Five Minutes With Lisa

Today we sat down with Lisa - Co-founder of Nu Era, Nutritional Coach, Chef and soon to be qualified Personal Trainer. After transforming her own health through small, sustainable lifestyle changes, she’s now on a mission to help other women discover that becoming fitter and healthier doesn’t have to be complicated and restrictive.

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. What inspired you to first take your health more seriously?

A: Despite physically knowing I was overweight, I almost chose to ignore that part of my life. I was happy to put it down to getting older, perimenopause, and having a bit of a "why bother now?" attitude.

Everything changed after a random blood pressure test revealed I had high blood pressure. That led to a doctor's appointment, where I also discovered I had a fatty liver, rising cholesterol and that my HbA1c (the blood test used to assess diabetes risk) had crept into the pre-diabetic range.

That was my wake-up call. Suddenly, this wasn't about losing weight anymore, it was about my long-term health.

Q: Before your journey, how did you feel about fitness and exercise?

A: Honestly? It felt hard, overwhelming and completely unenjoyable.

Whenever I thought about exercise, I pictured endless cardio sessions, which I'd never enjoyed in the past. It just didn't feel like something I could realistically stick to.

Q: What was the biggest thing holding you back?

A: It all felt like such a huge mountain to climb.

I thought it would take forever to see results, and if I couldn't see changes quickly, I knew I'd lose motivation.

I also believed getting healthier meant giving up everything I enjoyed, socialising, eating out and having the foods I loved.

Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong.

Q: Looking back, whats something you wish you’d known before you started?

A: I wish I'd known that I didn't need to focus on the finish line.

Breaking my goal into smaller, achievable steps would have made the whole process feel so much less overwhelming.

For a long time, I believed happiness would come from seeing a certain number on the scales.

I kept thinking, "Once I get to this weight, I'll finally feel happy."

The reality is, that's not what happened at all.

The biggest rewards haven't come from the scales, they've come from feeling healthier, stronger and more confident.

Q: What are you most proud of from your journey?

A: Without question, reversing every single one of my negative health markers.

Having my blood pressure, cholesterol, fatty liver and blood sugar all return to healthy levels is something I'm incredibly proud of.

Seeing myself lifting heavier weights and noticing muscle definition has become far more rewarding than chasing a number on the scales ever was.

Q: Has getting healthier changed more than just your body?

A: Absolutely.

My mood, my sleep, my confidence and my ability to manage stress have all improved massively.

Those are the changes I value most.

From Chef to Nutritional Coach

Q: You’ve worked in food for many years as a chef. Did that make healthy eating easier or harder?

A: It definitely became an advantage.

I still enjoy all my favourite meals and treats, but now I know how to adapt them into healthier versions.

Working as a chef has given me experience with a huge range of ingredients, flavours and recipes, which means eating well never feels boring.

The only downside?

Working around leftover brownies every day definitely tests your willpower!

Q: How has your relationship with food changed?

A: Food used to be all about taste.

Now, I still want food to taste amazing, but I also think about what it's doing for my body.

I often say that I see food as medicine just as much as I see it as something to enjoy.

Q: What’s the biggest nutrition myth you wish people would stop believing?

A: That carbohydrates are bad.

That every product labelled "high protein" is automatically healthy.

And that losing weight means cutting out entire food groups.

None of those things are true.

Q: What’s one healthy habit anyone could start in the kitchen today?

A: Build your meals around protein first.

Once you've got your protein sorted, it's much easier to create a balanced plate by adding vegetables, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

The Eatwell Plate is still one of the best visual guides for building balanced meals.

Q: If you could cook one meal for every woman starting her health journey what would it be?

A: Probably a Middle Eastern-inspired shawarma chicken with Shirazi salad, hummus and flatbread.

It's colourful, full of flavour, packed with nutrients and incredibly satisfying.

Ironically, it has all the flavours of a late-night kebab, but leaves you feeling energised instead of guilty.

If not that, it would definitely be something inspired by the Mediterranean diet. I think it's one of the healthiest and most sustainable ways of eating.

Wellness Without the Overwhelm

Q: What’s your opinion on fad diets?

A: I've tried plenty over the years.

The truth is, most of them "work"… for a while.

The problem is that they're so restrictive that hardly anyone can maintain them.

If something isn't sustainable, it isn't really a long-term solution.

Q: What’s more important: motivation or consistency?

A: Consistency.

Every single time.

Motivation comes and goes.

Most people feel motivated on Monday, but by Friday life has got in the way.

That's why building small, consistent habits will always beat relying on motivation.

Q: What’s the most underrated form of exercise?

A: That's a difficult one!

I'd probably say walking and strength training.

If someone only had time for two forms of exercise every week, those would be my choices.

Q: What’s something that social media gets wrong about wellness?

A: It makes wellness look expensive and exclusive.

It can feel like you need expensive activewear, fancy equipment or a certain body type before you can even begin.

The truth is, wellness should be for everybody.

One Final Question…

Q: What do you think is missing in the wellness industry for women right now?

A: More support for women my age.

Many of us grew up hearing messages like "eat less, move more" and believing we had to earn our food through exercise.

Those beliefs are still hanging around today.

I think women deserve education that helps them unlearn those old ideas and build a healthier relationship with food, exercise and themselves.