Practising what she preaches

NATURE LOVER: Health coach Katie Griffin, here enjoying the rural landscape of the family farm in Manutuke, loves being in nature. Picture supplied

The eldest of two siblings, Katie grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Motu where she attended the local primary school which had around 30 students. She left the small rural settlement to board at Woodford House school in Hawke's Bay when she was 13.

“It was a bit of a shock to the system, but I coped pretty well. I was very studious at school and I played hockey,” she says.

She went to Otago University where she completed two degrees — a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in marketing and a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in food science.

She then set about trying to find a job which would draw on both degrees and got her first job at Sanford Limited thinking she would be involved in the food science side of the business.

Instead she became a fresh fish trader marketing fresh fish to Australia and the US.

“It was fun and quite fast-paced. I was running on adrenalin and put quite a lot of pressure on myself to prove myself in the new job, and I was also training for a half- marathon.”

That was when Katie started to get sick, suffering from chronic digestive problems, recurring infections and fatigue.

“I had terrible digestive issues, bloating and discomfort — IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)-type symptoms.

“I think stress had a big impact too, so I'm super passionate now about helping people manage stress because it can really affect your overall wellbeing.”

After visiting the doctor and getting medical advice Kate started on her own research journey into gut health and nutrition.

“I ended up working with a few holistic health practitioners and that's when I realised through diet and lifestyle I could drastically improve my health and reduce the symptoms I was suffering.”

She discovered she had food sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies.

“It was through healing my gut that I was able to overcome my health concerns which had been very debilitating.”

After moving home from Auckland, Katie embarked on more study — this time doing integrative nutrition online through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in the US.

“I was living at Manutūkē and working at Fergus Rural while studying part-time. Because I was so passionate about it, I put a lot of time into it and I'm now a certified integrative nutrition health coach.”

She spent several years working as a health coach at the Be Pure clinic in Havelock North.

Be Pure is a nutritional health supplements company founded by clinical nutritionist Ben Warren.

“It was great because I worked with naturopaths, herbalists and other health coaches and we could discuss cases and offer feedback. I learned a lot there,” Katie said.

When the company shifted its head office and clinic to Auckland she decided it was time to move back to Gisborne and start her own business. So in 2019, Katie Jane Wellness was born.

Katie is part of the Gisborne branch of Business Networking International (BNI) which provides a meeting ground and support for locally owned businesses.

She is also the manager of an 8ha citrus and feijoa orchard in Manutūkē, owned by her parents.

“I love the mental stimulation of the health coaching, but also love being on the orchard doing physical work — it's a good balance.”

Learning about horticulture has been a “steep learning curve” for Katie, but she has the organisational skills needed to manage the property and brings in pickers and pruners and other contractors as needed.

“Dad is great too. He comes and helps out when needed. As a family, we just make it work.”

Katie works out of SkinDeep Clinic owned by her friend and fellow BNI member Chrissy Aldridge. She also does consultations from her home office and on Zoom.

She said the networking group has helped her become more confident with public speaking.

“It's been really good for my personal and professional development in terms of speaking in front of people. When I first started at BNI I would be sweating and shaking when addressing the group.

“I've got a lot more confident and talked to 100 people at a Hospice fundraiser which was a great achievement for me.”

Katie is passionate about gut health and can help clients set realistic health goals.

“People normally come to me because they are experiencing symptoms they would like to overcome using a more holistic approach.

“It could be they want more energy — they want to lose some weight or just feel healthier and more vital. Some people might have hormonal imbalances or digestive issues.

“It's important they go to a doctor first and foremost, but there's a lot you can do to reduce inflammation in the body through diet and lifestyle.

“Before you even go down the supplement track, I would look into what foods you are eating now and provide education around what foods nourish the gut and what foods don't.”

Katie offers an initial consultation and will then create a health plan with set goals.

One client credits Katie with helping her get rid of a skin rash which was causing her a lot of distress.

“I found Katie after literally trying everything to reduce a terrible skin rash that was affecting my confidence and general wellbeing,” the client said.

“I really wanted to wear a sleeveless dress as a bridesmaid at my sister's wedding without looking like a lizard. What I liked most about Katie's approach is how the application of her health philosophy is broad and holistic. It is not a one-size-fits-all model and it allows for life to be lived, as it is fundamentally about balance. Wore the dress, felt fab, ate the wedding cake and continue to feel well and healthy.”

Katie said people would ideally see her three or four times, but she does have regular long-term clients too.

“They might check in for half-an-hour once a month because they like having the reinforcement and support. I'm their accountability partner.

“My job is not to tell someone what to do. I am there to empower people with knowledge and help them to have their own light-bulb moments so they can then feel confident to create these healthier habits.

“The idea is that you do it slowly over time.”

At next weekend's Shepherdess Muster, Katie will be offering full health coaching consultations and express consultations from her caravan on site as well as running a gut health workshop.

She is also looking forward to showing people around her family farm and will be guiding an early morning walk for those wanting to stretch their legs before breakfast.

“I'm really looking forward to being part of this unique festival in Motu. People are welcome to book in early for a health consultation too.”

The Shepherdess Muster is a wellness festival for women — a place to connect, celebrate, create and escape the demands of family life. It promises “out of the box experiences in a rural setting”.