Personalised support for ARFID (Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) & Low Weight
Living with avoidant or restrictive eating can be frightening and isolating, especially when it leads to low body weight, exhaustion and a shrinking list of “safe” foods. At Urban Wellness, support for ARFID focuses on gentle, evidence-informed nutrition, weight restoration where needed, and rebuilding a more peaceful relationship with food at a pace that feels manageable for you.
Learn more about our Eating Disorders Health Package
What can ARFID feel like?
ARFID is more than “fussy eating” and it can affect adults of any age, including midlife women juggling busy lives, health changes and family responsibilities
It often starts in childhood, but then gets compounded over the years as many parents or carers don't understand why you are uable to "just eat more food" or more variety of food.
At Urban Wellness, we have seen many different reasons why ARFID happens, and it is unique to every individual person.
Common reasons may include:
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Early childhood negative food experience such as vomiting or choking
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Emetophobia (fear of vomiting)
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Neurodiversity
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Emotional trauma
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Medical trauma
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Common Symptoms of ARFID
You might notice:
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Eating only a very narrow range of “safe” foods, often the same meals on repeat
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Avoidance of certain textures, colours or smells, or feeling overwhelmed by mixed dishes
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Strong fear of choking, vomiting or feeling very unwell after eating
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Feeling full quickly, struggling to finish meals, or having very little appetite
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Low body weight, recent weight loss or difficulty maintaining weight without trying to lose it
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Feeling cold, tired, dizzy, weak or “foggy,” and finding it harder to concentrate
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Worry, guilt or frustration about the impact of eating on your health, hormones, mood or social life
Some women with ARFID have been underweight for years and told “you’re just small,” while others notice weight dropping in perimenopause or after a health scare, illness or choking episode. You may have been reassured because you “don’t look like” you have an eating disorder, yet still feel stuck, scared around food and unsure how to safely restore weight.
About Nicola
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I’m Nicola Shubrook, and I founded Urban Wellness—an online nutrition and functional medicine clinic specialising in mental health and eating disorders for women in midlife. Urban Wellness was born out of my lived experience and a deep understanding that true healing goes far beyond quick fixes or symptom management.
With over 16 years of clinical experience, I specialise in complex cases—working with emotional trauma, chronic gut issues, MCAS and histamine challenges, hormone-related mood issues, ARFID, and eating disorders with additional health challenges, or clients who have a history of eating disorders alongside other complex physical or psychological issues.
How can functional nutrition help ARFID and weight restoration?
Nutritional rehabilitation and weight restoration are core parts of ARFID recovery, alongside psychological support. Within the Eating Disorder Health Package, nutrition work is collaborative and trauma‑aware, aiming to support your body while respecting sensory needs, fear responses and life demands.
Together, we may focus on:
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Understanding your current intake, safe foods, fear foods and mealtime patterns
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Prioritising medical safety, including monitoring for low body weight, nutritional deficiencies and other health risks linked to under‑nutrition
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Creating stepwise plans for weight restoration where needed, using familiar foods and gentle fortification (for example, boosting energy and protein in meals and snacks you already tolerate
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Gradually increasing eating frequency and consistency to support stable blood sugar, hormones and mood
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Identifying any co‑occurring gut issues, fatigue, hormonal changes or nervous system dysregulation that may be interacting with ARFID
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When appropriate, supporting work you are doing with therapists or other clinicians by aligning nutrition plans with your wider treatment goals
Over time, the aim is to help:
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Restore or stabilise weight to a safer range for your body and stage of lif
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Improve energy, concentration, temperature regulation, bone health and menstrual or midlife hormone health where possible
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Gently expand food options so life feels less restricted around meals, travel, work and social situations
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Build confidence in listening to your body and trusting that you can nourish it, even if fear or low appetite show up
Your journey to a better relationship with food
Discovery Call
Book a free 30-minute discovery call so we can better understand your needs – and you can decide if we are the right fit for you.
01
In-depth Assessment
During our first session, we take time to understand your unique health history story, current symptoms and overall wellbeing. We’ll explore key systems that need support and help identify possible root causes for your mental health challenges. At the end, you’ll have your first personalised action steps to start making meaningful progress.
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Personalised programme
Within 48-hours of each session, you’ll receive a personalised plan with clear, achievable steps – covering nutrition, lifestyle, supplement advice (if required) and optional functional testing. We make changes gradually so you’ll never feel overwhelmed, and you can start taking positive action straight away.
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Accountability and on-going support
You’re never alone in your journey. In-between sessions, you can message us with questions or updates – so you feel supported, accountable and confident to make lasting change.
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Follow-up sessions
We’ll meet once a week for 45 minutes per session. Each week we reassess how your week has been and what the focus is for the following week. Step-by-step moving you forward with personalised support.
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Functional testing
Functional testing can be a valuable tool in your health journey, helping us explore underlying factors that may impact your mental wellbeing. We’ll always begin with a thorough assessment before recommending any tests, so you never spend money unnecessarily. Functional testing is optional, and you’ll have the choice to proceed only if, and when, it’s genuinely relevant to your programme.
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Supplements
Supplements can play an important role, especially at the beginning of your journey, by helping to target nutritional gaps and support your progress. Any recommendations will be tailored for you – based on your needs and goals, not a generic protocol. For added value, we offer a 10% discount on all supplements we recommend as part of your plan.
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Ready to transform your relationship with food?
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