What you put into your body is important. But what is happening around your body is sometimes even more important. Watch this interview to learn more about a 360 degree approach to your body's well being. Holistic advice from an expert Holistic Advisor.

Transcript of Interview with Rachel Clark

Sherrina:  New York Moms, we’re excited today to introduce you to Rachel Clark from ReNew … for a New You.  Thank you, Rachel, for joining us today.  Rachel has a unique approach to nutrition.  It is holistic.  What does that mean?  It is 360 degrees.  You not only have to take care of your mind, your body and your spirit.  You also have to take care of what you are putting into your body. 

Today we are going to talk to Rachel about her company, ReNew … for a New You and how we can change things up in our lives and slow things down a bit for ourselves.  In addition, we’re going to talk about something we don’t always talk about.  It is called ‘sex’ and how we can find time to have some of that. 

Rachel, thank you for joining us today.  Tell us a little bit more about your company.

Rachel:  Renew … for a New You is nutrition for the mind and body.  Regular nutritionists focus primarily on the diet, the food, and possibly on exercise.  A lot of what they teach has to do with deprivation and will power.  These are words that I don’t use in my practice at all. 

My concept focuses on primary foods and secondary foods.  Secondary foods are the ones that you put in your body.  You can eat broccoli and tofu every single day for the rest of your life, but if your life is not in balance, it doesn’t matter what you are putting in your body.  You are never going to be the true you that you want to be.  We focus on primary foods also:  lifestyle, physical activity, relationships, spirituality, sexuality, your career, what brings you joy, your creativity—the essence of you.  What nourishes your body and what nourishes your soul?  That is the big difference between my company and other nutritionists.

Sherrina:  How did you get started?

Rachel:  I’ve always been interested in food, body image, and feeling good.  It is something that has always been a part of my life, and I decided that I wanted to make an impact on people’s lives and have a bigger purpose.  The programs that I offer make an enormous impact on people’s lives.  They don’t realize that they already have all the answers, and it empowers people to feel strong about themselves, feel good about themselves, and know that they can make the right choices in their lives.  I wanted to have a bigger purpose.

Sherrina:  New York moms have a very difficult time taking care of their families, much less taking care of the entire family, let alone themselves.  They barely stop.  Could you give us some insight?  They may have to run to McDonald’s because the kids are yelling about Chicken McNuggets, or they run into a grocery store to grab chocolate to renew themselves for that moment.  What is some practical advice for her to use when she is in that circumstance?

Rachel:  That’s a great question.  I work with a lot of moms.  The biggest problem that I find with moms is that they don’t take any time for themselves.  They wake up.  They have to deal with the kids, make them breakfast, and get them off to school.  They have to go to work and be a professional woman all day time.  At 3:00 their energy dips because they are not feeding themselves appropriately.  They get home, need to make dinner, spend time with their husband.  By the time they have private time with their husband at 9:00 p.m., they are sleeping.

Sherrina:  You just said my whole life right there!

Rachel: I understand that.  The first thing we look at is, “How did you start your day?  What did you put in your body the first thing in the morning?  Did you take five minutes for yourself the first thing in the morning?”  I talk to them about writing a journal:  Morning pages.  What are you grateful for?  This is to remind a mom that she is a person, too, and that she does need to take time for herself and feed herself appropriately.  If you are a working mom, take five minutes during lunch to go for a walk around the block.  Take some deep breath.  Feed yourself leftovers from the night before.  Cook once, eat twice.  There are some simple steps that you can take that remind you that you are a person, as well, which is the biggest issue I find for the moms in New York.  They just don’t take any time for themselves.

Sherrina:  Fast food is everywhere:  Starbucks with caramel chocolate lattes that are a thousand calories.  What do you do when you are in New York and running from one place to another?  Getting from Point A to Point B can be so difficult.  What do you do when there is so much fast food available?  Is there a way to get around having to eat that Big Mac?

Rachel:  The good thing about fast food restaurants these days is that some of them are actually listing their calories, fat, and protein, so you can be an educated eater.  You can make your choices based on the information that they are providing for you.  If you know you are going to be absolutely  swamped and your kid is going to be crying for Chicken McNuggets and you will have to go to McDonalds, do your research before for you go.  Check online and look at the calorie contents and say, “What can I eat that is going to give me a little bit of energy, a little bit of protein, and some nutrients and not just lay me down with fat and oil and grease?

 I don’t advocate going to fast food restaurants on a regular basis, but there are some options: salad or simple chicken sandwiches, and leave off the stuff that you know is bad for you.  Check the fat content in the dressing.  Get it on the side.  If there is fried chicken in the salad, you know it probably is not the best salad choice for you. 

There are ways to be an educated fast food eater if you have to be, but I definitely like to teach my moms easier ways to eat healthy on the go.  For instance, you can take one day a week to cook a lot of food and put it on small containers that you can take with you on a regular basis.  If your kid is crying for Chicken McNuggets and you feel it is all right for them to have them, it doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing.  Have something in your bag to eat – even some almonds, trail mix, or low sugar granola.  There are so many organic, healthy snacks that you can pre-prepare on a Sunday with your family.  Make it a family activity.

Sherrina:  Talk to me about deconstructing cravings.

Rachel:  The cravings aren’t the enemy.  People think, “I’m craving sugar.  I’m craving ice cream.  I can’t have that.  I’ve been told that is bad for me.”  When my clients say they are craving ice cream, I ask them, “What is it about the ice cream?  Is that it is cold?  Is it that it is creamy?  Is it that it is chocolaty?  Is it that it has a crunch to it?”  It is a matter of breaking down your cravings to find out exactly what it is that you are really craving, why you are craving it, and what healthy substitutes you can start swapping out for those cravings.  If you crave something cold, smooth, and creamy and you think it is ice cream, try yogurt.  It is about making healthy substitutions that are not going to drag you down. 

The cravings that you have are typically sugar-related cravings.  As a busy New York mom, you are going to start a roller coaster ride first thing in the morning.  You put sugar in your coffee and you have a sugared cereal or something else with sugar in it for breakfast.  By 3:00, you are reaching for that candy bar.  By the time you get home, it’s time for dinner and you have set yourself to give in to your cravings. 

You need to deconstruct what you are really craving.  What are you missing in your life?  Is it something that is more of an emotional craving as opposed to a physical food craving?  Deconstructing cravings is getting to the bottom of what you really need.

Sherrina:  I like to have a little vino with my dinner once in a while.  A glass of red wine seems to help me feel relaxed at dinner.  I am able to rejuvenate myself, even if it is just for the half-hour dinner.  Is there something wrong with that?  Is it bad to have alcohol three or four times a week or if you are going out partying on the weekends?

Rachel:  First of all, it depends on the alcohol that you are drinking.  The big issue with most alcohol is that it turns to sugar in your body.  Not only that, but the mixers have sugar in them.  There are about 18 teaspoons of sugar in 12 ounces of tonic water.  Although you don’t have 12 ounces in one drink, you might have four vodka and tonics by the end of night at the bar partying with your friends.  You have then consumed 12 ounces of tonic water and 18 teaspoons of sugar. 

When it comes to alcoholic drinks, alcohol excessively dehydrates your body and you also have to consider the mixers.   What is in them and what are they doing to your body?  Most of  it is related to sugar, and you are setting yourself up for more cravings and for being dehydrated the following day.  It also drains your energy. 

I think there is nothing wrong with a glass of red wine a couple of times a week. Whether you take a glass of wine, meditate, or take a bubble bath you are still doing something to help yourself  relax.  One glass.  Three is a totally different story!

Sherrina:  Not one bottle, one glass.  That’s what I’ve been doing wrong!

Rachel:  As we all do sometimes!

Sherrina:  You talked earlier about how difficult our day can be.  We are on the go, and then we get to 9:00 at night and the kids are fast asleep.  You’d like a little nookie-nookie (not  in my spell checker J) time with your significant other, but you are so tired.  It’s important to be close to your partner, but it’s hard to be close when you are tired.  Give us some advice on how we can renew ourselves at 9:00 at night so we can get some.

Rachel:  I again think it begins at the start of your day: how you treat yourself throughout the day.  There is no magic switch or pill to make you feel sexy and excited at 9:00 at night.  You need to feel good about yourself on a regular basis.  That takes work.  Your own body image is going to affect what you want to do when 9:00 comes.  If you are tired and you think you have a little extra flab here and there because you didn’t work out and had sugar foods all day, you are not going to want to get it on.  It is really about how you treat yourself at the beginning of the day.

I say to you: your husband is there.  Use him as support.  If you want to have a special night with your husband, ask him to make dinner for the kids.  You can take some time for yourself, whether you meditate or take a bubble bath or do some yoga for about 20 minutes.  Do whatever makes you feel good about you, and when 9:00 comes and you have private time, you are going to feel better about yourself.  If you can find support to allow one night a week or a couple of hours here and there, you are going to feel better about yourself, have more energy, and want to have that physical contact.

Sherrina:  If there is one thing that our moms need to remember from this interview today, what would that one thing be?

Rachel:  They should never forget who they are.  Yes, they are a mom; they are a wife; they work; they are professional; but who are they?  What is their essence?  If you lose that, if you start to forget that, you are never going to be that wonder woman.  You can be that wonder woman.  You can be all those things you want to be, but first you have to be you.

Sherrina:  Tell us about your company.  Do you come to moms?  We know it is hard sometimes for a mom to get to you.  Is it easy for you to get to her?

Rachel:  Depending on the mom’s schedule and where she lives, I certain offer home appointments.  One of the things that I offer is a pantry raid or a cooking lesson, depending on where they are in their journey of health.  I do offer to come to their home as long as they have a quiet space where they can take some time for themselves, because that is what our hour-long meeting is.  It is time for you.  The children have to be in another room or out of the house, but I do want to make it as easy for them as possible, rather than adding another stressful thing to their day.  If coming to them is easiest, that is what I can do.  Otherwise, I can meet them in my office in Union Square, which is conveniently located. 

We meet for an hour twice a month.  I have a couple of different programs that I offer, depending on what they are looking for.  No two programs are the same, and that’s the best thing about it.  It is tailored to you—your needs, your body, and what you want to get out of it.  I don’t have a set meal plan.  I don’t have say, “These are the steps that you have to follow.”  I say, “What do you want out of this?  How are we going to get you there?”  It is very specific to the person.

Sherrina:  Share your contact information.  How would a New York mom contact you?

Rachel:  My website is www.renewforanewyou.com.  There is information about all of my programs, what you get, and why you should look at nutrition from the wholistic side.  You can also give me a call.  My phone number is (310) 428-6443.  It is a Los Angeles number, but I am based in New York.  Those are the two best ways to reach me.

Sherrina:  Thank you so much for your time, Rachel.  You have been very insightful, and you have shared with us some things that we typically would not think about. 

Rachel:  It was my pleasure.