Meet Our Team
Hello, I’m Aarti Bhanderi-Shah
I’m a Registered Nutritional Therapist, metabolic health expert and public health educator.
I’ve experienced the powerful healing effects of food and fitness both personally and with my clients. I can help you set clear goals, tune into yourself and ignore the “noise” of the outside world and on social media. There’s a lot of information out there, some good, most of it “questionable” rubbish - it’s overwhelming to make sense of fact versus fiction nowadays. I focus on personalised, practical and effective solutions.
As a metabolic health expert specialising in weight loss and Type 2 diabetes, my approach to Nutrition is grounded in science and evidence-based clinical research. Part of this stems from my academic mindset; studying Law at Bristol University and training as a qualified Accountant at Pricewaterhouse Coopers prior to becoming a Nutritional Therapist. I enjoy research, analysis and applying logic - whilst also recognising that science is yet to discover the power of the human mind and body connection. For example, did you know that laughing has been found to reduce chronic pain better than some medication? Sometimes it’s the simple joys that can be most transformative for your health.
My Health Coaching philosophy combines the Science of Nutrition AND the Art of human behaviour change to create personalised and sustainable solutions. I guide my clients on their pathway to optimum health and vitality, always asking and listening to their needs, both physical and emotional. Self-love and self-confidence lies at the heart of every Health Plan. For example, when a new Parent with a 3 month old baby tells me they couldn’t make their gym session at 6am because their baby was up for most of the night. Did I think they were lazy or lacked motivation? Of course not. I respected the fact that a sleep-deprived new parent is tired and needs rest and recovery more than a cardio fix.
As a mum of 2 young children (9 year old daughter and 7 year old son) I know what it’s like to juggle the busyness of family life, work life and carving out time for yourself and your health. I get it and I can help you feel healthier, stronger and happier, so you can enjoy the dance of life or better still the dancefloor, whether you are 18 or 88!
I love pilates, yoga and weight training and a good cup of strong tea with cardamom spice to wake me up in the morning. My “cup” is full when I’m dancing with loved ones to my favourite tracks by Whitney, Beyonce, Adele and of course ABBA! I I enjoy spending time outside in nature and I wish I had the skills and patience to grow my own vegetables. My favourite food is Gujarati cuisine - and the much loved thepla (a tasty roti with lots of spices and flavour ) topped with butter and mango pickle …accompanied by another 5th cup of tea. Can you tell I’m a tea addict?! If you are in the North London area please pop by for a cuppa and chat.
Qualifications
I have studied Nutritional Therapy for 4 years at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition (UK) and hold a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy and am registered with BANT - The British Association for Nutritional Therapy and Lifestyle Medicine.
I have undertaken a course in Interpreting Nutrigenetic Testing (the study of Nutrition and your genes in relation to weight management) with the world-renowned Obesity Professor, Dr Giles Yeo at the University of Cambridge and scored 100% in the final assignment. I consider myself a life long learner and I re-discovered my love for science as an adult having avoided chemistry like the plague at school!
Aarti's story (click here)
Mother’s wisdom and my inspiring Mum Premila
My mother was a local community pharmacist in Hounslow and a complementary health practitioner - she respected the role of conventional medicine and also acknowledged the healing power of food, herbs and alternative therapies. She trained in Homeopathy, Nutrition, Reiki, Massage, Aromatherapy and Reflexlogy - I certainly gained my love for learning from her. She was always testing out her "lotions and potions" on us! I vividly recall her dispensing patient’s their antibiotics and telling them to eat homemade yogurt to soothe their tummy.
Twenty years on we now know the huge influential role of gut health and the gut microbiome. These were not mainstream Western medical concepts before 2000. To help with cold symptoms she would recommend a concoction of lemon, turmeric and manuka honey alongside Benylin - these foods contain properties to support immunity. South Asians love creating home remedies from healing spices - and more clinical studies are showing the efficacy of many of Mother Nature's ingredients. You only need to look at the number of curcumin supplements available - curcumin is the anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric root.
In 2005 my mother sadly passed away from Multiple Myeloma at the young age of 52 - a type of blood cancer - my father passed away 5 years later. The loss of both parents was a deep personal tragedy and also a pivotal moment. I was in the midst of embarking upon “a safe career in Finance” yet I had a strong inner calling to help others to live a long happy and healthy life.
Before entering the exciting world of Nutrition I worked in the corporate world as a qualified accountant for almost 10 years. Looking back, I can honestly say I gain far more satisfaction helping people to balance their blood sugar levels than balancing balance sheets!
I have always been fascinated by the science and healing aspects of what we put on our plates. Having experienced my own health niggles - terrible acne, negative body image and recurrent candida infections - I’ve found that a combination of diet and lifestyle interventions have helped me to combat health challenges throughout my life. In particular, in the lead up to exams I would suffer with odd, weeping rashes all over my body due to stress - the connection between stress and physical symptoms was not well understood in the 90's. A trusted friend mentioned yoga may help - so I bought the Geri Halliwell video (I was a huge Spice Girls fan in my teens) and miraculously it worked. That was my first taster of Yoga! Nowadays, we know the ripple effects of mental stress and the impact on physical symptoms. This fuelled my desire to study the subject of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine in more detail.
My qualifications
I hold a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition.
I love keeping up to date with the latest research and best practice in the world of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine.
My why?
My personal motivations are driven by the desire to find solutions to the scourge of diabetes and obesity - I truly believe we can reverse this upward trend by changing what we eat and improving our lifestyles. Humans have always been striving for a way to enhance their lives and longevity. If you want to be a healthy 100 year old, there is no better time to start!
Meet the Team
Maya is a world-class Executive Coach and Positive Psychology practitioner. Her coaching method uses powerful positive psychology techniques which are proven in boosting self-regulation and making lasting behaviour changes.
Maya has designed life changing executive education programmes and coaches London Business School executives, she has helped hundreds of clients meet their professional and personal goals. She has progressed an exciting career in Consulting and as a Director in Executive Education, alongside raising a young family – Maya understands first-hand what it is like to have a lot on your plate!
A Cambridge graduate with a First Class degree, a distinction in her professional Coaching Certificate from Henley Business school, Maya is now undertaking a Masters’ Degree in Positive Psychology.
Passionate about Dance and Skiing, Maya loves trying new ways to stay active, prioritises naps, and is passionate about good nutrition and health.
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FounderIt all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
What is Nutritional Therapy and why is it so effective?
Nutritional Therapy
An evidence-based approach to Personalised Nutrition.
Works effectively alongside conventional medicine.
Takes a 360 degree view of both physical and emotional health in order to pinpoint drivers of ill health and disease. Aims to alleviate the root cause. For example high sugar intake and lack of physical activity is a key driver for type 2 diabetes.
Appreciates everyone’s unique biochemistry - there is no one size fits all approach.
By assessing an individuals genetic profile, symptoms and health status a bespoke health plan is created with practical and positive diet and lifestyle changes at it’s core .
Lifestyle Medicine
The foundation of Lifestyle Medicine is based on the preventative health concept - prevention is better than cure.
It is widely accepted that many common diseases today such as diabetes and obesity are driven by diet and lifestyle factors and therefore, can be reversed by diet and lifestyle change.
This approach is being recognised by the medical profession as safe, low cost and effective.
Behaviour change techniques are critical in order to implement many of these changes.
Photo by Prostock-Studio/iStock / Getty Images
Functional Medicine
Nutritional Therapy uses a functional medicine approach.
This approach views the body as interconnected systems - for example digestion is linked to immunity as the gut creates 70% of immune cells.
By improving one system there is often a positive impact on other systems.
A good example is the impact of stress on digestion and the role it plays in acid reflux symptoms. Conventional medicine will prescribe medication such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) but functional medicine will investigate potential trigger foods and combine this with a stress management intervention to tackle the root cause.
Addresses the root cause of the problem and not just treating symptoms.
Emotional Eating
Do you eat when you are stressed?
Do you comfort eat when feeling bored or anxious?
At Your Plate we help to guide you through the maze of emotional eating.
Many of us use food as a way to cope with our emotions. This is not often recognised in conventional diet and health plans. You are made to feel a failure if you can’t stick to the meal plans or your motivation wanes and this leads to a vicious circle of poor eating habits.
We empower you with the right mindset in order for you to reset your relationship with food and gain a sense of control over the powerful forces of the food environment when out shopping, eating out and socialising.
Learn your cues and achieve greater self-regulation so your emotions don’t control what you put into your body.
