Serafina Kenny

I’m Serafina, a freelance journalist. Writing for HistoryExtra, I draw on expert insight to explore how histories of health, relationships, gender and culture have influenced the past. Across my journalism, I bring together historical context and cultural analysis to help readers trace how the ideas and behaviours that shape modern life have developed and changed over centuries. I hold a First-Class degree in English Literature and History and an MA in Gender, Sexuality and Culture from the University of Manchester, where my research centred on power, gender politics, sexuality, and cultural history. Before moving into freelance work, I was a reporting on health, nutrition and longevity at Business Insider. Alongside my work for HistoryExtra, I’ve written widely on health, lifestyle, and culture for publications including The Londoner, The i Paper, Stylist, and MadeForMums.

This 2nd-century AD mosaic from La Chebba, part of a larger scene showing the Triumph of Neptune, includes a boy gathering fruit — a small detail that reflects broader Roman ideas about health and diet. Fresh fruit played an important role in Roman nutrition, valued for its balance, seasonality, and association with natural well-being.

Roman

Serafina Kenny

If ancient Romans didn't understand calories, how was their theory of nutrition so accurate?