In this episode, the ‘Best of 2023’, we wrap up the year by reflecting on the highlights.

Our dietitians share the most interesting things we learnt in 2023, 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 uncover the best, most popular and most interesting this year – from nut research, to recipes, podcasts, news articles, and more.  

Some of which may surprise you!

About today’s guest

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

Based in Brisbane, Maree has more than 15 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:

Research paper series: Nuts2022 – Nuts and health research

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/global-experts-endorse-nuts/

Research paper: 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

Nuts and health research summaries

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource-library/?1&nut=&article-type=69

Omega-3 fatty acids in nuts

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/omega-3-fatty-acids-in-nuts/

Nuts for Life Resource Library

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource-library/?1&nut=&article-type=&type-resources=71%2C44%2C70%2C48

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Host: Belinda Neville

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Did you know that around 1.9 million Australians are living with diabetes? And type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable, accounts for 85-90% of all cases - and is increasing each year.

So, how can nuts help? What’s their role in reducing diabetes risk, and managing existing diabetes?

We speak with Diabetes Victoria dietitian Tim McMaster, who has a wealth of experience in diabetes.   

He explains the role of nutrition in preventing and managing diabetes, how the primary clinical goal of diabetes management goes beyond just managing blood glucose levels, and more.

Plus, he explains a potential role for nuts in preventing type 2 diabetes, and where they fit within diabetes dietary recommendations. And he allays the idea that cashews and chestnuts need to be avoided! 

 Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-37-whats-the-best-diet-for-diabetes-prevention-and-management/

About today’s guest

Tim is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian, based in Melbourne. 

He has been working in diabetes for more than 10 years and is a senior diabetes dietitian with Diabetes Victoria. He is also the director of his online private practice 'Master Nutrition', which specialises in his two favourite areas of nutrition, diabetes nutrition and sports nutrition.   

When Tim isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his young family, drinking coffee and watching all kinds of sports (not necessarily in that order). Occasionally, he still pulls on the running shoes, when his body allows it.

Supporting resources

Durability of a primary care-led weight-management intervention for remission of type 2 diabetes: 2-year results of the DiRECT open-label, cluster-randomised trial

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30852132/

Intensive lifestyle intervention for remission of early type 2 diabetes in primary care in Australia: DiRECT-Aus

https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/doi/10.2337/dc23-0781/153542/Intensive-Lifestyle-Intervention-for-Remission-of

Nuts in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/4/878

Associations between plant-based dietary patterns and risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality – a systematic review and meta-analysis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10548756/

Nuts and diabetes

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

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Host: Belinda Neville

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Australians often avoid eating nuts, including almonds, due to their kilojoule and fat content.

But a recent randomised trial, Australian-based researchers, provides further evidence that an energy-restricted diet, containing nuts (almonds, in this case) can promote weight loss and maintenance, and support cardiometabolic health.

Lead researcher, Professor Alison Coates, from the University of South Australia, shares the key findings from her team’s research, which has just been published in the journal Obesity.

She presents a compelling case for why almonds make a great addition to a weight loss diet! 

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-36-what-makes-almonds-a-great-addition-to-a-weight-loss-diet/ 

About today’s guest

Alison Coates is a professor in human nutrition, and a member of the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) Research Centre, based in Allied Health and Human Performance at the University of South Australia.

Alison received her PhD from the University of Adelaide in 2002. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado, she returned to the University of South Australia where she has been for the last 19 years.

Alison’s research focuses on dietary strategies to improve cardiovascular and metabolic function, with a focus on bioactive nutrients in foods and supplements, and the impact of altered timing of eating.

She is currently working on weight loss trials in adults focused on a wide range of health outcomes.

Supporting resources

Almonds vs. carbohydrate snacks in an energy-restricted diet: Weight and cardiometabolic outcomes from a randomized trial

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23860

Almonds: A useful addition to a weight loss diet

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/almonds-a-useful-addition-to-a-weight-loss-diet/  

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Host: Belinda Neville

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Historically, nutrition science focused on individual nutrients, and how falling short of these could lead to certain diseases. 

Decades on, in many higher-income countries, like Australia, nutrient deficiencies are no longer the norm. Instead, we’re much more attuned to rising rates of chronic diseases, which are not caused by single nutrients (or lack of a single nutrient), but have multiple determinants.

So, we need to consider foods, food groups and, most importantly, dietary patterns. 

In our newest podcast episode, we talk with Dr Elizabeth Neale on all things ‘dietary patterns’. 

She touches on why singling out nutrients is now considered a ‘reductionist’ approach, why it’s worth looking at the whole diet, which dietary patterns are the best (and why), and how more recent dietary guidelines have shifted their focus.  

Plus, we consider where nuts fit within healthy dietary patterns, based on the latest evidence.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-35-the-power-of-healthy-dietary-patterns/ 

About today’s guest

Dr Elizabeth Neale is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian. She completed her PhD in nutrition at the University of Wollongong in 2012, where she now works as a Senior Lecturer.

Elizabeth’s research focuses on the evidence-based framework in nutrition, with a particular focus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She also explores the impact of nut consumption on risk factors for chronic diseases.

Supporting resources

Foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns: Interconnections and implications for dietary guidelines

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863273/pdf/an011718.pdf

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Host: Belinda Neville

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Do nuts cause weight gain and should you avoid them if you’re managing your weight? Should nuts be activated to better access their nutrients? And are nuts a 'complete' protein?

The Healthy Handful podcast host, Belinda Neville, speaks with colleague and Accredited Practising Dietitian Maree Hall, to unpack some of the biggest nut myths we hear time and again.

We answer these questions and more, based on the scientific evidence, to set the record straight.

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/busting-the-biggest-nut-myths/ 

About today’s guest

Maree Hall is the Digital and Communications Manager at Nuts for Life. Maree has more than 15 years’ experience in communications across a range of channels, working primarily with consumer and healthcare professional audiences. During the past decade, she has worked across the food industry sector, as well as for the dietetics professions' national body, Dietitians Australia.

Supporting resources:

Nuts are not linked with weight gain

Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials

The metabolizable energy and lipid bioaccessibility of tree nuts and peanuts: A systematic review with narrative synthesis of human and in vitro studies

Activating nuts

The Healthy Handful: Episode 3 – Activating nuts

Does ‘activating’ nuts affect nutrient bioavailability?

Plant, nut and 'complete' proteins

Plant and nut protein and health

Believe it or ‘nut’: Why it is time to set the record straight on nut protein quality: Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) focus

Environment and sustainability

The Healthy Handful: Episode 9 – Sustainabilty in the almond industry

The Healthy Handful: Episode 8 – Sustainabilty in the macadamia industry

Roasted vs raw nuts

An audit of the energy, fat and sodium content of nuts

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Host: Belinda Neville

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Gone are the days when the only options for your café latte were ‘full-cream’ or ‘skim’! Plant-based milks, including nut milks, have taken grocery stores and cafes by storm in recent years, as a popular alternative to dairy milk, making up around 7% of all milk consumed in Australia.

But are they healthier, or 'better' than cows' milk? And which plant-based milks are the best?

In this episode, we take a look at the reasons behind the increase in popularity of plant-based milks, discuss their pros and cons, and identify which ones make the best ingredients in curries!

Access episode webpage: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-33-whats-the-best-plant-based-milk/ 

About today’s guest

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

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/nuts-about-nut-milk-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

Can the Substitution of Milk with Plant-Based Drinks Affect Health-Related Markers? A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies in Adults

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10255899/

Thinking Nutrition - Blog

https://www.thinkingnutrition.com.au/plant-based-milks/

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

Eating nuts regularly is linked with major health benefits. But consumption data (in Australia and around the globe), suggests that most people do not meet recommendations for nut intake.

So, what’s preventing Australians from eating more nuts? And how can we turn this around.

Dr. Elizabeth Neale, from the University of Wollongong takes us through the evidence.

Elizabeth discusses some of the key factors that inhibit people from eating enough nuts, plus what's needed to encourage greater consumption. She also outlines the crucial role of health professionals in helping people to meet nut intake targets.

About today’s guest

Dr Elizabeth Neale is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian. She completed her PhD in nutrition at the University of Wollongong in 2012, where she now works as a Senior Lecturer.

Elizabeth’s research focuses on the evidence-based framework in nutrition, with a particular focus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Her work also explores the impact of nut consumption on risk factors for chronic diseases.

 Supporting resources

Barriers and facilitators to nut consumption: A narrative review

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33297407/  

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

Men's Health Week is celebrated, around the globe, every year in June. In 2023, it will be held from 12-18 June, under the theme ‘Healthy Habits’. 

Men's Health Week focuses on physical health, and also mental health and emotional wellbeing. It’s an opportunity to highlight the importance of men's health, and to promote and support the health and wellbeing of men and boys in our communities.

Ahead of Men’s Health Week, we speak with Joel Feren (aka ‘The Nutrition Guy’) for a deep dive into men’s health.

Joel discusses some of the key health issues facing men today, nutrition tips all men should follow to build healthy habits, and why home cooking is so good for men’s health!

About today’s guest

Better known as ‘The Nutrition Guy’, Joel Feren is a media dietitian, recipe developer and nutrition writer with a background in biomedical sciences.

He works alongside the media and some of the biggest food brands in the industry, and is helping to shape the current food landscape and nutrition conversation.

Joel is a media spokesperson for Dietitians Australia and he enjoys the challenge of debunking nutrition misinformation in the media. 

Supporting resources

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

We speak with Emeritus Professor Linda Tapsell for a deep dive into a topic close to our heart: nuts and blood lipids. She summarises the findings from the body of scientific evidence, and explains exactly how nuts impacts blood lipids, the ideal amount to eat, and the types of nuts with the greatest effect.

Linda outlines a new comprehensive review, published in Nutrients, which identified 19 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled controls into the effects of nut consumption on blood lipids and lipoproteins.

This paper highlights the need for population-wide dietary changes to help reduce the risk of cardiovascualr disease - and importantly, this includes a daily handful of nuts.   

About today’s guest

Professor Linda Tapsell is well recognised in the field of Nutrition and Dietetics.

A founding member of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, she was instrumental in establishing the professional Nutrition and Dietetics programs, and later led the discipline into the new Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, at the University of Wollongong.

Linda is an inaugural Fellow of the Dietitians Australia (DA), a Fellow of the Nutrition Society of Australia, and an Emeritus Member of the American Society of Nutrition where she is recognised in the 2022 Class of Fellows. In 2015, she was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for ‘significant service to health science as an academic and clinician specialising in diet and nutrition’.

She has produced more than 250 publications in scientific journals, has educated and supported a generation of nutrition scientists, dietitians, academics and research fellows, and supervised 25 PhD graduates.

Supporting resources

Effects of nut consumption on blood lipids and lipoproteins: A comprehensive literature update.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/3/596

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

For decades, we have been interested in the impact food has on human health, and the relationship between our food choices and the risk of disease. But what impact do our food choices have on the environment?

We speak with Dr Gilly Hendrie, from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), as she explains some recent research - investigating how the typical Australian diet compares to the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommendations, and its impact on diet quality and the environment.

The two research papers, published in Public Health Nutrition, and BMC Public Health, highlight the importance of dietary diversity, and how eating a wide variety of nutritious foods, both across and within food groups, has both human and environmental benefits.

About today’s guest

Dr Gilly Hendrie is a Research Scientist with expertise in diet, nutrition and obesity prevention. Her research focuses on the development and validation of dietary assessment methods, including the development of diet quality metrics to help our understanding of dietary patterns.  

Dr Hendrie enjoys collaborating with experts from other disciplines to broaden our understanding of the impacts of dietary patterns on global concerns such as obesity, food security and climate change.

Supporting resources

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

 The importance of protein variety in a higher quality and lower environmental impact dietary pattern.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36210777/

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Host: Belinda Neville

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