About Phe – Vegan, Plant-Based Nutritionist in Norwich & Beyond

Back in 2011, I made a simple decision to cut sugar out of my diet. Little did I know, that single change would send me down a path of discovery that completely transformed my relationship with food and health.

I stumbled across raw chocolate, which opened my eyes to the idea that delicious treats could also be genuinely good for you. That fascination grew into Raw Nibbles, a company I founded in 2013, dedicated to making organic, vegan treats free from dairy, wheat, gluten, refined sugars, soya, and eggs. Running Raw Nibbles taught me so much about how food can impact our bodies, our minds, and even our emotional well-being.

But the real turning point came when I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2013. The cause? A combination of overtraining, inadequate nutrition, poor sleep, and stress following the death of my grandfather. I was at the gym at 6:30 every morning, often returning for a second session later in the day. I wasn’t fuelling my body properly or giving myself enough rest. I was also drinking regularly—not heavily, but a glass of wine a day—which I later realised my body simply couldn’t tolerate.

Doctors told me there was nothing they could do. That I’d be like that for life. At the time, I couldn’t drive, I walked with a stick, and I slept around the clock. But I refused to believe that was it. I was convinced there was something more I could do to help myself.

Before finding CrossFit, I was in a dark place. I remember sitting in my car outside the gym, feeling close to a panic attack before even stepping through the doors. But I did it. And I loved it. The barbell work, the feeling of strength, the sense of community—it all made such a difference.

For around two years, I trained at Iceni Fitness, a CrossFit gym in Colchester. That period of my life was transformative. It built my physical and mental resilience and gave me the strength to push through when everything felt impossible.

During that time, I also had a year of weekly therapy sessions, which was life-changing and freeing. In 2023, after realising I was struggling again, I reached back out to my therapist for another year of sessions—this time on a fortnightly basis. That ongoing effort to maintain mental health has been just as important as physical health.

CrossFit showed me the power of strength training, both physically and mentally. Even though I no longer train in a gym, I value everything I learned during those years.