Tell us about your food background and what inspired you to become a Nutritionist?

As with many in the industry, it was my personal health struggles that led me to working in the nutrition and wellness space. Too many antibiotics, and undiagnosed food intolerances in my childhood caused a health cascade which was only made worse my mainstream treatment – heavy-dose steroids and prescription pills. After years of bouncing from specialist to specialist, whilst my symptoms only continued to get worse, someone suggested I see a naturopath. Three weeks later all the symptoms were gone. After this I became hooked on the power of food as medicine and never looked back. 

In short, what can you tell us about the link between food and sleep? 

It is important to look at your health systematically, with your gut health, sleep and stress all working together. The food that you eat directly influences all three of these factors, either feeding good health or feeding disease. With every meal you are voting with your fork, either providing your body with nourishing foods that promote good sleep, or processed foods which spike insulin, wreak havoc on hormones and damage your gut, all in turn leading to a bad night’s rest. We want to eat in a way that will keep hormones balanced, blood sugar stable and gut health thriving. With these three boxes ticked your body can use its beauty sleep to heal, rest and revitalise. 

Do you feel like you sleep well?

My sleep is something I constantly have to prioritise. When I’m not properly nourishing my body or managing my stress, my sleep will be the first thing to suffer.  It’s my body’s first warning telling me it needs some TLC. The good thing is with just a day or two of eating a sleep-promoting diet and addressing my stress I’m back to sleeping like a baby!

What is your routine leading up to a good night's sleep? 

My night-time routine begins with a cup of chamomile tea after dinner. While the kettle is boiling I go around the house and dim all the lights to cue my hormones that it’s time for bed. Next comes a warm shower. I go to my bedroom and plug in my phone on the other side of the room and turn on my Goodnight Co diffuser with the Goodnight Essential Oils Blend. I jump into bed and do just three pages of journaling and my 3-Point Gratitude List. Every night I like to end my day writing 3 things I am grateful for and 3 things I am excited to accomplish tomorrow. Getting my thoughts down on paper before bed is by far the best way I’ve yet to find to clear the mind before bed. 

What benefits do you feel after a good night's sleep?

When I am taking care of my body and following my night-time routine I literally jump out of bed at 6:22am, the exact same time every day, no alarm needed. My body clock is so reliable! I am a total morning person so will get up and have all the energy in the world straight away. After a good night’s sleep my hormones have balanced, and my gut health has had time to both digest all of yesterday’s food as well as helping the liver to detoxify my body, and helping the mind to decrease stress. My muscles have recovered and I am ready for a full day of absolutely anything. 

How do you find balance between family, work and rest?

Both myself and my partner work from home at the moment. Which is amazing but also tricky. We spend a lot of time together but that doesn’t mean a lot of quality time – just because you are sitting next to someone 10 hours a day doesn’t equal quality time! I truly believe in time blocking. I love scheduling and planning to make sure I fit in everything that matters to me. Book in exercise, date nights, family calls, time for socials and time for you. Planning ahead is a great way to avoid over-committing too. It is so important to schedule time to slow down, rest and just be. 

What's your biggest tip for readers wanting a better night's sleep?

My biggest tip to improve sleep is to work on balancing your hormones. Avoid eating processed sugary foods and instead load up on nourishing healthy fats, quality protein and hormone loving foods. Your hormones are the control centre for your body and your sleep so if you take care of them they will have you sleeping more deeply than Snow White! To find out more check out my blog for my top 8 ways to balance your hormones naturally. 

Shannon has produced a range of gut health and weight loss nutrition programs available from her health and wellness website, Living With Rosie. Shannon has completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional Medicine from Endeavour College of Natural Health in Sydney and is an active member of the Australian Natural Therapists Association. 

Follow more of her journey of Instagram @livingwithrosie