Get ready to be inspired!
This edition of ‘Living Well’ features Holistic Health Coach Krissy Leonard, who helps women reach their goals and make their dreams come true.
In her words, “I know what it’s like to live with that nagging feeling that you’re meant for more, yet feeling completely overwhelmed about how to make it happen.”
That’s where she comes in.
Whether you’re dreaming of becoming your own boss, dealing with problems in the love arena, or want to improve your relationship with food, Krissy’s insight will leave you feeling energized and ready to make big changes.
I first met Krissy when I was spending my last semester in college studying at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Krissy traveled to Oahu to visit our mutual friend Erica, and we’ve been connected on social media ever since.
I’ve followed Krissy’s journey from afar, watching her craft her new career and being amazed at her ability to connect with people through her words … She is like a walking, talking quote machine!
Read on to find out what a sattvic diet is (new to me) as well as the biggest lesson Krissy learned from her recent divorce.
(Note: Interview edited for clarity)
What is your philosophy on ‘living well?’ How does wellness factor into your life?
To me, living well is less about the exact foods I eat and things I do. It’s a state of being that allows me to feel at home in myself and in the world.
I talk a lot about alignment in my work, and to me true wellness, peace and JOY comes from that state of alignment: Where your thoughts match your words, your intentions match your actions, your eating habits match the way you want to feel.
I can eat all the superfoods in the world and do back-to-back yoga classes daily, but if I don’t like who I am at the end of the day, it simply doesn’t matter.
When I speak and act and eat in an aligned way, in a way that brings me closer to how I want to feel, to my deepest sense of self, where I feel authentic, and grounded and joyful … to me that is wellness. It’s the ability to consistently act in the ways that make you feel joyful, authentic, empowered and alive.
You are a certified Holistic Health Coach … for those who aren’t familiar with the term, what does that mean?
In short, I help women have an amazing life AND a body to match. I walk women through the exact steps to take, to get them to their goals for their body and LIFE.
In short, I help women have an amazing life AND a body to match.
I tend to work with some pretty bad-ass, smart, resourceful women: Doctors, psychologists, entrepreneurs. These women don’t struggle with knowing too LITTLE about food … they know TOO MUCH! They’ve tried a dozen or more diets, they drink green juice, they know exercise is good.
What most people struggle with is not WHAT TO DO … it’s how to do it CONSISTENTLY. For instance, knowing 30 minutes of exercise a day will help you doesn’t matter at the end of the day when you are exhausted after work and just want to pick up take out and crack open a bottle of wine.
My programs help women navigate the complex nutritional information out there, figure out EXACTLY what will work for them, and then teach them how to make it work for their LIVES.
The result is amazing. Women lose weight, or clear up their skin, or stop THINKING about food all of the time and build a life they LOVE in the process.
You struggled with an eating disorder as well as excess weight in the past. What helped you finally work through that?
The tools that helped me break free are exactly what I teach in my one-on-one coaching programs and my Light, Fit and Free group program. They combine modern psychology, holistic nutrition, habit change, and spiritual tools and insights that allow women to understand WHY they crave certain foods, how to automate your daily habits for a healthy, easy relationship with food; how to decipher your cravings to unlock the emotional aspects that make you want to dive first into
a bagel and cream cheese or stop for ice cream on the way home after a stressful day; and how to balance your biochemistry so that you no longer crave foods that don’t support you.
Everything changed for me when I realized that food wasn’t the issue. How I ate and related to food was a mirror of my own beliefs about myself, what was ‘enough,’ scarcity, my own anxieties and fears.
Food was a crutch. Once I realized how to heal the deeper layers, the food issues (and the 50 extra pounds I was carrying) simply melted away.
Prior to becoming a coach, you worked in marketing. What inspired you to take the leap and start your own wellness business?
I struggled with food and my body for 20+ years. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of other women so they wouldn’t need to suffer and struggle the way I did.
I struggled with food and my body for 20+ years. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of other women so they wouldn’t need to suffer and struggle the way I did.
I love marketing, but what I love more is feeling like my work changes lives.
It was a REALLY scary transition. The part of me that depended on that security and social standing and influence had to give way to the part of me that knew, even if I failed, that it would be worth trying to do the thing I knew in my heart I was meant to do.
Today I woke up without an alarm when I was fully rested. I sat in bed listening to the birds sing. I felt joy bubble up in my heart. I did yoga. I meditated, made a smoothie, went for a bike ride with my sweetie, then got to work, which I enjoy just as much as the beginning part of my day! This was on a random Wednesday.
What do you like most about being your own boss?
I LOVE this freedom and flexibility. Obviously not every day is like that. Some days I work 15 to 18 hours straight, but I love that my work moves in cycles like that and that I can go with the flow. Rather than submitting for time off, I just take it.
I think as a woman, this way of being and living makes me feel more in tune with my own natural cycles. I can do less when I’m tired and more when I’m inspired.
I’m a better person and partner because of my work. It ADDS to my quality of life rather than takes away from it.
Best advice for someone looking to venture out on their own?
Hire a coach who has already done what you want to do. As soon as you can invest in yourself, DO IT. I don’t just say this because I am a business mentor and coach. I say this because you will go SO far SO fast.
A high-quality coach will help you see past the story that has kept you stuck, and help you get out of the overthinking and into decisive action.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I hired coaches early on and it was the key to my success.
What does ‘eating well’ mean to you? Do you eat a particular diet? Are there certain foods you avoid?
Eating well to me is high-vibe food, fresh, not too processed or messed with, eaten outside or in a beautiful environment with people I love or enjoy. No rushing, just savoring.
Because I am a firm believer in eating the way you want to feel, I eat mostly local and organic food. Half of my plate or more is colorful veggies.
I eat protein at every meal, when possible. I was vegetarian for 14 years, but when I moved to Hawaii, I started eating some local fish and my body LOVED it.
Being a yogi, I opt mostly for a sattvic diet — lots of fresh whole foods, ghee, some organic dairy.
Whenever I try to BE VEGAN or BE GLUTEN-FREE, I crave those foods, so instead I load up on the things I know make me feel amazing and when I enjoy bread, wine, chocolate or cheese, I make sure it’s the BEST I can get my hands on, usually at a farmer’s market or when traveling abroad.
NOTE: I had never heard the term “sattvic” prior to interviewing Krissy, so I did a little research. 🙂 Sattvic foods are considered pure, wholesome and nourishing, hence fresh produce, whole grains, etc. The diet is based on Ayurveda/yoga practices.
What are your thoughts on exercise? How often should we be doing it? What’s the ‘ideal’ exercise for you?
I approach movement as medicine. It’s not necessary to suffer, or strive, or go nuts. Most people who do that burn out.
I approach movement as medicine. It’s not necessary to suffer, or strive, or go nuts. Most people who do that burn out.
Consistency trumps intensity, so aim for 30 minutes a day to maintain your weight, 60 minutes to lose weight.
Ideally, I get in three days of flow/cardio, spinning, dancing, running, biking, and two days HIIT or strength training.
On the weekend I go on a hike or add in ‘accidental exercise,’ like a long walk to grab coffee with a friend. And of course, yoga, though I tend to approach yoga as a spiritual practice rather than an exercise regimen.
Are there any wellness rituals you practice on a daily basis?
My five non-negotiables are (in the order I do them): 1. Tea, 2. Meditation, 3. Yoga or prayer, 4. Movement and, 5. Doing something that brings me joy (like art, nature, calling a girlfriend).
I believe joy is the closest thing to the sacred. The more we do what we love, the closer we are to returning home to our
purpose, our passion, and our calling.
It’s good practice to be in that space during the day so that life doesn’t go by without actually intentionally living it.
You recently got divorced … What is the most important thing you learned from going through that?
My friends and family and work are the most precious things in my life. When you go through a crisis, everything gets shaken up and broken apart, but what remains is what matters. Everything else falls away.
Getting completely broken down and having my life and plans shatter taught me the invaluable lesson of what really matters, how to let go, how to trust in spirit, who I really am and what I am capable of.
Getting completely broken down and having my life and plans shatter taught me the invaluable lesson of what really matters, how to let go, how to trust in spirit, who I really am and what I am capable of.
I also feel I can relate to so many women who have stayed in a bad relationship for fear of “starting over” or who felt lost after losing someone they love.
It gives me deeper perspective and the ability to sit with another woman in her pain and brokenness and have something to offer, even if it’s the simple gift of not having to feel ashamed, scared, or alone.
Your home base is Burlington, Vermont. What do you love most about living there?
Right now, I live between Vermont and Kauai. Both pull me in for the same reasons. Rivers, mountains, connection to nature, a community that loves organic and local food, music, down-to-earth people, artists, healers and a spiritual community.
Vermont is my anchor. It grounds me with its simple charm. Kauai is like my wise old grandmother who calls me to her periodically, wraps me in her arms and transforms me through her tough love and deep wisdom.
Kauai is like my wise old grandmother who calls me to her periodically, wraps me in her arms and transforms me through her tough love and deep wisdom.
Your job gives you the opportunity to travel a lot … What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited recently?
My job allowed me to take three months off to sail from Brooklyn to Europe, road trip with a girlfriend through Portugal, then fly to meet my dad in Kathmandu where we hiked 90 miles to the base camp of Mount Everest. That was wild.
I also got to take my mom to Italy last September where we ate amazing food, drank wine and got to deepen our relationship. We created SO many memories. That’s something I would have never been able to do with two weeks paid vacation a year.
I am forever grateful for those opportunities.
Overall, what is your mantra about ‘living well?’
YES TO EVERYTHING. There is no good, bad, right or wrong. When everything is possible and fair game, you get
to finally choose based on how you want to FEEL, not a dogma or guilt or an idea of what you ‘should’ do.
This is the first step to reclaiming your health, your connection to your intuition, your ability to TRUST yourself again and the potential, truly, to get WHATEVER you want out of life.
This isn’t fantasy. This is absolutely possible. I see my clients do it all the time. They lose weight, they land the job, they launch the business.
It all begins with one simple word: ‘Yes.’
To learn more about Krissy, visit KrissyLeonard.com.
