Windmill Wellness and Nutrition
Windmills are a familiar feature when I look out of my window at the rolling Lancashire hills. I find them such powerful and efficient machines...working effortlessly to provide endless energy, just how our bodies should work.
They are associated with resilience, self-sufficiency and perseverance in a harsh environment all attributes we need to survive and thrive in our stressful lives today.
In China, the pinwheel is seen as an instrument to turn obstacles into opportunities that turns and bestows good luck, longevity, health and prosperity to its owner.
They also offer a very personal space for me where I can sit and be with my beloved mum.
The ethos running through the heart of Windmill Wellness and my personal goal, is to give you the potential to:
About me
I am a certified nutritional therapist, passionate about health, nutrition and happiness.
I have been a physiotherapist for over 25 years and love helping patients regain their function and start them back on their journey to health. We all have a journey to tell and my own health journey led me to Nutrition. I have Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition primarily affecting my joints. I was diagnosed over 20 years ago, 6 weeks after the birth of my daughter, and my world fell apart. I had been so fit and sporty and suddenly I was unable to pick up my new baby.
My new passion is to use my knowledge and personal experiences to help many more people overcome their diseases, hence one of my roles is now working with National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS)
For years I was treated with many conventional drugs; biological therapy, pain killers, immunosuppressant drugs, steroids and injections. You name it I’ve had it. All of these drugs have powerful effects but with that come some equally powerful side effects, and the more of them I took... the more I began to question that there must be other ways to treat my RA.
Conventional treatment aims to control symptoms...pain, inflammation, disease progression but ignores the underlying causes. These pharmacological methods focus on the downstream consequence of inflammation eg Anti inflammatories COX on eicosanoids or biologics on TNF alpha, whereas Functional Medicine is going way upstream by addressing the underlying conditions that initiate or perpetuate inflammation.
A Functional Medicine Nutrition & Lifestyle approach looks to resolve factors that could be causing the immune imbalance in the first place...like chronic viral or bacterial infections, environmental substances, food intolerances and much more
The first book I read was “ The Autoimmune Fix” by Tom O’Bryan and for the first time in my 16 years of living with RA, I was excited to find that there was so much more I could try and so began my journey with nutrition !
Whilst still working, I enrolled on a 3 year course studying Naturopathic Nutrition and completed my diploma with Distinction . During this time I have managed to get myself off all of my medication and feel the healthiest I have in 21 years. I know my journey isn’t over and I may get flares, so I will have to work hard to continue with the changes I have made but it’s worth it. I have my life back !
During this time I also discovered that I have another autoimmune disease, Hashimotos. I have since learnt that it is more common when you have one autoimmune condition to develop others...the house of autoimmune cards stands on vulnerable foundations! Once again, through diet and lifestyle modifications,I have now managed to remove my need for thyroid medication...proof evident that this process works.
Autoimmune disease sadly took my beloved mum from me and given it is common to run in families, I am now able to help my other family members to identify if they are at risk...and then to to see what preventative measures can be put in place to lessen the likelihood of them developing autoimmune diseases in the future.
Continual Professional Development
Continual Professional Development (CPD) is a prerequisite to enable me to continue practising as a physiotherapist, this is part of how I’ve always worked and so continuing this as a Nutritionist will be natural for me.
It is essential to remain current with the most up to date, evidence based clinical research and since qualifying I have already completed qualifications in Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP), Functional Nutrition and have completed all 7 Advanced Practise Modules with The Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) in the USA – the largest Functional Medicine training provider for practitioners with a view to being a fully Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner.
I am also a clinic supervisor for the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Manchester; helping students achieve competency whilst assessing and supporting with clients in clinic.
My Professional Affiliations
I am accredited with British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) a professional body for Registered Nutrition Practitioners, whos primary function is to assist its members in attaining the highest standards of integrity, knowledge, competence and professional practice.
I am also fully insured by Balens Specialist Insurance Brokers
I am a member of The Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) which provides a gateway to a community of like-minded clinicians and researchers from around the globe from multiple disciplines and specialties who are using and studying Functional Medicine. It provides good opportunities to continue learning through its courses and ongoing research articles and provides practical tools
I am registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), a UK register for health practitioners, set up with government support.
CNHC’s register has been approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA), a body accountable to the UK Parliament.
I have also completed Nutrition Health Coach Course, an extra essential skill to ensure you keep on track, achieve your goals, establish your aims and celebrate your wins and enable you to be a healthier you. We can do this together.
"I’d definitely recommend Lulu to anybody looking for a nutritionist – not only because she has so much knowledge but because she deals with rheumatoid arthritis herself... she has tried and tested her techniques."
-Rebecca Woodcock- Student