by Alexandra Nicole Nuralam
Emily Ryu: Living Healthier and Happier
Founder of digital marketing agency Ryucreative and holistic health coach, Emily Ryu, shares tips on eating and living healthily.
As a certified holistic health coach and recipe developer in her own right, Emily Ryu (@emryu) cares deeply for personal growth and well-being. The founder of Ryucreative is also the author of recipe e-book Healthy Life, Happy Life, and knows a thing or two about nourishing her body with real food.
BEAUBIT talks to the LA-based entrepreneur on how clean eating can lead to healthier living and happier skin.
How did your interest in holistic health begin?
It kind of fell into my lap by accident. I was prepping for my wedding and I was eating tons of fruits and vegetables, and drinking more water which led me to lose a ton of weight. By eating well, I became more alive. It felt so good that it kickstarted my healing journey from so many years of having a negative relationship with food throughout my adolescence.
What is your philosophy when it comes to health and nutrition?
“Health and nutrition is not about counting calories or deprivation.”
It’s about the abundance of foods that are tasty and nutritious that repair your gut wall, give you an energy boost, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation for the body.
What advice do you have for people looking to try clean eating? What are some easy ways to become a healthier eater?
One of the most amazing things about incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diet is the way that our taste buds change, and we begin to crave more and more of these fresh ingredients over time.
One of the biggest misconceptions around attaining a higher quality of life is thinking that we need to do it all: yoga, mindfulness exercises, meditation, dry brushing, essential oils therapy, massage, and a host of other holistic practices.
The options are endless, so it’s understandable for us to get overwhelmed at times. However, simple tweaks to diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference later on. Start small. Eat more greens or add more coloured vegetables into your diet. I’m all for adding more water-soluble greens and avoiding foods that have shelf-life.
What is your favourite healthy food?
I feel like all of my favourite foods are “healthy” in general, but I love a good, ripe papaya. Papaya has a gentle, cleansing effect on the digestive tract and provides the body with all the essential vitamins, antioxidants, protein, and essential fatty acids. Plus, they are just so fun to eat.
Your go-to, late-night snack?
Anything from my e-book!
How do you maintain work-life balance?
This is something I’m still learning because having your own business means countless sacrifices and an endless flow of work. You have to actively schedule social activities and exercise into your life otherwise it won’t happen. It truly ebbs and flows depending on the week or month, but I feel like it’s inevitable for any business owner to struggle with this.
What is a typical skincare ritual for you?
Right now, my morning routine starts with an exfoliating massage with my Foreo Luna 2 (SGD194), and then cleanse with either Honest Beauty’s Gentle Gel Cleanser (SGD18) or Niu Body’s Purify Aloe + Amino Acid Gel Cleanser. Then, I switch between Erbaviva’s SPF30 Sunscreen (SGD47) or Crema Caballo’s, depending on my mood.
Some form of oil goes on my face because I just love a good glow. My current favourites are Cle Cosmetics’ Vitamin C Elixir (SGD63), Dr. Barabra Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum (SGD164), Evolve Organic Beauty’s Rainforest Rescue Blemish Serum (SGD42), and Biossance’s Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum (SGD43). My nighttime routine is similar, but with Darphin’s Stimulskin Plus Multi-Corrective Divine Cream (SGD333.95) and eye cream (SGD153).
What does beauty mean to you?
When someone is truly happy.
Can we improve our skin with diet?
Our skin is our body’s largest organ and also our first line of defence against environmental toxins and pathogens. So, in order to be strong and healthy, it’s important to nourish the skin from the inside out.
First and foremost, whole foods—obtained through our diet—are the best way to support skin health. Our skin requires a diet rich in healthy fats, plenty of water, plant nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to be strong and healthy. Think of your body and skin as one big ecosystem and that they work in synergy with one another. It’s so important to nourish the microbes that live in your gut like you do with the microbes on the surface of the skin.
Societal norms have become such that women should have toned bodies. Do you have any advice for young women striving for abdominal and body perfection?
Be happy now — not when you achieve a 6-pack or when you reach a certain weight. Be happy with all of the amazing and wonderful things that your body is doing and can do for you right at this very second.
Emily’s Beauty Picks
Foreo Luna 2, SGD194
Honest Beauty’s Gentle Gel Cleanser, SGD18
Niu Body Purify Aloe + Amino Acid Gel Cleanser
Erbaviva SPF30 Sunscreen, SGD47
Crema Caballo Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA+++
Cle Cosmetics Vitamin C Elixir, SGD63
Dr. Barabra Sturm Hyaluronic Serum, SGD164
Evolve Organic Beauty’s Rainforest Rescue Blemish Serum, SGD42
Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum, SGD43
Darphin Stimulskin Plus Multi-Corrective Divine Cream, SGD333.95
Darphin Stimulskin Plus Divine Eye Cream, SGD153
Check out Emily’s recipe e-book Healthy Life, Happy Life here.
