FAQ’s

Food & Body Confidence Programmes are designed for adults (18+) who want more stability, ease and confidence in how they eat, and a more trusting, appreciative relationship with their body.

This support is likely to be a good fit if you recognise yourself in any of the following:

• Emotional or stress-related eating

• Changes in your body through mid-life or life transitions

• Body dissatisfaction or a strained relationship with your body

• A history of dieting or weight cycling

• Patterns of restriction and overeating

• Compulsive overeating

• Ongoing preoccupation with food or “getting it right”

• Feeling overwhelmed by nutrition advice

This programme is for you if you are looking for private, confidential support, and want a non-judgemental, nutrition-led approach that combines personalised guidance with behaviour change skills.

Together, we work in manageable steps to support a healthier relationship with food and a kinder, more supportive relationship with your body. This includes education, reflective work and practical tools you can apply in everyday life.

This approach is grounded in nutrition and behaviour change, not psychological therapy. I do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions, and this work sits alongside, not instead of, appropriate medical or mental health care where needed.

If you are unsure whether this programme is right for you, you’re welcome to book a no-obligation call so we can talk things through and explore the best next step together.

Food & Body Confidence Programmes may not be suitable at this time if you:

• Have an active eating disorder or are engaging in high-risk behaviours (such as purging or medication abuse). In these cases Nutritional Counselling or specialist care would be more appropriate.

• Are currently experiencing severe or unmanaged mental health difficulties, such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or suicidal thoughts.

• Are only focused on reaching a specific weight loss or aesthetic goal.

• Are looking for a quick fix plan. This work is reflective, involves exploring new concepts, and is skills-based - it is multifaceted, non-linear and unfolds over time.

• Are not open to an holistic approach to nutrition.

• Are unable to commit time between sessions to reflection or practising new tools and approaches.

If you are unsure, please reach out- I’m always happy to help you decide whether this support is the right fit, or to guide you towards a more appropriate option.

Whilst there is a framework to these programmes, it is a personalised process, so the total time investment can look quite different for each client.

As well as consultation time together, you need to be ready, willing and able to commit time outside of consultations to engage with any reflective exercises assigned and implement the tools or practices in order to get the most from this work during our time together and beyond.e

Together we will make sure the pace you move through the elements of your programme is suitable for you, as I am respectful that individuals embrace change at different paces and am very mindful that changes must be manageable for this work to be effective.

I also appreciate that during the course of a programme other life/work events or holidays may pop up, so I am flexible when we need to extend the time between appointments to accommodate.

Yes! My support is centred around you - so if you come into the programme with any symptoms or pre-diagnosed conditions, then we will work through how you can best support your body nutritionally, in a manageable, meaningful way.

Concerns I can help support include:

• Gut-related health conditions, IBS, digestive issues, acid reflux or food sensitivities

• Cardiometabolic concerns like diabetes or blood sugar issues

• Persistent fatigue, low energy, brain fog, mood disorders, stress or burnout

• Menopause or midlife body changes affecting your wellness

If through our exploration of your health, we recognise it would be helpful to get deeper insights into physiological imbalances at play, then I can advise on functional tests. This in turn can help shape our nutritional approach.

It’s also notable there are now hundreds of studies demonstrating that Intuitive Eating - an approach I draw on heavily in my nutrition support - has many positive health outcomes like:

• improved cholesterol levels

• lower stress levels

• increased energy

• improved mental health

• lower eating disorder occurrence

• improved body awareness

• enhanced self-esteem

• improved level of happiness

• improved metabolic health

Yes! Improving your connection with food and your body can have very positive effects on your gut health and digestion.

It’s not unusual for people who are chronic dieters or have disordered or erratic eating patterns, to struggle with conditions like IBS or symptoms such as acid reflux.

As a Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with a special interest in gut health, I can provide you with additional personalised nutrition and dietary guidance, lifestyle modifications, and natural supplement recommendations.

Comprehensive Stool Analysis is also available. If your gut health issues are complex, or are your main concern/priority at this time, you may wish to check out my Rebalance programme.

At Gut Reaction, I take a weight-inclusive approach that respects body diversity and prioritises your health, wellbeing and emotional freedom with food.

While changes in weight, shape, or size often occur through my programmes, they are not designed as intentional weight-loss methods or focused on numbers.

Whilst it is completely natural to have concerns about weight and health, it is likely that trying to resolve these through diet or wellness rules and plans has contributed to the challenges with your relationship with food and your body that have brought you here.

This approach is different - and if you wish to work together and still have a weight-loss goal in mind, I invite you to ‘park’ numbers for now so we can fully prioritise restoring a positive, nourishing relationship with food and your body, and see where your weight settles naturally in the process.

Yes. A Food & Body Confidence programme can be supportive - whether you are currently using GLP-1 medication, have used it in the past or are considering stopping.

Our work together does not focus on weight loss. Instead, it supports you to maintain adequate nourishment, rebuild trust with food and your body and address food rules, guilt or anxiety that may still be present alongside medication use.

We also pay close attention to supporting energy, digestion and nutritional adequacy, which can sometimes be challenged on appetite-suppressing medications.

Support is tailored and can sit alongside medical care - complementing that by focusing on your relationship with food, eating patterns, body image and longer-term wellbeing.

Absolutely. My approach is flexible and both tailored and paced to individual needs, making it well-suited for those who experience sensory sensitivities, executive function challenges or a different way of processing information around food and eating.

I understand that traditional advice often doesn’t work for everyone and I create a non-judgmental space where we can explore strategies that feel manageable and empowering for you.

If you are currently living with an eating disorder the Food & Body Confidence Programmes may not be the most appropriate support for you at this time.

These programmes are designed to support people struggling with the impact of chronic dieting, food rules, emotional overeating, binge-restrict patterns and ongoing food or body preoccupation - where eating difficulties are present, but an eating disorder is not active.

If you are seeking nutritional support as part of eating disorder recovery, please do get in touch about Nutritional Counselling, which offers a more suitable level of structure and clinical support.

I’m always happy to help you explore the right next step, or to signpost you to appropriate specialist care if needed.

My professional background includes:

• Diploma in Nutritional Therapy (mBANT, rCNHC)

• Nutritional Therapy for Eating Disorders: Advanced Practitioner Programme (BANT)

• Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor (CIEC)

• Extensive training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - including ACT for Dieticians, ACT for Body Image Concerns, ACT for Self-Esteem and ACT for Mindfulness and Acceptance

• Psychological Approaches to Obesity (National Centre for Eating Disorders)

• Health coaching drawing on NLP, CBT and mindfulness
  
  You can find full details here

Through my work over the past decade, I have developed a multi-dimensional framework that brings together nutritional science, psychology and body-based wisdom to support lasting change in how people relate to food and their bodies.

The 7 Dynamics of a Healthy Relationship with Food and Body reflect the key areas that influence eating behaviours and self-care. These include nourishing foundations and food structure, food mindset and beliefs, emotional responses to food, body awareness and responsiveness, nutrition and health, body image, and values-led self-care.

Together, they provide a whole-person lens for understanding what is getting in the way, and where support is most needed. Working one-to-one, support is tailored to your individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

You may notice parallels between the 7 Dynamics and the chakra system. While these connections can offer an additional reflective layer, learning about chakras is entirely optional and not required for this work to be effective.

If you would like to understand more, please feel free to ask.

I believe practising nutrition should come from a place of self-care, rather than self-control, and am passionate about helping my clients find the balance between eating for health and eating for satisfaction - discovering what’s right for you when it comes to nutrition and eating for personal wellness. 

Along your journey, I may make specific personalised recommendations (practical dietary modifications and natural supplements) to improve nutritional balance and support your overall health and any health-related concerns you may have. We can also access tests that reveal deficiencies and imbalances that relate to mood and gut health, and more.

The concept of positive nutrition is about ‘adding in’ rather than ‘taking way’. It’s about getting enough of the nutrients we need to thrive and to protect against nutritional deficiencies and blood sugar imbalances, and to support a happy gut. 

So no foods are ‘banned’ and, far from being a set of food rules (the very last thing you need), my guidance will be balanced, practical and flexible, promoting dietary diversity and incorporating health-enhancing whole foods in a creative, personal way.  

Online nutrition support is every bit as effective as in-person support, and for many clients working on their relationship with food, it has a distinct additional benefit - the privacy and comfort of your own home can make it easier to open up.

There is no travelling, no waiting room, and no need to be seen entering a clinic. Many clients find this makes the work feel easier and more accessible from the start.

During your programme, you will develop new skills, understanding and ways of responding to food and your body. Because this work is about building your confidence (rather than giving you a plan), you will leave resourced with practical tools for everyday life.

When your programme comes to an end, we will check in and review what support, if any, would be helpful next.

Many people feel ready to continue independently, while others choose occasional follow-up sessions, further work on specific food or body challenges, or more focused nutritional therapy support. Any ongoing support is optional and always shaped collaboratively based on your needs.