Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy
ABOUT HEDGEROW HEALTH
The name Hedgerow Health came about as I was trying to connect my training to my obsession with all things natural, especially herbs and wholefood, and how this all tied into my health and wellbeing. Given that hedgerows, when left to their own devices, are a thriving eco system, this was exactly what I wanted to guide both myself and my clients back towards; well balanced, natural, thriving health.
​
It stems from a passion for helping people to make the absolute best of their health and regain control of their wellbeing, which is so often consumed by the mad, fast-paced, stress filled modern world we live in today.
I was initially stunned when I learned that our gut is the seat of our health. Though when you actually think about it, if the part of you that is responsible for absorbing your fuel, taking out the trash and providing your immune system with the literal inside scoop, is unhappy, that's obviously going to lead to problems!
Now I think of our gut as our own hedgerow, a little ecosystem in its own right; if we've pulled up all the plants or hacked it back to bare bones, wrecked the soil, aren't giving it any fertiliser or hydration and are expecting it to look (or feel in this case) wonderful and keep thriving as normal then we need a reality check!
So to get some insight on why your body is doing what it's doing and how to become friends with your gut again, book a discovery call to see why working with me is the first step in getting yourself back on track to feeling great!
ABOUT ME
My name is Jodie and I'm a Nutritional Therapist. I trained for 3 years with the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) and am registered as a practitioner with the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP).
​At the core of Hedgerow Health is a fundamental belief in real food (I'm a massive food lover!), doing something you love every day and keeping it simple! Good nutrition doesn't have to be, and indeed shouldn't be, complicated! ​I came to nutrition through my own health challenges, including autoimmunity (my diagnoses are systemic lupus erythematosus & antiphospholipid syndrome; 10 points if you can say that second one out loud on your first attempt!) and disordered eating. I can honestly say, I understand, I'm here for you, I totally get it.
A huge amount of my journey has been down to mindset change. The realisation and acceptance that;
​a) I didn't have to put up with how things were, I deserved better
b) No one else was going to do the leg work for me. They quite literally couldn't. You know the phrase 'You can lead a horse to water...', never has that been more true. Only you are responsible for what you put in your mouth, on your skin and how you treat your body and live your life.​
I had to take responsibility. Hands down, it was the best decision I ever made! ​I had to totally re-evaluate my life, from addressing my terrible eating habits, right down to the 9-5 (more like 8-6.30ish...) job that was slowly killing any hope that I would ever feel better. Everything got the Marie Kondo treatment; if it didn't add value, it went. Including the alleged 9-5.
​I rediscovered that real food is fuel for all the amazing things we want to do with our time and energy. It's nourishment for our family life, it can provide comfort, healing and joy. ​Ultimately, our relationship with food has become so warped by constant availability of unlimited foods ( frankenstein foods; I'm looking right at you low-fat, low-sugar and margerine) that it seems like we've forgotten the fundamental basics about nourishing and nurturing our bodies with what they need. ​
There is a fantastic quote; 'Genetics load the gun, environment pulls the trigger.'. Environment in this instance is everything you put in your body from food and medication, medical interventions to cigarettes and non prescription drugs, everything you use in your home and on your body, the places you work, rest and play and the way you choose to live. This little quote shows up in sharp relief that you aren't necessarily at the mercy of your genetics. By altering the environment you can effect change.​Working together, we will delve into your history, look at your the food you eat as well as what's going on in your life and around you in order to identify any underlying problems contributing to how you're feeling.
With a full range of clinical testing available, we can dicuss any areas you're curious about (genetics and immunity seem to be themain areas of interest at the moment) as well as those which could shine a light on any tricky areas of your health.​I'm not into extreme diets, full on fasting for beginners or any other crazy fads you may be worried I might suggest. Everything we do will be working towards balance and happiness and that's not going to happen for most people on a diet restricted to broccoli and plain chicken.