Nutrition plays a HUGE role in the creation of life and the health of both mum and baby. In this episode and just 4 days before I gave birth to my first daughter, Nova, I spoke to fellow dietitian Stefanie Valakas on a very broad range of topics from Preconception, Pregnancy, Postpartum and Fertility Concerns. In this episode we talk about common factors affecting fertility including HA, PCOS and endometriosis. We also look at the role the male plays in fertility, chat about miscarriage and IVF. Stefanie Valakas, also known as The Dietologist, is an expert fertility dietitian & nutritionist. Stefanie runs her virtual nutrition practice from her Sydney home and loves to help women and couples trying to conceive enhance their fertility through scientific nutrition recommendations. Stefanie not only works with clients one-on-one but has recently launched online programs to help reach and support more women during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can visit her website at https://thedietologis...
When it comes to the treatment of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea or HA, many of us wish that there was a magic pill we could take or that there was another reason why our period has gone missing. Lets face it, eating more, cutting out or reducing exercise and for some, needing to gain weight is a scary concept. Many of my clients have sought alternative treatments hoping for a way to bypass doing the deeper work, working on the root cause. Many of my clients have tried acupuncture, saw naturopaths, gone on liver cleanses, tried to mediate, do more yoga, tried seed cycling, gone all organic or cut out gluten and dairy hoping to maintain their current lifestyle and practices that make them feel safe and in control. I was once here too. They find that alone, they just don't work. In this episode I chat to Dr Amanda Waaldyk, a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor who specialises in fertility and female endocrinology. Amanda is the founder and director of Angea Acupuncture & Yoga, an integrative...
My passion to help women have a healthy relationship with food, exercise and body was not found at university. Nor was my dedication to help women recover their period and fertility. It was fuelled by my own personal journey, challenges and growth. Many of you may know that when I started out as a dietitian I worked mainly in the area of weight loss. Through my university degree and then stepping straight into private practice I just did what I felt I was trained to do and what my clients were asking for. I didn't know any other way. Although I was busy, making money and doing what I thought was my “dream job”. It just didn't feel right, nor was it fulfilling. Years down the track when I came across new approaches to health including Healthy At Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating it was a huge pivotal moment in my life personally and professionally. Part of me wished I could unsee it because it brought up a lot of questions and discomfort. It showed me that I had work to do on ...
In this episode we delve deep into what's at the roots for disordered eating for many, we will help you to understand why you may have come to a place of fear, disconnect and distrust in your body and provide relatable concepts and practical strategies to help you develop a healthy and more self compassionate relationship with yourself. If you are struggling with your relationship with food, exercise or body and feeling stuck or confused this episode is a must to listen to! This episodes guest, Dr Libby is a Clinical Psychologist that has undertaken and completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She has worked solely in private practice for 10 years. Her mission in life is to SERVE, GROW + have FUN! Libby has her own personal journey with bullying, an eating disorder and post natal depression which fuels her passion to now support women to OPTIMISE their psychological well being through the provision of evidence-based therapy. Outside of th...
Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) is a common symptom or outcome of disordered eating and eating disorders. The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that plays a central role in maintaining the balance of body systems. It receives input from throughout the body in the form of hormones and chemicals. It responds by secreting hormones that affect other organs including those involved in reproduction. HA is essentially a condition where the Hypothalamus senses stress in the body, mostly due to low energy availability. The causes include insufficient energy intake, over exercise and/or insufficient body fat. In some cases lifestyle stress is also a contributing factor. It is important to note that HA can occur in any body size and it doesn't only occur in people with diagnosed eating disorders, in athletes or people who do a lot of exercise. The main cause is insufficient energy to meet the body's demands. In HA the body responds to low energy by switching off or dialing down non essential b...
Poor digestion is a common symptom in those with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), which is the loss of period and in those with disordered eating or eating disorders. The main underlying driver is low energy availability. When there is a chronic energy deficiency the body responds by becoming more “energy efficient”. The loss of period is a common and more obvious outcome for women. Stopping menstruation and fertility is a way the body responds to the stress of low energy availability. But there are many other systems of the body affected. These include poor temperature regulation, decreased bone mineral density, poor growth of hair and nails and poor or sluggish digestion. This may be experienced as frequently feeling bloated and either constipation or diarrhea. Working with many women with HA and disordered eating and having my own journey I recognise there are many other influences on both poor digestion and recovery. One major one in recovery is fear. Fears acting like barriers t...
Body Image is a VITAL piece in the Recovery of an Eating Disorder and Disordered Eating. Too often it is neglected that Eating Disorders are psychological illnesses and that weight restoration does not mean full recovery. Further, people suffering from eating disorders and a poor relationship with food can live in ANY size body. Treatment goes much deeper than just “food” and “eating” and will involve improving one's RELATIONSHIP with food, exercise and body. Recovery will involve looking at beliefs and understanding the LENS one looks through. In this episode I have invited Bianca Skilbeck to chat further about the role of body image in eating disorders as a risk factor and also in treatment. Bianca is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Counsellor from Melbourne Australia and founder of Freedom From Food. Bianca has a special interest in the treatment of eating disorders and body image related disorders. She has a special interest in working with and understanding the mind-body conn...
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 12-18% of women of reproductive age and up to 21% in some high-risk groups, such as Indigenous women. PCOS can cause irregular periods, trouble falling pregnant, acne, excess hair growth, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and difficulty managing weight. Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is a condition that shares some similarities with PCOS including absent or irregular periods and polycystic ovaries. Having a special interest in this area and working with many women to recover their periods I have learned the importance of distinguishing between the two as many people with HA are misdiagnosed with PCOS. The big difference between the two is the HA is treatable whereas PCOS is about managing symptoms. The treatment for HA is about correcting the energy deficit and in many cases weight gain and reducing exercise volume and intensity to allow the body t...
Binge eating is a problem many of my clients present with and want to eliminate. Someone struggling with binge eating will often experience guilt, loss of control, failure and have a belief that the answer lies in having better control and willpower! In reality treatment for binge eating has nothing to do with willpower or failure. Binge eating is a normal physiological response to restriction. In this episode I chat with fellow dietitian Nina Mills about what binge eating is and how we overcome it! A spoiler, it's not another diet! Nina Mills is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor and founder of the private practice Feel Good Eating based in Melbourne, Australia. With practice values rooted in social justice and a client-centred, weight-inclusive approach to nutrition and dietetics she has gone on to do extensive additional training in the Non-Diet Approach, Health At Every Size, Intuitive Eating, eating disorders and the areas of body image...
In this episode I talk to fellow dietitian Joanna Baker who specializes in gut health to uncover the cross over between gut health and digestive function with Eating disorders and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA). It is common for people with HA and Eating disorders to struggle with digestion function and in this episode we explain why and the best way to treat and manage your symtoms and overall health. Joanna also talks about the importance of gut health and your gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is like a community of healthy bacteria in your gut. We all have about 1-2kg of gut bacteria and this has abig influence of mental health, emotional health, body weight, chronic disease and immunity. People who eat 30 or more different plants foods per week have a much more diverse gut microbiome than those that have 10 or less. Plant foods contain prebiotics which contain the fuel and nourishment for your gut bacteria. When they are fed well they will grow and thrive. Different types of bac...