Hi! I’m Monique
I am a certified holistic nutritionist, speaker, nature lover, healthy living content creator and mama. I’m so thrilled you’re here! My mission is to educate, empower and inspire you to live your best life ever! I believe everyone deserves to live a healthy, vibrant life. Yes that’s right, YOU deserve it too friend! The world needs you. Your unique voice, your courage, your phenomenal story and your brilliant light. You are here for a reason.
To me living your best life means having the passion, energy, strength and confidence to show up every day as your most authentic, radiant self. I also believe that in order to show up and serve our families, our friends, and our communities we have to make our health a top priority.
To me living your best life means having the passion, energy, strength and confidence to show up every day as your most authentic, radiant self. I also believe that in order to show up and serve our families, our friends, and our communities we have to make our health a top priority.I know this because I lost both of my parents too soon to preventable illnesses. I also know this because I too have struggled with health challenges and I know what it’s like to not be able to show up the way you want to.
CHASING BIG DREAMS
I was 22 years old when I decided to head down to the MuchMusic Video Awards and land my dream job. I didn’t have a ticket or a single personal connection in the building but I had a ‘you-can’t-stop-me’ attitude for accomplishing my ultimate goal: to work at the nation’s music station. (It also didn’t hurt that my rock idol, David Bowie, was set to make an appearance that very same day.) Not only did I get into the awards show that day, I successfully convinced a producer to hire me as their intern which led to a production assistant gig and the beginning of my media career. The first of many lessons in my life that proved that 💫 anything is possible! 💫 After nearly a decade of learning the ropes in mainstream media I decided to take my career online and I launch my first media production company aptly titled, Bravery Productions, in 2008.
RED CARPETS & EMBRACING THE FEAR
By 2008 times were changing quickly, mainstream media was beginning to fade, MuchMusic was no longer creating the cutting edge programming it was known for and online content began to take its place. I knew it was time to take my skills online and create my own opportunities. I was terrified to go after my dreams but I knew there was no other way. The choice was to live a life of predictability or to embrace my fears and jump into the vast unknown. Armed with a fierce determination, a youthful naïveté and big dreams I took a deep breath and dove headfirst into a sea of possibilities. As founder, host and producer of Bravery Productions I covered countless red carpets at TIFF (Canada’s world renowned Toronto International Film Festival) where I interviewed Hollywood heavyweights from Martin Sheen to Kiera Knightley. I also interviewed fashion designers at Toronto Fashion Week, musicians at Montréal’s Osheaga Music Festival, celebrity chef Bobby Flay at his flagship restaurant in NYC and documentary filmmakers at Hot Docs. In 2012 I began creating online beauty, food and lifestyle content for Slice, Food Network Canada and HGTV. From makeup tutorials to cooking and entertaining I was in my element hosting and producing original segments. It truly was a dream come true and this was just the beginning.
MY HEALTH JOURNEY
The bulk of my success as an entrepreneur came after I had experienced one of the most profoundly challenging times of my life, the loss of my beautiful mother. At the very same time I became a mama myself, as I wholeheartedly embraced stepping into the primary caregiver role for my 12 year old niece, Jessica. These life changing events had an enormous impact on me. I began to take the time to reflect on my life, my purpose and my own health. After years of suffering from poor digestion, lack of energy and debilitating anxiety I embarked upon a health journey that led me to discover the healing powers of food. The more research I did the more inspired I became and soon I ditched all the processed foods and began eating organic plant-based foods, healthy fats, sustainably caught fish and some organic & grass-fed animal proteins. I grew a variety of fruits and vegetables in my garden and for the first time ever I felt connected to the food I ate. It was a life-altering experience. The better I ate, the better I felt. I realized that I had to make these lifestyle changes sustainable and long-term. Driven to learn more about nutrition and our impact on the health of the planet, I enrolled at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition where I received my designation of Certified Nutritional Practitioner in 2015.
EMBARKING ON A NEW PATH
In 2019 I created MoniqueLahey.com, a lifestyle website and YouTube channel that empowers and inspires people to live healthy, vibrant lives! MoniqueLahey.com is an inclusive space, inspiring you to make healthier choices every day both for you, your community and our beautiful planet. My passion for healthy, natural living informs every decision I make, from supporting local small businesses to cooking from scratch using farm fresh, organic ingredients.
My passion for healthy, natural living informs every decision I make, from supporting local small businesses to cooking from scratch using farm fresh, organic ingredients.
While I have made significant positive changes throughout this nearly decade-long journey I am forever a student of life! I am continuously learning new ways to incorporate mindful practices into all aspects of my life; in business, at home, in personal relationships and in motherhood. I am so excited to share this knowledge with you and continually expand our amazing community of like-minded individuals at MoniqueLahey.com.
Living consciously and holistically has brought greater meaning to my life and has enabled me to foster deeper connections to our earth, the food we eat and the people and animals who inhabit it. I want to acknowledge that not everyone has access to local, organic ingredients; I recognize that this is a privilege afforded only to some. I believe that it is a basic human right that every single person on the planet should have access to clean drinking water and nutritious, whole foods. My intention with having this platform is to provide you with practical daily health habits that you can incorporate into your life no matter where you live in the world. Even the smallest of positive changes can have a ripple effect, on your friends, your family and in the communities where we reside. Never has this been more evident than it is at this time in history.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
GREEN BEAUTY & ECO LIVING
As a lover of all things beauty, I’ve always had an appreciation for skincare and makeup artistry. I remember fondly the first two lipstick shades I ever wore at around 14 years old, Blackberry and Toast of New York. I immediately felt a sophistication and confidence beyond my years, and I was hooked.
Years later through my education in holistic nutrition, I learned all about the dark side of the beauty industry. The endocrine disrupting chemicals, the toxins we’re all being exposed to on a daily basis in our body care products, the greenwashing that so many ‘trusted’ corporate brands are guilty of. Once my eyes were opened, I never looked back.
As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Now that I know better I am committed to doing better. I want to share my knowledge and passion for holistic skincare, green beauty and non-toxic living in hopes that it will have a ripple effect. That as a collective we will begin to shift towards a healthier, happier planet.
Monique resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her husband Dan, their son River and new baby Isla Rose. Jessica, her niece and BFF, lives nearby and visits often.