AMBASSADOR FOR HEALTHY EATING THAT ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD!
A bit about me
Until now, life hasn’t been as straightforward as my naive 12-year-old self had dreamed. Studying Biological Sciences at Warwick University instigated an unhealthy view of food and exercise, culminating in an eating disorder which I still battle 14 years on.
Life began to piece together, working for Disney in Florida. But, again my world crumbled when I was run over crossing a crosswalk. I was literally shattered from head to toe and, after 3 resuscitations, I had a long recovery ahead. Mentally this was devastating, living life in my head with my body physically unable to fulfil my dreams. Numerous surgeries and rounds of medication left me confined to wearing wigs due to drastic hair loss.
All in all my body has been left a mess. My gut is irreversibly damaged from the burden of my eating disorder, my joints are damaged, not only from the injuries sustained in my accident, but from my severe osteoporosis, culminating in 2 hip replacements. My grandmother died through kidney failure as a result of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. I began thinking, surely there must be a way to heal through nutrition?
Being unable to work gave me plenty of time to assess my life. Fast forward to last year. At the age of 32, I was devastated to find myself with no career, assets or life. My friends were all marrying and beginning to start families, all I could do to get by was dog sit.
I took the bull by the horns and put my confidence issues aside. I enrolled at Leiths School of Food and Wine to qualify as a professional chef. Since dot I have been passionate about food and cooking. Even my eating disorder couldn’t dampen this passion, I never stopped eating, I just found mechanisms to cope with this. Food has always had a heightened status to me, so I decided, why not make my passion my life?
Training was amazing, but again, my happiness was not to be. Training had to be put on hold until January 2016 as a result of major surgery on my hip in January 2015. So now, after recovery, my focus is experience. I have been lucky enough to fulfil work experience in one of Heston Blumenthal’s Kitchens, with Frederick Forster at Bounday and soon, with Michel Roux Jr in each of his three restaurants in addition to working with Dominic Jack at Castle Terrace in Edinburgh.
All this has made me aware that fine dining, while delicious, is not always nutritionally beneficial to us. The research I have done into healing and maintaining a healthy body through diet points to it being socially awkward, especially when eating out. How can you choose nutritious options from fine dining menus? This is my goal, not only to educate and make people enjoy a healthy approach to diet, but to make it readily available and special.
My own trials and techniques will lead me to my dream of opening a gourmet restaurant that can over nutritious food that is above all TASTY!
So Today, here I am, my hair has grown, my skin and nails have improved. Yes, I still battle my demons but I am winning, all due to my relationship with food. Years of living on ‘low fat’ and ‘diet’ foods has poisoned me. I couldn’t comprehend that not all fat units and calories are equal and quintessentially, the energy from these units can either be used to store or burn fat. By choosing natural, wholesome foods, as close to their natural state as possible, we can be a healthy weight and glow from the inside. If I had my way, I would ban all chemically induced low fat foods, but I can’t. For now all I can do is share what I learn, try and love myself, embrace the ‘strong not skinny’ ethos, and hope you are inspired.
If You can dream it, You can do it.
Walt Disney
Motivating Factors
To restore my body weight and glow from the inside. To spread my knowledge and be inspirational.
Biggest Challenge
Learning to accept and love myself.
Kitchen Equipment I couldn’t live without
Vitamix! If I start talking about it I won’t stop! Its on at least 5 times a day so enough said!
Health & Fitness Goal
To be able to live a medication-free life and not be restricted by my body.
Foods I can’t resist
Good quality chocolate, all fruit, anything mexican and did I mention the odd cheeky cocktail?
Favourite Healthy snack
I can’t choose between oven roasted Garbanzo Beans, Sweet Potato Brownies or Raw Chocolate balls!
Favourite Exercise
Swimming and walking doggies (I LOVE doggies!)
Follow Susie’s Journey
Read all of Susie’s posts here > | Instagram @gourmetglow