The Healthy Handful

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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About this episode

Nuts are rich in healthy fats and are energy (kilojoule) dense. But does this mean that regularly eating nuts is linked to weight gain? No, and in fact we tend to see the opposite - eating nuts is associated with a lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity.

We speak with Dr Sharayah Carter, as she explains new research, from the University of South Australia, investigating the effects of almonds on appetite-regulating hormones, appetite ratings and energy intake.

Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the randomised controlled trial found that those who consumed almonds – as opposed to an energy-equivalent carbohydrate snack – reduced energy intake at a subsequent meal by as much as 300 kilojoules.

About today's guest

Dr Sharayah Carter is an early-career researcher with experience coordinating multiple large, human-based dietary interventions, collaborating with food industry, lecturing and tutoring, and mentoring and supervising students.

Sharayah is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with more than 10 years of consulting experience in chronic disease management and healthy aging.

She completed her PhD at the University of South Australia investigating the effects of intermittent, compared to continuous, energy restriction in people with type 2 diabetes. She's currently working as a post-doctoral research fellow, in Allied Health & Human Performance, where she's investigating the effects of snacking on almonds for weight loss and weight loss maintenance, delving into the mechanisms of appetite control.

Dr Carter has also tutored for subjects including Human Nutrition (internal and online), Foundations of Nutrition and Health (online) and Nutrition and Exercise (internal).

Supporting resources

Acute feeding with almonds compared to a carbohydrate-based snack improves appetite-regulating hormones with no effect on self-reported appetite sensations: a randomised controlled trial.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-022-03027-2

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

Nuts are rich in heart-healthy fat and are energy (kilojoule) dense. But does this mean that regularly eating nuts is linked to weight gain? No, and in fact we tend to see the opposite - eating nuts is associated with a lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity.

We speak with Cassandra Nikodijevic, as she explains more findings from her PhD research – the effect of nut consumption on energy compensation and energy expenditure.

Her latest findings show that eating a handful of nuts generally reduced kilojoules consumed throughout the day, compared with eating a 'control' food or no food at all - and in some cases, even completely offset the kilojoules of the nutty snack.

Cassandra also explains the differences in 'energy compensation' between nut forms, and the impact of eating nuts alone as a snack, or incorporating them into meals.

About today's guest

Cassandra Nikodijevic is an Accredited Practising Dietitian. She graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) (Dean's Scholar) in 2018 and began her PhD in nutrition in March 2021.

Cassandra works in private practice once a fortnight to supplement her PhD. Her research explores nut consumption in Australia, and the relationship between nut consumption and body weight.

Supporting resources

The effects of tree nut and peanut consumption on energy compensation and energy expenditure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322013072

Episode 15: Nuts and metabolisable energy

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-15-nuts-and-metabolisable-energy/

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

In this episode, we take a slightly different approach and reflect on the highlights of 2022.

The Healthy Handful podcast host, Belinda Neville, speaks with colleague and Accredited Practising Dietitian Maree Hall, to uncover the best, the most popular and the most interesting research, recipes, podcasts and news articles from 2022.

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:

Balakrishna, R., et al. Consumption of nuts and seeds and health outcomes including cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolic disease, cancer, and mortality: An umbrella review. Adv Nutr, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac077

Fadnes, LT., et al. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modelling study. PLOS Medicine, 2022. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889

Importance of dietary diversity . . . and plant protein: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/why-we-need-to-prioritise-plant-protein/

Nuts and cardiovascular disease – An evidence summary: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-cardiovascular-disease-what-does-the-science-say/

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

Many factors influence gut health, including age, gender, the environment, antibiotic use and our diets.

So, what's the best diet to ensure our gut remains healthy? And are nuts part of this? Should nuts be avoided in you have diverticular disease? And do we really need to activate nuts?

In this episode of The Healthy Handful podcast, we speak with dietitian Nicole Dynan, for a deep dive into gut health.

Nicole explains how foods and dietary patterns can influence the make up of the gut microbiota, including the evidence behind nuts. She also dispels some common gut myths along the way!

About today's guest

Nicole is known as 'The Gut Health Dietitian' as she specialises in gut health and food intolerance. She is one of a handful of dietitians in Australia with qualifications in dietetics and psychology.

Nicole 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.

Nicole runs a telehealth private practice and is one of the largest corporate nutrition service providers in Australia and for 'The Good Nutrition Company', which she founded in 2012.

Nicole is a guest lecturer for The University of Sydney and University of New South Wales and is a media spokesperson for Dietitian's Australia.

She has completed speaking engagements for Dietitian Connection, The Australasian Diabetes Congress, HealthEd, the Singapore Dietitian's Association and Dietitian's Australia.

Prior to becoming a dietitian, Nicole managed a chronic disease management program for Merck, Sharp & Dohme pharmaceuticals.

Supporting resources

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

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/

Does 'activating' nuts affect nutrient bioavailability?

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

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode:

In this episode of The Healthy Handful podcast, we speak with dietitian Melanie McGrice about the evidence behind diet and fertility, and why the first 1,000 days of life is so critical.

Good nutrition can optimise both egg and sperm health. From selenium and omega-3s for men, to iodine and choline for women, optimal intake of particular nutrients is crucial to lay the foundation during pre-conception, post-conception and pregnancy, and ultimately for the healthy development of a baby.

About today's guest:

Melanie McGrice is a leading fertility and prenatal dietitian. She is the founder of the Early Life Nutrition Alliance, which seeks to support health care professionals to advocate for the role of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life through the provision of training, coaches and resources.

Melanie hosts a YouTube channel called 'Nourish with Melanie'. This provides Q&As about nutrition for fertility, pregnancy and new parents. She runs a Melbourne-based nutrition practice for clients wanting personalised support.

Supporting resources:

FERTINUTS https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31248067/

Walnuts improve semen quality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22895856/

Mediterranean diet and IVF https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29390148/

Maternal nut intake and cognitive development https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-019-00521-6

Free fertility meal plan - www.melaniemcgrice.com/fertility

Free pregnancy meal plan - www.melaniemcgrice.com/pregnancy

Free journal club for health care professionals - www.earlylifenutritionalliance.com

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Host: Belinda Neville

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About this episode

Research supporting the role of nuts for heart health has gained significant momentum since the publication of the landmark Adventist Health Study in 1992. And the body of evidence is still growing today.

But what do we know about seeds? Despite them having a relatively similar nutritional profile to nuts, does the evidence also support seeds for heart health?

We speak with Lily Henderson from the New Zealand Heart Foundation. Lily explains the key findings from their recently-updated position statement on nuts, seeds and heart health, including the recommendations and implications for practice.

About today's guest

Lily Henderson is National Nutrition Advisor at the New Zealand Heart Foundation and a board member of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. Lily has more than 15 years of experience working in public health as a registered dietitian in New Zealand, the UK and Australia.

Her current role includes policy development, nutrition communications and advisory to a wide range of stakeholders. She is passionate about using the latest evidence to educate Kiwis with simple and meaningful lifestyle messages.

Supporting resources

Nuts, seeds and heart health position statement

https://assets.heartfoundation.org.nz/documents/nutrition/position-statements/nuts-and-seeds-position-statement.pdf

Nuts and risk of cardiovascular disease

https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-cardiovascular-disease-what-does-the-science-say/

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Credits

Host: Belinda Neville

Contact us

[email protected]