I’m Clare. Here’s a pic of me at six years old entertaining myself in the shower by trying to catch all the water in my mouth. Took me a couple of years to work out my mouth wasn’t big enough.
Growing up I did a lot of competitive swimming.
This meant my childhood was filled with 5am wake-ups, permanently wet (chlorine-infused) hair, small and large victories at comps, as well as constant trips to nutritionists, dieticians, physio’s and other specialists. But what I remember most is that I could eat practically anything I wanted.
When highschool finished I decided to take a break from swimming, which meant my lifestyle went from intense exercise 5-7 times a week, to lounging in bed watching YouTube and eating nutella toast 5-7 times a day.
I got a very rude shock when I realised I had picked up 10kgs a couple of months later.
Since then, I’ve developed a keen interest in discovering healthier food alternatives (catch me watching Nutrition documentaries on a Saturday night), and understanding the benefits of different food combinations.
Along the way I’ve struggled with IBS, a condition that played havoc with my gut and meant that I was put onto a highly restrictive low FODMAP diet. With the help of doctors and dieticians I’ve been lucky enough to regain control of my digestion issues and today I don’t follow a ‘diet’, but rather make healthy and balanced eating choices.
Of course, I’m still figuring out what works, and frequently scratching and re-inventing my recipes. Join this community to come along on my journey.
xx
Contact me at clare.hopkins98@gmail.com
CLARE HOPKINS 