Vivian Reijs helps thousands of women with a healthy lifestyle with her books and health platform. "Through my previous PMS complaints, I discovered how important nutrition and hormones are in this."
Healthy food is an important part of your life. Did you get that from home?
'No, not at all! I grew up in Brabant, we lived a rather Burgundian life. I didn't start thinking about healthy eating until after a year of studying in Switzerland. The food there was too delicious:I sat down to raclette or cheese fondue twice a day and ate as much chocolate as I could. In that year I gained twelve kilos. Whereas until then I had always been fit and slim. This new figure didn't suit me, so I decided to lose weight."
How did you approach that?
'It sounds simple, but just by eating healthier. I didn't really exercise extra, it was mainly in my diet. Not combining carbohydrates and proteins, for example, so that your digestion functions better. Bringing pure products into your home, eating only fruit and vegetables for twelve hours, that sort of thing. Because I was not feeling well, I was extremely motivated.'
You were immediately finished?
'Yes, it was not difficult at all to keep up, precisely because I quickly started to feel better. And I still liked it all. In the end, healthy eating became a passion and I made it my job. I have attended various courses. First for weight consultant, later orthomolecular nutrition therapy and hormone therapy. Every time I finish something, there is something else I also want to know more about.'
Read the rest of the interview with Vivian in the November issue of Santé.
About Vivian Vivian Reijs (41) became known as a presenter of TV programs such as De 25 wannahaves and SBS huisjacht. After several studies in the field of nutrition, she is now a health expert. She has her own platform Vivonline.nl, where she shares healthy tips &tricks on a daily basis. She also has a practice as a holistic hormone therapist. Vivian has written several books on healthy food. Her latest book is Restore Your Hormones in 10 Steps. She is married to Dirk Hoorn, together they have a son, James (2). Vivian has a daughter from a previous marriage, Day (13). And two 'gift children':Isabel and Quirijn.
Text:Sara Madou | Image:Alexia van der Meijden
