“After having my children, I suffered from anxiety, depression and agoraphobia. Exercise and good nutrition were vital to my recovery plan,” Nikki said. “These two things had such a profound and positive impact on my life that I wanted to help other women realise the benefits too.”

Nikki set about refreshing her fitness and nutrition skills and reinvigorated her business, Fit Body by Nikki. She now offers boot camps in person and online and healthy eating programs to her growing community.

“The nutrition course was an excellent refresher to studies I’d done 20 years prior, helping bring my knowledge up to date,” Nikki said. “It helped me upskill and understand more about the reasons why and how food impacts our health. Now I can share this knowledge with others. People who understand how food affects how they feel are more inclined to make healthier choices. And when people feel empowered, they become more confident.”

As a mum to three children, Nikki said what she learned in the nutrition course has filtered through to her family. “Everyone in our household is much more aware of healthy eating. My teenage daughter is particularly interested in tracking what she eats – in a good way.”

“Women are so bombarded with conflicting messages, particularly through social media, about their health. Women, especially mums, need to stop being so hard on themselves. If you’re consistent with what you do, the results will come. You will feel better.”

“It’s important to stick to the facts and reinforce positive messages,” Nikki said. “The nutrition course was all about circling back to the facts, the science. It wasn’t fluffy. It was full of excellent case studies and amazing resources. Being online and self-paced, I could also fit it in around my growing business and family commitments.”

Nikki is now also a Pilates instructor and more motivated than ever to get women on a path to wellness. This year, she plans to focus more on nutrition for her community. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown people how important it is to prioritise nutrition for mental health. It can be hard to break habits, and that’s why everyone needs someone in their corner, encouraging them in the right direction.”

Interested in Nutrition?

Learn the foundations of nutrition and harness the power of food through Nutrition Essentials: eating well to live well, one of our Nutrition Short Courses.