I’m so excited to be here with you with a very special guest, Jim Curtis from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition—which is where I graduated from to become a Certified Health Coach, many years ago—and to share a little about the IIN Miranda Kerr scholarship too.
I’m excited to have him join us as we talk about that some incredible wellness and nutrition tips. As well to speak about the 360° philosophy on health and wellness—which is what I refer to when I speak to MIND, BODY, and SPIRIT.
Miranda: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us all today, Jim. I’d love for you to explain a little bit about the program, as it’s an updated version of what I took almost 10 years ago now.
Jim: Hello Miranda, nice to see you. Do you remember it?
Miranda: Of course, I incorporate the philosophies every day. I am very passionate about health and wellness. I love the fact that the program really encourages that in all aspects.
Jim: It’s amazing to see how far people go with it. You are one example; someone that has become a leader in wellness, and a really credible resource for wellness.
Miranda: I really wanted to expand my education, for my own benefit, because i’m so passionate about health. I feel like: health is wealth. I am also able to share that with my family, with my friends, and obviously through my brand, KORA Organics. Which is all about the MIND, BODY, SKIN aspect.
Jim: How’s my skin looking BTW.
Miranda: It’s glowing! Oh good, I just put on some KORA.
Jim: I like what you say about the holistic and the mental health aspect. We often say, you can drink green juice for breakfast lunch and dinner, yet if your relationships, your career, and your passions are not in the right place, you’ll still be unhealthy. It is about everything that nourishes you from finding love in your life, and that’s not only romantic love. It’s about how you truly love what you do, how you love with the people around you, how you love your work, and how you feel the sense of love. So, in a sense, it is really all about love. We want to show you how to love your life.
Miranda: That’s what Integrated Nutrition is all about, demonstrating love and learning how to apply that for yourself, and to share that with others. As we I often say: making sure that you balance your MIND, BODY, SPIRIT. To feed all of those areas helps you make your cup more full, so then you can give more from a place of abundance, not a place of lack. For example: lovingly being a better mother, or a better partner, or being better at your job because you feel centered and balanced.
Jim: I agree with that, and that’s so well put because we say that once you find that you’re feeling good, and that you’re feeling centered, and in flow, and in alignment, you can’t help but to positively benefit people around. Like you said with your kids, and your family, and your friends—and then you start to spread what we call “the ripple effect of health and happiness.” and people see the difference in you, and what you’re doing and you look better, you look happier but what they’re really feeling is your energy. When you’re living well and you’re feeding yourself healthy foods.
Miranda: I love that philosophy. When you’re eating, are you feeling satisfied from what you’re eating but are you also partaking in a loving way with other people and eating together? You never want to be sitting eating something super healthy but alone and miserable because that is going to be detrimental. If you’re not happy and having those loving warm feelings that will affect your digestion.
It’s all so connected; health and wellness. Are you spending enough time like with your friends, and people that uplift you? Is that a healthy relationship for you to be around that person? Since we are all energetic beings, how does being around that person affect your health and wellbeing.
Jim: I remember our founder, Joshua, used to say that he had a friend that wouldn’t eat sweets, and would not eat sweetener of any kind. On his birthday he wouldn’t have birthday cake, and Joshua would say: “He needs a little but of sweetness in his life!”
Miranda: I’ve often lived by the philosophy of 80% healthy, 20% indulgence because to me it’s all about having balance. Yes, I consciously choose the foods that are nutritionally aligned and nourishing my body, but at the same time it’s important to make sure that I’m happy. Enjoying time and foods with friends, for example, eating French fries with my friends and giggling because that’s also good for me on a cellular level. Not in a detrimental way or every day but having a balanced thought process around it.
Jim: 100%. It’s a balance and are you going to forego joy, and not eat anything when you go out to dinner with your friends because there’s nothing to eat—or are you going to indulge in a balanced way.
We talk about the idea of “crowding up” and the idea of bio-individuality, meaning there’s no one way to eat for everyone one person. One person could be keto, one person could be vegetarian. It start with the idea to generally eat more broccoli and eat more drink more water. Starting there and then start to move towards healthier ways each day. Instead of being so hard on ourselves, and feeling so guilty and ruining our joy when we eat something bad. So instead we say: let’s find joy in food and eat healthy at the same time.
Miranda: I wrote about something similar a long time ago, for young girls to really absorb. That each one of us is like a flower. You can’t say that one flower is more beautiful than another because they’re just as beautiful as each other. They are all so unique. As individuals, we are unique and what we need to really do is embrace that uniqueness as opposed to trying to be like another. It is more alluring and attractive to everyone around you to fully embrace every aspect of yourself, or at least try. We’re all human beings and there are things that we may want to better about ourselves, and I think it’s important to grow and to learn everyday, but in a balanced way.
I want to learn every day till the day that I die, in every way. I want to be a better mother, a better business person, a better partner and a better friend—every day.
I think that it’s possible to become a better version of yourself every day but in saying that I also think it’s really important to accept who you are; your soul and this journey that you’ve been given in this life. Also how to make the most of it.
Jim: Yeah, imagine if we all looked the same? How mundane that would be.
Miranda: It would be so terrible.
Jim: You wouldn’t find any unique beauty anywhere it would just all be the same. I love that analogy and part of the course is about self-love and acceptance. We dive deep into self-love and acceptance because once you start to find your own worth and your own love, you’re a lot more gentle on yourself, and when you’re more gentle on yourself guess who else you’re more gentle with?
Miranda: Everyone else!
Jim: Everyone else—so that’s a big part of the course. You talked about nature which I love and the idea of being in nature for health. Dr. Zach Bush, one of our new teachers, talks really about how being in nature makes us healthy.
Miranda: Oh I believe it. That is my where I find so much inspiration and regeneration. Just putting my feet in the grass makes a huge difference to my day. Putting my palms out and feeling the sunlight in my palms, and visualizing every cell in my body being full of that light is loving energy. It is a really great way to re-energize. Or hugging a tree!
Jim: Yes, I live in New York City so I have to make a point of getting into nature out of the city, or find a tree, or a park, or have lots of plants in my apartment because it gets hard without nature. What Zack Bush talks about is that the micro organisms in our stomach that are controlling our our gut, our digestion and our mood are not human. These microorganisms that live in our gut are alive and are symbiotic with elements in nature and that we have to really understand and control. Our stress affects them, what we eat affects them e.g.: prebiotics and probiotics. It starts to get deep and really interesting as there so many other things that are happening.
Miranda: That’s cool. What are some other things that you’ve learned that you apply to your life?
Jim: I lean into the service part a lot. Meaning, often people don’t know they want to be of service until they’re really feeling good and they’re like: I have to share this somehow. I also like the coaching aspects of the course. It’s one thing to be someone that people come to for advice, but it’s another thing to understand how to actually coach someone effectively. We talk about these high mileage questions you can ask as a coach that get people to open up in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re telling them. It allows you to guide them to good health and I really love that.
Miranda: Also having a community within the program; opening yourself to a community.
Jim: You’re amazing. I love your products.
Miranda: Oh good, which products do you use?
Jim: The scrub and the moisturizer.
Miranda: Oh that is so good for you because it prevents ingrown hairs in the beard.
Jim: I could put turmeric in everything, there’s not enough curcumin in my stuff.
Miranda: Same. That why I made KORA Organics. It’s all about beauty internally and externally, and why I put Noni fruit in every single product. As well as with Kakadu Plum in our Vitamin C serum, because that is the highest naturally occurring form of Vitamin C. My mum actually drinks it daily, and that’s why I wanted to put in as one of the key ingredients.
Jim: What other supplements do you take?
Miranda: Well right now I love the Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie because it has barley grass, spirulina, wild blueberries and seaweed. I also love a supplement called Native for focus and concentration with NAD and Co-enzyme Q10 and that’s kind of something I take every day. I take Vitamin C and Lemon Balm which is really good for the nervous system. Vimergy B12 drops under my tongue too.
Jim: Dr. Daniel Amen says saffron is amazing for the brain and for mood.
Miranda: Yes, I drink the Happy Shake from Dr. Amen and the Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie too.
Jim: Wow, you drink that everyday?
Miranda: Yes, and celery juice every morning. That has really helped me.
Jim: I’m not a fan of celery juice but I do love beet juice and green juice!
Miranda: We now know that an organic ingredient has up to 60% more antioxidants than a non-organic ingredient—and that’s why these products are blowing people’s minds with results because they’re not just clean and healthy for you, they’re results driven, clinically active products that can help transform your skin.
Jim: That’s great, I love the work that you do.
Miranda: Oh, thank you. It’s been so lovely speaking to you and learning more about health and wellness. The more like-minded people we can have out there taking care of themselves and everyone else is only going to be a positive thing for the world for for love to go around.
Jim: I agree and thanks, I’m super appreciative of you.
Miranda: Lots of love everyone, hope everyone’s doing well.
Much love,
Miranda
*The next intake for the IIN Miranda Kerr scholarship is Fall 2022.
