Helen PhadnisDietitian

I’m a registered dietitian and a member of the British Dietetic Association and Health Professions Council. Do you ever get confused & frustrated with mixed nutrition messages? I know I did as a skinny teenager, always hungry and unable to ‘bulk up’. I was rowing at elite level and training 6 days a week. Combined with a ‘fast metabolism’ inherited from my slim parents, this meant I felt my portions were huge next to my friends, and people would comment on that. This led to a preoccupation with food. What food will make me build muscle? What food will help me lose fat? How can I fuel my training? What’s ‘healthy’? I went on to train to be a dietitian in an effort to find answers to these questions. I worked in the NHS as a senior specialist dietitian in some big London teaching hospitals. I loved the fast paced ward work, and gained a huge bank of medical knowledge from the hospital team. However due to chronic under-staffing I felt patients were not receiving the best care. Breaking point came one day as I turned up to my busy out-patients clinic, to find there was no room available to see my patients in. I was given two chairs in the clinic corridor to counsel my patients on complex diet changes necessary in kidney disease. That night I researched how to start up private clinics, so I could offer patients better care. More time to hear their concerns, better nutrition analysis software for them to learn from, a shorter wait until an appointment. When I opened my doors to private practice I found a huge need for those wanting clarity on what to eat, and feeling their bodies reacted differently to others. My ‘aha moment’ came when reading Tim Spectors first book Identically Different, based on his twin studies at Kings College London. As a twin myself this resonated, the answers could be found in our genetics. I vowed to apply personalised nutrition to my services. Which takes us up to the present Bespoke Nutrition Coach services: * 1 hour appointment times to make sure you feel heard and understood * Ongoing coaching support via WhatsApp, I can be your cheerleader * Short wait of only 1 week for an appointment (compared to 6-24 months for NHS) * Nutrition analysis software for diet diary reports and meal plans * DNA testing and at home capillary/venous blood testing services for a convenient way to investigate the cause of your symptoms, and results you take ownership of and can understand.