Kristel de Groot is a plant-based Health Coach and the cofounder of Your Super. After her boyfriend, Michael, was diagnosed with cancer at age 24, Kristel started mixing different superfoods to rebuild his immunity and energy levels. Together with orthomolecular nutritionists, they created Your Super, a line of seven functional superfood and plant protein mixes. With a 100% transparent supply chain and a 1:1 giving-back model, they quickly scaled the company in Europe and the United States with offices in Los Angeles and Berlin.

Q: What were you doing prior to enrolling at Integrative Nutrition?
A: I am the cofounder of the health and wellness start-up Your Super (www.yoursuper.com), so I was (and still am!) working on building up the company with the help of my cofounder, Michael, and our super passionate team.

Q: What led you to explore the Health Coach Training Program?
A: I come from a family of orthomolecular nutritionists, and I’ve always been a total health freak – a passion that led me to start Your Super! But there is always so much more to learn, and as our company grew and we saw that we were having a really positive effect on people’s lives, I wanted to keep learning and deepening my knowledge of health and nutrition so that we can offer people the best support.

Q: How has your life changed since becoming a Health Coach?
A: It’s definitely empowered me even more in the realm of health and wellness. I always 100% believed in what I was doing, but when you’re trying to encourage lifestyle changes in people who have really no idea about health and think that you are talking total nonsense when you talk about a “plant-based-diet,” it helps to draw on more “official” training.

Q: Which topics and modules were most beneficial for you?
A: Really so many of them! I loved learning about the Circle of Life because I truly believe to be healthy all aspects of life need to be balanced! Otherwise, as I’ve eaten plant-based for the past five years, I really enjoyed learning more about the benefits and the power of plants!

Q: What does a typical day look like for you now?
A: 6:30am – I get up and drink a large glass of water before going to a yoga class or for a run (marathon training!)

 7:30am – I always try and get 10 minutes of meditating and/or journaling into my morning.

 8:30am – When I get to the office, I make a big green smoothie with our superfood and protein mixes. Sometimes I change it up and eat a superfood oatmeal for breakfast.

9am–1pm – meetings, calls, talking directly to customers

1pm – lunch – a big leafy salad with brown rice!!

2–7pm – back to work!

Evening – I love to go down to the beach and watch the sunset in the summer. Otherwise it’s great to take some time to cook a nourishing dinner and catch up with some friends before I finish off some work.

10:30pm – wind down and try to be in bed by 11pm

Q: What makes you and your practice unique?
A: I integrated my coaching into Your Super. I occasionally talk directly to customers, but I reach more people through coaching people through our ebook (e.g., our popular 5-day detox) and answering questions directly in our active Facebook groups. It’s so important to me to be able to give our customers the best guidance in their health journey and that Your Super doesn’t just sell amazing superfood mixes.

Q: How do you help your clients be successful? Is there a recent example that stands out for you?
A: When people buy from us, we offer them loads of personal support and reach out to them as often as we can. I had a video call with a customer just before Christmas who had already turned his life around using our products and living a healthier lifestyle. We talked for ages about health and nutrition, and now he’s answering so many other customers’ questions over social media, etc. – it’s great to see that he has been empowered, too!

Q: What do you love about your work?
A: Being able to witness people turn their lives around and share their stories with other people to keep the inspiration going!

Q: How have you seen the need for Health Coaches change over the years?
A: I think people are so much more aware of the negative effects their lifestyle can have on their well-being, but there is so much information out there! Health Coaches today are needed to help guide people through the Internet/media maze to find a healthy lifestyle that actually works for them and is sustainable in the long run.

Q: What’s your tip for balancing your family, work, and personal wellness?
A: Get a planner!! Seriously, balancing all the things in your life requires organization. But also so that you can block out rest and downtime as well as booking in all the other things that need to happen.

Q: Tell us your favorite way to wake up each day!
A: With the sun shining outside, thinking about all the things in my life that I’m grateful for and getting myself excited for the day – start the day great, and it can only be a great day.

Check out the Your Super Forever Beautiful Acai Bowl on the IIN Recipe Blog!

Are you interested in becoming an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach? Click here to take our sample class!