FAQ

DO YOU PROVIDE DIET* PLANS?

If you've ever followed a meal plan how often have you thought "I wonder if I'm allowed......?" e.g. chocolate cake. This is crazy; you shouldn't need permission from someone else to eat that cake and if you did, chances are you’d feel guilty and end up eating more than usual, “because I’ve blown it, I might as well just eat the whole cake” - sound familiar? We’ve been there, we know. They create “good” and “bad” foods too, which again is not helpful or healthful - food is morally neutral.

(*see below for temporary meal plans for sport, such as boxing)

No we don't - but hear us out on this. Diet plans rarely help people to improve eating habits, here's just a few reasons why. They are rigid, prescriptive and eventually become too hard to follow. They make us feel guilty because we “didn't follow the plan”. Life gets busy and things change, so it's really important to be flexible and go with the flow. We aren’t robots after all!

Meal plans are designed for nutrients like protein or carbs, and one big problem with this is we don't eat like this, we eat food. Food that's shared with family, friends and sometimes is celebratory, or completely functional e.g. you just need fuel for an unexpected busy day crammed with work.

So, giving someone a shiny “it looks great on paper meal plan” is actually quite pointless and often gets people stuck in a dieting trap, probably overthinking food, highly likely to be missing key nutrients and not helping change eating behaviours - exactly the opposite of why most people see a Nutritionist.

WHAT WE DO INSTEAD:

We tailor every piece of advice to work with you; your health, your lifestyle, your sport or training. We make specific goals together so you can work on bite sized chunks of change, rather than a whole meal plan worth of change. We love this approach, and our clients love it too. 

WHAT DOES “NON-DIET” MEAN?

We practice in a non-diet manner, meaning we do not engage clients in dieting behaviours. The scientific facts and large scale studies are clear on this; DIETS DON’T WORK. They do bad stuff to our head and body, create unhelpful thoughts about food and body image, and at least 95% people who go on a diet and lose weight, end up re-gaining that weight, plus more. We believe in an approach called Non-Diet and Health At Every Size or HAES, centred around health behaviours, intuitive eating and mindfulness.

This approach respects the fact that your body knows best when it comes to food, eating, nutrition, movement, rest, weight and self-care. Reconnect with your internal wisdom, so you can identify which individual health-related behaviours will best help you to optimise your health and wellbeing.

*WHAT ABOUT PLANS FOR RACES OR COMPETITION?

Yes, we do these!! We do design specific temporary plans for sports like boxing or weight class sports, i.e. cutting weight, and these are only followed for a short length of time. We absolutely design competition race plans, which are tailored to your event e.g. cycling, Ironman, swimming, half marathon etc. 

DO I NEED TO BRING A FOOD DIARY TO MY APPOINTMENT?

No, bringing a food diary isn't essential as we'll go over what types of food & drinks you typically include in your diet but you are welcome to bring one along if you prefer. 

CAN I CLAIM MY APPOINTMENT COST THROUGH INSURANCE?

If you have health insurance, you may be able to claim the cost of your nutrition appointment with us. Sweet!

Some insurance companies will provide cover for a Nutrition Consultation from a registered nutrition professional i.e. an NZ Registered Dietitian (Becky), an NZ Registered Nutritionist or, an Associate NZ Registered Nutritionist (Megan and Kieran).

If you are thinking of making a claim with your insurance company, please check your policy details before your appointment, and if you are able to make a claim, we will happily be able to provide the information your insurance company requires.