Thrive in Five an Interview with Carrie Smith

To mark Nutrition & Hydration week (13-19 March) the Thrive Team have been working with Nutrition & Health Coach, Carrie Smith, on a Thrive in Five Initiative to help our Justees feel better and thrive inside and out.

We’ve kicked things off this week with a Thrive in Five challenge. We’ve tasked the team with a daily challenge and/or activity to help everyone feel more energised, happier, and healthier. The activities have ranged from meal planning, practising gratitude, and powering up with plant-based foods. To keep the momentum going, later in the month we’ve organised bespoke nutrition sessions with Carrie on a whole host of topics from the gut brain axis, evidence-based strategies for weight management and practical nutrition for busy lives.

We sat down with Carrie to debate some hot topics on our team’s mind...

What inspired you to start a career in nutrition?

With a background in Sports Science, the thing that initially sparked my interest in Nutrition was the realisation that how we fuel our bodies can have such wide-ranging impact on our daily lives.?Nutrition is something that’s so central to everything we do, yet it’s often overlooked or not made a priority.

I’ve spent years learning about the science of Nutrition and I’m driven by the passion to use that knowledge to help and support the health and wellbeing of others.?

Nutrition is so important, yet often overcomplicated - we are bombarded by information and misinformation.?My goal is to breakthrough that noise, simplify nutrition and help people focus their efforts on what matters most.

What does your average day working as a nutrition and health coach look like?

One of the things I love about Nutrition & Health Coaching is that no two days are the same.?In fact, no two clients are the same!?

I split my time working with private clients, providing 1-2-1 coaching to help them achieve their health and wellbeing goals.?This involves providing personalised recommendations and programmes, but also working alongside them closely to support their daily habits and to provide accountability.?

The other major part of my business is working with corporate clients, such as the Thrive Team, to support workplace wellness efforts.?This is a huge area of growth and it's incredible to see more and more companies making the health of their employees a priority.?I love nothing more than seeing the positive impact that these initiatives can have on employee health and productivity.

On the average day, you’ll also find me hanging out on Instagram, sharing content, answering follower questions, and chatting with others in my community.?I also like to practice what I preach, and always include a walk with the dog and some form of movement or exercise.

What’s on the menu on your average workday?

I tend to keep things pretty simple when working, and generally stick to variations on a theme.?This approach takes up less brain space, meaning I don’t have too many decisions to make (decisions around food are the hardest for me!!) and I’m confident I’m hitting my nutrition needs.?

I always ensure that I have a protein rich breakfast, at least one portion of fruit and veg and a LARGE coffee to power me up in the morning.?I leave a couple of portions of fruit for snacks during the day – I leave these in my direct eyeline, so I remember to eat them.?

Lunch is usually soup, salad, a wrap, or leftovers from the previous evening.?Again, I make sure I get a good serving of protein and some fruit and veg in this meal (as well as fats and carbs for balance).

Keeping the daytime options simple means I have greater flexibility in the evening, when meals are more sociable and I’m eating with friends or family.

What are some top tips for incorporating healthy habits and nutritious eating into a busy schedule?

1. Don’t over complicate it.?Focus on the overall diet than worrying about individual nutrients.?Get the basics right.?

• Aim for 3-4 servings (25g) of protein a day
• Eat at least 5-a-day and 30 different plant-based food a week
• Eat oily fish twice a week
• Be mindful of sugar, ultra-processed foods and saturated fat intake
• Don’t forget to hydrate well, sleep and move your body

1. Plan ahead and prepare what you can in advance.?If there are days when you know you’re going to be swamped, make sure you have snacks on hand and have a rough idea what you’re going to eat when you finally do get home.?Thinking about this in advance can help reduce decision fatigue and thus stress when you’re already up against it.
2. Aim for consistency over perfection.?You don’t need to eat a “perfect” diet (arguably there is no such thing anyway) to see improvements in your health and to achieve your goals.?Keeping going and getting it right most of the time will often get you to your goal faster than going all out and “falling off the bandwagon” time and time again.?Plus, it’s a lot more enjoyable in the long run.?There will be days that don’t go to plan.?Embrace that and focus on what you CAN do that day, rather than what you haven’t done.?Imperfect action is better than no action.

What is your favourite and least favourite food?

My least favourite food? I have two, Melon and Prawns.?In fact, the first time I went to my Mother-in-Law’s for dinner, she served up exactly that. ?I must’ve known that my husband was a keeper, as I politely ate the whole lot!

As for my favourite – so many to choose from.?It’s possibly a little bit boring, but I absolutely love the humble potato in any form whatsoever.?I’m a Northerner too, so throw on a bit of gravy and I’m a very happy girl!

What question do you get asked most?

The question I get asked this question most days on Instagram, is “What snacks should I be eating?”

I feel like snacking is something that really confuses and worries people. Here’s what I usually advise:

What to eat depends largely on what the rest of your day looks like

Snacking isn’t compulsory.?If you’re not hungry and you’re not too far off your next meals, don’t stress about it

If you fancy a snack, come up with a list of easy options for you:

I like to base my snacks around a serving of protein and a fruit or veg portion:

• Protein yoghurt (or bar) and a piece of fruit
• Mini Babybels and an apple
• Eggs and avocado
• Pre-cooked chicken and carrot sticks

If you’re having a pre-workout snack you might also want to add some carbs in there for energy

You get the picture.?There’s no right or wrong answer and it sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find out what you like and works best for you.

For more advice and information about my work, look me up on Instagram: @carriesmithnutrition or visit my website: www.carriesmithnutrition.com