“The key to success is a strong mind and making fitness fun and interesting.” Cocobella Ambassador @emmafabre sure has some wisdom to share. With a passion for photography, travel and staying fit and healthy, Emma’s feed is one that with endless goal-setting #inpso. We chatted to Emma recently about some of her culinary inspiration and plans for the future.
Hi Emma! First off, the travel shots you take are absolutely breath-taking! Have you studied photography or is it a natural talent?
Since I can remember I’ve always been passionate about film/photography. There’s something about capturing a moment forever that has always fascinated me. I took a few courses while in high school to master lighting settings and exposure, but apart from that I mainly just play around with my camera and see what works and doesn’t!
We love your beachy travel photos! So much wanderlust right there. Is travel priority for you? Where’s your favourite place that you’ve travelled to?
I’ve always said that “I live to travel”, and was also brought up that way. I grew up in France, Mexico, The United Arab Emirates and currently Australia, but have travelled on holidays to many other places alone and with my family. I truly believe that we should step out of our comfort zone at least once a year, whether to explore our own backyard, or to jet half way across the globe and discover a new culture. Living and embracing different cultures and religions allows us to become more open minded and accepting of others. It also awakens our sense of gratitude towards our own lives and the place that we live in.
That’s a lot of travelling! Where is your most favourite destination?
My favourite place I have been to would have to be Mexico, I grew up there for five years and I consider those years to be the best of my life. I am returning there next year because I miss it too much. The people, the language and the culture is something that I have never experienced before, and would highly recommend anyone to travel to Latin America if they are contemplating it!
Tell us a little more about yourself, what are you working towards this year?
I am currently a full time student in Sydney, studying international studies and relations, and a part time worker at an açai and smoothie bar on the beach (living my best life). This year I am mainly working towards my self-development. I think we are so caught up in always wanting to be involved in everything (FOMO), that we begin to fear our own loneliness and blame it as ‘boredom’. I want to be able to spend quality time alone, weather it be meditating, reading and journaling or just having a spa date with myself (‘cause we all have to treat ourselves).
Looks like a busy life you’re leading! What are your favourite ways to rest and recharge?
My favourite way to unwind is to go on a long walk (preferably the coastal Coogee to Bondi walk) and to listen to some guided meditation podcasts or even just blasting rap music (there’s no in-between). I have a secret spot during the coastal walk where there’s a small cliff that you can climb into (kinda like a mini cave) and I just sit there and watch the waves crash against the rocks. Sometimes I’ll sit there in silence and focus on the present, or I’ll bring my journal and write down whatever thoughts flow.
What are your favourite ways to keep fit? What motivates you?
I find the best way to keep motivated is to have mental goals on what you want to achieve, such as completing your first pull up, doing more than five pushups, etc. My go-to free fitness app is Nike Training Club, I’m currently doing the 8 week specialised program that individually picks training sessions for you based on your fitness goals and strength. I always love to switch up exercise routines when I lose motivation. Sometimes I have phases where I love to go on runs, do boxing sessions or even indoor cycling. The key to success is a strong mind and making fitness fun and interesting.
We love learning about how our Ambassadors include Cocobella in their day-to-day routine and cooking. What’s your favourite way to use Cocobella?
My OG Cocobella routine is my daily post workout smoothie. It consists of vegan protein powder, PB powder, frozen bananas and coconut water. When I’m feeling more fancy, and I have more time, I love to whip up some tropical coconut pancakes, using Cocobella water as the base and topped with Cocobella Coconut Yoghurt!
Are you a sweet tooth? Or savoury? Have you ever created a guilt-free version of a recipe that’s a bit on the naughty side?
The sweeter the better! Daily I transform naughty recipes into healthy meals, such as pancakes, waffles and chocolate PB smoothie bowls! I love my peanut butter, but too much makes me break out and makes me feel heavy and bloated, so I opt for PB powder instead (a true game changer). I also switched plant based milks to coconut water because its less heavy and tastes even better! But at the end of the day, you have to live life to the fullest, and one naughty treat here and there won’t stop you from reaching your fitness goals.
What are 5 things we’d always see in your shopping trolley? What can you not miss out on?
My shopping trolley is usually just a cardboard box and a bunch of reusable mason jars that I refill at my local bulk food store! My top 5 items that you will always find me with are bananas, dried chickpeas, tofu, dried lentils and balsamic vinegar (just to name a few). Frozen bananas are my go to whenever I’m low on time and want to whip something up quickly (which is always a smoothie). I’ll admit that most days when I’m busy at work or have to rush out the door to catch the bus, I have at least 2 smoothies a day to keep me going until dinner. Frozen bananas are just the easiest and quickest food to blend up with anything and will always taste amazing.
Are you able to share with us your top 5 Instagram accounts that inspire you?
My top five would have to be
@infinitewaters (inspirational leader),
@blakeworrallthompson (life mentor, especially his insta stories), @cartiamallan (lifestyle and life journey in spirituality),
@trashisfortossers (minimalistic and zero waste lifestyle) and, @sarahs_day (lifestyle and fitness).
Among other accounts, these specific ones inspire me to be my authentic self, improve and work on self-development and just embrace my presence. It may be a weird combo of different areas in life, but it’s a true reflection of what I try to work on and be inspired by, in my daily life.
Do you have any new exciting projects on the horizon? What will we see you up to next?
I have so many travel adventures planned for this year, such as going to Bali with a close friend, going to Europe to visit my family and then moving back to Mexico by the end of the year. I may even take a sneaky trip to Sri Lanka in June to discover a new place to experience!
However, at the end of the day I like to think that every day is an exciting adventure, and it doesn’t truly matter where in the world you find yourself. The present is the continuous project of your future, and we are constantly evolving and becoming whatever we desire to be. Who knows what I’ll be up to next, but I’m sure that it will be something amazing and exciting!
