Meet the Expert…
Hello readers, my name is Stephen, fitness coach and nutritionist, and I have been asked by the lovely team at Candra to write some articles for them, centred around diet and drinking. Now I know you are probably thinking, hang on, these topics don’t usually pair together, but let me explain a little about my background and *why* I think people should be looking at both sides of the coin.
As a child I was ridiculously skinny, strangers would make comments about how “rake-thin” I appeared, but my diet was typical of the time; highly processed, convenience, microwaved, with brightly coloured confectionary and fizzy sodas. However, I was bullied for my slim appearance. Alongside an unconventional family environment, this sometimes meant I would go several hours without eating anything, I simply got used to being ‘hungry’, and this type of disordered eating continued well into adulthood
I always had a physical job in the service industry; paper round, cleaning a bakery, even a well-known fast food joint. But whilst at university, like many others I discovered that I really enjoyed drinking! This pushed me into a 20+ year stint of serving alcohol in pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants.
Being surrounded by alcohol for so long, coupled with anxiety and a lack of self-confidence from my childhood, I used to drink to excess and way too often – for various reasons this is commonplace in the hospitality industry.
An interest in nutrition began when I started to think that aforementioned cocktail of alcohol, poor diet and arduous shift work might not be a smart long term plan. This interest turned to study, and a keen interest the specifics of alcohol, caffeine and sleep. I enjoy learning about these topics not just because of my personal experiences, but also because so little seems to be said about relationship to one another.
Now I also love being lazy, there I said it. We work all the hours sent out way and rarely look after ourselves, so it is very tempting to sit on the sofa all day and stare at a screen for entertainment. However, as we get older, our bodies aren’t quite as forgiving, if I have a day of rest, my bones and joints stiffen up, so I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. More recently I try to exercise and simply move more because I do have a concern about mobility and overall health in later life.
The general public are chronically underserved regards the world of diet and fitness and as a coach, I aim to guide those that want to address those pitfalls. I am talking about long-term, sustainable, life-altering changes, no shortcuts or fad diets.
I enjoy sharing the knowledge I have gained and hope my knowledge in both heath and fitness combined with 20 year experience in the drink industry will help me impart a unique aspect on the subjects I tackle.
I do hope that you find something useful here that you can apply to your own lives.
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
@Candra_Drinks #MakeBetterDrinks #CandraDrinks
