Nicole McNamara on healthy living and sustainable travel
Nicole Macias McNamara, also known as @mammaunearthed, has been a longstanding inspiration to me when it comes to healthy living, environmental awareness, as a mother, and as a woman in general. As the wife of renowned big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, she has not only made waves in the surfing world but also dedicated herself to promoting a plastic-free and sustainable lifestyle. Eager to delve deeper into her insights, I had the privilege of arranging an interview for my website. Graciously agreeing to the interview, Nicole made time amidst her busy schedule, and we met at Lisbon Airport for an enriching conversation touching upon topics such as parenting, fostering healthy living, and the significance of sustainable travel.
To me Nicole Macias McNamara (@mammaunearthed), wife of big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, has been an inspiration for a long time when it comes to healthy living and bringing awareness to a plastic-free and sustainable lifestyle. So, I asked her if I could interview her for my website. She agreed and thankfully she could find time in her schedule to meet me. We met at Lisbon Airport and had a little talk about kids, healthy living and sustainable travel.
AD: Hi Nicole! It is so nice to meet you and thank you so much for meeting me. Please tell me something about yourself first.
NM: I grew up in Florida and got a Bachelor in Health Science and a Master in Environmental Education. I went on to teach Science to middle school children for three years and Environmental Studies to high school kids. Besides those degrees, I am an Ayurveda health consultant and yoga teacher. The last nine years, Garrett and I have been bringing awareness on the problems our oceans and our planet are facing. My passion is definitely my family and raising conscious children [Nicole and Garrett have two children together: 5-year old Barrel and 17-month old Theia], make them see that they can achieve anything they want to.
AD: How has motherhood changed you?
NM: I have a deep respect for anyone who is a mother now. It has definitely helped me release judgments, because we all have difficult times with our children. It has also made me let go of perfectionism and it has changed our marriage in so many ways. You really have to be creative and make your relationship a priority.
AD: What does healthy living mean to you?
NM: Healthy living to me is eating local and organic, eating lots of plants and fruits. I don´t cook meat for the kids, but they sometimes eat it when we are out and Barrel loves meat. Healthy living is also to be aware and be outdoors a lot. To me it means limiting screen time, especially for kids. Every now and then when we are in a meeting and Barrel needs to be with us I let him on my phone, but I don´t like doing it because he will want it again the next day. At home we don´t have a TV, but of course when traveling he sees the TV in the hotel rooms. So we set rules and once a week he gets movie night. It´s not easy though with screens being everywhere these days so you really have to be consistent.
AD: How do you experience traveling with kids?
NM: Barrel is a master traveler; he travels better than Garrett and me. He never complains and I haven’t had any problems with him on any flight. Theia is a bit more of a challenge because she likes her space, but in general they are both good travelers.
AD: What is it like to travel and be a vegan?
“Your everyday choices will make a difference.”
NM: It is more of a challenge in Europe, because the options are limited when eating out. Or in Brazil where there is a real meat culture, it can get quite difficult and limiting. But you get creative and find ways to substitute. There are always fruits, vegetables and beans and pasta and rice.
AD: How did you become aware of single-use plastics and how did you incorporate plastic-free living into your every day life?
NM: I grew up around the ocean and my father is a surfer and a boat captain. He is very passionate about environmental problems so when growing up I just got that from him. I guess it´s just in my genes, being connected to nature. I also joined the Surfrider Foundation when I was young and they are really good at educating and bringing awareness. Then when I was teaching and researching topics for the classes I became even more aware of the problems we are facing.
AD: What role do you see for politicians in getting people to live more sustainably?
NM: Politicians really have the power to change tomorrow if they wanted to. They can introduce incentives as well as impose bans so certain options won´t be available to consumers (think single-use plastics). Consumers can vote with their dollars, but then everyone has to do it. And here it comes to creating awareness. People have to be aware of the problems and care about them, so it is important that politicians make sure that there are educational programs at schools so students learn about sustainability. Furthermore, politicians can ban certain ingredients from products, like sunscreen, make-up and cleaning products so companies are obliged to take them out and manufacture their products with cleaner ingredients.
AD: What role do you see for multinationals in moving towards a plastic-free world?
NM: At least they are moving into the right direction, and we should praise them for that, but it is too slow. We as consumers have to power with our dollars and our voices. If we sign petitions and make more statements to them, they might move faster because they will know that the public wants less plastic.
AD: What are your top 5 health tips for healthy living?
NM: 1. Hydration all day and drink water at room temperature (with lemon) in the mornings before eating anything. 2. Add trace minerals to your water, like the ones from Get off your acid. 3. Take magnesium before you go to bed. 4. If you don´t eat fish, make sure you have a DHA supplement to get your omega´s in. 5. Intermittent fasting, which may boost your metabolism and it makes stored body fat more accessible. So you have an early dinner and then don´t have breakfast (have water or a green juice) and then eat again at around 11/12. And of course, eat your fruits and veggies!
AD: What is the easiest thing people can do if they want to start living more sustainably?
NM: Get a reusable water bottle for yourself and your kids. This way you can save so many single-use plastic bottles from getting into the environment.
And last but not least: It´s not too late to start today!
Thanks so much, Nicole, for meeting me and I hope you will inspire many more people with your tips on sustainable and healthy living!
All photos are courtesy Nicole McNamara´s Instagram @mamaunearthed.
This interview was taken in November 2019.
