Nikki Sharp is an internationally known wellness blogger and health coach. More than 350,000 people follow her on Instagram to see her recipe videos, life updates, and inspiration posts. She is the quintessential representation of health and fitness: toned, blonde, and beautiful. But even she—the ideal picture of wellness—has struggled with some dark demons: body dysmorphia, anorexia, binge eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. In recent years, though, she’s managed to cope with and even overcome her problems. In an incredibly raw post on her blog about her experiences with recovering from disordered eating, she writes, “I focused on health, balanced meals with no restrictions, eating lots of colors, added meditation, and journaling. I started seeing exercise as a reward, not punishment. This … transformed my life and my health: it literally made me survive.” Nikki’s health journey has taken her across the globe, but years of modeling led to loneliness and unhealthy relationships with food and her body. From Colorado to Shanghai to Sydney to London (and more!), she discovered that a) was she was tired of damaging diets and b) she actually loves eating clean. In 2012, Nikki started her blog to document the process of learning to cook nutritious meals, getting certified to be a health coach, and building a better relationship with her body. Since then, Nikki has been dedicated to showing her followers how they, too, can overcome their issues with health, nutrition, and wellness. With her health certifications (and years of professional and personal experience to back them up), she’s written countless blog posts full of recipes and life advice, nine e-books, and two full-length books. Her first book, The 5-Day Real Food Detox, has nearly 100 five-star reviews on Amazon. Though detoxes are typically a fad (and a misguided one, at best!), her version of the trend is completely different: It encourages you to eat! The focus is on “detoxing” from foods that don’t fuel your body and instead making healthful choices that help you get your glow on from within. Nikki released her second book, Meal Prep Your Way to Weight Loss, this month (which is why she’s the perfect choice for this week’s feature!); it promises to show readers how to finally stop dieting and change their lifestyles for good. Plenty of people have recommended meal prepping to stay on track, but this book will show readers how to really do it by learning the best techniques, delicious recipes, and offering a 28-day guide to make sure your new habit sticks. From her years as a model subsisting on the bare minimum to becoming a renowned health coach with a sunny, approachable attitude to boot, Nikki’s journey is definitely an inspiration. We can’t wait to see what she does next. 
A Day in the Life
What does your daily routine look like?
I tend to wake up at 7 a.m. every morning, then depending on my schedule I will work out in the morning—I like doing it when I wake up because it gives me less reason to make excuses later in the day—have breakfast, and do emails/check social. Each day is so different, and sometimes I’m doing interviews all day, others I’m having meetings, and there are times I head to my office to buckle down and work. My routine nearly looks the same in that I have a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner and try to make time to exercise four to five times per week. I’ve also been doing more meditation lately and will make it a priority to go to a 45-minute class in my day, which has had tremendous effects on my stress levels. I aim to be in bed by 10:30 and turn my phone off around 10 p.m. and put it in a different room.
What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?
Meditation—even if it’s only 5 minutes, exercising—this is my therapy—putting my phone away at night, and making time to call or text my friends every single day to check in and say hi. Eating well is obviously a huge way I practice self-care because I like to feel energized every day.
How do you stay inspired?
By focusing on how I am helping others achieve better health and happiness. Whenever I get stressed I find that it’s because I am focusing too much on myself or allowing fears to come up, so immediately I will shift back to “How can I serve others?” and this always helps me to become re-inspired! 
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Loving Lately…
What are the best products you’ve discovered recently?
Uliv skincare, Just Add Water snack, which I take every day, and Believe Athletics yoga clothes, which I am loving because of the fabrics.
What are your favorite apps?
My 5-Day Detox app whenever I want to do the detox, UNUM to curate my IG feed, and Pandora for music, which I listen to literally all day!
Whose Instagram is on your radar?
@elsas_wholesomelife because of the travel and food inspo
What’s your go-to healthy snack?
My roasted red pepper hummus and beet chips from my new book. I pre-portion them so it’s easy to grab and go, which is key for how busy I am right now!
What are you reading, watching, or listening to?
I’m an avid reader and have about three books at any given moment that I’m reading. Right now The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Contagious, and Break the Norms are on my bedside table. 
Nikki IRL
If your pet could talk, how would they describe you?
That I’m like a cat. I am super social when I want to be and most other times want to curl up in front of a fire. I am actually quite shy but once I get to know you I am very talkative and will get to know you quicker than most.
What is your bucket list travel destination?
India! I’m hoping to go there for six weeks next fall.
What’s your coffee order?
A matcha latte with almond milk with a shot of espresso—called a dirty matcha
What piece of advice has impacted you the most?
Don’t rush. And know that everything is happening for a reason, even if you don’t agree with it. It means you have a chance to learn and grow from every single thing that happens! 
Follow Nikki on Instagram and check out her newest book, Meal Prep Your Way to Weight Loss, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBooks.
