Diet & Nutrition

Makaia Carr on making healthy food choices

The women’s health and wellness advocate reveals how she stays healthy with a busy lifestyle.

Makaia Carr became a household name over five years ago after documenting her journey to a healthier lifestyle on a public Facebook page, Motivate Me NZ – which she then used to connect with other like-minded kiwis around the country.

Although she has since sold the Motivate me brand, she still uses her online presence to share her daily life and struggles as she takes steps towards a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Have you always been interested in health and wellbeing?

It wasn’t until my 30s that I started to see health as a holistic thing and learn about choices that made me healthy in the mind, body and soul.

What inspired you to start MotivateMe?

MotivateMe was born out of my decision to share my journey to wellness (post-corporate burn out and breakdown) on Facebook in 2012. I quickly identified that thousands of Kiwi women, mostly mums, were also struggling to know how to improve health and wellness, while still having to do everything busy women do on a daily basis.

What challenges do people face when it comes to maintaining a positive approach to body image?

The amount of information out there telling us what we need to do to be “healthy”, “fit” and “well” is very conflicting – it gets complicated even before someone starts trying to change their lifestyle, which is why many people give up before they start.

For me, it is a simple approach: get enough sleep, be active, rest and relax the mind regularly, hydrate with lots of water, eat a lot of vegetables, good meat and protein, some grains and a little dairy. Basically, everything in moderation. I make my decisions around food and exercise out of love for myself – not because I loathe what I see in the mirror.

Social media has brought another challenge: women now deal with self-image on a daily basis, with media and advertising telling us what “beautiful” is and what a bikini body should be like.

I’m trying to balance this with the platform I have on social media. I highlight my body as it is; that it’s beautiful; I don’t need to obsess about whether my stomach is flat or packed

out with abs.

I want to help women embrace and accept who they are, practice self-love and set an example for our young girls that allows them to embrace the way they look with confidence, love and pride.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV8CCNCBEhp/

Who does the cooking at your place?

I actually do most of it – even though my family will say I’m not that good! I love one-dish dinners and easy-peasy, less-fuss options. What we’ve been enjoying lately is a quick and easy “monster chicken salad”. I prepare it on a platter and the family serves themselves. It always goes down a treat.

What are your go-to snacks?

When I do snack, it’s always around the 3pm slump time! I will either have a piece of fruit and a cup of tea or if I have time, I’ll make a protein smoothie.

Often I’m on the run with the kids so I’ve been grabbing a couple of Tegel Chicken Tenders and eating them straight from the fridge! Being able to get the protein hit I need, get the energy levels back up, and deal with the rest of the day with a spring in my step is important. I still have so much to achieve between 3pm and bedtime!

New Tegel Chicken Tenders are a deliciously good source of lean protein that’s ready to eat straight from the pack. With no artificial flavours or colours, they’re perfect for those snacking moments!

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