Food & recipes

“My life changed for the better”

After struggling with her health for decades, Ciara Roberts enrolled on a course at CNM

A strep throat at age four – that was unusually localised to my kidneys – caused a rare form of glomerulonephritis. At age 14 I went into renal failure, and for the following eight years I had to rely on dialysis treatments three times a week. When I was 21 I had the gift of a kidney transplant, but by the age of 39 the transplant had failed – I’m currently listed for a second kidney and do peritoneal dialysis at home.

When our family moved to South Africa, we were referred to an amazing doctor. He advised whole foods, good hydration and limited sugars – I soon flourished and was a very healthy child in spite of the diagnosis. Having been raised by a mother very interested in natural health and from the doctor who’d planted powerful seeds on healthy living – I happened upon CNM and it immediately felt as though the course had been designed just for me.

CNM is a combination of hopeful endeavour and academic excellence, which makes it a very worthwhile experience. I loved the lecturers, whose calibre was excellent, and meeting new, like-minded people, some of whom became very good friends. The content of the course, and feeling fully equipped to practise after graduation, was a helpful antidote to my very busy, stressful banking career. I came to really enjoy studying at the weekends.

I was still working full-time in banking when I started at CNM, however, I knew in my heart there was so much more I had to offer in this lifetime. I resigned from banking, and having also qualified as a yoga teacher, I set up my own business, Wholly Aligned, in 2012. The brand draws upon the wisdom of nutrition and yoga to help people reconnect with their mind, body and soul and ultimately awaken their inner physician.

The CNM course enriched my knowledge and, importantly, helped me understand more deeply the intricate nature of therapeutic rapport and how key it is to build trust and confidence with your clients. By turning around my frustration with the very linear medical system, I can use the resulting wisdom to help others. My first book Wholly Aligned, Wholly Alive, launched in June 2019 and details my journey and includes the tools of nutrition and yoga and how they’ve helped me. I currently support my health both with conventional medicine and natural treatments. I have nightly eight-hour dialysis having lost my transplant kidney function three years ago. It comes with all kinds of potential complications but I see this as part of my self-care routine, and I have the intuition, knowledge, strength and self love to look after myself very well.

Interested in studying?
CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine) has a 20-year track record training students for successful careers in natural therapies.
Full and part-time studies. CNM’s Diploma in Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy is now available in class and online.
To find out more, or to book your free place at the next CNM Open Event get in touch: naturopathy-uk.com or 01342 410 505.