07Apr 2018 by Natalie Thompson
Things Your Grandmother Would Say About Nutrition That Are Actually Right

Things Your Grandmother Would Say About Nutrition That Are Actually Right

Health
I was inspired to write about this topic because I love grandparents. I love my grandparents - I am lucky to be surrounded by 5 grandparents, 4 who are nearing 90 and one who is 90! Good genes or good nutrition? Aren’t grandmothers (and grandfathers!!) full of wisdom?! I often find myself reflecting on how I don’t have many opportunities to soak up their wisdom with how busy life is and living interstate. I enjoyed interviewing my grandmothers and hearing additional stories from grandmothers about their thoughts on food, eating and nutrition growing up. I even learnt a few things along the way. Interestingly, the wisdom shared by these grandmothers form some of the foundational pieces of my nutrition philosophy from which I live and help my clients. What Was…
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03Feb 2018 by Victoria Lekkas
Nutrition in the Digital Age

Nutrition in the Digital Age

Health
Social media, arguably one of the most expansive and dominant media forms in recent times, has quickly grown to become a powerhouse of connections and information. From what started as a seemingly innocent way to connect and share our lives with friends and family, social media has transformed into an almost incomprehensibly-sized platform for practically anything you can imagine - ranging from budding a relationship to fostering new business. Social media, whilst a great place to connect with loved ones, has brought along the opportunity for anybody and everybody to voice their opinions on almost every matter – including nutrition. When Becoming a Nutritionist Only Requires an Internet Connection With a simple web search, a world of information is readily available to be read, interpreted and used - but how…
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05Oct 2017 by Eleise Britt
Nutrition on Twitter: The Starter Pack

Nutrition on Twitter: The Starter Pack

Other
For all the nutrition enthusiasts out there is a Twitter account going to benefit you? Managing multiple social media accounts can be tricky and sometimes time-consuming, so is it worth setting up another platform? In my opinion, the answer is yes. Without question, Twitter has to be one of the best resources for staying in the loop on trending nutrition and science topics. It is also a great tool for nutrition professionals to network and support each other. While I have been wanting to encourage my peers to get on Twitter for a while now, I recognise that starting out it can be difficult. The initial task of finding people tweeting about topics and issues you are interested in can take some time. So to make this process easier here…
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24Sep 2017 by Natalie Thompson
14 Facts People Don’t Know About Nutrition

14 Facts People Don’t Know About Nutrition

Health
Many people are confused about nutrition. This confusion relates to the sheer volume of information available to us at any one time. It’s hard to know who to trust. Anyone can publish information about nutrition and many people do with and without adequate training in nutrition. To help to clear up some misinformation, here are the top facts that most people don’t know about nutrition: 1. Nutrition is a science. You’ve eaten all your life so you have come to know what foods you enjoy and what makes you feel good. This is great! Unfortunately, many people take this as being an expert on nutrition. Just because something worked for you, it does not mean that it will work for everyone else in the world. 2. Variety of food increases…
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22Sep 2017 by Sophie Szczudlo
What’s the Hype About Superfoods?

What’s the Hype About Superfoods?

Health
When you hear the term ‘superfood’ the infamous açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) probably springs to mind. The açaí berry has been around for thousands of years known for its ‘tremendous health properties’ – ie containing amino acids, fibre, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and natural antioxidant properties (responsible for protecting against free radicals – which contribute to ageing and the development of some diseases). In recent years the açaí berry has been pulped, frozen and introduced into the Western diet in the form of smoothie bowls called “açaí bowls”. Açaí bowls have proved to be extremely popular and have been marketed as a ‘superfood’. But what exactly is a superfood? Although there is no set criteria or definition, food is considered a ‘superfood’ if it contains a higher concentration of nutrients…
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26Aug 2017 by Renae Earle
Eat Food: It’s Really That Simple

Eat Food: It’s Really That Simple

Health
Nutritionism is a term used to describe the reductionist approach to nutrition. Nutritionism is when we forget we are eating food. How on earth could we be forgetting we are eating food?! As bizarre as it seems, nutritionism is very much so prevalent in western culture and could be the root of a lot of public health issues. Nutritionism defines food as the sum of its nutrients. When you eat an apple, you aren’t eating an apple. You are eating fibre, vitamin A, phytonutrients and fructose. This obsession with defining food solely by their nutrient content is the essence of nutritionism. It is the removal of the context in which nutrients are consumed and can lead to a rather unhealthy and entirely distorted relationship with food. Where Did It All…
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13Aug 2017 by Aidan Muir
Melanie McGrice Q & A

Melanie McGrice Q & A

Other
Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your career? I have been a dietitian for around 15 years now and my passion is fertility, pregnancy and women’s health. It’s what we call ‘early life nutrition’ and I’m particularly passionate about that because I have come to learn that what a woman eats in the lead up to pregnancy, during pregnancy and then what we feed our babies during the first couple of years of life—that period of time is often called the first 1,000 days—and that has a humungous impact upon the genetics of our babies, which goes on to impact their future health. The research is currently suggesting that the next generation is actually going to have shorter lifespans than we will because of the…
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06Aug 2017 by Aidan Muir
Jessica Spendlove Q & A

Jessica Spendlove Q & A

Other, Sports
Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your career? I grew up in Sydney and did a lot of sport when I was younger, particularly swimming, that was my sport of choice. There were many hours in the pool and lots of training before and after school. While I was Swimming, I actually saw a sports dietitian (Helen O’Connor), and it was at that point I thought, “This nutrition thing is pretty interesting, maybe that’s what I want to do with myself.” By the time I finished high school, I was really interested in sports nutrition and decided that’s what I wanted to do. I went to Wollongong University and did my undergraduate there, which was a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. When I finished that,…
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20Jul 2017 by Aidan Muir
Simone Austin Q & A

Simone Austin Q & A

Other, Sports
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career? I always wanted to work in sports nutrition and community nutrition. After graduation, I started working at a community health centre and then shortly after, part-time at the Western Bulldogs AFL club. So, I was doing what I wanted. And then, to cut a long story short (because it’s been 23 years), I increased my sports work when my son was born. It’s been nearly 18 years since then! The next thing I did was work with the Australian cricket team part-time for seven years. I have always done some private practice and some form of presenting throughout. For the past nine years, I have been working at Hawthorn Football Club. I’ve seen three premierships there and during…
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08May 2017 by Aidan Muir
Emma Stubbs Q & A

Emma Stubbs Q & A

Other
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I graduated from Deakin with my Master of Dietetics in 2014, and following this, worked in several different dietetic positions for a year or so across Melbourne and Gippsland before gaining my current job. I’ve moved back to my hometown in Regional Victoria and am currently working in a full time clinical/health promotion role. Three days per week are my clinical duties; due to the nature of the health service I work with, my clinical role is varied. As our hospital is only about a total of 60 beds, we are not confined to one or two patient groups and as a result, see quite a variety of different patients. I’m particularly interested in the areas of GI surgical and am…
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