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Empowered Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching, Sunderland (2026)

07/07/2025

🌸 Women 40+ — Feel Like the Health Advice Out There Isn’t Made for You? You’re Right. 🌸

Hi lovely ladies! 👋 I’m Anna, a qualified Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, and I currently work with the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, helping people take control of their health every day.

But here’s something I see all the time:
Most “health advice” is built around men’s bodies, not women in their 40s, 50s and beyond.
And when hormones shift, stress builds, and stubborn weight or energy issues hit — that one-size-fits-all advice just doesn’t work for us.

That’s why I’ve created a new small group coaching programme just for women 40+, starting this September 🍂

✨ Empowered Women 40+ – Online Group Coaching ✨
💬 6 sessions, every 2 weeks (starting September)
👥 Small, supportive group — up to 6 women only
💷 Introductory price: £120 for the full programme
🎁 Optional 1-to-1 mid-programme check-in for just £30

We'll focus on the issues that really affect us:
✅ Stubborn weight that won’t budge (without restrictive diets)
✅ Blood sugar swings and energy crashes
✅ Moving well and staying strong to support everyday life and long-term health
✅ Building habits that last

This is a warm, friendly space — and a chance to get expert coaching from someone who truly understands midlife health from both the NHS perspective and a holistic coaching lens.

📩 Message me here or text me on 07913 613728 to reserve your spot. With only 6 spaces, this will fill quickly!
Feel free to invite friends.

Let’s make this autumn the start of something empowering 💪🌿

I also offer 1:1 coaching if you preferred individual support.

11/01/2025

So here comes my little story...

When I was younger I aways tried to slim, but whatever I was doing I was never truly satisfied with the way I looked. Isn’t it most of us?

I was convinced that the only way to slim and look fit are long sessions of cardio burning as many kcal as possible. I didn't like the way my body looked after having 3 children. I thought taking long 10 or 15 km runs every other day must be a key to success. My dietary focus was towards plant based vegetarian style of eating trying to reduce the amount of meat I ate to minimum. Again, my body composition never shifted a lot and long cardio sessions often left me tired and wired and I often dreaded the next one coming.

Years later, I realized I was getting it all wrong!

It all started wit lots of research on the topic of muscle as a longevity organ. As I shifted my focus from long cardio to more strength training based sessions, I started to feel better, more energized, less susceptible to colds and more importantly I started to look forward to my training! My body composition started to shift with more muscle and less fat.

Now, I love mirrors and I finally I learnt to love my ‘tree trunk legs’ and big butt I used to hate, and, more importantly, skinny looks stopped becoming my goal. All it means is WEAK! And this is what I am teaching my children.

I also realized that I was getting all my diet wrong! And the way ate did not support my changing body at all!

With my 40 th birthday just around the corner, I finally feel empowered to prepare my body and mind for a long process of various hormonal changes coming, as these can cause so many sudden changes in the way we look and feel. I already noticed how my depleting estrogen is trying pump more fat into my tummy😕

I don’t want my life and body go to s***t all of a sudden, so I take an action daily to age on my own terms.

I recently met a lovely lady in her 90 ties who walked into my class wearing heels and skinny jeans telling me she can’t stay for too long as she needs to sort her garden out today. Her cognitive ability was something else too, responding sharply and asking the trickiest questions ever.

I thought wow, I want to be just like you and I will be learning from YOU.

Interested in my approach? Get in touch.

Stay strong ❤️

04/01/2025

Wishing you happy, healthy and prosperous New Year !

2024 was truly great for me and could have not asked for more. Most importantly, I have been blessed with happy and healthy family and long it may continue 😊

I was also a year when I scored pretty high in all aspects of my life and my wheel of life is rolling so smoothly now. I took time daily to grow a stronger and more resilient body and mind. Altogether, I enjoyed an exceptional health feeling better, healthier, stronger and more energized than ever before ❤️

I am so blessed by being able to do something I really love. It was another year of delivering National Diabetes Prevention Programme in North East with so many success stories from my participants. The feedback I receive makes my heart grow ❤️

I also nourished my curious mind by attending plenty of webinars, reading amazing books and studying stress management course with Shane Pearson. I gained a deep insight into my stress and learnt lots of tools to mange my own stress and help others too ❤️

Finally, I met lots of great and inspirational people and made some great friends ❤️

2025 is all about continuing to EVOLVE in all aspects of my life and also EMPOWERING others to reach for better health and wellness. I am very excited to take in a few new individual clients and cannot wait to see their health transform. ❤️

2025 is also moving in our new home and I truly cannot wait to sip that morning coffee in my dream conservatory soon ❤️

15/03/2024

World Sleep Day!!!

Prioritizing sleep quality and quantity is one of the most important strategy for improving our over wellness. When under slept, our bodies are in the stress response and that negatively impacts so many aspects of our health including blood glucose, heart rate, blood pressure and our immune system. Poor sleep leads to the increase of abdominal fat.

Not getting enough sleep leads to the increase of hunger hormones whilst reducing our satiety hormones, so we are more prone to seek high sugar and high fats snacks. Sleep is also the time when our brains regenerate, so not getting enough of sleep increases our risks for neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer and Parkinson's.

Feeling 100% refreshed in the morning? Being able to wake up without your alarm clock? If so, it means you are probably getting enough. Anything less than 6.5 and more than 9.5 is less than optimal.

MAKE YOUR SLEEP AS WONDERFUL AS POSSIBLE! Good sleep is not optional, but it is a biological necessity, so do it right.

Some strategies to improve you sleep:

1. Bedtime routine. Always go to bed at the same time. Get up at the same time. Your bodies are wired for routine.
2. Make your bedroom as dark as possible.
3. Get some morning light exposure. It can be a morning walk or 5 minutes in your backyard. Sunlight helps with melatonin (sleep hormone) production later on.
4. Limit blue light exposure from your electronic devices before bedtime. Blue light inhibits melatonin production.
5. Don’t overstimulate your brain with excitatory content before bedtime. No news or emotional movies.
6. Check your magnesium, calcium and B vitamins level. Deficiency may lead to dysregulated sleep.
7. Limit alcohol and high sugar snacks before bedtime. Alcohol will fragment your sleep and may prevent you from reaching deep stages of sleep crucial for regeneration.
8. Reduce stress.

Sleep is God. Go and worship. (J. Butcher)

11/02/2024

Sod counting calories!!! It doesn't work long-term.

>>The truth is that fat loss is more than just calories in and calories out, so 'Eat Less, Exercise More' doesn't work for everybody and when we look at numbers, it turns out that only 10% of people lose weight and manage to keep it off for a year, especially when going for severe calorie restriction strategies. Our brain is our worst enemy when it comes to fat loss and too much of a change is read as ‘starvation’, so our brain does everything to get our fat back.

>> The 'Calorie Counting' approach is often draining and can take away the right to enjoy our food. It also has some fundamental flaws, as we now know that:
- The calories on the packet are not equal to the calories in the body, unless measured in a lab.
- Our bodies are not simply combustion engines and different foods affect out metabolism, hormones, immune system and brain chemistry differently.
- 100 calories from blueberries does not equal 100 calories from a chocolate bar, since they have profoundly different effects on our biological functions !!!

* Food can either heal you or cause disease by switching on disease-fighting or disease-promoting genes.
* Food can slow or speed your metabolism.
* Food can feed a healthy gut microbiome or promote the growth of toxic bacteria.
* Food can be anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory.

ALL of those factors affect our weight more than the sheer number of calories coming from food, so let's start building better habits for life.
Sounds complex and confusing? Get in touch and let's work out the plan for you, away from the drudgery of calorie counting and closer to the whole food approach, which will keep unwanted fat away for life and more importantly create better health.

As a health and well being coach, I daily see my people seeing amazing results just be making informed dietary choices and learning how to balance their foods. No calorie counting!

One to one consultations and small group coaching available. Let's create more health together.

07/02/2024

One of the most brilliant sessions I had today ❤️❤️❤️
The impact of chronic stress on our health.

We talked about what is really going on in our bodies when we are stressed and how important it is to bleed out some of the stresses daily through powerful relaxation techniques.

* Do you know that chronic stress may lead to type 2 diabetes and many other chronic conditions?

* Do you know that unmanaged stress can lead to you gaining weight ?

* Have you heard about stress tummy?

* Do you know that stress often means a degree of a digestive shutdown?

* Do you know that stress affects the production of s*x hormones ?

As a lifestyle coach specializing in stress management, I support people with becoming aware of their stress load whilst helping them develop strategies to manage stress in a way that buffers any serious consequences it may have on their health.

*** First step is to become aware and put a number on your stress.

If you were to rate your current stress level on a scale from 0-10, with 10 being super stressed and 0 having no stress at all, how much would you score?

18/01/2024

Back on the orange juice subject. My pre-diabetes participants learn that a pint of orange juice brings around 13.5 teaspoon of sugar into our bodies and that amount hits us FAST and HARD leading to a quick release of insulin which will change some of that sugar into fat. They are forever surprised saying that it is the sugar from fruit so cannot be that bad.

-> The uncomfortable truth is that sugar is sugar and it does not matter if it comes from fruit or sugar beets (table sugar) or honey. Too much, too quickly and your cells are overwhelmed, your inflammation markers go, you gain weight, gain belly fat, your wrinkles deepen and you gradually become insulin resistant. The immediate observable effects of sudden sugar spike cause cravings, overeating, sudden energy dips and mood changes.

-> Also excessive FRUCTOSE from our sweet treats gets changed into fat by our liver which then gets stored as liver fat, or released as bad cholesterol !!!

So, if you like sugar, have any type of sugar you want (honey, white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave) – they are all the same. They are all made from glucose and fructose, just named differently and priced differently.

However, if you can use some of the following hacks if you want to lessen the effect of sudden sugar spike:

1) If having a sweet treat, have it as a dessert; never on an empty stomach
2) Avoid juices and fruit smoothies for breakfast; if you like them have them later on in the day, after your meal. Sugar for breakfast hits you incredibly fast.
3) Combine your fruit and sweet treats with a handful of nuts or a small piece of cheese. Protein and fats slow the release of sugars into your blood.
4) Try 1 tbsp. of diluted apple cider vinegar 20 minutes before eating a sweet treat. Acetic acid curbs the spike.
5) Have a handful of chopped up vegetables of any kind before a piece of chocolate cake. Fiber will slow your sugars!

Simple, scientifically backed advice which is likely to curb your blood sugar spike by up to 30%. Remember every time we spike, we get inflamed and inflammation is the root cause of many diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

For more advice and further chat get in touch.

16/01/2024

13.5 teaspoons of sugar in a pint of orange juice? Exactly the same amount as in the pint of coke.

Shocking sugar content awaits my participants in the Pavillion today. But it is naturally occurring sugar, so should be better, right? I thought that juice is a healthy addition to my breakfast. But surely it must be better than sugar from full fat coke. What do you think?

Common responses I get from people. I can't wait to see what conclusion we arrive at today.

25/11/2023

Get in flaxseed into your diet!!!

Tiny seed loaded with nutrients associated with better health outcomes.
• 1 serving (1 tbsp) provided a good amount of protein, fibre (2 g!!!)
• It is a good source and alpha-linolenic acid which may convert in Omega-3 fatty acids reducing inflammation and contributing to optimal cell function
• Flax seed is a great source of thiamine which plays a crucial role in metabolism
• Flax seed associated with better HDL to LDL ration, which means it may lower your bad cholesterol
• A few servings of flax per day associated with lower blood pressure
• Flax may protect you against some cancers due it its high lignans content. Lignans are a powerful plant compound having steroid like structure; often referred to as phytoestrogens. Lignans may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, postmenopausal symptoms and also breast cancer due to estrogen lowering properties.
Too many potential benefits, so get flaxseed into your diet. Add it to your morning yoghurt, cereal, porridge or smoothies. Sprinkle flaxseed on your salads or add it your coffee. When baking mix flaxseed into dough or sprinkle it on top.

*** TRY TO GRIND IT FOR BETTER NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY. When eaten whole, they are hard to digest and nutrients may not be released due to its hard shell. Once milled, store in a tight container, away from light and use within 3 days.

23/11/2023

Dizzy when standing up? Muscle spasms? Or unexplained anxiety?

All these may be symptoms of low sodium in your blood.
As with fats, we have a deeply ingrained idea that the less salt we consume, the better for our health. Again guidelines established 40 years ago, somewhat based on cherry picking type of studies. Think about Japan, a country with a highest salt consumption and yet one of the longest living people in the world!

It is not uncommon to hear stories of health-conscious people who cook from scratch, limit processed foods and yet they avoid salt at all cost. At the same time, we see an increase in the number of people diagnosed with low sodium in their blood which may have life threatening consequences. Current guidelines are as follows:

NHS: 6g of salt = 2.3 mg sodium (1 level teaspoon)
WHO 5 g of salt = 1.9 mg sodium

Health authorities keep pushing for lower sodium intake reducing it below 3 mg and for many of us tis may have a negative effect.
• Lots of studies are pointing that those consuming less than 3 g are at a greater risk of heart disease and early death that those with an intake of 4-5 g
• Low sodium linked to an increased risk of death in people with heart failure
• Low salt may raise LDL cholesterol and lead to insulin resistance
• People with low salt with type 2 diabetes may have an increased risk of death
• Low sodium forces your body to pull sodium from your bones and in the process, it pulls significant amounts of magnesium and calcium with it
• When low on sodium we sweat more magnesium and calcium; it is our body’s defense mechanism to hold onto sodium

Also, do you know that during 1 h exercise you will excrete ½ teaspoon of salt? Also, high caffeine consumption and stress significantly depletes sodium in your blood. Sodium is an essential mineral and our bodies can’t make it, so whilst too much is not good for us, too little can have very serious consequences to our health.

*** If you don’t suffer from salt induced hypertension, you don't rely on processed foods, but cook your meals mostly from scratch, there may be no need to avoid adding salt to your food.

An interesting interview led by dr M.Hyman (link in comments).

13/11/2023

Granola ready for the oven. Prep 10 min, cook 15 min. Tasty, nutritious and satisfying snack; only naturally occurring sugars. Cooked with coconut oil. Also, an excellent way of getting lots of nutrients into fussy kids. Mine hate nuts but they love my granola full of walnuts and pecans 🤣The picture not the best though 😭Recipe in the comments.

04/11/2023

Does eating fat makes you fat?

Once ideas get deeply entrenched in our minds, it’s difficult to change them and that’s why we still see people going after low-fat products in the hope of aiding their weight loss. However, science evolves and we now know that, as a general rule, fat does not make you fat. The fact that fats provide more calories per gram than protein or carbs does not mean that they are our enemy when it comes to regulating our weight.

Remember a calorie from a chocolate bar does not equal a calorie from blueberries, as they affect our biology differently. So with fats, forget their calorie density, as it isn’t as relevant as previously thought!
Let’s focus on some up-to-date, science based recommendations when it comes to eating fat. I generally recommend around 35% of your calorie intake comes from fats for those on a weight management plan, however there will be those who will benefit from even higher intake. Some benefits of eating fats when trying to lose weight include:

*As opposed to carbs and protein, fats do not affect your insulin levels (insulin, amongst other things, is a fat storage hormone)
• Fats promote satiety and reduce cravings, so you are likely to feel fuller for longer
• Fats contain all the important fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)
• Fats slow the absorption of glucose into your blood and therefore support your weight goals!!!
• The right fats can speed your metabolism up !

So, don't don't demonize fats. Get to know your body first, as the ideal fat intake may change from person to person. The key thing is to always go for good quality and health promoting fats. And try to add a good quality fat source to each meal and snack.

Empowered Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching

07/07/2025

11/01/2025

04/01/2025

15/03/2024

11/02/2024

07/02/2024

18/01/2024

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25/11/2023

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13/11/2023

04/11/2023

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