Plant Sumo Interviews - wendy hodge

Wendy Hodge

Wendy's Way To Health

Wendy is the founder of Wendy’s Way to Health, where she helps women of all ages to be fit, strong and healthy in the way that suits them best. Wendy’s simple philosophy is about learning how to incorporate small daily habits that will have a big impact in all areas of your health.

Company Profiles

What Is The Book (Or Books) You’ve Given Most As A Gift, And Why?

The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod. It's one of my favourite personal development books, as it's a short read and you can start implementing it straight away. It's really versatile and personalised, so you easily adapt it to suit your individual needs. The Richest Man in Babylon. I love lessons contained within an entertaining story, and this is an entertaining fable with some great life lessons.

What Purchase Of $100 Or Less Has Most Positively Impacted Your Life In The Last Six Months?

My Fusion Belt. It's a stretchy fabric belt that you zip around your waist/hips, and it has big pockets in the front and back to carry your phone, keys, tissues, etc so you can exercise, shop or travel hands-free. I bought mine from Zip and Go belts, an online site based in the US and I love it so much, I'm now involved in bringing them to Australia!
https://zip-and-go-belts.myshopify.com/collections/zip-and-go-belts

When You Feel Overwhelmed Or Unfocused, Or Have Lost Your Focus Temporarily, What Do You Do?

Two things, depending on the time of day, or where I am. I meditate every morning, as part of my Miracle Morning practice and that makes sure I have a great start to the day. If I feel overwhelmed through the day, I pause for some deep breathing. Even just a minute is calming and can be enough to help me re-focus.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Oooh, there are lots! One of the biggies is the suggestion that fruit should be avoided or limited because of its sugar content. I get really annoyed when I hear that someone is avoiding all of the goodness of certain fruits because they've been told they're high in sugar. Fruit is good for you, and eating 2 or 3 pieces of whole fruit will not make you fat – it's a nutritious addition to your diet. Especially if snack on fruit instead of chocolate bars, cakes or biscuits!

In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

Gratitude. My personal development practice has evolved over the last few years, starting with meditation. I've noticed the most difference since I added a daily gratitude practice though. It helps me to feel good within myself and if I don't do it for any reason, I feel out of sorts.

Tell us about someone you admire and why you admire them?

I admire my friend Catherine Grace O'Connell, the founder of the Forever Fierce Revolution. She has overcome a lot of adversity in her life, including a near-death experience just a few years ago. She is kind, generous, and supporitve. Always happy to help give a hand up, and she works tirelessly to get the message out that midlife and getting older in general, isn't something to fear, it's the start of the next exciting chapter in your life.

What's your favourite holiday destination?

Any beach, anywhere. I love travelling, so I'm looking forward to when we can do it again safely. There are lots of places around the world that I'd still like to visit. In the meantime, I'm happy to spend more time exploring my own beautiful country and re-visiting beautiful places like Dunk Island in North Queensland where I first met my husband.

What's your favourite vegan meal?

Soup! It's such a nutritious meal and an easy way to get a big hit of veggies. My roasted pumpkin soup is my go-to, and then I have a few variations that I play around with too.

If You Could Have A Gigantic Billboard Anywhere With Anything On It — What Would It Say And Why?

Probably something along the lines of: Just Eat Real Food!

What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?

My MacBook Pro. I'd been hearing for a long time about how great Macs are, so I bit the bullet and bought one not long after I started my business. That was six years ago, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

What is a useful skill someone could learn in one minute?

Deep breathing.

Are you vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or something else entirely?

I don't have a label for the way I eat. I eat mostly whole foods, lots of fruit and veggies, with some dairy, some meat and some treats. I believe that we all need to find our own individual eating style, because different things work for different people. We all thrive when we find the right balance for our own body.

What's your favourite vegetable?

It's a close call between tomatoes and cauliflower, because they're both so versatile.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Two soft boiled eggs with a slice of buttered sourdough rye bread.

How has Covid-19 changed your industry?

I think it's changing the health and fitness industry in a positive way, as people are realising that it's important to prioritise their health. And I think they're paying more attention to generally eating better, adding healthy foods to their diet, and getting some regular exercise, rather than crazy diet fads.

Tell us about your business. What does it do and what value do you add?

Wendy's Way to Health helps women of all ages to 'healthify' their lives. I teach them how to find the small habit changes that work best for them, so that they're able to stick with them long-term. I've recently launched a free community where my members get the support and accountability they need while they're making changes and working on their goals. I'm also creating some mini-courses and ebooks that they can add as and when they need to, at different stages of their health journey. The biggest thing that I want all of my members to learn is to think in terms of ongoing progress, rather than the idea of 'before and after.'

What popular celebrity do you admire the most and why?

I admire the older women like Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, and Jaime Lee Curtis, who are living proof that you can make a vital contribution at all ages.

About the Author

Heather-PS

Heather Wilkinson is a globe-trotting content creator and PR enthusiast who’s finally put down roots in her native UK. When she isn’t working, you’ll find her pretending to care about Minecraft for her son’s sake, while secretly reading the latest Ace Atkins novel (or sleeping – her second favourite past-time).

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