Viva Brighton Issue #85 March 2020

ADVERTORIAL
“My child’s health
inspired my new
career in Nutrition”
By Mariana Sheppard, CNM
Nutritional Therapy graduate
(College of Naturopathic Medicine)
I decided to study nutrition at CNM after
experiencing the impact diet changes had on my
little girl’s health. She was very poorly between the
age of 1 and 3, with frequent trips to the hospital
due to recurrent chest infections and asthma-like
symptoms. She was prescribed corticosteroids,
antibiotics and a variety of inhalers, but I was
frustrated at simply managing my daughter’s
symptoms with medication and not actually seeing
any progress in her health. We received no nutritional
or lifestyle advice.
I consulted a nutritional therapist and worked
with her to modify my little girl’s diet, remove
allergens and improve her gut, including with
supplementation. She got progressively better. Her
colds became less frequent and less problematic;
within 6 months she no longer needed inhalers and
now she is a very healthy and active child. We keep a
‘reliever’ inhaler at home as a safety precaution, just
in case she catches a bad cold.
My daughter’s experience was an eye-opener
for me and I decided to re-train and become a
Nutritional Therapist, firstly in order to know how to
continuously manage and improve my own family’s
health, but also to help educate others.
I had previously worked in Marketing but after I had
my children, I ran my own online retail business from
home so I could work around them. As they grew, I
wanted a career, but also the flexibility of fitting my
hours around the school schedule.
CNM offered both mid-week and weekend classes
in Manchester, with the added flexibility of doing
much of the work remotely. The fact that the college
also operates from other cities around the country
meant that, if necessary, lectures and clinics could be
attended at other locations. They offered a package
that enabled me to work around my family’s needs.
My studies were enjoyable, insightful and sociable. I
met so many amazing students on the course, from
different backgrounds and with different motives
for studying. We became friends, and still have a
mutually supportive network. I really enjoyed the fact
that we were taught by different lecturers depending
on the subject. This gave me a good insight into
different research methods and clinic styles. What
I learnt at CNM has allowed me to turn my passion
into a totally fulfilling career.
I work as a Nutritional Therapist at a long established
clinic, as well as setting up my own clinic. What I
love about practising is the people that I get to work
with, and being part of their journey to better health.
No two days are the same; there is always a new
challenge and new areas to explore. My knowledge,
and continuous research and personal development
in the field, allows me to help others.
I am also active on social media, giving people little
snippets of how nutrition has helped our family, and
giving tips on healthy eating and living. I regularly
record and post videos on YouTube to show families
how they, too, can encourage kids to make better
choices when it comes to food.
Mariana Sheppard, CNM Naturopathic Nutrition Graduate
CNM has an exceptional 22-year track record training successful natural
therapy practitioners in class and online. Colleges across the UK and Ireland.
Visit naturopathy-uk.com or call 01342 410 505