In 2014 I said yes to a temporary promotion into a role that I perhaps wasn’t ready for. The days were long and hard and the pressure and stress built. Things came to a head when I fainted at work whilst delivering a budget speech to a group of 150 people. Embarrassing? Very. But I knew that this was my body telling me that I couldn’t carry on like this. Something had to change, so, after attending a nutrition workshop, I decided to radically overhaul my diet. I went “clean” and focused my diet on unprocessed wholefoods – cutting out my beloved refined sugar. Within weeks I felt energised, my skin cleared up, I lost weight and was coping with my emotions and stress in a much more balanced way. I was amazed when the health niggles I’d had for years disappeared. I started reading more about the link between health and food and I was totally amazed by what I discovered. So much so that in 2015 I enrolled in a 3-year nutrition course with the College of Naturopathic Medicine to train as a Nutritional Therapist.

Since starting my studies, I got married, relocated, left my job in finance, and had three children (phew!). During this time, I have tried to stay focused on my own heath but soon realised that this gets so much more difficult when you have lots of little people to care for. I no longer have time to make my own kombucha, sprout seeds or make a daily fresh green juice. I’m too busy wiping bums, doing mountains of washing and trying to keep the house in some semblance of order. And this is on top of school runs, family cooking and having a job! Add a good dose of sleep deprivation in the mix and it makes it difficult to make healthy choices. My sugar habit came back with a vengeance as it was way of dealing with lack of sleep. But I am trying to manage this the best I can. It’s not possible for me to eat the way I used to – that wasn’t sustainable and doesn’t fit in with family life.  I have had to be smart about my diet and learn to implement daily habits that fit into my lifestyle. Putting myself first is a challenge I still battle with, but I know I am the best mum I can be when I am feeling energised, nourished, and fulfilled. I want you to feel the same way.