Comp prep often gets glorified due to the highlights we see on social media. Shredded physiques, a sense of camaraderie and of course the post comp food splurges. From the outside, it can look very appealing.

Food isn’t “out to get you”, but unfortunately, sometimes we can convince ourselves that it is!

There are two forms of dietary iron. One is derived from plant sources, as well as eggs and dairy, and is in the non-heme iron form (Fe3+). The other type comes from animal sources, and is in the heme iron form (Fe2+). Interestingly, only ~45% of the iron in meat is heme iron, whereas the remaining ~55% is non-heme iron.

We all want to feel and see results when we set out to achieve our health and fitness goals. However, at some point or another progress is bound to stall... which can be incredibly frustrating when you’re adamant you’re putting in the work!

It’s estimated that over half the Australian adult population consumes inadequate levels of daily dietary calcium. This is of concern as it increases the risk of losing significant amounts of bone mineral density, which can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopenia (weak and brittle bones which increase the risk of fractures, falls, and poor health status/quality of life).

Quite commonly we're told to eat more "whole grains" than "refined grains", however the reason why is not usually explained.

Rather than justifying your dietary choices based off preconceived notions of “good and bad”, “healthy and unhealthy”, “right and wrong” food labels, instead we encourage you to take a good look at what’s on your plate.

As dietitians, a significant and frequent part of our job involves performing dietary recalls. During these recalls we’ve certainly noticed that peanut butter is one of the most commonly consumed spreads/condiments - and with good reason because it’s freaking delicious!

These vegetables can provide the carbohydrate backbone to your meal while also providing a wealth of nutrients. We’ve included sweet potato, butternut pumpkin, and white potato in this post as these are the more readily available options in Australian stores.

Egg whites are awesome – hands down! Being an excellent source of protein which is both high-volume and satiating, it’s hard not to cook up an omelette on the regular! However, with regular purchases of liquid egg whites can come larger grocery bills… UNLESS you discover an alternative which is half the price!

Whether it be from study demands, work shifts, a busy social life or just excessive amounts of Netflix, inadequate sleep can have implications on so many aspects of our day-to-day lives. Health, mood, exercise performance, energy levels, recovery, immunity, cognition, you name it, can all be positively or negatively influenced by sleep!

Wake Up, Get Hydrated, And Stay Hydrated! Water is the most essential nutrient for supporting life, even more essential than food – you can’t survive for more than a few days without it!

Just remember, one of the primary goals of any company is to sell their product and make a tidy profit. Unfortunately, this might mean ‘blurring the lines’ or a little bit of trickery when it comes to promoting their goods. In most circumstances, there’s no harm done. However, it’s important to be aware of this when assessing the nutritional and monetary value of a particular item!

Heads up: this post isn’t here to tell you how or what to eat on Christmas day. However, we are writing this to encourage you to be more family-focused than food-focused!

Motivation tends to be at an all-time high during the initial stages of goal setting, and it’s normal to have high aspirations to achieve what we want in the most efficient way possible. However, the truth of the matter is that 99% of the time things won’t go as “perfectly” planned, and it’s usually these unexpected roadblocks that cause individuals to veer off track and lose all sight and hope for their goals completely.

Well would you look at that! Three different types of whole grains with slightly different macronutrient ratios… yet they all balance out to provide the same amount of caloric energy per 100g raw weight!

Learn more about the difference between WPC and WPI and which protein powder is best for you!

There’s no doubt that the concept of training to failure is a hotly discussed topic in the fitness industry. However, there’s still no clear “black and white” consensus on whether or not you should train to failure.

It’s certainly not uncommon for people (especially in the fitness community) to weigh themselves each morning. However, it’s important to understand the context of WHY certain numbers are looking back at you, and not to let your mood be heavily dictated if they’re a few decimal points above or below your previous weigh-in.

It’s not surprising that superfoods have become incredibly popularised in recent years. A food with special properties that can apparently promote weight loss or cure cancer... what’s not to like? Blueberries, almonds, salmon, spinach, walnuts and broccoli are all popular superfoods, and you can probably already identify the trend among these food items. The catch is that there is no scientific definition or regulation of what a superfood actually is.