Eve Kalinik wants to help discover what works specifically for you.

Raised in a household where unprocessed, home cooked meals were valued, the nutritional expert always appreciated wholesome food. However, it was not until the onset of a chronic physical condition that she recognized the direct connection between what she ate and how she felt.

After working with a naturopath to aid her recovery, Kalinik was inspired to study the practice herself. That spurred a whole new career: She left the fashion public relations world and created her own naturopathic-focused agency, Garden PR, as well as a consulting company, Radish Nutrition.

Here, Kalinik explains how her struggle with faltering health led her down an incredibly rewarding path:

Live The Process: Have you always been interested in nutrition and aware of its importance?

Eve Kalinik: I have always been a true foodie and, growing up, we were taught to eat whole foods rather than the processed versions. Most of the meals at home were cooked from scratch, which gave me a really good grounding. However, I’m not sure I ever really thought about what I eat and how that makes me feel until I had some health issues that made me really look at my diet and how changing it could result in remarkable changes.

While working in a very demanding and fast-paced role for my career, I began to feel lethargic all the time—not just tired, but I actually couldn’t function. I had lots of tests and nothing was out of the ordinary, so was told it was just stress and I would “get over it.” This continued for many months; meanwhile I was picking up viruses and infections all the time. I realized that recurrent courses of antibiotics was not the way I wanted to live my life.

With that in mind, I sought out the help of an amazingly inspiring naturopath, who diagnosed adrenal fatigue and put me onto a recovery plan that included significantly changing my diet. He explained that some of the foods that I thought were “healthy” were actually making me worse. I genuinely think this is where a lot of people get so confused; they think they are making healthy choices, but actually, if a food isn’t right for a particular individual, it can have the opposite effect. That’s really why nutrition has to be prescriptive, as we are all unique and our bodies function in very different ways. It’s about finding what works for you and making the food choices that are going to help contribute to improving your mind, body and soul. Emotions are such a huge part of what makes us happy after all, and almost nothing is as emotional as the connection we have to food.

LTP: What inspired you to leave your job in fashion PR and pursue a nutritional therapy diploma from the College of Naturopathic Medicine?

EK: Having experienced firsthand the incredible results from working with a naturopath, I wanted to learn more about how I could help others achieve similar results. I actually studied while simultaneously working and, although that would seem quite intense, it was so invigorating that I actually felt it was a release from my professional responsibilities. I was at a pivotal moment in my career when I left an amazing job at a wonderful company, but I really felt a pull to switch my life into one that embraced everything in which I truly believed. I decided to open up Garden PR, which is a boutique naturopathic PR agency that consults with brands that have a similar ethos, and I run this alongside my nutrition company, Radish Nutrition. It’s nice to have the two to compliment each other and a way to use my previous decade of PR experience in an area about which I feel very passionate. Radish is growing (excuse the pun!) very quickly and I have some super exciting projects at the moment that are incredibly inspiring.

LTP: What does your typical day look like, and how do you manage your time and energy?

EK: I don’t really have a typical day to be totally honest, but mornings are definitely "my time." I rise early, around 6am, and make myself hot water with fresh lemon juice to give my body an alkalizing kickstart to the day. I usually follow this with some yoga practice or Pranayama breathing for an hour; I let my body tell me what it needs. My breakfast is very important to me, as it’s during that time that I plan out intentions for the day ahead, so I make sure it’s a well-rounded, delicious start. At the moment, I’m using a lot of mung bean and other sprouts blended into raw porridges and vegan creams to give an added boost. Depending on whether I’m seeing clients or in meetings, my day can be very different, but I make sure that I’m well hydrated and never skip meals, as this is when my energy levels really dip. I try to finish up all my work at least an hour before going to bed, so that my body can relax. Good quality sleep really is one of the best natural therapies you can get after all!

LTP: What tips would you offer people who aspire to eat healthy, nutritious food, but hate the idea of a diet and deprivation?

EK: To start with, I never use the word “diet” in the restrictive sense. Whenever I’m giving my clients their plans, I think of it as a lifelong mantra, not something they will stick with for a few weeks and then go back to old habits. So its important to acknowledge that if you have this in mind most of the time, with the odd treat here and there, then you’re going to have longterm success. Little changes make the biggest differences after all, and they are more likely to stick. It’s also my job to inspire clients to want to be able to cook healthy, delicious food, as the two elements should not be mutually exclusive. That’s why I create dishes that take minimal time with maximum flavors. It’s the practicality of a healthier way of life that is often what decides whether someone will truly switch. For example, tips that I have found helpful are to have a healthy cupboard of ingredients, so that when you come home after a long day you have easy things at hand, and to make double portions to save time.

LTP: What does happiness look like to you?

EK: Freedom. The freedom to make choices, to change your life for the better and to say “no” once in a while. It’s so empowering and rewarding to be able to live your life the way that you really want. Making decisions for your own wellbeing can only bring you joy. I’m also a sucker for raw brownies—how could they not make you happy?

LTP: What does it mean to you to "Live The Process" and how do you do that every day?

EK: It’s having time to reflect every day and make sure that what you are doing is on the path that you want be treading. I guess it’s about really being who you want to be and always having your dreams and ambitions in mind. Sometimes we are all too fixed on the here and now and forget to look at the bigger picture. Time out is also essential: I make sure to have at least one hour out of my day for yoga, meditation or just a walk in nature. That really resets the mind and body.