FAQs

All information on this page is provided for educational purposes only. Please speak with your health care professional before undergoing any new dietary or supplement regime. If you have further questions, please book in a consultation with myself.

Tell me about yourself.

I became a women’s health advocate and a nutritional therapist specialising in hormone health due to my own health struggles. At 18, I was diagnosed with PCOS, which was a huge relief to finally have some answers. But I was left frustrated when I the medical team around me couldn’t give me any other information on the condition apart from recommended medication (the pill, spironolactone or metformin) or to lose weight. I was also told not to worry about my missing period until I wanted to get pregnant (you MUST be concerned about your missing cycle, even if kids aren’t part of your life plan!).

I educated myself and learned how best to look after my body, which was surprisingly different to so much of the conventional health and nutrition advice around us. After a couple of years of consistency and the RIGHT types of foods, workouts, self-care rituals and supplements, my hair loss stopped, my periods returned and my skin cleared up. 

I am obsessed with helping others to do the same. No one should feel like there is no solution to their symptoms or health issues. I will make sure that if you work with me, you feel supported, understood and that your health concerns do have a solution. 

I want to work with a nutritionist, yet can’t justify the money - what should I do?

I get it. In comparison to the free health care we get in the UK, nutritionists and other complementary health care professionals can seem like a hefty investment. Whilst I do offer a six-month plan if that is within your means, it isn’t the only way of working with me. If the one-off consultation (1 hr follow-up included in that!) is the most your bank balance can take right now, fabulous. We can also discuss a payment plan if that is what you need to feel comfortable.

I sit somewhere in the middle in terms of pricing in comparison to others in the space. I don’t believe that taking charge of your health should be a huge expense, but I also want to give you my all.

The cost you pay when you work with me includes the time spent in the sessions, time spent before and after researching your case and putting together a solid protocol (up to half a day in most cases), as well as years of experience and expertise working in women’s health.

Where are you based?

I am currently based in Bath, however, I only work remotely, over the phone and Zoom. I find that this is much more time effective for both of us. I will always call you for the introductory call at least, but if you prefer Zoom sessions - please just ask!

I’m just getting started and learning more about the importance of hormonal balance and women’s health, where should I begin?

Check out my book, The Happy Balance first of all. Have a scroll through my Instagram – every single post discusses some aspect of women’s health. Get the very basics down, to begin with – balance your blood sugar and reduce stress!

What are your thoughts on intermittent fasting for women’s health?

For some, intermittent fasting can have great results, improve energy and support insulin sensitivity. For others, intermittent fasting could act as another form of stress in an already stressful world. As a rule of thumb, if you wake up exhausted, struggle with sleep, are prone to a 4pm slump OR have experienced disordered eating, it’s not your time. If you aren’t sure, book in a call with me and we can chat through what this looks like for you in more detail.

Do you recommend taking a multivitamin?

Taking a multivitamin, just with all supplements, is highly individual. Certain individuals may need higher amounts of particular nutrients than others, which is why working with a nutritionist is so useful in understanding if you need a supplement or not.

I’d love to say we can get everything from our food, but in today’s world, that isn’t always the case. Multivitamins can be a form of short-term support to correct any potential deficiencies and ensure that the body is getting everything it needs to function optimally.

Do I need to pay to get tests done in order to make changes in my health?

No! There is always something we can do to get you feeling great without expensive tests. Plus, there is a lot of useful information you can get through blood tests done at the GP, such as iron, vitamin D, B12, folate and a basic hormone test.

For some, in-depth, functional testing for women’s health can be really informative, especially after a lot of trial and error and often give answers that we just can’t get from symptom analysis.

If you would prefer to go down this route, please let me know. The two tests I most commonly recommend are the DUTCH Test (roughly £240-£260) and Invivo Diognosistics GI Map (£360).

I am trying to lose weight but struggling. Do you have any advice?

My approach to weight loss is that unless we correct and support the underlying hormonal imbalance, losing weight is very much at the bottom of the body’s to-do list. Therefore to successfully lose weight and keep it OFF, we must support hormonal imbalance, correct any nutritional deficiencies, support gut health, balance blood sugar and then create a sustainable deficit that doesn’t stress your body out.

What is your opinion on vegan diets for hormone health?

It’s a tough one, but ultimately I do not believe that vegan diets are beneficial for one’s health. I see a lot of women pushing on with a vegan diet even though they are experiencing irregular cycles or missing periods, hair loss or acne, and truthfully, I don’t think it’s the best diet for them.

Animal proteins can be beneficial due to their complete amino acid range which we need for healthy liver detoxification, as well as delivering a number of key, highly bio-available nutrients to support healthy and balanced hormones. I will give you my honest opinion if your vegan diet is doing your health more harm than good, however, I will not turn you down if that is the way of eating that feels the most comfortable. I can support plant-based diets and do believe that if you are vegan or vegetarian, you should be seeking the support of a nutritionist.

What is the best diet for PCOS?

There is no one single diet that suits everyone, as everybody is different including every PCOS body. The best diet for PCOS is one that you can sustain for the rest of your life. One that keeps your hormones happy and manages the root cause rather than just suppressing the symptoms. In my opinion, the best diet for PCOS keeps blood sugar stable all day, with meals and snacks containing adequate protein, fat, fibre and a mindful portion of carbohydrates that take a little longer to convert to glucose in the blood than others. Aside from balancing blood sugar for PCOS, your PCOS nutrition should support your liver and gut and consume sufficient calories, micro and macro nutrients as to not stress the body.