My story with nutrition

My interest in nutrition grew from becoming vegan and wanting to understand more about food and the body.

I kept coming across things that didn't make sense. People were telling me things with great conviction and questioning my food choices.

I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to understand:

How the body works.

What nutrients we need.

How food affects our health and longevity.

How to distinguish fact from fiction.

The science behind the claims people were making.

I didn't want to simply accept what someone told me because they sounded confident. I wanted to understand the evidence for myself.

The sorts of things I kept hearing

Seed oils cause inflammation and chronic disease.

Carbohydrates make you fat.

You need to detox your body with special foods, juices and supplements.

Fruit contains too much sugar and should be avoided.

You can't get enough protein on a vegan diet.

Everyone should avoid gluten to reduce inflammation.

Eating frequently boosts your metabolism.

Alkaline foods change your body's pH and prevent disease.

So much conflicting information. How do you know what to believe?

Some claims contain a little truth, some take research out of context, and others aren't supported by good evidence.

Seed oils cause inflammation and chronic disease.  Human evidence does not support this broad claim, and replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats generally benefits cardiovascular health by helping lower LDL cholesterol.

Carbohydrates make you fat.  Weight gain depends on overall energy balance and other factors, not carbohydrates alone, and wholegrains, legumes, fruit and vegetables provide valuable nutrients.

You need to detox your body with special foods, juices and supplements.  Your liver and kidneys naturally process and eliminate waste products, and there is little good evidence that commercial detox diets provide additional benefits.

Fruit contains too much sugar and should be avoided. Whole fruit contains natural sugars alongside fibre, vitamins and beneficial plant compounds, and are associated with positive health outcomes.

You can't get enough protein on a vegan diet. A well-planned vegan diet can provide all essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) through foods such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Everyone should avoid gluten to reduce inflammation  Gluten avoidance is essential for people with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance , but there is no good evidence that everyone benefits from eliminating it.

Eating frequently boosts your metabolism Eating more frequently does not consistently increase daily energy expenditure or produce greater weight loss when overall energy intake is comparable.

Alkaline foods change your body's pH and prevent disease Your lungs and kidneys tightly regulate blood pH, and although foods can alter urine pH, they do not meaningfully alkalise your blood.

I realised that nutrition wasn't just about knowing which foods were good or bad. It was about understanding the body, the nutrients it needs and the evidence behind the claims we hear.

Why I went to Deakin

I wanted a deeper, science-based understanding of nutrition and couldn't find what I was looking for elsewhere.

I wanted to understand:

How the body works.

Digestion and absorption.

Essential nutrients and what they do.

How nutrition affects our body systems.

The relationship between nutrition, disease prevention, health and ageing.

How to evaluate research and distinguish evidence from misinformation.

I wanted to understand the why, not just be given lists of foods to eat.

My studies gave me a much stronger foundation and showed me just how fascinating and complex nutrition really is.

Why I created the Vegan Nutrition Course

This year I created my own Vegan Nutrition Course because I wanted to make this kind of learning accessible to other people.

I know that not everyone wants to undertake a formal university course, commit to rigid deadlines or take on an ongoing financial burden.

I wanted something different.

Six months of learning for $995.

Study at your own pace.

No rigid deadlines.

Written modules you can revisit whenever you need to.

Downloadable resources.

Monthly interactive tutorials.

A genuine sense of community.

A way to learn without having to do it all alone.

What the course covers

Nutrition across the lifespan

Module 1 – Lifestyle Nutrition
How nutrition influences our health throughout life, from pregnancy and infancy through to older age. For example, what a mother eats during pregnancy can influence her baby's development and future health, but it's never too late to make positive changes to your own nutrition and wellbeing.

Module 2 – Digestion, Absorption and Nutrients
How food is digested, how nutrients are absorbed and used, and what essential nutrients we need on a vegan diet. For example, how vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant foods.

Module 3 – Lifelong Health and Disease Prevention
How nutrition supports different body systems, healthy ageing and longevity. For example, how protein and resistance exercise help maintain muscle as we age.

Module 4 – Nutrition for Health Conditions
Exploring the relationship between nutrition and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, autoimmune conditions and hormonal health.

Module 5 – Sports Nutrition
How to fuel exercise, meet protein and energy requirements, build muscle and support recovery on a vegan diet.

Module 6 – Nutrition for Weight Gain and Loss
Understanding appetite, metabolism, energy balance, different diets, supplements, weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery.

Module 7 – Implementing Nutrition in Everyday Life
Putting everything into practice by assessing dietary intake, identifying nutritional gaps, planning balanced meals and developing sustainable eating habits.

The aim is to connect the science with real life. Not just knowing what nutrients we need, but understanding why they matter and how to get them through the foods we eat.

Why the community matters

I didn't want the course to be just a collection of written modules.

Nutrition is a big subject, and sometimes reading something isn't enough. You want to ask questions, discuss ideas, hear other perspectives and make connections.

The monthly interactive tutorials allow us to explore the material together.

You can learn at your own pace, but still have that connection with others who share an interest in vegan nutrition and wellbeing.

What I hope people gain

To feel empowered rather than confused by nutrition.

To question claims and recognise misinformation.

To understand the evidence behind nutritional recommendations.

To feel confident about their food choices.

To understand how their bodies work and what they need.

To put their knowledge into practice in everyday life.

To see nutrition as something fascinating rather than a confusing set of rules.

Eight more reasons to do the course

1.    Build independence in your own nutrition

Develop the knowledge to make informed decisions for yourself rather than relying on the latest trend, influencer or person telling you what to eat.

2.    Gain confidence in your food choices

Understand why you're choosing particular foods and feel more assured that you're nourishing yourself well.

3.    Understand how to meet your nutritional needs on a vegan diet

Learn about essential nutrients, where to find them and how to put together a nutritionally balanced diet.

4.    Make sense of conflicting nutrition advice

Develop the skills to question claims, examine the evidence and recognise when something sounds convincing but may not be scientifically supported.

5.    Support your health throughout life

Understand how nutrition relates to healthy ageing, bone health, heart health, muscle maintenance, brain health and many other aspects of wellbeing.

6.    Turn knowledge into practical meals

Bridge the gap between understanding nutrients and knowing how to use that knowledge when planning, preparing and enjoying everyday food.

7.    Learn without the pressure of rigid deadlines

Fit your studies around work, family and other commitments, and revisit the material as often as you need.

8.    Be part of a community that shares your interests

Learn alongside others, ask questions, explore ideas together and benefit from the monthly interactive tutorials.

My final message

Ultimately, I want people to have independence in their own nutrition.

I want you to understand your body, know what nutrients you need, feel confident about the food you eat and be able to make informed decisions for yourself.

I want you to be able to look at a nutrition claim and ask, "Is this actually supported by evidence?" Does this even make sense with how the body works. 

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there, I want you to have the knowledge and confidence to navigate it.

And I want you to have the practical skills to turn that knowledge into food you enjoy eating every day.

That's what the Vegan Nutrition Course is really about. It's not about telling you what to eat, it's about helping you understand nutrition well enough to make those decisions for yourself.

Six months of learning, practical resources, monthly tutorials and a community of like-minded people.

The course is $995, and you can find out more and enrol here:

https://www.veets.com.au/vegan-nutrition-course

Starting in November

Recipe 

Yummy lunch 

Roast pumpkin with dukkah 

Beetroot hummus 

Salad 

Potatoes with peas and coriander preserved lemon dressing 

Tempeh cooked with oil and tamari 

Fun cooking tip 

Put some lo-fi music on while you are cooking and don a colourful apron.