A little bit about me!

I recently answered a few questions about The Nutrition & Wellness Coach for a local community….

1. Hello Susie, it’s great having you as part of our community. Can you tell us when your passion for nutrition began and what led you to start your nutrition company?  

Hello! Thank you for having me, I am really enjoying being part of such a welcoming community! 

My passion for nutrition and wellness began when I hit 40 and was diagnosed with high cholesterol and arthritis, as well as suffering from a real lack of energy, brain fog and night sweats. I was advised to lose some weight and cut down on alcohol but I got confused quite quickly with the amount of conflicting information available online.

I decided to dip my toe into a nutrition course and developed a passion for wanting to help others in a similar position to me. I went on to become a fully qualified Nutrition and Wellness Coach and now absolutely love helping midlife women nourish their bodies and inner health to support the myriad of midlife symptoms we can experience at this stage of life. 

2. What are the main ways in which you can help people with their nutrition? 

I offer a variety of midlife programmes to suit different budgets and time scales; from 6 week to 12 week personalised programmes as well as more flexible options. I also offer a nutrition and lifestyle review for those who would like to enhance their health with a few tweaks rather than a full nutrition plan, as well as a metabolic detox which has the most amazing health benefits. 

I create fully bespoke, realistic and practical plans for my clients and I’m always available to them while they’re working with me to ask any questions and for round the clock support. My aim is to empower my clients to make consistent, sustainable habits and provide accountability in a safe and non-judgemental space. I focus on holistic, foundational nourishment and coach and advise my clients on evidence based nutrition principles.

3. You are the ‘Nutrition and Wellness Coach’, can you please outline what you see as encompassing ‘Wellness’? 

Absolutely! I trained as a Nutrition and Wellness Coach as I’m a strong believer in taking a fully holistic view of our health. I see the key pillars of wellness being sleep, movement, stress and nutrition. Each can have a profound impact on the others. I think we can all relate to making different nutritional choices when we feel stressed or when we’ve had a pretty rubbish night's sleep! It’s difficult to work solely on nutrition if the other foundations of health are not optimised too. 

4. It can be daunting for people to stick to good eating habits, what would be your key tips for staying healthy? 

Prioritising quality sleep, building a stress management toolkit and staying active are some of my key tips for staying healthy as well as eating an abundance of nourishing whole foods. There’s never any need to exclude particular food groups; my programmes have to be sustainable and work long-term for my clients so we focus mostly on what we can add in. There’s always room for everything in my plans! 

5. One of your main focuses is to support women in midlife. Can you advise what challenges you see women at this stage of their life facing? 

I’m a woman in midlife and I'm very aware that we have a lot to deal with during this stage of life! It can be a huge juggle of work and family demands; whether that’s supporting ageing parents, or little ones to hormonal teens just as our own hormones are in freefall. We often have more financial burdens too and can be prone to overcommit leaving little time to ourselves. It can be an overwhelming time of life and very easy to prioritise the needs of others ahead of our own health and wellness. 

Perimenopause can often be the tipping point for so many of us. A holistic wellness approach however, can work so well in supporting our bodies while on this rollercoaster. Being in balance really helps to buffer the negative effects. I see it as a bit of a midlife reset - when we’re sleeping well, eating well, moving well, our hormones are balanced and our gut health is optimised we start supporting our bodies from the inside out and slowing down stress on our systems. It’s a chance to set ourselves up for the next stage of our lives and to also protect ourselves against lifestyle related diseases.

6. What would you say is the first step for individuals in addressing their nutrition and wellness? 

I encourage my clients to set realistic goals that I can support them to achieve. I always start with introducing some small sustainable habits to my client's lifestyles and focus on what we can build in practically. It really is amazing how quickly they start to see improvements. Small changes can often add up to a significant impact longer term. 

7. You offer a three-day metabolic detox. What are the main things that people need to know about a detox and what are the benefits? 

Detoxing is a great tool for longevity and body-wide health as it creates the right inner conditions to trigger a healing response. It’s absolutely not the easiest thing to do, but the healing benefits it can bring about include: lowering inflammation, fuelling up cell renewal, healing the gut wall, lowering levels of unhealthy fats, increasing levels of fat burning, lowering blood glucose levels and improving insulin sensitivity.  

I also support Amanda Hamilton at her detox retreats at Champneys Tring and I love being a part of the transformation process that a detox can bring about. I find I'm always far more energised after a detox, my sleep is improved and I have far less bloating and brain fog! 

8. Do you have a favourite recipe or piece of advice that you swear by yourself? 

I have a sweet tooth so my favourite recipe is a brownie! This one is a great afternoon snack or pudding and because it contains healthy fats, protein and fibre so it won’t spike glucose levels which can lead to an energy slump later on. 

Blitz together: 200g medjool dates, 100g almonds, 2 tbsp set honey, 75g cocoa and a few twists of salt. Pop into a square tin and throw in a few handfuls of your favourite crushed nuts. Pat the mixture down and pop in the freezer for a few hours. I score mine half way through. Store in the fridge or freezer. I hope you enjoy them! 

9. Where are some of your chosen places to enjoy nutritious dining or to pick up quality ingredients from in the local area? 

I love eating out! I think we’re really blessed with the variety of restaurants in Harpenden but my favourites have to be:

Breakfast - Okka has a fabulous menu including a delicious Mediterranean breakfast but I absolutely love their omelettes! 

Lunch - a friend introduced me to the Silver Palate’s Spanakopita and I can’t seem to get past this option when ordering there now! 

Dinner - we stopped by Emilos a few weeks ago for dinner and it was perfect for a lighter meal on a warm day. I had a combination of chicken, halloumi, hummus, falafel, tabouli salad and new potatoes. Delicious! 

10. Do you have a favourite tranquil spot in Harpenden and surrounding areas?

Anywhere with water! I love walking through Batford Springs, along the River Lea in Wheathampstead or around Stanborough Lakes. There’s something about being close to water that makes me feel immediately more relaxed.