Created by Lana Culley in 2019, a 23 year old, who from previous struggles has learnt the importance of nutrition and alternative medicines.
Growing up by the sea, I spent a lot of time on the water and enjoying sports in-particularly. At 13 years old I fell in love with kitesurfing and what started as a hobby soon became an obsession. It wasn’t long until I was competing in competitions, and getting amazing opportunities to travel the world and attend shoots with my sponsors. I was doing what I loved the most and it felt as though it could be the beginning of an exciting career.
Then after... I then sustained a serious shoulder injury during a shoot in Sicily at the age of 14 and everything changed. My hopes of competing internationally came crashing around me and I was told I had to stop the sport.
“I felt utterly defeated and quickly found myself in a downward spiral. I was desperate to feel better, I needed to heal... from the inside.”
Life pretty much changed overnight. After recovering from two shoulder surgeries, I was diagnosed with Chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS and a B12 deficiency. It felt as though my body was slowly shutting down: I was constantly exhausted, sleeping constantly and unable to retain nutrition. Every joint and muscle hurt, my knees were dislocating regularly and my immune system was low. Unable to be active – I felt utterly defeated and quickly found myself in a downward spiral.
I was desperate to feel better, I needed to heal...from the inside.
My Mum, researched more, it became clear that gut health was the key to my healing journey. She started exploring natural alternatives to the various pain medication I’d been prescribed. My Mum was my health advocate and with her by my side every step of the way: I tried acupuncture, reflexology, holistic food testing, went on 2 incredible Ayurvedic medicine retreats in Sri Lanka for in total 5 weeks and began changing my diet and nutrition.
I removed refined sugars, dairy and gluten and I started to get my energy back, found my focus and transformed my health.
Another big turning point was participating in the Lightning Process, a transformational course focusing on the science behind how the mind and body interact, giving you powerful tools to influence your health and your life, through; gentle movement, meditation-like techniques and mental exercises, changing the way your nervous system works, switching on pathways which promote health and switching off ones that don’t.
As I changed my diet and my thinking, my health improved too and I managed to do things I never thought would be possible again; A season working deck of a super yacht, 2 snowboard seasons completing my instructor qualifications in Canada, competing in Kitesurfing and ranked 1st in the UK Amateur Women’s Championships and coming second in an Olympic GB qualifying race. I officially got the spring back in my step at 20 years of age.
“My passion for living a healthy and vital life inspired me to create a place that people on a similar journey could eat, socialise and meet like-minded people.”
So that’s how MIIKO was born. The mission of MIIKO is to provide a delicious, purposeful, creative, plant based, vegan and gluten free menu with conscious retail and treatment rooms plus offering a varied calendar of wellbeing events after hours.
My dream for MIIKO is to become a thriving neighbourhood space, somewhere you can have a delicious and nutritious lunch with a friend, buy a special, one of a kind gift, have a deeply relaxing treatment and meet new friends!
Nutrition and alternative therapies gave me my life and health back and my greatest desire is to bring you the very best in health and wellbeing so that you can heal yourself too.