“Emma was excellent and I wish the session was longer “

 

“Dr Emma Kirke has delivered some fantastic sessions to Leeds City Council staff on the topic of nutrition, and how the food we eat affects our physical and mental well-being. At the most recent session, Dr Kirke addressed a large and diverse group of people from a wide variety of team across the organisation and she engaged them all with ease. One of the most frequent comments on the session feedback forms was ‘Emma was excellent and I wish the session was longer so we could have heard more’ and 100% of people who attended the session rated Dr Kirke as ‘very positive’. Emma is a knowledgeable, passionate and motivating presenter with a powerful and memorable personal story about diet and well-being; and she is also fantastically personable. Emma is one of those people who, when their gaze falls upon you, makes you feel like the most important person in the world and that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Her ability to connect with people and to inspire healthy choices is truly marvelous.”

“Meeting Emma was the kick up the backside I needed to do something about my diet”

 

Huddersfield-based James Boothroyd, a website developer, struggled with his energy levels, motivation and weight after working from home for more than 12 months. Prior to meeting Emma at Medicinal Kitchen, James had already decided he wanted to do something about his nutrition to overcome his weight gain and fatigue. He also had problems with his back, which Emma was able to treat through her experience as a Doctor of Osteomyology.

Having never had any nutritional advice before, Emma soon put James at ease and was able to offer practical advice and suggestions to improve his eating habits. James told what Emma advised him to do:

“I supplied Emma with a list of all the foods, snacks and dishes I eat, the look on her face said it all! I am a fussy eater so I tasked her with the challenge of adjusting my diet within the boundaries of what I would eat, and sure enough, she emailed me through a nutrition plan. Initially I felt a bit apprehensive but I took it with a pinch of salt (no pun intended) and proceeded to cook up some dishes, which I would not usually eat. To my surprise I really liked most of them and have carried on to eat them.”

As a result of going to the gym and taking part in Emma’s diet plan James lost half a stone in just two weeks. Furthermore, his tiredness and fatigue has gone. James now feels more active, healthier and slimmer in just a short space of time.

He advised what he found most helpful about his experience of using Medicinal Kitchen:

“Emma is always there to help. I have only had one session with her so far and I am booked in for another to discuss what I have been eating, to get some more meal ideas and some supplement advice for my training sessions at the gym. She is frequently on hand via text, Twitter & email so when I have had any quick questions she has replied promptly which has allowed me to plan my meals and get on with my day.”

James tells how despite his fussy eating habits, the breakfast/lunch idea of bacon, cooked tomatoes, spinach and scrambled eggs are his favourite:

“This came as a surprise as usually I don’t like eggs. When first trying the meal I said to myself ‘I am going to have to give it a go and if I didn’t like it I would give it to the dog’, however the dog got none!”

“I would recommend Emma without a doubt; she is very knowledgeable in her field of nutrition and so far has helped me tremendously.”

“Emma helped to put me back together again.”

  Marguerite suffers with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and severe back pain. Her condition causes her to experience acute inflammation in her joints which results in painful swelling and immobility. Due to the progressive nature of her illness, Marguerite must receive ongoing treatment to prevent further complications such as joint damage which left Marguerite feeling frustrated and in pain. She told of the events leading up to her contact with Medicinal Kitchen: “After a scheduled rheumatology appointment I was left puzzled as to why no outward inflammation was immediately apparent.” She decided to contact Emma Kirke at Medicinal Kitchen in the hope that her knowledge of nutrition and osteomyology might help. Marguerite said: “Emma suggested a trial of eight weeks to eat gluten free and dairy-free foods, which I agreed to try. After just six weeks there was a marked improvement in my symptoms. After speaking with my GP, I have decided to just do gluten free, because of my low calcium and vitamin D levels.” Marguerite advised how her eating habits have changed since discovering Medicinal Kitchen: “I am in process of trying different flours for cooking and I am also trying to reduce my sugar intake. I find that it is difficult to achieve a gluten free diet regime when eating out, it is much easier at home when I can control the ingredients in my cooking.” “It is always a pleasure to consult with Emma on diet and food nutrition. She sees the whole person and, certainly at the point of writing, I am feeling the benefit of following a gluten free regime.” “I would recommend Emma to anyone who needed help with food nutrition and of course help in her other fields of expertise. Emma is a very special person.”

“Emma is a fountain of knowledge I could no longer live without.”

  Dave Ricketts suffered with drug addiction, clinical depression, post-traumatic stress, weight gain and gout. Having experienced a breakdown which led to severe drug addiction in 2007, Dave’s journey to recovery included therapy and a determination to get his life back on the straight and narrow. He managed to get himself to a point where he began to feel settled however he was 16 stone 7 pounds, which at just 5’6” was vastly overweight. Having a daughter put his life into perspective and Dave realised he needed to change his lifestyle. Cooking became a way to distract himself from past demons and with a new found love for food and fitness, he stumbled across Emma’s blog. Dave told what first attracted him to Medicinal Kitchen: “I particularly enjoyed reading Emma’s expertise on nutrition and exercise, and particularly her links to mental health. I was aware of her involvement with State of Mind charity and I knew she was exhibiting the book the two of them had produced in partnership ‘Feed your mind’ at the Gluten Free Show in Liverpool September 2014 so I went along to meet her.” “Since we met, Emma has been a pillar of support for me. She’s massively helped in many ways; from offering support as a friend to providing information, advice and recipes. She even helped me where the doctors couldn’t.” “I frequently visited my GP about the gout I had developed. It was so painful but the anti-inflammatory which the GP recommended did little to help and disturbed my sleep. I wouldn’t even know where to begin researching for alternatives but luckily I didn’t have to. Just one conversation with Emma whereby she recommended a supplement has worked absolute wonders! I have since been gout-free for the past four months thanks to her.” Dave told how Emma’s Spanish Omelette and her speciality protein pots to supplement a breakfast workout are his favourite MK recipes and how he takes inspiration from MK to enhance his own cooking. “Emma’s support has been multi-faceted. From amazing sports massages, expert information, fantastic food and fitness advice and becoming a friend, I couldn’t recommend her highly enough.”