How I went from food lover to helping people make healthier choices.
Before I was advising multimillion pound organisations on their menus. Before I was responsible for the meals of thousands of school children. Before the dissertations, the studies and the scientific research….before any of that there was a chubby little girl, shadowing her mum in the kitchen.
A little girl that loved fast food.
A little girl who’s dad owned burger restaurants.
A little girl who loved nothing more than chocolate and crisps.
A little girl that loved fast food.
A little girl who’s dad owned burger restaurants.
A little girl who loved nothing more than chocolate and crisps.
Broccoli, Burgers and Inner Conflict…
I didn’t have a smooth ride into nutrition.
My school life consisted of vending machines, horrible lunches and trips to the tuck shop.
My dad owned numerous fast food restaurants. I used to love it when he came home with brown bags full of burgers and chips.
But the funny thing was, day to day home life was completely different.
You see, my grandparents came to the UK from a small island in the Mediterranean called Cyprus. Both my mum and dad had grown up eating the Mediterranean way – fresh produce, fruits, vegetables and food dressed with olive oil.
And on a daily basis, our meals at home incorporated these fresh ingredients too.
At that point in my life, I wasn’t able to understand the distinction between the “broccoli and burgers” – the two conflicting worlds of fast food and the Mediterranean diet.
That came years later when I was 16 years old and my dad became ill. You see, whilst in the evening he would eat what my mum prepared, during the day at work he’d eat burgers and chips. And drink coke. Lots and lots of coke.
And his health was suffering.
It got to the stage where the doctors had to tell him to change his eating habits. They told him what he knew all along, that he needed to be eating less of the burgers and chips and more of the fresh stuff.
It was this that piqued my interest in biology at school. I became fascinated with nutrition and the role it plays on how the body functions.
My school life consisted of vending machines, horrible lunches and trips to the tuck shop.
My dad owned numerous fast food restaurants. I used to love it when he came home with brown bags full of burgers and chips.
But the funny thing was, day to day home life was completely different.
You see, my grandparents came to the UK from a small island in the Mediterranean called Cyprus. Both my mum and dad had grown up eating the Mediterranean way – fresh produce, fruits, vegetables and food dressed with olive oil.
And on a daily basis, our meals at home incorporated these fresh ingredients too.
At that point in my life, I wasn’t able to understand the distinction between the “broccoli and burgers” – the two conflicting worlds of fast food and the Mediterranean diet.
That came years later when I was 16 years old and my dad became ill. You see, whilst in the evening he would eat what my mum prepared, during the day at work he’d eat burgers and chips. And drink coke. Lots and lots of coke.
And his health was suffering.
It got to the stage where the doctors had to tell him to change his eating habits. They told him what he knew all along, that he needed to be eating less of the burgers and chips and more of the fresh stuff.
It was this that piqued my interest in biology at school. I became fascinated with nutrition and the role it plays on how the body functions.
This isn’t a diet, it’s a way of life.
The natural progression for me with my passion for food and my interest in biology was to become a registered nutritionist. I was over the moon when I was accepted at one of the leading universities in the field of nutrition, the University of Surrey.
But living away from home posed a new challenge. I had to learn to cook for myself. After a long day of lectures, all I wanted was something quick and easy but knew I had to avoid a takeaway or a pizza in the oven.
The thing was, everything I’d been learning, both through my studies and personal experiences showed me that there was a healthier, better way and I knew it didn’t have to be hard.
All the years I had spent shadowing my mum around the kitchen, I’d seen her rustle up delicious meals in next to no time. Meals packed full of nutritious goodness with fresh produce.
The same meals her parents had made from the island of Cyprus.
The same meals that have been scientifically shown to have the benefits of better health.
The Mediterranean diet is not a quick fix fad diet, it’s a way of life. It’s all about enjoying being in the company of others and tasty food, but not about so-called ‘superfoods’ and extreme food restrictions.
But living away from home posed a new challenge. I had to learn to cook for myself. After a long day of lectures, all I wanted was something quick and easy but knew I had to avoid a takeaway or a pizza in the oven.
The thing was, everything I’d been learning, both through my studies and personal experiences showed me that there was a healthier, better way and I knew it didn’t have to be hard.
All the years I had spent shadowing my mum around the kitchen, I’d seen her rustle up delicious meals in next to no time. Meals packed full of nutritious goodness with fresh produce.
The same meals her parents had made from the island of Cyprus.
The same meals that have been scientifically shown to have the benefits of better health.
The Mediterranean diet is not a quick fix fad diet, it’s a way of life. It’s all about enjoying being in the company of others and tasty food, but not about so-called ‘superfoods’ and extreme food restrictions.
I discovered it wasn’t just me…
After graduating, I registered with the Association for Nutrition and decided I wanted to continue learning about the Mediterranean diet and so I went on to do my Masters in Clinical Nutrition in London.
This is where I carried out research into childhood obesity and the Mediterranean Diet. I found out that the Mediterranean diet pattern, that Mediterranean countries follow, has been slowly eroding by Western influences and globalisation of food production. This echoed my own experiences. It wasn’t just me that was facing the “broccoli and burgers” conflict.
This is where I carried out research into childhood obesity and the Mediterranean Diet. I found out that the Mediterranean diet pattern, that Mediterranean countries follow, has been slowly eroding by Western influences and globalisation of food production. This echoed my own experiences. It wasn’t just me that was facing the “broccoli and burgers” conflict.
Spilling the beans on better nutrition in the food industry.
I realised that the best way I could help people tackle the “broccoli and burgers” conflict was to actually go into the nitty-gritty of the food industry.
I worked in one of the largest foodservice providers in Europe advising food experts and chefs for years on how to develop recipes to be nutritionally better for restaurants, schools, sports centres, prisons and care homes.
Over the years I’ve built my reputation for “debunking nutritional myths” and giving science-based meal plans. Helping companies transform their meals to better, healthier meals.
I worked in one of the largest foodservice providers in Europe advising food experts and chefs for years on how to develop recipes to be nutritionally better for restaurants, schools, sports centres, prisons and care homes.
Over the years I’ve built my reputation for “debunking nutritional myths” and giving science-based meal plans. Helping companies transform their meals to better, healthier meals.
I’m able to do this because I share what I know.
I want to use my heritage, scientific knowledge and industry experience to help you achieve your nutrition goals.
This is why I have created IMA Nutritionist to provide advice about the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet and customise meal plans that are tasty and easy to follow.
This is why I have created IMA Nutritionist to provide advice about the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet and customise meal plans that are tasty and easy to follow.
Are you ready to take the REAL action steps for a healthier you?
If I hear one more person say “cut out the carbs” I might just scream…
The fact that you’re here reading this tells me you know that there is no magic pill.
You know it’s not as easy as simply cutting certain foods out because it’s not sustainable.
You know that diets set us up for failure.
You know it’s about nourishing your body with foods that taste good and leave you feeling awesome.
By reading this, you’ve proven that you’re willing to take the steps to a healthier you-you just want to make absolutely sure you’re doing it the RIGHT way.
The fact that you’re here reading this tells me you know that there is no magic pill.
You know it’s not as easy as simply cutting certain foods out because it’s not sustainable.
You know that diets set us up for failure.
You know it’s about nourishing your body with foods that taste good and leave you feeling awesome.
By reading this, you’ve proven that you’re willing to take the steps to a healthier you-you just want to make absolutely sure you’re doing it the RIGHT way.
Ready to take your steps?
Choose your program below to see how I can help
