For your monthly dose of no-nonsense nutritional advice, myth-busting and recipes, pick up a copy of delicious. magazine and flick over to my Balancing Act column. February's column sheds light on the myths and truths surrounding dietary salt, and explains why there's no need to be scared saltless. Enjoy! 

Hello! Long time no blog - oops. It's been utter madness at Nutrition by Nature HQ although I hope to be getting back into the swing of things soon... expect more regular articles and Q&A posts in the not-too-distant future! Here are links to two recent pieces penned for taste.com.au: 

• Carbs vs Calories
  
• Healthy Tips for Making Recipes Diabetes-Friendly
  

As well, I'm chuffed to be mentioned in the pages of this month's The Australian Women's Weekly magazine. (Gleefully "cutting-edge, occasionally controversial" indeed!!)

Also in the works, based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback that's been coming in after last weekend's nutrition workshop in Hobart, Tasmania (thank you so much to the amazing Mel at Booty for rallying the troops and to all 120+ of you lovely people who attended!). 

I'll be planning some more seminars over the coming months. I'm thinking Sydney... obviously... and will also potentially line up gigs in other Aussie cities as well. So for all Australian readers, if you'd like to attend a one-off workshop in your home town and are willing to drag along a bunch of your nearest and dearest (let's uproot old dietary dogma, smash a bunch of food myths and issue some no-nonense nutrition advice for stress-free healthy living, yeah?), shoot me an email so I know that you're keen. And for international followers based in exotic locations... Bora Bora, Maui, The Bahamas...  I'm willing to drag myself over your way too so register your interest accordingly. 

Just a few topics that we covered in the seminar over the weekend (not an exhaustive list): 

• Metabolism 101 - interpreting the signs of low metabolism and taking care of your thyroid
• The importance of minimising 'stress', in all it's various guises
• Relax. It's just food
• Stop drowning your body in water! 
• Salt myths and truths 
• The dangers of polyunsaturated fats
• Why butter is better!
• Food specifics - protein, carbs and fats in perspective
  
• Blood sugar basics
• Eating nutrient-dense foods (but not exclusively!)  
• Everyone loves to hate on sugar... but our bodies LOVE sugar!
• Knowing when to ease up on the veggies
• Soy milk, protein powders, green smoothies and flax seeds - fuhgeddaboudit... :S
  
• Biofeedback - tuning in and getting to know to your body 
• Why you should potentially eat MORE and exercise LESS
  
• Intelligent exercise - myths about cardio and endurance training for weight loss
• Losing weight the (only) healthy way - working with your body, not against it
• Croissants are awesome and so is ice cream
• Why the perfect diet isn't conducive to good health 
• Why dessert can be a GREAT idea
• Nutrition strategies for a good night's sleep

Kate is a certified Clinical Nutritionist and offers one-on-one coaching for clients in Sydney Australia, and internationally via Skype or email. Visit the nutrition services page to find out more about private coaching, and be sure to subscribe via email and follow the Nutrition by Nature Facebook page for blog updates, articles, nutrition tips, recipes and special offers.  

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!

Public health guidelines, food pyramids and plates, high-fat, low-carb, vegan, vegetarian, low-GI, high-protein, low-sugar, low-fat, low-cholesterol, Paleo, Atkins, fruitarian, alkaline, blood type diets, raw foods, fasting, cleanses, detoxes… it’s a minefield of weird and wacky, contradictory nutritional information and dietary advice out there. Most of it is utter nonsense.

We’re inundated with opinions, pushed and pulled in every direction and at the end of the day, more confused about what to eat than ever. When it comes to looking at nutrition from a physiological perspective, for the individual person in the context of the modern world, I personally disagree with the majority of what the mainstream deems to be “healthy”. The foods and specific nutrients that end up being most conducive to a well-primed metabolism would surprise you.

One of the common questions that I field from clients and readers is how best to avoid water retention. I see countless people who do everything they can to avoid “puffiness” (particularly women, around menstruation) in order to feel ‘leaner’ – they typically reduce salt and increase water intake drastically (which of course is what is widely recommended). 

I thought I’d tackle the problems surrounding these strategies (reducing salt, increasing water) to try to combat water retention, to explain how in actual fact, they’re much more likely to amplify the problem, rather than solve it. Ultimately, decreasing sodium (salt) in the diet will increase water retention, not the other way around. 

Welcome to Q&A Mondays! Each Monday, I'll endeavour to answer some of the health questions sent in by readers via email, or that have been posted on the Nutrition by Nature Facebook page. 

This week's questions tackle some darlings of the health food industry - quinoa, almond milk and stevia. Are they really all they're cracked up to be? 

Welcome to Q&A Mondays! Each Monday, I'll endeavour to answer some of the health questions sent in by readers via email, or that have been posted on the Nutrition by Nature Facebook page. 

This week, Stuart asks via email:

The proponents of calorie restriction, and intermittent fasting state that it reduces the levels of circulating IGF-1 [Insulin-like Growth Factor 1], which gets upregulated by a "high protein" diet.  The higher levels of IGF-1 apparently lead to a shorter lifespan, and increase your risk of tumour (according to animal studies anyway).

A) Do you believe this is true, despite these methods going against having a high metabolism?

B) Is IGF-1 secreted independently of insulin, and mainly in response to protein intake?

Potatoes get such a bad rap. Nutritionally-speaking, they’re an excellent source of vitamin C, B6, thyroid-supporting carbohydrates, some usable protein, and are one of the vegetables that contain the least natural plant toxins*. What’s more, they’re an excellent vehicle for other tasty and nutritious foods – butter, salt and cheese (you think I’m kidding, but I assure you I’m not).