I am a Registered Nutritionist and mother of three with many years experience working in the NHS, private and corporate sectors.
I help individuals and families improve their health and wellbeing and am constantly amazed at how small, positive dietary changes can have a hugely beneficial outcome on physical and mental health. The more years I have spent in practice, the more I have come to realise that physical and mental health are inextricably linked and are as important as each other.
There is a perception that nutritionists just help people with weight loss and of course, this is a part of my job. However, eating healthily is essential throughout our lives. This includes preconception, pregnancy and postnatal.
I am based in the Cotswolds, near Cirencester and my work takes me to schools and patients across Oxfordshire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and I also have patients across the UK and abroad, with a busy private practice in London.
As well as seeing patients in clinics, referred to me by doctors, I give talks and presentations at conferences for businesses, local authorities and a range of other organisations, including schools. After I finished my degree in nutrition I completed a teaching course. It’s one thing to have all the knowledge at your fingertips, but another to be able to get that message across to others in a meaningful way.
Another passion of mine is developing healthy recipes and products. I have teamed up with a food scientist and we have launched our own breakfast cereal, Oatfit, to boost bowel and heart health and help with weight management too. We use all UK-grown produce and have found a factory in Cirencester, Just Wholefoods, who produce it for us. This has been incredibly well-received and so now we have more ideas in the pipeline.
I have a son and two daughters, all in their twenties and I loved being pregnant and still love being a mother. I have kept notes and documents from the midwives visits, information on my weight and blood test results throughout each pregnancy. I was fascinated at how the body adapts and changes and this has definitely helped me in my work. I have always loved biology and how the body functions and my interest in nutrition grew from this.
Ensuring you have the right nutrients, energy intake, keeping physically fit and healthy during pregnancy can make other stresses, such as a testing, teething toddler and sleep deprivation easier to cope with and make the whole experience a more positive one.
It is such a crucial time and yet sometimes the importance of it can be overlooked. Because pregnancy usually happens naturally, you can assume the body will just step up to the job in hand and do whatever’s necessary. In reality, science and research have shown that preparation ensures a better and healthier outcome. Equally, the needs for mother and growing baby change throughout the course of the pregnancy and we have addressed this for each trimester, so nothing is left to chance.
That’s why I am so delighted to be part of Glowing Bumps. We know that the health of the parents affects the long term health outcomes for the baby. By assisting at the beginning of this process and also helping the parents get healthier at the preconception stage we will be able to positively benefit future generations. I find this amazingly exciting and rewarding.
Wendy
