WHEN the new year began, dozens of us will have made resolutions to eat less or get fit.

Some of us may have adopted fad diets, which lead us to feelings of failure when weeks in we fall off the wagon.

Nutritional therapist Karen Maude, from Colchester, is hoping to challenge the harmful pressures which can leave us obsessed with diet culture and the “perfect” images of celebrities.

Instead she wants to see people embrace a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise.

“There is mounting evidence to suggest calorie-controlled dieting isn’t working for the majority,” she said.

“When we don’t eat enough, our body reacts as if it is in a famine situation and actually works in such a way as to store fat to see us through the crisis.

“Our metabolic rate is also reduced, so that we don’t burn fat off as efficiently afterwards, which obviously has a long-term impact.

“Restricting food can also result in nutrient insufficiencies, which can impact on health, energy and feelings of wellbeing.

“Feeling hungry itself can sometimes lead to behavioural changes, such as binging and lowered feelings of self-worth, when individuals rebound back to previous eating habits.”

Mum-of-three Karen had worked as a commis chef in Crete and in marketing before taking a break when she had her children.

She had always had a love for nutrition and how diet can help your health, but it was only after caring for her daughter, who has complex medical needs, that she decided to turn her passion into a career.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how simple corrections, such as addressing a nutrient deficiency could have such an impact on health and turn around an individual’s life,” she said.

“I’m interested in naturopathy too and have always tried to find a natural alternative to taking medication.

“My background interests together with my experience of working with the amazing medical professionals who have been involved with my daughter’s care, led to my growing realisation we, as individuals, should take ownership of our own health and not expect the NHS to take total responsibility for our wellbeing.”

When Karen, 46, experienced digestive problems, she experimented with food and began to feel better.

“It seemed like a miracle at the time,” she said. “Inspired by this, I started studying nutritional therapy at London’s College of Naturopathic Medicine.”

Over three years she trained in her field, including a year studying biomedicine and hundreds of hours of clinical training, as well as the study of nutritional science. She also has a degree in psychology and now runs Balanced You Nutrition helping clients across Colchester.

Nutritional therapy is the process of using science to promote health and wellbeing.

Karen said: “It can also support symptoms of chronic disease.

“It involves looking at the person holistically rather than focusing on individual body systems.

“I recognise food is just one part of the picture when supporting a client’s nutrition, which is why capturing details about lifestyle and daily routine are important in helping to get to the root cause of a client’s symptom.”

As many people use the start of the year to create diet and health resolutions, Karen said: “Be kind to yourself and don’t set yourself up to fail in 2020 by embarking on a diet.

“It’s important to note that we are all different and a one-size fits all approach to nutrition just doesn’t work. We each have our own unique genetic make-up and lifestyle and the perfect diet doesn’t exist.”

Visit www.balancedyounutrition.com.

Karen’s top tips for staying healthy

1. Eat one extra vegetable a day - The NHS recommend you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day which is a great target to begin with. If you aren’t there yet, start by adding one extra vegetable a day which can be fresh or frozen.

2. Eat two pieces of fruit a day - Choose fresh or frozen fruit for snacks or dessert to boost essential nutrients that are often under-eaten.

3. Eat a whole grain food once a day - These foods include brown bread, oats and brown rice and you could also try quinoa and bulgur wheat.