Hydrating with Mariah Heller, Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach
Mariah Heller
Pain-Free Fitness
Sacramento, CA
Certified Personal Trainer, Precision Nutrition Coach, Certified Massage Therapist, FMT Movement Specialist
Brief Introduction/Tell Us About yourself (where you are from, etc)
I am originally from the central coast of California, I currently live in Sacramento and I've been working in the Health and Fitness field for about ten years!
Why did you decide to pursue a career in nutrition?
In 2010 when I started as a coach, I focused primarily on physical fitness through exercise; since then, I have come to realize that the wellness and wellbeing of my clients as a whole matters more to me than just their physical fitness level. Over the years, I've recognized that there are three major components to overall wellness: 1) Fitness (and injury/pain management), 2) Mindset, 3) Nutrition. Nutrition, while tricky, is a vital piece of any wellness journey and makes all the difference in a client's results.
What kind of training did you undergo/certification you received?
In addition to my education as a Certified Personal Trainer, I am also a Precision Nutrition certified coach.
What do people look for in a health coach, nutritionist or dietician?
People look for someone that is going to 1) listen to them, 2) genuinely embrace and support their (the client's) goals, 3) help them build actionable plans that fit into their lifestyle.
If you could persuade people to change three things about their diet, what would they be?
1) Examine your MINDSET and your mindfulness around food. Ask yourself the hard questions.
2) Make small changes one at a time and really master one change before you move on to the next.
3) Remember that sustainability is preferred over perfection. What can you stick to over the long term?
How important is it to properly hydrating throughout the day?
Water drives so many of our physiological functions; drinking water throughout the day is hugely important!
How much water should someone drink in a day?
I generally recommend that my more active clients drink their bodyweight in ounces of water per day. So if you weight 120 pounds, drink 120 ounces of water.
What are the benefits of purified water?
Purified water removes many of the contaminants that may affect us negatively over time so that we can reap the benefits of drinking water without worrying about the other contaminants such as bacteria and chlorine in non-purified water.
Plant based living is becoming more and more popular. When eating a mostly plant based / vegetarian diet, are there certain foods to focus on to make sure we’re getting enough nutrients and protein?
Focus on whole foods with as few ingredients as possible, and - to put it very simply - eat the rainbow. Get a lot of variety in your fruits, veggies, legumes, healthy fats, and starches. And of course: drink your water!
Speaking of plant based, what are some of the benefits of drinking chlorophyll water / benefits of liquid chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll Water has a lot of potential benefits for the skin, hair, and digestive system as well as being a fantastic source of hydration. While nothing will be a miracle cure-all, if you add chlorophyll water in to your daily routine (which should also include healthy food and exercise), you'll notice a difference in how you look and feel.
What’s your favorite source of antioxidants that you recommend?
Berries! I aim for 2 servings of berries per day.
What’s one of your favorite organic/natural supplements or vitamins you recommended?
I love the Women's One Multivitamin from Rainbow Light
Any favorite health / nutrition podcasts or books you recommend to our readers?
I highly recommend The Bikini and the Brain, Impact Theory, and the Aubrey Marcus podcast for super interesting health-focused guests and other life topics!
Where can our readers find you? (Instagram, Facebook, etc)
Instagram @coachmariahpainfreefitness
