The truth is even when graduating from my Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and commencing full time work as an Accredited Practicing Dietitian in 2005, I was still struggling with my own weight, health and body image concerns, despite spending the previous 5 years learning about nutrition interventions as medical therapies and becoming skilled in nutrition counselling to detect and solve dietary problems. To others I had not only succeeded academically, I had achieved and maintained a body mass index within a ‘healthy weight range’ from years of dedication to ‘practicing what I preach’, eating low fat foods and a ‘balanced’ diet as specified by standard dietary guidelines, exercising rigorously and living in a perpetual calorie deficit. I was however, ‘skinny fat’, inefficient metabolically, and suffered consistent digestive complaints. Worst still, I had mind tortured by food obsessions, calorie counting and brain fog, and body physically exhausted from the effort involved with my own body weight management.

It was only with the encouragement of my father and subsequently my step-father, whom were both diagnosed with terminal cancers over a 3-year period, that I started to explore integrative nutrition and lifestyle therapies outside the realms of traditional dietetics in depth. Additionally, my own health was deteriorating, particularly worsening after excessive weight gain during my second pregnancy, whilst also juggling extras duties as a supportive daughter and enduring power of attorney to my unwell fathers. The spiral downwards and snow-balling of a multitude of deliberating ailments were so impactful to my everyday functioning, I was becoming extremely desperate for root-cause answers to my own health problems.

This nudge led my way into the scientific world of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction (TCR) and Ketogenic Metabolic research and therapies, a discovery that was very challenging at first. I had to question many dietary misconceptions and ‘relearn’ several aspects of my scientific understanding, especially root-cause mechanisms of chronic diseases and common health ailments, as well as corruption and controversial issues in nutrition science and guidelines. Whilst also uncovering historical and emerging therapeutic nutritional interventions proving powerful in treating metabolic dysfunction and mental health challenges and in optimising human health. I initially felt very out of my depth, skeptical, somewhat confused, angry and frustrated. But with my enthusiasm for learning, desire to ignite self-healing and a strong belief in nutrition and wellness for all, it wasn’t long before my view on chronic disease management and health optimisation broadened exponentially and I became eager to embrace and implement the science-based nutrition solutions I was learning about.

It was in January 2016 that I decided to address my own health challenges by adopting a Ketogenic Diet. Unbeknown to me at the time, this was the beginning of my own transformational healing journey, a momentous career pivot and ending of a life dominated by toxic diet cycling. It was a bumpy ride in the beginning as my body was adjusting to fuelling on fats and I was challenging workplace ostracism given my new found dietary views were met with resistance from some of my dietetic and medical colleagues. I also persisted through the unpleasantness of lingering ‘keto flu’, continuously learning how to better support my body’s physiological changes. It took months to modify recipes and become more confident with low carbohydrate cooking but at the same time my taste buds were blissfully satisfied with the explosion of new and tasty meals. It took some years to overcome my own mental battles and circulating thoughts of possibilities my sustained ketogenic dietary habits may ‘potentially’ be clogging my arteries, expanding visceral fat stores, depleting nutrient stores and causing more harm to my health then good. I equally struggled to not count all the extra ‘fat’ calories I was consuming yet pleasantly surprised to feel blissfully satisfied with a reduced need to snack.

Tapping into fat-adaptation and the medicinal state of ‘nutritional ketosis’ not only empowered me physiologically but also psychologically in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Overtime I found my ravenous hunger and intense food cravings diminished, my energy increased, my acne and oily skin resolved, my thinking became clearer and I could maintain focus for longer periods of time. Soon after, my mood lifted and I became less anxious, less reactive and living with a mental state of calmness on a regular basis. With time, my issues with sinusitis, facial neuralgia, bloating and gut disturbances have dissipated and the stubborn belly fat I had been carrying for most of my life was out of lockdown. I am no longer haunted by calorie counting and my obsessive food thoughts towards sugar/flour/refined carbs/processed foods (my trigger foods) have become infrequent whispers. In light of my professional education, research, personal and clinical experiences in recent years, I strongly believe that eating real food, including animal protein, is key to long term health.

Despite trying many versions of low carbohydrate diets over the years (that I continue to refine to this day), my ketogenic dietary practices have become more personalised, intuitive and I am refining my ability to tune-in and trust my innate wisdom for the purpose of self-discovery. I also strive to embrace holistic self-care practices that encompass many pillars of wellness and insight-based coaching techniques that encourage the creation of space from habitual thoughts and beliefs, thus allowing for new thinking, execution of new behaviours and real, lasting change. My love for pairing resistance training with a well-formulated ketogenic diet has broadened into a desire to learn more about ketogenic natural bodybuilding to further optimise my health outcomes.

Now at early middle age, I feel extremely blessed to be a fit, fat-adapted, insulin sensitive, metabolically efficient and happily married mother of 2, that feels much younger than my age defines. I have not only reversed Hyperinsulinemia/Insulin Resistance and sustained remission from severe sugar/carbohydrate/processed food addiction, the root causes to many of the health issues I previously suffered, I have cultivated self-empowerment and gained a fulfilled and purposeful life.

While I support conventional medical practice, I wholeheartedly believe that you can transform your food struggles and daily habits into healing opportunities and honour your body with holistic solutions that lie within your everyday diet and lifestyle choices, just like I have. When the body you live in is a wonderful place to be, there is something magical that ignites within you. I want you to know what this feels like. Through my passion, knowledge and practical wisdom, I can teach you of evidence-based dietary and lifestyle solutions that address root cause mechanisms of ill health, and how to implement the steps necessary to burn fat as fuel more efficiently and become metabolically and mentally healthier and happier.