Qualifications:
A registered Nutritional Therapist based in Aberdeen, with a diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition from The College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in Edinburgh. A member of British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP). Registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and the General Naturopathic Council (GNC).
A qualified Pharmacy Technician since 2001, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council and currently working part-time in Primary Care
Why I became a Nutritional Therapist
It began with the words “Your biopsy results have come back and you have breast cancer.”
The rest of the conversation after that is a blur. The only thing going through my head was, I was going to die and I wouldn’t see my daughter finish high school, get married or see my grandchildren. I was devastated!
At that point I was a control freak so having the oncologist and her team taking control of what happened next was extremely difficult. I remember asking what I could do to help myself through my diet but she advised just to eat whatever I fancied!
That couldn’t be true! There is never a more important time to clean up your diet and lifestyle when faced with cancer or any other chronic disease diagnosis. This is where I found my control. The food you eat can either feed your health or feed disease! Overnight I overhauled my diet and focussed on eating organic wholefoods, bought a distiller and distilled my drinking water, switched my plastic tupperware to glass dishes, switched cleaning products and body care products to non-toxic alternatives. I stopped eating refined sugar and carbohydrates, stopped drinking alcohol and stopped dyeing my hair. I’m a pro-active person, not sure if that came across ;-).
Fast forward 6 months and I had completed chemo and surgery with clear margins and declared all clear.
So what do I do now?
There must be a reason why I survived and I wanted the time I have left in this life to have purpose so I decided to educate myself properly about nutrition. My purpose now, to educate others to take control of their health and prevent disease.
So, I began a 3 year course with The College Of Naturopathic Medicine in Edinburgh studying Naturopathic Nutrition, 2 months after I got the all clear. I attended college every second weekend in Edinburgh, while working full time and trying to come to terms with my cancer diagnosis. Looking back, I still don’t know how I managed it, but my stubborn personality probably helped and the fact I was so grateful to have the opportunity to study towards my dream job!
I qualified as a registered Nutritional Therapist in 2022 and Aurora Nu-Tree-Tion was created in 2023. I had experienced a chemical induced menopause for 9 months during my treatment and the symptoms were horrendous! Luckily my cycle returned, but I now know what I will be going though again in a few years. I have insider experience of how severe the symptoms can be. HRT is not an option for me, due to the breast cancer so I will have to transition naturally. I then decided I wanted to specialise in perimenopause.
My mission
My mission is to support women over 40 to navigate perimenopause with confidence. Empowering you to take control of their hormones so they can feel like themselves again!
Diet and lifestyle changes play an important role in hormone balance whether you are taking HRT or not. The ideal time to start balancing your hormones is before perimenopause but it’s never too late to start making changes!
Luckily, I managed to turn my negative experience into a positive. I am grateful for my cancer experience as it put me on the path to becoming a Nutritional Therapist.
To find out how we can work together click here.
It is important when you choose to work with a Nutritional Therapist that you check they are registered with an appropriate regulatory body. Please click here to find me on the register.