Kylie Badger, Clinical Nutritionist

23/09/2025

Are you or do you know anyone who is breastfeeding who is interested in participating in research?

You have less than a week to complete a survey regarding the Genitourinary Syndrome of Lactation.

Please help advance our understanding of Genitourinary Syndrome of Lactation, ultimately improving care and informing future guidelines.

This survey aims to better understand the health seeking behaviours of lactating individuals in Australia with Genitourinary Syndrome of Lactation (GSL), the current treatment options, and patient satisfaction with those treatments.

13/09/2025

This upcoming week is Dementia Action Week and many councils have events and seminars to support health professionals and caregivers of those with dementia.

Hornsby Council is screen Everybody's Oma at the library on 18 September and for those with dementia and their caregivers, the Council has a 3-hour Hawkesbury River cruise for free on 16 September.

Dementia Training Australia runs several online courses which can be found at www.dta.com.au

And a great book to read for dementia prevention or early-stage dementia is Dr Dale Bredesen's book, The End of Alzheimer's which outlines the three (3) types of Alzheimer's, their causes... including mould and type 3 diabetes, and how to address the root cause through lifestyle and supplements.

If you can't make it to the screening of Everybody's Oma, checkout some online platforms where you can watch it. It truly is a heartwarming and heartbreaking story which gives you an insight of what it is like to care for someone with dementia.
https://everybodysoma.com/

A single family's heartwarming story navigating dementia in front of the whole world.

08/09/2025

If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause, you might have noticed that even small lifestyle choices can make a big difference in how you feel.
One factor many women don’t realize plays a role? Alcohol.

Research shows alcohol can:
🌡️ Intensify hot flushes and night sweats
😴 Disrupt sleep, leading to insomnia and fatigue
💫 Worsen mood swings and bloating
🍬 Contribute to insulin resistance and hormonal imbalance
⚖️ Promote weight gain
❤️ Raise blood pressure and heart disease risk
🎗️ Increase risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer

This doesn’t mean you “can’t” ever enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail — but being aware helps you make choices that support your body during this transition. 🥂💛

🌸 Menopause is not about restriction, it’s about understanding what your body needs most right now so you can thrive.

If you’re feeling the effects of alcohol more strongly during this stage of life, you are not alone.

📅 Book a consultation today and let’s create a plan that supports your hormones, energy, and long-term health: https://healthbank.io/p/kylie-badger

06/09/2025

Think obesity is all about not moving enough? Think again.

A groundbreaking global study by McGrosky et al., 2025, looked at people across 34 populations — from hunter-gatherers to those in highly developed countries. The results?
- People in developed nations actually burn more daily energy than traditional societies.
- Physical activity levels aren’t lower in industrialised populations.
- The real driver of the rising obesity epidemic? What we eat, especially ultra-processed foods.

In fact, diet quality and caloric intake accounted for 10 times more of the obesity increase than activity levels.

The major contributor was ultra-processed foods (think packaged snacks, fast food, sugary drinks) which were directly linked to higher body fat, while traditional diets showed protective effects.

The key takeaway: Obesity isn’t just about “moving more” — it’s about rethinking what we put on our plates. Movement is still crucial for overall health, but diet plays the starring role in weight management.

Are you ready to break free from the cycle of processed foods and fad diets?
Let’s create a plan tailored to your body, your goals, and your lifestyle.

📅 Book your appointment today and take the first step toward lasting health and energy: https://healthbank.io/p/kylie-badger

McGrosky, A., Luke, A., Arab, L., Bedu-Addo, K., Bonomi, A. G., Bovet, P., Brage, S. et al. (2025). Energy expenditure and obesity across the economic spectrum. PNAS, 122(29): e2420902112

31/08/2025

Health Star Ratings

You’ve seen them on your food and thought ‘How the heck did that get 4 stars?’ Now you can do something about it…

How can a system that is meant to help parents make healthier choices:
- contains additives and preservatives
- be ultra processed or
- be packed full of sugars under names you wouldn’t recognise?

Scientific research demonstrates that Ultra Processed Foods (UPF's) are associated with increased ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and chronic health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes and yet the Government is planning on mandating the Health Star Ratings 🤦🏼😳😱

You can help stop this absurdity be signing this petition and then share it with your family and friends:
https://realfoodrating.com/petition/

It's super quick to do and you'll be making a difference.

We need at least 5,000 names on this petition in order to be able to deliver it to the Health Minister.

Will you help us protect our children’s health?

29/08/2025

Perinatal depression, including depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression

A recent study found that deficiencies in omega 3s, folate, vitamin B12, iron and vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and postpartum, while supplementation may offer benefits.

Want to read the study? Here is a link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016423001275?via%3Dihub

27/08/2025

Osteoporosis happens when bones lose calcium and other minerals which makes them fragile, brittle and more likely to fracture. In Australia, osteoporosis affects 1.2 million or 1 in 5 women over the age of 65 years and 1 in 20 men.

Women are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis because of the rapid drop in the hormone, oestrogen, during menopause.

But there are steps you can do now to look after your bones and decrease your risk of osteoporosis:

1. Ensure adequate daily intake of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other cofactor nutrients, including vitamin D, copper, selenium, iodine and chromium.

2. Partake in physical activity including resistance training, weight-bearing exercise and exercise which places multi-directional strain on your muscles and bones.

3. Support collagen production

4. Manage stress

5. Reduce acidic foods

6. Reduce caffeine

If you are confused about the next steps you can implement to ensure healthy bones in your future, why not schedule a consult through https://healthbank.io/p/kylie-badger

22/08/2025

PMS Food Cravings

Premenstrual food cravings are real, intense and happening for legitimate biological reasons.

Your cravings aren’t random, rather hormonal.

In the first half of your cycle (follicular phase), estrogen helps to suppress appetite and boosts metabolism.

But in the second half (luteal phase)... progesterone takes over... ramping up hunger.
And if that wasn't bad enough... during this phase, serotonin (the “feel good” brain chemical) drops and cortisol (your stress hormone) rises to make your body crave carbs and comfort food 😭😭😭

The numbers don’t lie...
Research analysing 19 different studies found women eat an average of 239 extra calories per day in their luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. Some women consumed up to 597 additional calories daily during their peak craving period.
And if you’ve got PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)? Those cravings hit harder!

But there is something you can do about it... eat a rainbow, fibre-rich diet and foods high in magnesium.

If you are curious to know more or need some guidance on how to incorporate this into your lifestyle, book a consult with me: https://healthbank.io/p/kylie-badger
We can also add some supplements to boost your GLP-1 production to help with that hunger.

19/08/2025

It's nearly that time of the year where we run malnutrition week between 8-12 September.

But we never need a week to screen our loved ones and healthcare patients for malnutrition... look for weight loss, poor healing wounds, lowered immunity, loss of appetite, loose rings, cognition deficits and poor daily function can all be signs of malnutrition.

Causes are many but some of the common ones are poor fitting dentures, problems swallowing, loss of smell, medications, loneliness, cancer, dementia, anxiety and depression and even motivation and ability to be able to cook can all have an impact.

If you have noticed any of these, talk to their GP and Aged Care Plan Manager (they can organised ready-made meals) and book an appointment with a Nutritionist.

16/08/2025

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for bone health as it helps to absorb calcium and regulate calcium levels in the body. Studies have also linked vitamin D deficiency to bone diseases, autoimmune disorders and it has anticancer effects in melanoma, colorectal and breast cancer.

Due to social media touting these health benefits and the widespread insufficiency from spending majority of time indoors and the slip, slop, slap campaign, self-administered vitamin D supplementation intake has surged.

However, you can have too much of a good thing, which is why it is important to have your vitamin D monitored by your GP through serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to identify the right dose for you. Usually those with deficiency will require 400-2,000 IU daily, whilst I have seen patients taking up to 60,000IU daily or every second day which places them in danger of hypervitaminosis D.

Hypervitaminosis D arises when you take too much vitamin D and presents firstly as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Hypervitaminosis D can, however, result in kidney/renal failure, hypercalcemia (high blood calcium) and soft bones, which you definitely want to avoid.

The current Australian recommended dietary intakes (RDIs) for babies, children, teenagers, and adults aged 19–50 years is 5μg (micrograms) of vitamin D per day.
For adults aged 51-70 years it is 10μg and those over 70 years should have 15μg of vitamin D per day.

The recommended vitamin D level in Australia is at least 50 nmol/L at the end of winter and 60-70 nmol/L during summer. In those with autoimmunity, it may be appropriate to go up to 100 nmol/L, however, this is something you should talk over with your health provider.

28/07/2025

Okra

My first exposure to okra was in my 20s at my mother-in-law’s house, where she made a beautiful okra, tomato and lamb Lebanese stew.

In my recovery from mould I also learnt that okra has one of the highest mould-binding capacities out of all the vegetables (that were tested in one study anyway).

Now TikTok and other socials are trending for drinking okra ‘water’ for everything from feeling more energised, improving bowel habits to lowering blood sugar and blood pressure.

But like all things, there are beneficial and negative effects due to individual differences. Potential problems is making IBS and IBD symptoms worst, creating oxalate kidney stones, joint pains to allergies.

Here is a great article summarising the ins and outs of okra. At the end of the article is how to make okra water if so desired.

Influencers on social media tout the benefits of okra-infused water for glucose control. But experts are skeptical — at best.

01/07/2025

It's cold, wet and wintery... sometimes you just crave a stodgy risotto or curry.
Here is an immune-boosting risotto, packed with sh*taki mushrooms.

Personally, I'd be upping the rainbow content with some baby spinach leaves or rainbow Swiss chard, that melt down to nothing, and diced carrots 🤤

[1] Dai X, et al. Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) mushrooms daily improves human immunity: a randomized dietary intervention in healthy young adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(6):478-87.