Holly Arnold - Clinical Nutritionist

05/08/2025

Yes, you can lose weight with a sweet tooth!

It’s not about cutting sugar out completely or relying on willpower alone. It’s about having a balanced approach, a clear strategy, and self-awareness…

1. Start with your relationship with food - if your only modes are “completely avoid” or “go all out,” the real work is learning to feel calm and in control around sweet foods

2. Plan ahead. Knowing when and how sweets fit into your week reduces stress, builds trust, and helps you stay consistent

3. Portion intentionally. One perfect serving feels better than mindless overeating

4. Choose what you *actually* enjoy. Be a sweet snob

5. Create a moment around it. Sit down, slow down, and really *enjoy it*

6. Stick to your regular meals and add sweet foods around them - ideally as dessert, not a snack

… and once you have enjoyed the deliciousness that is your favourite sweet treat? No guilt! No need to compensate! MOVE ON! Just return to your regular eating routine

Sweet foods can absolutely stay in your world, just on your terms 💫

29/07/2025

A very, very important one to remember 💫🤍

04/07/2025

11/06/2025

NUTRITIONISTS GREEK SALAD 🇬🇷 🥗 🧿

🍅 Salad 
2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped into chunky pieces 
4 Roma tomatoes
6 radishes
1 green capsicum 
1 small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1 small handful of mint, roughly chopped 
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced 
¼ cup pomegranate arils  
¼ cup black pitted olives, thinly sliced 

🥄 Dressing 
Juice of 1/2 lemon 
1.5 tbsp olive oil 
Pinch of salt and pepper 
⅛ tsp dried oregano 
⅛ tsp sumac 

🫒 Toppings
60g feta
A handful of caper berries 
1 tbsp pomegranate arils  

important note - the fresher the vegetables and herbs, the tastier the salad will be. Good quality produce will make this recipe sing!

1. Start by finely slicing your red onion (mandolin is recommended, but be cautious with your fingers if you are as clumsy as I am!). Once the onion is sliced, soak it in a bowl of icy cold water for 10 - 15 minutes to mellow out the flavour.

2. While your onion is soaking, prepare the vegetables for the salad. Wash, dry and chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and capsicum into chunky pieces. Roughly chop the parsley and mint. 

3. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a jar/bowl. 

4. Drain the onions from the water and set aside. 

5. Add the prepared cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, capsicum, sliced red onion onion mint and parsley to a large bowl. Add the pomegranate, olives and the dressing, and gently toss everything together to ensure all the ingredients are coated in the dressing.

5. Add the salad mix to a serving platter and scatter with the feta, caper berries and an extra sprinkling of pomegranate.

6. Serve up with your sides of choice - pairs perfectly with herby roast potatoes and grilled protein.

09/06/2025

A Little Reminder! ⚡️💫

Exercise is fantastic - if you’re moving regularly, you’re doing something incredible for both your physical and mental health.

But one thing I hear time and time again when clients present in the clinic is the expectation that they thought exercise alone would get them to their body composition or health goals.

As much as we love it, exercise alone isn’t enough.

No matter what your goal is - whether it’s weight loss, weight gain, building strength, improving energy, or supporting your mood… nutrition MUST be prioritised.

You simply can’t out-train a poor diet.

Food is your power card. And while it’s easy to get overwhelmed by conflicting advice online, here are some simple, high-impact tips to focus on:

✅ Build meals around plants and protein - think colourful vegetables, fruit, and quality protein sources

✅ Include high-fibre, wholegrain carbohydrates - like oats, brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain bread or pasta

✅ Cook with extra virgin olive oil and enjoy healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, and seeds

✅ Use herbs and spices (fresh or dried) generously - they’re packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, and will help to flavour your meals

✅ Aim for balanced, stable meals throughout the day - prioritise proper meals over snacking/grazing

✅ Minimise ultra-processed foods - the fewer ingredients you don’t recognise, the better

✅ Stay well hydrated (ideally with filtered water)

✅ Keep caffeine and alcohol in check - especially if energy, sleep, or mood are a concern

✅Think in weeks, not days - progress doesn’t pause on weekends, especially when working on body composition change. It’s the total sum of our actions across the week that matters, not perfection for 3/7 days of it

✅ If you’re working on weight loss, total calorie intake matters - no matter how healthy your food choices are, if your overall intake is not in a deficit, weight loss won’t occur. Nutrient quality is important, but quantity counts too

✅ Work towards food freedom - the ability to enjoy indulgent foods in moderation, without guilt or going overboard

15/06/2024

Out on a school night for 🤍

23/04/2024

You’ve probably heard that protein is crucial for weight loss...

It keeps you feeling full, preserves muscle mass, and helps stabilise blood sugar levels.

However! Achieving weight loss also requires being in a calorie deficit, even if you’re not tracking your food intake.

Whether people like it or not, this is how weight loss happens - when we expend more energy than we consume.

That’s why it’s important to keep this in energy density (calories) mind when selecting your protein sources.

I’ve compiled a handy chart of foods that illustrate how much of each item you’d need to consume to reach a target of 30g of protein per meal.

While I’ve chosen 30g as a reasonable goal for each meal, it’s worth noting that individual protein needs vary. Nevertheless, aiming for less than 20g per meal is uncommon in my recommendations.

As indicated by the list, you’d need to consume approximately 700 calories of quinoa, 600 calories of peanuts, or 500 calories of beans to achieve your 30g protein target per meal. This is a significant amount of energy to use on one aspect of the each!

Now I’m not suggesting avoiding these foods altogether, as they are nutritious and have their place in a balanced diet.

However, if weight loss is your current objective, let’s prioritise foods at the top of the list, such as tuna, cod, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, and lean beef.

This way, you can meet your protein needs while keeping meals at a reasonable calorie level, leaving room for essential nutrients like vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats.

Hope this information proves helpful! 💫

11/04/2024

CHECKLIST FOR SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS

Navigate your weight loss journey with a strategy designed for results 💪

As with every goal you want to achieve, stratergy is KEY because it provides you with a clear roadmap to success

Excited to dive in? Here’s what you’ll want to consider as part of your stratergy ...

➡️ Purpose: Let’s uncover your ‘why’ – that driving force that’ll keep you pushing forward, no matter the obstacles. It’s your secret weapon for staying on track when the going gets tough


➡️ Personalisation: Tailor your eating and exercise regimen to fit seamlessly into your everyday life. It’s all about finding what works for you, making healthy habits feel like second nature

➡️ Mindset: Build a resilient and positive mindset that’ll see you through the ups and downs. Embracing challenges as opportunities for growth will keep you focused on your goals

➡️ Tracking: Find a method of monitoring progress that resonates with you. Celebrate every milestone, big or small, and understand that progress isn’t always a straight line

➡️ Support: Seek out a network of support to cheer you on and keep you accountable. Having someone in your corner can make all the difference when the going gets tough

➡️ Attitude: Aim for consistency, not perfection. Focus on making steady progress rather than chasing impossible standards. A balanced approach leads to lasting success

🌟 Your journey to a healthier, happier you begins by setting up, embracing and nurturing these essential elements

✔️ Know you’re ready to take the plunge but need somone to hold your hand? That’s where I come in

As a clinical nutritionist, I’m here to guide you through your weight loss journey with compassion and expertise, ensuring you achieve (and maintain) your goals without feeling deprived 🌟

10/04/2024

ONE PAN CHICKEN AND RICE TRAYBAKE 🍅

Anything that can be done in one pot/pan gets the stamp of approval from me!

This is a go-to of mine that works well for an easy week night tea or as meal prep as it stores and reheats so well. Feel free to get creative with your herbs, spices and vegetable additions - anything goes!

Make sure you serve it with extra vegetables and you’ll have yourself a beautifully balanced meal.

Ingredients

4 large skinless and boneless thighs (skin on)
½ brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g cherry tomatoes
100g green, de-stoned olives
1x big handful of fresh basil, stems and leaves chopped separately
1x handful of fresh parsley 
1x tsp dried Italian herb de Provence mix 
1x small zucchini 
100g brown basmati rice
300ml warm chicken stock or broth.
1 lemon
Chilli flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan.
2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a deep pan, add a little olive oil and bring to the heat. Brown off the chicken thighs on both sides then remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add 1 tbsp water to remove all the chicken flavour from the base and then add the onion, garlic, parsley, 1/2 of the basil, dried herbs, zucchini and tomatoes. Sautee for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt, stirring every minute or so.
4. Next add in the olives, then the rice.
5. Pour in 300ml warm chicken stock or broth, give everything a good stir and then lay the chicken thighs on top of the rice mix. Add a few slices of lemon and a pinch of chilli flakes.
6. Put the pan into the oven to bake for 35 minutes (this will depend on the strength of your oven!), then remove from the oven, add the remaining fresh basil and place a lid on top and let rest for 5 ish minutes.
7. Remove the lid of the rice and serve with steamed green veg or a big leafy salad 🥗

03/04/2024

🌺🍊🐻🪩

19/03/2024

The year honestly does feel like it is FLYING so I think as we approach the quarter mark of 2024 it is a good opportunity to reflect and check in with yourself

So whether it was weight loss, better digestion, hitting a gym PB, improving your energy or just generally creating better habits …

➡️ How do you feel like you are progressing on your journey to reaching that goal?
➡️ Are you staying true to the promises you made at the end of last year/beginning of this year?

✅ If yes - amazing! Keep going, superstar

🛑 And if not, no need to panic! But it probably is time to ask yourself…

➡️ Do I still want to work towards this goal/goals?
➡️ Why have I not made the progress I expected?
➡️ What have been my biggest barriers?
➡️ What support do I need to overcome these barriers if I want to reach my goal by the end of 2024?

💭 Now if (like me) you saw the 22% and had a little bit of a panic and realised the goals you have set yourself for this year aren’t coming together *quite* how you envisioned please take a moment to catch your breath and remember that THERE IS STILL TIME

⏰ It is never too late to pivot, re-focus and make progress towards your goals

⭐️ Most of the time, we just need a little help in doing so

🗓️ My books are back open for new clients and I’m welcoming with open arms people who are ready to lose weight for the last time (without deprivation) and embrace a healthier way of living

✋ There are no fads, vague plans or generalised support

💡 It’s all individualised, targeted, accountability driven, encouraging and realistic tools and support to get where you you want to be and keep you there

Interested in finding out more? Slide on into my DM’s or get in touch via my website. Here is to taking back the reigns for the last 78% of 2024! 💫