Katherine Rossmoore has been a single working mom, a married stay-at-home mom, and working married mom, a practicing lawyer for over 15 years and is currently a certified yoga teacher, a health & wellness coach (AADP certified) and freelance writer, who regularly writes about local foods and green living. She has three astonishingly good-looking sons and is currently building her holistic nutritional counseling practice, Better Living Through Foods.
She sees her role as an environmental activist seamlessly morphing into her commitment to getting folks to eat real whole foods, and preferably local foods as much as possible.
Our current food chain, food production and distribution systems are some of the largest polluters on the planet. By getting closer to the source of foods, we can all support local farmers and fishermen and be much healthier in the process. Somehow we have moved to a place where packaged and preservative-filled foods, which were once a huge liberating factor in allowing women to work outside the home are now providing the bulk of modern food consumption and almost zero in nutritional value.
Her outlook on food and nutrition: follow Michael Pollan’s Rules: “Eat real food, mostly plants, and not too much.”
Q1. What is the #1 wellness practice you live by?
I need to do some form of physical activity every day, actually for my mind more than my body! On the days I don’t practice yoga, I do some cardio exercise (lifecycle, walking or zumba!) I really miss running sometimes.
I have also eaten I primarily plant-based diet for many years. (I’m not strictly vegetarian; I eat seafood.)
Q2. I know you left your career as a lawyer a couple years ago to focus on holistic health – what spurred that decision and what was the transition like?
It was a combination of wanting to make a change and being “downsized” that spurred me to leave the law practice I was in. Because it happened in 2008 at the height of the recession, I stopped looking for a job and realized I had to create my own gig. My yoga practice (and subsequent training at South Boston Yoga) actually enabled me to envision stepping away from law.
Q3. How was your experience with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition?
It has been a wonderful learning experience. They teach a combination of nutrition and theory with lots of marketing & business modules. I have teamed up with a fellow student through their forum and I wish I had done that earlier, because the on-line learning model can feel isolating at times. Overall, I love it!
Q4. What’s your favorite thing about teaching yoga? Any poses you particularly enjoy teaching?
I love when people feel really good after a class and it’s apparent. I enjoy teaching balancing poses, because you have to be fully present and focused in order to be balanced. Such a great metaphor for the rest of our lives off the mat!
Q4. Thinking back, what were your earliest influences regarding living a healthy and balanced life?
I had a sister who was a vegetarian and really into health food way back before Whole Foods Market and Trader Joes. I still have my “Tassajara Bread Book” from the 1970’s! (That was when bread was still considered a health food and before the gluten-free craze.)
Being outdoors, through running, was always the way I brought balance into my life.
Q5. I love your articles on Edible South Shore and would love to hear more about your view on local eating.
Eating local, shopping local, and supporting the local economy all make sense on health, sustainability and community levels. Eating seasonally, (within reason in New England! I love my avocados and bananas), is usually better for your body in an Ayurvedic sense. It seems intuitive that we are meant to eat what is in season.
I recently gave up my role as president of Sustainable Marshfield, a group of citizens in my home town seeking ways to support sustainability initiatives. But I have come to the realization that supporting local businesses including farmers and food purveyors is the most sustainable practice our group, and most people, can do.
Q6. What is the#1 healthy food you love? The #1 indulgence you give into once in a while?
Yikes! There are so many. I love dark leafy greens like chard and kale and spinach, which I eat a lot of, both raw and cooked. My regular indulgence is definitely dark chocolate and the occasional ice cream splurge.
Q7. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
Taking my dog Chica for a walk in the woods or on the beach.
Q8. To get you through those tough times, what is the one mantra or quote that you live by?
The most important thing I’ve learned (and I am a bit of a self-help book junkie) is to have Gratitude. Making a conscious effort to be grateful and thankful for all that is right in the world and in my life really helps to re-set my mind in tough times.
Q9. You’ve accomplished so much so far, what’s something you are most proud of?
Having the courage to walk away from a career that wasn’t serving me or feeding my soul; overcoming the fear of not having money is an ongoing process. In general, never letting fear hold me back!
Q10. Finally, what are your plans for 2012?
I plan to be super busy and successful helping people achieve true health and reaching their own individual goals through my health coaching business, Better Living Through Foods.
I also plan to blog more, and to write a memoir about my transition from lawyer to yogini.
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