Tracey Harper – Functional Medicine Practitioner & Nutritional Therapist in Berkhamsted
T: 07747 780035 / E: tracey@traceyharpernutrition.co.uk
“I’m a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Nutritional Therapist. My specialism is nutrition and lifestyle medicine. I work holistically with a food first approach via simple dietary swaps that help to stabilise blood sugar so you start to feel better. This builds motivation that often leads to further improvements; you will feel more energised, more motivated to move your body, and more open and confident making broader lifestyle changes that support long-term health.
I support people with autoimmune conditions as well as peri & post menopause women, empowering clients with the tools they need to navigate their healing journey.
Nutritional Therapy chose me! I discovered the powerful healing effects of nutrition when I experienced a complete mental, emotional, physical and spiritual breakdown in 2002. I now know that my poor health began in my early 20s due to a childhood and teenage years of too much sugary food and multiple courses of antibiotics leading to completely disrupted gut and immune health. I went back to University in 2003, to study nutrition because I wanted to learn more about how I could look after myself and regain a healthy and manageable work-life balance. And through my own interest in health and wellbeing, I realised I wanted to support other people too.
In 2012, my mum was diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia, an autoimmune condition which causes imbalance and slurred speech. I was exhibiting the same symptoms albeit much milder. I was also entering peri-menopause! My own healing journey began in earnest at that point as well as my interest and initiation into Functional Medicine. In 2015 I enrolled on the IFM introductory module and started incorporating what I was learning into my client work. In 2018 I had the opportunity to do the whole IFM in person training in the US. I became a fully certified FM practitioner in February 2019.
Having been there myself, I am passionate about supporting anyone with an autoimmune condition because I know how debilitating it can be. The healing journey never ends, sometimes life gets in the way; we never know what’s around the corner, but I now have the tools I need to bring myself back on track and I feel privileged to be able to pass this knowledge on to my clients.”
LOCATION:
In Person consultations at Naturality Wellness Centre, 42 Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted HP4 2AA
Tele-consultations via Zoom
WEBSITE:
www.traceyharpernutrition.co.uk
Testimonials
In less than 6 months Tracey has helped me transform my health. For many years I have been working to try and resolve chronic health issues, with some success, but not enough. I was tired of being exhausted, having seemingly random but severe intolerant reactions to food and lesser, albeit draining, symptoms. I had tried everything, educating myself about gut health, excluding different things from my diet, having intolerance tests, trying different supplements, basically an amateur process of trial and error. I had seen another nutritionist and had cut out gluten (more or less), tried excluding cow’s milk products, given up alcohol and had a pretty ‘clean’ diet, but I was still far from healthy. So, when I turned to Tracey for expert help, I have to confess that my expectations weren’t very high. I assumed that there would be a few tweaks and I would have to just put up with suboptimal health.
Right from our free 15 minute discovery conversation, my hopes were raised and I had immediate confidence in Tracey’s deep knowledge combined with her rigorous, empathetic approach. I could have cried (in fact I think I did). For the first time, I believed I would have some well-founded answers and a path to better health and wellbeing. We embarked on a structured process of detailed evaluation, testing, discovery, learning and partnership. Tracey took me on a deep dive of my medical history and educated me about crucial linkages in health events and symptoms that I had never known. I learned a lot about my thyroid condition, thyroid function and even the fact that I had an auto-immune condition, which had never been explained to me in 25+ years. The crucial link with gluten was explained and I learned the science behind it, no longer relying on my best-guess. My current medical symptoms and metabolic state were assessed in detail, giving a base reading which was more shocking than I had appreciated. Various lab tests were conducted which provided evidence of the source of my problems. My progress was measured regularly which I found very compelling Tracey explained key concepts so I understood the ‘why’ of recommendations particularly relevant to my health, shared articles, provided great recipes and has supported me through manageable step-by-step change. As I changed my diet and took relevant supplements, I was able to come off unnecessary medication (including long-term steroids). I am still trying new meal ideas and trying to expand my diet repertoire. It does take some work, but it is so worth it.
So in less than 6 months I have gone from all-over inflammation, chronic lethargy, leaky gut, major digestion problems, constant rhinitis, aching joints, poor immunity, brain fog, feeling washed out and looking pale…..(I could go on)…… to feeling and looking like a new person. I have so much more energy now, my gut is happy, my brain is sharp, my skin is bright, my airways are clear, I feel balanced and vibrant. I feel so much better than I had hoped for. I highly recommend Tracey to anyone who wishes to transform their health. Thank you so much.
Samantha
I was pretty desperate when I first met Tracey. I’ve suffered from autoimmunity for as long as I can remember having had glandular fever twice, then developing ulcerative colitis during my first pregnancy and then adding rheumatoid arthritis to that after the birth of my second child. I’d tried numerous drugs which worked for a while and then either stopped working or presented awful side effects. I was having flare ups on a daily basis and struggling to cope with young kids and a full-time job.
The thought of depending on heavy medication for the foreseeable future was scary as it wasn’t working and made me fear for other side effects I might encounter. I had been told about functional medicine on a Jason Vale juicing retreat, so I decided to explore it. I found Tracey on the ifm.org website and from day one, Tracey’s communications were informed, clear and kind. We had an exploratory chat and I felt excited at what could be, though she managed my expectations about it not being a quick fix and the efforts I would need to put in.
Tracey was thorough in her approach, establishing a clear picture of my health history and contributing factors. She helped me realise that my mental health was directly related to how ill I was, and I needed to take some time out to heal. The way she delivered this message was incredibly kind, and strong enough for me to finally take it seriously.
Tracey’s knowledge seems limitless, backed up by her constant self-development and completion of specialist courses, which directly benefitted me. She gave me a clear plan to follow, which incorporated diet, supplements, reducing my toxic burden, and stress management in the form of various things such as massage, country walks, yoga, meditation, journaling and exploring things I enjoyed again as I had lost that over time.She was incredibly proactive and sent lots of information, introduced me to other people who were on similar journeys, invited me to relevant talks and workshops, and kept in touch to see how I was getting on. The initial food regime didn’t work in the way we’d hoped, so she advised me to explore another (auto-immune paleo plan) and again provided all the information I needed to do it including recipes, introductions to organic suppliers, books and relevant articles.
I have now been working with Tracey for 4 months and can honestly say I haven’t felt this good for years. I’ve lost 2 stone, haven’t had a flare up for months, feel much happier, less stressed and calmer. I now understand how to manage my autoimmunity and live in a way that enables me, and my family, to be healthier and happier. I have made serious changes to our lives because I have the information to support it and have experienced the benefits that make me, and my family, want to carry it on.
Over this time Tracey has been a rock for me, always willing to share her knowledge, network and be there when I needed help shaping things along the way. I can’t thank her enough for helping me at such a desperate time and heartily recommend her to anyone.
Ross
