Kylie Badger, Clinical Nutritionist

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.

26/06/2025

Conserving and building muscle… What the research says.

There are two major factors that influence conserving and building muscle mass.

First, you must use it or lose it. A great option to counteract the damage from sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day or having a sedentary lifestyle is what the literature calls ‘snacktivity’. This involves a twice-hourly break a 2-minute walk or 15 squats. Research has found that squats activated muscle synthesis to a greater degree than walking, however, lunges, jumping jacks and even dancing are all great options to activate muscles not normally used in day-to-day activities.

The second factor influencing conserving and building muscle is protein intake. General recommendations are 0.8-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, however, recent studies have found that higher protein diets gain more muscle mass and strength, less falls and lower mortality rates. Other studies recommend 20-40g of protein per meal to maximise muscle growth.

For Sarcopenia, it’s best to have 1.6-2.0g per kilogram of body weight.

20/06/2025

For those dog-lovers out there… A recent study found that children with a genetic variant linked to atopic eczema (rs10214237) were less likely to develop eczema if they were exposed to dogs in their early years.

The study was led by Marie Standl, Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München — German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany, and was published online on June 4 in Allergy.

The study was led by Marie Standl, Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München — German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany, and was published online on June 4 in Allergy.

The full study can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.16605

Photo Attribution: vecteezy.com by Md Al Amin Khan

15/06/2025

Little hacks can make a huge difference to your overall health which is something I teach my patients.

Take, for example, this pilot study outlined below. Just changing the order in which you eat your vegetables, carbohydrates and protein can make a significant impact on your blood sugar levels and overall insulin exposure in type 2 diabetics.

The recent pilot study recruited eleven (11) adults with type 2 diabetes who ate the same meal on two different days. First eating carbohydrates followed by protein and vegetables, then reversing the order. When protein and vegetables were eaten before carbohydrates, post-meal blood glucose levels dropped by 28.6% at 30 minutes, 36.7% at 60 minutes, and 16.8% at 120 minutes, which are significant results. Overall glucose exposure was 73% lower. Insulin levels also dropped when carbohydrates were eaten last. These results suggest that food consumption ordering and eating carbohydrates last may improve blood sugar control and insulin response, offering a simple dietary strategy that complements medication.

Article Publication Date: 11/6/2015 - DOI:10.2337/dc15-0429

26/05/2025

GLP-1 antagonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) have any benefits and risks.

Some benefits include weight reduction, lowering blood sugar and cardiovascular risk. It is even beneficial in addiction. Whilst side effects include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, potentially depression and increased su***de risk (studies are mixed), loss of lean muscle mass and lower bone density, sudden blindness and, theoretically, thyroid cancer (at least in rats).

One topic rarely discussed is their impact on fertility.
From 2020 to 2023, the rate of young, childbearing-aged women taking GLP-1 antagonist medications has increased by 594%.

Many do not realise that GLP-1 antagonists may reduce the oral contraceptive pill's effectiveness, leading to unplanned pregnancies as the delayed stomach/gastric emptying slows absorption of some medications, including the oral contraceptive pill. Therefore, a contraceptive barrier method should be implemented.

Tirzepatide carries a label warning that patients may experience reduced oral contraceptive efficacy in the first 4 weeks and during the 4 weeks after increasing dosage from the delayed stomach/gastric emptying. Whilst semaglutide does not carry a label warning, the mechanisms are similar.

Increased fertility
Obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome are known to decrease fertility. With the decreased weight seen with GLP-1 antagonists and insulin working more effectively, fertility hormones also work more efficiently, often resulting in more frequent ovulation but not necessarily a period.

Another risk factor is GLP-1 antagonists have not been tested in pregnancy, so we do not know the dangers to the unborn foetus. GLP-1 antagonists also take up to 2 months to clear entirely from the body. Therefore, if you are planning on trying to conceive, you should discontinue your GLP-1 antagonist medication at least 2 months before trying to conceive.

Whilst patients undergoing IVF are often told to discontinue their GLP-1 antagonist medication 10-14 days before egg retrieval due to aspiration risk under anaesthesia, due to delayed stomach emptying. Discontinuation of GLP-1 antagonists is also recommended at least 1 month before embryo transfer.

As GLP-1 antagonists affect blood sugar, if you are diabetic, you should monitor blood sugar regularly upon discontinuation of a GLP-1 antagonist.

15/05/2025

Did you know rice can be a significant contributor of arsenic in the diet?

Inorganic arsenic has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Rice contains 10 times more arsenic than any other grain as it accumulates, naturally, when rice is grown in arsenic-containing soils.

The below method conserves as many nutrients as possible, whilst also removing 54% of arsenic in brown rice and a whopping 73% from white rice.

Reference: Menon M, D**g W, Chen X, Hufton J, Rhodes EJ. Improved rice cooking approach to maximise arsenic removal while preserving nutrient elements. Sci Total Environ. 2021;755(Pt 2):143341. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143341
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368728

10/05/2025

Ultra processed foods is just one modifiable risk factor linked to the growing prevalence of Parkinson’s disease.

UPFs included sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially- or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yogurt- or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savory snacks.

Note: The investigators categorised pancakes, cream, coffee, distilled alcohol, and sandwiches made with beef, lamb, chicken, or turkey as non-UPFs.

The seven Parkinson’s disease prodromal signs and symptoms included pRBD, constipation, body pain, depressive symptoms, reduced ability to smell (hyposmia), excessive daytime sleepiness and impaired color vision.

After adjusting for factors such as age, alcohol and caffeine intake, physical activity, and body mass index, participants with the highest cumulative average consumption (≥ 11 servings/d) were more than twice as likely to have more than three prodromal features compared with those with the lowest consumption (< 3 servings/d) (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; P < .0001).

Drilling down even more, greater odds for prodromal features were associated with higher intake of the following specific types of UPF: Packaged sweet snacks/desserts (OR, 1.6), sweetened beverages (OR, 1.5), sauces/spreads/condiments (OR, 1.4), animal-based products (OR, 1.4), yogurt-/dairy-based desserts (OR, 1.3), and packaged savory snacks (OR, 1.3). Ultraprocessed breads/cereals and ready-to-eat/heat-mixed dishes did not have significant associations.

High vs low consumption of ultraprocessed foods is associated with a twofold higher risk for early signs of Parkinson’s disease, new research shows.

01/05/2025

Thanks mediherbaus for this yummy recipe…

Welcome the freshness of autumn with seasonal fruits and warming spices. While traditionally made as a dessert, fruit crumble can also be enjoyed as a breakfast alternative or as a delicious snack at any time of day.

Baking brings out the natural sweetness and full flavour of the fruit, while oats and cinnamon stabilise blood sugar levels and ginger helps reduce inflammation.


Ingredients

Bunch of rhubarb
3-4 apples
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp extra
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup gluten free flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1-2 Tablespoons rapadura or raw sugar or honey (optional, to taste)

Method

1. Cut fruit into small chunks and add to pie dish. Mix in cinnamon and ginger until
well combined and spread evenly over base of the dish.
2. Make crumble in a separate bowl by rubbing coconut oil into the flour, and
combine with coconut, oats, sweetener (if using), and additional cinnamon.
3. Sprinkle crumble to cover fruit and bake in a preheated oven (180°C) for 20-25
minutes or until lightly browned and fruit is cooked through.
4. Enjoy as is or serve with coconut or natural yoghurt

19/04/2025

This time of year is peak season for mould allergies but did you know that mould can cause fatigue, brain fog and joint pains?

Mould needs moisture and cellulose to grow, so by keeping these to a minimum, you can minimise your exposure:
- Find and repair any sources of moisture;
- Keep the humidity of your house below 50% relative humidity (use a hygrometer to find out the humidity);
- Keep furniture away from walls to allow circulation;
- Keep your house dust and dirt free.

Note: If you find you do have a leak or mould issue, do not repair it yourself. Contact a knowledgeable mould remediator to contain it and remove it safely. There are many companies, unfortunately, who don’t do this properly. A building biologist can identify the issue and guide you to a good mould remediator.

The CDC advises that if you see mold in your home, no matter what type it is, "you need to clean up the mold and fix the moisture problem."

15/04/2025

On 1 April 2019, naturopathy, Western herbal medicine and 15 other natural therapies were removed from the Private Health Fund cover after a flawed review process in 2014/2015.

In 2019 another review was launched and on 27 March 2025 the Natural Therapies Review 2024 was published.

Yesterday, on 14 April 2025, Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, announced that naturopathy and Western herbal medicine will, once again, be included in Private Health Funds (subject to the individual fund's decision of what to include): https://www.markbutler.net.au/news/media-releases/yf7nvwdw52bzu2sirzmk27pmdmw609

The next step now is for relevant regulatory updates to occur before, finally, naturopathy and Western herbal medicine is, once again, included under Private Health cover.

Although most funds only gave a $20 per session health fund rebate, the previous decision to remove naturopaths and Western herbal medicine practitioners from the Private Health Fund scheme had a huge impact on naturopaths and Western herbal medicine practitioners, who lost clients and the industry was tarnished by the flawed report.

Thank you to all the associations (ATMS, ARONAH, NHAA, ANTA, etc), industry leaders, researchers (Aime Steel, Assoc Prof Jon Wardle, Stephen Myers, David Casteleijn) and more, who have fought hard and with such determination to get this as far as it has come to date.

Fingers crossed, the legislation will have been pushed through before I graduate as a naturopath next year.

Read the final report from the Chair of the Natural Therapies Review Expert Advisory Panel. The review considered a range of natural therapies and recommends which ones should be eligible for subsidy through private health insurance rebates.

10/04/2025

As the weather begins to cool, I am hitting the herbal teas, turmeric lattes, etc.
The universe must be thinking the same as this recipe hit my inbox and I just had to share...

With roasted dandelion root, ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, star anise and fennel the house and office is going to smell absolutely wonderful.

Your one stop destination for education and clinical tools, driven by our purpose to inspire people to live better lives through natural healthcare.

06/04/2025

As I get ready to harvest some herbs in my garden, gardeningaustralia reminds us of all the medicinal qualities plants have to offer.

Take lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) in the first photo here. It modulates the thyroid, has mild antidepressant properties, is antibacterial, antioxidant, mild sedative and helps those with gas, bloating and cramps to name but a few benefits.
Oh, and topically, it is antiviral against herpes simplex (think cold sores).

Check out the show’s segment at:
https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/power-plants/105105582?utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared