IMBIBE Woman: Yianna Velos

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family business. 

I am the founder of Golden Groves, a wellness and lifestyle brand that transports certified organic, high phenolic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) from my family’s region in Greece to us in Australia. Both of my parents were born in neighbouring remote villages in Greece and when my father first moved to Australia, the only olive oil you could buy was from the chemist and was used to treat ear infections. This is how my family first started importing olive oil from our olive fields in Greece to Australia, for our own private consumption and for family and friends. This was never meant to be a business. 

During lockdown, I became increasingly health conscious, much like we all did, and with all of us sharing our home cooking online, I started to notice the oils others were using in their cooking. It made me realise that the EVOO that had been harvested by my family for generations was in a class of its own. The more people I spoke to, the more I realised that people were unaware of how toxic seed oils are and how the industry lacked transparency in terms of EVOOs being blended with other varieties or seed oils, how plastics from squeezy bottles leach into oils and how 60% of organic olive oils actually contain pesticides. This is why I sought out to share certified organic olive oil from my family’s region in Greece, the Mani Peninsula. 

Over the last three years, the Golden Groves has evolved and is now operated by myself. As the demand for our olive oil has grown, we have worked with local farmers and oil presses to ship olive oil from my mother’s quaint 50 person seaside village, to the other side of the world, Australia. Most people in my mother’s region haven’t been overseas, so it’s wild to think how far the fruit of their labour has travelled. I love being able to share this ancient Greek medicine with the world and the art of living that is at the core of Golden Groves, which is that simplicity is at the heart of every good meal. Our olive oil is a testament to this. Simple, unadulterated, and one ingredient ~ only the best olives from our groves in Greece.

We tried it in the office - it’s so delicious! Tell us about the benefits of Olive Oil and your favourite way to consume it. 

Thank you so much - that makes me so happy! I love to add Golden Groves to everything I eat, should it be a salad or soup or roast! But I do have to say my favourite way to consume it is having a shot of it on an empty stomach, with the juice of half an organic lemon, before I eat my first meal of the day. This is because our 2024 Harvest was third-party tested, and they found that it is rich in a type of antioxidant called polyphenols. Once Extra Virgin Olive Oil has polyphenols over 250mg/kg, it is shown to offer health benefits with the daily intake of 20g (4 tsp), according to the EU Health Claim 432-2012. These health benefits include the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can damage cells, DNA and proteins, which can contribute to ageing and developing disease, including diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's. By shotting the olive oil first thing in the morning, I am getting my 20g in and helping to reduce inflammation too. 

What has inspired your journey so far? 

From a young age, I have always cared about my health and experimenting with new recipes. I think this is because I have always had an intuitive approach to eating and nutrition, and would find myself feeling lethargic or bloated after eating processed and some conventional foods. The more I experimented with alternative, healthier recipes, the more I started to have more energy, feel less bloated and also fell in love with my approach to life. This was my initial gateway into wellness. 

What really transformed my journey was when my mum was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer when I was 20. She was by society’s standards, a very healthy and active 51 year old woman. Whilst my mum did follow Western medicine and treatment, she also delved into the realm of holistic healing and it’s what informed my current image and approach to health. I learnt the true power of food as medicine, the importance of your thoughts and healing trauma, and how environmental toxins can disturb your hormones and microbiome. All of this knowledge has helped me on my own journey with PCOS, gut imbalances etc. I now look at my health and body as a whole picture because everything is interconnected. When you know what it feels like to feel really good and healthy, you can’t go back!

Tell us about your top three travel destinations. 

This is like asking a mother who her favourite child is! There are so many special places across the globe I’ve fallen in love with, but if i had to choose, my three favourite are the below. 

• Hydra, Greece- Hydra is a small island, a short ferry away from Athens. The only mode of transport on the island is foot or by donkey, which means that everything is a short walk away. The island is stunning, with very few organsied beaches. Rather, people perch themselves on rocks or often sail to the island, and will take a boat to beaches across the island. It attracts a really cool crowd of artists, and politicians and has an underground wellness scene of yogis. The food and fashion on the island is amazing, yet lowkey. My dream is to have a house here one day! 
  
  

Amorgos, Greece - This is a larger, yet less frequented island in the cyclades. It is the Greek equivalent of Byron Bay. The island has a bohemian, chic feel to it and often attracts young Greeks or French tourists. Again, there are no organised beaches and you have to hike down to the beaches, which are often filled with people topless tanning. There is a very famous church on the island, Hozoviotissa, which is an 11th century monastery built into a mountain 300 metres above sea level. It is absolutely stunning and has the most breathtaking views of the sea! Amorgos also has an amazing food scene which is centred around their local specialty cheeses. 

New York, America - New York is one of those cities that cannot be emulated! New York has this energy to it that is so charged. Everyone is there for a reason and trying to make their dreams come true. It’s a city that is so spontaneous and you never know where a night will take you or who you will meet. In New York, I feel like anything is possible. I feel excited and alive, both sentiments I love feeling!

You travel so much, how do you maintain healthy skin while on the move? 

Travel is one of the main ways I recharge my soul, but sometimes it can be taxing on the skin. These are a few things I do to prevent breakouts and ensure my skin is radiant. 

1. I have greens at every meal and will eat these as an entree. Diet is so important and ensuring I’m feeding my gut with the micronutrients it needs is vital! 
   
   
2. I am religious with my supplements and add Miracle Collagen to my morning coffee. I keep my jars of IMBIBE at my apartment in Athens, and when I’m going on shorter getaways, I will pack my travel-sized sachets with me. This has made my hair stronger and reduced the appearance of fine lines on my face!
   
   
3. I hydrate my skin by drinking a lot of filtered water from glass bottles, which I will add my IMBIBE Beauty Renewal to. One thing I do everyday is take my probiotics, because healthy skin starts with having healthy gut bacteria. 
   
   
4. I meditate every night before bed, because nothing compares to the glow of someone who has vibrant energy and truly loves and respects themselves. Meditation is something that has changed my relationship with myself and my appearance!
   
   
5. I have a simple yet effective skincare routine. I use the IMBIBE Melting Balm which is my favourite clean cleanser. It makes my skin feel so clean, yet hydrated. I also swear by using a hypochlorous spray to reduce bacteria on your face and redness. I love the Tower28 SOS spray, which is also a clean brand!

What is your earliest beauty-related memory?

I remember being a young girl and sneaking into my mum’s bathroom to sort through her beauty products. She was never big on makeup and always invested in skincare. She did however has some eyeshadow and red lipstick that she reserved for my ballet concerts.I would sneakily practice doing my makeup for my ballet concerts with anything I could find. 

How has your relationship with your skin evolved over the years, what is your number one skin tip? 

I have always been blessed with relatively clear skin, until I suffered from a major gut imbalance during Melbourne’s lockdown. I started getting acne all across my jawline, which I initially thought was from wearing face masks, but was actually due to having food sensitivities, heightened stress levels and bad gut bacteria. This made me lean more into the power of food and supplements as medicine, and understand the true importance that your diet and gut health has on your skin. I always say that your skin tells you a story of what is going on the inside. After I uncovered food sensitives through testing, worked on my stress levels and addressed my gut imbalance with a combination of herbs and supplements, I healed my acne and have had clear glowy skin ever since. It’s why I really think that healthy skin starts in the kitchen, and is complimented in the bathroom. 

 

Who is your ultimate dinner guest? 

Aside from the IMBIBE team of course, my ultimate dinner guest would be Melissa Wood Tepperberg. I love following her online and listening to her podcast, Move With Heart. I think she has such a breadth of knowledge on health, but even more importantly, shares her experiences and relationship with herself and personal struggles with such candour and authenticity. I find her really inspiring and uplifting. In the back of my head I often find myself repeating “how badly do you want to feel good?”, which is a question she regularly asks herself and poses to her audience. It’s a great reminder that you don’t always wake up motivated, but you thank yourself for doing the work. 

What is on the horizon for 2025? 

2025 is all about continuing to expand my olive oil business, Golden Groves, and take it to new heights. (Hint: we have a global expansion on the horizon). You can also expect for me to continue showing up as my most authentic and aligned self, and showing to the modern day woman how she can live her truest and healthiest lifestyle, on the go.