Derry nutritionist using own experience to help others

Derry nutritionist, Jade Bradley, spent three years studying in London to become a nutritionist after struggling with food intolerances she was unaware of for years.

Jade explained: "At age 27, I appeared to be bubbly and outgoing to anyone who knew me but this was all a front. I was masking daily feelings of burnout, debilitating anxiety and low energy levels.

"At this point I was doing intense training sessions and bootcamps, I was focusing on eating to manage my weight rather than for my health and I never really slept well and accepted that as, ‘that’s just the way I am’, I didn’t know any different. 

"My body went through daily cycles of being on high alert to crashing and feeling completely burnt out, it was crippling.

 "A colleague of mine told me about some food intolerance testing they had done and I decided that I would give it a try. I had the test and was sent away with a little yellow post-it note with a list of things to focus on with my diet and supplements.

"I remember thinking, 'Right where do I even start here?' But I soon got used to my new dietary and lifestyle changes and they became second nature."

After a month of making the changes, Jade started sleeping through the night without waking, a step in the right direction that she described as a "game changer."

Jade continued: "I wasn’t struggling to get out of bed in the morning and my anxiety seemed to be reducing bit by bit. After two months the extra stone of weight I was carrying had started melting off.  

"Over time, I continued to feel better and stronger and felt like a new and improved version of myself. Everyone I met was commenting on how good I looked and how happy I seemed. I then realised that there was no arguing with the biology of the body and how food as fuel has a massive impact."

It was then that Jade decided that Nutrition was her passion and she wanted to learn more about the power of food. She moved to London and spent three years studying to be a nutritionist. 

"Today, nearly 10 years down the line, I have learned a lot on my journey with nutritional therapy," Jade said. "I am now helping women all across the world to take control of their lives and energy levels with one to one nutrition coaching, online programmes, webinars, in person events and personalised testing packages."

Jade is now using her knowledge and experience to help others as she sets her sights on her next programme with Derry's Foyle Foodbank.

With funding from 'Food For Life Get Togethers', 'My Food Community' and 'Community Fund,' Jade will be hosting a Transformational Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching Programme with users of the Foyle Food Bank starting on March 7 2023.

Jade continued: "As a local Nutritionist this was an amazing opportunity to secure funding to deliver a programme in my local community that could have a life changing impact on attendees.

"Over my four years of working with individuals I have observed that people make the most meaningful change with diet and lifestyle over a period of three months. 

"The best change also comes when they have got clear direction and accountability. In my experience, most programmes that are being delivered for groups are delivered over one off sessions or maybe over two to four weeks.

"With this programme, I will provide realistic solutions to everyday nutrition obstacles including staying hydrated- even when you don't like water- reducing your intake of processed foods and knowing the difference between ultra processed foods and minimally processed foods. 

"Also, eating well on a budget, replenishing with wholefoods and managing sleep and stress. Most importantly, we will focus on tackling the problem that holds most people back from making changes with their diet and lifestyle and that is time management. This will also include weekly tasks for accountability and habit change."

Jade said the aim for this group is to spark meaningful change in their day to day lives like feeling more energised, sleeping better, improving focus, reducing brain fog and overall improving health and wellbeing.

"My approach has had a positive reception with many groups over the past four years and have had amazing feedback and results. Although I have never had the opportunity to work with a group for a prolonged period of 12 weeks, I am extremely grateful to the funders and want to raise awareness of what we are doing to improve nutrition education locally.

"Another one of the aims of this programme is to collect qualitative and quantitative data to allow us to tailor the programmes to the needs of the community and make an impactful change on the physical and mental health of people locally. 

"The goal with this is to raise awareness about a more preventative approach to health. Ideally going forward we can continue to roll similar programmes out across the local community and widen the reach across Northern Ireland."

Opened in 2016, with 193 three day emergency food supplies given to the people in crisis in the area last month alone, Foyle Foodbank is a vital resource within the local community. The participants will be hand selected by the Food Bank and will be composed of people who are actively using the Food Bank Services.