Wendyl's wisdom ‘THE POWER OF SELF CARE'

From her home in the Hokianga, the writer reveals why she switched up her diet, changed her outlook and penned a new book during the pandemic

- Nicky Pellegrino

Former magazine editor and broadcaster Wendyl Nissen has left the city behind and forged a new simpler, healthier life in the Hokianga with her husband Paul Little plus a menagerie of chickens, dogs and cats. She has also written a new book, Natural Care, filled with inspiration to help New Zealanders look after ourselves and our land.

What inspired your latest book about natural living?

To be honest, I didn't think I had another one in me. I'd already done The Natural Home and A Natural Year. But then the pandemic hit and I realised that caring for yourself and other people was going to be even more important. I had started reading some worrying things, like if you're overweight then you'll get Covid-19 more severely. Also, my mother died in 2019. She had diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and couldn't walk very far. I realised that I didn't want any of that for myself. I've never minded my size, but I was at risk of getting sick if I didn't take this seriously. So I started writing and by the time I'd finished, I had lost 23 centimetres from around my waist, given up social media and started making amazing compost so that my homegrown vegetables are more nutritious.

How did you lose the weight?