Any followers out there from the Apple Isle?? I'm excited to announce that I'll be popping down to Tassie to host a Nutrition Workshop/Education Session thanks to lovely Mel at Booty (gobooty.com.au). Mel's an award-winning group personal trainer and psychologist-in-the-making who I was in touch with recently about all things health and nutrition – now we're joining forces to get the word out to the masses! 

A little bit about the event, what I'll be talking about, etc (from Mel), below. Details regarding registration at the end – I hope to see some of you there!

Mel: "You will all notice I don’t blog that much about nutrition, food or weight loss on the Booty website. I don’t believe in diets, one-size-fits-all programs, giving up food groups, 12-week challenges, generic food plans, or anything like that. I like to work one-on-one with people to work out what they would like to improve with how they are eating, then we go from there. I like to focus on health and wellbeing rather than a ridiculous body fat percentage or the latest 5-2 fasting diet!

It is true that research comes out regularly, and then the food “rules” seem to change. It’s really hard to stay on top of everything. It is important to be able to access plenty of good quality information so you can make informed decisions about what you eat. I spend a lot of time working with people who are really, really confused, or who panic when I say the words “full-fat” or “bread”. There is a lot of confusion out there… I don’t blame anyone for being confused, because I am confused too!

I am not about fads, diets, or gimmicks (I do understand how seductive they are though!) – which is why I want to help educate you all about these things. I figure you get so much not-so-good information from else where, I would like to bring you some of the “good” stuff.

I have been in touch a lot with a lovely nutritionist from Sydney called Kate Skinner, who runs her own business called Nutrition By Nature (www.nutritionbynature.com.au). I first was attracted to Kate because she wrote a about why eating sugar is important. I liked the sound of that!

I like her for her balance, and the fact that she says things like “well, this food isn’t that great for you because of A, B, and C, but if you really like it, eat it!” I also like her for the fact that she acknowledges that no one has all the answers. But at least she can help us see one potential set of answers.

So, I am extremely excited to announce that I am flying Kate down to run a nutrition education session for anyone who is interested. It will be an opportunity to learn a few things about what we eat and its effect on our systems. It will be a chance to discuss the things you don’t understand, and to ask questions about all the things you are confused about. It won’t be a strict rulebook. It will just be food for thought, so to speak :) 

Some of the topics on the menu: 

• Why eating dessert can be a GREAT idea
  
• Dairy (and full-fat!) for the win!
  
• Gelatin – what is it? Why should you get it in? What to do with it? 
  
• Why good ol' white potatoes rock!
  
• Pate and liver – superfoods
  
• Which oils to cook with, which to use cold, which to avoid
  
• Why you should banish the marg and get back on the butter
  
• The up-side of coffee-drinking and how to drink it to reap the benefits 
  
• How thyroid function and metabolism affect body composition
  
• Is your metabolism in poor shape? How to read the warning signs... and what to do about it
  
• Sugar myths and truths (and why ‘quitting sugar’ is a terrible idea!) 
  
• Why your body needs carbs (and what carbs even are!)
  
• The importance of avoiding low-calorie diets
  
• Why you should ditch the dieting mentality altogether
  
• Signs of a body in stress – how to tell, and how to avoid it 
  
• The benefits of orange juice, honey, maple syrup and other natural sugars 
  
• Red meat v. pork v. poultry – which meats to buy and why 
  
• The 'whole grain myth' 
  
• Quinoa – is it really all it’s cracked up to be? 
  
• How to treat oats and grains to get the most out of them
  
• Choosing a bread to keep your gut happy
  
• Why cheesy croissants get the tick!
  
• The issues with consuming soy and soy products 
  
• Beans, lentils, legumes and cruciferous veg – yay or nay? 
  
• Why sometimes you should forgo the salad
  
• Why ‘overhydration’ (too much water-guzzling) can slow your metabolism 
  
• The benefits and necessity of dietary salt
  
• Artificial sweeteners v. using real sugar
  
• How to exercise wisely to avoid harming your metabolism 
  
• Ageing gracefully
  
• Supporting good skin health 
  
• Meal planning and snack ideas 
  
• Q & A… ask away! 
  

Who should attend?
Well I think everyone should come! You are guaranteed to learn a lot and have some of your preexisting ideas challenged (croissant, anyone?), and some of your questions answered.

For many of you, I know your first reaction will be “Looks interesting! Cool. Count me in!” OR it will be “Na, not interested. No thanks!” Cool.

For others their first response will be different. Did the thought of this education session cause some hesitation for you? Did reading all this bring up some real barriers or negativity? Chances are high it is because you have had a somewhat unhealthy relationship with food in the past, some sort of disordered eating, a history of dieting. And when I say disordered eating – I am not just talking about anorexia and bulimia here. 50% of “disordered eating” cases are known as EDNOS – “eating disorder not otherwise specified”. Disordered eating comes in so many different forms, and most people don’t ever get treatment. For these people, this stuff looks new, different, scary, or wrong. It is because they like rules.

The way Kate teaches is that it is not about rules. It is about exactly the opposite – which is why many people who have had disordered eating/a history of dieting will find a lot of this stuff uncomfortable. Come for a listen anyway. You don’t have to put ANY of this stuff in place if you don’t want to later. And please talk to me if you have any concerns at all.

Kate will talk a lot about metabolism, stress hormones and thyroid function, which means of course weight loss will be discussed in detail, but she is not all about weight loss. It’s about being healthy and feeling well.

I am sure you will all pick up something interesting. Some of you will learn heaps. It is really just all about nutrition education! Presented by a cool young chick!

Where?
The education session will be at the Hutchins School Conference Centre in Hobart, Tasmania on Sunday June 30th (2:45pm for a 3pm start, until approximately 5pm). You can see which building the Conference Centre is below – it is opposite the Hutchins School Gym. I would suggest park on Churchill Avenue, and walk down the driveway between the Gym and the Boarding House.

Kate will also be hanging around afterwards to chat to you individually if you have questions!

What's the cost? 
I am charging $30 per person for this, which is the absolute minimum I can charge to cover expenses, such as paying Kate for her valuable time, and her trip down. I think this is extremely cheap. Seeing a nutritionist for an initial one-on-one hour-long consultation would cost you around $120.00. I am very confident you will get quite a lot out of this and that this is excellent value for money (or I would not be flying her down).

How do I sign up?
You must put in this form as soon as possible, as I will need to know numbers asap to make sure we will fit!
This is of course open to everyone. Go right ahead and spread the word!"