“Having a Happy Body is about living your best life. Not extreme measures to weight loss, body obsession or harsh juice cleanses.” We couldn’t agree more! Which is why we’re so inspired to introduce our latest Local Love the seriously gorgeous inside & out Marissa Frew Founder of Rocket and Beets the home of the Happy Body Lifestyle.
Have you always been mindful of your own health and wellbeing?
Always. It warranted a few sideways glances from my mother growing up. A kid wanting blood tests to check what nutrients the body needs to function better… it doesn’t go down as well as you think. Keep in mind at the time naturopaths were looked upon like witch doctors and any great holistic practitioner I found usually worked from home.
Can you share with us the benefits you experienced once embarking on a focused, healthier and more holistic lifestyle?
To me, the emotions are the foundation of health. In my teens, I decided I wanted to dive into all my deep, hidden emotions and a friend introduced me to an incredible esoteric healer, and the rest is history. Now when I meet someone who fearlessly shares who they are and the emotional awareness that has empowered their own stories of success, I feel like I’m in the presence of true personal power.
Now to the fabulous “Rocket & Beets – Happy Body Lifestyle” Program! Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Can you believe this started as a smoothie venture! I’ve always created wellbeing and lifestyle programs so it’s only natural that this is what Rocket and Beets has become. The Happy Body Lifestyle program combines all the elements of wellbeing with a focus on mindful living, emotional awareness, positive body image and personal empowerment for young women.
What was the motivation behind creating this fad-free lifestyle approach? How did you start?
This has all been a part of my own development. My upbringing was quite unstable and at 17 years old I went into the Modeling industry which, back then, offered a skewed reality of what good health is. I found ways to educate myself as an internal coping mechanism to that life. I knew that if I found ways to boost my internal strength and resilience then the rest would sort itself out. Our lives are nothing but a mirror of what’s going on inside. Fads come and go. Drink all the green juice and turmeric lattes you want, they won’t help you until you have the courage to look at the depths of yourself first.
You’re a huge advocate of wellness for the body, mind, and spirit. How do you ensure balance in your own life and what are some of your top tips for getting to that place?
Stop and listen to the voice within you that can only be heard when you’re still. Busyness is an epidemic. The world seems to have FOMO (fear of missing out). All the greatest moments of real, non-hormonally influenced joy is found in the simplest moments that get missed when you’re busy filling your time.
Can the foods we choose to eat impact on our moods, behaviour and energy levels?
Absolutely. Our hormones are a major contributor to our emotional reactivity. They change to accommodate and support the internal environment we create for them by the way we live and feel. Stress, environmental influences and most certainly food has a direct impact on the digestive effort required to support us. Our bodies and our cells are so incredible! They will always try to accommodate what we do to them. If we create a stressful life and feed ourselves foods that provide little to no nutrition we’ve increased the work the body has to do to break down and understand each new component. Somehow the body has to compensate for the extra effort and I dare say this has a massive emotional impact.
If you had to list three, what do you believe are the most important or significant benefits of “Rocket & Beets – Happy Body Lifestyle” Program?
The benefits of a Happy Body Lifestyle are, a healthy, strong body, vibrant energy and an empowered sense of self.
What can people expect to learn about their bodies when taking part of your program?
– The body is a representation of everything going on inside yourself
– The body speaks to you and clearly tells you how to fix yourself
– Physical health is a by-product of emotional wellbeing
Emma and I have found there is a shift towards a more conscious way of living, people in Australia are starting to take notice of their health, do you agree? What changes have you noticed?
In the last three years alone I have seen the fitness and health industry boom in a big way. This is naturally going to have a profound effect on individuals who wouldn’t ordinarily care about such things. I find that a hugely positive influence. To boot mainstream media is covering more about healthy living than it ever did. There’s also real drive for entrepreneurs to benefit from the hype and open more fitness centres, yoga studios, vegan hangouts and juice bars or cafes that at least provide healthy options in store and on their menus. To have more of this available to us all is fantastic.
Do you think social media is the key to getting a healthy message out there?
Yes and No. Social Media is powerful in that it can offer a negative message in what is supposed to be a positive and ‘inspiring’ image. A reason I naturally created Happy Body was because my sister who is 14 years younger than me found that the visuals available on social media in regards to health and fitness actually made her feel bad about herself. There was body obsession rather than body appreciation as a part of an enriched life. They in effect delivered the opposite message of what they proclaim to provide. On the flip side it can be motivating to see someone who has fulfilled themselves through a journey of health. There’s certainly a fine line and it’s getting harder to know where that line is. Many profiles claim to deliver a message of health but it’s diluted in a package of conceded imagery. In turn people follow so the cycle continues. Positive body image isn’t about how you look, it’s about the essence of who you are and the life that is naturally delivered from that essence.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
It’s completely normal to question everything, don’t ever change that to fit the mould of others.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
Anyone who has the courage to truly be who they are. There aren’t as many people like that out there as you’d think.
Who are your favourite “Instagrammers” that you are following at the moment?
@humansofny – Everyone has a history we know nothing about, I love the stories.
@zoeisabellakravitz – Kravitz, need I say more
@mistyonpointe – She’s an embodiment of empowered femininity, fitness, hard work and strength. An inspiration.
Your favourite mantra or quote, and why?
‘Each morning, the moment you take your head off the pillow, you have all you need’ – Neal Doland Walshe
I think busyness is an epidemic in the land of inner city living. To achieve, conquer, gain and pretend has become the source of so much un-happiness and people are none the wiser. There’s nothing outside of ourselves that will make us genuinely happy.
W: www.rocketandbeets.com
I: @rocketandbeets
E:
Location: City Club – Grand Hyatt, Collins Street Melbourne
