Let’s be honest: If you’re looking for delicious recipe ideas, a nutritionist may not be your first port of call. But Emily English, best known by her online alias @dietitianmight just change your mind with its winning philosophy: ‘Food you want to eat, designed by a nutritionist’.
The 28-year-old has shot to fame over the past few years, amassing 1.4 million Instagram followers and over 12 million likes on TikTok. Forget your average salads and healthy smoothies: Emily’s social media feed is filled with nutritious recipe videos that will make you excited to cook up: tortellini pizza baking, fluffy French toast, katsu curry, blueberry breakfast muffins, all easy to make and accompanied by relevant nutritional information.
She’s also expanding outside the online world: Emily recently published her first cookbook. Very goodand launched Epetōme, a supplement brand 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 food journey didn’t follow a traditional route. Coming from a big foodie family, my grandmother was a chef, so food was always a big part of my life. My love for food developed at an early age, especially when I worked at her restaurant at my first job. Our home was the center of any event or celebration, and it always centered around the dinner table.
What about nutrition? Why did you decide to pursue it as a career?
It wasn’t until I was scouted to become a model and experienced the storm of the fashion industry with all its diet trends that I realized my knowledge of nutrition was lacking. As someone who adored biology and chemistry in school, it seemed ironic that there was such a divide between enjoying food and understanding how to nourish my body in a healthy way. This realization hit me hard and when I postponed going to university for a year, I switched my degree to nutrition. This decision changed everything for me and I’ve never looked back.
How do you define your food culture?
My food philosophy is ‘food you want to eat, designed by a nutritionist’. I believe that healthy living is the beautiful art of balance, healthy habits and happiness. Being healthy should make you feel good and nutrition is a big part of that. When I design recipes, I always think about how the food makes you feel. Will it satisfy you or will it curb your cravings? Do you enjoy it? All of these aspects go into creating a plate. We don’t just eat food; we eat food that feels familiar and enjoyable. This philosophy is why I share my habits and routines on social media. I believe that the little things that add up in our days make the biggest difference in our lives. We can’t just eat well to feel good; we also need to take a 360-degree approach to our health by moving in ways that support our minds and make us feel good when dealing with stress and anxiety.
You are both a nutritionist and a chef. Do you think there is a gap between the worlds of nutrition and cooking?
I definitely think there’s a huge gap between the worlds of nutrition and cooking. The biggest shock for me in college was realizing that many nutritionists don’t know how to cook. That gap is important because it’s one thing to know about nutrition in theory, but it’s another to be able to translate that knowledge into delicious, practical meals.
Tell us about Epetōme. Why did you decide to start it?
Epetōme was born out of my desire to bridge the gap between scientific nutritional knowledge and practical, everyday health. I wanted to create a supplement that truly supported gut health, was based on scientific evidence, and was designed for real people with real lives. The decision to launch it came from my personal experiences and professional insights into how important gut health is to overall health.
Who can benefit from it? Do you think everyone should take supplements?
Epetōme is designed for those who need a little extra support with their gut. Supplements should supplement, not replace. It’s certainly true that you can’t make up for a poor diet with supplements. Prioritize improving your eating habits, cooking fresh foods, and adding more whole foods instead of just taking pills. That doesn’t mean supplements don’t have a place, as our customer feedback has already shown that Epetōme can be life-changing, but it’s still important that we don’t neglect the basics.
What are three things people can do to improve their gut health?
- Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep directly affects your diet. When our sleep is disrupted, our bodies can’t properly digest and process sugars, leading to higher blood sugar spikes and imbalances the next day. It also directly affects our hunger and hormones, causing us to crave sugary, processed foods and causing a shift in ghrelin, the hormone that drives our appetite and hunger. You may find that no matter what you eat after a bad night’s sleep, you’re never satisfied. Prioritizing a good night’s sleep is a great way to ensure your hormones stay balanced and functioning properly.
- Eat a good, balanced diet. At every meal, you’re eating for yourself and your gut microbes. Your gut health is a huge part of your health, affecting everything from your mind to your immunity to your skin to your digestive ability. Your gut microbes essentially eat what we eat, so it’s essential to make sure you’re getting plenty of whole foods—fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds—when you’re putting together a meal. Variety is king when it comes to helping support a diverse microbiome and, in turn, supporting our bodies.
- Try to reduce your stress levels. Reducing your stress levels can significantly benefit your gut health. Stress and gut health are closely linked. Reducing stress helps maintain a healthy and diverse gut microbiome.
How do you navigate the turbulent culture of social media?
Navigating social media requires thick skin and a clear sense of purpose. I always try to stay true to myself and my mission, sharing real, evidence-based advice and personal insights. It’s important to take a break, 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 talked before about your experience modeling as a teenager. If you feel comfortable talking about it, how did it change your relationship with food and yourself?
As I mentioned before, I come from a family that is obsessed with food. Family meals and Sunday roasts were a big part of my childhood; we would all sit around a big dinner table and eat. I was never exposed to diet culture; my mother was never on a diet. It wasn’t until I was discovered as a model and joined a modelling agency that everything changed. I was exposed to a lot of toxic diet culture and when I came back from summer holidays they told me my thighs were too big. That clicked a switch in my head and suddenly my whole relationship with food changed. I started treating my body like a math equation and that really wore me out. I lost weight and 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 got help from a therapist who specialised in eating disorders that I started working on myself and my relationship with food. It was the perfect time for me to go to college, and instead of pursuing a degree in human physiology like I always planned, I decided to learn about food and nutrition because I wanted to understand this whole culture of what we should and shouldn’t eat and why it was important for me to nourish and nurture my body.
TikTok is full of diet trends. What are some of the misguided trends you’ve seen in the nutrition world lately?
One of the biggest misguided trends I see is the obsession with detox teas and quick fixes for weight loss. Many of these products are marketed with little to no scientific support and can actually be harmful. Another trend is the over-restriction of entire food groups, such as carbohydrates 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?
Yeah, I try not to spend too much time on social media in a funny way. The biggest advice I can give is to try to take everything with a pinch of salt, it’s all about the nutritional context, a lot of what you see on social media, yes it’s probably not the best thing for you, but if you’re eating a balanced diet it’s not going to have a negative effect on you.
What’s your favorite dinner party recipe?
My chicken lasagna from my cookbook.
What are your top three health tips that you follow every day?
- I always try to get some movement in the morning. As soon as I wake up, I tend to go for my morning walk. Natural light is like nature’s caffeine. It’s a great way to wake you up, help reduce the sleep hormone in your body, and get things moving. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Even if you only have 15 minutes, it will make the biggest difference in your day.
- Drink water before you have caffeine. Caffeine is a natural diuretic, meaning you can make yourself even more dehydrated if you wake up thirsty. Being dehydrated can have an impact on our cravings and hunger levels, so make sure you drink water first. Drink about 500ml of water first thing.
- Take magnesium before bed. Magnesium isn’t something we regularly test for deficiencies, but it’s one of the fastest-depleting minerals in the body when we’re tired, stressed, and exhausted. I like to replenish my magnesium levels with oral supplements, but you can also take magnesium salt baths and use a magnesium body lotion; my favorite time to include this is before bed because magnesium can really help with sleep.
What are your favourite restaurants in London?
- 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 field?
I admire Alice Liveing’s approach to fitness and wellness and her ability to change perspectives. The wellness space is constantly evolving and those of us who follow her on social media should reflect that. We should be brave enough to say that we have changed our approach or views based on new ideas and emerging research. Sometimes admitting you are wrong is the hardest thing to do!
Where are you when you’re not in the kitchen?
When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either taking long walks and creating recipes, playing padel or pilates, or going out for dinner with my husband. We love trying new restaurants.
How do you live your life in balance?
Living a balanced life means prioritizing the things that truly matter 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 healthy meal, spending quality time with loved ones, or implementing self-care routines. Balance is also about flexibility and not being too hard on myself; it’s okay to take the occasional day off and pamper myself.
What’s next?
I’m really excited to continue creating books, and we actually have plans for a second book. I really believe these books offer tremendous value in bridging the gap for people who love to eat but also want to feel good. We also have big plans for Epetōme for the rest of this year and next year. Everything I do revolves around the same three pillars: health, habits, and happiness.
You can learn more Epetom Head online at epetome.com and check out Emily’s recipes on Instagram and TikTok