Nutritionists
Thrive panel of expert nutritionists. On a mission with us to clear up the confusion around health & nutrition. Want to join the panel for brand opportunities? Check full details at the bottom of this page.
I have a specialist interest in gastrointestinal, autoimmune and mental health disorders. I’m a registered Nutritional Therapist and a SIBO Doctor Approved Practitioner. I’m also currently undertaking the Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner course.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
I'm a firm believer that your health is your wealth, and you should not have to pay an exorbitant price tag to retain or obtain it. Therefore, my mission has been to provide a healthcare service that is accessible, inclusive, and can equip individuals with the tools they need to lead productive, healthy and happy lives where they are thriving instead of surviving.
Everything in nature gives as well as receives, yet the same does not occur with humans. I think the world would be a much better place if we all embraced and cultivated an attitude that involved helping others, whether in health or nutrition, without expecting anything in return.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I absolutely love the peaked interest in plant-based nutrition over the last few years and the return to whole foods, growing your own veg groups, and returning to natural-based products. A rare silver lining from the pandemic is that it has taught people to embrace their natural beauty (flaws and all) and inner beauty unapologetically.
My pet hates: fad diets, diet peels, over reliance on gimmicks and anything that is not evidence-based and underpinned by the utmost research in clinical effectiveness and professional competence.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
Prior to founding Nature's Physician, I had a legal career spanning 15 years which saw me work on high profile cases such as the "7 July Bombing Inquests' and led to me working in firms here and abroad (China and South Korea). However, 15 years of a rewarding yet stressful career led to a rapid decline in my health, and I ended up succumbing to insomnia, anxiety, IBS, diabetes and awful PMS symptoms.
I quickly learned through poor health just how pivotal optimum health is. As a result I decided to forgo my legal career in the pursuit of my health and founded Nature's Physician Nutrition Clinic & community hub, to help others reclaim their health in an affordable way.
Having now overcome these conditions, I've realised, health is about more than just the absence of disease. It's feeling your best spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
• I thrive on community work and community outreach, so on a day off you can find me doing any one of the following: community outreach programmes in Milton Keynes, conducting hydrotherapy sessions, feeding the homeless at MKLIA, medical missionary work, homeschooling my daughter or spending time with the family in the great outdoors.
• My ‘hour of power' and real downtime occurs at 5 am each morning when everyone in the house is asleep. This is when I go to my 'quiet place' to recalibrate, pray, read and reflect on all the things I am grateful for. When I have spare time, you can also find me reading chapters from one of the most inspiring health books that I have ever read, 'The Ministry of Healing' by Ellen G White, or reviewing nutrition articles as I enjoy blogging about the latest nutritional information discoveries.
• On another day you may find me volunteering as an assistant clinical supervisor at the College of Naturopathic Medicine
My food journey started many years ago, searching for the perfect combination of balanced and delicious and only after I studied holistic nutritionist have I found that a whole food plant-based diet is the way forward.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
My mission is to inspire as many people as possible to become plant-based. Not only for their own health and wellbeing, but to reduce the carbon footprint and end the horrific animal torture and animal farming.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love that being plant-based is becoming more and more accepted. I am not so keen that there is a lot of processed food for plant-based (vegan) out which also is not good for the health.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My own health issues over the years.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I am on a strict plant-based diet but I love eating my own baked vegan cakes.
Vanessa holds a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy CNM. She is registered with BANT, CNHC and ANP), having trained through the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
She works with women as they approach their next life stage through supporting good gut health and positive mindset.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
I help women to find clarity when approaching a new life stage. I help them to listen to their bodies and to find their own health journey that will empower them to take back control and achieve some realistic health goals. I believe anyone can conquer an uncertain time through good nutrition.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love that people are so into nutrition, many want to look and feel good by eating well. Information is much more accessible -social media has played a positive part in this. However the pendulum does swing back when I see confusing articles that do not help to demystify a problem and fuels confusion.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
Social anxiety and depression run in my family. I struggled to find help and realised that when I ate well, life was just better.
Walking or running in the natural environment helps to keep a clear perspective. I can't go a single day without doing this. I do love a simple bowl of brightly coloured fruits paired with a green salad- it's energising and keeps me upbeat.
Meenu holds a M.H.Sc in Food Science and Nutrition, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Meenu has 6 years of experience working as a Nutritionist across the globe. Her area of specialisation is Child and Sports Nutrition and she is also interested in the functional aspects of nutrition, applications of nutrigenomics and the importance of gut health.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
It is intriguing to see how nutrients and gene expression exert an inter-relationship resulting in differing nutrient requirements for everyone.
I aspire to equip people with the right nutrition knowledge to enable them to make healthy choices.
I take a holistic approach in understanding the role food and nutrition play on both physical and emotional well-being of a person.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
The health and wellness industry is an ever-evolving field and that makes it all the more fascinating to learn new things everyday. However, the downside to that is the way reports or scientific findings can be quoted out of context or exaggerated for personal gains. It is quite challenging to navigate the consequences of incorrect nutrition information.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
Although I started off due my interest in food science and the research prospects of it, once I started working as a Nutritionist after completing my masters, there was no looking back. The immense satisfaction of being able to connect with people and bringing about a change in their life for the better is unparalleled.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
Normally I’d love to travel with family or go for scenic walks. My favourite pastime is reading books, a fun Zumba workout with friends and learning jazz dance techniques.
My kids and I spend time together in the kitchen, trying out new foods. We love eating foods from different cuisines, besides idli, dosa which is our staple. The absolute favourites in my household are home-made pizza, taco with guacamole and potato-leek soup with scones.
Helen holds an MSc in Human Nutrition from the University of Chester and a BSc in Food Science and Technology, and is a registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition.
Her focus is on running a private nutritional practice where she offers 1:1 nutrition consultations, as well as nutrition communication services. She has a background in food product development and has worked with many brands to develop and launch new products.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
As well as working with people on a 1:1 basis to personalise their diets and motivate them to meet their nutrition goals. I also have a passion for improving the nutritional quality of food available for people to consume and inspire people to prepare their own meals from scratch, through teaching cooking skills and sharing recipes.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love the diversity and evolving nature of the industry and the interest people have in health and wellness. Nutrition is an extremely complex scientific subject, which is one of the reasons I love it, but I also find it frustrating when this is overlooked. I think the industry requires more regulation to reduce the quantity of non-evidence based information currently overwhelming people.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
A few years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which is inflammation of the gut lining. Current medical advice is based around medication to supress the immune system, which is often not very effective and very little consideration is given to the impact of diet (beyond avoiding eating foods which trigger IBS symptoms). However, due to the advances in microbiome research there are now exciting studies taking place looking at the link between the microbiome, the immune system and our DNA. I decided to go back to university to complete a Masters in Nutrition, as I wanted to be able to contribute to the advancement of research in this area.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I enjoy walking my two boxer dogs and am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country where I can hike and appreciate the fantastic scenery. I also love walking by the sea, as I find this very calming and restorative after a busy week at work. I spend a lot of time cooking and developing new recipes for my website. My favourite food is aged hard cheese, which as well as being a very versatile ingredient, is also a great probiotic food.
Daria is a qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle coach, CI Level 4, Institute of Health Sciences. Her main area of expertise is daily balanced nutrition and lifestyle to support individual's optimal health.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
I help part-time working women to build their own wellbeing system by teaching them about nutrition and healthy lifestyle.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love that there is a shift from fad diets and big marketing claims towards evidence-based information and scientific data. I love that more people understand the importance of a customised approach, and that there are more qualified nutritionists and health professionals. I hate that when it comes to nutrition, big claims don't need to be backed by proper scientific data, and that there are no stricter requirements for conducting research around human nutrition and lifestyle.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My own struggles with weight. I've tried various fad diets and had a really strong emotional attachment to food. Couple of years ago my mother got diagnosed with cancer and I've been struggling to conceive, so to take my mind off negative thoughts I've decided to get a proper diploma in nutrition and educate myself on the topic I've always found fascinating.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I will spend my day off with my family, being as active and adventurous as possible. Whatever the weather, we are likely to spend most of the day outside. I will also try and find some time for myself, which would mean cooking, developing new recipes, reading, exercising. On a day off we would enjoy homemade nourishing meals: porridge or pancakes in the morning, shakshuka or soup for lunch, and fish or chicken with roasted vegetables for dinner. When it comes to sharing on social media, I post quick tips around nutrition and lifestyle, interesting things I learn on a day, and funny family moments.
Thrive articles written by Daria>>
Is this the healthiest food trend for 2021?
Halima is a qualified Chef, plant based nutritionist with her focus being to help people use food as medicine to heal conditions. The power of food goes without saying to nurture, nourish and feel whole.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
‘It excites me to educate, empower and inspire women (and men) to live their best lives ever.’ My consultancy practice is focused on culinary medicine which is a new evidence-based field blending the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine. Culinary medicine is aimed at helping people reach good personal decisions about accessing and eating high-quality meals that help prevent, treat disease and restore well-being.
What do I eat for my condition? As food is condition-specific, the same diet does not work for everyone. Different clinical conditions require different meals, foods, and beverages.
Culinary medicine attempts to improve the patient's condition with what they regularly eat and drink. Special attention is given to how food works in the body as well as to the sociocultural and pleasurable aspects of eating and cooking. The objective of culinary medicine is to empower the patient to care for themselves safely, effectively and happily, with food and beverage as a primary care technique.
I’d like to use my cheffing skills to teach clients how to cook for themselves after being diagnosed, then go shopping together to understand alternatives and be a support and bridge to link them with the best professionals possible for their condition. It’s about helping them get the right information to make the best choices for themselves. I want to make a client’s transition with food as smooth and stressfree as possible... I can also help to develop specific recipes if required. My services are tailor-made to each client.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
People are becoming more aware of the environment and more health conscious. With Covid-19 there is more of an interest in boosting immunity, learning how to survive and beat this pandemic. The overload of information can be deceiving and mind boggling. People are confused making it difficult to make the right choices. Which sources to trust? Mental health has also become more prominent with stigma falling away and people speaking out. There’s also a lot more support available in the health and wellness sector. A new respect has been reached since the pandemic hit us. I follow the food revolution in the USA and it’s super insightful to connect with other professionals and experts around the world who have a wealth of current information.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My hectic lifestyle as a private chef for many years has been detrimental to my health. I was diagnosed with an auto immune condition and currently am still learning to control my ulceritive colitis. After being hospitalised due to bad health I knew I had to make some pivotal changes. The medication made me put on weight and I wanted to heal and learn more about eating for my health. I had no help or support on how to treat my condition. All the specialists give you is a diagnosis but not a plan on how to get better naturally, how to heal or what foods to eat, as they don’t believe in the holistic approach. I had to do my own research which was very stressful and overwhelming. Being diagnosed with a condition is hard enough to digest. Even though we may all suffer from a condition that is similar we can have different reactions to food and medication. This is how my passion was ignited in my search for culinary medicine. I want to help other people bridge the gap between doctors, specialists and nutritionists, whilst learning how to rebalance my body and support my healing with the right nutrients, often through trial and error.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
My time is super important to me, A mental health day off from reality… to love and care for myself, finding balance, making a delicious meal, something nutritious and delicious to eat. I’m a comfort foodie. I enjoy watching movies, listening to music, watching documentaries, reading and I’m starting to write a book. I also have my own work out programme at home. I enjoy having a massage and giving my body time to recoup which I call my treat day. Spending time and catching up with family and close friends, Covid-19 permitting. I also love to travel as often as I can - I’m a complete globetrotter.
Thrive articles written by Halima
The power of using good food as nutrition >
Swati holds an MSc in Human Nutrition from University of Chester. Swati holds an MSc in Human Nutrition from University of Chester. She is a registered nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner and licensed XPERT Diabetes and Weight Management educator.
Her areas of specialisation include weight loss, hay fever, brain health, type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, digestive issues, hormonal balance, immune support, corporate wellness and ante natal and post natal nutrition.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
My mission is to empower, educate and inspire people to help them make sustainable and lasting changes to achieve a healthy, fulfilled and balanced lifestyle. My consultancy practices are anchored on unraveling and eradicating the core imbalances in your physical or mental health. I do not believe in offering textbook solutions to your dietary requirements but rather provide evidence-based advise to help you make the best dietary and lifestyle choices to achieve optimal health. My services are based on holistic nutrition where all the facets of health – food, sleep, exercise and general wellbeing are addressed and plans are devised using functional medicine, nutritional medicine and Ayurveda protocols.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love the fact that people are becoming so health conscious these days and the experts who have the knowledge, qualification and skills are able to help these people achieve their health goals however, there is an overload of information and non-experts out there that confuse the masses and makes it difficult for them to make right choices.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My passion for nutrition and health and being able to help my friends and family with their health issues got me into this field. I did my Masters in Human Nutrition to get a degree to be able to purse my passion as a career. I have worked in a hospital setting, as a corporate nutritionist and a freelancer providing my services to people from different walks of life.
Deep down I still wasn’t satisfied and wanted to explore the spectrum of education this field has to offer. Also, I always wanted to learn more natural ways of dealing with health issues.
At the same time my son started suffering from seasonal allergies. He used to get really bad hayfever symptoms each year. He was put on anti-histamines by the doctors to manage his symptoms. It used to give him temporary relief but at the same time it started affecting his studies due to the side effects of medication. Hence, I went on to study Functional Medicine. I take pride in having completed the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) AFMCP™-UK training and am currently pursuing certification with the IFM. I started applying the functional medicine protocols on him including elimination diet, gut repair and balance and good quality sleep. It made a huge difference to his symptoms within weeks. Since then, I have been practicing Functional Medicine, which is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
On my day off I like to spend time with my family and go for long walks with them. We usually cook and eat ethnic delicacies (Indian) and bake together. I love to share my cooking pics and health quotes with my followers to keep them engaged.
Thrive articles written by Swati:
What is pre-diabetes and how can you prevent it?
Elena is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and a Functional Medicine Practitioner. She holds Nutritional Therapy Diploma (DipION) from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (UK) and is currently completing her certification from the Institute of Functional Medicine (USA).
Elena is focused on digestive disorders and the gut health, including the role of gut microbiome in our overall wellbeing. Another area is functional and genetic testing and result interpretation.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
My mission is to educate people about the importance of the gut health in our overall wellbeing. I love to empower and support people with evidence-based advice allowing them to make sustainable changes to their diet and lifestyle.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love the modern day connectedness and the wealth of experience and knowledge being shared by the experts with the public. The flip side of this, a side I dislike the most, is a sheer amount of confusion, misinterpretation and non-experts offering nutritional advice to the public, with potentially damaging effects to the health.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My own health struggles triggered by hectic lifestyle and stressful job led me to study nutrition. While studying I did a number of functional tests on myself, researched my imbalances extensively and used the functional medicine approach to get to the root causes of my health issues. After having realised how powerful a nutritional therapy could be, I decided to pursue a new career in nutrition and I never looked back.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I love spending my days off in the nature with the kids, hiking and exploring. A trip to the farmers’ market is a must, followed by testing a new recipe using seasonal and fresh ingredients. I love sharing my new recipes with my followers!
Thrive articles written by Elena
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Tai is Registered Dietitian & Doctoral Researcher - MSc Human Nutrition (University of Surrey)
A registered Dietitian, Nutritionist and Doctoral Researcher with over 6 years working within the nutrition field. I have experience working within the NHS, research, public health, local authorities and charities. I provide evidence-based nutritional information and translate research related to food and health into practical guidance.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others with health and nutrition?
My mission is to bring forth evidence-based nutrition information to help people make safe and health eating choices. I also want to show people that eating is to be enjoyed not endured especially with so many fad diets being promoted. I also want to encourage people that it is possible to have a good diet without having to avoid or severely limit the consumption of certain foods (without any medical or ethical reason).
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I dislike the fact that there are so many myths and misconceptions surrounding health, nutrition and wellness. These are normally spread by some social media influencers, celebrities and people who are not qualified to give nutritional advice.
However, what I love is that there are qualified professionals such as Registered Dietitians and Registered Nutritionists that are making their voices heard on various platforms and dispelling nutrition-related myths and providing evidence-based advice.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I became interested in health and wellness just after I finished studying my undergraduate in Forensic Science. I had the worst diet ever during my undergraduate years and I didn’t want to continue as a postgraduate.
I started changing my diet, finding ways to increase my physical activity and developed a passion for healthy living. I encouraged my family and friends to also adopt a healthier lifestyle. Back then, I wasn’t qualified to give tailored nutritional advice and so I decided to do postgraduate degrees in nutrition and dietetics. I am now able to not only help my family and friends but the general public too, which I love!
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I love cycling!!! I like doing long distance cycling. I also like spending time with my family, friends and watching a good show on Netflix (well I say this, but I’ve watched the whole season of Friends about 10 times)Thrive articles written by Tai
Sharon is a registered Clinical Nutritionist, dipN, SACdip, RDN, FNTP and holds a Diploma in Psychology.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
My aim is to educate people on the importance of nutrition to their health and how by making changes to their nutrition can have a huge benefit to their overall wellbeing. I want to give people the tools to lead healthier lifestyles not just now, but long term.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I loath the fact that there is so many fad diets that is glamorised to females and teens which yes does work, however is not a long term fix. However, with the growth health industry there are more people like myself out there educating people.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I used to be obese in my teens. When I was about 16, I knew I had to do something about my weight and developed an interest in healthy food. I had noticed by dieting, it worked initially but then the weight loss would stop. The more I developed an understand of food, the better my weight and health became. Since, nutrition has really excited me and it has become a big passion.On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
Usually watching my son play tennis or my daughter horse riding.
Thrive articles written by Sharon:
Victoria is a qualified Nutritional Therapist and has a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Immunology. She focuses on autoimmune disease including skin conditions, neurological and brain issues, chronic fatigue, and cardiovascular disorders.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
I would like everyone to feel empowered to make positive changes in their lives - to feel their best, be pain free and ultimately, to be happy. In order to do this, everybody needs to be better informed of what healthy really means for them, as well as encouragement and belief that changes are possible.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love that wellness and health is finally getting the recognition it deserves and people are beginning to understand that tackling an underlying root cause of a symptom is a better approach to getting healthy than focusing on ways to manage the presenting symptoms. I still feel like there are some role models in the health industry who are promoting an image of health that might not actually be that healthy. We should all be striving for good physical and mental health which hopefully will continue to receive more attention.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I have suffered with autoimmune conditions since I was a child, so I have always had a focus on health and wellbeing in my life. I also studied Biochemistry with Immunology at University. When my brother was later diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I decided to study nutrition in order to provide knowledge and support for his condition and to help others who suffer with autoimmune diseases.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I am training to be a Pilates instructor at Polestar Pilates so I try to do as much Pilates as I can when I get free time – it’s a great exercise to focus the mind and challenge the body. I also love experimenting with foods, so I do enjoy eating out / socialising and taking the ideas back home to cook in my kitchen. I particularly enjoy fragrant Asian cuisines with their intense spices and herbs. And the perfect escape from a busy day is walking my two dogs in the fresh air – it’s great to reset yourself, so you can start the rest of the day with a fresh perspective.
Thrive articles written by Victoria:
Should you be going gluten free?
Stop thinking cure and start thinking prevention
Nutrition Q&A 2019
How antibiotics can affect your gut health
Sophie is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the AFN. She has a BSc degree in Psychology, an MSc in Nutrition and Eating Disorders and am registered with the Association for Nutrition as a Registered Associate Nutritionist.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
As a a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition, I want to inspire individuals to cultivate a non-restricitve diet whilst still maintaining a healthy and well balanced lifestyle. Through my Instagram page (@sophieshealthykitchen), I share my simple yet nourishing recipes but can be easily replicated. I am passionate about practicing evidence based nutrition and de-bunking any diet myths out there!
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
The wellness industry can be a really positive place where individuals who are passionate about their well being, come together to support each other on various social media platforms.
However, I am seeing all too often, individuals who are not qualified, giving out very anecdotal advice via social media. When it comes to health and nutrition, it is never black and white and what works for one person, does not work for someone else.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I created 'Sophie’s Healthy Kitchen’ before I went to study Nutrition, to document my recipes that I started to develop in the kitchen. I then wanted to educate myself more on health and nutrition - I quite honestly felt confused with all the conflicting claims around food and diet. I became increasingly passionate about separating evidence based research from the anecdotal advice that you often see on instagram and I decided to go back to study to become an evidence based nutritionist.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
On my days off, I will always spend time with my family and my boyfriend. I will spend as much time as I can outside but I will also try and make time to whip up a few new recipes in the kitchen that I can share with my loved ones!
Thrive articles written by Sophie:
Recipes written by Sophie:
Vegan Chia Seed Jam
Berry bread made with spelt flour and pumpkin seeds
Josh is a medical doctor/GP and is passionately vegan
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
I am passionate about helping my patients to improve their health and reduce their risks of serious chronic disease, by adopting a healthy active lifestyles that include a whole food plant based diet.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
As an NHS medical doctor I get frustrated with the focus on treating symptoms with medications and surgery, rather than preventing illness in the first place by supporting patients to follow healthy lifestyles. However, I love that plant based diets are getting a lot more attention, and I am seeing first hand extraordinary transformations in my patients' health when they choose to adopt this way of eating.
Josh is a medical doctor/GP and is passionately vegan
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
Many years ago, a desire to help people improve their health made me apply to medical school.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I love to keep fit by going to the gym and swimming in the sea, eating delicious whole food plant based salads, Buddha bowls and curries, and sharing quality time with family and friends.
Laura is a registered Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, CNHC, Msc).
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
My mission is to educate and empower individuals to see how the foods we eat every day have the potential to make us feel amazing. I want to do all I can to reduce stress, improve energy levels and ultimately increase happiness through nutrition and lifestyle support.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
What I love about the wellness industry is that there is a real shift of slowly trying to educate people around how the foods we eat (and even those we actively look to avoid) can effect our mental wellbeing. What I don't like so much is that there is still such a huge pressure put on people about how our ultimate goal should be to look a certain way and that weight loss is often the focus. I am passionate about sharing the message that we don't need to live a life of restriction and that food (of all types!) should be enjoyed. I would like to see health rather than weight being the focus more often within the wellness and health industry.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I have always been interested in nutrition and physical activity and although I often felt great after eating 'clean' and being active, my goal growing up was to always look a certain way rather then to contribute to my health and happiness. Growing older I have come to realise that however 'perfect' I thought I was with food, this strict nature was definitely not healthy! I have now learnt to love and care for myself more through finding balance and now I want to share my knowledge and passion with others. After working within a health promotion programme in deprived communities in the South Wales Valleys for several years, my eyes were also opened to how mental health conditions are debilitating for so many people. I saw regularly how individuals often get into a vicious cycle of comfort eating certain foods to help with a poor mood and then ultimately feeling worse because of this. Watching this downwards spiral in many people empowered me to go back to University to complete a masters in Nutritional Therapy. My business 'Mind Nourishing' was then born and I am now delivering 1:1 programmes, offering workshops and in the process of securing funding to work out in the communities to really share my 'eating for happiness' knowledge to those who need it the most.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
As I mentioned before I love staying active so on my days off I am usually either in the gym, playing football for my local club or off running in nature! I also love meeting friends for coffee, trying out new restaurants with my partner and giving myself time to practice mindfulness, yoga and positive psychology practices.
Alessandra is a Registered Nutritional Therapist, Plant Based Chef, Nutrition & Health Content Writer.
She studied at College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and is a medicinal chef that gained her training from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
I believe in the power of food, how it can nourish and rebalance the body and support healing when the right nutrients for each individual are found and introduced. I experienced it on myself with my own health journey and on my clients. First as a personal chef when through my cooking I would see people smile, appreciate their meals and improve health issues and conditions. And then as a nutritional therapist. Through nutritional therapy I’m able to search for the root cause of the problem and support my clients in optimising their health, whatever that journey may entail. I’m able to share my knowledge and empower them to know what is the right choice for them to achieve a long-lasting balance. I love educating people and sharing with them tools that they can use in their life whether during one to one consultations or during a medicinal cooking workshop or spark an interest in health with one of my articles.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love that there is so much more awareness now and interest in how to support both mental and physical health and how through social media and online resources it's so much easier to access to advice and connect with other people that can inspire you to make a positive change or take a step in that direction. But on the other hand, it can be quite scary seeing people using the same platforms to promote or sell programs, diets, advice that it's supposed to give the same results to everyone. It will never work as we are all beautifully unique! But society pressure and seeing curated images and amazing reviews can definitely influence someone's opinions and decisions and lead them to a wrong path that won't benefit them either physically or mentally.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I developed my passion for cooking since a young age when I would help my mom baking cakes and sweets and my grandma making homemade pasta and delicious meals. After finding out about my lactose intolerance I was forced to seek alternatives to dairy and started learning about plant based cooking. In both New York, where I did my culinary training and London, I worked as a a vegan and raw pastry chef as well as a medical private chef.
And the more I learned, the more I developed a strong belief in the healing powers of food that led me to my professional trainings. I experienced it first hand on myself having to make diet and lifestyle changes to support my body when dealing with an autoimmune conditions but even more so with my first private chef clients. Seeing them improve, lowering their medications, going back to enjoy and appreciate food, made me want to learn even more about the biochemistry and nutrients in food so that I could do even more.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
Taking my time making one of my smoothie bowls and enjoy every mouthful..catching up with a friend over a matcha or turmeric latte..going to a pilates or yoga class which for me is like moving meditation..walk to a farmer's market or to a shop to do some grocery shopping for the week and then prep some meals in the kitchen and experiment with new sweet treats recipes to share with friends and colleagues.
Melissa holds a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy from The College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in London and a BSc (Hons) Degree in Psychology from Queens University, Belfast.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
I am passionate about inspiring, motivating and educating others to lead healthier and more balanced lives. I do this by offering private consultations, workshops, seminars, events, and other nutrition services.
I recognise that each individual has unique requirements so I am committed to delivering personalised advice and guidance rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
I also understand that simply being given nutritional advice isn’t enough. Therefore I will support and guide you through the process in making these changes so that you achieve your nutrition and lifestyle goals for the long term.
I really enjoy motivating, inspiring and educating my clients to live healthier and more balanced lives. I love it when a client makes small, simple changes to their diet and food habits and sees powerful results! I also get huge fulfillment from helping clients who have suffered from chronic conditions over a long period of time who have usually exhausted every option available to them prior to seeing me!
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
Love - how health and wellness is becoming mainstream and there is so much information out there for people to help them get on their way to a healthier lifestyle. Also, the fact that the medical industry is listening to some of the benefits of complementary & alternative medecines.
Hates - how some people really over complicate what good nutrition is, IV vitamin drips (total nonsense in my opinion!), the most expensive superfoods out there!, how food manufacturers are using the terms 'clean' and 'natural' for sugar/additive laden foods - those terms mean very little when it comes to nutrition.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
My passion for nutrition and the health bene ts of food led me to study for my nutrition qualification. I haven’t always been so healthy though! I didn’t really focus on my diet when I was younger; I was naturally thin but not particularly healthy... As a result I suffered from chronic migraines and often found myself having some sort of cold or infection. I also worked in the city in a high stress corporate role for 10 years. The knowledge I’ve gained has opened my eyes to the power that nutrition can have on our bodies. To quote Hippocrates – ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
Taking my 9 year old black labrador up to Wandsworth common or Wimbledon for a long walk, doing lots of boring wedmin (I'm getting married in Portugal in September), on a sunday I love nothing more than a sunday roast with a glass of red (my guilty pleasure).
Thrive articles written by Melissa:
Eating for better sleep
Elizabeth holds a MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Nutrition from King's College London, I am an accredited nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
I trained as a teacher before I became a nutritionist so my mission is really to combine these passions by equipping others with the tools they need to make long-term and well-informed positive changes to their nutrition habits.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I love how people are becoming more interested in their health and looking after themselves. However, as a fully qualified nutritionist, I find it a challenge when people without qualifications try to give advice, thereby causing confusion and undermining the nutrition industry.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
I’ve always been athletic and passionate about sports. Naturally, this meant looking after my nutrition and general health. Through various family illnesses, my interest in the clinical side of nutrition also grew and I finally decided to gain a formal Masters in Nutrition in 2016.
Lizzie holds a MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Nutrition from King's College London and is an accredited nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
I’m a natural explorer so I love trying out new recipes and getting creative in the kitchen, visiting new places, and trying out the latest fitness trends.
Thrive articles written by Elizabeth:
Boost your immune system with everyday foodsHow to change your thinking around weight loss and food habits>>
Foods to help you get a better nights sleep>>
Intermittent fasting - is it healthy?
Anne holds a First class honours (BSc) degree in Human Nutrition at the University of Greenwich. Anne has a keen interest in nutrition's involvement in mood disorders, as well as nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics
What is your mission when it comes to helping others?
Ultimately I’d love for everyone to have a healthy relationship with food, and to feel happier and more confident in themselves. We are a nation of dieters, and despite this obesity is on the rise, as is the guilt and depression, and we shouldn’t punish ourselves for eating food. It leads to a cycle of emotional eating. For many years now food has been labelled as either good, or bad, and whilst there are more nutritionally dense foods available, I want to help people stop having negative connotations when it comes to their diet. Many of my clients looking to lose weight end up eating more, not less food. Food is one of life’s great pleasures and it should be enjoyed.
What do you love and hate about the wellness/health industry just now?
I hate that there are many people who listen to unqualified celebrities or public figures for advice on their health. Some post unfounded claims to do with the food we eat and health risks, and we also see this with the anti-vaccination movement. It can be very harmful, and as a science communicator it is a tough, daily battle to fight against the pseudoscience shared online. At the same time many people are realising that old diet myths have no basis, and we have more conscientious consumers than ever before, and I love that people are more interested in the effects that nutrients can have on their health and wellbeing.
What brought you into the field of health and wellness?
In my early twenties, I had a very bad lifestyle, and I was in a bad place mentally. One day I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror, and in one week I gave up smoking, joined a gym, and booked myself in for a massage. After just 2 weeks I felt amazing. I wanted to help other people feel like that too. So I enrolled on a gym instructor course, and I later became a personal trainer. I began competing in bodybuilding competitions, and it wasn’t until then that I realised just how important diet was, and that you can’t out train a poor diet. In my search to find protocols for losing fat, I was shocked to find there was very little science-based information available, and there was a lot of what I call ‘bro science’ on the internet. So off I went to university to study Human Nutrition and here I am about 15 years later, loving what I do.
On a day off what can you be found doing, eating, sharing?
Since moving away from London to Kent, I rarely get to see friends these days but I do pop in to see my mum, or my dad who is temporarily in a dementia home. As I work a 4 days on 4 days off pattern, I spend those 4 days off either writing articles or working with clients on their diets and lifestyle through my online nutrition consultancy Xeno Nutrition, and I like to train in the gym as much as possible. I have a very varied diet so no day is the same! My go to breakfast is porridge but I like to treat myself to a bacon or sausage sandwich from time to time, and lunch can be leftovers from dinner or some kind of salad. My favourite dinner to make is Gochujang chicken, a Korean stew. It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten! But I’m partial to a chilli con carne or a home made curry – I do like my spice! I’m always snacking which can be all kinds of nuts, dark chocolate, fruit, Greek yoghurts and much more.
Thrive articles written by Anne
The importance of iodine in the diet
We’re on a mission to clear up the confusion around health and nutrition and we’d love you to be part of this mission with us. Thrive Magazine is a magazine in print and digital that covers Nutrition/Fitness and Mindset.
At Thrive our mission has always been to share the most authentic and expert information on Nutrition and Health and to do this we know we need to partner with the best Nutritionists out there. We’re launching the most comprehensive list of qualified and professional nutritionists to allow our global Thrive audience to find a nutritionist near them, who they can work with, be it one-2-one or via a course based programme. Want to join the panel?
Read more about our Thrive Experts panel here >>
It’s been a privilege to be on the Thrive experts panel this year. I’ve had an article and recipe published, and it’s also led to paid work advising a high level food brand. Thank you Thrive!
Lucy Davies