Welcome
I'm Julie
I work with people who want to take a holistic route to optimal health and wellbeing. I enable you to make the right food and lifestyle choices in any situation - at home, at work, on holiday - to be your most vibrant, energetic and confident self.
I firmly believe that Hippocrates knew what he was talking about when he said that "Good health begins in the gut".
What you eat and how you eat it will affect every aspect of your physical and mental well-being. I trained in Personalised Nutrition and in Digestive Health to enable people like you and me to live our best lives for as long as possible.
I'm registered with the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP) and the General Naturopathic Council (GNC).
"Julie has a very personalised approach to health and well-being. She explained things in a way that I could understand, and adapted a plan around my preferences"
MAXINE W-R
I do the research so you don't have to
But that is hard, right? There are so many choices, so much conflicting information – “eat this”, “don’t eat that”, “this is the ultimate food”, “buy one, get one free”. Add in advertising, supermarket offers and peer pressure “Mum, all my friends have crisps in their lunchbox, I want crisps too”, “are you really going to eat all that pasta? You’ll get fat” (yes, those last two quotes are things I’ve heard from my kids).
I also understand that pressures of work and other commitments affect how we eat. It’s hard to come home and cook a meal when you are tired, stressed and pushed for time. It can be harder if you are cooking for one. Eating on the run is not unusual, but may not be optimal.
Not having time to eat before training, feeling sick during or after training, what to eat on competition day, these are all issues I've had to deal with.
"In our modern world, eating is easy, but it's more challenging to eat well."
Julie Babis
15 years ago I was diagnosed with IBS. I was prescribed drugs, but given no advice about what I should and shouldn't eat, or about managing stress, which often goes hand-in-hand with digestive disorders. I had an allergic reaction to the prescribed drugs, for which another drug was proposed. The prospect of taking increasing amounts of medicines was quite honestly depressing. So I started doing my own research to find out if that really was the only option.
Fast forward a couple of years, my condition was largely manageable. I knew there were things that I couldn't eat, but I also knew that sacrificing some foods I liked was better than the alternative. As my kids got bigger, they became very into sport. At first it was gymnastics - slightly inevitable as my best friend was an gymnastics coach. When we moved house, the new gymnastics club was very competitive, and I became aware of the subliminal messages around eating and body image. It's a demanding sport, so I was keen to ensure that my kids ate properly. There was precious little nutrition advice available (but lots on what you should look like!), so I started researching to fill the void.
The kids moved from gymnastics to track athletics, and training quite rapidly went from twice a week to four times a week, and then gym sessions on top as they got older. Bearing in mind that teenagers need adequate nutrition to grow, they spend their days in school (hopefully!) learning (did you know the brain is the much energy-hungry organ in the body?) and training on top, I instinctively knew that good nutrition is essential to keep them healthy, and as far as possible injury free.
I realised that I spending so much time researching what would be best for my family, that I may as well train in nutrition. I chose to undertake the University validated MSc in Personalised Nutrition at the Centre for Nutritional Education and Lifestyle Management alongside a postgraduate diploma in clinical work, because as institution CNELM teaches research and evidence practice. As part of my training, I completed a specialist sports nutrition programme lead by Ian Craig, founder of the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition.
I make recommendations based on the individual person in front of me and the science available to me, taking into account personal preferences, ethics and finances.
So if you are missing a piece of your training jigsaw alongside coaching and physical therapy, or need support making sure your family eats to stay healthy and to stay fit and health through life’s changes, I do the research so you don’t have to. I offer a range of services from diet analysis and advise, recipes and meal plans, 1:1 support with specific health concerns or to work towards a specific goal, to running small groups working towards a common goal. Click the button below to book a free conversation, and let me know how I can help you.
“Julie's exensive knowledge, particularly regarding vegan diets, provided me with (...) practical suggestions to maintain my energy levels effectively”
Artül Andropé
