DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is an excellent, evidence-based, continually-researched diet, and if you or someone you love is dealing with elevated blood pressure, then I want you to know ALL about it!

Literally everything you need to know about this delicious, nutritious way of eating!
Includes helpful tips for transitioning to a Mediterranean diet, a shopping list, meal ideas and recipes!!

This is the final instalment in my three-part series on the fascinating topic of FIBRE! Part 1 answered the question “what is fibre?” and explored the different categories of fibre and their health impacts. Part 2 explored the health benefits of the different types of fibre. In this Part 3 I will share my top tips for increasing dietary fibre intake!

This is Part 2 in a three-part series on the fascinating topic of FIBRE! Part 1 answered the question “what is fibre?” and explored the different categories of fibre and their health impacts. This Part 2 will explore the health benefits of the different types of fibre. In Part 3 I will share my top tips for increasing dietary fibre intake!

This is Part 1 of a three-part series on the fascinating topic of FIBRE! This Part 1 answers the question “what is fibre?” and explores the different categories of fibre and their health impacts. Part 2 will explore the health benefits of the different types of fibre. In Part 3 I will share my top tips for increasing dietary fibre intake!

Almost every country around the world has made recommendations for its population about what to eat for health and wellbeing. Check them out here!

Everything you need to know about what your body needs!

A healthy diet is a consistent, habitual pattern of eating that features five elements. Read more here:

I’m sure you have heard the phrase “You Are What You Eat”. But “You Are What You Eat” is only part of the story…
You are also what you ABSORB! It doesn’t matter how nutritious the food we eat is, our bodies need to digest these foods and optimally absorb all of the health-giving nutrients they contain! So let’s take a look at how our bodies digest the foods we eat…

Understanding the concept of energy density and, most importantly, nutrient density can help us to make healthier food and beverage choices.

What is a calorie? A kilojoule? How is the calorie content of food measured? And how can I work out how many calories I need each day?

Let’s take a look at the different nutrients in the food we eat.

To help my clients introduce a little more balance into their lives, I have created a checklist to keep front-of-mind, to help assess whether the scales are tipping too far in one direction or another: P E A C E

Have you ever wondered why we eat the foods we eat? In an ideal world, we would always choose healthy, nutrient-dense foods to give our bodies the energy, macro- and micronutrients they need, in the amounts they need.

The first step to improving our nutrition and food choices (or any other habit, really) is to understand why we do what we do. A little bit of self-awareness can have a powerful, positive impact on our health and our lives. Knowledge is power, dahlinks! So let’s take a look at the twelve factors that can influence our food choices…

There is a difference between needing to lose weight to improve your health, and wanting to lose weight to fit some arbitrary aesthetic ideal. There are only two circumstances in which you actually NEED to lose weight. Let’s break it down.

They say sitting is the new smoking. But in my view it is much worse. Why? Because it is sooooooo ubiquitous. Pretty much every aspect of our lives is centred around sitting: our work, our travel, our leisure. Our society is structured in such a way that we need to make a special effort to reduce the amount we sit. And it's imperative for our health that we do!

Did you know we have approximately 1kg of bacteria in our digestive system?!? Research is revealing that the balance of bacteria in our bodies can have a big impact on our health, our immunity and even our psychological wellbeing. So it pays to make sure we have LOTS of the healthy good guys in there fighting the good fight for us! How do we do this? There are three things we can do: 

Just imagine - if you make one tiny but healthy tweak to each meal, after a year you will have made OVER A THOUSAND health-benefiting changes to your diet! And that's huge…

This is the second part in a two-part series. In Part 1, I listed ten food-related items that might help you get a better idea of how healthy your diet is than simply counting calories. In this part, I want to acknowledge that our health is impacted by SO MUCH MORE than what we eat! So here is my in-no-particular-order list of non-food things to count (or track) as you travel along your healthy happy journey.

A red cabbage is such a healthy addition to your shopping trolley - provided it ends up in your stomach and not in the bin after languishing at the back of your fridge! Here are three delicious, nutritious dishes you can prepare with one humble red cabbage.

The amount of energy/calories you regularly consume versus the amount you regularly expend is definitely something I think we should all keep a non-obsessive eye on, especially if you find your weight creeping up (or down) over time. But if you focus only on the calorie content of the foods you eat, you are short-changing your health! Not all calories are created equally. So here are a few other things I recommend my clients focus on when making their daily food choices.

Half of the people I speak to seem to be very confused about what on earth they should and shouldn’t eat. And I can’t really blame them. There are an avalanche of news articles, blog posts, podcasts and social media posts, all reporting on “the latest study” and what it means for how you should eat. Here is a list of 5 things to take into account when reading about “the latest study”!

This is the first in a three-part series What You Need to Know About Alcohol. This part explains how we process alcohol, its effect on our body and some tips for avoiding and managing the dreaded hangover.

Have you chosen a theme for 2019? I know it sounds corny, but trust me: if you do it right, setting a theme for the year can have such a positive impact. I've been doing this for the last few years. I've found it to be a fun and helpful encapsulation of what I want the new year to bring. Having a theme for the year, in the form of a special word, a motto, theme song or image can help to keep you in touch with your goals and dreams, and guide you in your decisions and choices this year.

2019, like every year before and after it, has 8,760 hours in it (give or take 24 hours for those pesky leap years!) These are hours we can devote to a million different things. Things that waste time and keep us stuck. Or steps on our path to an amazing life filled with energy and adventure...

According to the research, they do! Especially if you know what you're doing....

Welcome to 2019! This is my permission slip for you to revel in the atmosphere of optimism, opportunity and infinite possibilities this wonderful new year has brought with it! 

May 2019 be the year you LOVE YOUR LIFE and ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS! 

As we say goodbye to 2018, let's reflect...

According to Socrates, the unexamined life is not worth living. Whilst that sounds pretty dramatic, the fact is that the first step in creating a healthier, happier life is to take stock and acknowledge where we are right now. Each new year is a wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start; to discard old habits, make positive changes and steer our lives in the directions of our dreams! So here is a list of questions to reflect upon as we approach the new year!

The Festive Season is well and truly upon us. And whilst I detest Christmas songs in November, I LOVE listening to Christmas songs in the immediate lead-in to the big day. Here are a few of my faves!

It’s that time of year…. The combination of the festive season aftermath and new years resolutions will drive many of us to try one “detox” or another. Whether it’s shakes, juice fasts, online programs or an combination of all three, every second health coach and “wellness guru” on the internet seems to be spruiking one program or another. Before you pay you hard-earned money to be really, REALLY hungry (and tired and headachy!) for a week or so, check out my list of 7 things to do instead!

I have white-knuckled my way through enough awful festive season experiences to feel well-qualified to give a little bit of advice on how to make a few simple tweaks to have a happier, healthier Christmas this year!

Unless you know someone really well, chances are you are probably not going to buy them a gift they really want. And that's such a waste - spending your money and your time rushing around buying gifts that people probably don't really want, and won't use, and will likely throw away. So I'm taking a different approach to Christmas gifts this year...

The OCEAN Model, also known as the Five Factor Model, is a scientifically validated method for assessing where we sit in relation to five key personality traits, or the “Big Five” as they are often called. Are you curious to know where you sit within the OCEAN?

We all have days when we feel sad, stressed or angry. And we all have our favourite go-to strategies to make ourselves feel better. Join me in taking a look at all the tools in our Feel-Good Toolbox, eliminating the unhealthy ones and choosing some healthier tools to replace them.

2017 is fast drawing to a close, and many of our shiny, sparkly, fabulous New Year's Resolutions have fallen by the wayside…. Don't declare the year a complete write-off just because it is almost over. I'm inviting you to join me in my quest to FINISH STRONG!!!

This final instalment in my three part series on SLEEP sets out my bumper list of evidence-based tips and tweaks to help you improve your sleep!

This is the second instalment in a 3 part series on Sleep! This post will explore how much sleep we’re getting, and the impacts of short and long term sleep deprivation.

This is the first in a three-part series What You Need to Know About Sleep. This part sets out the basics of our sleep phases, what happens to our bodies when we sleep, and how much sleep we need.

If you have never made your own labneh before, I hope this post is just the push you need to try it.

This time of year seems to be peak season for people to need a bit of Tough Love. All those hopeful shiny, hopes, dreams and goals for the year to be "The Best Year Evah!!!!" have given way to work, life, family stuff, seven different times where life threw you a massive curveball and at least one situation that shook you to your core. So this is your Tough Love Pep Talk. AND I have created a whole bunch of helpful free printables especially for you too!

These are my top ten tips to help you enjoy a healthier cuppa!

I adore tea! And I’m not alone: tea is second only to water as the world’s most-consumed beverage. This post describes the different varieties of tea and the evidence for the health benefits of tea.

When a recipe calls for white rice, I like to bust out one or more of the following "nutritional upgrades" to lower the glycemic impact and boost the fibre and nutrient content of our meals.

This is a BIG QUESTION, but the evidence is accumulating and it looks like the answer is YES!

Vitamin D has been a hot topic in nutrition and medical science for a few years now. But there is still quite a lot of confusion around its precise benefits, how much we need to enjoy those benefits, and where we should get it. So I'm going to give you a whistle-stop tour of the things I want my clients to know about Vitamin D.

Hangry happens when you push your body past both of these stages and to a point where your mood, behaviour and perhaps even your performance is compromised. While we know all to well what it feels like to be hangry, science has only recently put it under the spotlight. Read more here, plus my top “hanger-management” tips!

As a nutritionist I'm a BIG fan of soups!They are both warming and hydrating. That's an especially good if you have come down with the dreaded lurgy! And they can be super healthy too - if you prepare them right! So I thought I should share my top tips for making soups that are delicious AND nutritious!!

Anthocyanins are a specific type of phytonutrient, providing the vibrant red-orange and purple-blue-violet pigments in fruit, veggies and other plant foods like grains and legumes. And studies are increasing revealing their powerful health benefits! Read more here!

I know that carbs like pasta strike fear in the hearts of many. But they don’t have to. Check out my top tips here! #yourewelcome

** FREE PRINTABLE ** It's around this time of year that our shiny, hopeful goals, dreams, resolutions and intentions for 2017 are growing cobwebs in the metaphorical junk room of our lives, dying a slow and silent death. And that's a shame. Because you wouldn't have set your goal or dreamed your dream if it didn't hold a special place in your heart. So I am going to show you how to keep your goals and dreams alive! 

A recent peer-reviewed study described purslane as a ‘‘power food’’ of the future because of its high nutritive and anti-oxidant properties. Find out why it's one of my favourite leafy greens!

** FREE PRINTABLE ** I've written before about the importance of setting SMART goals. But setting goals isn't enough. We need to turn them into actionable plans; roadmaps to follow, setp-by-step until we are living the life of our dreams! And this is what I specialise in! 

Are your goals SMART? Are you sure?? The S and the M in SMART goals are pretty universal (SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE), but it is the ART that people tend to differ on. This makes me laugh, as I believe good goal setting is indeed an ART. So here is the ART of good goal setting!

** FREE PRINTABLE ** Arguably the most important step in the process of positive change is becoming aware of the gap between where we are now and where we want to be. Get your FREE TOOL to help you identify the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, and help you identify the steps you need to take to get there.

*FREE PRINTABLE* Close your eyes and imagine...

** FREE PRINTABLE ** The first step in creating a healthier, happier life is to take stock and acknowledge where we are right now. I have a powerful yet fun tool to help you understand where you are at right now, what is working, what needs improvement and any areas of imbalance in your life.

BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. It's a term bandied about a lot in the corporate world, but I like to use it in my own life and with my clients. It is a term that elevates us out of the everyday and makes us think big and long-term!

Have you chosen a theme for 2018? I know it sounds corny corny, but trust me: if you do it right it can have such a positive impact. Having a theme for the year, in the form of a special word, a motto, theme song or image can help to keep you in touch with your goals and dreams, and guide you in your decisions and choices this year.

If you need some extra motivation to help you make healthier choices, you MUST read this!

So many people think they have to make huge life-altering changes their diet to improve their health and lose weight. And sadly, the prospect of such big changes cause many people to give up before they even start. I want to shout from the rooftops: getting healthier, having more energy and maintaining a healthy weight should not require disruptive, unpleasant changes to your life!! You just need to make small, sustainable tweaks. And embed them until they become a permanent habit. And then make a few more simple tweaks. You get the picture! So here are a few simple, relatively painless, tweaks you can make to your diet today which will yield high positive benefits over time!

Why is a nutritionist posting a picture of cake?? Well, stick with me dahlinks, because this is no ordinary cake....Believe it or not, in addition to be ing one of our favourite occasional indulgences, this cake has helped my husband and I to maintain a healthy diet, and avoid unhealthy snacking, in a sea of temptations...

Here is a fantastic rule of thumb for you to follow when choosing breads, crackers and other baked goods!

* FREE WORKSHEET * My husband is an electrical engineer. He's fascinated with how things work and how they have been put together. And apparently there's a term for it: Reverse Engineering. It's where you take a finished product and carefully take it apart to see all the different moving parts and how they work together.
And I think it's a great thing to do with our health and life goals! Here's how it works:

This exercise is specifically focussed on helping my clients change their day-to-day choices that relate to their nutrition and health.

Carbs are one of the most contentious topics in nutrition. My position when it comes to carbs is that instead of cutting right down on carbs, we need to get smart about carbs. This means knowing how to sort the healthy from the unhealthy, and how much is the right amount for you. Read on for my top tips to help you get Carb Smart!

Australians are eating a frightening amount of sugar. More than half of us are consuming more than the amounts recommended by the World Health Organisation. And the scary thing is that most of us don't even realise how excessive (and potentially dangerous) our sugar intake is. We need to get smart about sugar! Here are my top tips...

My nutrition and health coaching clients know that I'm constantly looking for small, simple changes that will pay high dividends in terms of energy, vitality, health and longevity. And this one is a no-brainer: YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR SALT INTAKE! This one simple (but not necessarily easy!) health tip could literally - LITERALLY! - save your life. Or save you from the trauma of experiencing a catastrophic health crisis in the best years of your life. And no, I'm not being unnecessarily melodramatic. Here's why:

I'm climbing up on my soapbox today because far too many "wellness gurus" out there are demonising fruit due to the fructose it contains, and advising people to cut it out. Or telling you which fruits are "good" and "bad" according to how much fructose they contain.
There are legitimate concerns about the prevalence of High Fructose Corn Syrup in soft drinks and processed foods, and the stress this can place on our body as it tries to metabolise it.
But cutting out fruit - or demonising certain fruits that are higher in natural fructose - is absolute madness. 

I just learned a new word: mangiafoglia. It's Italian and means to eat leaves... 

Today I'm sharing some things I think we all need to know about protein.

Peer reviewed studies abound which show that increasing your fruit and veg intake can reduce your risk of obesity, many cancers, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, heart attack and even depression and dementia! So I'm on a mission to get everyone eating more veggies! Here are my top tips!

I have a challenge for you! A game actually! I want you to join me in playing The Rainbow Game!
How do you play? Well, each day, I want you to endeavour to eat a variety of veggies and fruit across all the colours of the rainbow.

It really is the little things, dahlinks!

Mise en place is a French culinary term, which roughly translates to "everything in its place".

Complaining is common social behaviour. But it's not always healthy - for us or for those around us!

I came up with this one when I was trying to work out a simple guideline to help a client overhaul their diet. And it's been a big hit!

When it comes to food, I don't have a set-in-stone food or diet philosophy. And even if I did I would never force it on you or tell you that my way is the only or the best way to health. You're paleo? Vegan? Gluten-and-dairy-free? Hate mushrooms? Cool. Awesome. I'm not going to lecture, scold or issue you with a stern ultimatum. It's your body and your choice. To the extent that I have a "food philosophy", it centres around these three principles...

Overnutrition may be a term you haven't heard yet. It’s a concept that hasn’t yet hit the blogosphere, but it's everywhere in the peer reviewed scientific literature and you NEED to know about this!

** FREE PRINTABLE ** I have to admit, when I first tried this I didn't think much was going to come of the experiment. But we are eating healthier, avoiding food waste and saving money. YOU MUST TRY THIS!!

Have you chosen a theme for 2017? I know it sounds corny corny, but trust me: if you do it right it can have such a positive impact. Having a theme for the year, in the form of a special word, a motto, theme song or image can help to keep you in touch with your goals and dreams, and guide you in your decisions and choices this year.

Well this is it... New Year's Eve! If my facebook and Insty feeds are anything to go by, 2016 has been a rollercosater of a year for pretty much everyone I've ever met! So as we say goodbye to 2016, let's reflect...

Last Monday, in a small gesture to make a small difference in a world that may well have gone a little bit mad, I shared 10 of my favourite happy songs. If you saw that post you may recall that I did warn you I might post some more, should the weirdness continue. 

Have you heard of the Okinawan word "ikigai"? It roughly translates into having a reason to live, or believing that your life is worth living...

Given recent events, I thought it appropriate to out and 10 of my fave Happy Songs in the hope that at least one will make you smile, (and possibly dance and sing). So, in no particular order, here goes... 

Green smoothies are a fast and delicious way to supercharge your daily nutrient intake! Here are my top tips for healthy, delicious veggie smoothies.

Never fear carbs again! This is legit: click to read how cooking and then refrigerating "carby" foods like potatoes, rice and legumes can help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar and insulin levels stable, feed your healthy inner bacteria and even lower your cancer risk!

I specialise in helping my clients make sustainable changes to their food intake and lifestyle. And one of the big barriers to sustainable change is failure to understand the root cause of our less-than-ideal choices. One technique that I have found to be really helpful is The 5 Why's.

Your life story in jelly beans...

An uplifting short video to make you think about your priorities. 

"Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst" was always one of my personal mottos. And as a lawyer it served me well. Well, not any more!! Here is my new motto:

One of my mantras and most important life lessons. 

It was once thought that if an illness such as diabetes or heart disease "runs in our family" that we would be destined to suffer the same fate. But thanks to the field of epigenetics, we now know that our genetic predisposition to certain diseases is not set in stone...

Did you know that for every 5 bags of groceries Australians bring home, the equivalent of one bag is wasted? Wasted food accounts for 40% of the contents of household rubbish bins. Here are a few things we have done at my place to reduce food waste:

How do you change? It's as simple - and as difficult - as this!

If you have been avoiding carbs, this will change your life!!!!

Here's a little "assignment" to help you experience more JOY in your life...

Each week I share a useful tip to help busy people lead a Healthy Happy Wonderful life! My tip for this week is to work on our "conversational competence".

These are the things I commit to doing EVERY DAY. Things that improve my health, happiness and life! I call them my Non-Negotiable Daily Rituals (or NNDR's).

And why you should too!

Our actions, large and small, ripple outwards and impact the people - and the world - around us. Here are five things you can do - starting right now - to make a difference!

I put my science-nerd cap on and buried myself in research land for a while, and this is what I found...

As you know I'm on a quest to lead a Healthy, Happy, Wonderful life! So I road test a lot of "life hacks" that I come across in my travels. This one is very popular among the business and productivity gurus, who like to suggest 9 or 10 things to commit to NOT doing in order to boost your work productivity. I've been practising this all year, but I've taken a much broader approach, looking at all areas of my life.

Did you know that the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2016 to be International Year of Pulses? This is in recognition of the important role played by pulses and legumes in global nutrition, but also their contribution to sustainability and food security. 

Try these - and see how your life changes!

Every now and then, it can be incredibly therapeutic to step back and take a good look at the people you are surrounding yourself with. Are they kind to you? Supportive? Do they espouse the values you wish to live by? How do you feel after you have spent time with them? Energised? Drained? Upset? Uplifted? Maybe it's time to do a little friend audit....

A lot of dietitians and nutritionists roll their eyes over green smoothies, and I do agree that there are healthy and not-so-healthy ones out there. But the fact is that Australians (and pretty much everyone else) are not consuming anywhere near enough veges

Our Healthy Happy Wonderful tip for this week is JUST BREATHE...

I've been witness to a few heated exchanges on Facebook recently. And arguments on the street, in cafes, road rage.

Just breathe dahlinks. Bigger sorrows and tragedies will