The Nutritional Supplement

Which Course(s) did you graduate from at CNELM and when did you graduate?

I graduated 2011 from the BSc Nutritional Science course. It was the first time CNELM had run that course!

What did you do before doing this course?

I had worked in administration up until I started the course. The latest job was as an office manager in a London-based media company. The job was terribly stressful and nearly killed me I’m sure! I’m so glad I quit and pursued my dream to work in nutrition.

What made you decide to embark on this course of study and what attracted you to CNELM?

I’ve always had an interest in nutrition and health but never worked in the field. My very stressful office manager job made me want to change my career completely. I ordered tons of prospectuses from different schools and went through them very carefully. What made me choose CNELM was that it was a BSc-degree, which has benefitted me greatly compared to if I had chosen any other form of degree. I’m really happy that I chose CNELM, it has changed my life! It is a very professional, up to date course which is taking the role of nutrition in health very seriously.

Where has your career taken you?

After my degree I worked as a nutrition expert for a supplement company in Sweden where I lived for a couple of years. I’ve worked as a writer for the Nutritional Therapy journal in Sweden since 2010, and still do, and I’ve held courses and talks for the public and different companies. Currently I’m working with my own business, Nutrition Matters (https://nutritionmatters.se/) where I offer online-courses in functional medicine, nutrition and health for the public. Next year I plan to translate the courses to English and offer them overseas, so keep an eye out! I’m also currently working as a teacher for the Functional Medicine Institute of Sweden, which educates Functional Medicine therapists. They also run courses for health professionals, including doctors and nurses. The interest for Functional Medicine is definitely on the rise in Sweden, which is fantastic. CNELM made it possible for me to be a part of that.

Which part do you think has been the most rewarding or successful?

The most rewarding thing is to know that my knowledge about Functional Medicine and my participation in spreading the word to the public is going to help a lot of people to feel better and reduce the risk of many diseases.

If you were graduating now, would you do anything differently?

I wish I had done the therapeutic training (NTPD) right after my degree, as I do miss having the experience of clinical work. I may pursue that in the future, if I have the time.

Is there anything you wish you’d known before finishing your studies that you might have prepared for differently?

No, not that I can think of.

What or who has most inspired you in your work?

The fact that there is so much you can do with diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes that can change people’s lives! There is so much hope for people that are ill or just not feeling well and I believe that we can really make a difference. That’s why I aim my online courses to the public, not future therapists, so that I can help ordinary people understand the power of small changes in their behaviour regarding eating and living that can have a huge impact on their well-being.

One aspect of this is that the online courses can work as a complement to clinical work, it’s like a mini education for clients. There is only so much that therapists have the time to teach their clients about diet and lifestyle.

Do you have any tips, hints, things you’d have done differently...?

Make sure you surround yourself with like-minded and knowledgeable peers in the functional medicine field. It’s important to support each other when questioned by the public, medical field, sceptics etc.

One tip in starting a business is to get help doing the things you may not enjoy or are capable of. I spent hours, days and weeks trying to learn bookkeeping in order to save money, but that cost a lot more in time, energy and money than outsourcing the help. The same goes for creating websites and other things that takes time from you doing what you’re supposed to do – nutrition! Unfortunately, I struggled for many years before I realised this!

Don’t let things pile up! Read articles, magazines, wall posts straight away. It is so stressful to allow things to pile up to do later, and things then get out of date.