Sally Obermeder shares her best health advice

If there’s anyone we can turn to for inspiration or ideas to eat and live better, it’s Sally Obermeder. With several books under her belt, including her personal story Never Stop Believing, and three healthy recipe-filled cookbooks - Super Green Smoothies, The Good Life, and the newly launched Super Green Simple and Lean (all of which she co-authored with her sister Maha Koraiem), plus her lifestyle blog SWIISH.com and ambassadorship with Avon, Sally Obermeder sure knows how to keep busy but stay healthy and feel good inside and out.

The best-selling author shares her top wellbeing advice with us…

On how she prioritises her health when she’s busy…
“Well, I do have a few sneaky tricks up my sleeve! For example, when it comes to cooking I take shortcuts where I can. I try to make healthy meals in bulk, and that way I can store extras in the freezer to take to work with me. I stock up on our Super Green Smoothie packs - which are frozen smoothie ingredients pre-washed, chopped and combined - and [all I] have to do is throw the contents in a blender with liquid and I’m good to go. They seriously are such a lifesaver when I’m in a rush! I also have a second smoothie in the evening when I’m getting the girls’ dinner ready. It stops me from randomly eating everything in sight and keeps me going until I get them to bed and then sit down for my dinner with Marcus.”

On her best advice for maintaining a healthy work-life balance…
“This goes without saying but my first tip would be to plan and schedule everything – even downtime. I feel as though a lot of busy women are often great at scheduling in work commitments but then they forget to plan time with friends, family or for themselves. These things need to be in your diary as well! I always block out certain times during my week that’s time with Marcus, or friends. My second tip would be to always ask for help when you need it.  As much as you’d like to think you can do it all, it’s not healthy to put endless amounts of pressure on yourself. Everybody needs a helping hand here and there. My third tip would be to focus solely on the job at hand. I have so many different roles so I’ve learnt over the years that the only way to make it work is to focus on one thing at a time. For example, when I’m at SWIISH I try not to think about all the things I need to do at home. And when I’m at home, I give my family my undivided attention. I find doing little bits of everything all the time just doesn’t work efficiently for me.”

On her go-to snack for when she’s on the move…
“Bars and balls! Lately I’ve been making our Superfood Energy Balls from our new book Super Green, Simple and Lean. They’re healthy, filling and they really help to keep those afternoon sugar cravings at bay. I like to make a big batch and keep them in a container in the fridge so I can just grab and go.”

On why she loves smoothies…
“Well, I first started drinking smoothies when I finished chemotherapy. My body was seriously battered from all the toxicity of the chemo. I had heard they were really good for you so I decided to give them go. I started having one green smoothie every day and soon enough, my chemo and baby weight started shedding off. My hair started to grow back, my nails got stronger and my skin started to glow again. I couldn’t believe it! As Maha and I continued to drink them, our energy increased and we started sleeping better, too. Now I couldn’t imagine not drinking my green smoothies. It’s such an easy way to get a huge hit of vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients in one go.”

On the ingredients that she swears by…
“Spinach! Spinach forms the base for the majority of our smoothies and a lot of our recipes in our books. Not only is it rich in iron, [but also] calcium, dietary fibre and all sorts of vitamins. When you blend it into smoothies you can’t even taste it. I also swear by chia seeds, you can add them to just about anything – smoothies, yoghurt, oats, salads – for an instant boost of omega-3, antioxidants and fibre.”

On her favourite unexpected food combination…
“Spaghetti mixed with sour cream and covered in chilli flakes. YUUUUUUM.”

On her absolute food indulgence…
“Hmm, there’s definitely more than one. Ha ha! But any kind of dessert is probably up there on the list. I can also never go past a big bowl of pasta ragu or a spicy arrabiata with buffalo mozzarella. Plus, I’m always up for a cheeseboard at the end of a meal. It’s just the ultimate!”

On her favourite beauty products…
“I always have my Avon Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Fairest Nude, and I always pinch these two items from the SWIISH.com shop: the C-Lab & Co Coffee Scrub and SugarBaby Rev-Oil-Ution Nourishing Organic Coconut Oil Skin Treatment For Body.”

On how she stays fit…
“I like to keep it varied with a mix of low and high intensity workouts. Typically, I’d try to make time for a dedicated workout session a couple of times a week – I train at home with personal trainer Christa Nicola, who comes to my house (that way I can’t get out of it!). In addition, I’m constantly whizzing around from place to place, loading and unloading my car or chasing Annabelle around the park – how is it that five-year-olds have so much energy?!”

On her biggest health and lifestyle lesson she wants to pass down to her kids…
“My number one lesson would be to be kind to your body and be kind to yourself. Usually we’re the hardest on ourselves and we treat others better than we treat ourselves. Kindness to everyone, ourselves included, is so important. And of course, always eat, or drink, your greens!”

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What health or lifestyle rule do you abide by? Let us know in the comments below.

Main image credit: InStyle