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Today I want to share something a bit different. As you know, I’m a big advocate for good cooking and firmly believe that a healthy diet plus daily exercise is the key to a long, happy life. I recently grabbed coffee with a friend who has what I consider my dream job: she’s a health coach. What is a health coach? I’ll let her explain. Our conversation was so engaging that I asked to feature it on my blog, hoping others might find it helpful or enjoyable.
O [Olga]” Patrizia, what exactly do you do? I know gyms have personal trainers, but a health coach is something more—different—right?”
P[Patrizia]” Yes, as a Health Coach and Personal Trainer I’m specializing in supporting women – especially moms – who want to feel good in their bodies again and reconnect with their energy, strength, and confidence. I’m the founder of Shape & Shine, a project born from the desire to help women take care of themselves with simplicity, awareness, and kindness. As a mom of three, I deeply understand what it feels like to constantly put yourself last, run all day, and reach the evening completely drained”
O “Yes—the daily routine: work, school, after‑school activities, dinner. We all know the drill. So do women come to you when they’re ready to make a change or to reconnect with their lives?”
P “Yes, That’s exactly where my work begins: helping women put themselves back at the center, building sustainable habits, creating routines that actually work in real life… even when real life is messy. I support women through: health coaching (nutrition, habits, mindset), personal training (strength, mobility, overall wellness) & pre & postnatal fitness (safe training throughout motherhood).
O “I find this fascinating. If I didn’t already have a job I love, I’d do what you’re doing. You know how passionate I am about nutrition. Just curious—what do you tell your clients about food?”
P ” One of the things I love most about my work is reminding women that eating well doesn’t have to be complicated or restrictive. In fact, simple meals are often what make the biggest difference in our daily energy. As a health coach, I encourage women to see food as an ally: something that supports us, that gives us strength, that helps us show up for our day with more stability and a better mood. And when cooking feels enjoyable – not stressful – taking care of ourselves becomes much easier”
O ” I couldn’t agree more. You know food is central to my life. Tell me three things I should focus on in my daily diet—there’s always room to improve.”
P ” 1) Choose “as simple as possible”: Simple meals → more consistency. You don’t need complicated recipes to eat well: real ingredients, color, and a bit of planning are enough. 2) Add protein to every meal: Eggs, yogurt, legumes, tofu, fish, or lean meats. This helps stabilize energy, reduce cravings, and support muscle tone. 3) Aim for consistency, not perfection
One healthy choice repeated often is worth more than a perfect choice made once in a while.
O ” I could listen to you all day—I can talk about food and nutrition 24/7. Let’s grab coffee again and dive into the other side of your work. How can we stay more active despite everything on our daily plates? Sound good?”
P ” Absolutely, Anytime! You can visit my website: www.patriziashapeandshine.com and sign up for my newsletter here. I’m also in Instagram (patrizia_shapeandshine) and my email is patrizia.healthcoach@gmail.com”
[I want to thank Patrizia for having transcripted our conversation so she made my life easier and the article was quick to be written]