Hey!
I’m Laura, a Registered Nutritionist and Intuitive Eating Counsellor based in London. I help people figure out their issues with food, sort through confusing diet advice, and help people get their shit together around food.
Background
A bit about me; I grew up in Scotland and went to the University of Aberdeen, where I studied Health Sciences, with a focus on Health and Nutrition. I got really interested in gut health and did some research on healthy gut bacteria (known to adults as the microbiome) for my honours project. This took me to US and A to continue my research and get a PhD in nutritional Sciences at Texas A&M University, working with some of the best researchers out there. Then I packed up my stuff and headed on out to Washington, D.C. where I did a Nutrition Policy internship at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
After that it was up to New York, to freeze my ass off, and where I was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Cornell University (oh you fancy, huh?). After two winter’s worth of frostbite warnings and traipsing through snow up to my knees, I decided it was time to come home. Now a recovering academic, I get my kicks from calling BS on the latest diet trends, ( and helping people make meaningful changes to their diet and lifestyle.)
Registered Nutritionist
I’m a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition; this basically means I had to show them I’m not full of shit – in other words, I have legit qualifications, from credible institutions and didn’t just buy my degree online. It also means I’m held to the highest standard of evidence based practice, meaning, science baby!
But, even armed with all this knowledge, I haven’t always had a super healthy attitude towards food and eating. I’ve eaten because I was lonely or didn’t like my job. I’ve not eaten because my boyfriend dumped me. I’ve counted calories and tried weird juice cleanses – they just make you obsess about food. It wasn’t until I started practicing Intuitive and Mindful Eating, got out of the diet mentality, and truly started looking after myself that I changed my relationship with food. It doesn’t have the same power over me. And if I want dessert, you better believe I will have the damn dessert. Now I fill myself up on loads of different foods; I found exercise I enjoy and actually get kinda antsy if I don’t do it. I give myself permission to eat treats, and I don’t feel bad or guilty about it. I’m happy with my body (hips and all) and I’m not constantly starving it. Don’t worry, this isn’t some new agey BS, you’re not going to catch me doing headstands any time soon.
So, in my nutrition practise, although it draws heavily on nutritional science, there’s some psychology and behavioural science thrown in for good measure. I also incorporate lessons I’ve learned, just by living and experiencing, and from what my incredible clients and colleagues teach me.
If you have more Qs then check out my FAQ page or shoot me an email hello(at)laurathomasphd.co.uk