Zena le Roux on the case of the broken leg, fascination and yoga

A health coach, functional nutritionist and investigative health journalist touches on what intrigues her, traffic, and energy, fulfilment and happiness.

1 Tell us a story or two about your childhood

As kids we had the privilege to travel a lot because of my mom’s work – she did excavations all across the world and we often went with her. This gave me a really big frame of reference from a very young age. I knew that there were many weird and wonderful people and places out there and that what we know and like and became accustomed to in our everyday life is not necessarily all there is. Until today I’m still very intrigued by people that are different and do things differently from how I do them and have a deep understanding and respect for a wide variety of perspectives – it really intrigues me.

2 What led to your career choice? 

I was working in a corporate environment where I had to wait until 4 pm for traffic to start before I could leave (even though I might’ve had a very productive day). I knew that I had to work for myself and have a job that was done on my terms. I’ve been interested in health since a very young age and I’m fascinated by the different things we can do/change in our lives that could add to more energy, fulfilment and happiness.

Being healthy is not just about being a certain shape or size, but it’s about having the energy to do more of the things you love and being able to give back to others as well. If we’re only barely surviving and suffering most of the time, it’s difficult to notice the small fascinations of what we call life and we can’t be a full expression of ourselves. This inspired me to figure out what we can do and how I can help others to achieve this.

Here Zena explains how to develop a healthier lifestyle by ditching guilt.

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3 Where did you meet your husband, Fick? Does he “get” you?

I broke his leg by accident while playing a game of ‘action frisbee’, felt bad about doing that and then started spending more time with him. We talked for hours when we first met and loved to think about the world and life together. Sometimes he gets me, sometimes not, but we love to keep on putting in the work to bring out the best in each other.

4 You always seem to glow. How do you care for yourself?

Thanks, Mariette! For me, it’s important to nourish and take care of all the different areas in my life. I find that it’s just as important to schedule time for myself, my friends, family, adventure, fun and relaxation as it is scheduling time in my diary to see a client. I can’t keep on doing what I’m doing if I’m not in a good space.

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5 You speak French! Tell us more.

I started learning French in high school and loved the flair and intensity of the language. I continued with French until my third year at university. Unfortunately, I don’t use it all lately, so have lost quite a bit of it.

Zena offers solid advice on how to get to a point where we can trust ourselves around food.

 6 A little bird has told us that you favour a special type of dancing … 

Haha, I just tried one on two pole dancing classes. More because of the acrobatic side of things than what you are thinking about, Mariette, but it’s a lot of fun. The only downside is that I’m always bruised afterwards – which my clients question from time to time, so it’s not ideal.

7 And then there’s polyvagal yoga. What is it and why does it draw you?

Polyvagal yoga is a form of yoga developed around regulating the nervous system – it is an embodied way of regulating the nervous system. I find it fascinating because it helps me get out of my head (thinking about how to regulate my body) and experience a felt sense of moving between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system states more easily and fluidly – getting used to being stressed and then coming back to what is known and relaxing. There is also a lot of freedom in polyvagal yoga – no strict rules and postures that you need to squeeze your body into, but rather one is encouraged to listen to your body and respond to what type of movement it needs at that moment. It’s very healing and empowering.

8 Tell us more about the retreats you organise and what they mean to you.

I’ve found that the retreats are an excellent way for my clients to get out of their regular environments and move into a space where they can experience what it feels like to engulf themselves in a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes it’s just too difficult to break free from the unhealthy habits at home, but with the retreats, we provide a supportive environment where they are surrounded by like-minded individuals to experience the freedom of health and create new healthy habits. It’s very fulfilling to see how much this helps clients.

9 You train health coaches worldwide. Which skills does this require?

I’ve always loved to present information and share knowledge with others. I’m also very curious and love to keep on learning myself. Even though I share a lot of information with the students I also find that I learn a lot from them as they progress through their studies.

Contact details

Zena le Roux is a functional nutritionist, investigative health journalist and health coach from Pretoria. She has a Masters degree in Investigative Health Journalism and offers health retreats and in-person and online consultations, group programs, workshops and corporate talks.

Website: www.zenaleroux.co.za

Instagram: zena_le_roux

Youtube channel: Zena le Roux

Thumbnail image: Pexels

Images of Zena le Roux: supplied.