subriah
2 Mar 2026
Pilates
Nourish From the Inside Out: A Conversation With Chanel Shaya
Good movement deserves good nourishment. We sat down with nutritional therapist Chanel Shaya - founder of Her Wellness Cove and a woman who truly walks her talk - to talk gut health, stress, hormones, and why how you eat matters just as much as what you eat. This one's worth a slow read.
Good movement deserves good nourishment.
We sat down with nutritional therapist Chanel Shaya - founder of Her Wellness Cove and a woman who truly walks her talk - to talk gut health, stress, hormones, and why how you eat matters just as much as what you eat. This one's worth a slow read.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey into nutritional therapy and what drew you to this work?
Absolutely! My journey into nutritional therapy started with my own health. For years, I was doing “all the right things” on the surface, yet underneath I was dealing with persistent fatigue, hormone imbalances, gut issues, and a nervous system that felt constantly switched on. I became deeply curious about why the body behaves the way it does, and why so many people are told their symptoms are “normal” when they clearly don’t feel that way.
I was early in my career as a lawyer when I realised that nutrition, health and wellness is where my heart is at. I was drawn to the ability to look at the whole picture — not just food, but stress, digestion, hormones, blood sugar, and the nervous system. I was especially fascinated by the gut-brain connection and how unresolved stress and dysregulation can quietly drive symptoms for years.
As I began applying this work to myself, everything changed. I experienced firsthand how powerful it is when the body feels safe, nourished, and supported rather than pushed or restricted. That’s what ultimately led me to this work - by helping others around me (my beautiful mum, friends, siblings) move out of survival mode and into a state where their body can actually heal, regulate, and thrive.
Today, my work is centred around teaching people how to nourish their bodies while regulating their nervous systems, because in my experience, you can’t truly heal one without the other!
What does "mindful eating" actually mean to you, and how can people start practicing it in their everyday lives?
To me, mindful eating isn’t about eating slowly, perfectly, or paying attention to every bite, it’s about creating safety in the body while you eat.
So many people eat in a rushed, stressed, distracted state, which keeps the nervous system in “go mode.” When that happens, digestion, blood sugar regulation, and nutrient absorption all suffer, no matter how good the food is. Mindful eating is about shifting the body out of survival mode and into a state where it can actually receive nourishment.
In everyday life, this can start very simply. Things like pausing before a meal to take a few slow breaths, sitting down to eat rather than eating on the run, and noticing hunger and fullness cues without judgment. It can also mean eating without multitasking when possible, and choosing meals that feel grounding and satisfying rather than restrictive.
Mindful eating isn’t about rules, it’s about relationship! When we eat in a regulated state, the body digests better, blood sugar is more stable, and food becomes supportive rather than stressful.
You work with a lot of women - what are some of the most common nutritional concerns or challenges you see come up?
I think the most common challenges I see tend to be less about a lack of information and more about chronic under-fueling and long-term stress.
Many women are unintentionally not eating enough most especially when it comes to protein, carbohydrates, and key micronutrients such as anti-oxidants, while juggling busy lives, high expectations, and constant mental load. This often shows up as fatigue, blood sugar instability, cravings, poor sleep, hormone symptoms, gut issues, and feeling “wired but tired” all the symptoms that feel like your body is shutting down on you.
Another major theme is nervous system dysregulation. A lot of women are eating well on paper, but they’re doing so in a highly stressed state: rushing meals, skipping meals, relying on caffeine, and pushing through exhaustion. No wonder why we are running on cortisol and adrenaline! Over time, this keeps the body in survival mode (flight or fight), which impacts digestion, hormone balance, and metabolic health.
I also see a deep disconnect from hunger, fullness, and body cues, often driven by years of dieting or restrictive eating patterns. Re-learning how to nourish consistently and safely is a big part of the work.
Ultimately, the biggest challenge isn’t that women aren’t trying, because they are, so hard. It’s that their bodies have been asked to function under constant pressure without adequate nourishment or regulation.
What's one simple, practical change someone could make to their daily eating habits that would have the biggest impact on how they feel?
If I had to choose just one change, it would be eating consistently and not skipping meals, especially earlier in the day!
So many people start their day with coffee and good intentions, then don’t eat properly until much later in the day. That sets up blood sugar dips, cortisol spikes, cravings, fatigue, and feeling wired at night. When the body doesn’t feel reliably fuelled, it stays in a stress response.
A simple, practical shift is to aim for a generous meal (think eggs, a couple of meatballs, ribboned carrots) within an half an hour to an hour of waking. This tells the nervous system and metabolism that food is available and the body is safe, which can dramatically improve energy, mood, digestion, and sleep.
How does gut health influence our overall wellbeing - energy, mood, skin, digestion? Where do you usually start with clients?
When gut function is compromised, even the cleanest and most “perfect” diet can fall short. Poor digestion and absorption can lead to fatigue, brain fog, skin issues, bloating, irregular bowel movements, and heightened anxiety / poor mood. There’s also a strong two-way relationship between the gut and the nervous system. Chronic stress can disrupt digestion, and gut dysfunction can, in turn, keep the nervous system in a heightened state.
When I work with clients, I usually start with the foundations rather than involving or jumping into restriction or protocols. That means ensuring they’re eating regularly and re-nourishing their bodies, supporting blood sugar, and creating safety around meals so digestion can actually happen. From there, we look at digestion basics - things like chewing, stomach acid, bile flow, bowel regularity, and gentle gut support if needed.
Most importantly, I always consider nervous system regulation alongside gut health. In my experience, sustainable gut healing happens when the body feels supported, nourished, and regulated, not when it’s pushed harder.
Can you bust a common nutrition myth for us - something you hear often that isn't actually serving people's health?
This might get a bit controversial, and all of my clients have heard my say this on more than one note: counting calories and caloric restriction cause so much more harm than good.
In reality, fat loss is far more complex than a calorie equation. The body isn’t a calculator, it’s a highly intelligent system influenced by hormones, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, gut health, liver health, thyroid function, inflammation, sleep, and nervous system regulation.
Two people can eat the same number of calories and have completely different outcomes, because the body and cells decide what to do with those calories. Whether they’re used for energy, repair, hormone production, or stored as fat. Chronic calorie restriction (and counting) can actually signal scarcity to the body, increasing stress hormones and making fat loss harder over time.
What matters more than just “how many calories” is what you’re eating, how consistently you’re eating, and the state your body is in while you eat. When the body feels nourished, regulated, and supported, it’s far more capable of releasing fat in a sustainable way.
How do you approach balance and flexibility with food without slipping into restriction or all-or-nothing thinking?
I focus on consistency over perfection. When someone is eating regularly and enough, the nervous system settles and food stops feeling so charged. For example, if a client has a nourishing breakfast and lunch, enjoying a spontaneous dinner out or dessert doesn’t spiral into guilt or “starting again Monday”, it’s a part of life - connection, conversations over delicious food! That consistency is what creates real balance and flexibility without slipping into restriction or all-or-nothing thinking.
What does a typical day of eating look like for you? We'd love to hear how you personally nourish yourself.
Typically it looks a little something like this!
Breakfast:
Lamb meatballs, 2 scrambled eggs cooked in butter, ribboned carrot salad dressed in olive oil + lemon
Lunch:
Usually I’ll have either some roast chicken thigh OR roast lamb that I cooked the night before (I like to make extra so lunch is covered the next day!), with left over sweet potato
Dinner:
I’ll usually make steak and have it with some rice cooked in bone broth and pan grilled greens, or I’ll have roast chicken thigh, or roast leg of lamb!
What role does stress play in how our bodies digest and absorb nutrients? Does the way we eat matter as much as what we eat?
Stress has a huge impact on digestion and how our bodies absorb nutrients. When we’re in a “fight or flight” state, whether it’s from emotional stress, rushing through meals, or going too long without eating, digestion slows down. The body diverts energy away from the gut, enzymes and stomach acid don’t work as well, and nutrients aren’t absorbed properly.
That’s why how we eat matters just as much as what we eat. Even the healthiest meal won’t do its full job if it’s eaten while you’re stressed or distracted. Pausing for a few breaths, sitting down, and creating a calm space to eat can make a big difference for digestion, energy, and overall wellbeing.
At the end of the day, food is fuel, but the body needs to feel safe to actually use it. Supporting both what we eat and how we eat is what real nourishment is all about!
What are you most excited to share with the Kōra community at our first Circle event on March 7th?
I’m so excited to share ways for women to truly nourish their bodies while supporting their nervous systems (without it being overwhelming!). So often we hear about what to eat or avoid, but very little about how we eat, how our bodies process food, and how stress actually affects our energy, digestion, and hormones.
At the Circle, I can’t wait to dive into simple, everyday shifts that make a real difference, like creating calm around meals, supporting blood sugar, and reconnecting with your body’s natural cues. It’s not about perfection or restriction; it’s about feeling fuelled, steady, and capable in your body.
What I’m most excited about is building a space where women feel seen, supported, and inspired to make choices that genuinely nourish them inside and out. I just can’t wait to connect, share, and see everyone walk away feeling lighter, more energised, and excited about their own health journey!
Chanel is joining us at Kōra on Friday 7th March for our first Kōra Circle, where she'll be diving deeper into the gut-nervous system connection. We'd love to see you there.
