Nutrition Fix

05/01/2026

I got sick of losing at Cluedo, so back at work again today.

Looking forward to bringing some exciting changes and new workshops this year!

26/12/2025

If it lasts that long…

A few days, weeks or months? 😨 Find out for certain here: bit.ly/48Znaz4

01/09/2025

Women’s Health Week is here! This year’s theme is “Say yes to you” highlighting the need for women to stay on top of health checks and as they’re often the carer’s of family and ageing parents and need to also prioritise their health.

With that in mind, important health checks relevant to my practice that I see women put off are:

• Are you up to date with your bowel cancer screening? Especially if you have noticed any changes in your bowel habits or are experiencing abdominal pain.
• Have you had a bone density scan? Important if there is a family history of osteoporosis or have a thyroid condition or low vitamin D.
• Have you had your heart checked? Conditions like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia significantly increase your risk of heart disease, and heart disease risk overall increases after menopause.

Remember nutrition and lifestyle plays a significant role in all three of these conditions!

24/07/2025

Mmmm cheese… 🧀
We all know we need adequate calcium for bone health, but did you know that fermented dairy increases the availability of calcium for absorption? So yoghurt, kefir and cheese are excellent sources of calcium (and protein!) to support bone health and dairy, and many cheeses are also a source of vitamin K2 to direct the calcium to the bones that I mentioned in the last post.

Calcium supplements can be helpful if you don’t like or can’t eat enough calcium sources, though be mindful they can cause kidney stones and interact with some medications such as thyroid meds and some antibiotics as well as iron and zinc supplements. So ask about timing any supplements to maximise your absorption!

16/07/2025

If you’re looking out for your bones, you need vitamin D to help absorb calcium and prevent bone loss. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to get all your vitamin D from your food even though there are a couple of good sources such as egg yolks, oily fish and mushrooms that have been in the sun - though walking your dog in the sun is more fun (and normal).

Fortunately, the sun is a great source of vitamin D. But a couple of things to note here - it has to be unfiltered sunlight so not through a window and skin with no sunscreen blocking the rays. And how much you need is going to depend on your skin colour, time of year, time of day and age because older skin doesn’t make vitamin D as efficiently. So right now in winter, a lot of people see a drop in their vitamin D levels.

If you need to take a vitamin D3 supplement, it’s best taken with vitamin K2 and some healthy fat as fat helps the body absorb the vitamin D in supplements. And vitamin D has a synergy with K2 - vitamin D helps calcium get absorbed and vitamin K2 helps the calcium get to the bones.

08/07/2025

We’ve had a few broken bones in our family in recent weeks (I’ll spare you the old man falling off the ladder pic and give you the cute puppy lol) so I want to talk about bone health for a hot minute.

We worry about cancer and strokes and our brains as we age, but personally I’m more terrified about the crippling effects of osteoporosis. It’s something that can silently creep up because you don’t necessarily feel any different (until you break something) and I’ve seen some of my oldies in a lot of pain because of their bone health - so their heart and brain are ok but physically not so much.

And while there are medications you can take to manage conditions like osteoporosis and osteopaenia, a lot of women don’t want to because of the reported side effects. So this is an area where taking action early is well worth the effort and diet plays a key role.

So which nutrients do we need exactly to keep our bones strong?
•Calcium
•Vitamin D
•Vitamin K2
•Protein
•And a recent study also highlighted choline as having a role in bone density

And we want to wrap all those nutrients with some strength exercises.

But before you start supplementing with the above, as with most things in nutrition there are some caveats that we’ll look at in the next couple of days and what you can do if you have low bone density.

22/06/2025

I thought I’d wind up Dietitian’s Week talking about why I care so much about good food and nutrition.

Getting the right nutrients for YOU is one of the foundations of our health. When our body has the right nutrients and fuel it needs, we feel pretty damn good. It’s the fuel for big movements like walking, smaller movements like our heart pumping, to fuel for our cells. And the right nutrients look different for everyone.

What we eat affects our hormones, sleep, mood and energy. It can determine which genes are expressed, and if you are planning a family, it will influence not just your baby’s health, but also your future grandchild. So I think it’s kind of a big deal.

We also eat every day, so we have lots of opportunities every week to make small choices that add up to make a big difference to our health in the long term. So the occasional piece of cake isn’t the problem, we want to zoom out and look at our diet as a whole and how it fits in the context of our life, goals and health. And that’s what I help you do.

18/06/2025

Have you ever wondered what happens in an appointment with me?

It’s not unusual that someone turns up just because their doctor told them to and are unsure of what I actually do (hint: it’s not to just tell you to eat salad.)

In your appointment, we go over your health concerns and goals, medical history, blood test results, supplements and medications, as well as what a typical day looks like for you - such as exercise, work and family. I essentially want a comprehensive understanding of you and so I can tailor solutions that will work for you.

Then we go into detail about what you eat typically in a day - this is where I ask a LOT of questions about specific meals, portion size, appetite, stress eating, night eating, meal skipping etc.

What am I looking for in all this information?
Well it ultimately depends on your goal. For example, if you have gut problems, do you just have a poor diet and eating habits or is there a pattern to your symptoms that may indicate an intolerance. Or if you have diabetes, do you have an eating pattern and enough protein, fibre and healthy fat to stabilise your BGLs. Or if you want to lose weight, are you overeating, emotionally eating, or just don’t have the right nutrition knowledge to support your weight loss.

I’m also looking for things like:
• Drug-nutrient interactions (eg are you taking your thyroid medication with your metamucil, or your calcium with your iron?)
• Adequacy of macronutrients (ie protein, fibre) and vitamins and minerals especially ones that are integral to your health condition
• And any supplements you’re taking helping or hindering or not worth taking

After all that, we tailor a step-by-step treatment plan for you and recommended meal ideas. Ultimately, I want you to walk away with a good understanding of your health condition and how your diet and or lifestyle changes can help.

16/06/2025

Since it’s Dietitians Week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce myself to anyone new to me....
..I’m Veronica, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist based on the Central Coast (though I also offer virtual appointments).

I became a dietitian when my dad ended up on dialysis for polycystic kidney disease and being fascinated at the link between what he ate and his immediate health. (Poor dad was a great training ground for me as a budding dietitian). But I’ve always had a love of food and feeling good.

What I love most about my job is chatting with my clients and putting the nutrition science into simple meal ideas to help them because between social media and marketing and conflicting information, it can be pretty confusing knowing what’s healthy to eat these days. And I can help with a range of health concerns from gut problems (a lot of those!), hormonal imbalances, osteoporosis, metabolic conditions or just want some help with their weight.

I’m passionate about good nutrition for health because we eat everyday and when we make good choices consistently, it adds up. Because food is more than just calories, it nourishes our brain, body and mood, and provides the nutrients our body needs to function all the way down to affecting which genes express themselves. After all, the body is often just doing the best it can with what we’ve given it.

Think I might be able to help you? Then send me a DM!

15/06/2025

This week is Men’s Health Week. Considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, it’d be smart to be proactive in reducing your risk so you can be around for your family and mates:
1. See your GP
2. Get your blood pressure checked
3. Get your cholesterol checked
4. Get your BGLs checked

If everything’s good, happy days. And if not, you can get in early to make some nutrition and lifestyle changes so you don’t end up as another statistic. I have a lot of great men - brother, brother-in-laws, son, nephews and friends - in my life who I want to have around for a long time.

So see your GP for a check so you don’t have to see them too often later in life.

And if you fall off a ladder and can’t walk, just call a bloody ambulance - don’t get your mate to drive you home. Especially if you’re 80....

04/06/2025

Bowel cancer is the deadliest cancer in younger Australians aged 25-44 years even though we are seeing reduced rates in older people due to regular screening.

This is most likely due to our diets evolving to eating more ultra-processed convenience foods, take away foods and eating too much red and processed meats which all tend to be higher in fat and low in fibre. So you can understand why younger people are seeing an increase in bowel cancer rates.

Eating more wholegrains and fibre can prevent bowel cancer and eating 90g of wholegrains daily reduces the risk of bowel cancer by 17%.

And what a better way to get a serving of wholegrains in this weather than starting the day with porridge! A bowl of porridge made with oats will give you just under half of your daily wholegrain needs. I love adding in nuts and seeds such as pepitas, flaxseed, LSA, almond meal, and topping with stewed fruit, berries or banana for an additional fibre top up for your gut health.

PMID: 39674189

02/06/2025

This month is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. And I think it’s an important one since bowel cancer is the second deadliest cancer in Australia even though 99% of cases are treated successfully when they are detected early. BUT even though we have a pretty good surveillance system with Bowel Screen, less than 50% of cases are detected early.

It’s so sad when I see people who had symptoms for a while before they went to their doctor and now have to undergo extensive treatment or have found it has spread.

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
Blood in your poo (bright red or dark)
Changes in your bowel habits (going more or less or more constipation)
Abdominal pain
Fatigue
Low iron
Unexplained weight loss

And I bang on about fibre and eating your fruit and veg but diet and lifestyle play a role in bowel cancer prevention and eating more fibre it is a key way to reduce your risk not just of bowel cancer but ALL cancers.