KATE KNOWLER

We’ve all been there: 3pm, busy office, deadlines looming, overwhelmed and pressured. And then, out of nowhere, that mid afternoon 3pm slump hits you. Your eyes feel heavy, and you battle to stay awake. Through the brain fog you reach for something to give you the burst of energy you so desperately need – maybe chocolate and a coffee, or a doughnut with a fizzy drink. And while that may give you the energy to get you through the afternoon, long-term that quick-fix is a recipe for disaster, keeping you on a never-ending rollercoaster of cravings, poor sleep, nutrient deficiencies, and, inevitably, more 3pm afternoon energy slumps.

I’m a registered nutritional therapist (BANT, CNHC) using my 12 years of clinic experience to support those who feel sluggish, stressed and sick to find their vitality once again. As a busy mum of two young children and also owning and running more than one business, I’ve experienced first-hand what exhaustion and burn-out feels like on more than one occasion, to the point that I now consider myself a thyroid and fatigue specialist, and I just love getting stuck into interpreting a good blood test to understand why clients are fatigued.

Here’s my full story…

It all went wrong when I was 25. I’d worked my way up the IT career ladder from answering the helpdesk phones at 17 years old, to long hours supporting corporate networks and doing SQL programming while ordering takeaway to eat at my desk. I thought this was the way my life was meant to be. But the long hours, high stress and poor diet were giving me poor health, and after 8 years, I was starting to realise that maybe this wasn’t the career for me.

I’d have palpitations on the train into work. If I got a lunch break I’d spend it crying in the toilets. I’d go home late in the evening with abdominal cramps so bad I couldn’t stand up straight. My skin looked awful – acne, boils, a strange infection on the corner of my lips, and hiding under my clothes were several patches of eczema. And don’t even get me started about my menstrual cycle – I hadn’t seen my period for months and my GP was talking about infertility!

One afternoon, instead of writing some code, I Googled some of my symptoms and realised I was more than just overworked – I was on the road to burnout. A few hours later, and I’d discovered a world of nutrition that I never knew existed – I was doubtful that simply eating well would make a difference, but I was so convinced my GP would dismiss my symptoms and call me a hypochondriac that I embarked on a wholefood diet. I ditched my box of cereal that I was relying on for breakfast and lunch, and dodged the late night takeaways and office sweet treats. Just three weeks later, my skin was clearing, my abdominal cramps were easing, and I was realising that good food really could taste better than the processed convenience food I’d been surviving on for so many years.

I looked into home study courses for nutrition. There weren’t many, but I found one that was perfect and looked like I’d be able to fit it in around my day job. Just one module into the course, I realised I’d found my calling. Being a nutritional therapist, being able to help others, was totally me. I decided to quit my job and the corporate lifestyle, and focus on retraining as a nutritional therapist. When I told my boss, he laughed and said he’d keep my job open – I’ve never been more determined to turn an offer like that down!

I’ve been working with nutrition ever since I graduated from that course in 2006 (and I’ve done more courses along the way!)

During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, I had to temporarily close my business. I couldn’t face spending the whole time simply waiting to reopen, so I decided to write a book teaching other practitioners how to read clients’ blood tests. Now, Blood Labs is available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback as an international best seller.

I learnt the hard way that poor diet and poor lifestyle do not equal vitality and wellness, and now I’m here to help you.