Meet OHbaby's expert Clinical Nutritionist Gina Urlich
Clinical nutritionist, founder of Norish, and powerhouse mama of four, Gina Urlich talks to Kahu de Beer about what drives her.
For many of us in the thick of life with a young family, Gina Urlich may be somewhat of a household name. The 38-year-old clinical nutritionist from the Hawke's Bay has gained a huge following both in her clinic and on her social media platforms; using this space to share her knowledge and expertise on all things health related, specifically women’s and children’s health. Being a mum of four herself, with her children ranging from 3-16, as well as having a background in nursing, it’s fair to say she has plenty of experience in this field.
For Gina, her passion to help people began at a young age, “I’d always wanted to be a nurse from when I was a little girl, I had that nurturing type of personality” she says. After finishing high school she went straight into nursing, with her first job being in palliative care, then shortly afterwards moving to Brisbane to work in a private hospital in their gynecologic oncology ward which would prove to be a crucial turning point for her. “That time at Mater Hospital was so pivotal for me, and made me realise how desperately women need preventative treatment. So many women told me their stories and I had this moment of realisation that so much of what they were battling with could have been avoided had there been earlier intervention. It made me want to educate women on knowing their body and tuning into what it’s telling them”, says Gina. “We don’t learn enough about ourselves at school. Many women enter adulthood being really underprepared in terms of understanding how the female body works”.
It seems to be the classic story in our modern, Western world – the so called ‘Rushing Woman’s Syndrome’ as Dr Libby Weaver so famously touted. And Gina can testify to seeing this too, “There is an epidemic of women’s health conditions and I believe it is due to this modern way of living. So many of the issues I see in clinic come down to the fact that women tend to put their own needs last and deal with their families, work, commitments, etc first. During my time working in the gynecologic oncology ward I saw this scenario a lot, and for many of them by that time it was too late. I knew I wanted to do something to change this” she says.
Gina is the first to share that she’s not immune to the many pressures women face to do all and be all, especially these days with social media being such a big part of our lives. “There’s a danger with social media in that it gives the impression that everyone else has it together, that they’re amazing at all the things. We can start to feel like we need to push ourselves harder, to be everything to everyone” she says.
The juggle is certainly real though and Gina often has to remember to take her own advice. “For me it’s a constant challenge balancing my workload. My days are very full, from the morning hustle of getting the kids all off to school and kindy, working all day, then it’s after school activities which often lead into the evening. It’s often not till around 9.30pm that I’ll get to sit down with my husband and have a break” she shares. “It’s really exhausting at the moment in this stage of life we’re in, with young kids and a new business, but being passionate about what I do makes it worthwhile. I want to acknowledge that running a household and working is a lot. I also need to remind myself to practise what I preach, and not feel guilty about taking some time out for myself.”
Despite her full schedule, Gina doesn’t lose sight of what’s really important, “For me, being a mother is my greatest achievement, it’s a privilege that I don’t take for granted. It’s the simple day to day things that I treasure: the tiny shoes by the front door, the fingerprints on the windows. The saying ‘the days are long but the years are short’ really is so true. I look at my 16-year-old, who’s now taller than me and realise how fast it’s all gone” she shares.
It’s also motherhood that Gina says has shaped her into the person she is today and has been the making of her. “When I had my oldest son, I was a young single mum, trying to navigate everything by myself. Those were some of the most challenging times I’ve faced, but they were also where I had the most growth as a person. It taught me so much and I’m stronger because of it” she says.
There are some key rituals that Gina credits to helping her give her best to each area of her life. “I practise meditation, it’s the best thing for me in terms of health, because I'm so busy. It's a nourishing practise that doesn’t cost me anything and that I can carve out space for anytime during the day. I think we undervalue our nervous system, so many women are running on cortisol and adrenaline which causes inflammation, so if we can support our nervous system it sets the foundation for our health.” She also tries to make time in her week for restorative exercise such as reformer Pilates and walking.
Gina’s latest business venture which she is now working on full-time (as well as managing her clinic) is Norish – an all-natural baby food and meal booster range. “Norish started off as a passion project. Originally I thought I’d have a break after I had my youngest daughter Billie, but I wrote an e-book, Tiny Human What do I Feed You? on how to nourish children and that opened up a huge can of worms. I realised how desperate parents were for knowledge and information around the topic of child and infant nutrition” she says. “I saw that so many busy parents were looking for convenient, nutrient-dense food for their little ones. It’s taken off much faster than we anticipated and now we’re just trying to keep up with demand.” It’s this desire to make a difference and provide a healthier option for young families that drives Gina, “I love that we get to be of service, nourishing as many people as we can through this brand” she says.
As well as heading up Norish, Gina is committed to using her social media platform to share her knowledge. “I have an amazing opportunity to be able to speak to an audience and be able to educate, share inspiring content and nourishing recipes, as well as normalise lots of the things that we all struggle with.” Gina says she’s seen a huge rise in interest in natural health in the last few years, “Coming out of Covid has highlighted just how important our health is and I think more and more people are starting to realise this” she shares.
When asked what the future looks like for her, Gina says she’d like to slow down a little. “I hope to not be in the thick of running a business day-to-day and to be able to step back and free up some time to live life, not be in the hustle of young kids and a new business, in 10 years time I’d like to have more space in my life.
Words Kahu de Beer
Photography Rachel Burt
Gina is the founder and business owner of the successful clinic and online platform @Gina.Urlich, founder of norish.co.nz, and mother of four. Gina holds a BHSc in Nutritional Medicine and also has a background in nursing. To work with Gina and her team visit ginaurlich.co.nz.
