The Nutritional Supplement

Which course did you graduate from at CNELM and when did you graduate?

I graduated in 2014 with a BSc in Nutritional Therapy.

What did you do before doing this course?

I worked in the business intelligence industry managing corporate accounts and travelled a lot across the UK & Benelux region.  After struggling with chronic fatigue in my late teens and early 20’s there was always an interest in health and wellness. My corporate role was starting to impact my health again, so when my daughter was born 11.5 weeks prematurely and her brother arrived just over a year later, I knew that I couldn’t juggle the extensive travel for work with mine and my family’s needs. I retrained and obtained my Diploma in Natural Nutrition in 2006 and started seeing private clients at clinics in Newbury and Basingstoke.

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

As I started to work with clients I wanted to be as informed and qualified as I could be, and a BSc was the obvious next step after my Diploma. CNELM has a family feel but also the academic rigour that I needed. The other students and the staff were so supportive and we had some fantastic guest speakers from across the industry. The flexibility of being able to study part-time also worked well for me.

What was your first role after graduating?

After graduating with my BSc from CNELM I started working as a Nutritional Advisor for ADM Protexin, who manufacture the Bio-Kult and Lepicol live bacteria ranges, supporting independent health foods shops and pharmacies. It was an educational role training, running instore events and attending shows, exhibitions and conferences.

How did you kickstart your practice / career?

When I initially qualified with my Diploma in 2006 I did a lot of complimentary talks to local groups to build up my network. I formed partnerships with other professionals such as chiropractors, osteopaths and homeopaths and offered 20 minute nutrition taster sessions to any of their referrals. I also reached out to several local business and attended their corporate wellbeing days, offering competitive rates on lunch hour themed talks followed by pre-booked mini nutrition taster sessions to the talk delegates.

Where has your career taken you so far? 

Since graduating from CNELM, I have been lucky to work at ADM Protexin for two brands that I am passionate about. I was a Nutritional Advisor visiting customers for 8 years but have recently taken on a new exciting role as Technical Advisor and Educational Liaison for the brand.

Do you specialise in a particular area of health? 

Gut health is obviously an area of interest and the body of evidence supporting the many benefits of a healthy microbiome has grown considerably over the last 10 years and is now quite compelling. It makes sense why gut health is so important, because it has been associated with so many other body systems, even those that may not initially seem obvious, such as skin health (via the gut-skin axis), female health (via the gut-endocrine axis) cognitive health and mental health (via the gut-brain axis) and that’s to name just a few.

The huge spike in research interest around the gut microbiome over recent years means that we now know a lot more than we used to about gut health, however there’s still much more research to be done!

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

Working with people to support their health journey is so rewarding and I enjoy putting the pieces of their health history together a bit like a jigsaw and then providing them with a toolbox to be able to manage their own health. I enjoy watching people take ownership of their own health story. A number of my past clients have gone on to re-train in Nutrition and that is really lovely.

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

When studying I tended to leave everything to the last minute and then have to work flat out to hit deadlines. If I was to do anything differently it would be to read around the subject and take notes well in advance of the deadline. Just to dedicate a bit of study time each day to achieve the goal bit by bit.

One thing that did really help me was the student clinic. It gives you confidence working with clients when you have the support of a mentor to reassure and guide you. One of the most valuable things that I learnt from the clinic was that it is ok to not have all the answers there and then and to say that you will get back to them when you have done further research.

What or who has most inspired you in your work?

I am lucky to be working with a great team of GPs, Nutritionist and Microbiologists in my current role and there is a wonderful mentoring spirit which I benefit from hugely. It is also an exciting time as the research base on the microbiome grows. I also really enjoy that no two days are the same in my current role.

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

My biggest tip to all students is one which I remember CNELM telling me: if you are struggling, let someone know ASAP. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. I kept repeating that to my own children as they were going through University.