https://calendly.com/root-cellar-nutrition/discoverycall

Root Cellar Nutrition, Ludlow (2025)

10/09/2025

Food has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, but it was the years I lived in France that really brought it alive for me. Spending hours over made-from-scratch dinners with friends, the accessibility of amazing bread and pastries, markets full of fresh, local, artisanal produce - all of this was so different from my life in the UK at the time and sowed a seed that I would return to later.

As much as I enjoyed food back then, it wasn’t until I had been seriously ill with long-covid and ME/CFS for several years that I began learning how to use food as medicine. This added a whole new depth to my relationship with food and gratitude for what it can do for my quality of life - and this is the feeling that I try to bring to my nutritional therapy.

So here’s why my (in my biased opinion) you should choose a nutritional therapist who is passionate about, not just nutrition, but the food itself:

– While I love diving into macro- and micro-nutrient profiles, I always return to the idea that food is so much more than that. It’s culture and heritage, community and connection, seasonality and pleasure.

– I do my best to cultivate a non-restrictive mindset around food - a healthy diet should feel abundant, not limiting. It’s the difference between “I should eat that” and “I get to eat that!”

– taste matters to me! There will be no plain chicken breast with steamed broccoli around here. If your food isn’t so delicious you can’t wait to eat it, then it’s not nourishing you like it should!

– because I want you to love your food, I don’t use any cookie-cutter meal plans or programs. Get ready to brainstorm recipe ideas with me and get inspired, because everything will be tailored to you, your life, and your taste buds.

Interested to learn more? Book a free, no-strings-attached discovery call (link in bio)

05/09/2025

Storytime: when I started working with a practice client, digestion wasn't on the initial list of health concerns to target. I sent her the intake paperwork, and when I reviewed it, I saw there were a lot of digestive symptoms interfering with her day-to-day quality of life.

When we met for our interview and I asked her about it, she told me how eye-opening it had been to fill out her food and mood journal as part of the intake process. Until she started tracking, she hadn't realised herself just how much her digestive system needed support!

We made digestive health one of the focuses of our work together, and my recommendations focused on introducing gut supportive foods, dialling in food and beverage timing, and identifying, detective-style, what she was reacting to.

Sometimes, a solution is complex, but sometimes, it really is that simple. Within a few weeks, her digestive symptoms thay had been there in the background for years had disappeared.

That didn't just mean less daily discomfort. It meant more nutrients absorbed, better whole body hydration, improved hair, skin, and nails, and more energy.

Ultimately, we are not what we eat, we are what we digest.

If your digestive system is struggling, reach out with any questions or book a free call (link in bio) to chat about how I could help!

04/09/2025

Don't struggle in silence! I know first-hand how fatigue impacts every single area of life and I wish I had known what I know now 5 years ago, when I thought my best years were already behind me. I feel so passionately about being the practitioner I wish I had had back then! Get in touch for details on my early-bird practice opening discount or book a free, no-strings-attached chat with the link in my bio!

02/09/2025

I'm graduating on Monday from and couldn't be more excited! I've been doing lots of business things behind the scenes and will be ready to see a few clients very soon, at an early-bird discounted price! I already have a waitlist, so if you might be interested in snagging one of my first spots, reach out for more details or book a free chat with me.

And if you know anyone in the Ludlow area who could benefit from nutritional support, please do share this with them!

31/08/2025

It has been so rewarding to work with this practice client and support her to make the changes that really count! I'll be graduating from my nutrition course at on Sept 8th and am excited to work with more clients here in Ludlow. If you're interested in working together, let me know, or share this post with someone struggling with their digestion, energy, or hormones!

15/08/2025

-BRAIN

Digestion doesn’t start with the stomach, or even the mouth, but with the brain and nervous system, with the feedback loop of the gut-brain axis. If we’re eating in a rushed or anxious, sympathetic-dominant state, our GI tract will not be primed to digest our food properly. Even the act of preparing our food and taking it in with our senses primes our digestive juices to begin flowing.

-MOUTH

Yes, it sounds basic to bring up chewing, almost too obvious, but when was the last time you thought consciously about chewing consistency? Our stomach and intestines don’t have teeth, so they can only do their best with what we give them! Also, we actually start digesting our carbs and fats in the mouth with the digestive enzymes in our saliva (salivary amylase and salivary lipase). The more time we give these to work, the more digested our food will be before it even hits our stomach.

-POSTURE AND CLOTHING

Digestive function relies on the proper flow of blood and oxygen to the GI tract and so compression naturally inhibits digestion. This makes tight clothing (particularly waistbands and belts) a really overlooked factor in digestive distress! Sedentary lifestyles in our modern work environment are another big culprit here, so considering posture and adding in gentle movement at regular intervals throughout the day can work wonders.

-CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

Our digestive secretions and hunger and satiety hormones all evolved to run on the sun’s schedule, rising in the morning and dipping in the evening. High levels of blue light exposure, late nights, late and heavy evening meals, and skipped breakfasts all work against this natural rhythm. Learning to fuel ourselves in a way that aligns with our light environment can be a game changer.

Were any of these surprising to you? Let me know in the comments!

11/08/2025

It's the season of fresh herbs from the garden, allotment gluts of new potatoes, ripe tomatoes from the Isle of Wight, fresh fruit, and a side of new puppy chaos.

Brioche bun and cinnamon roll from

Whole chicken, beef mince, steak, and chicken hearts from

Vanilla cruffin and coffee from

Lots of goodies from

08/08/2025

It may be a controversial topic, but we can’t talk about cycle health without talking about hormonal birth control! The pill is very convenient and effective, but like any pharmaceutical, it comes with risks along with the benefits.

It’s a completely personal choice and informed consent is everything, so here’s a few things I wish every girl and woman knew before starting hormonal birth control:

– Women can actually only get pregnant around 6 days out of the month. If everyone knew this they could make an informed decision about whether it is worth it to them to take a daily medication.

– Learning about our cycle and developing body literacy is a valid alternative. The fertility awareness method involves tracking basal body temp, cervical mucus, LH levels, and cervical position (with or without apps and wearables) to identify the fertile window. It’s up to 99% effective as a birth control method with perfect use.

– Hormonal birth control does not heal health issues. Many women are prescribed it for anxiety, depression, painful periods, endometriosis, PMDD, migraines, and the list goes on. This is symptom management, not healing, and while symptom management has it’s place, it’s not a replacement for making the diet and lifestyle changes that will address the root cause. Symptoms are signs we need to listen to, not suppress.

– Long-term use depletes the body of many nutrients over time, including folate, vitamins B2, B6, and B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. This means that targeted nutritional support is even more of a necessity to prevent long-term depletion related health concerns.

– Hormonal birth control pills are endocrine disruptors by design, so fertility can take some time to return after coming off them. Supporting the body through diet and lifestyle will speed up this process, but if you’re hoping to conceive it’s ideal to come off them a year or two beforehand for your hormones to re-regulate and to rebuild stores of the depleted nutrients, which are all play a role in conception and a healthy pregnancy.

Were you taught any of this growing up? Let me know - I know I wasn't!

27/07/2025

In a healthy, ovulatory cycle, progesterone begins to be released after ovulation in the lead-up to your next period, and has a calming, relaxing influence (couldn’t we all do with more of that?). Low progesterone has become increasingly common and is responsible for so many cycle-related symptoms, such as PMS, short or irregular cycles, stubborn weight gain, and even infertility and early miscarriage.

BUT there are so many ways to increase progesterone production naturally:

DIET:

– Vitamin B6 helps develop the corpus luteum (a temporary organ that releases the majority of our progesterone) and supports hormonal detox. It’s abundant in beef liver and other organ meats, turkey, chicken, tuna, and salmon. make my favourite organ meat capsules - use code ROOTCELLARNUTRITION for a discount.

– Zinc is key for the pituitary gland to set off the hormonal cascade that leads to progesterone production and is found in shellfish (especially oysters), beef, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.

– Vitamin C supports the adrenal glands, which also produce progesterone, and is found in lots of fruit (especially citrus and strawberry), bell peppers, and broccoli. For a proper boost without synthetic supplementation, I recommend incorporating acerola cherry extract daily.

– Magnesium is key to just about every bodily function and most of us are deficient - in this case it supports the pituitary gland, like zinc, and plays a role in progesterone synthesis. It’s found in dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, avocado, and dark leafy greens, but I typically recommend a supplement too. make my favourite, high quality magnesium blends (use code SARAHNUTRITION for a discount).

LIFESTYLE:

– Sleep duration has been shown to correlate with progesterone levels, so make sure you’re getting at least 8+ hours every night!

– Stress management: high cortisol = lower progesterone, so carving out time for rest, time in nature, deep breathing, and gentle movement is key.

– Avoiding over-exercise: this becomes a stressor that can downregulate s*x hormones.

– Limit exposure to endocrine disruptors (see my last post!)

23/07/2025

Did you know that our ability to detoxify estrogen – which is key to less painful periods, less PMS, and more regular cycles – comes down to gut health and digestion? We actually have a whole collection of gut bacteria dedicated to estrogen metabolism: the estrobolome.

Properly metabolising estrogen is a team effort! The liver needs to create bile of the right consistency and conjugate excess estrogen. Our gallbladder needs to store the bile and release it as part of our fat digestion mechanism. The liver packages excess estrogen for removal, and bile carries it into the gut, where it can bind to fibre and be eliminated through the stool.

This means there are lots of factors to consider when supporting estrogen metabolism:

– Are you having at least one bowel movement per day (ideally a 3–4 on the Bristol Stool Chart)? Constipation = estrogen backup and reabsorption = hormonal imbalances. So this is the #1 place to start!

– Make sure you’re eating enough fibre to bind to the estrogen! Aim for 5–10g with each meal, or as tolerated, and build up slowly.

– Include healthy fats with each meal to stimulate gallbladder contractions and bile release.

– Include 20–30g of complete protein with every meal – The liver needs amino acids like taurine and glycine to make bile salts. These amino acids are most abundant in animal proteins like meat, eggs, collagen, and bone broth.

– Consider incorporating a raw carrot salad daily (1 grated carrot, plus salt, ACV, and olive or coconut oil). Raw carrot fibre has estrogen-binding properties that support hormonal balance.

– Consider adding broccoli sprouts or microgreens, which are rich in sulforaphane to support liver detox and DIM (diindolylmethane) to support the conversion of estrogen into its more protective metabolites.

Every body system is so deeply interconnected – we can’t improve hormonal health without improving digestion and improving digestion = better nutrient absorption, which in turn supports energy, immunity, mood, and more.

18/07/2025

When all is going smoothly with our cycle, estrogen is dominant in the follicular phase and progesterone takes over in the luteal phase. BUT, there are many substances in our modern environment that disrupt hormonal function (endocrine disrupting chemicals or EDCs). EDCs often have xenoestrogenic effects, leading to high estrogen relative to progesterone.

Excess estrogen, or estrogen dominance, can show up as pretty much any cycle problem you can imagine: increased PMS, irregular cycles, heavy periods, breast tenderness, fertility issues, and even long-term cancer risk. And it’s really not surprising that these issues have become so normalised when our environment does not set us up for cycle success!

So what can we do?

– Avoid synthetic fragrances:

When “fragrance” or “parfum” is listed on the ingredients of self-care products, make-up, candles, cleaning products, and so much more, it is a legal proprietary loophole, allowing companies to avoid disclosing the EDCs (eg. phthalates, parabens) that they contain. You might be surprised how pervasive synthetic fragrances are, so my advice is: as you run out of your current products, check the ingredients before replacing.

– Be mindful of microplastics:

EDCs in plastic such as bisphenols, phthalates, perfluorinated compounds, and many more leach from plastic, with the quantity depending on the contact time, heat, and fat content. Some simple things we can do are: avoid plastic chopping boards, avoid heating food in plastic containers, switch to glass/stainless steel water bottles and kettles, avoid buying fats stored in plastic, and limit drinking from disposable paper cups (lined with plastic).

– Minimise pesticide exposure:

Many pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture are known EDCs. Of course, buying organic will always be ideal, but don’t worry if it’s not in the budget! Check out the Pesticide Action Network UK's “dirty dozen” list to prioritise organic where it counts the most and wash soak non-organic produce in a solution of 1tsp bicarbonate of soda per 500 ml of water for 15 mins.

Would you try any of these to see how they impact your cycle? Lmk below!

Root Cellar Nutrition

10/09/2025

05/09/2025

04/09/2025

02/09/2025

31/08/2025

15/08/2025

11/08/2025

08/08/2025

27/07/2025

23/07/2025

18/07/2025

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