I have loved to cook and bake for as long as I can remember. My mum will agree, I used to be the messiest cook...especially when using icing sugar (let's not go back there!). This passion developed when I took both Catering and Hospitality at GCSE, developing and cooking recipes and holding an afternoon tea event. When moving to University, I started to cook different recipes, influenced by what I was learning in my degree. I started to reduce my processed and red meat intake, as a result of my learning. When in Australia, I cut out meat and began eating a more plant-based diet. I still eat fish as it is the only very good and available source of omega-3 fatty acid which is linked with reducing risk to several chronic diseases. I am still considerate of the amount I eat as I am aware that we are over fishing and the impact of this on the environment. Other ways in which I am more plant-based is reducing my dairy and egg intake, for example, opting for plant-based milk. My passion for food and the environment has increased this past year while working as Secretary on the Food4Change Committee at the University of Leeds, where we worked closely with Rainbow Junktion, Too Good To Go and Compassion in World Farming. Going more plant-based has really made me think about my meals and making my meals balanced and full of nutrients. I find my diet suits me, my lifestyle and my passions. It is easily adaptable to my everyday life. I really enjoy it. My passion for cooking has advanced over the past 2 years. In the Summer of 2018, before flying to Australia, I completed work experience in the kitchens of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. I was inspired by the high level of details in every dish, the beautiful plating, inspiring flavours and high level of respect each chef has for each other in the kitchen. I thrived off the high-pressure environment during service and enjoyed the planning for each dish. When arriving back in England the following year, I applied to go back to Le Manoir for an Open Day and was fortunate to be invited for a 2-day trial shift. At the end of this, I was offered a job as a Part-Time Commis Chef which I now manage during my holidays when I am home from University. It is a privilege to work in such a beautiful area surrounded by such inspiring people. I love sharing recipes my recipes which I have cooked for a long time and new ones which I am experimenting with and am excited to be sharing more with you soon! Emilia x

Hello everyone, I am now two weeks away from graduating my BSc in Food Science and Nutrition degree and would love to share a bit of what I have learnt! Advice is not universal; however, there are some general tips I have for you, which should help contribute to keeping a balanced and sustainable diet during these tough times! Colourful food! An excellent way to know you are eating all your nutrients, and getting a balanced diet is making sure your food is full of colour! As a rule of thumb, for example, your orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes are full of precursors of Vitamin A, blue and purple berries are full of anthocyanin (an antioxidant) and dark leafy greens, including kale and spinach, are an excellent source of fibre and folate. Keep hydrated! By the time you think "Oh I am thirsty", you are already dehydrated. You should be consuming between 6-8 glasses of water a day, at a minimum, for optimum brain and body functioning! My best tips are always to start and finish the day with a glass of water, that way you are already two glasses down! Legumes are your friend! So, they may not be the most beautiful food, BUT they sure are health-friendly, containing plenty of fibre, plant-based protein and a variety of nutrients, in addition to an 80g portion contributing to one of your 5-a-day! Love your unsaturated fats! Unsaturated fats are most often found in liquid fats like oils. Specifically, let's talk omega-3 fatty acids, and the EPA and DHA forms, which are found in oily fish like tuna and also in seaweed products. Research has associated moderate intake of these with reduced LDL "bad" cholesterol, reduced thrombosis, and so a "healthier" heart with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Try and grow your own! If you can, anywhere from herbs on a windowsill to making a vegetable patch in your back garden. Firstly, it contributes to sustainable living. Secondly, when you need some greens, you do not have to go to the shops, staying home and staying safe! Finally, fruit and vegetables, grown from home are a much richer source of nutrients. This is because when we buy imported products, while it has travelled thousands of miles, much of its nutrients have started to degrade. I hope some of these help. Please let me know if there is anything specific you would like to know more about from specific food groups to dietary patterns, mental health, or physical activity! You can contact me directly at emilia@nutritionnourishment.com Emilia x

Hello, I am Emilia, @nutritionnourishmet on Instagram. I am just about to finish my BSc Food Science and Nutrition (Hons) at the University of Leeds, including 13 months where I studied Nutrition, Psychology and Exercise modules at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. I love my degree, and the more I have studied, the more interested I become. Another passion of mine is cooking, which I can remember doing my whole life. I was fortunate enough to complete work experience at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons before I moved to Australia, and on coming back and completing a trial shift, I was offered a job as a Commis Chef. It is such an inspiring environment to work in, and I am continually learning something new about flavours, cooking and plating. My passions are nutrition, wellness, movement and cooking. This has all come together in my Instagram @nutritionnourishment, for which I love creating content and learning from others. Next year, I will be in London, studying a Masters in Nutrition. I hope to work in this field and help others. I attend nutrition webinars whenever I can and read about the subject to gain as much knowledge and views I can. As an aspiring nutritionist, my advice is to be happy with your diet and your health; only you know your own body so do not follow others “what I ate in a day plans” because it is likely your body will react differently to others. If you are concerned about anything, ask for help from a registered nutritionist or dietitian. I love learning and am applying to become an Associate Nutritionist after I have completed my BSc. I am excited about my MSc in Nutrition and would be so grateful for any advice, experience, opportunities, or courses any accredited Nutritionist, Dietitian or anyone else has to offer. Please contact me directly through my Instagram: @nutritionnourishment or email: emilia@nutritionnourishment.com Thank you for reading and have a lovely day. Emilia x

Everything is feeling very surreal. I have been looking at my diary this week and my plans. I remember writing all my deadlines down at the start of last semester including: dissertation due, group report due, project launch due. It was all due in the same week, and we had exciting plans to celebrate. That week of busy deadlines, its this week. I submitted my dissertation yesterday! I was excited and nervous and happy all at once... exactly how I thought it would be. I guess it also kind of feels like it actually hasn't gone in, maybe because the day was completely different to what I was expected. It is different, but I know at the end of the day I have learnt so much over this past year at Uni and from my dissertation and from how much life has changed over the past 2 months. Emilia x

So this feels very surreal, I think it is finally starting to hit that I am coming to my end of being a student at the University of Leeds. I just had my last meeting with my dissertation tutor, I am currently completing my final edits and it hadn't felt real until this point. With lectures and seminars seemingly finished with self-isolation starting and everything changing so much, so fast, I guess I just hadn't thought about my time in Leeds coming to an end. Without all the traditional end of year celebrations and time in the park enjoying the weather with friends, it had not really felt like it was the end of the academic year, let along that we are graduating. Everything has changed so much in the past few weeks, but the fact that this is the end of our time at Leeds has not changed, and I had not thought about that too much until today. I feel sad that we do not get too do all the things we'd planned and traditional things to celebrate our last four years. But keeping positive about it all. Remembering how lucky I currently am to be home with my family. Keeping positive knowing the future may be different but it will get better; maybe be even better than it was before. Keeping positive knowing we will graduate, no matter how different it is from what we thought it would be. So despite this, I know how lucky I am. Emilia x

I thought I'd share a few things about me and who I am so I thought I'd share 5 facts about me: I study Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds BSc (Hons) I lived in Australia for 13 months during my third year of study, where I studied at Queensland University of Technology I love sports and being outside. I played Lacrosse and Netball throughout my time at school, and now enjoy going to the gym and long walks. I am a Part-Time Commis Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. It is an incredible opportunity to expand my knowledge of food and cooking. I have travelled to 4 continents and hope to continue seeing more of the world! Emilia x

Hello, I am Emilia. I am in my final year studying Food Science and Nutrition BSc (Hons) at the University of Leeds. The past 4 years have been incredible. While there have been ups and downs, as there always are in life, the overall experience has been amazing. When I think back to the girl who had just turned 18 entering my halls for the first time, to the person I am today I know I have the University and all the friends and teachers I have met on the way to thank. July of 2018 I moved to Australia, where I spent my third year studying at Queensland University of Technology. Living in Brisbane was one of the most surreal and daunting things I have ever done. It really was a life-changing experience and the trip of a lifetime. I learnt so much about Nutrition and Fitness, I loved the outside life and learning so much as I travelled across Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Singapore. So where do I see all of this going? Well, I know I love Nutrition. I love cooking. I love fitness. I love engaging with people. I love learning about my subject. I would love to combine all of these passions within my career. Plans are never set in stone as we never really know what life has come for us. What I do know is I am excited for what is to come! Emilia x