So if you've got this far you're interested in what I have to say - here's a little bit more depth to me, my lifestyle, the way I work and I what I have to offer. 

​

My qualifications: 

DipCNM - Naturopathic Nutrition

PgDip Veterinary Physiotherapy 

BSc(hons) Physiotherapy 

200hr Qualified yoga teacher - Triyoga. ​​

​​

As I mentioned, I qualified as a fresh faced physiotherapist in 2014, I loved my job initially. Helping people of all ages from the elderly to the very young, get back to a level of function and fitness. As I went through the first few working years I started to notice a level of dissatisfaction, I wasn't able to answer some seemingly simple questions, but it wasn't just me, the more I searched or questioned the more I got met with 'it's just one of those things' or 'getting older is hard', 'you just need to put up with it', this I found frustrating and I wasn't happy just accepting it. Here the journey really began. 

 

In 2017 I completed a PgDip in Veterinary Physiotherapy, what's this got to do with us humans? Well, actually quite a lot, whilst we are of course very different to animals this process taught me about listening to your body, nuances and individuality, the importance of scrutinising research and appreciate the benefits in some of the smaller samples. Completing this actually taught me a lot about how I work within my human physio role, about manual techniques and how we are really able to influence and individual and understanding the nuances within the therapy world, which I will be forever grateful for. BUT, I still had questions, it left me needing to go deeper than 'just physiotherapy'. 

​

From the age of 21 I dabbled with food and nutritional approaches from a personal perspective, experimenting with various 'diets' and 'ways of eating' you name it I've probably tried it from high fat to cutting out carbs, juice fasts to water fasts, Paleo and Keto too. Some I really enjoyed, some were downright terrible for me. This developed my understanding and the need for individuality, that a blanket approach never works. I began understanding the 'balance' between what we put into our bodies and what we are creating in our day to day lives. Balance is important  - I'll come back to this! 

​

Fast forward a couple of years and I lost my father to a very short, sharp battle with cancer in May of 2020, of which I am now sure was caused by many years of stress and ultimately a poor diet, certainly in the latter years. I don't mean he was eating kebabs and KFC every day, but a poor diet for HIS body, for what HE as an individual needed, combined with poor stress coping mechanisms. This catapulted me into the functional/naturopathic nutritional world and finally given me the knowledge, know how and ability to answer the questions I once had. Alongside my love of fitness, yoga and the great outdoors I feel I can finally understand how to really work with bodies, And I can't wait to share this with you! 

​

In the following months after dad passed I had a long term relationship break down, sale of a house, continued to run a business alongside working in the NHS again (Covid times). I started to get a very strange collection of personal symptoms including: weight gain, bad skin, irritability, overly emotional, fatigue, brain fog (like really bad inability to focus and remember ANYTHING), mood changes and swings, insomnia, night sweats, monthly cystitis and UTI's, I was a mess and I'm happy to admit it. I had all the symptoms of menopause... at 31. Of course I sought medical advice and was told to continue with the contraceptive pill, that there was no point hormone testing because I was too young and that I should just continue to wait it out, it'll probably pass.

 

I couldn't function (I can completely empathise with ladies of a certain age now!), the answers were not good enough. I started my own focused wellness journey, stopping the pill, sorting out my diet, changing my physical training methods to allow my body to recover, actually understood what food groups did not just hitting macros and focusing on intake. I set about dealing with grief and stress delving into the LONG list of effects this has on our bodies. I enlisted the help of another nutritionist because it's easier for someone else to be objective and keep me accountable. Together we solved the acute symptoms and set me on a path of recovery. There was light at the end of the tunnel. At no point under medical care was I asked about my diet, supplements, lifestyle, stress and/or coping mechanisms or what had happened in the previous months to contribute to my current state of health. I am not saying that their approach was right or wrong, but it didn't help me feel or get any better, and I can only imagine the pickle I'd be in if I hadn't been so stubborn!

​

A little word on fitness - a nod to where I began. Now whilst I appreciate that not everyone loves lycra or the gym or wants to go out running, that being said, being physically fit is one of the most important things we MUST maintain. It is one of the main causes of frailty and sarcopenia (age related muscle loss), and contributes heavily to a poor aging process in men AND women. As a modern world we have become all to used to the fact that we don't need to maintain our bodies, that they we just continue to function for around 70-90 years until the inevitable happens and that there is nothing we can do about it. Well I'm here to tell you that's pretty much, categorically wrong. You wouldn't own a car for 50 years not service it, put the wrong fuel in it, not change the battery or tyres so why treat your body the same?  My physiotherapy background gives me an edge on understanding the physiology behind health AND performance, understanding the effects of different training methods on the body, the recovery process and hormonal adaptations. I'm lucky enough to be able to understand both. Add a little sprinkling of yoga for good spiritual and mental wellbeing and voila - a perfect recipe for health, wellness and balance across your life! Now please don't mistake this as me attempting to turn you into the next Dame Kelly Holmes, it's merely a large part of how I approach management to a significant number of conditions, movement is medicine, understanding this is imperative. 

​​​

Ah balance - I said I would come back to this, yes not just the kind where you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed whilst rubbing your tummy, although, that has its benefits. The kind where you can still enjoy the naughty chocolate cake and the holiday guilt free, and where you can understand the effect that toxic compounds have on the body so that you can make informed choices. I believe the whole world is about balance, in every sense, from energy, to kindness, to food, technology and beyond. Take from one to benefit another, but the energy always has to be repayed. Without balance, we feel out of control and this is also an unhelpful place to be in - but learning to navigate this is SO confusing in this world. I'm happy to say its taken me a good few years to find mine, and I don't doubt ill be out of balance in the future, but because I understand the reasons why its so much easier to get back in my lane. 

​

Anyway - enough about me, let's talk about you! 

​

​