Growing up, I was a keen swimmer, competing on a regional & national level. Back then, it was perfectly normal for my dad to hand me 30p after an hour of arduous training in the pool, so I could buy a pack of fruit pastilles from the vending machine. Those sugar-coated sweets never did survive the 20-minute journey home. Now it seems almost blasphemous to even suggest that a parent can give their child some sugar…
During my university years, and my passion for nutrition & health started to develop. I became interested in how important food is for longevity, general wellbeing, and performance. I studied my master’s in human nutrition before taking the research route by completing my PhD at the University of Leeds; this time focussing on the psychology of eating.
Why psychology? Because every time you eat, you are making a decision: What to eat, how much to eat, where to eat it?
How much control do you have over these decisions? What impacts the decisions you make? How much do your thoughts & feelings influence the decision? And how much does social media dictate your choices?
Three years later, I decided on a whim to apply for a job as a Nutrition Specialist for Nestle (mainly for nostalgic reasons… I missed those fruit pastilles). I certainly did not expect to spend the next 6 years working for the largest food & beverage company in the world.
I put a lot of value on my knowledge of the food industry, food processing & production. I now have a broad understanding of food policy, food safety & regulations, packaging, consumer research, and marketing. As the end consumers, I feel there is a lot that people don’t know about the food chain, and a lot of misinterpretation and negatively brought by media towards food industry, despite many of us relying on it.
In 2018, my love for products had run its course. I wanted to work with people, and I wanted to do more in the world of fitness and health… So my husband (a personal trainer) and I decided it was a good idea to buy a gym!
We had a lot of expertise between us, but no idea how to run a business. Nevertheless, I have always been a quick learner, so how hard could it be? Of we went with our 2 Frenchie’s, 2 cats, and a whole lot of passion.
And now here I am. Running a gym in beautiful Bollington (a small town on the outskirts of Macclesfield in Cheshire) and helping clients through my nutrition & health coaching.
My clients range from those aiming to lose a few pounds, to those who want to focus their food intake to support sport performance. I work with numerous clients who have more specific food or body issues including those who suffer with medical conditions such as IBS or IBD, those with specific food allergies or intolerances, and those suffering with eating disorders or have disordered eating practices. I also help vegans and vegetarians find a balance with their intake to ensure they are getting all the vitamins & minerals they need, and women at peri-menopausal age through to post-menopause, who are experiencing changes in appetite and body shape.
