Meet Karen
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
The Institute of Health Sciences and Crossfields
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Diploma Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
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Certified Personalised Sports Nutrition Coach
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Certified Plant Based Diets Coach
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Member of the UK Health Coaches Association
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Member of the Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners
My Story
Nutrition
I think I've probably been on some form of diet programme or health regime for pretty much all of my adult life.
I've tried just about every fad diet that's out there at some time - low carbs, no carbs, points-based, soup based, meal replacements .... and every time, I've ended up giving in to the cravings and not only abandoned the diet but often regained more weight than I originally lost!
It's taken me a long time to recognise that I never really ever needed a diet - at least not in the way we all tend to think of diets.
Lifestyle
Perhaps more importantly, I now also understand how my former lifestyle choices affected my general health. A successful corporate career meant long working hours, heightened stress levels and irregular exercise. My inability to say "no" also negatively impacted my sleeping patterns, energy levels, and my overall health.
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I truly believe that
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nutrition is only part of your health story - sleep, movement and stress are equally important factors
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we can all benefit from investing more time in ourselves
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you can improve your general health
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it is never too late to make a positive change
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except for a very small minority of people, non-personalised weight loss diets, alone, simply do not work over the long-term
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the changes that are most impactful over time are small, incremental and easy to implement.
Let me show you how!
Specialisms
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Weight Management
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""I found the whole experience very rewarding. Karen challenged me at every session - but in a really good way" ~ Joyce C
More Karen
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After suffering from a serious and debilitating back injury while playing squash, I was introduced to the concept of walking for health. It didn't take long for me to develop a real love for hiking and the outdoors. There's little more physically demanding and mentally restorative than a mountain hike!
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I'm also a keen runner who, as a late starter, really struggled with injuries in the first few years. It has been through experience, and nutrition and lifestyle change that I have learned to listen to my body, understand the art of appropriate challenge and goal setting, and the impact of correct fuel both for optimal performance and recovery.
Perhaps my biggest lesson, and still a work in progress, is understanding the importance of rest and recovery. The benefits of a targeted recovery strategy cannot be overstated.
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As well as regular parkruns (I love a bit of parkrun tourism!) and 10k races, I have completed a number of half marathons and twice completed the Half Marathon des Sables, a multi-stage, self-supported 120km ultra.
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Prior to the pandemic, I had planned to complete my first road marathon and single day ultra in 2020 but they're there for the future! And the good thing about that is that I've been able to concentrate on my weight training instead ...... and that's bringing me all sorts of other benefits!
