‘At 25 I was bedbound and spoon-fed after catching the flu – I transformed my health and now help Strictly’s Amy Dowden’

A 25-year-old who became bedbound and required spoon-feeding after catching the flu has transformed her health and now helps celebrity clients, including a Strictly Come Dancing star.

Abi Owens, now 38 and a qualified functional and naturopathic nutritionist who runs The Goodness Guide, said she was “living the London dream” in her early 20s.

She was working around the clock, building her own business and seemingly thriving in the capital – until she caught the flu in 2013.

Her health deteriorated rapidly and, although doctors diagnosed her with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also called chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, she said she was sure “something wasn’t right”.

It was not until she trained to become a naturopathic nutritionist and paid for several private functional tests that she finally concluded that she had a post-viral infection, chronic inflammation, chronic gastritis and ulcers in her stomach and digestive system.

After working on her own gut health to overcome her ME/CFS, she has since launched her own business to help others with chronic illnesses, including Strictly’s Amy Dowden, who has Crohn’s disease.

Abi told PA Real Life: “In that first year, I was bedbound, struggling with my voice and there were days when my mum had to spoon-feed me.

“I couldn’t even walk 10 minutes without needing my dad to come and get me. It was terrifying.

“I was completely drained – physically, emotionally, and mentally… and deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.”

Abi’s health collapse did not come out of nowhere.

At 20, she said she was rushed to hospital with what doctors thought was appendicitis but instead it was discovered she had a twisted fallopian tube, which had turned gangrenous – and she said she was just hours from developing sepsis.

Abi claims the recovery from her surgery for the removal of one of her fallopian tubes was brutal and that, prior to the operation, a doctor had prescribed her heavy anti-inflammatories, which over time, she says, wreaked “havoc on her gut”.

She pushed through, determined to succeed, but she said she struggled to recover.

“It hit me physically, but mentally it was tougher… (I experienced) depression, anxiety,” she said.

As a result of her ME/CFS, Abi said her voice disappeared intermittently, with her “vocal cords shutting down” for several hours at a time, over the course of nearly a year, and she had to undergo months of speech therapy to help regain full function.

She could barely eat, was plagued by constant sinus infections, migraines, was sensitive to light and sound, and her mental health deteriorated significantly.

Feeling she needed more answers, she said she “decided (she) wasn’t going to accept” what the doctors said, and she just kept thinking: “This can’t be it.”

Therefore, Abi took matters into her own hands.

She began reading everything she could, tried every diet going and spent what she calls “a mini mortgage” on supplements and private testing.

Eventually, while training to become a naturopathic nutritionist, she paid for a battery of functional tests which she credits for finally uncovering the root of her symptoms.

She said she learned she had active Epstein-Barr virus, a viral infection; genetic deficiencies affecting her vitamin absorption; and ulcers and chronic gastritis, which is inflammation of the stomach.

Her digestive system was inflamed and damaged, but she said learning more about her symptoms changed everything because she finally started to find the root cause.

As her health slowly improved after focusing on her gut health, Abi launched her own business, The Goodness Guide, helping others battling fatigue, gut issues and chronic illness.

One of those people turned out to be Strictly’s Amy Dowden, whom she had previously worked with as part of her management team.

“We both had flare-ups, and we really understood each other,” Abi said.

“Eventually, I started supporting her with nutrition too.”

Amy, who has Crohn’s disease, has been open about her journey with the condition, and Abi said it has been incredibly moving to support her behind the scenes.

“To see her get back on the dancefloor after everything she’s been through was emotional,” Abi said.

“She’s an amazing advocate for invisible illnesses.

“So many people still think fatigue is just being tired, but it’s not.

“It’s like walking through treacle. It’s brain fog, pain and mental exhaustion.

“You can sleep for 12 hours and still feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.”

Amy has nothing but praise for Abi too, telling PA Real Life: “Abi has been life-changing for me.

“As someone managing Crohn’s, I’ve struggled to balance my health with the physical demands of dancing.

“Abi’s personalised nutritional strategy gave me the tools and confidence to take control and reduce my symptoms.

“Her expertise has not only supported my recovery but also helped me return to the Strictly ballroom feeling stronger and more resilient than ever.

“I’m so grateful for Abi’s guidance and the way she’s shown me how powerful nutrition can be in healing and thriving.”

Abi, who specialises in gut health nutrition, but is not a medical professional, says she regularly sees clients who are bloated, fatigued, unable to lose weight and feeling completely stuck.

If she could go back and speak to the 25-year-old version of herself lying in bed, she said she would beg her to get the testing sooner.

“I believe I would have saved 10 years of my life if I had got to the root of my symptoms,” Abi said.

“I would tell her that there is hope. I believe healing is possible.

“It’s not fast and it’s not easy, but you don’t have to live like that forever.”

Abi now shares her work on Instagram @_thegoodnessguide and continues to help clients all over the world rebuild their health from the inside out.

To find out more, visit: thegoodnessguide.com.