SB Nutrition

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SB Nutrition

Helping busy women improve their health and feel better from the inside out
- no fads, just simple, science-backed support.

Gut Health, Women's Health and Nutrition for Kids
| MSc Human Nutrition | 1:1 Coaching I can help with individual consultations, as well as seminars and cooking demonstrations for groups and employee wellness programmes. I also provide nutrition consultancy services for businesses.

15/05/2026

A delicious treat that your gut bugs will also love 💜

I had a lot of great feedback about the recipes I included in Restore-Balance-Thrive, and the main “negative” feedback was that participants wanted even more of the same 😆
This one in particular seemed to be a favourite, and has also become one of my go-tos - so I thought I’d share it here, so you can whip some up for the weekend.

Swipe 👉🏼 for the recipe
Enjoy!

If you’re curious about the full program (and want some more gut-loving recipes!), you can find out more here: https://www.sb-nutrition.com/restore-balance-thrive

11/05/2026

One of the biggest things I learned from our pilot round of Restore-Balance-Thrive: to not underestimate STARTING SMALL.

When you’re dealing with uncomfortable symptoms or wanting to improve your health, it can be tempting to throw everything you’ve got at it and go for a complete overhaul.

But what actually helps and adds up to big results in the end is small, realistic habits, plus the right support.

When participants understood WHY a particular habit mattered, had the right tools to help them implement their new habit, and felt supported - this helped them build confidence in themselves, and in their ability to continue their new habits once they’d completed the program.

Enrolments for our next cohort of Restore-Balance-Thrive are now open. We begin on 18 May.

If you’ve been considering taking the next step in your gut health journey, I’d love to support you. You can find out more and join us here: https://www.sb-nutrition.com/restore-balance-thrive

05/05/2026

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about aiming for 30+ plants a week for gut microbe diversity.

The American Gut Project found that people who eat at least 30 different types of plants each week tend to have more different types of beneficial microbes in their gut.
Although we don’t have a blueprint for an “optimal” gut microbiota, experts agree that microbial diversity is important for good health.

Aiming for 30 different types of plants can seem like a lot if you’re starting out, but including even ONE new plant food each week can make a difference. And one new food each week will have you on the way towards 30 in no time 😉

A few easy ways I get extra plants into meals I already eat:
👉🏼 adding frozen spinach, avocado, cauliflower, fruit or berries to smoothies
👉🏼 adding grated veg and legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils) to soups, stews, pasta sauces, and curries
👉🏼 adding nuts, seeds, or nut butter to porridge and smoothies
👉🏼 sprinkling nuts and seeds (or homemade dukkah) on salads and toast

If you want to try increasing your plant intake, I’ve created a free Plant Point Tracker which you can download here: https://www.sb-nutrition.com/free-resources

And if you’re ready to go deeper with your gut health, my group program is opening for enrolments next week (more details coming soon)!

01/05/2026

Did you miss out on my free gut health masterclass last year? Well, you’ve got another chance to join me next week!

I’m excited to be holding another ✨ Intro to Gut Health Masterclass ✨ on Wednesday 6 May.

In this free masterclass we’ll look at some common gut issues, and you’ll learn simple lifestyle changes that will help you feel better from the inside out.

You can reserve your spot at the link in my bio 👆🏼
https://tinyurl.com/SBNMasterclass

29/04/2026

So many of us live busy, rushed lives: dashing between work, training, pick-ups and drop-offs. And eating often just becomes another thing we have to squeeze in an already tightly-packed schedule.

While getting in some food is better than none at all, constantly eating in a hurry can impact your digestion. When you rush, you’re more likely to swallow food without properly chewing, take in excess air (which can lead to bloating), and you may also miss your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues — which can leave you feeling unsatisfied, even after eating.

Digestion begins in the mouth: chewing helps break food down so your body can digest it efficiently. When we don’t chew food properly, the rest of the digestive process this means more work for the rest of your digestive system.

Mindful eating is a useful strategy if you often find yourself rushing through meals. Removing distractions (no screens or multitasking!) and focussing fully on eating can help slow your chewing, give your brain time to register hunger and fullness cues, and reduce bloating.

Mindful eating doesn’t have to be perfect. If you don’t have time to be fully mindful at all your meals, then just putting away your phone and taking a few deep breaths before you start to eat can help.

24/04/2026

Diagnosing IBS can be really tricky: symptoms can vary widely from person to person, and even from day to day. They can come and go, and may be aggravated by stress and anxiety.

Despite this, IBS is one of the most common gut disorders, affecting around 5-10% worldwide (although many more cases are thought to go undiagnosed).

The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but involves interaction between the gut and the brain. This can increase sensitivity to normal gut movements and affect how things move through the gut.

The most common symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and changes in bowel movements (diarrhoea, constipation, or both). Some people with IBS also report headaches, muscle pain, chronic fatigue, depression, and sleep difficulties.

There’s currently no test to diagnose IBS, which is what makes diagnosis so challenging. Tests can be done to rule out other conditions, by diagnosis is usually based on symptom history. Elimination and re-introduction diets (such as the low-FODMAP diet) can help identify trigger foods.

❗️ If you’re experiencing ongoing symptoms that impact your quality of life, your first step is to see with your doctor for testing and to rule out other conditions BEFORE eliminating any foods from your diet. This is really important, as some tests (eg. for coeliac disease) require you to have the allergen in your diet to give accurate results.

Interested in learning more about IBS, and how to uncover what may be behind your symptoms? This is one of the topics we cover in Restore-Balance-Thrive, my online group program.
Find out more and join the waitlist here: https://mailchi.mp/c0049a365b1c/restore-balance-thrive

20/04/2026

I’m really excited to share that the research paper based on my Masters project has finally been published!
This is something I’ve been working on for a (very!) long time, with a lot of help and guidance from my fantastic supervisors who are experts in the field.

My research looked at front-of-package labelling (in particular, the Health Star Rating (HSR), which is used in Australia and New Zealand), and how well this aligns with dietary guidelines in Australia, and the Nova food classification system.

The main takeaways were that over 70% of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and 58% of discretionary foods scored a “healthy pass” (≥2.5 stars out of a possible 5 stars) - despite updates to the HSR algorithm that were meant to bring it more in line with dietary guidelines. The proportion of UPFs scoring ≥2.5 stars also increased over the implementation period of the updated algorithm.

This shows that a high proportion of UPFs can still achieve “healthy” ratings, and although the results represent selective uptake of the HSR, mandating the current scheme (as is now planned in Australia) will still allow unhealthy products to display high ratings.

⭐️ Even if you’re not located in Australia or NZ, the results of our study may still be relevant: some other front-of-package labelling schemes use similar algorithms to the HSR, so are vulnerable to the same issues. Before starting my own research I completed a review paper of previous research, and found that many other schemes also allow unhealthy foods to achieve “healthy” ratings. Those that aligned best with the Nova classification system were the “warning label” schemes that are used in many Latin American countries.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4vzzq3B

13/04/2026

Hands up if you feel like you get enough sleep? 🙋🏽‍♀️

Sleep is one of the areas I believe most of us could do with improving (myself included!), which is why I specifically included this as a focus point for my online group program.

Poor sleep can have many negative effects on health, including
• increased cortisol
• inflammation
• gut permeability (“leaky gut”)
• uncomfortable gut symptoms like bloating

Lack of sleep can also disrupt your hunger and satiety hormones (ghrelin and leptin) – which can make you feel hungrier, and more likely to reach for energy-dense, ultra-processed foods.
👉🏼 These choices can impact your gut microbes, reducing the beneficial types and increasing amounts of pro-inflammatory microbes.

But this is also a two-way relationship: your gut and gut microbes can also influence your sleep quality, by producing neurotransmitters that regulate sleep and promote calm.

You can help promote better quality sleep by having regular sleep and wake times, avoiding screen use 1-2 hours before sleep, and limiting other “sleep disrupters” like caffeine and alcohol.

Interested in learning more about how to support better sleep and a healthier gut?
I’m opening enrolments soon for the next cohort of my online gut health course, Restore-Balance-Thrive.
👉🏼 Join the waitlist here: https://mailchi.mp/c0049a365b1c/restore-balance-thrive

📷: Greg Pappas/Unsplash

02/04/2026

Looking for healthier Easter treat ideas?
Here are a few of my favourites 👉🏼

• Hot Cross Bliss Balls
• Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
• Chocolate Bliss Balls
• Bunny Banana Pancakes
• Carrot Cake Bliss Balls

You’ll find all these via the “Recipes” link in my bio 👆🏼
or at https://www.sb-nutrition.com/recipes-blogs/tags/easter-recipes

Happy Easter! 🐣

20/03/2026

I get it - it can be a big, scary step to see a nutritionist.
“What happens if she tells me I can’t eat the foods I love, and that I’m only allowed to eat vegetables?”

Many people think my job is just about telling you to eat lots of fruit and veg, and to stop eating all the things you enjoy.

Yes - I will suggest adjustments you could make to your meals to make them more nutritious.

And yes - if I see that less healthy foods are taking up more space than they should (ie. making up the majority of your diet), then I’ll let you know that you could reduce these.

BUT - I’ll also work with you to create a plan as to HOW you can reduce these (for example suggesting an alternative that’s acceptable to you, or perhaps gradually reducing your intake).

👉🏼 Swipe for more on how I can help

My services are designed to meet you where you are.
See the “Work with me” link in my bio
to find out how I can help👆🏼

29/01/2026

Research has found that both calorie restriction and changes in eating patterns (such as timing of meals and fasting) can influence gut microbiota composition and production of beneficial substances. Although much of the evidence comes from animal studies, there’s also similar results from some human studies.

These microbiota changes were associated with positive metabolic changes in certain groups (such as individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes):
◦Improved insulin sensitivity
◦Improvements in blood lipids (HDL, triglycerides, LDL, total cholesterol)
◦Improved blood pressure

There were also positive effects on cardiovascular health, cancer-related outcomes, neurological conditions (such as MS), gut conditions, and a possible slowing of age-related dysbiosis.

⚠️ There are also some cases where dietary restriction may have a negative effect on the gut and microbiota.
Outcomes will depend on the types of foods that are restricted (this will influence the types of microbes present in the microbiota), the degree of restriction (for example, if you’re cutting out entire food groups - especially those rich in fibre), and if you have underlying health conditions.

For example, low-fibre diets are associated with reductions in beneficial bacteria, and high-fat diets are associated with reduced microbial diversity.
Another important finding: some studies found that alternate-day fasting can worsen ulcerative colitis symptoms, while other types of fasting had a positive effect on symptoms.

So, while some dietary changes may produce beneficial effects, overly restrictive diets and strict fasting regimens could have a detrimental effect on the gut and microbiota, particularly if you have a condition linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis.

To support overall gut health and promote diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria it’s important that your diet includes adequate amounts of fibre-rich foods (particularly those rich in prebiotic fibre).

If you’re interested in supporting your gut health by increasing your intake of fibre-rich plant foods, you can download free plant point tracker from my website (link in bio 👆🏼).

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https://www.sb-nutrition.com/

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