Nutrition for Health Conditions

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 costs and we need to shore up our immune systems to ward off attack. Read more...

So what is food intolerance? Food intolerance is defined as a detrimental reaction to a food, beverage, additive or other food compound that produces problematic symptoms.  They’re more common these days than ever before, with some sources estimating that up to 20% of the world’s population suffer from a food intolerance.  Are you one of them?

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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.

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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 year ahead, regardless of whether you buy into the fad products or not.

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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 differences between healthy and unhealthy stress and what symptoms you should look out for.  I’ll then cover the key nutrients your body needs to best handle stress and give you my top tips for eating well to stay on top of stress.

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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.

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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, cancer, dental decay AND it can even accelerate ageing!

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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 take supplements by personal choice, rarely by doctor’s recommendation.  This is great news for supplement manufacturers!  Globally, the industry raked in over $150 billion last year alone and it’s growing.

But the big question is - will they help us live longer or healthier lives?

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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 performance.

Feeling a little sluggish in the afternoon is actually pretty normal. Luckily there are some things you can do to boost your afternoon energy levels and prevent (or at least minimise) the slump.

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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 much better and more at ease from a safety perspective and so I finally began to enjoy being pregnant!

Over the next nine months you are probably going to realise that there’s some things you can control and many things you can’t. Most women I know, myself included, have felt empowered and committed to optimising their pregnancy nutrition, knowing that they were helping to give their unborn child the best start to life.

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