Category Archives: Nutritionist Melbourne

Nutritionist’s Top 3 tips for Weight Loss

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Find the right diet for you.

No two people will respond in exactly the same way to the same way of eating.

Eating a vegetarian diet might work well for your neighbour but could leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Alternatively, eating a higher proportion of protein in an Atkins, Paleo or Keto Diet could do wonders for your brother but leave you feeling constipated and heavier than ever.

Effective weight loss isn’t just a calories in, calories out equation.

Buring fuel to assist with losing weight is important but moving more and eating less is too simplistic. Eating lower calorie foods which might not be healthy, is just as bad as eating too much. Therefore, substituting foods which appear ‘healthier’ is not always the best way to go.

My Number 1 tip for effective weight loss is reduce or eliminate alcohol.

The body will NOT burn fat in the presence of alcohol. Instead it stores it as fat, if the liver is unable to detoxify it fast enough. Alcohol is toxic to the body and the safest way the body can handle it, is to store it in fat cells unless the liver can keep pace with the amount being consumed and the amount it can eliminate.

By incorporating alcohol free days or elimating it completely, you will reduce your weight quicker. You will also retain far more nutrients and be healthier overall. Your liver will also work better and you will have more energy (for exercise) less brain fog, less mood swings, less period problems, less thrush and the list goes on.

My Number 2 tip for effective weight loss is drink more water.

Invariably weight gain is associated with dehydration. The body will crave food in order to get water. That’s because humans are not good at recognising when they are dehydrated and will only seek water when they have a dry mouth. So the body sends you hunger signals in order to get rehydrated. This often results in over eating, especially if the foods you are eating are low in moisture content.

Avoid drinking large volumes of water all at once and instead have 250 mls or a cup of water every few hours throughout the day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Water is effectively an appetite suppressant. When you are well hydrated you will crave less food. You’ll also have more energy, clearer and less wrinkled skin, better brain function, less irritability and be healthier in every respect.

My Number 3 tip for effective weight loss is to ditch weight loss over Winter.

Winter is the most difficult time of the year to begin a weight loss regime.

Your body will fight you every step of the way. Winter is a time of hibernation. It requires you to sleep more, eat more and stay indoors out the cold. Now admittedly, we can override these natural impulses but you will find it more difficult to get up early to go out late to exercise. Not to mention drinking more water when you kidneys just want to dump it to keep you warm! And then there is the issue of wanting to eat stoggier and heavier foods again to keep you warm. Eating salads in winter time is difficult to do.

And while there are ways around this, maintaining your health and immunity during winter and avoiding really unhealthy foods, is a better option for most people. Then come Spring, you will be bursting out of you skin to embark on a weight loss regime.

If you need help with incorporating these measures into your life, book a Initial Nutrition Consultation today and start living the life of your dreams.

Nutritionist says No! to Diet Plans

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If you Google a Diet Plan for XYZ (ie weight loss) then you will find a host of websites which will happily give you a list of recipes to eat every day of the week.

And while this can be helpful as an initial starting point, it doesn’t address the most important aspect of diets for good health. Every person is unique and has own dietary requirements based on their past and current health concerns. A one size fits all approach simply doesn’t work.

It can also become repetitive and uninspiring over time as women feel locked into eating foods in the same way each week.

Ideally, food should be fun! At GWN we aim to educate and empower our clients to take control of their health, by teaching our clients what a healthy diet looks like and applying it to their unique situation.

Therefore, we provide dietary guidelines and recommendations which give women more scope in selecting foods and combining them in healthy way. The increased meal options as a result of knowing which foods to choose, makes sticking the diet easier and more enjoyable over time.

As a Nutritionist I am invariably asked by prospective clients if I do Diet Plans. And my answer is No! Shocking I know, but here is my version of what a Diet Plan should include.

Rather than a list of recipes to eat throughout the week, I would rather educate my clients to know:

  • What to look for when buying groceries, ie what foods are healthy and which truely are not healthy and why.
  • What foods should be eaten the most.
  • What foods should be eaten the least.
  • Which foods are carbohydrates, proteins and fats and what proportion of each they need to eat for their unique circumstances. And which carbs, proteins and fats are beneficial and which are best avoided or limited in their diet.
  • Which foods are harmful to their body ie gluten, lactose, etc based on their health history and current health.
  • What types of diets are best suited to the client based on their unique circumstances. For instance, Keto diets and Vegan or Vegetarian Diets need to be applied on an individual basis. Not everyone will respond in the same way to the same diet.
  • What drinks are recommended and which to avoid & more….

And then if recipes are required I point my clients in the direction of good cook books.

As a Naturopathic Nutritionist I’m trained to take everything into account when recommending a diet. The weight loss diet prescibed for a post menopausal women would be different to a weight loss diet for a women who’s a new mum.

Each have their own unique challenges and require a different approach.

So if you need a different approach or if you’ve tried umpteen diets without lasting results, book an Initial Nutrition Consultation today, you’ll be glad you did.

Are you eligible for a health insurance rebate for Nutrition?

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Covid has altered the way we do consultations but things are changing for the better. At present, Telehealth/online consultations are not covered by health insurance providers.

However, in person consultations are. So as it currently stands, there are eleven health insurance funds which provide rebates for Nutrition consultations.

If you are with one of the health insurance funds, below check your policy to see if you can claim for a Nutrition consultation:

Medibank Private

NIB

Australian Unity

Westfund

Australian Health Management (AHM)

CUA Health (Credicare)

HBF

Health.com.au

MDHF

Phoenix Health Fund

Queensland Country Health

With in person consultations available at our Spotswood clinic at: 2/55 Hudsons Rd, Vic there has never been a better time to book in and receive a new patient discount of $61 plus your health insurance rebate!

Don’t delay, appointments are limited.

Does your period wipe out your vitality & mood?

Nutritionist Melbourne Uncategorized Women's Health No Comments

If so, you’re not alone. Many women experience some form of emotional disruption a week prior to, during and to some extent after their period.

It can range from frustration and anger to sadness, anxiety and deep depressive feelings.

These irrational thoughts that at other times of the month might simply be dismissed as ‘ridiculous’ take on a very serious side when you are premenstrual.

Premenstrual Mood Swings PMS or as a client of mine likes to calls it ‘personal mood swings’ or the more serious Premenstrual Mood Dysphoric Disorder PMDD is a common and frustrating experience.

There is a whole constellation of symtoms associated with the menstural cycle. Flutuating levels of Estrogen (Follicular Phase) and Progesterone (Luteal Phase) throughout the cycle can create a hormonal hell if your nutritional balance is off.

The period itself is well know for depleting your body of iron, which if not repleated sufficiently, either though an iron rich diet or an iron supplement, has the capacity to create very low moods and a lack of energy.

These symptoms become more pronounced the longer you’re iron deficient and may eventually lead to anemia.

Lesser know nutritional deficiencies are also linked to your period cycle.

Women can also become deficient in B Vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium & Calcium. This can create a raft of mental health issues ranging from moodiness to paranoia and fatigue.

Deficiencies of Vitamin D & Omega 3’s are also a common issues with heavy and painful periods.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of these symptoms with their cycle it’s time to be proactive and get help.

It doesn’t matter if you are 25 or 45, period problems ebb and flow throughout life and now is the time to address them.

Hormonal flutuations in themselves can create mood disturbances and when coupled with nutritional deficiencies it can create a world of despair.

Book today either online or in person to discover a better way of coping with periods. Visit the Contact Us page and click on the Halaxy icon for the next available appointment.

Why calories don’t matter….when you eat the right foods

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Counting calories while embraced by many as a way of restricting unnecessary food intake, can also lull people into a false sense of security.  

Low calorie processed foods can contain little if any nutritional value. So while swapping a cookie for an ‘allowable low calorie option’ such as a muffin may feel empowering, you may actually be doing yourself a disservice. 

On the flipside, eating more fruit and vegetables which contain negligible calories, nourishes and fills you up at the same time due to their fibre and nutritional content. 

Some natural foods also burn more calories than they contain, so when you eat them the amount of energy the body expends on digesting that food outweighs the calories you consumed by eating them! 

Negative calorie and low calorie vegetables abound. They include awesome greens such as spinach and asparagus to celery and cucumber. Beetroot is another tasty option to add pizzas to your rocket and spinach salad! 

In the world of fruit opt for berries, watermelon and grapefruit. All nutritionally dense and delicious. 

Calories are not a problem when you eat a diet full of natural whole foods. 

And you don’t need to be a vegetarian or vegan to eat healthy, low calorie. Eating an array of healthy fats and protein foods is also advisable to balance your diet and provide all of the necessary nutrients and satiety to your meals. 

Please note these are general guidelines for healthy eating. 

If you find different nutritional advice confusing then you’re not alone. There is no one single way of eating that’s right for everyone. 

Merril offers tailored dietary advice and suggestions designed to work just for you! Whatever your dietary challenges are. Whether it be a lack of time, a lack of inspiration, a specific health concern(s) ie weight loss, fertility, low energy, bad skin or low immunity we have you covered. 

Let’s make 2019 your year to LOOK & FEEL great!

We are offering 20% OFF an initial nutrition consultations throughout January.  

Places are limited so be quick and BOOK ONLINE today.