When we think about improving our health, the conversation so often starts—and ends—with food. People will cringe at parties and say, “I shouldn’t eat this or drink that in front of you.” But, you know what? I disagree. The joy of celebrating, the laughter, the sense of ease that comes from being with people you love—that’s worth far more than a tonne of wild-caught salmon.

Real health isn’t just about what you eat. It’s about how you live.

It’s about whether your body feels calm and rested. Whether your mind feels clear. Whether your days have space for connection, movement, and breath. These are the things that create true wellbeing—not perfection, but flow. Not restriction, but resilience.

Yes, the food we eat matters. It can nourish, deplete, support or stress your body. But we are not machines with a list of required inputs, that will guarantee a specific outcome. We are living, feeling, energetic beings, constantly interacting with our environment—and our health reflects the whole of that interaction.

That’s why some people eat all the “right” foods and still feel flat, anxious, bloated, or exhausted. Because food is only one piece of the puzzle.

We thrive when we have:

• Deep, restful sleep: Not just time in bed, but true restoration. The kind that recalibrates hormones, clears inflammation, and steadies the mind.
• Movement: Not punishment or perfection, but the kind that brings oxygen, lifts the spirit, and stirs stagnant energy—especially outdoors.
• Time in nature: We are biologically wired for it. Being outside helps regulate our nervous system, digestion, and even immune responses.
• Connection: Whether it’s deep conversations or a shared laugh, being seen and supported changes our physiology. Isolation is a stressor. Connection is a balm.
• Stillness and joy: Our bodies crave rest—but also play, creativity, and moments that make us feel fully alive. These things restore our life force in ways that green smoothies never can.

One of the most important, but least talked about, aspects of healing is energy—not the kind you burn through, but the kind you bring into a space.

When I talk about energy, I don’t mean being busy or high-vibe or bouncing off the walls. My spaniel, Radish, has that kind of energy—she literally bounces off walls, chasing shadows and patches of light, racing through life with total joy and utter chaos. I love her madly, but she’s not what you’d call calming.

Then there’s Bella, my horse. She weighs three-quarters of a tonne, a giant compared to Radish, and yet somehow she’s the gentlest soul I know. I can be working away in the yard and not even realise she’s behind me until I feel her breath—soft and steady—right by my ear. She doesn’t announce herself. She just arrives. That’s the kind of energy I believe in. The kind that settles your whole system. That makes you feel safe, grounded, and at ease without needing anything in return. I believe healing happens in that kind of presence. Not when someone charges in with fixes and formulas, but when they offer stillness. When they hold space for your body to do what it’s been longing to do: restore, recalibrate, and return to balance.

For my clients I aim to bring that kind of energy, that sense of being in flow. Of digestion that feels effortless. Moods that feel balanced. A body that feels light, strong, and yours. That’s energy. And it's affected by everything you absorb—not just nutritionally, but emotionally, relationally, and environmentally.

So if you're doing “all the right things” with food but still not feeling like yourself, take a breath. Zoom out. Ask: What else is depleting me? What else could be nourishing me?

Because healing isn’t just about what you eat. It’s about how you live. And the good news? Every part of your life can be part of your medicine.