to stand on your head.”
Wellbeing diary with Sally Munro
What are your top three tips for health and wellbeing?
1: Trust your gut. You are the only one who knows how it feels to live in your body. If something doesn’t feel right, seek help to get to the root cause and find your path to optimal health.
2: If you feel overwhelmed with the vast amount of conflicting health and nutrition information out there, stop and take a breath. Go back to basics. Take some time out to evaluate your current eating and lifestyle habits, hydrate, move your body every day, prioritise eating a variety of colourful, nutrient dense real foods which may give us more energy. Could you go to bed earlier and read a book to unwind? Reducing screen time may improve the quality of your sleep, giving your body adequate time to repair and reset for the new day ahead.
3:Love, admire and respect your body for all of the truly incredible things it does for us. Signs and symptoms are your body’s way of asking for help and support when something is off track. Please listen, observe and really tune into this remarkable gift. Reach out to a registered, qualified professional for advice. Avoid self diagnosis via internet searches.
How do you incorporate health and wellbeing into your diet?
I make my choices and decisions based on what I feel is going to benefit my health, vitality and longevity. I want to live a fit, strong and healthy lifestyle for as long as I possibly can. Keeping my personal wellness intentions and goals in mind allows me to stay focused and not easily swayed by marketing, peer pressure or trending fads. I make sure I take my own water bottle everywhere I go, prepare extra at mealtimes to allow for next day leftovers if I know tomorrow is going to be a busy day and always have some healthy snacks in my bag, car or pocket, just in case.
Is exercise important to you?
Exercise is very important to me. I do spend some of my day at a computer typing up client notes, or doing other life admin so I make sure to move regularly. There are many yoga moves you can do at your desk to prevent you ending up chair shaped. I love putting on some music and dancing around the kitchen when taking a work break-I encourage you to try this in your office.
Are there any other ways you like to switch off and de-stress?
I love going for long walks and adventures at the beach, up hills or in forests, no phones, no people, just stunning scenery. Reading real books and listening to music are also firm favourites of mine to de-stress, re-connect with myself and take time out. Laughter with friends is the best medicine after a busy day.
Can you recommend any wellbeing books/podcasts?
You can’t ever have enough books in my opinion. There would be too many to list. I highly recommend Maisie Hill’s books for women’s health. Dr Rupy and Dr Chatterjee have some wonderful books, podcasts and newsletters.
For more information about Sally, check out her Instagram page @salthewellnesswarrior