Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet's Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.

Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health.

Lou enjoys wild swimming, hiking and horse riding. She particularly loves Snowdonia, Exmoor, Dartmoor and the Peak District national parks for these activities, but can also be found jumping in her local river after a long day at work in the summer.

She is also a keen gardener and grows a lot of her own food organically, using permaculture and companion planting principles. She tries to eat locally sourced, ethically raised meat and get as much of her protein as possible from vegetarian sources.

Good sleep practice, meditation and journaling have been a big part of Lou’s journey with health as tools for the improvement of overall quality of life.