Nutrition Connection

09/09/2025

Growing minds need nutrients- neuroatypical may just need a few more 😉. I know how tough it can be to get even baseline nutrients in so don’t be shy in seeing an expert (me ☺️) who can help you make it happen!

Twenty weeks of micronutrient supplementation could support maintenance and continual improvement of ADHD symptoms. This study supports micronutrients as an alternative treatment for ADHD, especially considering their safety profile.

29/06/2025

How much B6 are you getting without realising it?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-28/tga-takes-action-over-b6-toxicity/105470210?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web

One of the things I often do is STOP people from taking supplements. You might have been recommended this, that, and that! by anyone from your neighbour to your health food store owner - but do they know what is going on across your whole day? At Nutrition Connection Rebecca and I love to help people know for sure what is needed and what isn’t. Let us take the guess work out of your better eating!

A rise in the number of B6 toxicity cases across the nation has sparked action by the TGA to move products behind pharmacy counters.

20/06/2025

08/05/2025

The move away from robust science and evidenced based practices in the States will have long term consequences on the ability for people to unpick the nutrition messages that actually matter. Before you decide to ‘follow’ someone- ask yourself ‘what are they selling?’ 🙁🫣

President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a physician-turned-wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post. Trump said in a social media....

25/11/2024

This is a fantastic summary of how far our ‘modern world’ food practices have moved away from ‘whole foods’ - I like to think in NZ we have greater opportunities to choose foods that are least Ultra-processed…. What do you think?

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14eWu3TEyX/?mibextid=UalRPS

08/06/2024

You might be asking how it is possible that the same combination of micronutrients treats ADHD, antenatal depression, anxiety and stress. Too good to be true? Not at all. We need the full array of vitamins and minerals to support optimal brain health. When there are deficiencies relative to the brain's needs, we see emergence of symptoms. Fix the chemistry and symptoms improve. Simple as that. The medical model has led us astray to think that we need different drugs for different disorders. Instead let's remember what Linus Pauling said: "What is probably inherited in mental illness are genes that regulate brain metabolism of essential nutrients." .co

09/05/2024

Are you confused too? 🚫🍎 Health influencers condemning fruit for being too high in sugar, while putting protein bars on a pedestal.

Truth is, fruit comes packaged with fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants which are essential for health and wellbeing. Fruit is also a natural whole food that makes a tasty snack. While there is nothing wrong with protein bars if that’s what you want, but let’s be honest and call a spade a spade. After all, most protein bars are just a chocolate bar with a health halo.

02/05/2024

As a parent and health professional I’m very interested in this research on sleep quality and screen use!

Dunedin School of Medicine PhD student Brad Brosnan’s exceptional research on whether digital devices are really affecting adolescents’ sleep will see him presenting at the European Congress on Obesity in Italy in May.

Brad’s PhD thesis, ‘Streaming or Dreaming: Are Digital Devices Really Affecting Adolescents’ Sleep?’, has been awarded exceptional thesis status.

With a background in dietetics and physical activity, Brad has always been interested in lifestyle choices that contribute to health. Based in the Department of Medicine, he says sleep is a “crucial health pillar” that is often underestimated.

In his PhD and other related research, Brad was keen to innovate. Rather than just tally screen time, he measured actual activities, such as whether young people were doing “late-night movie marathons or endless messaging”.

“My aim was not solely to satisfy my own questions, but to make a tangible impact, helping to shape sleep hygiene guidelines that resonate with today’s realities, and providing parents and whānau with the insights to help safeguard their children’s sleep.”

After he graduates in August, Brad will focus on developing his own initiative – Screen wise: https://www.screenwise.co.nz/. This is an online educational platform which outlines the how and why of healthier screen use.

22/04/2024

Finally! You don’t need to wait five weeks. It’s been a long time coming finding the right person, but Nutrition Connection welcomes a fabulous experienced dietitian joining us for online appointments. Look for Rebecca McCarroll for help with Women’s health, peri-menopause, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sports nutrition or weight loss. We also have Hazel who is a gut and complex medical guru- and a night-owl! Anyone looking for after work online sessions can book in to Hazel in the evenings. 🌒🌛
We’ve also added some free downloads to help you track your symptoms or get started on a simple healthy eating plan. Check them out here! 👇

Food and Symptom Tracker Healthy Eating Meal Plan (Basic) Protein Counter

14/01/2024

Absolutely love this! As she tries plant-based beef jerky then decides a banana is just easier and way less processed! 😂

What's on YOUR out/in list? (it can be aspirational)

22/11/2023

Why won’t you put me on a diet? 🥬🧐

When people come to see a dietitian that’s the first thing they expect.
However we have known for a while now that short term restrictive ‘dieting’ usually sets people up for long term failure. 🙁

A recently released meta-analysis (a big review!) found that obesity is often framed as a reversible condition that can be modified by dieting- although the evidence shows dieting doesn’t lead to long-term weight loss in the majority of people.
It may actually cause harm, by increasing insulin and inflammation levels, which can lead to further weight gain. (People with high insulin and high inflammation are in fact resistant to weight loss).

At Nutrition Connection we really do help you connect to better eating - by looking at eating behaviours and food quality
🍔🥗🍲🥦🌮🥒🥕🥔🥙🧅🍠🌶️🍕🫛🍰🍓🥑🍌🥪🍎🥚🥜🍟🍗🍩🥝🍞🥞🍑🍍
We focus on reducing inflammation and insulin levels, which for some will naturally lead to weight loss, but ultimately leads to better health outcomes and you just feel better too!

Associations between body mass index and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis: Natasha Wiebe et Al, Obesity Reviews. 2023;24:e13588.

30/10/2023

A 2023 review summarised findings from 14 research papers that explore the long-term effects of a low FODMAP diet in IBS patients.

Seven of the 14 studies were prospective cohort studies, and three were randomised trials. The follow-up duration of these studies ranged from 6 months to 4 years. Nine studies included all three phases of the low FODMAP diet.

Effectiveness: Nine studies that used symptom questionnaires all found various degrees of IBS symptom reduction, and six studies that measured quality of life all indicated improvement between baseline and follow-up. One study showed that symptom improvement was correlated with quality of life improvements. Seven studies measured bowel habits and all reported improvements between baseline and final follow-up.

Safety: Two out of three studies using food frequency questionnaires to measure dietary intake found that dietary intake was nutritionally adequate in the long term, when compared with national recommendations. Two studies found that body composition did not change between baseline and follow-up at long term. Two studies that measured changes in the gut microbiota found no changes in long-term gut microbiota.

Sustainability: Six studies also reported adherence rates of 50 to 82% to the low FODMAP diet. A retrospective study reported that adherence increased when patients were reminded to follow the diet, did not take breaks, and personalised the diet. Four studies found that 70% or more participants were satisfied with the diet’s role in managing IBS. Examples of reasons for satisfaction include finding the diet easy to follow, seeing symptom improvement and enjoying the food options while on the diet.

Reference: Bardacke JA, Yarrow L, Rosenkranz SK. The Long-Term Effects of a Low-Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols Diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management. Curr Dev Nutr. 2023 Sep 6;7(10):101997.