Following her own journey to nutrition that supports the body, Gloria Halim is the lady behind the new Thrive Fertility Retreat at Lifehouse Spa and Hotel. Here she explains her journey and how she’s helping women every day…

Tell us about you…

A few years ago I went through breast cancer treatment and coming out of that I wanted to do something to heal. Before that I worked in IT, contract work - it was all about stress, stress, stress. So I went into research mode and wrote a book and it turned out to be about the healing benefits of foods. After it came out a lot of people were asking me what to do about this ailment/ that ailment so I trained as a holistic health coach in New York. Wholefoods then took on my book, which did really well, and then I started coaching people. Over the last three or four years I have set up a business which has had a lot of changes as it’s gone along, and now I do a lot of work with fertility for women in their late 30s and early 40s who want to get pregnant.

It has made sense to focus on new life and new beginnings in my work and creating retreats and workshops to support that that. I have teamed up with a gynecologist and we run workshops on how to prepare your body for pregnancy using nutrition, spa treatments, taking time out, relaxing and finding out what you can do to improve fertility. Of course it all has a wider impact on your health - there’s so much disease in the world that’s linked to stress, diet and lifestyle and I know that if people can get the right knowledge they can make their own choices to improve your life.

How do you work?

We start with a detox, the length of which depends on the programme, to clean out whatever you have been doing, and also nourishing your body with what it’s lacking. What you put into your body can heal you or kill you, to be direct about it, and I try to be as direct as possible. Then we look at where your stresses are in your work and life and try to reduce that.

After that we start to look at diet and nutrition. The main foods that are beneficial are greens - eating and juicing them. Particular favourites are kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli and sprouts, so focusing on more vegetables than fruit. I use plant based foods and if you need to supplement then use Vitamin D, which is really important, especially in cold countries with cold weather, but you must check your levels first. Omega 3, 6, and 9 - all of which are anti-inflammatory are beneficial. There’s a lot that goes into it, but that’s the basis.

I am working with a lady at the moment who’s 42 and she said there were a lot of things she didn’t know, she was planning to do IVF but has taken some time out to de-stress over three or four months. Even if you go down the IVF route, nutrition can increase your chance of success.

Importantly, I practice what I preach. I am now happy and well, if a little bit too focused on work! I need to be careful to take time out and remember it’s always a work in progress because as human beings we’re not perfect. I juice almost every day, eat healthily, exercise, do yoga, walk and try to meet with family and friends and enjoy life.

My top tip? If you don’t juice, start juicing. It cleanses and nourishes - it does so much!

BOOK THE THRIVE FERTILITY RETREAT AT LIFEHOUSE SPA