To eat is one of life's pleasures 

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Growing up in New Zealand, as a very active child I gave no thought to what I ate, but as I grew older, like many of us, my metabolism slowed. After moving to France in my late thirties, my body did not respond well to my newfound love for patisserie and baguettes, to my horror, my jeans seemed to be shrinking!

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Coupled with working an often demanding schedule, eating on the run, lack of sleep, stress, migraines, and lower back pain, something needed to shift in both my diet and exercise.  Working in the travel industry, exposed me to people of all ages and backgrounds, not all of whom enjoy the luxury of good health and mobility. This made me acutely aware of how precious our bodies are and conscious of the need to do everything possible to age well and take care of oneself.

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A background in medical laboratory science, and my need to understand the biology led me to formally study wellness and nutrition. My studies also included behaviour change and positive psychology creating an enormous shift in my mindset. Previously guilty of the all-or-nothing approach, I now live with more balance, realising that taking care of oneself does not mean being at the gym seven days a week, eating only salad or meditating an hour a day.

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Some effort is required, I am mindful of my eating patterns and the need to exercise, but life happens, we socialise, and we get busy, however I believe a consistent long-term approach to self-care is the key.

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Having studied plant based culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu, wanting to share my nutrition knowledge, and with 25 plus years in hospitality and travel in Europe.

  I created Retreats by Vitality Kitchen, a place to reset and revive.  

On retreat I share my passion for delicious plant centric food and enjoyment of beautiful places, the perfect combination to create relaxing holidays with some time to take care of you. 

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