Anna Doran
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About me

My journey into nutrition

Anna Doran

My journey into nutrition wasn't planned. It started at 16, when I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS). Alongside irregular cycles, I struggled with persistent acne — the kind that follows you into every photo and eats away at your confidence — and very few clear answers about why. Frustrated by symptoms I couldn't seem to fix, I went to university to study Pharmacology, hoping to understand the medicines I was being offered and, honestly, hoping science would give me a straightforward answer.

Instead, over my degree I became more and more curious about what was happening beyond the pill bottle — how the body responds to food, sleep, stress, movement. I kept asking myself: what's the source? how can I actually prevent this? — questions medication alone couldn't answer for me.

That question led to years of reading, trying things, making mistakes, and slowly beginning to understand how much everyday habits shape how we feel. Somewhere in those years, I realised I wanted to help other people through the same confusion — not from a place of theory, but from someone who's genuinely been there.

So I went back to university and completed my MSc in Dietetics at Teesside, becoming a Registered Dietitian. From there I spent 1.5 years working on hospital wards, supporting patients with a wide range of serious conditions — and it became clear where my heart was. Time and time again, I saw how much goes wrong when the gut–brain axis is out of balance, and I knew that gut health was where I wanted to focus.

Today I work part-time as a Gastroenterology Dietitian within the NHS, supporting patients with IBS, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and other complex digestive conditions. I love my NHS work — but honestly, what draws me most is my private practice. It's where I get to build proper connections with the clients who choose to work with me, take the time to really listen, and shape care around their whole life.

Over the years I...

Completed BSc Pharmacology at University of East Anglia

Studied Integrative and Preventive Nutrition at MIIN

Completed MSc in Dietetics at Teesside University

Registered as a Dietitian with the HCPC

Currently practising as a Gastroenterology Dietitian in the NHS

Beyond my clinical practice

Beyond my professional dietetic work, I have a strong personal interest in psychology and the mind–body connection. Writers like Lise Bourbeau — who explores the emotional roots of physical experience — resonate deeply with me. Books such as her Listen to Your Body have shaped how I think about wellbeing on a personal level.

These are personal reflections, not clinical methods I use with my clients — my professional dietetic advice always stays firmly within evidence-based practice.

My transformation

Education

2016–2020
University of East Anglia

BSc Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

University of East Anglia

https://www.uea.ac.uk/
2020–2022
International Institute of Integrative Nutriciology (MIIN)

Integrative and Preventive Nutrition

International Institute of Integrative Nutriciology (MIIN)

https://miin.ru
2022–2024
MIIN

Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach

MIIN

https://miin.ru
2024
Teesside University

MSc Dietetics

Teesside University

https://www.tees.ac.uk/

Additional training

2023

Food labelling e-learning course from Food Standards Agency

Food hygiene and safety for catering

Ketogenic diet in children with epilepsy

The latest trends treatment of IBS from the BDA

2024

Detox coaching at the Academy of Youth and Beauty by Gastroenterologist Olga Evdokimova

Plant based nutrition for older adults course by British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

Obesity-Weight management training by Novo Nordisk UK

2025

Motivational Interviewing training Course by Leeds Beckett University

Optimising Nutrition in the Management of COPD: Transforming Clinical Evidence into Practice by Nutricia

Introduction to Nutrition in Cancer training by the BDA

Management of IBS using a Low FODMAP Diet course by the BDA

2026

Management of Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3-5 training by the BDA

The Fifth Annual Dietetic Gastroenterology Symposium

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