Daily Wellness Routine: Nina Gelbke / Naturally Nina, Vegan Nutritionist, Influencer, & Recipe Creator
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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!
My name is Nina, I am an accredited Nutritionist (from Endeavour College of Natural Health) and Sports Nutritionist, as well as CrossFit Coach and recipe developer from Western Australia with a big passion for all things food and nutrition, fitness and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
I spend most of my time training or coaching in the gym, working with clients one-on-one for their nutrition goals, and in the kitchen whipping up delicious and wholesome food, as well as sharing nutrition education, recipes and breaking down misinformation on my Instagram @naturally_nina_ and website.
What time do you go-to bed & wake up most days / how many hours of sleep do you aim for?
I go to bed early and get up early, aiming for about 8 hours a night but it definitely doesn’t always happen as sleeping has always been something I’ve struggled with unfortunately!
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Describe a typical day of eating for you.
I eat a lot! I’ve learnt that this is super important to support my training and if I don’t prioritise eating enough, my performance, recovery and energy levels definitely suffer.
Before training I’ll usually have some toast with nut butter, banana and cinnamon plus a coffee.
During training I’ll drink electrolytes and sometimes have some lollies or dried fruit if needed.
Breakfast post training will be overnight oats or quinoa flake porridge with soy milk, flaxmeal, plant protein powder, plus banana, berries and nut butter.
For lunch I’ll usually have leftovers from dinner, a wrap with tofu, salad and hummus, or a sushi bowl type meal.
Afternoon snack will be a big smoothie, or a Fodbods bar with fruit.
If I’m training again I may have something extra too, like rice cakes with nut butter and banana.
Dinner really varies, but often looks like a tofu veggie stir fry with rice, falafel with sweet potato, toasted veg and hummus, chickpea pasta or bean chilli with rice and guacamole.
I always have something sweet after dinner too, maybe something I’ve baked, or some yoghurt with berries and granola!
What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?
I do CrossFit training and Olympic weightlifting, usually training once or twice a day for 5 days a week, plus 1 active recovery day (usually a swim!) and 1 rest day a week. I absolutely love everything about CrossFit, how much it challenges me mentally and physically, how much it helps me grow and get stronger, and the community that comes with it.
♥ Naturally Nina wearing Fortify Gear
If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…
I absolutely love Fortify Gear. An Australian owned branded with super comfy, well fitting activewear that I pretty much live in – in and out of the gym!
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What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I love a good remedial massage especially during big weeks of training when I’m feeling a bit sore! My go-to is Joyce Remedial in Dunsborough – he’s the best!
What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t got around to yet?
I would absolutely love to start incorporating regular ice baths and saunas into my recovery routine, but haven’t really found a place nearby to offer this just yet!
And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Honestly, focus on doing more of the things that make you feel good! Whatever those things are for you. Eating food that you enjoy and makes you feel your best, moving your body in a way that you love, spending time outdoors and around people that light you up – that’s the real secret to feeling great!
Another tip is keeping your brain happy with ongoing learning and education. Might seem like a strange one but I personally find this so important to my overall health and wellbeing. I’ve been loving the new short courses that Endeavour College offer for keeping up learning about nutrition and health, as well as regular professional development and educational podcasts both in the nutrition and fitness space.
Thanks to Nina for sharing her lovely wellness routine! If you’d like to keep up to date with her incredible vegan recipes & Crossfit inspo – head on over to her website & Instagram.
Be well,
xoxo