Lauren Johnson Reynolds is a backing singer-turned-homeopath, nutritionist and life coach and talks about launching her business in lockdown and finally finding balance. Words: Jo Ebsworth.
‘Touring as a professional singer with the likes of Rod Stewart, Rita Ora, Take That and Rick Astley for 10 years was an incredible experience, but my health really suffered from the late nights, drinking and service station food. By 2016, I was genuinely wondering if I was bipolar or something like that. So, I decided to try balancing out my hormones by coming off the pill and using alternative medicines including homeopathy: a form of natural medicine that works by stimulating the body’s own healing response to give it the energy and strength it needs to heal itself.’
‘Taking that step made such a huge difference to my mental and physical health, particularly with my PCOS symptoms. Feeling super inspired and tired of the music industry, I decided I wanted a career that helped other people, so I signed up for a two-year course in Homeopathy, Nutrition and Life Coaching, studying on the road and skipping lots of after parties.’
Nutrition knowledge
‘Nutrition had never been on my radar before – my idea of healthy eating had involved cutting calories – so I found studying nutrition absolutely fascinating. Implementing everything I learnt on myself had a massive impact on my life and I also saw amazing results with family members and practise clients. I planned to stop touring to focus on my new career, yet I couldn’t turn down a last opportunity to tour Australia, New Zealand and Japan in February. I arrived home in March and went straight into lockdown, but the pandemic forced me to finally start living the healthy lifestyle I wanted – and launch my own business, London Wellness Coach.’
‘I offer homeopathy and nutritional therapy individually to clients, or a combination of both, which I’d recommend as you can’t heal yourself without looking at your diet. After analysing a client’s lifestyle, I’ll introduce homeopathy to give them the extra strength they need to work through any mental blocks or past traumas that might be holding them back. I love helping people work through their issues to find balance, and I think people put their confidence in me because I’ve tried it all, starved myself, hated myself and worked through everything, too! I don’t miss touring at all. I’m loving life and feeling totally fulfilled in my new career. Seeing a client’s progress brings me so much joy.’
Hectic lifestyle
‘After years of leading a crazy, hectic lifestyle, I’ve managed to implement a good routine since March and the benefits have been a revelation. I get tired at normal times now (I’d normally perk up at 8-9 pm as that’s my stage time), and I wake up naturally around 8 am. I work out first thing with weights at the gym or home yoga, otherwise I’m sluggish for the rest of the day. Then I’ll meditate and write in my gratitude journal. I try to fast for about 14 hours overnight because it really helps with my circadian rhythm, digestion, blood sugar levels and gut health, so I’ll eat a big breakfast at 10 am, shower, then get stuck into work.’
‘My day might involve planning my social media for the week, working on client plans and analysing what remedies they need, seeing clients one-to-one on Zoom, or packing off shipments of my new Essential Immunity Collection (£45) that features an immunity-boosting blend of tea plus two tinctures of echinacea and elderberry which are both really high in antioxidants. I normally take a brisk walk at 2 pm to get the energy flowing again and have a small snack with a matcha latte for a little boost without the caffeine jitters before getting back to work. I never work later than 6 pm unless I’m doing an Instagram LIVE or prepping for a workshop.’
Whole food choices
‘I love cooking with whole foods, nutrient-dense ingredients and healthy fats to help my body run at its optimum. After dinner at 7 pm, I try to be in dimmer light to again help regulate my circadian rhythm while winding down with a bit of TV, reading or listening to a podcast. I’ve now established quite the bedtime routine where I head to bed around 9 pm, put on my essential oil diffuser, switch my alarm clock to the sunset function, do a 10-minute meditation, write in my gratitude journal and listen to an audiobook. I might not fall asleep until 11 pm but it’s a good night’s sleep and I wake full of energy.’
‘We experience so many micro stressors throughout the day. But taking regular five to 15-minute breaks to stretch, breathe, meditate and walk can really bring stress levels down to help get our body into the parasympathetic mode and away from fight or flight responses.’
‘You can’t do anything well if don’t fuel your body correctly. Drinking alcohol and eating sugary foods will actually deplete your energy levels and affect your gut and mental health. Think about foods that enrich you and feed your body to help you sustain your busy lifestyle.’
‘Our society glorifies being a workaholic, but it can really affect your physical and mental health in the long-term. Be strict about not working all the time by factoring in time for self-care and socialising. It’s not selfish to prioritise replenishment. You can’t fuel from an empty cup.’
