Nutritionist's business helps young people improve relationship with food

Lucy Sommer set up her business Live Better Lucy in 2019 to help young people improve their relationship with food.
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Lucy

She said: “I struggled with eating for years. I felt uncomfortable in my body and therefore spent a lot of my time and energy trying to change it.”

Lucy, 29 from Kirdford tried a number of diets, restrictive eating and then used food to soothe her emotions.

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She said: “I was stuck in this cycle for a long time and I knew something needed to change.”

After studying nutrition she learnt to appreciate food and nutrition and found it was only a small piece of a very large puzzle when it came to improving your health.

“I want to help young people navigate their own health journey and improve their relationship with food by encompassing not only nutrition but also lifestyle, mental health, body image and intuitive eating,” she explained.

“I’ve realised a lot of people struggle with their relationship with food, often stemming from childhood, and this is why I set up Live Better Lucy; to help young people manage their own relationship with food in the hope that I will pass on knowledge and skills to build resilience in the future.”

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Lucy works with people aged 11 to 17 and offers a six-week nutrition and mental health programme which includes six consultations with Lucy either online or face to face.

The programme includes looking at topics such as body image, social media, mental health, exercise, intuitive eating and nutrition.

She provides practical tools which her clients can work on in between sessions as well as a useful resources to complement the programme.

She said: “I aim to provide a safe space for young people so that they feel they can open up but also it’s important that my clients enjoy the programme.

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“I ask my client to tell me what they would like to finish the programme with, whether that be cooking something delicious together or a specific topic they would like more information on.”

Simple changes Lucy suggests people make for a better quality of life include eating more herbs, take breaks from social media, and communicate your feelings about food and your body to someone who can support you.

Other things include letting yourself enjoy food and cooking; trying new recipes, buying some cookery books, grow your own herbs or learn about nutrition and spend more time outdoors; as it is such an easy and quick way boost your mental and gut health.

Looking to the future nutritional therapist Lucy is working towards becoming an eating disorders specialist for young people and recently completed the eating disorders training with NCFED (National Centre For Eating Disorders).

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She said: “I would like to broaden my skill set by completing a counselling course for young people.

“I am also going to start up a virtual cooking club which will take place once a month and is open to everyone.”

For more information, visit www.livebetterlucy.com

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