Carla Thomas

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a Perth-based Holistic Health Coach with a specialisation in Mind-Body Medicine. I’ve been working in the field for over 10 years now and have had the pleasure of coaching hundreds of people, both one-on-one and in groups, in improving their long-term health and wellbeing. I am a published author, wellness speaker and educator, and founder of The Juicy Movement holistic health collective, proud co-host of a Perth-focused health and wellness podcast The C-Word, Holistic Health Coach on health and fitness app KIXXFIT and work with the team at MindBody Lounge as their Community and Collaborations Coordinator.

Why do you do what you do?

Simple. I LOVE IT! And I want to make a difference in this world, in people’s lives, in people’s health and wellbeing. And this is my passion. I truly believe everything I went through in my younger years was to help me find and serve my purpose.

What is the difference you hope to make to people’s lives?

It’s really easy to label people. For me, it was ‘you’re the depressed and anxious girl, it runs in the family.’ I didn’t want to just accept and live by that. Any disease is the body is showing it is in ‘dis-ease’. You can only mask it for so long or be ‘ok’ with living like that. Most health issues are lifestyle related and can be reversed if not improved or maintained with the right tools. I’m about being proactive and preventative vs ‘fix it’. My approach – personally and with clients – is focused on daily holistic ‘juicy’ rituals and practices. There is so much misguided and often dangerous ‘short cut’ information out there and it is not just one thing, but a number of things (like microgreens ;)) that contribute to bringing us the vitality we seek. 

Have you always been health conscious? If yes, where do you think it came from? If not, what did your life look like before and what did the turning point look like?

Yes and no. I was always active as a kid and involved heavily in dancing from a young age but I never really ‘thought’ about health until my early teens when everything began changing. My mindset and lack of  knowledge lead to a lot of bad habits and experiences, but it ultimately lead me to seek and find the answers and holistic path I was after. I hit a point at 22 where I just thought ‘This can’t be it? The ups and downs and on meds and off meds and eating disorder habits swinging one way then the other…this can’t be my life forever?’ And I just decided that it wouldn’t be. 

What does living a healthy and happy life mean to you?

The foundation has been there for a while but how it looks and shows up tends to change and evolve as I change and evolve – and grow! – as a person on the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. People tend to base health on how fit you are or well you eat. Health is ENERGY! And you know those people when you meet them – they’re infectious and you want a piece of it! And happiness isn’t what you own or based on certain outcomes. It’s contentment and inner peace – no matter what else is happening around you or what you are faced with. These two forces align when you are living completely aligned to yourself, your purpose and your values. That is what waking up to a healthy and happy life feels (and should) look like 🙂

What do you enjoy the most about microgreens? And what is your favourite way of using them?

So I’ve never been much of a green thumb and for the past 2 and half years I have lived in an apartment, so having microgreens I don’t have to grow and can’t destroy is a win on all levels! LOL I always say it’s the ‘little things’ that add up to the big differences with our health, so being able to throw some microgreens in a smoothie, add some to a salad or use as that final, special and pretty topping (eg snacks such avo and sliced veg on crackers) is definitely my favourite and most common way of using them.

What is your favourite quote? And why? 

Just one quote?! Ohh that’s rough LOL I have many I love – some that have served me over many years and some that just served their time and purpose as needed, but one that I always come back to for guidance and a reminder when needed – and remains stuck to my desktop and also on my vision board – is “For the love of all you do, make sure it’s true, wholeheartedly you.”