Meet Alana Speed | Postpartum Chef & E-RYT Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alana Speed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alana, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As a postpartum chef, it is crucial for me to be an example of work/life balance; I encourage women after birth to rest as much as possible, so it would go against what I believe in to go, go, go all the time. As I’ve learned more about women’s biology and our infradian rhythm, our 28-day, month-long cycle, I have realized over time that women are not meant to hustle 24/7. Having a balanced life, I believe, is one of the most important things we can do for our health.

What should our readers know about your business?
My name is Alana, pronounced “ahlaynah,” and I am a postpartum chef in DFW. After birth, I come into a new mothers home, serve and prep them warm, nourishing meals to have on hand. My meals are intentionally made and inspired by the “First Forty Days” by Heng Ou, where I cook nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest food low and slow, so the mothers body can focus on healing.

The best part about the start of my business is that it fell into my lap by complete surprise. After being a yoga teacher since 2016, I decided to become a health coach in 2020 and shortly after, I was asked to become someone’s personal chef. After working with multiple families, doctors and even a couple who owned a restaurant, I realized something was missing from my business; I knew in my heart that I was meant to care specifically for women. After nurturing my own feminity, I knew I wanted to care for women at a time when they needed it most, postpartum.

I think my desire to support women in this transitional phase of their life, came from the realization of how far we’ve come from having a “village” and support system in todays world. I think we often look at blue zones and think, “ah, it must be because they eat so healthy,” but I think there is so much to be said for having a community of loved ones by your side. Through my own heath struggles, Ive realized how important it is to address stress, slow down and listen to my body, which is what I encourage women to do not just postpartum, but daily.

I wouldn’t say my journey to becoming a postpartum chef has been easy, but listening to my gut, trusting my intuition and taking a leap of faith (do it, even if you are scared!) has gotten me to where I am today. If anything has been hard, I would say my own chaotic childhood and working through trauma has encouraged me to be of service to other people. I want other women to know that your health and healing matters and to advocate for what you need.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am honestly such a homebody! I live near Denton, so of course we would get West Oak, and I would take them along to a yoga class with me, maybe go on a nature walk in Grapevine, grab dinner from Thai Ochoa, and end the night watching a romcom, of course.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
All of the women in my life, especially my mother and my grandmother, who have passed down so much love and wisdom to me and made my business of caring for other women what it is.

Website: Wellnesswithalana.com

Instagram: Wellnesswithalana_

Linkedin: Alana Speed

Facebook: Alana Speed

Other: Take a class with me at Inspire Yoga!

Image Credits
Anna Zotykova