Ultra-Babe Nutritionist & Bondi Local, Liv Kaplan, Shares Her Secrets for Radiant Wellness!

First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

Hey guys! I’m Liv, I’m a nutritionist from the beautiful Bondi Beach in Sydney! I am obsessed with life and my overall goal is to wake up every day happy to be alive and excited for the day ahead. Of course I am fascinated by the role that food plays in this, but it really is such a small part of the puzzle. Admittedly as a total science nerd, I don’t think we’ve even begun to understand the magic that our food (as a part of our entire surroundings) has on our state of being. Warning… I’ve been known to go on a few spiritual rants here and there, but most of all I’m a life loving human being and committed to living my life in a way that allows me to wake up every day happy to be alive and excited for the day ahead.

What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?

I’ve always been an early riser, I love getting up early, it’s one of those things that has always made me… me! I never close my curtains or blinds so I rise with the sun. In summer I’ll always be up around 5:30am and in winter around 6:30am.

What’s your morning routine to set you up for a great day?

I exercise as soon as I wake up, so around 6am I’ll either do an outdoor bootcamp workout, a yoga class or a walk on the beach. Then I come home, have a coffee and start my work day.

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I generally fast in the morning. I love to have a bulletproof coffee in the morning after my workout, but I don’t make it in the traditional way… As with literally everything I do in life I put my own spin on it. I brew some organic coffee in my French press and blend it with a little MCT oil, a little ghee and all my adaptogens – ashwaghanda, rhodiola, lion’s mane and a few others. I love starting my day with a warming hot and rich beverage like this one. Then I’ll eat whenever I get hungry, normally anywhere between 11 and 2.

I have a #livbowl… I know this sounds weird, but I started naming my meals because I didn’t know what to call them! The word salad just didn’t do it justice, but basically a massive bowl of delicious veggies, a little protein often some eggs, wild fish or hemp protein powder and then I add the fun stuff – a sprinkle of nuts and seeds, some avo, maybe some goat’s cheese if I’m feeling fancy. And of course as always a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (my favourite ingredient). A little later I might have a handful of nuts and some dark chocolate or one of my famous fat fudges (white chocolate is my fave). Dinner will be another #livbowl! And often some coconut yoghurt with cinnamon for dessert.

Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?

I am SO not a beauty person haha! On the rare occasion I wear makeup, I’ve been known to sleep in it which is apparently a beauty no-no haha shh! Makeup aside, I certainly I feel best when I’m eating well and also when I’m in the salt water daily, which for some reason does wonders for my skin appearance. It also makes me feel mentally invigorated. Although this is a bit of a challenge during winter. Last thing… good body language and a smile will drastically change how you look, and in my opinion far more effective than any kind of hair and makeup tips.

Do you take any supplements, vitamins or special wellness elixirs? If so, we’d love to know!

SO MANY… I am elixir and herb obsessed! Supplements not so much… I love my adaptogens – ashwaghanda, rhodiola and lion’s mane which I have in my morning coffee. Although it’s important to know these adaptogens are powerful, I call them nature’s medicine, and I like them for very specific reasons (mainly for cognitive function and mood uplift) but different ones are good for different purposes. I really don’t take many supplements regularly, apart from magnesium at night.

Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

No but I really should!

What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables.

My diet and lifestyle as a whole! I live in a way that allows me to function and wake up every day happy to be alive and this is something I DON’T take for granted… I haven’t always felt that way, and of course still have moments when I’m feeling far from that… but I know what to do to get myself back. My lifestyle is my medication and that’s why I’m able to function in the way that I do.

If I had to narrow it down to 3 specific things, I’d say organic veggies, yoga and real connection with every being on the planet, including people, animals and plants.

Your absolute favourite healthy cafe in Sydney is?

Bet you thought I’d say somewhere in Bondi right? My number one is Ora in Manly actually! It’s rare to find somewhere that you trust so much to do the right thing and Ora is pretty much the only place in Sydney I can fully align with! They are number one, but I do also love Broth Bar in Bronte and Rocker in Bondi.

Best place to get a green juice or smoothie in your city?

Orchard St hands down!

Favourite farmers market or healthy place to shop.

Bondi Farmers Market!! Could have guessed that one I’m sure! Although I am stupidly picky about my veggies and find that often the stuff at markets is not actually local… So I get all my veggies from the one place Kurrawong Organics. They are actually local and properly grown (and they are also certified organic and have been for years).

I see many people go to markets, and they’re drawn to the big fancy stalls that have every single type of fruit and veg and all in perfect condition just like supermarkets… Unfortunately in my eyes this is not right, you can tell it’s not local when you’re getting pineapples and tropical fruit in the middle of a Sydney winter. Kurrawong have a much smaller range and they sell what they can grow so always different. Given the fact that I’m not a farmer I often don’t know exactly what’s seasonal or not, so if I can just trust the farm and stall and just get everything from one place that works perfectly for me.

What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?

It ALWAYS changes! I do a lot of walking outdoors and yoga – those are my favourites. Then I’ll throw in a bit of some more high intensity stuff too, but I still prefer to do it outdoors instead of in studios or gyms, so I like outdoor bootcamps.

If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…

Nimble! I LIVE in that stuff.

What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

Infared saunas! I am addicted to these and I find them quite a spiritual experience. Not only are they amazing for detoxifying and a whole bunch of other health benefits. But I turn all the lights off, put on some yoga music and meditate in there. So it’s a forced 40 minute meditation, which normally I would never do, and you feel on top of the world afterwards – you can really get deep because you’re in there, it’s dark, no-one can disturb you and you’re naked lol! I get my saunas at Nimbus and Co in Bondi.

What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t got around to yet?

So many, I really want to learn more about Kundalini yoga, and also Vedic meditation. My current meditation practice is pretty basic so I’d love to learn more and get into a deeper practice.

Are you into any woo-woo wellness trends? (think crystals, sageing, tarot cards etc)

I am the queen of woo-woo haha! Although in Bondi I sometimes forget that things are woo-woo because everyone is into them. My current thing is connecting on a spiritual level to my food… where it came from, the magic it houses, then light energy it gives me. This means not shoving food down my face while standing in the kitchen or replying to emails… And eating with no distractions… screens, podcasts, books, work… It’s still a work in progress for me.

You’ve got a big event in 7 days time that you need to look incredible for. What’s your plan of attack to look & feel your absolute best?

Honestly… nothing different. I’m not a fan of that sort of a mindset and prefer to just live every moment in the moment. You know… Doing things defined by inner self in the moment, instead of a future self or future concern.

If you could have the ultimate day of wellness & happiness in Sydney what would it involve and where would you go?

Definitely start with a morning walk on the coast of Bondi and Tamarama, while listening to a juicy audiobook… Then a swim in the ocean to get my salt water therapy (and cold water therapy!) for the day. Then home to make an adaptogenic fatty elixir coffee and enjoy without the disturbances of ego. Very similar to my normal morning routine, but that’s what I love doing!

What’s your dream wellness vacay?

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go to Aro Ha in Queenstown.. I’ve always loved New Zealand. I lived down there for four years and it is one of my favourite places on earth. Shhhh!

And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Yes! Tune into your inner self to find all the answers in life… You are much wiser than you give yourself credit for, so next time your confused or lost in life… take a moment to remove all the distractions, and instead of searching for the answer on blogs and social media, tune in to your inner self. Then only AFTER you’ve done that, check out Green Goodness Co and connect with me on the gram hehe ?