Julianne Taylor, Registered Nutritionist

19/07/2025

This is Deb. At 53 she embarked on a higher protein diet and a weight resistant exercise programme with coach Jason Seib. Over months her muscle built and her body fat decreased. She is post menopause.

The second photo has been widely circulated. It shows what the shift in body composition looks like between an older person who maintained muscle through exercise and one who did not. from this study “Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes”

You can read the blog post here. It has a number of cool pics illustrating others whose body composition changed but weight stayed the same

https://paleozonenutrition.com/2012/04/25/what-does-your-body-look-like-on-the-inside-more-reasons-to-lift-weights/



These photos are from a blog post I wrote back in 2012. I had started training at a Crossfit gym around 2009, when I was a nutrition coach. I became really interested in the role of muscle in health, both its links to longevity, bone strength and in menopause (I was perimenopausal at the time)

I was already a convert to a diet with optimal protein, combined with low glycemic while food carbs and healthy fats. That I became hooked on when I discovered the Zone Diet.

04/07/2025

NZ Powerlifting Nationals 2025. I competed a couple of days after the end of a 3 month powerlifting study run by at AUT Millennium in Auckland NZ. The study was designed to compare training with pin squats and bench to normal comp ones. My own experience was that pin squats improved my squat the most. I hit 105kg at one point. I’m working on bringing that to competition. Anyhow in Nationals I was hoping to break my squat record. And I did by 0.5kg, hitting 101.5kg at 51.7kg body weight. My deadlift remained the same as last year, 117.5kg, as the study was designed to maintain rather than increase this. Bench was my disappointment- I fluffed my second lift so only hit 52.5 on my last one. Lesson learned, don’t jump the press command.

Next up is worlds in Capetown in October and I’m training for that.

25/06/2025

Scam alert:

04/04/2025

My scoping review (one of three projects from my PhD) is now published open access. I am interested in the studies that assess whether food sensitivities play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. I found that - yes - there is consistent evidence that some people respond to certain exclusions, however most of the studies I found were not high quality, or recent. Some of the studies showed some people appear to have clear reactions (increase in RA flares or symptoms) to certain foods. Exclusion diets consistently result in decreased RA symptoms, many of these diets contain a small selection of foods, typically a protein like fish or lamb, a few vegetables and one or two fruits and filtered or spring water. After the exclusion foods (or food group like dairy) are added back one at a time, usually two days apart, and the reaction assessed. If there is an increase in symptoms the food is kept out of the diet. The most common foods (when all study results were compiled) were wheat, corn, dairy, eggs, pork and beef, although many other foods were identified. However, a point that is often not considered is that all the exclusion diets increase diet quality, i.e. diets consistently remove all processed foods, additives, and alcohol. This leaves whole processed foods, with meals cooked from scratch. This in itself has an effect on RA disease activity, even without excluding foods. As a recommendation for people with RA, that would be the place to start. Most people following a western diet consume around 40 % highly processed foods high in additives. That is foods that are made from white flour, sugar and added fats and oils. The scoping study is in Nutrition Research Reviews. You can view it here. [Arthritis New Zealand] https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422425000083.

24/01/2025

🚨 Are You Taking Too Much Vitamin B6? 🚨

Taking excessive amounts of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can lead to serious health issues, including nerve damage. While B6 is essential for brain development, immune function, and metabolism, more isn’t always better.

People can easily get too much if they take a multivitamin, then add single supplements that contain added vitamin B6. For example zinc complex, magnesium complex and others.

A clinical study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that chronic high doses of B6 can cause sensory neuropathy, leading to symptoms like tingling, numbness, or burning pain in the hands and feet. These symptoms can persist even after stopping the supplements.

Simon, featured in a recent Guardian article, experienced just this. He took multivitamins daily without realizing they far exceeded his B6 needs. Over time, he developed debilitating pain and numbness in his extremities. A pathology test revealed his B6 levels were toxic, and his symptoms began to improve only after he stopped taking the supplements.

💊 The recommended daily intakes in NZ is around 1.3-2 mg for adults, per day. If taking supplements avoid high-dose ones and ensure no more than 50mg per day in total. Always read labels, and check you are not additively taking far too much.

Pyridoxal 5’ phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5’ phosphate (PMP) are the active coenzyme forms of vitamin B6, and are included in some more expensive supplements instead of the pyridoxine form.

More of B6 can be found here: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

21/01/2025

I competed once in powerlifting last year (focussing on my PhD) I continued to train, less, but consistently. I managed to maintain my strength, and break a New Zealand squat record in Masters 2 and 3, 52kg with a 101kg squat, almost double body weight.

The PhD continues and I’ll be finished this year.

The area I’m researching is dietary strategies for rheumatoid arthritis. My focus is on food sensitivities that increase RA symptoms.

04/01/2025

🧀 Parmesan Cheese: Protein, Calcium & Flavour🧀

Did you know Parmesan delivers 16.8g of protein, (67 cal) 550mg of calcium, and just 13.2g of fat (119 cal) per 50g serve?

Compared this to creamier cheeses like Brie or Camembert (which often have far more fat - 20g, and less protein- 6g) for the same sized serving🌟

🔬 Why Parmesan is Lower in Fat, Higher in Protein & Rich in Calcium:
1️⃣ Aged to Perfection: Parmesan’s long aging process reduces moisture, concentrating protein and calcium.
2️⃣ Hard Cheese Advantage: Hard cheeses like Parmesan have less fat and more protein per gram compared to soft cheeses.
3️⃣ Calcium King: Parmesan’s aging process and low water content means the calcium is concentrated, making it one of the most calcium-rich cheeses! 🦴
4️⃣ Skimmed Milk Base: Made with partially skimmed milk, Parmesan naturally has a lower fat content while retaining all its nutrients.

Enjoy sprinkling it on pasta 🍝, or using it in snacks.

Your bones and muscles will thank you!

02/01/2025

🧀 Cheese: Fat or Protein? Let’s Talk! 🧀

Cheese is often thought of as a protein-rich food, but in terms of macronutrients, it’s better classified as a fat source. Take this French creamy blue cheese for example:

✨ Per 50g serving:
🔹 Protein: 6g - 24 calories
🔹 Fat: 20.5g (14g of this is saturated fat)- 184.5 calories

While cheese provides some protein, its fat content is significantly higher, making it a deliciously indulgent fat source!

Protein rich cheeses are those with reduced fat like cottage cheese.

🧀 Cheese tip: Enjoy your creamy blue, however if you are watching calories, keep your portion small.

19/10/2024

I was pretty stoked to be awarded a Blue Award, given to university students who excel at sport while achieving academically.

In the last year, I’ve managed to become a world champion as well as breaking records both National and Oceania. I’ve been chugging along on my PhD, all going well I’ll have some published papers and a thesis completed in the next few months.

What a year. I could not have accomplished all this without support, from family especially hubs, .mcneill.315, my PhD supervisors and my coach .

27/08/2024

Next week I'm talking diet and rheumatoid arthritis, a topic I've been researching for the last 4 years in my PhD. Check the link for content and how to listen in.

Unlock the power of nutrition in managing Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with our comprehensive webinar led by Julianne Taylor, a Registered Nutritionist and PhD candidate. This session is designed to provide valuable insights into how diet and nutrition can influence RA symptoms and overall well-being.....

11/08/2024

This dietary intervention study in rheumatoid arthritis looks particularly promising. The diet is called ITIS, and preliminary results have recently been reported at a rheumatology conference. This recent study is a radomised controlled study with one group of people following a Mediterranean diet, and another following the ITIS diet. This is based on the Med diet with the removal of gluten, dairy (apart from a yoghurt to supply fermented foods), nightshade vegetables, red meat, plus the addition of enzyme rich fruit, fermented foods, polyphenol rich foods, omega 3 rich foods. The ITIS diet is showing better results that the Mediterranean diet so far, although both are beneficial for people with RA.

Dr. Antoni Chan discusses abstract 2125 with Dr. Marta Sala-Climent at the 2023 ACR Convergence meeting in San Diego, CA.

29/07/2024

This is a diet study comparing 2 different diets in rheumatoid arthritis. One is a Mediterranean diet, which has been shown in several studies to improve symptoms in RA, the other is the ITIS diet, one that includes foods to reduce inflammation (fish and seafood and plant foods higher in omega 3) and positively affect gut microbiome (polyphenol and enzyme rich foods, high fibre foods, fermented foods), and remove foods that may increase inflammation in RA; gluten, nightshade plants, dairy (except for one fermented yoghurt each day), red meat and processed foods. As you can see from preliminary results the ITIS diet plan has an advantage over the standard Med diet, although both are reducing symptoms over time.

Background/Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition characterized by persistent joint inflammation, functional impairment, and disability. Adhering to a Western diet has been associated with an overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators and a reduced release of anti-inflammatory m...