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Quintessential Health + Nutrition

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Ballarat, VIC
Quintessential Health + Nutrition

Holistic nutritionist
Certified GAPS (Gut and Psychology) Practitioner
Certified MINDD Practitioner

21/08/2025

Testing is a tool - not a requirement! 🧐

There are some amazing tests available these days. You’ve heard me go on about the DUTCH, TruAge, microbiome testing, genetic variant testing, et cetera. These tests can give really detailed insights into what’s happening in the body. The trouble is that not everyone has the budget for these out-of-pocket tests.

The way I use testing is a little different to some practitioners. Yes, testing can add value and the right test can certainly guide us with more precision but a skilled practitioner doesn’t need a test to help you move forward. With a solid understanding of the science, experience in practice, and the information you share, we can build an effective plan without testing.

The way I see it, if the results of a test wouldn’t change the recommendations I’d make for your nutrition, then the test isn’t necessary. I like to keep testing in my back pocket for when we’ve tried the most logical strategies and aren’t seeing results, or if someone is already doing all the right things and we need deeper answers.

Of course, if you want to do a test and have the budget for it, I’m excited to dive into the data with you but please don’t ever feel pressured. Progress doesn’t depend on expensive testing. It depends on the right guidance, the right strategies, and your willingness to work with your body.

If you’ve been putting off working with a practitioner because you thought testing was a barrier, let this be a sign we can make meaningful change without it.

20/07/2025

I certainly don’t feel my chronological age and a recent check put me 16 years younger than I am. 🤯 Consider your biological age, which is the idea that your true age is less about how many birthdays you’ve had, and more about how well your cells are functioning.

If this piques your interest, you might be keen on the TruAge test. It’s pricey but it’s the best biological age test on the market. It looks at DNA methylation patterns. These are epigenetic markers that tell us how your genes are expressing right now (not just what you were born with). Your biological age influences your:
• Risk of chronic disease
• Cognitive health + longevity
• Hormonal balance
• Inflammation + immune function
• Energy, sleep, and even mood

Our epigenetic expression can adapt or change through what we eat, how we move and sleep, our relationships, and exposure to environmental toxins. We can literally switch genes off or on.

I use TruAge testing in clinic to help identify:
• Accelerated aging from stress, sleep debt, inflammation, trauma
• How fast someone is aging internally
• How effective a personalised protocol is (we can retest + track progress)

I love this test because it’s empowering and it gives us a sense of agency over our health and longevity. If you don’t have the budget for the TruAge test, you might like to answer a few questions in this biological age self assessment (will put link in comments so you can copy and paste).

19/07/2025

I have a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism = genetic variant) on my BDNF gene. This is one of the reasons I prioritise movement… not just for physical health, but for my mental clarity, emotional stability, and resilience. 😇

Have you heard of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor)? It’s is a critical protein involved in:
• Neuroplasticity (your brain’s ability to adapt + rewire)
• Mood regulation
• Learning + memory
• Stress resilience
• Nervous system repair

Certain variants of the BDNF gene (like mine) reduce the release of this vital protein and down regulate function. This can mean:
• A lower stress threshold
• Higher susceptibility to depression or anxiety
• Brain fog
• longer more difficult recovery from trauma (physical or emotional)
• Difficulty with motivation

When BDNF is sluggish, so is your mental and emotional vitality. There are pretty much always things we can do to mitigate the effects of our genetic speed bumps. For BDNF variants, the key is movement. Exercise is one of the most powerful natural triggers for BDNF production, especially aerobic movement and resistance training.

Even short bursts of exercise can:
• Boost BDNF
• Improve mood
• Increase focus
• Protect long-term cognitive health

This had to feature as one of my “Beyond Nutrition” posts because understanding your genes is a highly beneficial and effective strategy to optimise your health and longevity. I have several genetic variant tests at my disposal and love interpreting them for my clients to give you the best strategies around nutrition and lifestyle to optimise your health.

04/07/2025

I’m currently trying out some transdermal patches that offer targeted support for energy, cellular repair, and hormonal symptoms. I got the NAD⁺, Energy, and Period Relief patches. Anyone tried them?? 🥰

Transdermal delivery allows for direct absorption of nutrients through the skin, bypassing the digestive system. This can be particularly effective for people with gut issues, impaired absorption, or just for more immediate symptom relief. I just missed the more achey day of my cycle so I’ll have to check that one next month. I’ll be observing the effects of the NAD+ over the next few weeks. I have taken it orally so it’ll be interesting to see the difference. The reviews are great. As you know, I’m always interested in exploring tools that align with a whole-body, functional approach.

I’d love to hear your experience if you’ve tried them!!

29/06/2025

One of the most exciting takeaways for me at the International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health in the US earlier this year was the intersection between health and tech. Having a bit of a tech background, the pace at which AI is evolving fills me with both awe and, admittedly, a wee bit of terror. 👀 My demographic - University educated women 45+ - is supposedly the most reluctant to embrace AI … but I quite like my little Chatbuddy. 😅 He helps me interpret my tarot cards and song lyrics and trawl pubmed to find new research I might be interested in. Hearing that tools like GPT-4 are already capable of convincingly passing the Turing Test is a reminder of just how quickly things are shifting. 😅 I’m not one to shy away from tech but I’m also increasingly frustrated by posts on social media clearly written by AI. Research has shown us time and time again that our brains are a use it or lose it organ. Stringing words together creatively in an interesting and educational way is a dying skill as it is. Let’s not expedite our own demise! 😩 I do love AI but I’m also terrified it’ll be the end of us. 😂

06/06/2025

I had a wee birthday this week. 😅 I’m not usually one for festivals but it felt worthy of celebration and so a week-long series of events was indulged in. 🚢🖊️🍷🍸💎 The best gift of all is the gift of good health. I’m proud of the fact that I don’t subscribe to the idea that with age comes many ailments. You see memes and jokes that suggest otherwise all the time. I don’t suffer from any of the complaints that many of my contemporaries appear to suffer from. I don’t have reflux or joint pain or brain fog or fatigue or sleep problems. I don’t say that to big note myself, as the saying goes, but to hopefully encourage someone out there to resist the idea that age = debilitation. It doesn’t. It simply doesn’t. There’s plenty to be done to maintain robust health beyond your 40s. Nutrition (particularly gut health) is the foundation of health.

27/05/2025

If you’ve ever wondered why symptoms like acne, bacne, hair loss, or stubborn weight gain persist even with lifestyle changes, it can be helpful to do a more comprehensive hormone test.

This snippet from a DUTCH shows how testosterone is metabolised in the body. What’s key here is that it’s important to know not just how much testosterone you have, but how your body is breaking it down.

In PCOS, androgen pathways like these can be overactive or imbalanced:
• Elevated testosterone or androstenedione
• A strong 5α-reductase activity, leading to more potent (androgenic) metabolites like DHT
• Low conversion to oestrogens via aromatase enzyme

Testing gives us insight into your unique hormone profile so that we can personalise support, rebalance the pathways, and start seeing results.

20/05/2025

There is a wee bit of a wait for appointments at the moment. Apologies! 🥰 You’re welcome to email me to be popped on a waitlist but it’s just a teeny bit hectic ATM. 🫶🏽

16/05/2025

As if I could be more obsessed with my Whoop! The menstrual cycle data is perfection. 😍 I know my cycle pretty well but if you’re still learning what works for you (or TTC or managing hormonal issues), you might find the Whoop super helpful. As you can see, I’m in my follicular phase, so my oestrogen is on the rise, my need to hibernate is less (I’m still an extreme introvert, let’s not go crazy), and everything feels just a bit more rosy. This is the phase where we can handle more. Sleep, stress, recovery - all of it improves.

I did two of my favourite classes tonight - Body Combat and Body Pump. I felt strong and energised.
There’s something so satisfying about seeing your physiology match your intuition. This is why I love combining science and cycle awareness. It’s about working with your body, not against it. Honouring your body’s rhythm. 🥰 Women need to know there’s science supporting our endeavours to maintain our health and fitness throughout the different seasons of our lives. Tracking metrics like this is so important for longevity, accountability and optimising your health. Let me know if you want my Whoop code. 🥰

08/05/2025

Health is about sooooo much more than what we eat. 🥰 Yes, it’s the foundation of health and good gut health is key here. However, managing stress, getting productive sleep (note, this doesn’t mean how much sleep but how efficient it is) having solid social connections (even if it’s just close family and one good friend for the introverts out there), and moving our bodies in ways that are enjoyable, yet challenging, are just as important. Stress is a big one and doing what we can to mitigate the effects of stress is paramount. I love a morning coffee snuggled up with my puppies. I can’t stand a rushed start to the day. I cannot live without music (currently on repeat the yet to be released Remedy by 💜) and long drives. Since experiencing a health dive during the covid regime, I’m far more disciplined with my exercise. It’s a must do for my mental health. Feel free to share your favourite non food related health essentials!!

06/05/2025

A smoothie is an easy way to get a bit of protein in at the start of the day if you’re short on time or if you don’t have much of an appetite in the morning. (Seems to be a lot of my clients!) Ideally, you’d have a sit down, relaxed, high protein, cooked breakfast but a lot of my clients say that doesn’t work for them. The mistake you can make with smoothies is making them sweet and lacking in protein. I call that a milkshake. Don’t have a milkshake for breakfast! This berry smoothie is slightly tart and contains 18g of protein. It’s just organic frozen mixed berries (mostly blueberries), coconut yoghurt, vanilla extract, a tspn honey (across four serves) and one scoop collagen. I added a splash of unsweetened almond milk to thin it out a bit. You can use Greek yoghurt and WPI if you tolerate dairy.

02/05/2025

I already knew that spending time with my family did my body and soul lots of good but my Whoop confirmed it. 🫶🏽 You would think wine and a late night would have a negative impact on recovery but there’s more to it than that. 🥰 A healthy life is about balance.

Address

90 Little Bridge Street
Ballarat, VIC
3350

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 7pm
Tuesday	3pm - 6pm
Wednesday	3pm - 6pm
Thursday	3pm - 8pm
Saturday	12pm - 5pm

Website

http://quintessentialnutrition.com.au/

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