Hi,
I’m Rob!
I’m on a mission to empower, guide and support people suffering with IBD to take back control of their health and wellbeing. I want to help fellow IBD Warriors to create lifestyles which support their gut health, enabling them to better manage their condition and improve the quality of their lives.
Dedicated father, loving husband, distinctly average climber and Health Coach living with IBD. I am a graduate from Health Coaches Academy where I completed a 12-month Level 5 Diploma, which is fully approved by the UK and International Health Coaches Association (UKIHCA), the NHS Personalised Care Institute (PCI), and accredited by the Association for Coaching. I hold full professional indemnity insurance.
But, why did I become a Health Coach?
Well, I used to suffer from Crohn’s Disease. In 2010, at age 16, Crohn’s sunk its claws into my small intestine and dragged me down into a dark hole of constant excruciating belly pain, constipation, fatigue, food intolerances and an inability to eat, digest or absorb any nutrition from food. I looked like a skeleton, had zero energy and was deficient in more or less every nutrient known to science.
Thankfully, modern medicine was able to rescue me. I was thrown a lifeline of steroids and anti-inflammatory medications which beat the Crohn’s back and allowed me to return to health (sort of). Of course, Crohn’s still promised me a lifetime of reliance on prescription medication, unpredictable and life-stopping flare-ups and the threat of several major surgeries to look forward to.
Naturally, I was grateful in the proceeding years to be able to eat food again, get out of bed and not be in pain every day, but I still had my down days. I still lacked energy. And I felt there was nothing I could do about it.
I still experienced some nasty symptoms from time to time. And suffered flare-ups which would land me back in the hospital and then in bed for days or weeks. I hated having to swallow fistfuls of pills every morning and night. Plus, I was mighty suspicious of the need for regular blood tests to monitor whether those very same medications that were ‘treating’ me were also damaging my kidneys… Perhaps, I thought, this course of action might not be the best long-term solution.
I sensed that more was possible.
That there was a life where I felt powerful, full of energy, happy and confident. Where I didn’t need to rely on prescription medications just to keep me out of the hospital. Where I didn’t need to fear a future of ever-increasing pill counts, failing kidneys and major surgical procedures.
Freedom from pain and fear sounded much more appealing than toting around a colostomy bag, so in 2018, I decided to try and make that dream a reality. I was going to retake control of my health and live the life I felt was possible for me. I had nothing to lose. If I was wrong and it wasn’t possible, the worst that would happen is that I’d end up back in hospital, which was going to happen eventually anyway. Besides, I was 25, so I knew everything.
I found and eliminated all the foods and behaviours that made my Crohn’s angry and started rebuilding my gut health from the ground up. It was a long and difficult journey, but by 2019 I was no longer reliant on medications to keep my symptoms at bay. I was the sole architect of my health again.
Today, through making further lifestyle improvements, self-exploration and ever-growing gut health, I have an abundance of energy, a stable mood and I’m fitter, healthier and happier than I’ve ever been.
Take that, Crohn’s!
Having gone through this journey of repairing and rebuilding my gut into a cast-iron warrior, I feel passionately about empowering others to do the same. That’s why I am becoming a Health Coach. To help people, just like you, on their journeys to become their healthiest, happiest selves.
You do not have to accept a life of mediocre health and wellbeing. You are capable of so much more than that. And I would be honoured to be your guide.
The core values I hold myself to as a Health Coach are:
Compassion - I know what it’s like to suffer from poor health, and how hard it can be to face those challenges and make positive changes. That’s why I come from a place of empathy and non-judgemental acceptance.
Curiosity - Your life and your health journey are as unique as you are. I want to learn about you. And to help you find the path that best serves you and your vision.
Empowerment - I aim to create a space where you feel capable and powerful to restore your own health and vitality.