If you’ve landed here from my Better Metabolic Health Facebook group, welcome! (If not, come and join our supportive and informative community here.)
I’m dedicating a little website real estate to metabolic health and lifestyle habits that support it in the hope of motivating and inspiring more people to take control of their health, improve their longevity, and discover that healthy living can be realistic, enjoyable and sustainable – not a struggle or another passing fad.
My goal is to regularly share nuggets of useful information from my never-ending research and study, along with insights from podcasts, books and the experts I follow and trust to have our best interests at heart.
You’ll read a lot about insulin resistance and low-carb living – I believe they’re at the heart of long-term health and healthspan (the years we spend healthy and well – the quality of life, not just the length). You’ll also find plenty of nutritious, tried-and-tested recipes that my family is a little obsessed with. 😋
So, what is metabolic health?
In simple terms, it’s how well your body creates, stores and uses energy. It’s influenced by things like blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, body composition, movement, nutrition, sleep and stress. When our metabolism is working well, we tend to have stable energy, better mood and concentration, healthier hormones, better sleep and a lower risk of many chronic diseases.
The more I’ve learned about insulin resistance, blood sugar regulation, visceral fat and metabolic health, the more I’ve realised just how much of our chronic disease burden is driven by lifestyle factors that aren’t discussed enough. It’s become clear to me that metabolic health underpins almost every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
Yet despite its importance, many people have never heard the term or don’t realise just how much of their health it touches. My hope is to shine a brighter light on the topic, making it simple, practical and empowering.
The good news? Metabolic health is incredibly responsive to lifestyle. Small, consistent changes can make a remarkable difference over time.
Some of what I share may challenge conventional views. You don’t need to agree with everything I say, but please know that I’ve spent a lot of time researching these topics from multiple angles, and I’m simply sharing what I’m learning, what the evidence is showing, and my own perspective.
Keep an open mind, ask questions, do your own research, think critically, and be willing to learn and grow.
What makes me ‘qualified’ to give advice?
I’m a curious person. I like details. I’m a critical thinker. I like to research. If something doesn’t make sense, I keep digging – reading papers and books, listening to podcasts, and following experts with different perspectives.
I’ve studied health in one form or another for most of my life. I majored in Health Promotion as part of my Applied Science (Human Movement) degree in the early 2000s and went on to teach Health and Physical Education for a decade. In 2023 I completed an Undergraduate Certificate in Lifestyle Coaching (with units in Nutrition and Wellness Practices), and more recently I’ve undertaken further study in therapeutic carbohydrate restriction for metabolic health (with the Australasian Metabolic Health Society), diabetes reversal, ketogenic health and addictive eating (with Nutrition Network).
One of the biggest lessons this dive into metabolic health has taught me is that science evolves. What we ‘know’ today isn’t always what we’ll know tomorrow. Do I have all the answers? Nope (who does?). But I’m committed to learning, and I’m comfortable changing my mind when the evidence points me in a different direction.
I also think it’s worth noting that qualifications alone don’t necessarily equal good health advice. Many incredibly intelligent health professionals work within systems that allow very little time for nutrition education or lifestyle medicine. I have GP friends who’ve told me they received only a handful of hours of dedicated nutrition education during medical school. That doesn’t make them bad doctors – it’s simply the system they trained in.
A brief look at my metabolic health journey
I’ve made some HUGE lifestyle changes over the past 18 months, and my family has come along for the ride too. We switched from a heavy plant-based way of eating to a very low-carb, predominantly animal-based approach with little to no fruit and minimal veg. This is BIG – I was a full vegetarian for over a decade (I hadn’t actually eaten red meat for 20 years prior to that). I can honestly say I’ve never felt better, and I can see that my family is thriving too.
Here’s what we’ve noticed:
- Stable mood and energy – no arvo dips, even after a disrupted night of sleep (and those are rare – our sleep is generally great)
- Sharper minds, learning feels supercharged, and the anxiety and monkey chatter have quietened down
- Happier bellies – less bloating and indigestion
- We feel fuller for longer – I personally can go for 5-6 hours on a breakfast of 4 eggs, feta and avo. The need to plan for ‘food scarcity’ has gone
- Better skin, and stronger hair and nails
- Increased resilience – it’s easier to just get up and go, physically and emotionally
- My daughter used to get acne on her chest and back – that completely cleared up
- My son plays a lot of sport and has commented that he feels “less gassed” when he plays
- My weight hasn’t changed (I’ve always been in a healthy weight range), despite eating between 100 g and 150 g of fat a day. In fact, after 18 months of eating this way, my latest DEXA scan showed just 45 g of visceral fat. Granted, I probably didn’t have much to begin with, but for me it was reassuring evidence that a high-fat diet didn’t automatically lead to fat gain. My children have also maintained healthy weights, while my husband lost a few kilograms – which was actually a positive outcome for him
I am here to help those of you who feel a bit stuck in a health rut, confused by the conflicting information out there, and sick of the cycle you’re in. Weight loss is often a sweet side effect for many of the gorgeous women I’ve been coaching, but feeling stronger, healthier and more energetic is the real goal.
I’m not here to tell people what to do or make anyone feel judged. The aim is to encourage curiosity, challenge long-held assumptions, and hopefully help a few people have their own little ‘a-ha’ moments along the way.
You don’t have to, and probably won’t, agree with everything I post (although, for the record, I think I’m on the money 😜). Take on board what you will and leave the rest at the door. I love hearing different perspectives because they help me see things from all angles. Healthy discussion is welcome, so please pitch in with your thoughts and questions – leave a comment or flick me an email.
If something I share sparks your curiosity enough to ask questions, dig deeper and learn more for yourself, then I feel like I’ve done my job.
For me, this is all about longevity – long, healthful, sunny days ahead, that’s the plan.
Let’s stay curious, keep learning and make positive lifestyle changes together. 💛
