Wellness Guru: Hannah Zussman, Entrepreneur & British Record Holder for Power-lifting
- Darryl Gibney
- Jun 29, 2016
- 5 min read
This week we have a Wellness Guru thats going to blow your socks off! Hannah Zussman is a four-time British Record Holder for power-lifting!
Yes, FOUR times!! But even that wasn't enough for her, this power-packing entrepreneur also co-founded the Good Macadamia Nut Oil company with her boyfriend Nicos and is currently causing a fitness revolution across Britain showing followers its not just about lifting weights, and more about diet and nutrition.
1. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF HANNAH, AND HOW YOU GOT TO BE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
I am a personal trainer and the Co-Founder/Director of This Is Good Macadamia Nut Oil. Our main focus is to share the benefits of macadamia nut oil over coconut oil with consumers, as I feel that the health benefits of coconut oil have been widely misunderstood and falsely promoted in the media.
As a teen I loved sport and played tennis to a high standard. My love for fitness continued when I got a job working at gym at the age of 18 – it was at that gym that I started my natural progression into the fitness industry and further discovered my passion for nutrition, wellness and living a healthy lifestyle.
During my 14 years in the industry I’ve learnt that it’s not just about exercise but the way that we live our lives day to day that’s most important. Wellness requires education just like anything. People can so easily get swept up with the tide and just go with social norms when it comes to health and fitness but often this isn’t in our best interests. It's only through research and/or learning along the way that we discover what’s truly best for ourselves. I'm not talking about anything ground breaking here just small lifestyle changes that have the most impact such as: moving more, eating more plant based foods and drinking lots of water.
I'm so lucky to have spent a large portion of my life, surrounded by people who share my way of thinking – I’m always learning from them and expanding my views and knowledge. I feel fortunate and grateful every day!
2. TELL US HOW YOU SPEND YOUR AVERAGE WORKING DAY
I wake up early, at around 5.30-6:00am. The first thing I do is to have 2 glasses of alkaline water. Next up I’ll have a grapefruit which is usually accompanied by a super smoothie which I make using: spinach, maca, raw cacaco, avocardo, ice and soaked dates. Being vegan, I make sure to count nutrients rather than calories!
I tend to drink this whilst driving to work where I train 4-5 clients on a one-on-one basis at the gym and then followed by a couple of private clients who I meet at their houses. During the morning I occasionally snack on nuts & veg and I always make sure I have a bottle of water with me so that I’m constantly feeling hydrated.
I eat lunch at home – this is usually a lentil or bean dish, or a bowl of avocado with a load of steamed veggies topped with my special homemade hummus. My partner Nic eats about 2kg of the stuff a week, I swear!
My business partner and boyfriend Nicos and I like to catch up throughout the day to run through emails, orders and our social media pages for ‘This Is Good’. We usually have some deliveries to drop off or restaurants to explore. I’ll then spend the rest of my afternoon writing blogs, developing recipes or researching/networking with people who I believe our brand would be of interest to. All done whilst consuming vegan sushi or noodles, or a bowl of mixed grains with veg. I like to end my day with a yoga session at home before dinner.
For dinner I’ll have something like miso with a bunch of sea vegetables served with brown rice or soba noodles and some fruit. I've usually got some raw brownies tucked away in the kitchen which made for the perfect sweet sign off. Finally, its wind down time! This involves low level lighting, a lavender burner, a magnesium bath and some reading before bed.
3. What inspires you?
I find it inspiring that as humans we are capable of achieving so very much! I feel so motivated on a daily basis as well as lucky and grateful that I’m able to follow my passions in this way.
4. What’s your goal in life?
Most of all, my goal is to be happy and live a life full of joy. There is nothing more important than being happy, everything else will follow.
5. What does Wellness mean to you?
Your body working as it should do. From rising and moving to sleeping and eating.
6. What advice would you give to a person looking to transform their life?
Find something that really makes your hair stand on end, something you understand and believe in.
Then it's no effort at all.
7. Tell us more about being a 4 times British Record Holding Power Lifter - what was the training like?
I loved it! This time of my life taught me so much about discipline and passion. Going from a hobby to some pretty serious competing was such a big thing for me, it taught me to stay focused and I learnt skills I never knew I had. I achieved records across 3 weight categories and I found the nutritional side of competing so interesting.
I devoted 2 years of my life to it, living and breathing it – it was tough and rewarding, but now that I am on the other side of things I realise how much I learnt.
8. Tell us you’re Top 3 Tips for Wellness?
1. Hydrate first thing in the morning - 500mls of alkaline water on an empty stomach does wonders for the mind and body!
2. Be still for a few minutes every day, whether it be meditation or mindfulness. Just stop and breath deeply - breathing out eliminates toxins in the body and just those few moments can really help you to re align.
3. Cut out milk. This is a massive cause for illness, allergies and lethargy. Replace it with something yummy like almond milk or oat milk. Trust me – I’ve noticed such a difference!
9. So what’s next in your career/life?
Growing This Is Good Macadamia Nut Oil is my soul focus at the moment. I want to educate people on the importance of nutrition – it’s so important to both Nic and I, and granted, others might not want to dive in as much as we have, but we want to make people aware that it’s the small changes that really can make a huge difference. There's such mixed messages in the media, we want to make things clean and simple.
For more information visit Hannah's website www.thisisgoodoil.com
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