I eventually grew, but I didn’t grow out of a toxic cycle with food. I would binge on weekends, starve myself during the week, and live with constant guilt.
It began with one simple shift: choosing curiosity over criticism. Instead of punishing myself with diets, I explored what it would mean to eat and move from a place of self-respect.
I swapped celebrity gossip for podcasts on wellness and personal growth, and discovered a whole world of women choosing health because they wanted more out of life — not just to be thinner.
That lit a fire in me. I retrained with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and built the knowledge, structure, and confidence that now shape the work I do with women every day.
In my early school years, I was painfully shy — not helped by a form teacher who thought humiliation was a teaching style. In high school, I somehow squeezed into the “cool girls” gang as the quiet one, which became my survival ticket through those years.
Nobody ever explained why further education might matter, so I didn’t bother. Instead, I went straight to work in my uncle’s company — first as a secretary, later as a bookkeeper — and spent the rest of my salary partying.
But curiosity eventually beat shyness. That same spark pushed me to leave Espoo at 24 and move to London. Through a mix of bold choices and lucky encounters, I found myself working in the City of London’s finance world — and at 30, I met my husband, Jeremy.
Today you’ll probably find me walking under the Dubai sunshine, listening to a podcast on why ultra-processed food is ruining us, or leading a coaching call with women around the world. (Always in leggings, of course.)
Why do I care so much? Because I know what it’s like to live in self-doubt, and I know what it feels like to break free. Every woman deserves a body she can feel proud of — one that’s capable, strong, and ready for decades ahead.
Your health is the foundation. Get that right, and it spills into every area of life: confidence, energy, work, relationships. I’ve seen it happen for my clients. It can happen for you too — even if you think you’re a “lost case.” Spoiler: you’re not.
Remember those…? The fun of filling them out in with your friends!
1) MY FAVOURITE CUISINE: Greek or Turkish.
2) MY LEAST FAVOURITE CUISINE: Indian. Also British… I’m sorry my old adoptive home country: I love you but Sunday Roast with gravy and boiled veggies just doesn’t do it for me.
3) IF I COULD EAT ONE FOOD FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE: Eggs.
4) MY FAVOURITE “NAUGHTY” FOOD: Mortadella! Piles of it! Melted ham & cheese croissant. Pad Thai. Prawn tempura sushi rolls.
5) FAVOURITE DESSERT: Frozen Greek Jogurt in Gaia. Cheesecake in Il Borro. French Toast in LPM. Sour cherry tart by my friend Ilke.
6) BEST FINNISH DISH: Creamy salmon soup!
7) FOODS AND FLAVOURS I CAN’T BEAR: Oysters, gravalax, roll mops, dill, mustard, horse raddish, wasabi, coffee.
8) FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: Matcha. I’ve never in my life drunk a cup of coffee.
9) MY FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK: Champagne. However… It’s been the non-alcoholic type for 4 months now…
10) FAVOURITE COLOUR: Blue (and some shades of green).
11) I’M MOST LIKELY TO BINGE WATCH: Scandi thrillers.
12) I’M AFRAID OF: Heights. Sharks. Slugs (yuk). Robbers (sadly I have a lot of experienc with them).
13) WHO WOULD I LIKE TO MEET: Mel Robbins. Mark Hyman. Melissa Wood. (Actually I did see Melissa, twice, but I felt too shy to say anything. Can you believe that?) I’d also like to meet Jon Hamm. I’ve just been watching Your Friends & Neighbours and he’s so cool!
14) FAVOURITE HOLIDAY: Skiing. I get bored in a tropical paradise kinda place. I also like a city on a beach such as Miami. Lucky I also live in one!
15) WHERE WOULD I LIKE TO VISIT: Al-Ula in Saudi. Petra in Jordan.
16) NOTHING NO OBJECT, WHERE WOULD I LIVE: Dubai. Right now it suits. In future I’d quite like to live between a couple of places. I don’t feel the need to settle in one place.