09Apr 2020 by Aidan Muir
Nutrition for PCOS: A Dietitian’s Guide

Nutrition for PCOS: A Dietitian’s Guide

Health
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition that affects 1 in 10 women. For women of reproductive age, it affects 12-18% of individuals, although reportedly up to 70% of women with the condition remain undiagnosed. Polycystic literally means “many cysts.” Ovarian means it is in the ovaries. Therefore, PCOS stands for many cysts within the ovaries. Even though that is the translation, the diagnosis doesn’t rely on there being cysts. Some women may not even have cysts in their ovaries since the diagnosis involves having any two of these three factors: Lack of ovulation causing irregular menstrual cycles (either <21 days apart, >35 days apart or no cycle at all).Excess male hormone production (e.g. testosterone) detected through a blood test.Cysts on the ovaries as detected via ultrasound. Other…
Read More
29Mar 2020 by Aidan Muir
Supplements for PCOS: A Dietitian’s Guide

Supplements for PCOS: A Dietitian’s Guide

Health
When it comes to PCOS, there are quite a few supplements that can help. Prioritising your overall nutrition will help far more than what any individual supplement can do, but supplements can certainly provide some value. When it comes to supplements, often they are only beneficial whenever there is a deficiency or inadequate intake. Adding the supplement in addition to an already optimal intake likely won’t provide any additional benefit. So, keep that in mind since a lot of these needs can be met through food as well. Supplements are just the icing on the cake. If you would like to learn more about nutrition in general for PCOS, I recommend reading this post. PCOS can't technically be cured but these might help reduce symptoms related to menstruation, ovulation, fertility,…
Read More
31Jul 2019 by Matthew Benetti
3 Ways Dieting Could Be Slowing Your Metabolism

3 Ways Dieting Could Be Slowing Your Metabolism

Health
Having trouble losing weight?Unless you are a lucky minority, most people who have attempted weight-loss have faced the horrid weight-loss plateau. This refers to a stop in weight-loss for an extended length of time despite no change in observed behaviour (e.g. diet and physical activity). Anyone who has gone through this will understand how frustrating and discouraging it can be. Your personal trainer thinks you’re lying, your friends think that you have messed up your metabolism and you feel frustrated that the scale is not changing.Lucky science is able to provide some explanations that hopefully can help us make smarter decisions to handle this. This blog will investigate the big culprits for weight-loss plateaus. You Are Unknowingly Eating More Than What You Think Before getting into the tips, it's worth…
Read More
24Jul 2019 by Aidan Muir
Why I’m Not a Non-Diet Dietitian: Part 2

Why I’m Not a Non-Diet Dietitian: Part 2

Health
A year and a half ago I wrote an article called “Why I’m Not a Non-Diet Dietitian.” It’s not the most-read post on this blog, but it is something that I’m proud of since I consider myself to be a poor writer and I believe that it is the only long-form piece of writing I have done that has had a major impact on a number of people. I had planned on writing more about the topic, but honestly, I haven’t had much more to say and the original article still sums up the majority of my thoughts even though I have been in the field for almost twice as long now. The title is 99% for clickbait. The whole point of discussing this is not to downplay HAES or…
Read More
09Jul 2019 by Nadia Mazari
Is Bone Broth Really a Cure-All?

Is Bone Broth Really a Cure-All?

Health
Is Bone Broth Really a Cure-All? Winter is well and truly upon us, and with it comes the barrage of comforting soup recipes, immune-boosting remedies and winter ‘fitspo’. Bone broth appears to tick all three of these boxes. What’s more, those on the bandwagon claim that it’s a cure-all for a multitude of common ailments such as poor gut health, joint pain and skin ageing. This article will, therefore, explore whether the hype around bone broth is based on science or science fiction. What is Bone Broth? Many of us are led to believe that we can use broth, stock and bone broth interchangeably. However, the preparation methods of each differ slightly and as such so does their nutritional value. Understandably, not knowing this makes it all too easy to…
Read More
10May 2019 by Nadia Mazari
Fighting Fatigue

Fighting Fatigue

Health
Fatigue is a common ailment that most of us will experience at some point in our lives. In fact, it has been reported that each year, approximately 1.5 million Australians present to their doctors with fatigue. This isn’t surprising considering how busy, high-stress and emotionally demanding many of our lifestyles have become. Fatigue generally describes a feeling of unrelenting tiredness, lethargy and/or lack of motivation that lasts for several weeks. Daily, low-grade fatigue is a symptom of an underlying issue, condition or disease. It can be caused by a myriad of interacting physical, psychological or medical factors such as insufficient sleep, increased stress or catching the influenza virus. Fatigue can hence be remediated by addressing poor lifestyle habits or the underlying medical issue. In this article, we will explore some…
Read More
27Apr 2019 by Matthew Benetti
Should You Care About Animal Research in Nutrition?

Should You Care About Animal Research in Nutrition?

Health
Understanding nutrition research is like trying to hit a pinata blindfolded- but with no pinata in the room. Even the savviest can fall in the trap of cherry-picking unmeaningful studies to support a preconceived idea. Understanding a studies place among the hierarchy of evidence is an important skill to your nutrition toolkit. This blog will investigate the limitations and strengths of extrapolating nutrition research from animals to practical human recommendations. Animal Studies are Important for Research These types of studies are key to the development of nutrition research. Performing studies on humans require strict compliance with ethical parameters. This excludes many of the new or unsafe trials to cell-based and animal studies. These studies are not subject to the same level of ethical requirements and generally are cheaper to perform…
Read More
04Apr 2019 by Nadia Mazari
Is Fresh Really Best?

Is Fresh Really Best?

Health
The profound power of social media in today’s world has presented us with strikingly different trends in health, wellness and consumerism. Freak-shakes, loaded fries and triple-decker burgers claim glory on the internet at the same time as clean-eating, Ayurvedic medicine and HIIT workouts. So although we’re encouraged to ‘go all out’ on our indulgences, we’re also often guilt-tripped into having to remediate it through healthy, natural and low-tox lifestyles. One such example of this remediation is the widespread notion that ‘fresh is always best’ when it comes to fruits and vegetables. According to this concept, we should steer clear of any processed forms of fruits and vegetables, and if we want optimal nutrition, we must buy local. Considering only 5% of Aussies over the age of 18 are consuming the…
Read More
14Feb 2019 by Matthew Benetti
Trying to Eat Healthy? Why You’re Probably Undereating

Trying to Eat Healthy? Why You’re Probably Undereating

Health
It might be your aunt, maybe a friend, or even you. We all have someone in our life on some new healthy eating endeavour. It’s not long before the first social media post goes up. It usually features a plate without carbohydrates (because carbohydrates are the devil’s food), and heavily filled with some sort of salad and protein. To most people this seems great, I mean, they’re healthy foods? There is a common misconception by people who are trying to improve their diet that always eating less, and being restrictive, is good for your wellbeing and health. In some instances, this may be true, but for most, probably not. To understand this, we must define a healthy diet. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a good place to start.…
Read More
18Aug 2018 by Nadia Mazari
The Lowdown on Personalised Nutrition

The Lowdown on Personalised Nutrition

Health
Personalised nutrition is a burgeoning niche within the trends of personalised medicine and scientific wellness. Promising highly individual solutions to dieting woes, longevity and a plethora of other health struggles, it’s no wonder that personalised nutrition has become both a buzzword and commercial enterprise. This has left many puzzled by its health claims, unable to sort fact from fiction. Perhaps most startling, however, are the sensationalist headlines spreading through social media platforms that discretionary foods such as chips could be healthier for you than salad. So let’s explore what personalised nutrition really does offer you and if such claims hold some truth. What Is Personalised Nutrition? There is yet to be an agreed-upon definition of personalised nutrition. The term is also often used interchangeably with nutrigenomics, nutrigenetics or nutritional genomics.…
Read More