The Nutritional Supplement

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

I graduated from the MSc in Personalised Nutrition in 2019 and the NTPD in 2020.

 

What did you do before doing this course?

 

I was a Category Director working for central government. I had burnt the candle at both ends for many years and it caught up with me in my late 30s.

This course was a career change for me.

 

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

Having experienced burnout in my corporate job and having discovering the healing power of nutrition and lifestyle medicine during my time of convalescence, I decided to leave the corporate world behind and retrain. I had dabbled with some online courses in the past out of interest but it wasn’t enough. I was looking for a qualification with calibre that would both challenge me and make me stand out upon qualification. The combined MSc and NTPD (as it was known then) ticked all the boxes. I loved that I could study online and start at any time. 

 

Tell us some more about your recently published book and journal paper.

The Burnout Bible: How to tackle fatigue and emotional overwhelm naturally is my book, which I published with Practical Inspiration Publishing on 18 July. With the book, my aim was to help as many women as possible to overcome or prevent burnout. Whilst it can never replace the clinic (1-2-1) experience, I realise that private healthcare isn’t accessible to everyone, so, it is a way of giving back. I am also hopeful that the book will increase visibility for both my clinic and the functional medicine / nutrition and lifestyle medicine profession as a whole. The book is available on Amazon, Waterstones or your local bookshop (just ask them, they can get it in if they don’t already stock it).

The journal paper is called “Stress-induced alterations in hippocampal BDNF in the pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder, and the antidepressant effect of saffron” and has been published in the Journal of Affective Disorder Reports. The paper is based on the research project I undertook for my MSc but has been updated and fine-tuned for publication with the help of Michelle Barrow and Karin Seidler at CNELM. I am super proud of this. The paper is open access on Science Direct, which I am also pleased about.

Both the book and the paper publication were 18+ months in the making so it is nice to see all of that hard work come to fruition, and in the same week! Unbelievable.

 

How did you kickstart your practice / career?

I pretty much jumped straight in, launching my virtual clinic in 2020, due to Covid. That same year I took part in Nicki Williams’ business coaching programme and I’ve never looked back.

 

Where else has your career taken you so far? 

Well, I am now an author which is amazing and I hope that will be the stepping stone for even greater things. I’ve also written for BBC Good Food on a freelance basis.

I freelanced for Happy Hormones for Life (an NT menopause clinic) for 2.5 years, which gave me some excellent clinical exposure and mentoring, whilst I grew my own clinic.

After the IFM introductory AFMCP course I continued continued my studies with IFM and I am one module (and a whopping exam) away from upgrading my qualification to certified (next year’s goal I think).  

And I also run my own clinic, The re:Nutrition Functional Medicine Clinic. This will now be my main focus.

In my ‘spare’ time I run wellbeing events / mini-retreats, and I host a local networking group.

(Just writing this all down makes me want to take a holiday!)

Do you specialise in a particular area of health? 

I specialise in stress-related mood disorders (burnout, anxiety, fatigue, overwhelm, mild-moderate depression).

My clinic, re:Nutrition, helps tired and wired women with burnout and beyond. I have a couple of practitioners working alongside me who specialise in fertility and gut health issues. With my peri/menopause background, the scope of our practice is expanding. Burnout can have some serious consequences so it is nice to be able to help clients with their longer-term health goals (like having a baby, or finally ridding themselves of SIBO) once they get over the initial burnout.

 

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

Well having just been published, twice in one week, I would have to say that! Being an author provides credibility with my clients and being published in a scientific journal provides credibility with my peers. I hope that both of these things will enable me to continue to grow a successful and sustainable clinic.

Away from the writing though, client feedback is just the best. Knowing you have helped someone or made a difference in their lives is the best reward, ever.

 

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

I think it is important to know that setting up a business / clinic takes time and it takes a bit of money too. I’m 3 years in and I’m only just starting to balance the books!

That being said I invested in myself with the book and with business coaching. They are both now paying for themselves.

I think I was a bit naïve starting out and quickly realised that being technically good at your job wasn’t the only thing required. You also need to be a great salesperson, marketing guru, IT person…and so on. But you only learn by doing. 

So, I guess I wish I had known just how much investment it takes, realistically. But it is achievable and there is no ‘one right way’.

 

What or who has most inspired you in your work? 

My own health journey has inspired the direction of the clinic and our areas of expertise. My team inspire me every day, their knowledge is incredible!

There are so many practitioners and functional medicine practitioners that I respect and admire. Every time I listen to an IFM educator speak I always think; I can’t wait to be like you!

Personally, I take inspiration from my brother and sister-in-law who are specialist neuro physios. They left the NHS to set up their own facility, The Rehab Physio, specialising in brain injury and stroke. They are now 10 years in and they are phenomenal. Watching them go through the highs and lows of business and seeing what they have achieved inspires me to keep going every day.

And my husband – he keeps the lights on while I grow my business. I couldn’t have done it without him.

 

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

To be honest I maybe wouldn’t have tried to publish a book AND a journal paper at the same time! Its ok to have projects alongside building a business but I have felt a bit stretched at times.

One thing I did learn right from the beginning was to set goals, big goals, and to say no to projects if they didn’t take me towards those goals. A lot of people want your time or try to tell you what you ‘should’ be doing (‘oh, you should do corporate work’, ‘oh, you should do a group programme’, ‘oh, you should open your own juice bar’). All of these things are great ideas but you can’t do them all at once. Ultimately, I have done one thing at a time.

1. Set up a clinic.
2. Write a book (to increase visibility for the clinic)
3. …. (New big goal TBC once I’ve had a rest!)

And everything else I have done has been in support of that.