Meet our Nutritional Expert
Hi everyone,
Here at the Performance Lab we are very excited to announce the arrival of our Gemma Bickerstaff our expert Nutritionalist. Gemma's private company is called 'True to you Nutrition' and we caught up with her recently to find out all about it.
Hi Gemma and welcome to the team. Can you tell us about 'True to you Nutrition' and the services you offer?
Whatever your goals are, for instance improving your performance, recovering from injury, losing fat, eating healthy; you will not accomplish it all in a week. However we are here to provide advice, support and guidance to help you set, reach and maintain achievable goals which will have a huge impact on your health in the long term.
We offer expert knowledge and advice specific to you and your goals. Our services include support with the following:
Weight management
Health improvement
Sports nutrition (Performance, Endurance, Injury rehab/Recovery)
Maternal and baby nutrition and weaning
Diet analysis and bespoke diet plans
Healthy lifestyles advice for the whole family
Corporate health advice/initiatives
Nutrition workshops, seminars and lectures
Freelance writing for blogs, websites, articles etc.
Our services are offered on a one-to-one basis in a private, confidential setting of your choice.
Can I ask for a bit of background about where you studied and your career so far?
I graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2012 with a BSc in Public Health Nutrition. I went on to volunteer with a freelance nutritionist across west lancs as a means to gain some further knowledge and experience first hand. I landed my first role as a Health in Communities Coordinator for local government, where I worked to help improve the health of the local community in partnership with Public Health, the NHS and numerous other local stakeholders. This lead to my appointment to community nutritionist within the Healthy Lifestyles Team in the NHS in 2015, transferring out to a cultural trust, Link4Life, in April this year.
Thats great Gemma. What sort of people do you work with?
I work with adults, children and families to help educate them around adequate nutrition in terms of weight management, health improvement and improved performance. I work closely with sport coaches and fitness professionals, and find this partnership key to helping people improve their lifestyles.
Can you tell us more about you and the credentials you have?
I am registered with the UKVRN as an Associate Nutritionist (ANutr), have a level 2 in Understanding Health Improvement via the Royal Society for Public Health, and I have recently completed my Specialist Certificate of Obesity Professional Education via the World Obesity Federation, which is endorsed by the NHS and over 50 national associations globally. I am also trained in yoga for pre-school ages! Personally I am an avid gym enthusiast. I partake in strength training 6 days per week and cardiovascular activity 3 days a week - so my own nutrition is on point to reflect my current activity and performance levels. You could say I practice what I preach!
If you need further information please do not hesitate to contact us here at the Performance Lab.
Over the next few weeks we will have more information up on the website.
I have personally had a one to one session with Gemma specifically to improve my day to day energy levels and my physical performance in the gym. Over the next few weeks I will use this blog to give you updates on the results. All I can say is I am already starting to feel the benefits of Gemma's expertise. See you soon, Matt
