I’ve never been someone who follows a conventional path in life. Hence at age 50 I found myself adopting a 14 month old baby and getting engaged. At the same time as the menopause kicked in. I’ve always liked to challenge myself. At an age traditionally associated with winding down and reduced responsibility, I did the opposite and it was certainly quite challenging at first! However, fast forward to a few years later, I love my new life and in many ways have never felt better.
Why am I telling you this? My mission is to let all you lovely middle aged women know that whilst getting older and hormonal flux is inevitable, symptoms are not, if your body is properly nourished. I believe that my knowledge of nutrition has got me where I am today, thriving in middle age and (so I’m told!) looking younger than my years.
So, how did I get here.…? My interest in food goes back a long way. As a child I loved being in the kitchen cooking various concoctions which contained way too much sugar including fudge and peppermint creams… “Home Economics” as it was known then, was my favourite subject at school because I enjoyed making recipes in the school kitchen. When I went to university I followed my head rather than my heart and did a degree in Classical Studies. We got a full grant back then and uni life was great!
After graduating, I was soon drawn into working in health and food places. My career started with icecream. It involved cycling around a theme park selling cornettos to be more precise.… Fruit picking followed and from there on the only way was up. I moved on to the pioneering vegetarian restaurant in London, Cranks, Holland and Barrett where I managed a shop for a while, a couple of high end health clubs where I worked as an aromatherapist and massage therapist and finally a vitamin company. By now it was 1994 and I began my training in nutritional therapy, a very niche career in those days. From that moment on something clicked into place, I knew that nutrition was the important missing part of the health puzzle for me and I was excited at the prospect of being able to use my knowledge to help others.
I remember the joy and satisfaction I felt when my very first client felt better. I have been in practice for many years now and I still get the same pleasure from seeing people transform their health and quality of life. Hopefully you too will be one of them! Email penny@nutritionistlondon.co.uk or call 07761 768 754 to book an appointment with me.
Media
I write regularly for Positive Health magazine and have contributed content to health related articles for the Daily Telegraph (I was featured as a menopause nutritionist in an article about Tess Daly!), Hello!, Top Sante, Women’s Health, Huffington Post, The Times Literary Supplement, Champneys, Men’s Health, Sainsburys magazine, Age UK, Pregnancy & Birth and Marie Claire. Some of my successful pregnancy cases were featured in the Daily Express and Daily Mirror.
I am a current member of the BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) and registered with the government regulatory body, the Complementary and Natural Health Care Council (CNHC) which ensures high standards of training, qualification and insurance.
My approach to health is holistic, and takes into account emotional, mental and environmental factors as well as nutrition. I have studied many complementary therapies before training as a nutritionist which provides a broad foundation of knowledge. I am dedicated to personal and professional development and keep up to date with the latest scientific nutrition research through webinars and conferences.