FITVINE MAG - ISSUE 1 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Annabelle Baker
The Balanced
Approach to Nutrition
Whether it’s the start of a new year,
a new month or even a new day,
we should always take the
opportunity to take a step back
and evaluate our wellbeing. Do I
sleep enough? Am I getting
enough exercise? And a common
question: Am I eating healthily?
Oxford-based nutritionist
Annabelle Baker tells us about her
own diet and explains why a
professional nutritionist can help
us reach our wellbeing goals.
After completing a degree in
Nutrition at Oxford Brookes
University, Annabelle went on to
become a fully-accredited Associate
Nutritionist (ANutr). So what
made Annabelle want to focus on
a career in nutrition? “I love good
food! I'm seeing the world around
me drift to convenience and a lazy
approach to eating. I want to
reconnect people and their
families with fresh, healthy
ingredients and the joy of preparing
food. My approach is back to
basics, and a non-judgemental
philosophy to long-term, sustainable
change in people's diets.”
Annabelle is all for the simple,
balanced approach. “If you're
eating an apple or yoghurt, go for
organic or natural. If you're
preparing a meal, combine the
raw ingredients together. A great
example of this is Thai green curry.
That way, you know exactly what's
gone into making a delicious meal.
FitVine - 24
What does a nutritionist’s average
daily intake of food look like? Here’s
Annabelle’s food diary.
7:30am
Scrambled eggs (three whites, one
yolk) with chilli and turmeric on
seeded wholemeal bread with
spinach and cherry tomatoes. Plus
my usual americano coffee with
semi-skimmed milk. I drink water
regularly throughout the day.
10:30am
Time for ‘easily transportable'
seasonal fruit. Today’s snack was a
pear.
12:30pm
Lunch: a homemade chicken salad
with my favourite grains, Freekeh!
Then two handfuls of mixed berries
in my trusty Tupperware and plain
yogurt. (I'll let you in on my secret to
a healthier life on the go...Tupperware.
It's that simple! Be organised
and think ahead.)
3:15pm
My pre-workout snack: a handful of
mixed nuts.
4:15pm
Training finished, it’s time for 330ml
of milk (pre-packed in my travel
thermos!)
7pm
Dinner is chicken vegetable medley;
a rainbow of vegetables with turkey
(or Quorn chicken pieces), herbs and
garlic. Delicious!
9pm
A camomile tea.
Annabelle’s passionate about her
clients achieving a balanced diet, but
what exactly is ‘balanced’? “Plain
and simple, eating a variety of raw
ingredients. This can often be
described as eating the rainbow or
avoiding a diet that looks 'beige'. I
encourage my clients to read
nutrition labels on packaged foods.”
Seeing a nutritionist is like taking
control of your lifestyle; it’s you
putting your health and wellbeing
first. Annabelle explains, “A nutritionist
understands food in greater
scientific detail. I work with clients on
personalised diet plans, weight-loss
or weight-gain (muscle mass) plans,
offer advice on sports nutrition,
nutritional or hormonal imbalances,
digestion (IBS) and help manage and
prevent chronic diseases.”
In June, Annabelle will be hosting an
exhibition stand at FitFest Oxford,
offering example diet plans, sports
nutrition and IBS advice, and
personal training plans and exercise
referral advice from Nick Baker, a
Level 3 Personal Trainer. They will
also be offering personal BMI
sessions on the Bioelectrical
impedance scales (10-minute slots to
be booked in advance by visiting
www.annabellebakernutrition.co.uk).
Annabelle will be giving goodie bags
to the first 30 clients!