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Zoe Woodward / Q&A

24th October 2018

24th October 2018

By Shivraj Bassi

After 15 years in the corporate rat race, Zoe Woodward aka Aloha and Coffee, left her professional career in business development to pursue her passion for yoga, wellbeing and healthy living. Now working as a qualified nutritionist, life and business coach, yoga instructor and world traveller, Zoe has turned her passions into a new business and preferred way of life. We recently caught up with Zoe to find out more about the power woman behind the Aloha and Coffee name.

“I’ve always been active and loved fitness. I got into yoga just after the birth of my last baby as a way to manage my anxiety and it just spiralled from there.  Yoga has allowed me to be more mindful and also more tolerant. Taking time to just breathe and be present has changed my perspective on everything."

What’s your hustle?

I’m a yoga teacher, content creator and director of a branding and communications company in a nut shell. I’m also a mom of four so I have my work cut out for me!

What does #liveinnermost mean to you?

It means to live your life as you, authentically and without apology.

Favourite Innermost products, and why?

The Health Protein. I usually stick to vegan protein as I find sometimes whey can cause me to bloat when I mix it with other ingredients. I love that the blend mixes well and tastes great. The Detox Booster. Because it doesn’t taste like grass!

Usual breakfast?

A HUGE smoothie

Your last workout?

CrossFit. I started this week and I’ve done two classes so far and I love it! I’m a regular in the gym, a runner and course love yoga but I needed something new to challenge me both mentally and physically so I thought I’d try CrossFit.

Favourite inspirational quote/words?

“Everything will be ok in the end, if it’s not ok it's not the end”. I had it tattooed on my neck during a really tough time in my life and I still live by it no.

Where’s your happy place?

Bali - I’ve visited three times in the past year and it’s magical. It makes me feel calm and relaxed and inspired all at the same time. I’d love to move there.

Current fitness goal?

Strict pull ups. At the moment they seem so far away but I’m determined!

Best advice you’ve ever received?

Find something you love, find a way to make money from it and you’ll never work a day in your life.

Book currently on your bedside table?

The Alchemist. I’m reading it for the second time because it inspired me so much the first.

Best vacation ever?

Getting married in Hawaii! It was magical.

Number one reason for taking care of your body?

Because you only get one! I spent way too long abusing it so now I’m making up for it. It took me a long time to be able to tune into myself and understand what I needed but finally i’m there.

What would we be surprised to find in your fridge?

Face creams and a jade roller for my face. It’s so much more refreshing when it’s cold.

To see and hear more from Zoe, head to her Instagram page (@alohaandcoffee).

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Other Insights

Creatine for women
The word ‘creatine’ might conjure up images of gym bros, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s just for men. Creatine is one of the most widely researched supplements in the nutrition game, and one which can offer a host of benefits to many people.  Let’s dig into the topic of creatine for women – how it works, proven benefits, how it differs for women vs men, and how to start working it into your routine. What is creatine? To put it simply, creatine is a mineral our bodies naturally produce which helps to create Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) – a very important energy-carrying molecule.  It has been extensively researched for its ability to help increase performance in high intensity exercise1, potentially leading to greater training results.  You can find out more in our complete guide to creatine.  Creatine for women: why interest is growing There are a lot of misconceptions around creatine – maybe you’ve heard it’s for ‘bulking’ or that it causes undesirable water retention. Either way, there have definitely been some ideas floating around which could understandably have put people off working it into their nutrition regime.  In reality, creatine can support performance, strength and recovery without changing your body composition in the way some might assume. It can be a great tool for not only strength training but also HIIT and functional fitness, as well as overall health and even ageing!1  With all this in mind and more research coming out all the time, it’s no surprise that interest is growing amongst women when it comes to making use of creatine.  Creatine for women vs men: is there a difference? Creatine works in the same biological way for both men and women, but there are some differences in terms of the results or impacts you may see.  In general, women tend to have significantly lower baseline creatine stores than men2, meaning creatine supplementation can be potentially even more beneficial for them. That being said, nutritional requirements and impacts can vary hugely based on each person’s individual hormone concentration, especially during different phases of the menstrual cycle3 – so results can differ. The benefits of creatine for women  Improved strength and performance Creatine helps regenerate and produce ATP4, which allows for better performance in short bursts of intense activity. As such, it can be a very valuable tool for supporting progressive overload in strength training, allowing you to lift heavier and see greater results from your workouts. Support for lean muscle and body composition Combing creatine supplementation with resistance training is a widely recognised method for increasing lean muscle mass5, which can make a significant difference to your overall body composition. One of the common misconceptions of creatine we spoke about earlier is water retention and subsequent weight gain. Whilst the water retention point isn’t untrue, the water is stored inside the muscle cells rather than under the skin6, which actually makes your muscles appear larger and more defined.  You could typically see an initial weight ‘gain’ when starting with creatine due to this, but this usually stabilises after a few weeks.  Cognitive and mental benefits Aside from the huge physical benefits, creatine can actually offer a helping hand when it comes to cognition and mood, too.  Some research has shown creatine has indicated positive effects by restoring brain energy levels, and it may even be more effective for females2. Other studies have even found evidence that creatine use can improve short term memory, reasoning and intelligence7.  Hormonal and life stage support The evidence is still emerging on this topic, but there are a host of potential creatine benefits for women when it comes to hormonal and life stage support. For example, it is suggested that post-menopausal females can see benefits in terms of skeletal muscle size and function when supplementing creatine, as well as favourable effects on bones themselves.  With hormone-related changes influencing the way creatine is produced in the body, supplementation can be particularly important during your period, as well as during and after pregnancy or menopause2.  Side effects of creatine for women When adding any new supplement into your regime, considering any possible side effects is a common part of the process. Thankfully, creatine side effects for women are very minimal!  We’ve discussed water retention already, but this can sometimes lead to a 1-2kg initial weight gain which will usually stabilise in a few weeks – and your extra-hydrated muscles can actually perform even better as a result.  The other commonly discussed side effect is gastrointestinal distress (stomach cramps, nausea etc). This is typically only an issue if you’re taking very high doses of more than 10g at any one time, so stick to the product’s recommended servings and you should be in the clear.  Overall, creatine is a safe supplement to take when used within regular dosing guidelines1.  How to start using creatine As with any new supplement you’re interested in taking advantage of, the best way to start is by making it as simple as possible to fit into your regular routine.  A typical daily dose of creatine sits between 3-5g, so look for a product which can give you that in an easy-to-use form. For example, Innermost’s The Power Booster contains 60x 5g servings – the perfect amount for a full eight week cycle if consuming daily. Just mix a serving with water or juice, or even throw it into a protein shake and you’re all set for the day. That’s not the only way to have creatine, though. Innermost’s The Strong Protein is a super powerful protein blend with 34g protein and 3g of creatine in every serving – giving you everything you need for a properly fuelled, powerful workout.   So, it’s a very effective supplement and it’s very easy to take. What’s not to love? Creatine for women – easy and effective Creatine is well-researched, easy to use and it can be super effective. If you’re interested in improving your performance, recovery and strength, it’s almost a no-brainer. Make it a part of your daily wellness routine, stay consistent with it and see the results - we think you’ll like them.  References Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049. Click here.   Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi: 10.3390/nu13030877. PMID: 33800439; PMCID: PMC7998865. Click here.  Wohlgemuth KJ, Arieta LR, Brewer GJ, Hoselton AL, Gould LM, Smith-Ryan AE. Sex differences and considerations for female specific nutritional strategies: a narrative review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Apr 1;18(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00422-8. PMID: 33794937; PMCID: PMC8015182. Click here.  Saito S, Cao DY, Okuno A, Li X, Peng Z, Kelel M, Tsuji NM. Creatine supplementation enhances immunological function of neutrophils by increasing cellular adenosine triphosphate. Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2022;41(4):185-194. doi: 10.12938/bmfh.2022-018. Epub 2022 Jun 17. PMID: 36258765; PMCID: PMC9533032. Click here.  Mohammad Ali Izadi, Farhad Daryanoosh, The effect of creatine supplementation on muscle protein synthesis in athletes: A review. Nutrition Clinique et Métabolisme,Volume 39, Issue 4, 2025, Pages 273-281, ISSN 0985-0562. Click here.  Powers ME, Arnold BL, Weltman AL, Perrin DH, Mistry D, Kahler DM, Kraemer W, Volek J. Creatine Supplementation Increases Total Body Water Without Altering Fluid Distribution. J Athl Train. 2003 Mar;38(1):44-50. PMID: 12937471; PMCID: PMC155510. Click here.  Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jul 15;108:166-173. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29704637; PMCID: PMC6093191. Click here. Read more
I've Been Taking Creatine Every Day For Six Years
Something happens in March. The people who started strong in January, the ones with the new routine, the new kit, the renewed sense of purpose, are now splitting into two groups. The ones who've lost momentum. And the ones asking sharper questions. Not "what should I take?" but "what actually works?" Creatine keeps coming up. And every time it does, I notice the same pattern: people either swear by it without really understanding why, or they assume it's something bodybuilders use and leave it alone.I've been taking it every single day for six years. So let me tell you what I actually know. Why I started I didn't start taking creatine for the reasons most people assume. I wasn't trying to get bigger. I was training consistently, eating well, and hitting a wall. That frustrating place where effort stops translating into progress. A friend with a sports science background told me creatine was the most researched supplement in existence. More peer-reviewed studies than almost anything else on the market. That got my attention. So I started. And I kept going. What I noticed The first week, nothing dramatic. But over the following three to four weeks, something shifted. I could push a little harder. An extra rep. Slightly more on the bar. Training sessions that didn't end in the usual flat feeling of having nothing left. Those are marginal gains. They don't feel significant in the moment. But they compound. Over months, they're the difference between a plateau and real, measurable progression. The one time I stopped, about two years in, during a stretch of heavy travel where I got lazy about it, I felt the absence more than I expected. Not immediately. But within a few weeks, training felt duller. Less sharp. I put it back in and haven't looked back since. I also noticed something I hadn't anticipated: my thinking felt clearer on the days I trained hard. I assumed it was the exercise. I later learned creatine may have had something to do with that too. What creatine actually does Most people think of creatine as a muscle supplement. That's not quite right. What creatine does is help your body regenerate ATP, adenosine triphosphate, more efficiently. ATP is your cells' primary energy currency. It's what your muscles burn during intense effort. But it's also what your brain runs on. Here's the mechanism: during high-intensity exercise, your body depletes ATP rapidly. Creatine stored in muscle tissue, in the form of phosphocreatine, allows you to replenish that ATP faster. That's why creatine consistently improves performance in short, explosive efforts: weightlifting, sprinting, high-intensity intervals. But the same ATP recycling process happens in the brain. A growing body of research suggests creatine may support cognitive performance, particularly under conditions of stress or sleep deprivation. A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports found meaningful improvements in memory and cognitive function following supplementation. It's not a nootropic in the trending sense of the word. But the evidence is real, and it applies to more people than the gym crowd. The effective dose is well established: 3 to 5 grams per day, taken consistently. No loading phase required. No cycling. Just daily consistency, and that's where most people go wrong. What the industry does instead Creatine monohydrate has been around for decades. That's a problem for brands that need something new to sell. So new formats appear. Creatine HCL. Buffered creatine. Kre-Alkalyn. Creatine ethyl ester. Creatine gummies. Each one marketed as superior: faster absorbing, more bioavailable, easier on the stomach. The evidence doesn't support it. Multiple head-to-head comparisons, including a widely cited review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found no meaningful performance advantage for alternative creatine forms over monohydrate. In some cases, the alternatives perform worse per gram of active compound. In the case of creatine gummies, several brands including some very large ones have been shown not to contain the creatine concentrations they claim on the label. What you actually want is simple: a clinically relevant dose of creatine monohydrate, taken every day. That's it. What I use The Power Booster is 100% pure creatine monohydrate, nothing added, nothing unnecessary. Five grams per serving, which sits right at the evidence-supported daily dose. It's not complicated because it doesn't need to be. The science on creatine monohydrate is already settled. The job is just to take it consistently. (If you have a friend still on the fence about creatine, forward this their way. It's one of those rare supplements where the evidence is clear enough to just recommend without caveats.) Read more