The Healthy Handful

Nicole Dynan, dietitian and gut health expert, joined us for a conversation in 2022. The topic was gut health, and it turned out to be a VERY popular episode!

Today, the importance of good nutrition for a healthy gut remains as relevant as ever, so we're revisiting our 'Nuts and gut health' episode, during Gut Health Month, which runs across February.

In this fascinating deep dive, Nicole shares how food and dietary patterns influence the gut microbiota, and what the best diet for gut health actually looks like. And she busts some common gut-health myths along the way.

Of course, we had questions about nuts too.

What does the science tell us about nuts and gut health? How do nut nutrients impact the gut microbiota? Should you avoid nuts if you have diverticular disease? Do you need to activate nuts before eating them? Plus, more.

It's an easy listen to get up-to-speed on what remains one of the hottest topics in nutrition and health.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-gut-health-re-release/

About today's guest

Nicole is known as 'The Gut Health Dietitian' as she specialises in gut health and food intolerance and is one of a handful of dietitians in Australia with qualifications in dietetics and psychology. She loves working with patients to identify the food-related causes of their symptoms, rebuild their gut health and help them achieve a better quality of life.

Supporting resources

Effect of nuts on gastrointestinal health

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/7/1733

Nuts and their effect on gut microbiota, gut function and symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32781516/

Associations of nutritional behaviour and gut microbiota with the risk of COVID-19 in healthy young adults in Poland

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/350/htm

Does 'activating' nuts affect nutrient bioavailability?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32199146/

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

Contact us

[email protected]

What are Australians actually buying at the supermarket? And how does this stack up against our nation's dietary guidelines?

In this episode, we're joined by Healthylife's Chief Health Officer Simone Austin to unpack the 2024 Living Healthy Report. We learn (a lot!) about Australia's dietary habits - with Simone sharing some surprising insights along the way.

Simone breaks down where Australians are hitting the mark, and where we're falling short. She shares practical tips and 'can do' suggestions to inspire us all toward healthier eating habits. The perfect way to start the New Year!

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/whats-in-a-typical-australian-shopping-trolley/

About today's guest

Simone Austin has had a dynamic dietetic career that fits perfectly with her zestful personality.

From fuelling some of Australia's most successful sporting teams, such as Hawthorn Football Club, the Australian Men's Cricket Team, Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club, and Melbourne City A-League Team, she has written a book, 'Eat Like an Athlete', so we can all use nutrition to maximise our own life performance.

She is a Fellow of Sports Dietitians Australia, where she was previously President, and also recently finished a term on the Dietitians Australia Board after being the manager of the Advocacy and Policy team.

Currently the Chief Health Officer and Chair of the Advisory Board at Healthylife, Simone has led the publication of the annual Living Healthy Reports.

Simone loves to engage an audience and has been lucky enough in her roles, working with groups like Australian Almonds, to have presented with numerous celebrity chefs and sporting stars.

Supporting resources

Healthy Living Report, 2024

https://www.healthylife.com.au/health-report

Towards healthier and more sustainable diets in the Australian context: Comparison of current diets with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-14252-z

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Credits Host: Belinda Neville

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Our 50th episode is a celebration of this milestone, and a wrap of the best of 2024!

We reflect on the most interesting (and at times, surprising!) things we learnt in 2024, on a topic close to our hearts: nuts and health.

The Healthy Handful podcast host, Belinda Neville, speaks with colleague and Accredited Practising Dietitian Maree Hall, to unpack the key nut research papers published this year, and uncover the most downloaded podcast episodes, most popular webpages, and most loved recipes (plus much more) of 2024!

Access episode webpage:

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-50-best-fo-2024/

About today's guest

Maree Hall is the Digital and Communications Manager at Nuts for Life.

Based in Brisbane, Maree has nearly 20 years' experience in communications across a range of channels, working primarily with consumer and healthcare professional audiences.

During the past decade she has worked within the food industry sector, as well as for the professions' national body, Dietitians Australia.

Supporting resources:

The Healthy Handful podcast library

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource-library/?1&nut=&article-type=68

Cooking with Nuts Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/

Sustainability Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/sustainability/

Resources

Brain health fact sheet

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-brain-health-fact-sheet/

Nuts and weight management report

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-weight-management-report/

Nuts and their fats wbepage

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-their-fats/

Research

Nuts and weight

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13330

Nuts and cardiovascular disease

https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(24)00390-9/fulltext

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

Contact us

[email protected]

The population worldwide is ageing, and this is true for Australia's population as well. One hundred years ago, five in every 100 people made it past the age of 65 years. Today, one in seven people make it past that age.

But it's not all about living longer. We all want to live healthier too.

Nutrition expert Dr Tim Crowe takes us through what happens to our bodies as we age – from the inevitable changes that come with ageing, to what we can do to ensure we age in the healthiest way possible.

Learn about the key nutrients and lifestyle choices that make all the difference.

Access episode webpage:

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-49-nuts-and-healthy-ageing/

Dr Tim Crowe is a career nutrition research scientist and an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian.

He has 30 years of research and teaching experience in the university and public hospital sector, covering diverse research areas of basic laboratory research, clinical nutrition intervention trials, and public health nutrition.

Tim now works chiefly as a freelance health and medical writer, scientific consultant and science communicator. He has an active media profile and a large social media following through his Thinking Nutrition blog and podcast.

Supporting resources

Nut consumption and disability-free survival in community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study

https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afae239

Nuts and older adults' health: A narrative review

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1848

Long-term consumption of nuts (including peanuts, peanut butter, walnuts, and other nuts) in relation to risk of frailty in older women: Evidence from a cohort study

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316623005060

Can nuts mitigate malnutrition in older adults? A conceptual framework

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/10/1448

'Cooking with Nuts' Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

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Renowned culinary expert Tawnya Bahr shares her remarkable journey from working as an IT Sales and Marketing Manager in California, to importing condiments into Australia, and eventually becoming one of the most respected authorities in bridging the gap between food producers and the food industry.

We discuss how she works closely with local suppliers, fostering a deep connection to the food, and its origins, and to chefs, where she inspires the use of these ingredients (including nuts) to elevate dishes. Plus, Tawnya shares a few of her favourite mouth-watering ways to incorporate nuts into everyday meals.

So, don your apron for a culinary adventure!

Access episode webpage:

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-48-a-culinary-celebration-of-foods-and-ingredients/

About today's guest

Tawnya Bahr, an esteemed culinary expert, Group Executive Chef and the Director of Straight To The Source, a company known as a conduit for connection and excellence within the supply chain.

With more than 27 years of food industry experience, Tawnya is a prominent advisor and culinary judge for organisations like Sydney Royal Fine Food and the Australian Culinary Federation. You will often find her emceeing food-related events, mentoring for Women in Hospitality, shaping industry standards, championing sustainability, and showcasing the origins of ingredients.

Tawnya's passion for supporting food innovation through product development and distribution strategy have earned her recognition as a trailblazing leader in the food industry, with numerous accolades in business, entrepreneurship, and an advocate for Australian farmers' markets.

Supporting resources

'Cooking with Nuts' Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/

Recipe e-book - Cooking with nuts: Every day recipes to love

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/recipe-book/

10 ways to enjoy nuts every day

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/10-ways-to-enjoy-nuts-every-day/

Simple swaps for your favourite dishes

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/simple-swaps-for-your-favourite-dishes/

Storing nuts

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/storing-nuts/

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Credits: Host - Belinda Neville

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'Low Input Sustainable Agriculture' (LISA) focuses on holistic farming practices that prioritise soil health to promote healthy plant growth. By adopting this approach, and increasing biodiversity with cover crops, such as sunflowers and hemp, farmers can create significant benefits for the ecosystem.

In this episode, self-proclaimed regenerative farmer and macadamia grower, Ross Arnett, explains his approach to LISA, and shares the simple, yet effective, practices he has implemented into his orchard in New South Wales.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-47-sustainability-in-a-macadamia-orchard/

About today's guest

Ross Arnett is a macadamia grower from northern New South Wales. His farm - Malua – on the Alstonville Plateau has been in his family since 1872, and features a 10-hectare macadamia orchard.

Ross is happy to call himself a regenerative farmer and is constantly looking for kinder ways to grow macadamias. Drawing on guidance from mentors, he has continually refined his approach to low input sustainable agriculture, to minimise off-farm inputs and reduce his carbon footprint.

Supporting resources

Australian Macadamias – Sustainable approach

https://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/sustainability/

Australian Macadamias recipes

https://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/recipes/

Nuts for Life - Sustainability Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/sustainability/

Nuts for Life recipes

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/

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Credits: Host - Belinda Neville

Contact us: [email protected]

Whole orchard recycling (WOR) is a concept that originated in California, whereby old orchard trees are ground, chipped and turned back into the soil before new almond trees are planted.

Despite some initial scepticism, results in the US have been overwhelmingly positive, including greater yield, increased water holding capacity, and improved soil health.

But how sustainable and effective is this practice in the Australian context?

In this episode, long-time Australian almond grower, Neale Bennett, reveals how he got interested in WOR, and shares the results of a trial currently underway at his orchard in the sandy Sunraysia region of Victoria.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-46-sustainability-in-an-australian-almond-orchard/

About today's guest

Neale Bennett has worked in the horticulture field for 40 years.

A fourth-generation horticulturist, he is still farming the same land that was cleared by his ancestors in the early 1900s in Merbein, just outside Mildura in Victoria. In 1992, he started converting the 42-acre family property from vines (dried fruit) to almonds, which was completed by 2005.

Neale is a current member of the Almond Board of Australia as one of two Sunraysia representatives. He also served as the Board's Chair for six years.

Supporting resources

Almond Board of Australia: Almond orchard recycling trial a sustainability first

https://almondboard.org.au/almond-orchard-recycling-trial-a-sustainability-first/?v=6cc98ba2045f

Orchard recycling improves climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of almond production systems

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0229588

Nuts for Life Sustainability Hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/sustainability/

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Credits: Host - Belinda Neville

Contact us: [email protected]

Peanut and tree nut allergies affect millions worldwide, and Australia is no exception. In fact, Australia has one of the highest allergy rates globally.

Allergy symptoms can vary from mild itching and sneezing to anaphylaxis - the most severe reaction where the immune system overreacts, potentially leading to death. Until now, the only treatment has been strict avoidance.

But new research suggests that early exposure to nuts could be the key to prevention.

Dr Vicki McWilliam discusses the theories behind Australia's high allergy rates and the ways to help prevent allergies from developing. She then expertly explains significant research in the field, including trials focused on treatments and potential cures for peanut allergies.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-45-nut-allergy-prevention-management-the-research/

About today's guest

Dr Vicki McWilliam is a Clinician-Scientist Fellow at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, a Senior Dietitian at the Royal Children's Hospital and a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne.

Dr McWilliam is also an Associate Investigator for the Centre of Food Allergy Research and a member of the National Allergy Centre of Excellence Food Allergy Advisory Group.

Supporting resources

HealthNuts study

https://lifecourse.melbournechildrens.com/cohorts/healthnuts/#overview

EarlyNuts study

https://lifecourse.melbournechildrens.com/cohorts/earlynuts/

Study: Follow-up to Adolescence after Early Peanut Introduction for Allergy Prevention (published May 2024)

https://evidence.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/EVIDoa2300311

Websites

https://allergyfacts.org.au/

https://foodallergyaware.org.au/

https://www.nace.org.au/research/food-allergy/

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Credits:

Host - Belinda Neville

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of Australia's biggest health challenges – being a major cause of illness, disability and mortality. Around three in four Australians are at risk of developing CVD, and in 2023, it ranked fourth in terms of total disease burden.

But it can be prevented.

Clinical Cardiologist David Colquhoun talks us through the risk factors for CVD, and what can be done to help prevent (and manage) this chronic disease.

From nuts, avocado and olive oil, to smoking and exercise, David explains what Australians can do to turn this around.

Access episode webpage:

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-44-lifestyle-tips-for-preventing-cvd/

About today's guest

Associate Professor David Colquhoun is a cardiologist who has been in private practice in Queensland for more than 35 years.

He has been involved in clinical practice and research in the fields of cardiology, lipids, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, nutraceutical and psychological aspects of heart disease. His private clinical research unit, Core Research Group, is currently active in 17 trials.

A/Prof Colquhoun is on the Consultant of Consultant Specialists for the Australian Medical Association, a board member of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, and the outgoing Chair of the Preventive Cardiology Council of the Cardiac Society of Australian and New Zealand.

Supporting resources

Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: Final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study

https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.99.6.779

The PREDIMED study

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2530016417300022?via%3Dihub

Tree nut and peanut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323003095?via%3Dihub

Effects of a macadamia nut enriched diet on serum lipids and lipoproteins compared to a low fat diet

https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/effects-of-a-macadamia-nut-enriched-diet-on-serum-lipids-and-lipo

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

Contact us

[email protected]

Looking for new and exciting ways to eat the target 30g handful of nuts each day? Don your apron for a culinary adventure!

In this podcast episode, dietitian Themis Chryssidis shares less of the 'why' (because we already know that nuts are really good for us!) and more of the 'how' when it comes to incorporating nuts into everyday meals and snacks.

From home-made nut butters and nut 'mince', to inspiring flavour pairings with nuts . . . we discuss interesting and creative ways to eat these tiny nutrition powerhouses.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-43-creative-ways-to-use-nuts/

About today's guest

Themis Chryssidis is the Managing Director and dietitian at Sprout Food Group, a 100% hands-on cooking school based in Adelaide, South Australia.

Themis is a media spokesperson for Dietitians Australia, and a regular contributor to SA Life Magazine, ACH Group, 9Coach and Health Partners.

He is a dedicated and passionate dietitian who promotes healthy, nutritious and delicious eating through practical advice. When Themis is not at Sprout, you'll find him cooking, eating, drinking wine, or playing or watching some kind of sport!

Supporting resources

Nuts for Life 'Cooking with nuts' hub

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/

Fact sheet: 10 ways to enjoy nuts every day

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/10-ways-to-enjoy-nuts-every-day/

Fact sheet: Simple swaps for your favourite dishes

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/simple-swaps-for-your-favourite-dishes/

Graphic: Storing nuts

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/culinary-resources/storing-nuts/

Video demonstrations: Cooking with nuts

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/cooking-with-nuts/?1&culinary-resources-article-type=86

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

Contact us

[email protected]