Samantha Flower
Nutrition & Pilates - North London
About Samantha
My interest in nutrition began after an almost accidental recovery from chronic ill health.
My youth was a never-ending health struggle. My lifestyle was heavily restricted by chronic eczema, asthma, and IBS. By my teens I had become no stranger to hospitals and, after unsuccessfully trying every available medical treatment, I had resigned myself to a life of poor health. However, that was to change.
During my undergraduate years a radical transition in dietary habits led to a surprise reversal in my conditions. Amazed by this result, I decided to embark on formal studies into the science of nutrition.
However, after many subsequent years of overwork and excessive physical training, I was later diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME. Once again, an absence of available conventional medical treatment led me towards the natural approach. This involved a plant-based dietary therapy based on Gerson®* principles, gentle yoga, and mindfulness practices including meditation.
To my medical consultant's surprise, within nine months I had made a significant recovery from this crippling condition. I had gone from being largely bed-bound to being fit enough to start working again. I had even been able to rejoin dance classes. This reaffirmed my faith in the power of an integrated holistic approach to health, and I decided to expand my practice to incorporate mindful bodywork, in addition to nutrition.
*The Gerson Therapy® was designed for the treatment of chronic ‘incurable’ disease.
A lifetime of experience in Nutrition & Bodywork
I am a qualified Nutritional Therapist integrating my roots in Naturopathy with a Functional Medicine evidence-based approach.
I hold an MSc in Personalised Nutrition awarded by Middlesex University (London) in collaboration with the Centre for Nutrition Education and Lifestyle Management (CNELM). My post-graduate studies focused on many areas including digestive health, the immune system, chronic illness, metabolic syndrome, hormone imbalance, hypertension and histamine intolerance. My research thesis focused on the role of the intestinal microbiome in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. As such, my interests include the microbiome with a strong focus on gastrointestinal health and its impact on all body systems, and autoimmune disease.
Teaching, Training & Writing
I am passionate about education. With adult teacher training under my belt, my formative teaching experience includes 6 years of tutoring in both Nutrition and Integrated Health Management. During this time, I also wrote and published a healthy lifestyle course entitled Detoxification: A Maintenance Plan for Healthy Living. I currently lecture at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in Pharmacology, Diagnostics, and Endocrine Health for nutrition. I also run mentoring groups for the BSc nutrition students.
I am also a fully-qualified Pilates Instructor. I undertook my initial Pilates mat and machine training under the tutelage of the legendary Alan Herdman. Other esteemed teachers I have trained under include Lynne Robinson, Karen Clippinger, Elizabeth Larkam and James d’Silva.
In addition to my clinical practice, I also write articles and Blogs, and make media appearances as an expert speaker on health and nutrition. I am a member of the Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP), the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP), and the General Naturopathic Council (GNC).
I combine my passion for nutrition and health with an avid interest in music, dance, writing and walking; as well as art, photography and literature.
“I got to know Samantha Flower when she was a regular contributor to ‘Coffee’n’Carrots’, the newsletter of the Gerson Support Group UK, which I edited at the time. She wrote a series of excellent articles on the pioneers of nutritional medicine. Her research was thorough and her lively curiosity enabled her to dig up interesting nuggets of information.
Working with her was fun - she has a pleasant, warm personality which I am sure her patients find helpful, and although her views on health and nutrition are clear and well defined, there’s nothing dogmatic in her approach. As a recovered Gerson patient I am pretty deep into nutrition myself, but if I came up against some unfamiliar problem, I’d ring Sam for advice.”
BEATA BISHOP, PSYCHOTHERAPIST, LECTURER, JOURNALIST AND CO-AUTHOR (WITH CHARLOTTE GERSON) OF “A TIME TO HEAL: TRIUMPH OVER CANCER” AND “HEALING THE GERSON WAY: DEFEATING CANCER & OTHER DEGENERATIVE DISEASES.”