Today’s journal article in the spotlight is from non other than Aussie Dietitian, Fiona Willer. I believe Fiona has (almost) completed her PhD!  and the first publication from her PhD was released just this year.  It was a study investigating Australian Dietitians’ beliefs and attitudes towards weight loss and Health at Every Size ® (HAES) counselling when working with larger bodied clients. I was really interested to read this paper as in my role as Internships Coordinator in the Dietetic Program at Bond University, I am looking to support our clinical supervisors to learn more about HAES ..read more

Are you working in private practice? How often are you taking part in formal self-reflection on your cases? We know running a business is pretty hectic and Dietitians (and other allied health too) are constantly rushing from one place to the next. So it makes sense our reflective practice skills can go out the window in the process! We get it. You’re busy and hopping from client to client  and perhaps your logging of professional development happens one day before your annual membership expires. Today’s post will hopefully give you some food for thought on why it’s worth getting board with for ..read more

There is a growing body of evidence investigating the impact of social media on our mental health. As Dietitians, we need to be aware of this research and how it might be affecting our patients and clients’ health. A recent interesting study on selfies is a great place to start if you’re new to this knowledge area. In a study from Aussie researchers published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2017, a correlation between editing photos/concern about selfies with body dissatisfaction was found. This was noted to be the case for both males and females. No surprises there. Whethe ..read more

Every year, as we approach Christmas the same questions come up from clients and all over the media: “How can I avoid overeating?” “Everyone is always talking about their diets. I feel guilty. I just want to eat want I want”. “What should I eat on Christmas Day?” “I don’t want to put on weight but…..” “How do I eat healthy over the holidays?” “I’ve gained a lot of weight. What will they think?” So what’s the answer How can we be “healthy” over Christmas? Festive occasions are times when there can be an overabundance of food on offer (and guilt too).  They can be a stressful, difficult time. O ..read more

6th May was International No-Diet Day. I thought this might be an awesome opportunity to update on the non-diet approach. It’s a great time to let you know what health professionals are up to in this space and how you can get involved. So let’s chat no-diets. What’s International No-Diet Day? How it started I only recently heard via Kerry Beake from HAES® Health (thanks to her Instagram post!) about the origins of No-Diet Day. It started in 1992 as a national day in the UK and was organised by Mary Evans Young. Mary was the Director of a group called, “diet breakers”.  The group apparently met ..read more

Do you struggle to come up wth easy, quick and tasty meal ideas? You’re not alone. It’s such a common complaint from busy working folks. Well, here is something new (and easy)  for you try. It’s our recipe of the month, Mexican Baked Potato. These can be eaten as a snack or a meal (bonus!) Mexican Baked Potato Recipe Ingredients 4 large potatoes or 2 sweet potato 1 cup eggplant (aubergine) cut into cubes 1-2 tsp of olive oil 1/2 green capsicum (pepper), diced 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup corn kernels or a 140g can 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained 550g bottle to ..read more

Normally, scientific papers don’t make the front page of national newspapers. However back in mid February one finally did! A research study led by Australian Dietitian, Cherie Hugo noted the spend on food in aged care facilities is going down whilst the reliance on nutrition supplements is going up. The research study called, “What does it cost to feed aged care residents in Australia?”, hit the headlines in the Brisbane Courier Mail,  and made it to radio and even the TODAY show! Whilst some of the headlines about food and nutrition in aged care had quite a negative controversial tone,  it ..read more

Over the last few weeks, there’s been a campaign brewing on social media. It’s called, ‘Wake Up Weight Watchers’ and it’s been causing a bit of debate between corporations, community members and some health professionals. The campaign led by Balance Eating Disorders Centre in New York, commenced in response to Weight Watchers launching free membership for American Teens. This marketing move is now likely to be launched in Australia. If you’ve never followed a weight loss diet before or never struggled with weight concerns, this might seem like a wonderful thing to offer. However for those in t ..read more

“Sleep is the best meditation” - Dalai Lama XIV Exercise and adequate nutrition have long been regarded as the major players in keeping us well. Hopefully, by now you realise it’s not that simple. In fact, the Association for Size, Diversity and Health produced an awesome video awhile back talking not only about the lack of effect our body weight has on our health but also pointing out all the other [important] parts of our lives that contribute to good health. That’s things like getting access to clean water, a roof over our head, happy relationships and so on (check it out here to wat ..read more

If you’ve been a reader of our blog, you’ll know we’ve been writing about this thing called the non-diet approach for, well, quite awhile. If you’re new to us, let’s get you up to speed. Q: So what is the non-diet approach? A: It’s a way/method health professionals use to assist community members in pursuing health without a focus on diets for weight loss. Why don’t we promote weight loss? There are many reasons why we [many health professionals] don’t recommend weight loss as a means for good health anymore. Here are a couple: 1. Weight loss techniques, whether that be advice from a Dietitian ..read more