ROYO: Hi, Rachael! Thanks so much for sitting down with us today.
To start off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Rachael: Hi! Yes, of course! I’m a certified Nutrition Coach and I run my own business called Rachael Schwartz Nutrition. I primarily do online, one-on-one nutrition coaching, as well as larger group coaching challenges around 3 times a year. I’ve been loving doing these recently, as it gives people who are on my waitlist or who can’t necessarily afford one-on-one sessions the chance to receive coaching from me in a very effective and fun setting.
ROYO: That’s awesome! How did you get into the Nutrition field? Is it something you always knew you wanted to do?
Rachael: For me, it was definitely a journey! After graduating college, I had a regular 9 to 5 job as a project manager for around 15 years. Over the course of that - particularly in my 20’s, when I was going out partying more often and staying out late - I had my own struggles with weight gain.
Although I never had an eating disorder, I had disordered eating patterns, for sure. Be that binge and restrict, yo-yo diets, fad diets with highly processed foods filled with garbage… I just never learned how to eat right.
I got to 30 pounds heavier, I wasn’t working out and I felt like crap. That’s when I finally had that “ah-ha” moment; I had to do a revamp.
ROYO: That sounds like a very relatable situation, for so many of us. How did you turn things around?
Rachael: First off, I started working out and fell in love with fitness; I was actually an Equinox fitness instructor on the side for over 10 years! But my body wasn’t reflecting what I was doing, and I couldn’t understand. I used to be of the mindset that, “if I’m working out, I should have an amazing body and I should be losing weight”, not realizing that nutrition is the number 1 driver. There was definitely a disconnect.
ROYO: That makes a lot of sense! So, how did you close that gap between nutrition and fitness?
Rachael: I started doing some research into functional nutrition and learning about how the food you put into your body really does affect so many things – the way you look and feel, the way you fuel your workouts, your gut health, overall health and wellness. After becoming interested in the coaching aspect of nutrition, I eventually enrolled in IIN (the Institute of Integrative Nutrition) – one of the top online coaching programs in the world.
ROYO: That’s awesome. How and when did you make your official career move?
Rachael: I started off with just a few clients, mainly friends! But once COVID hit, I realized that was my time – everyone was online, everyone was working from home, and everyone was gaining weight (and wanting to lose). So, I stepped up my Instagram game and things started to blow up.
I gained a super, super engaged audience, which I’m really proud of. And things kind of grew from there! For about a year, it was hectic – I was working literally 24 hours a day, including looking after my children – but in December 2021, I officially left my job and started my business.
ROYO: Amazing! That is such an inspiring success story!
What would you say is your favorite thing about ROYO Bread?
Rachael: Thank you! I love ROYO Bread - there are so many things. I mean, first of all, I love that it’s a small, family-owned business; that just makes me happy.
But also, over the years, I’ve come across all of these products that look great on paper – you know, “high fiber” and “low calorie” - but when you look at the ingredients, they’re usually filled with crap. What I absolutely love about ROYO is that it fuses everything together. On paper, and calorie numbers-wise, it’s amazing, but it’s also amazing from an ingredient perspective, with a list of real, beautiful ingredients.
ROYO: We love to hear that! That’s a key factor for us. That’s actually why our bread goes in the freezer – because we don’t want to stuff it with preservatives.
Rachael: Yes, exactly! I love that ROYO’s fiber sources comes from real flaxseed, wheat bran, whole psyllium husk… a lot of these other fiber-filled products use synthetic fibers, with chemicals and additives. So, that’s my favorite thing about ROYO, for sure. Plus, it also tastes amazing, and has an amazing texture!
ROYO: We’re so glad you think so; that means a lot from someone who’s been sampling our products for years!
Rachael: 100%! I’ve followed ROYO’s journey through recipe development and more. And my followers know how much I truly love your products – I literally eat ROYO Bread and ROYO Low Carb Keto Bagels every single day of my life; there’s not a day that goes by, unless I don’t have it in the house.
ROYO: As a ROYO connoisseur, what product would you love to see next from ROYO, if any?
Rachael: I would love to see a Gluten Free version of ROYO Bread! Clients of mine have asked me about that option before, so that would be awesome for the coeliacs out there.
ROYO: We will definitely pass that suggestion on to the team!
One last question – what is your all-time favorite ROYO product?
Rachael: I would have to say the 30 Calorie Low Carb Artisan Bread. It’s so light and so fluffy, both toasted and untoasted! It makes the perfect sandwich.
ROYO: Thanks so much for your time, and for your infectious energy, Rachael.
Follow @rachaelschwartznutrition on Instagram for nutrition tips, recipe ideas, flexible fat loss programs, and more!
