Model Turned-Entrepreneur Shares Her Wellness Toolkit

Anabel Oelmann is on a mission to raise awareness of the power of alternative medicine. After beginning modelling at the age of 13, and working with some of the biggest fashion and beauty brands such as Hugo Boss and ELLE Turkey, the unrealistic expectations and constant pressures of the industry led to serious physical and mental suffering.

A cycle of bad migraines, crippling anxiety, and pharmaceutical dependency drove Anabel to redirect her path, first finding health & healing for herself and ultimately helping others do the same. On her travels as a model, Anabel became a certified nutritionist through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and when she was in India, discovered the power of alternative medicine and ayurvedic medicine and principles. After experiencing the calming effects that CBD had on her daily migraines, Anabel became passionate about raising awareness of alternative medicine therapies and went on to found NOEO, a supplements brand leveraging adaptogenic herbs and plant-based medicine to address everyday ailments that lead to long-term disease.

To further her mission to help people lead healthier, happier lives, and based on her experiences as a supplements founder, healing practitioner, and consumer, Anabel recently co-founded The Healing Company. The Healing Company has a bold vision: bring integrated healing to the world, and a unique strategy to do so, with plans to build a community of powerful healing brands.

Below she shares her health habits and wellness toolkit…

My non-negotiable health habit
I have three key healthy habits that I always stick to: Morning juice, yoga, and breathwork. I love to start my day with a carrot, ginger, and turmeric juice, as it’s filled with so many nutrients, like beta-carotene and vitamin A, which help with digestion, cognition and immunity while acting as powerful antioxidants protecting your cells from damage! Yoga and breathwork are other practices that I try to incorporate into my routine every morning. It really depends on how much time I have, however, I always try to do at least 10 minutes of yoga and at least a couple minutes of breathwork. Even just concentrating on a deep inhale and exhale is good enough, as it really quickly lowers my stress levels and helps me refocus

My de-stress tool
I have a few go-to tools to help me de-stress. The first one is meditation – using the breathwork techniques I’ve learned, I try to mindfully meditate to help calm my nervous system. If the weather is nice, I try to go for a run or walk in nature to get some fresh air, which boosts oxygen to the brain. Spending time with loved ones is also really important to me; meeting up with friends and family always helps me reset and feel calmer. It’s also so important to listen to your body and know when you need to break. If I’m having a stressful or busy week, I’ll take time to rest when I can or make sure I’m going to bed slightly earlier than normal to catch up on sleep.

My skincare must-haves
My skincare mantra: keep it simple! For my face, I prefer either organic coconut oil or Nivea cream in the morning and at night. For my body, I always use a nourishing body cream post-shower to lock in the moisture. As an extra layer of protection to prevent my skin from any cellulite or skin cracks, I use Bio-Oil, which includes some really powerful ingredients like calendula extract, chamomile oil, and vitamin A.

My biggest wellness indulgence
There are a few wellness treatments I like to indulge in from time to time. The first is massages – they make such a difference. Either a sports massage if my muscles are sore, or a relaxation massage if I want to reset and nourish my soul. The second is Cryotherapy which reduces pain and inflammation, improves my joint function and boosts my metabolism. Lastly are fresh juices. I typically make my morning juice at home, but as I travel a lot and am on the go a lot of the time, I’ll buy fresh juices (which are a lot more expensive than making them at home)!

My night-time ritual
My night-time ritual is all about winding down to get a good night’s sleep. I like to take a relaxing shower just before bed and moisturise my face so I wake up with a fresh morning glow. I enjoy reading in bed before falling asleep and I always leave my phone outside my room (and tend to have it on airplane mode) to avoid any sleep disruption from blue light exposure.

My favourite workout right now
Working out is so important for both my mental and physical health so I try to do something every day. On the days I wake up early and have enough time, I love to play tennis with my boyfriend or best friend – I find the fresh air so invigorating in the morning! Most of the time, I go for a run and combine it with a 30-60 minute strength workout, to help build my muscular strength.

My top 5 kitchen essentials

Juicer – for my morning vitamins
Kettle – for my warm water with lemon every morning
A good knife for cutting- as I love to cook
A good pan and pot
Cutting Boards. A kitchen is not complete without cutting boards.

My first essential is definitely a juicer, as I need my morning vitamins! A kettle is also essential, as I tend to have warm water with lemon every morning. A good cutting knife, pot, pan, and cutting boards are also must-haves – I love to cook! A kitchen is not complete without cutting boards so I’d also have them as one of my essentials for any kitchen.

My biggest life lesson

All meaning is self-generated
We live in this world believing that there are boundaries and limits, because that’s what our thoughts tell us. These thoughts are simply a collection of conditioned knowledge. Have visions! See what others can’t see, by enhancing your consciousness.
Be open to be called a ‘fool’. Never stop- challenge and enhance yourself!
Always have high principles that define the values around your life! If you don’t, you will always take the lower principles that will lead you into fear and anxiety.
Stop playing the victim. Stop pointing fingers on others. You are not the effect, you are the cause. Take responsibility for your own state. Live in the now. Your are not the created… you are the creator

I have a few life lessons I’ve learned over the years:

We live in this world believing that there are boundaries and limits because that’s what our thoughts tell us. But, these thoughts are simply a collection of conditioned knowledge that we attain throughout our life. Have a vision, and be open to being called a fool – enhance your consciousness!
Always ensure you prioritise high principles and values – if you don’t, the lower principles, vibrations and values will become home, and lead you into more fear and anxiety.
Stop playing the victim. Stop pointing fingers at other people. Take responsibility for your own state, and live in the now. You are not the created, you are the creator. You are not the effect, you are the cause.