Nutritionist Emily English On Diet Culture and Navigating Life Online
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5 months ago
We meet the UK’s most famous nutritionist
Let’s be honest: if you’re looking for delicious recipe ideas, a nutritionist might not be your first point of call. But Emily English, best known under her online moniker @emthenutritionist, might change your mind with her winning ethos: ‘food you want to eat, designed by a nutritionist’.
The 28-year-old has soared to fame over the past couple of years, having amassed 1.4 million Instagram followers and over 12 million likes on TikTok. Forget bland salads and health juices: Emily’s social media feeds are filled with nourishing recipe videos that you’ll be excited to cook: tortellini pizza bake, fluffy French toast, katsu curry, blueberry breakfast muffins, all easy to make and posted with the relevant nutritional information.
She’s expanding outside the online world too: Emily recently published her first cookbook, So Good, and launched a supplement brand, Epetōme, which is designed to support gut health. So where did it all begin? Emily tells us her story below.
Emily English Interview
When did you first become interested in food? Was it a big part of your childhood?
My journey into nutrition didn’t take a conventional route. Coming from a big foodie family, with my granny being a chef, food was always a significant part of my life. My love for food was cultivated at an early age, especially when I worked my first job in her restaurant. Our house was the hub for any occasion or celebration, and it was always centred around the dinner table.
What about nutrition? Why did you decide to pursue that as a career?
It wasn’t until I got scouted to become a model and experienced the whirlwind of the fashion industry, with all its diet trends, that I realised my knowledge of nutrition was lacking. As someone who was fascinated with biology and chemistry in school, I found it ironic that there was such a separation between enjoying food and understanding how to fuel my body healthily. This realization hit me hard, and when I delayed going to university for a year, I ended up swapping my degree choice to nutrition. That decision changed everything for me, and I’ve never looked back.
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How would you describe your food ethos?
My food ethos is all about ‘food you want to eat, designed by a nutritionist.’ I believe healthy living is the beautiful art of balance, healthy habits, and happiness. Wellness should make you feel well, and nutrition is a huge part of that. When I design recipes, I always think about how food makes you feel. Is it going to leave you satisfied, or will it curtail your cravings? Did you enjoy it? All these aspects are fundamental to creating a plate. We don’t just eat nutrients; we eat food that should feel familiar and enjoyable. This philosophy is why I share my habits and routines on social media. I believe the little things that accumulate in our days make the biggest difference in our lives. We can’t just eat well to feel well; we also need to move in ways that feel good and support our minds when dealing with stress and anxiety, taking a 360-degree approach to our health.
You’re both a nutritionist and a cook. Do you think there’s a gap between the nutrition and the culinary worlds?
Absolutely, I think there’s a big gap between the nutrition and culinary worlds. The biggest shock for me at university was realising how many nutritionists didn’t know how to cook. This gap matters because knowing about nutrition in theory is one thing, but being able to turn that knowledge into tasty, practical meals is another.
Tell us about Epetōme. Why did you decide to launch it?
Epetōme was born out of my desire to bridge the gap between scientific nutritional knowledge and practical, everyday wellness. I wanted to create a supplement that truly supports gut health, rooted in scientific evidence and designed for real people with real lives. The decision to launch it came from my personal experiences and professional insights into how crucial gut health is for overall wellbeing.
Who might it be useful for? Do you think everyone should be taking supplements?
Epetōme is designed for those who need some extra support with their gut. Supplementation should support, not replace. It’s definitely true that you cannot out-supplement a bad diet. Prioritize improving your nutritional habits, cooking from fresh, and including more whole foods rather than just popping pills. This doesn’t mean that supplements don’t have a place, as our customer feedback has already shown how life changing Epetōme can be, but it’s still important we don’t neglect the fundamentals.
Three things people can do to improve their gut health?
- Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep will directly impact your nutrition. When we have broken sleep, our body is unable to digest and process sugars properly, leading to more blood sugar spikes and imbalances the next day. It also directly affects our hunger and hormones, resulting in higher cravings for sugary, processed foods and a shift in the hormone ghrelin, which drives our appetite and hunger. You may notice after a bad night’s sleep that you never feel satisfied, no matter what you eat. Prioritizing a good night’s sleep is a great way to ensure that your hormones stay balanced and functioning appropriately.
- Get a good balanced diet. With every meal, you eat for both you and your gut microbes. Your gut health is such an important part of your health; it impacts everything from your mind to immunity to your skin and how you are able to digest. Your gut microbes essentially eat what we eat, so when we are putting together a plate, making sure that we’re getting in lots of whole foods, those fruits, veggies, fresh herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds is essential. Diversity is king when it comes to helping support a diverse microbiome and, in turn, supporting our body.
- Try to lower your stress levels. Lowering your stress levels can significantly benefit your gut health. Stress and gut health are closely interconnected. Reducing stress helps maintain a healthy and diverse gut microbiome.
How do you navigate the turbulent culture of social media?
Navigating social media requires a thick skin and a clear sense of purpose. I always try to stay authentic to myself and my mission, sharing real, evidence-based advice and personal insights. It’s important to take breaks, not get caught up in the numbers, and remember why you started sharing your journey in the first place. Surrounding myself with a supportive community and focusing on the positive impact I can make helps me stay grounded.
You’ve spoken previously about your experience of becoming a model as a teenager. If you feel comfortable talking about this, how did that change your relationship with food, and with yourself?
As mentioned earlier, I come from a family who are all obsessed with food. Family dinners and Sunday roasts were a massive part of my childhood; we would all sit around a massive dinner table and eat. I was never exposed to diet culture; my mum never went on a diet. It wasn’t until I got scouted as a model and joined a modelling agency where it all changed. I was exposed to a host of toxic diet culture, and when I came back from a summer holiday, they told me that my thighs were too big. This flicked a switch in my head, and suddenly my whole relationship with food changed. I started treating my body as a math equation, and it really took a toll. My weight dropped, and I went from loving food and trying all these new restaurants, to now not being able to. It wasn’t until I left the modelling agency and sought help from a therapist who specializes in eating disorders that I worked on myself and my relationship with food. This was the perfect time for me to go to uni and instead of doing a degree on human physiology, like I always planned, I decided to go and learn about food and nutrition because I wanted to understand this whole culture around what we should and shouldn’t be eating and understand why it is important for me to nourish and fuel my body.
TikTok is awash with diet trends. What are some of the misguided trends you’ve seen in the nutrition world lately?
One of the biggest misguided trends I’ve seen is the obsession with detox teas and quick fixes for weight loss. Many of these products are marketed with little to no scientific backing and can actually be harmful. Another trend is the extreme restriction of entire food groups, like carbs or fats, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and unhealthy relationships with food.
Do you think TikTok can be a dangerous space when it comes to nutrition/fitness/weight loss trends?
Yes, funnily enough I try not to spend too much time on social media. The biggest advice I can give is try to take it all with a pinch of salt, it’s all about diet context, the majority of things you see on social media, yes they probably are not the best things for you, however if you are having them in a well-balanced diet, these will not have a negative effect on you.
What’s your all-time favourite dinner party recipe?
My chicken lasagna from my cookbook.
Three top health hacks you do every day?
- I always try to get some morning movement. As soon as I wake up, I tend to go for my morning walk outside. Natural light is like nature’s caffeine. It’s an amazing way to wake you up, help reduce the sleep hormone in your body, and just get everything moving. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Even if you only have 15 minutes, it will make the biggest difference to your day.
- Hydrate before you caffeinate. Caffeine is a natural diuretic, which means that when you wake up dehydrated, you can further dehydrate yourself. Dehydration can have an impact on our cravings and hunger levels, so make sure that you are hydrating first. Aim for around 500ml of water first thing.
- Take magnesium before bed. Magnesium isn’t something we regularly test for when it comes to deficiencies, but it’s one of the quickest minerals in the body that can become depleted when we are tired, stressed, and rundown. I like to top up my magnesium levels via oral supplementation, but also you can take magnesium salt baths and use magnesium body butter; my favorite time to incorporate this is before bed because magnesium can actually help aid sleep.
What are your favourite London restaurants?
- Dorian in Notting Hill
- LPM London in Mayfair
- Elystan Street in Chelsea.
- Waterman’s Arms in Barnes.
Who do you admire in the food and nutrition space?
I admire Alice Liveing for her approach to fitness and wellness and her ability to change her perspective. The wellness space is constantly evolving, and we, as people with a social media following, must reflect that. We have to be brave enough to say we have changed our approach or our views based on new ideas and research that come to light. Sometimes admitting you’re wrong is the hardest thing to do!
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When you’re not in the kitchen, where are you?
When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either on a long walk coming up with recipes, playing padel or at Pilates, or out for dinner with my husband. We love trying new restaurants.
How do you live a life in balance?
Living a balanced life means prioritising what truly matters to me: health, habits, and happiness. It’s about making time for the things that nourish my body, mind, and soul, whether that’s cooking a wholesome meal, enjoying quality time with loved ones, or practising self-care routines. Balance is also about flexibility and not being too hard on myself; it’s okay to have off days and indulge sometimes.
What’s next for you?
I’m really excited to keep creating books, and we actually have plans for book number two in the pipeline. I truly believe these books offer immense value in bridging the gap for those who love food but also want to feel well. Also, we have big plans for Epetōme for the rest of this year and next. Everything I do revolves around the same three pillars: health, habits, and happiness.
You can find out more about Epetōme online at epetome.com and check out Emily’s recipes on Instagram and TikTok
