More than a Career
Food, sport, women and wellbeing have been part of my story for as long as I can remember.
My fascination with food started when I was just 11. Our family did a big shop only once a month, so I would spend some of my pocket money on fresh fruit and vegetables to make sure I had them during the weeks in between. Being sporty from a young age, I quickly noticed how much better I felt when I ate well.
Sport became a huge part of my life. I channelled my energy into running and competition, eventually becoming a successful triathlete and studying sport science and sport psychology at university and postgraduate level. What I learned wasn’t just academic — I applied it to my own training and performance and experienced first-hand the difference that food, movement and lifestyle could make.
Running also became something much more personal. It gave me a place to clear my head and find strength through some of life’s hardest moments, including losing my mum to cancer when I was 26. She had battled cancer three times, and her own mother had also died from the disease. Losing her changed the way I thought about health and prompted me to look much more deeply into the role that food and lifestyle could play in long-term wellbeing.
That curiosity eventually led me into natural cookery. I trained as a chef, became a senior lecturer for the programme, and later moved into health coaching and health-focused consultancy.
Along the way, I married Ian Craig, a nutritional therapist, and he has been my biggest cheerleader throughout my career. For more than 12 years, we’ve worked alongside each other, sharing a passion for nutrition, health and performance. His knowledge and support have been hugely influential in shaping the work I do today.
Sport & Performance
My sporting years gave me first-hand experience of the relationship between training, nutrition, recovery and performance.
Women & Activewear
In my 30s, I created and modelled my own activewear brand, designing clothing to help women feel confident, comfortable and good about their bodies. I also built a social responsibility element into the business, creating employment opportunities for single mothers in South Africa.
Published Work
I co-authored Wholesome Nutrition for You and contributed a chapter on nourishing sports and recovery drinks to Integrative Sports and Exercise Nutrition — A Health-Focused Performance Perspective, edited by Ian Craig and J Roberts.
Wholesome Nutrition For You
Written with Ian Craig, Wholesome Nutrition For You brings together practical, whole-food recipes and evidence-based guidance to help you eat well every day.
“Rachel’s recipes have opened a whole new approach to food preparation for me. Sprouted nuts, kefir, sauerkraut, oat cookies and bone broths represent a total paradigm shift in the way I approach the food I make and serve my family.”
Taryne Jakobi, food stylist for Wholesome Nutrition For You
Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition
A Health-Feeds-Performance Perspective
By Ian Craig and Justin Roberts
The underlying aim of Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition is to encourage sport, exercise and nutrition professionals, academics and students to embrace the physiological complexity and individuality of an exercising person.
Where I Am Today
My path has taken me from athlete, to sports educator, natural chef and chef lecturer, to health and lifestyle coach and consultant.
Today I bring those experiences together as a health and lifestyle coach, natural chef and Prescribed Lifestyle Medicine coach, helping people and organisations understand that better health isn’t simply about knowing what to eat. It’s about creating food, habits and lifestyles that people can genuinely enjoy and sustain.
I believe good food should be nourishing and delicious. Healthy living should feel empowering rather than restrictive. And the science of nutrition is most powerful when we know how to translate it into real food and real life.
Ready to transform the way you approach food?
Whether you’re looking to improve your health, support your patients or create exceptional menus, I’d love to help.