Norfolk based Clinical Nutritional Therapist Catherine Jeans inspires us all to have a healthier diet and life, discovers Niobe Shaw.
www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com
It’s about being a role model and being authentic,” says Clinical Nutritional Therapist Catherine Jeans. “I’m not trying to be a clean, green, perfect person! I practise what I preach. That’s what’s inspiring.”
Passionate about food’s impact on our wellbeing, Catherine has spent the last 12 years helping people feel good. She’s helped people to address underlying causes of health issues and improve their energy levels and mental health, all through what they eat.
Catherine talked to me about the gut and brain connection, and the diverse population of bacteria living in our gut microbiome, claiming “it’s our second brain!” Scientific research, including studies of thousands of Norfolk school children, shows that we can positively impact our physical and mental health simply by eating more vegetables, fruit and plant-based food.
Dietary advice is all over the place: on social media, TV shows and direct from our friends. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by it all, or to disregard health ‘gurus’’ advice as unworkable with our lifestyles.
Catherine believes it’s her realism about this that makes her inspiring. “I’m a real person who likes a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate!” she laughs, “The green smoothies, eating 10 a day and buying 100% organic isn’t a reality for most people.” She tries to give a more practical and attainable approach to nutrition, and estimates that she has helped thousands of people.
Since Catherine’s training, she has supported 2000 people through 1:1 client work, tailoring dietary advice to specific needs. Her group programmes offer direct guidance and opportunities to gain support from others too. Catherine educates via social media platforms – she’s @catherine_jeans on Instagram – and even mentors new nutritional therapists. Her work spans from helping children and parents to peri-menopausal women, people with gut issues and those wanting to lose weight, so she certainly knows what she’s talking about!
“90% of the population don’t eat a healthy diet,” she tells me. That’s why she sees her role as so valuable, and why she wants to spread her expertise as far as she can.
Giving back, and spreading her knowledge to have a great impact, is important to Catherine. That’s why she’s offered free talks to charities and their beneficiaries, and supported schools with their menus and nutritional education.
But it’s not about ‘a diet’, rather it’s about eating what’s right for our bodies and our minds. She reminded me that we need to fill our bodies with nourishing, grounding food and work on blood sugar balancing by consuming fewer sugar and caffeine filled products, which actually increase stress and anxiety after that initial energy boost.
Catherine herself was inspired as a child by her parents: her mum had her eating healthy foods including home-grown vegetables from an early age, and her dad ran his own business. With a step-mother specialising in nutritional therapy, it’s unsurprising that Catherine is so passionate about her own nutrition business.
Catherine previously had a successful career in TV production, but burning the candle at both ends caused her health to suffer. Following a refreshing career break travelling, she was involved in a serious accident. She broke her back and, while recovering, realised she needed to re-evaluate her priorities.
“I wanted to change how I lived my life. We have one life, and if we’re pushing ourselves down a path that feels incongruent to who we are, we’re never going to experience real joy.” She completed a three-year training course in London – with two pregnancies alongside – and created her business.
“I love the people that I work with. It’s so diverse. I’m here to advise and coach them, and it’s so great to see the changes they make and how they feel in just a couple of weeks.”
Talking more about career changes, Catherine offered some real pearls of wisdom: “It’s so important to do what sparks joy, otherwise you’ll never be the best you can be. You can gradually make a shift, you can integrate so many things, and you’ll still be drawing on skills from your first career. It’s all a journey, and it’s about taking the learning from all that we do.”
It’s clear that Catherine’s experiences have taught her plenty, and as we come to the end of our chat, she offers a final piece of advice: “You have to have your grounded time. It’s important to be present, prioritise good sleep and good food.”
Learn more about how Catherine can help you at www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com
