All blog posts
Can a plant-based diet boost your immune system? What the science says
Updated August 2026. First published August 2020.
Every cold and flu season, the same question comes up: is there anything you can actually eat to help your body fight off whatever's going around? It's a question that got a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when researchers and armchair experts alike went looking for ways diet might ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Why most people fail at meditation. And why that’s perfectly ok!
If you’re like most people, you’ve heard of meditation and you probably think it’s a good thing to do. But you may be grappling with these typical obstacles – thinking it’s too hard, you’re not the type for it, you don’t know how to do it or you don’t have the time to master it. Did your previous attempts leave you feeling that it ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: My secrets to a long happy life
If you’re born in Australia this year, you can expect to live for 83.5 years. Lucky you, as you’ll statistically out-live the Swedes, French, Germans and Kiwi’s. Back in 1950 a person could expect to live for 68.7 years, so we’ve come a long way.
But living a long life is quite different to living a healthy, long life. Do you really want ...
Why am I so tired? Top 10 reasons for tiredness & how to overcome it
Many people report feeling constantly tired or fatigued. Are you one of them?
Perhaps you put it down to working too hard or burning the candle at both ends? Maybe you’ve even become so accustomed to feeling lethargic that you’ve forgotten what energised feels like?
First things first, prolonged feelings of exhaustion warrant a trip to the ...
Dr Joanna: Does intermittent fasting work for weight loss?
New to intermittent fasting? Start with our guide to how intermittent fasting works.
Is intermittent fasting worth trying?
The practice of fasting for health or spiritual reasons is as old as the hills. Pretty much every religion and many Eastern philosophies, have forms of fasting. Typically fasting is promoted as a means of discipline, reducing ...
10 Weight Loss Plateau Mistakes You Might Be Making
If the scale hasn’t moved in weeks despite sticking to your plan, the problem usually isn’t willpower — it’s one of these ten easy-to-miss mistakes. From under-eating to hidden calorie creep to not adjusting your target as you lose weight, here’s what’s most likely holding you back, and exactly what to change.
Also refer to our back to ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Get Sweaty! The benefits of exercise and sauna use
Sweating is the body’s built-in air conditioning system. When our internal temperature rises, our sweat glands release water to the surface of our skin. As the perspiration evaporates, it cools the skin and blood underneath. Sweat arises from one of three instances - when we exercise, when we have a fever, or when we are anxious and stressed.
We ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Virtual Training: Pros, cons & the best online workout programs in Australia
Ironically, I started writing this article a while back. A series of back-to-back work trips had me suddenly exploring virtual training and home workout apps I could use in my hotel room. Whilst it wasn’t the same as stepping foot in the gym, I have become quite the convert. I realised that online training offered me an effective way to maintain ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Playing with fire - Inflammation in the body
Inflammation is the body’s response to outside threats such as infection and toxins. A short-term bout of inflammation to combat a hazard is both positive and protective for our health. This is defined as acute inflammation.
Chronic inflammation on the other hand, is long-term, lasting from several months to years. It can result from a failure ...
Pandemic Protection: staying healthy & foods that boost your immune system
Stopping the spread of Coronavirus and #flatteningthecurve is the number one goal for all Australians right now. You’ll know that even the slightest sniffle is being regarded with the utmost suspicion, and could see you sent packing from work to self-isolate at home. With that in mind, sources of illness and infection should be avoided at all ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Forming healthy habits for a better life & a better world
This International Women’s Day is the perfect time to talk about changing habits and challenging stereotypes. With the campaign theme being “Each for Equal”, it’s about taking responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. This can play out in your own life, improving your health, home life or work situation. And collectively, each one of ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: 3 Pieces of health advice you can’t live without this year
Do you want to live a healthier and happier life this year? Do you want to feel better, have more energy and move more easily? Perhaps you want to sleep better, get your blood sugars under control, feel less moody or anxious or have a happier outlook. All of this is within your reach and I’m going to show you how with just three simple ...
Food intolerance symptoms: signs, causes and how to identify your triggers
Do you feel bloated, foggy or just plain off after certain meals? You might be dealing with a food intolerance — a reaction to a food, drink or food compound that triggers uncomfortable symptoms. It's more common than you'd think, with some estimates suggesting up to 20% of people experience one. Here's how to tell if you're one of them, what ...
Fighting Flab with Fibre
Fibre is now recognised as being vitally important to our gut health and our overall health. But did you know that it can help you to lose weight and keep it off too? Studies show that a higher fibre intake is associated with lower body fat (including belly fat), body weight and BMI.
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Top Food Trends for 2020
If you’re wondering what direction food and health is going in this year, wonder no more. Here are some key trends you can expect in 2020 so you can get ahead of the curve. Want to buck the trends? Great, this article is for you too! I’ll finish off with some no-nonsense advice to help you experience great health in the ...
Is plant-based meat healthy? What's really in a veggie burger
Updated 2026 - originally published 6 January 2020
You've almost certainly seen the plant-based burgers that took over fast food menus and supermarket shelves in recent years — Impossible Burger, Beyond Burger, Hungry Jack's plant-based Whopper and v2food's patties among them. They're marketed as a healthier, more sustainable alternative to a ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: How to combat stress with good nutrition
Do your eating habits change when you’re feeling stressed? Perhaps, like many, you reach for the wrong foods or maybe you eat virtually nothing at all? A well balanced diet is actually a powerful stress management tool. Conversely, when we eat poorly the symptoms of stress can be intensified.
In this article, I’ll outline the ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: High Cholesterol – Symptoms, Tests & How to Improve
Advice about cholesterol has been controversial and subject to change over the past few decades so understandingly, it can be quite confusing! In this article I’ll cover the cholesterol basics, testing and lifestyle modifications you can make to improve your health outlook and reduce your cardiovascular disease risk.
Sugar: Poison or Passion? Top tips for cutting back.
It may once have helped the medicine go down, but these days, loading up on sugar will put you on a sure-fire path to health disaster. That’s because sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar levels; is packed with calories that can lead to weight gain; has been linked to a wide range of health issues like diabetes, heart disease, depression, ...
Zoe Bingley-Pullin: Kick start weight loss for your Summer body
Have you heard the expression ‘Summer bodies are made in Winter’? With Spring in the air and Summer not too far away, now is definitely the time to get your act together if you have health and weight loss goals to achieve!
In this article, I will take you through a few strategies to get you on track for Summer. Firstly, I focus on ...
Zoe Bingley Pullin: Simple Health and Fitness Tips
Interestingly, the two biggest barriers for women not maintaining a healthy lifestyle are a lack of time, and lack of priority. This week, why not start to make some positive changes that can last a lifetime.
Live Longer: Dietary Supplements or Food?
In Australia, 47% of women and 34% of men use at least one dietary supplement. Usage is even greater among older age groups and those with higher education levels.
By dietary supplement we mean a single vitamin or mineral, a combination multi-vitamin, herbal or traditional products, or a sports nutrition or weight loss product.
Most users ...
Body, mind and the occasional shiraz: Red wine benefits
We’ve all heard that wine is good for us but how good exactly? And how much is enough? And what type is best?
Lazy day turned into a lazy week?
Top 10 tips on how to overcome laziness, stop procrastinating & get productive!
Have you asked yourself recently, ‘why am I so lazy lately?’ Are you lazy when it comes to work, study, exercise, eating well or cleaning (or perhaps other things as well)? We can all get a little lazy at times and that’s ok. Some laziness can actually be ...
How to beat the afternoon slump
Tick, tock….are you getting sleepy, very sleepy? It’s an hour or so past your lunchtime and your eyes are becoming droopy, your attention is wandering and you just want to curl up under your desk for a quick kip. You may fight the urge to snooze and win, but still, your ability to concentrate has been undermined, affecting your productivity and ...
Work took away your workout? Office exercises you can do at your desk
Did you start today with the best intentions to obtain your recommended 30 minutes per day of exercise? And then a work crisis derailed your plans? Don’t worry, we’ve got some strategies to help restore your aims and save you from guilt.
Replaced burpees with beer? Don’t let your love for beer sabotage your diet.
Uh oh, have you been swapping barbells for bars recently and indulging in a few too many schooners? This certainly isn’t going to help your health kick, but is there a way to mitigate the damage?
Are you a reducetarian or should you be?
Before you can answer that question, let us explain what a reducetarian is. Firstly, if you’re thinking to yourself not another diet to get my head around, then think again. This is not a diet, more a philosophy about food, sustainability and positive change.
The term reducetarian was coined several years ago and describes a growing movement ...
Rain cancelled your run? Rainy day stay-at-home workouts
Do you love combining fitness and the great outdoors? Perhaps you enjoy running around your local neighbourhood streets, a coastal track with water views, or outdoor boot camp? These are all great ways to feel alive and get the blood pumping. But does the first sign of rain send you cowering indoors, and achieving more in snacks than in ...
7 Top Tips for Healthy Nutrition during Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Congratulations, you’re pregnant! Although I’ve experienced pregnancy just the once, like everyone else, I too encountered the many ups and downs that tend to arise when you’re expecting. During the first trimester I felt quite nauseous, which is common and is linked to increasing levels of hCG and oestrogen. During my second trimester, I was ...
