Sarah Flower - Nutritionist & Author

Sarah Flower - Nutritionist & Author I’m Sarah Flower, nutritionist with over 30 years of experience bringing together nutrition science and real food. Founder of Heart & Thyme coming soon

I work with clients across the UK, from my clinic in Devon or via Zoom, supporting women and families.

26/04/2026

This is more than just a cake.

It was my dad’s favourite. And my husband’s too.

A simple spiced apple cake. Cinnamon, sultanas, soft apples. The kind that fills the kitchen with that warm, familiar smell that instantly feels like home.

I never really measured it. It was always a bit of this, a bit of that. Trying to turn it into a proper recipe has taken far more effort than actually making it.

I used to send my dad home with slices when he visited. He didn’t need to say much, just that quiet appreciation. He loved cake.

Years later, after a very difficult time, this cake even became a bit of a bargaining tool with my local garage. They fixed my car for very little… and the cake made an appearance as a thank you. It was very well received.

Maybe that’s why I feed people. It’s how I show love.

I can’t make this now without thinking of him.

Recipe is up on Heart & Thyme.

Still being told it is just IBS?Bloating after mealsLooking six months pregnant by the eveningLiving on peppermint tea a...
23/04/2026

Still being told it is just IBS?

Bloating after meals
Looking six months pregnant by the evening
Living on peppermint tea and hoping for the best

I see this all the time in clinic. And very often, it is not IBS at all.

One of the most common drivers is SIBO. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. It can trigger bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux, brain fog, food reactions, and that constant uncomfortable feeling after eating.

The problem is, most people are never told to look for it.

I have put together a simple, easy to follow SIBO guide to help you understand what it is, what symptoms to look for, and what you can start doing about it.

You can download it free from the Books, Downloads and Guides section on my website

www.sarahflower.co.uk

If your gut has been “off” for a while, this is a very good place to start

menopausehealth digestivehealth functionalmedicine nutritionistuk guthealing

I keep my bread standing on its end, on my island inside a glass dome.Most people think that’s odd.But it takes me strai...
19/04/2026

I keep my bread standing on its end, on my island inside a glass dome.

Most people think that’s odd.

But it takes me straight back to my aunty’s kitchen, where her sandwich loaf was always cut upright, sliced slowly with a flat knife, as if it had all the time in the world.

And perhaps that’s the point.

We’ve rushed food so much that we’ve lost the rhythm of it.

Bread used to be central. Visible. Made properly. Shared without thinking.

Now it’s often plastic-wrapped and forgotten.

So I bake.

A simple sandwich loaf for the week. A sourdough for the weekend.

Nothing complicated. Just flour, water, time and a bit of patience.

This week’s Heart & Thyme letter is all about that rhythm, and the small kitchen memories that never really leave us.

With both recipes included. Check out at
heartthyme.substack.com.

I've just published the first in a new five-part series on protein, and I think you might find it eye-opening.Protein ge...
08/04/2026

I've just published the first in a new five-part series on protein, and I think you might find it eye-opening.

Protein gets talked about constantly, but most people are still confused about it. How much do you actually need? Is that "high protein" label on your yoghurt telling the truth? And does it really matter if you're not going to the gym?

The answer to that last one is a resounding yes, and this is especially true for women in midlife.

In clinic I see it all the time. Patients who are eating what they think is a healthy diet, but when we look at their food diaries together, their protein intake is often half what their body actually needs. The result? Fatigue, stubborn weight, poor sleep, hormone imbalances, low mood. Often the thing that makes the biggest difference is the simplest: eating more of the right protein, consistently, from the right sources.

Part 1 of the series covers what protein actually does in your body, far beyond muscles, and how to know if you're getting enough.

I'd love to know: do you think you're hitting your protein targets? 👇

Read it here: https://www.sarahflower.co.uk/post/protein-power-why-your-body-can-t-thrive-without-it-part-1

23/03/2026

Lemon sponge, cream cheese icing, lemon curd and whortleberry jam.

Devon’s version of wild blueberries and perfect with lemon.

Recipe going out Sunday in my Heart and Thyme kitchen letter, or just comment “recipe” and I will send it over.





19/03/2026

So many of the women I work with are doing everything “right” on paper…or so they think.
Eating well, trying to be balanced, following advice they have picked up over the years.

But something still feels off.
Energy is low. Weight is creeping up. Hormones feel all over the place.

Often it is not about trying harder.
It is about doing the right things for this stage of life.

Midlife needs a different approach. More protein, better blood sugar balance, less confusion and far more simplicity.

If this sounds like you, you are not alone.

17/03/2026

I have this conversation almost daily in my clinic.

‘I’m eating well, I’m trying… but nothing is shifting.’

And I get it. It’s frustrating, confusing, and honestly a bit exhausting.

Midlife changes a lot more than we expect, and most of the advice out there just doesn’t fit anymore.

So if you’re feeling like your body is not playing ball… come and sit with me for a moment.

Let’s make it make sense.

16/03/2026

Chocolate sourdough bread and butter pudding.

I baked a chocolate sourdough loaf earlier in the week and, as always happens in our house, a few thick slices disappeared almost immediately while it was still warm.

The rest went into a tin in the pantry.

And then everyone forgot it was there.

Three days later I rediscovered the loaf. It was still perfectly good but just past the stage where you would slice it for toast. Rather than waste it, I turned it into something even better.

Chocolate bread and butter pudding.

Thick slices of the sourdough layered into a dish, soaked in custard and scattered with dark chocolate chips so they melt through the pudding as it bakes.

Warm, rich, chocolatey and the sort of comforting pudding that reminds you why old fashioned recipes are often the best.

Sometimes the best dishes are not planned at all. They simply happen because something was forgotten in the pantry.

If you would like the full recipe, let me know in the comments and I will share it.





Do you remember Sundays when the oven stayed on all day?Growing up in the 1970s, Sunday meant the roast was cooking and ...
15/03/2026

Do you remember Sundays when the oven stayed on all day?

Growing up in the 1970s, Sunday meant the roast was cooking and the oven was full. Cakes, biscuits and savoury bits were made for the week ahead, packed lunches were prepared, and if we were lucky there was something special for Sunday tea.

Looking back, those kitchens shaped far more than just our meals. They shaped habits, memories and my lifelong love of cooking.

Mothering Sunday always brings those memories back. I have written about those early days in the kitchen, the thrift, the family rituals, and the small moments that quietly started my journey into food, nutrition and writing.

You can read the full Sunday Kitchen Letter on my Substack heartthyme

Link in bio.

Sarah

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13/03/2026

Today is World Sleep Day.

Sleep is one of the most powerful health tools we have, yet it is usually the first thing we sacrifice when life gets busy.

While we sleep the body is doing its overnight maintenance.

The brain clears toxins
Hormones reset
Tissues repair
Memories are processed
Appetite signals rebalance

Poor sleep does far more than make you tired.

It can increase hunger hormones, raise stress levels and make weight balance much harder.

If you are struggling with energy, cravings, midlife weight gain or brain fog, sleep is often the first place I look.

I have written a short article on my website explaining what really happens in the body while we sleep and some simple habits that can help improve it.

Link in bio.

How many hours sleep did you get last night?

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Exeter
EX1,1SE

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