Hey, I’m Corinna
A recovering binge/emotional eater, bulimic, yo-yo dieter, self-sabotager & self-loather turned Holistic nutrition & health coach, behaviour change expert, yoga teacher & lover of life.
It ‘only’ took me over 20 years to find a solution to my unhealthy relationship with food & myself. I share with you here the ‘highlights’ of my story in the hope that it will inspire you & help you believe that with the right information & tools you too can change. You will also find some facts about what I do & how I can help & how you can get started further down.
MY STORY
Told in a timeline
1984
Born in Windhoek, Namibia to my German father who’s parents fled to Namibia after the 2nd world war and my Namibian born mother also of German descent. Africa is in my blood.
1989 – 2008
My dad was abusive towards my mother and my sister and I got caught in the middle which led me to feeling unsafe in our own home a lot of times, wanting to escape.
1990 ish
Around the time where I start self-soothing with food and find myself stealing sugary things like sweets, cookies and even bubblegum from friends (my mom stopped keeping sweets in the house as my sister and I would both devour them in record time).
1994 ish
My mom puts my sister and I on our first diet. The seed is planted that we are not good enough as we are and need to restrict our food intake.
1997 ish
I am called ‘fat seacow’ and ‘thunder thighs’ & truly begin to dislike myself. I experiment with throwing up meals as I can’t seem to control what I eat and keep finding myself secretly baking cakes and making fudge.
2001
Now living at boarding school in Cape Town, I binge & throw up after meals on a near daily basis.
2002-2005
I get severe stomach cramps. My body’s way of forcing me to stop purging. I start seeing a psychologist to help me gain back control of my eating habits, end up in rehab and start taking anti-depressants. Nothing seems to make a difference. I continue binging & controlling my weight through diets, restriction, diet teas, pills…
2009
I end up in the emergency room with a pulmonary embolism whilst living in the UK. The cause was excessive use of diet pills containing Norpseudoephedrine (a type of amphetamine). It was a wake up call. I start trying to be healthier but can’t stay consistent for long periods. I continue to search for solutions to help ‘fix’ me.
2016
I partake in a Yoga Teacher Training for 3 weeks with daily classes including mediation & eating nutritious meals. For the first time in my life I feel fully in control around food and break free from negative thoughts. I feel liberated.
2016 continued.
I continue to practice yoga & learning about health. I go on an extreme diet suggested by a doctor and finally reach my goal weight. I am happy and meet my now husband. Binging seems a thing of the past.
2017-2019
I find myself back where I started, 20kg heavier, unable to stay consistent with practicing yoga, binging and unable to control myself around food. I start researching alternative options.
2020
I take matters into my own hands and turn to education for help. I am awarded an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition & Health Coaching from the IINH. Studying nutrition has brought new light on how food reacts with the body, why we crave food and why diets don’t work long-term. I start applying the principles and have notably fewer cravings and get my energy back. I start working as a Health & Nutrition coach helping people to overcome binge and emotional eating.
2021 – present
I realise something is missing. With all the knowledge of nutrition my clients and myself are struggling to stay consistent and it feels impossible to stick to something long-term. I lose confidence in what I do and further research leads me to Neuroscience. Studying how our brains work finally gives me the missing piece I need. I get certified as a Consistency Coach and Neuro Change Coach, both Neuroscience based courses providing the foundation, knowledge and tools needed for long-term behaviour change.
I finally have all the answers and by applying the strategies I learnt into my own life, I feel myself slowly taking back the reigns and start living more in alignment with who I have been fighting to be for so long. I used the tools to reduce my alcohol intake (my other nemesis) from 3 times a week to 3 times a year, stop smoking and become more consistent with yoga and daily movement and whilst I can’t say I’m binge free as success doesn’t happen overnight, I am 3/4 of the way there and gradually losing weight in the process (AND maintaining it!!!).
Conclusion
My expertise
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Contrary to popular belief, willpower and discipline have very little to do with changing our behaviour. Looking at how our brains and bodies work, it becomes evident that there are several different layers that drive our behaviour. I help you uncover your drivers and provide you with proven tools & strategies to be more consistent and put an end to self-sabotage. More importantly, the skills that you learn can be reapplied into any area of your life.
NUTRITION
As much as I would love to tell everyone to eat what they want, it simply isn’t a realistic approach. What we eat affects our long-term health, can cause cravings & impacts how we FEEL both physically & mentally. I believe in a personalised approach that focuses on health & making meals more enjoyable whilst gaining energy. I don’t promote restriction or counting calories because it’s not needed even if you want to lose weight.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress management is a vital part of your physical and mental health. Whilst some stress is healthy, if we are stressed more often than not, it can cause anxiety, poor sleep, overthinking, digestive issues, weight gain and stress eating amongst other things. I believe that self-care and active relaxation are an essential ingredient to managing stress and regulating our nervous system and is especially important for your mental health.
MINDSET
The definition of a mindset is simply your attitude towards learning which determines your rate of your success or failure at different tasks. Like with anything, a more positive mindset can be cultivated and plays an integral role not only in achieving your goals but also in feeling happier and more content.
A few fun facts about me…
I have a bit of a book obsession
I don’t know what it is about books but I love buying and collecting them. I have waaaay more books than I have read and at this rate I will never be able to catch up. I just love the idea that I can go to my little library and pick a book to help me with research or learn something new. Topics include yoga, anatomy, nutrition & health, gardening, neuroscience, coaching, travel.
I have 2 furbabies
Gizmo (top) & Guinness (bottom) are my number 1. Husband comes second :-). We got them from a cat rescue as kittens at the start of covid. They made lockdown so much better and are a constant source of entertainment. They love the outdoors and come on walks with me up the mountain behind our house to explore.
I loooooooove nature
Whilst I can easily say that I love everything about nature, which is partly why I love to travel, you will probably hear me talk about flowers and birds the most. These are also my main subject for photography, which is my hobby. (The puffin is one of my favourite pictures taken on Saltee Island)
LET’S GET TO WORK
Ready to see if we’re a good fit?
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