As a dietitian, Rebecca Gawthorne (better known to some of you as @nourish_naturally) knows the importance of nourishing your body from the inside out. Her approach to nutrition includes eating as natural as possible (read: lots of plant-based foods), and when it comes to her beauty routine, her philosophy is no different.
In collaboration with Nude by Nature, we sat down with Rebecca to find out more about her healthy lifestyle choices spanning across nutrition, fitness and beauty.
Are natural beauty products something that’s important to you as a dietitian? How so?
Yes, natural beauty is something that I have been learning about over the past few years and is becoming very important to me. I aim where possible to buy natural beauty products without parabens, phthalates, silicones etc.
What are some things you look out for when choosing beauty products?
I like to look for products made with natural ingredients. Nude by Nature’s products, for example, are made with ingredients like avocado oil, papaya extract and Kakadu plum.
Image: @nourish_naturally
How would you best describe your beauty routine? Are you a ‘less is more’ kinda girl?
I’m very big on looking after my body both from the outside with what I use on my skin and the inside with what I eat. When it comes to my beauty routine, I’m probably a ‘less is more kind of girl’ on a day-to-day basis. I wash my face morning and night and use a toner, serum and cream, and then just put on sunscreen and do my brows and eyelashes. Once a week I do a home face mask and about once a month I get a facial.
What are some of your favourite Nude by Nature products?
Definitely, their Brow Collection and Allure Defining Mascara! I don’t often wear a full face of makeup unless I’m going out for dinner or a work event, but I do love doing my brows and putting on mascara each morning.
Nude by Nature Beach Glow Liquid Highlighter
What do you love most about the Natural Beach Glow Collection?
I live at the beach, and I’ve always loved adding a sunkissed, golden glow to my makeup. The Natural Beach Glow Collection helps give me this beachy glow. My two favourite items are the Beach Glow Liquid Highlighter and Sunkissed Pressed Bronzer.
How do you mix these products in with your day-to-day beauty routine?
I love using the Beach Glow Liquid Highlighter by mixing a small amount of it either into my face cream or BB cream, or my primer and foundation if wearing a full face of makeup. I finish my look with the Sunkissed Pressed Bronzer for an all-over glow.
Nude by Nature Sunkissed Pressed Bronzer
In what ways do you personally nourish your body from the inside out?
I choose to eat a primarily plant-based diet with small amounts of some animal products. I focus on lots of healthy vegetables, fruit, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, soy and some fish and eggs. I drink lots of water and choose to limit my intake of highly processed foods to very occasionally. I love eating this way; it makes me feel healthy, happy, energised and nourished.
Image: @nourish_naturally
As a dietitian, what foods do you recommend eating for glowing skin?
What you eat can affect the health of your skin. Your epidermis, aka the top part of your skin, is your body’s largest and fastest-growing organ, and the food you eat breaks down to form the very cells of it. There is no one food that will “cure” all your skin problems. However, modifying your diet to regularly include some healthy skin foods will help nourish your skin and assist with reducing acne, inflammation, dry flakey skin and premature ageing. You need to nourish our skin from the inside out, so if you want glowing, radiant, healthy skin, include the following healthy skin foods in your daily eating: avocado, berries, fatty fish, lentils, beans, sweet potato, flaxseed, chia, walnuts, pumpkin, kiwi, mango, oranges and other vitamin c rich foods, leafy green veggies and water. I have a full blog post on this here including a list of foods to reduce your intake of, too.
Favourite beauty food?
I can’t narrow it down to a single food. Foods and nutrients all work together and there isn’t one magical food for beauty. But if I was to choose my overall favourite food, it would be mangoes.
How would you best describe your healthy eating philosophy?
My diet is based on natural, healthy, real foods – vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, eggs and foods made from these. Some people call this a “plant-based diet”. I eat intuitively, which means what I eat day to day can differ. I don’t count calories or macros. If I’m hungrier one day, I will eat more, and if I’m not as hungry on other days, I’ll eat less. I don’t have any “rules” when it comes to eating. What I eat is a choice and I listen to my body. I eat seasonally, which means I try to eat foods that are currently in season. So what I eat in summer will be different to what I eat in winter. I enjoy all the foods I eat and I don’t eat any foods I don’t like and there aren’t any foods I want to eat that I don’t.
Image: @nourish_naturally
Can you share with us your typical day on a plate?
I want you to remember that this is what I eat in a day, so it doesn’t mean that it is appropriate for everyone. This way of eating suits me and my lifestyle.
Before my morning workout:
Water and coffee.
Breakfast (post-workout):
Cooked veggies (e.g. baby spinach, tomato, broccolini, mushrooms and sweet potato) with salmon/ocean trout/tuna/egg and a piece of fruit – currently mango or banana OR Fruit Smoothie made with mango/banana, soy milk, seeds (e.g. chia, flax) and oats/muesli/wholegrain cereal. Plus water.
Lunch and dinner:
Salad or cooked veggies (at least half a plate full) with a protein source like fish, tofu, beans, lentils and a carb source like sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain pasta or lentils. I’ll often make the above into a big salad with a yummy dressing (see recipes section of my blog) like poke, serve on a plate, baked veggies and a piece of fish or stirfry it all up together.
Snacks and dessert:
Fresh fruit, leftover baked veggies, fresh cold-pressed juice, tin of baked beans, tuna, salmon or tofu, soy/coconut yoghurt, nuts and seeds. My banana cake, nice-cream, bliss balls or any other snack recipes on my website. If I’ve run out of homemade snacks, I’ll have a healthy packaged one. Check out more of my day on a plate on YouTube.
Image: @nourish_naturally
Do you follow a specific fitness routine?
No, but I do love moving my body every day. It makes me feel alive, energised and happy. My sessions vary throughout the week between some gym strength/weights sessions, HIIT (I love F45) and running. Running will always have my heart. I love breathing the fresh air, feeling the sun on my skin and watching the world around me.
“I feel most beautiful when…”
I’m working out. I know that might sound weird but it’s when I’m moving my body I feel strong, energised and that makes me feel beautiful.
What is one thing you wish more people knew when it came to health and nutrition?
Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much. (quoted from M. Pollan). It’s so true and so simple. If everyone did this, we would be much healthier.
Visit https://nudebynature.com.au/ for more.