The wife of Bury-born footballer Phil Neville has told how the traumatic birth of her daughter has now led to a complete lifestyle change — for the better.

Julie Neville made the decision to heal her body without conventional medicine after becoming ill when she suffered a placental abruption.

This meant daughter Isabella, now aged nine, was born three months premature.

Isabella, who has cerebral palsy and weighed just 3 lb 3 oz when she was born at 32 weeks, was treated for five weeks at the now-closed special baby care unit at Fairfield General Hospital.

Doctors told Julie she would have to take drugs every day for the rest of her life but, after three years of ill health, she spent nine months weaning herself off all prescribed medication.

Deciding to heal her body solely through diet, nutrition and supplements led to her seizing on a business opportunity and she set up online health foods business Win Naturally in 2011.

She is still singing the praises of her alternative drug-free method and has now launched her first store in the Trafford Centre.

Julie, who is also mum to 11-year-old Harvey, said: “After having Isabella I was very ill for a number of years.

“All my organs were basically telling my body they needed to shut down. It left me so weak and I thought I was going to die.

“In the past six years, my children and I have taken no prescription medicines and we are all healthier than we have ever been.

“I honestly believe without Win Naturally I would not be here today — this has saved my life.”

The store, which sells supplements, intolerance-friendly foods and sports recovery products, saw Julie and Manchester United first team coach Phil taking a turn on the tills at the launch last week.

Win Naturally also provides nutrition advice and supplements to many Premier League football clubs and the England football team.

Julie added: “I always thought I was doing things right and living healthily, but there was so much I didn’t know and so many things I was doing wrong.

“There are thousands of chemicals we put into our bodies on a daily basis in cleaning products, make-up and even antibiotics.

“After I first made the decision I hired a skip and the kids and I went round the throwing all the chemical products away — Phil came home and thought I’d had a breakdown!

“The plan was to nip to Asda and buy new things but it was only then I realised non-chemical products just weren’t stocked and there was a gap in the market for a shop which sold them all in one place.”

The store, which also stocks natural cleaning and beauty products, offers free health assessments with qualified nutritionists as well as tasting sessions.

Julie added: “I want to get the message across that healthy does not mean boring and people don’t have to compromise on taste to live a healthier life.

“We want to completely throw away preconceptions of what a health food shop is – there is more in here than just seaweed!”