I grew up in a Naturopath’s home. My brother and I were really good at long distance running and mum fuelled us with abundant health. My friends would literally want to sleep at my house because of the breakfasts she’d make (and still does). She would go into schools and teach about healthy eating, she led groups with endurance sport preaching about Celtic sea salt for hydration, advocated against plastics for hormonal wellbeing, juiced us carrot and beet juice, wheatgrass shots, buckwheat pancakes, and probiotics before any of it was a fad. She was the cool-hippy mum and I always idolised her. I did my work experience in her private practice when I was 16 years old — she somehow had over 20 clients at a time, back when Naturopathy wasn’t a known thing. She’s still the neighbourhood witch 30+ years later, specialising in cancer, fertility and creating healthy homes.
Like any teen I had to challenge this amazing foundation. I actually lost a significant amount of weight at university, could barely run because I lacked the energy and honestly couldn’t recognise myself. My gut was significantly messed up and as a science nerd I had to learn about this for myself — I experienced first hand how easily my body could change and how differently I could feel if I didn’t fuel, sleep and really appreciate this temple of a body! This led me to become certified in yoga instructing at 18 and then teach alongside my university studies for 10 years. Realising that I truly was dairy intolerant and celiac, I had to heal my gut from the food and drinking that had wreaked havoc.
At a similar time I completed my Nutritional advanced diploma (3 years) and a very long Psychology degree (7 years), choosing both deliberately. I also published research in Frontiers in Science on yoga for mental health — the body, the mind, and the evidence that connects them have always been what I care about most. I set up my private practice at 26 and in my mother’s footsteps did conferences on nutritional and naturopathic principles and practice. We also set up a successful herbal medicine business.
Even more recently I was forced to delve back into a dark space I thought I had overcome. Significant life changes tested my fundamentals again, and after testing I found my gut had been overrun by parasites — an amoeba, a virus and a parasite all in one from an overseas trip. I fundamentally believe that the stress had led my body defences to drop. Again, I had to rebuild from the ground up. I applied what I do for clients to myself, and again I see the power of food, mindset, spirit and hypnotherapy as medicine.
I fundamentally believe in this. I want to help you, because I have the knowledge and to not share it would mean I am doing the world injustice. You don’t have to suffer alone — I know how scary it is and I promise I can help.