So, you’ve arrived on the blog and you’re wondering who is behind it.
That’s me….below running a half marathon around Disneyland wearing a tiara….you could just stop there really, but if you want to know more about my background in relation to this healthy stuff….
Who Is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist with over 20 years experience. I am also author of 17 published books on nutrition and wellness.
As a Health Journalist
The publications I have written for include…
Newspaper health sections including: Body & Soul at The Sunday Telegraph Australia, Good Health in the Daily Mail UK, The Telegraph, The Observer, The Independent, The Daily Express and The Mirror.
Magazines including Women’s Health – UK and Australia, Good Health Australia, Reader’s Digest – Australia and UK, Runner’s World, Top Sante, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Red, Stylist, Marie Claire, Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Sainsbury’s magazine – and many, many more.
I have been Health Editor of Woman’s Own magazine in the UK, health section editor of Cosmopolitan UK, news editor at Slimming World magazine and nutrition editor at Best magazine.
You can see more examples of my work at my professional webpage.
As an Author
I’ve also written 17 books – some of which you’ll find in The Bookstore
They include the bestselling Easy Gi Diet, The High Fat Diet, The Macro Method, Quit Alcohol (For a Month), Dejunk Your Life, The Weekend Off Diet and Eat 5.
My first e-book Gym-spiration: 52 Ways To Wake Up Your Workout aims to help bored exercisers worldwide. You can also see more at my Amazon Author Page.
Professional Associations
I’m currently a member of the UK Guild of Health Writers and the Australasian Medical Writers Association.
When I was based in the UK I was also a member of the Fitness Writers Association and the Medical Journalist’s Association.
I have won a couple of writing awards – one for my journalism, and one for this blog under it’s past name of Health-e-Helen.
In life, I’ve done over 25 half marathons and a couple of full ones. Right, now I spend a lot of time at the gym! I eat fast (and steadily). I was brought up in the UK but I’m now based in Sydney which makes me very happy. I waffle…..a lot.
Where Does The Information on TWN Come From?
Doctors, scientists, dietitians, nutritionists and a lot of time on PubMed!
I love research. I want to know how, why, what or when things happen in our body – and most of the posts on this blog begin with one of those words.
To find these things out, I spend my day reading medical papers and interviewing scientists, doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, fitness trainers and other wellness experts.
What that means is that everything you read on this blog comes with a basis in science, fact and credible expert knowledge.
It’s either directly from an interview with an expert, in which case you’ll see them quoted, or, comes from the same level of journalistic research I use when I write for trusted publications like Women’s Health or Reader’s Digest.
In fact, until July 2022 the blog was called Not Your Normal Health Blog and I changed the name because I felt it was giving the wrong impression at a time where a lot of health misinformation was rife. Plus, the new one sums up my life so….
So What Does Being Healthy Mean To Me?
Well it means eating your vegetables (even the evil ones like carrots) because this world’s amazing and, personally, I want to be blatting around it having fun for as long as I possibly can – and if eating well increases the chances of doing that then bring on the salad.
I exercise partly because it chills me out – but also because when I’m at karaoke I want to be able to sing Mr Brightside and jump and down without getting out of breath and I need to be fit to do that.
It’s not all about green juices and $200 leggings – although I do admit that the Lululemon Sports Bra I tested was a thing of beauty!
What’s On the Blog?
There’s a few main sections that aim to answer all those wellness questions that have been bugging you and give you useful, practical, accurate information that explains why things happen and how to handle them when they do …
How To Guides: This is where you’ll find advice that helps you solve some common wellness problems like poor sleep or low energy. If you’re new to this being healthy lark you’ll also find advice to help you find your feet around the gym or the health store/kitchen.
Calorie Counters: I eat out a lot and it used to drive me mad when I couldn’t quickly find out how many calories were in dishes in some common restaurants – and so I started this section on the blog. Not only does it show you where to find those calories, it also pinpoints the healthiest choices to order for those days when you don’t want to test your willpower.
Is it Healthy? Have you ever wondered if a food deserves it’s healthy reputation – or, if something you have as a treat is really as bad as you think it might be? This is where you find out. We look in depth at the good, bad and ugly nutrition facts about some common foods.
What the Heck Is? I’m obsessed with what’s new and unusual foods, exercises and treatments and if you also want to find out about interesting ideas in healthy eating and fitness, this is the section for you.
When Can You? Exercise is generally very good for you – but, there are a few times when you might need to take a break from it. This section helps you find out how long you need to avoid working out for – and why.
Why Does: The section that explains why things happen – like why certain foods can lead to bloating, or why things might change your mood. If you’ve ever been bemused about something, it might be in here.
There’s also a few other posts hiding here and there so, you might be surprised what you find it you look hard enough!
So that’s it, that’s the aim of The Wellness Nerd….If it all sounds good to you, welcome.
The Business Bit
If you’re interested in getting in touch regarding products to review, sponsored posts, guest posts or for any other reason, please email me at helen@thewellnessnerd.com.
For full details on other opportunities to work with The Wellness Nerd, please see the Business Page – Please note, I don’t offer paid for do-follow links.