Almost two years ago, I met two women at a meetup who ended up being some of my closest friends in Dublin. We all attended University College Dublin (UCD) at the time, and were gym-addicted foodies, so naturally we got along! Since then, we’ve become a trio “Brunch Club” who love all things food, fitness, & fun!
One of these beautiful ladies is Becky Lyons, a 24 year-old originally from Bray, Co. Wicklow. Becky obtained a First Class Honours BSc Human Nutrition from UCD, and is now a qualified nutritionist working with The Fit Clinic as a coach. She also works as a sales consultant in the Health Store. As if this isn’t enough, Becky believes you can never stop learning, so she is currently studying the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Nutrition Course. And in January, she will be starting a MSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at UCD.
Becky was brought up appreciating food and its importance – how it’s important for keeping one healthy but also its role in socializing and celebrations. She says: “My mum is an amazing cook and gave me my love of food!”
A pivotal point in Becky’s outlook on nutrition was in 2017. She got significantly sick, and her lung function decreased so drastically that she was enduring countless long, complicated hospitalizations. “It came to a point where I was so unwell I couldn’t walk more than a few steps without the assistant of someone or a wheelchair. Walking is something so basic to so many of us that we take for granted so not having the ability to do that one thing really hit me.” She was prescribed high doses of medications, each with many side effects including weight gain, mood disturbances and high blood sugars. This led her to gaining about 15kg, which made her more aware of what she was eating.
“I was told that I wouldn’t be able to finish the college year, that I’d never be able to come off the high dose steroids I was on, and that I wouldn’t be able to live as I previously had. To cut a long story short, I wasn’t having ANY of that because I have too many plans and goals that I wanted to achieve. It was a long recovery and it’s still a daily battle to keep well and keep my lung function up.”
Despite this health scare, Becky took control of her health by putting her body first, fuelling it with proper nutrition, and giving it the restoration it needed. Today, she takes up to ten medications a day, and continues to keep herself healthy through training and proper nutrition. “There’s nothing I’m prevented from doing and I really feel like I live life to the fullest. Along with the support from my amazing family, boyfriend, friends and consultant, I’ve achieved this and I believe nutrition and exercise played and do play a huge role in keeping me well.”
Becky started sharing more and more of her nutritional knowledge via social media because she became tired of seeing nutrition being over-complicated online. Though it is a complicated field to study, nutrition for everyday people doesn’t need to be complicated, unrealistic or restrictive. “I wanted to show people that you can be healthy, achieve any aesthetic goals you want, and have a social life and a good relationship with food. I feel like so many make it seem like you have to live in the gym and live off chia seeds.” A funny but unfortunate truth regarding false information shared online for sure!
One of her biggest pet peeves about nutrition & diet is that you need to cut things out to be healthy (ie. gluten, sugar, dairy). AKA all the things that unqualified people claim are not “good” for you. “I’m a big believer in the 80/20 rule and that all foods have a place in the overall scheme of your diet and nutrition. Life is for living and food is for eating I say!” I 110% agree!
Becky wants to continue to get stronger in the gym all the while maintaining her current FEV1, which measures her lung function. Much to the astonishment of her doctors, her FEV1 is currently 103%! An incredible feat for sure!!
Burgers will always be Becky’s favourite food. Atta girl! And with summer she has become obsessed with pineapple. She has also started using a new protein from Ros Nutrition. “I’m loving how tasty it is! Vanilla latte is my favourite flavour.”
At times when life throws a curveball and it’s easy to get discouraged, Becky instead reminds herself of what she has already been through. She thinks of when she felt totally vulnerable, and was stuck in a hospital during her health scare. “All I wished for at that time was to be able to live an everyday life and do anything a regular 20-something year old could do. I made promises to myself then that I would do everything in my power to keep myself physically and mentally healthy enough to not let myself get back there. I also like to remind myself that I’ve survived 100% of my worst days; so I can get through whatever it is I’m going through.”
Becky’s advice to women everywhere: “You are enough as you are; you always have been and you always will be no matter how anyone makes you feel.” YAS YAS YAS!!
Becky’s story is truly an amazing & encouraging testament of how vital the right nutrition and activity is for your overall health. She truly demonstrates through her lifestyle how important balance is as well! For more nutritious knowledge and some delicious recipes, be sure to follow Becky on Instagram (@becky_lyons_nutritionist).