Kirsty Wirth is the founder of Kultured Wellness, a company whose mission is to inspire and educate people to take control of their health by eating real and fermented foods that nourish the brain and the gut.
Kirsty Wirth is the founder of Kultured Wellness, a company whose mission is to inspire and educate people to take control of their health by eating real and fermented foods that nourish the brain and the gut. She is the brainchild behind the Kultured Wellness Culture Starters and functional supplements, the Kultured Wellness Optimal Gut Healing Programs and is the co-author of GUTALICIOUS. Her research and work in the area of gut health have been life-changing for many of her clients. Her qualification and experience in education, teaching and research spans over 15 years and continues to drive her purpose of empowering the community to gain knowledge and understanding so they can be well and thrive. She is a HUGE nature lover, a mother, a fervent advocate for children on the spectrum, you just can’t help but be touched by her spirit and infectious enthusiasm.
Find inspiration as we talk to Kirsty Wirth in our #StrongHealthyWomen interview.
Hi Kirsty! Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
I am fortunate that no one day is the same for me and it’s something that ignites me and I thrive on. I have my routines within the day that keep me grounded and balanced but I love variety. I love cold water immersion so I always start the day with a cold plunge and then make sure that I move my body and get natural sunlight on my body and eyes. I move in lots of ways some days it’s Barre Pilates, other days it’s netball or running, climbing the Mountain close to my house, F45 strength class, bike riding or just playing in the ocean with the kids. I try and mix it up as much as I can to keep my body and my brain guessing. The other routine that is consistent in my day is making sure I nourish myself so I can keep up with the demands of family life and running a busy business. During the day I make easy to digest foods and will always make sure I get in some fermented foods with each meal. Every time I eat I am always looking at how can I add extra nutrients to my meal.
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you overcome it?
Recently I was in an accident on the netball court and experienced a traumatic brain injury. It was very difficult as I couldn’t handle light or noise and was exhausted and had to sleep all the time. It was a real challenge for me. I was just so grateful that I have learnt so much over the years about the body and the brain and recovering from injury and trauma. I really focused on nourishing fats that feed the brain, broths and easy to digest foods, lots of anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and ginger (All I wanted to eat was veggie curries!!) and I also did 8 weeks of Cryotherapy which is where my love for cold therapy started. My sauna at home has the light therapy in it so I did those daily. I also really focused on my mindset and visualizing feeling strong, active and rocking cognition again. I also embraced the accident as a teaching tool of something that I needed to learn from rather than…. ‘great another injury to add to the list and problem that I have to overcome’. I recovered extremely quickly which was just wonderful and I put it down to the therapies, nourishing foods and mindset.
What does being healthy mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
Being healthy for me means having energy, enthusiasm and wisdom to achieve my goals and really make the most out of life and most importantly to give back to my community and the planet. I have had periods of time in my life where I was constantly sick and lacked energy and was in considerable pain and it really impacted my outlook on life and achieving my dreams. I just love the feeling now of being fit, strong and well so whatever I set my mind to I can just go ahead and do. Whether it be a week-long hike with friends or building a new educational program for the Kultured Wellness Community.
Consistency for me is how I keep being healthy at the top of my priority list. Every day I take action to stay healthy so I always have a good baseline instead of always having to feel like I have fallen off or on the ban wagon and a constant up and down. It’s too exhausting living like that.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
All my holidays are for well-being!!! 🙂 I love bushwalking, rock climbing and hanging in the mountains or the ocean which are all just so amazing for my well-being and almost all my holidays are based on these activities. Once or twice a year I go for a week-long hike into the wilderness with a bunch of incredible women and we sleep under the stars in our tents, carry everything on our backs and connect with the rhythms of nature. These experiences are like oxygen for me. They inspire me, ignite my passion for life, reset my internal nervous system and ground me to what’s important. Nature has an incredible way of showing where our priorities need to lie and there is nothing like switching off from society and social norms to find your true compass.
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, tell us about yours?
My self-care is pretty simple. Making time and space to be in nature alone or with my family is all that I really need. My body needs to move. I have a sluggish lymphatic system so a walking meditation in the bush is perfect or gentle paddleboard on the ocean. Once again I also need to do this consistently otherwise things fall apart very quickly. I also value learning and the importance of gaining new skills and understanding so self-care for me is also taking time to learn and try something new, reading some research or mastering something new. Gotta keep that brain firing too.
Want to tell your story? Reach out to us via info@healthandfitnesstravel.com.au and be featured as our next strong, healthy woman.
