Q. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you’ve found being part of the Real Health London team?
Firstly, what a great team to have joined – everyone is genuinely lovely, but also incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, which makes it both inspiring and exciting to be part of.
I have worked in nutrition for nearly twenty years, after returning to university in my late twenties to formally retrain. ‘Nutritionist’ is not a protected title, so it has always been important to me to hold professionally accredited qualifications and stay up to date with research to ensure my work is safe and evidence-informed.
I specialise in performance nutrition, working with athletes and active individuals across sports including football, boxing, triathlon, running and endurance events. I help people understand how nutrition supports their training, recovery, injury rehab, body composition and overall wellbeing, and how to apply this in a way that fits their own lives.
Alongside private practice, I have been based at Arsenal FC for the past nine seasons, working across the club from academy level through to the Women’s First Team. Being part of the team behind the Women’s First team and winning the Champions League last season was a particularly special moment.
Q. What is the most common nutrition misconception you see in practice?
That weight loss is really just about eating less.
Whilst a calorie deficit plays a part, in practice I rarely find that people who are trying to lose weight need to eat less. More often the issue is not eating enough overall, eating at the wrong times, and/or choosing foods that do not provide the nutrients needed to support energy, recovery and body composition. Consistently under-fuelling can negatively impact training quality, increase tiredness, slow recovery and make it harder to build and maintain muscle – which is key for body composition, and becomes even more important as we get older.
A lot of our nutrition beliefs come from the media where advice often lacks scientific rigour or is based on population averages rather than individual needs. This, coupled with busy lives and an understandable preference for quick results, can leave us feeling confused and making decisions that move us further from our goals.
Skipping breakfast, avoiding carbs, by-passing hunger with caffeine or alcohol and eating late are all examples of common habits that can negatively impact metabolic flexibility and body composition. Sustainable progress is seen with a consistent and proactive plan that ensures your energy and nutrient intake is aligned to your needs and goals.
Q. It’s one thing to know what to do nutritionally, but another to actually do it. Do you see this as a challenge in practice?
Absolutely. When you are busy, tired and stressed, it can be difficult to be proactive with meals. This is why I take time to understand each client’s individual barriers and enablers to their nutrition, which might include time pressures, work demands, family life, cooking confidence, cost, stress levels, health considerations or poor sleep. Creating a plan that takes these real-life factors into account is essential if changes are to be realistic and sustainable.
Q. Who tends to benefit most from working with a performance nutritionist, and what does working together involve?
People choose to work with a performance nutritionist for many reasons – improving sports performance, supporting recovery from injury, improving body composition, increasing energy levels, or simply feeling more in control of their health as life becomes more demanding. Often clients have tried different approaches that felt difficult to maintain or have been left unsure what advice to trust.
My approach is always individualised. Rather than providing a generic meal plan, I take time to understand the person as a whole – their goals, health history, lifestyle, training demands and daily structure. This allows me to create a strategy that is practical, targeted and sustainable.
The first consultation focuses on reviewing your health and goals, identifying the key areas that will make the greatest difference and building a clear plan from there. Follow-up sessions allow us to review progress and adapt the approach over time. Helping clients to understand their nutritional needs better and how to meet them practically, improve their relationship with food, and then of course start to see the results they want is incredibly rewarding and why I love my work.
Final thoughts
Nutrition advice can often feel overwhelming, but it does not need to be complicated to be effective. A clear structure and an approach tailored to your individual needs can make a significant difference to how you feel day to day, as well as how your body performs and recovers over time. Whether you are training for an event, returning from injury, aiming to improve body composition or simply wanting more consistent energy, personalised guidance can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.