How I Work
‘Healthy Happy Hormones’
My Approach & Philosophy
We are just like plants really!
Stick us in a some good quality soil (a positive environment) and nourish well with the right nutrients and plentiful hydration, depending on our needs. Provide resilience against toxins (support our detoxification and elimination) and other enemies (like stress). And give us a good quantity and quality of rest (yes, plants sleep too!).
And just like plants, with a nourishing diet and lifestyle, our mind and body can do their best for us and we can thrive!
Where do things go wrong?
You may have heard of the process of ‘homeostasis’. All organisms (including ourselves) are constantly adjusting and adapting flexibly to conditions we are presented with, to give us the best possible chance of survival. Although it may not feel like it sometimes, our body is on our side!
This makes us remarkably resilient, but over time, our systems can become imbalanced and symptoms can build up.
Genetics
Our genetics have a role here, which may lead us to be more susceptible to certain symptoms or conditions and have a greater need for certain nutrients
Life Events
And of course, a wide variety of life events, such as accidents, grief and emotional upheaval can throw a real spanner in the works.
Modern Production Processes
When our diet is not optimal or sufficient for what we need, this can make matters much worse. When systems are under pressure, we often require more nutrients to support our bodily systems. However, it is now much more difficult to get the nutrients we need from food due to modern production processes.
Self-Care
More people than ever are neglecting their self-care. This has become normalized in today’s world. The pace of life is frantic and faster than ever and our health & wellbeing often falls to the bottom of our ‘to-do’ list. But without supportive lifestyle habits, particularly regular ways to manage stress, sleep well and move more, our bodies and minds continue to struggle.
Setting you up for success
Although there are some situations where more extensive changes are recommended, I generally take a ‘moderate’ approach to making changes to diet and lifestyle. More drastic approaches can often lead to a failure to implement or maintain actions – and therefore poorer results overall. Small, targeted changes, can be really powerful and offer a foundation to build on further. Initially I always aim to ‘add into’ the diet and expand it as much as possible, rather than ‘take away’.
To get the best results, it is crucial that our work is focused firmly on you, rather than the ‘average woman’ or ‘average’ man (whoever he or she may be! I’ve never met them). While of course there are similarities, we are all biochemically different and may respond very differently to medications, supplements and nutrition plans. Naturally, we also have different challenges in our lives to cope with.
Depending on my findings, I sometimes recommend the use of testing to find out more about what is happening in the body, to enhance the personal approach and effectiveness. If we decide to use testing, my role is the identify the right test and provide interpretation of the results into actionable steps.
While working together, there is usually an element of ‘trial and error’ (testing different responses) for the reasons mentioned above – we are all biochemically individual and respond in different ways to different things. This is likely to be more extensive if your symptoms are complex, long-standing and/or you have tried lots of previous remedies/therapies. Using a structured approach and assessing what is changing (or not) is a key part of the work and finding the right ‘formula’ for you. This work is most definitely a science AND an art! (just one of the things I love about it)
Because I am passionate about helping my clients get results, I choose to work in programmes rather than one-off sessions. My view is that this is an essential part of properly guiding and supporting you to make the changes needed at a pace that suits you. Overwhelm is, unfortunately, a common cause of failure to implement.
Certainly, making changes isn’t always easy and can be influenced by other competing demands and pressures in our lives. This is a judgement-free zone and we start from where you are.
Just in case you were in any doubt…
Working with me can also affect how you feel. I can help you to ‘get your happy back’ so that you:
Who I work with
I work with men and women of all ages, who are struggling in some way with energy, mood and/or sleep problems, that are having a significant impact on how they live their life.
These problems rarely occur alone. My clients often also experience a wide range of other symptoms relating to digestion (such as bloating or reflux), hormones (such as migraines, painful periods or low thyroid function), weight gain and cognitive function (such as poor memory or concentration). This is because multiple systems of the body are under pressure and when they become imbalanced, they all impact on each other.
Commonly my clients have been diagnosed with specific conditions and may be being treated within conventional healthcare settings*, sometimes with multiple medications.
But they are not getting the results they are looking for and are seeking answers to learn more about what is actually going on and how they can better manage their own health & wellbeing.
I also provide specific support programmes for women in perimenopause. The additional pressure on systems at this stage of life benefit significantly from a holistic management approach, and energy, mood and sleep are often affected.
What to expect:
If you are considering investing in one of my individual programmes, first-off, you might want to know a bit about how it would be if we choose to work together. This is not a judgement. Some people, at some points greatly benefit from anti-depressant medications and they can be a life-saver. However, they are often a ‘sticking plaster’ and don’t help to resolve the underlying issues.
Understanding your journey so far…
It’s very important to me that you get the results that you are looking for. Some of my clients have spent months or even years, having their symptoms brushed off, being told their test results are ‘normal’ or being branded a hypochondriac. Others have been put on the ‘happy pills’* and left to fend for themselves…
So, it may be useful for you to know that first and foremost, I am here to listen. I mean, really listen so that together we can piece together your journey so far, your current situation and get crystal clear about what you want to achieve. To do this, we also need time, lots of time. Initial assessment appointments are between 60-90 minutes so there’s no need to rush.
And why would I want to know about your ancient history? (and what if you can’t remember?) Because who we are today is a product of our genetics, past circumstances, nutrition and lifestyle. Your case history can also provide valuable clues and patterns as to your current symptoms and underlying causes. It is an important part of the investigative process. I appreciate that talking about the past can sometimes be difficult or painful. It is common for people to experience a range of emotions when looking back and we can always work around this.
As part of the investigative process, I may also look at any recent test results you might have available from your GP, as again these can provide valuable information about what is going on with your body. I ‘interpret’ any test results you have in a different way to your medical practitioner, because I use a contrasting approach. I am not looking to see if you meet a threshold for a disease (I don’t diagnose), I am looking to see where systems of your body may be struggling.
This is not a judgement. Some people, at some points greatly benefit from anti-depressant medications and they can be a life-saver. However, they are often a ‘sticking plaster’ and don’t help to resolve the underlying issues
Building the foundations
Once we have completed your assessment, I will consider all the information I have gathered and undertake research to develop our initial approach. This will include analysing any medications you are using and exploring potential side effects/nutritional deficiencies which may result. I will also consider any drug-nutrient interactions – risks or benefits from any supplements you are currently using alongside your medication, in addition to exploring specific nutrients/supplements to recommend to meet your needs.
Our next session will be a ‘feedback session’ where I will share with you my understanding about where we need to focus our energies initially, within your ‘Total Transition Plan’. Although my specialism is nutrition, I am trained to use a functional medicine approach which considers all aspects of health and lifestyle. This make total sense of course, because a multitude of things can contribute towards how you feel.
My Total Transition Programmes focus specifically on themes including nutrition, stress, sleep, movement and joy. We will work on these elements over time, where relevant to you and what you wish to achieve. Each person’s programme is different and flexible according to what comes up.
