 Dr Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and the period revolutionary—leading the change to better periods.
She first worked as a researcher and evolutionary biologist at the University of Calgary. She then went on to graduate as a naturopathic doctor from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). Her mission is to empower women to have easy, symptomless periods and join the worldwide "period revolution." We interviewed her so that you can get some insight into what she does.  Kirsten Beynon is a registered clinical nutritionist and health science geek who is passionate about helping people find and maintain their best possible health through sustainable diet and lifestyle changes.
She has many years of experience in the medical field, and has a broad and deep knowledge of medications and complex medical conditions that she can apply to my practice of nutrition. Kirsten holds a BSc (Honours) in Biomedical Sciences, a Masters degree in Toxicology and a Diploma in Nutrition. These complement each other to provide great background knowledge of health and nutrition along with strong research and problem solving skills. We interviewed Kirsten so you can get a bit of insight into why she does what she does.  Why did you choose HPN?
Being Canadian, a triathlete, and an avid traveler, after befriending a Kiwi exchange student in uni who highly praised HPN, I looked deeper into the progressive and organic knowledge base that stemmed from the curriculum and was drawn to it deeply. The feedback was straight up; the foundation upon which teachings stemmed were simple and interesting, and I felt like it was a calling for me to learn more so that I can help others with their health awareness for living the best life. Would you recommend the HPN course to others? Why/ Why not? Absolutely: efficient learning, incredibly supportive (I met initially with Cliff prior to taking the course, who encouraged any and every form of involvement, allowing an internship while I study with HPN, and I continued while traveling, and finished online in Canada - feeling like I was part of the community all the while!), well-designed curriculum, stress-free learning style accommodating all styles of learning via different media platforms, and also straight-up FUN! Describe your ultimate day off Waking up early (love the morning hours), nourishing my body with a good light meal, going for a sunrise run along some water and rugged trail, alone or with some buds. A nice water-hop afterwards (this is my favourite thing ever...intheskinny!), some stretching, wholesome food; a BBQ-pot luck, journaling, meditating, yoga, laughter, wine, bonfire, good people, soul music and dancing. What's next for you in the nutrition and health field? I want to learn about doing less: to go back to the roots of nourishment through simplicity and how to cultivate the inner voice of intuition for fuelling all aspect of the human being; mind-body-soul. The new nutrition research is fascinating, but I feel like the over-complication of info is a trend and although it tickles my interest, I want to help people with finding their inner knowledge to guide them towards finding a healthy, individually-suited diet & lifestyle. Mindfulness and eating is my direction of interest. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Honestly, real food, and the acceptance of my body's voice in cravings which are never constant; sometimes smoothies, sometimes chewing on chia, sometimes a steak, and sometimes tempeh (nonGMO...). My biggest weakness is in silencing my inner voice, my biggest strengths lay in times when I can hear it. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I am cutting back at them moment from my training as a Triathlete, and am healing from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (which I hope to help others with in the future), and so my Triathlon training has me doing 5 road cycling rides a week, and 2 moderate cardio days paired with weight training days. I do abdominal core strength daily, and stretch. Yoga is integrated in everyday, be it through asanas or breathwork. As I recover, I am getting stronger, with direction towards trail and road running races, I like the 10-15km distance. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. Do you have a website we can share? www.orendawellness.com  Why did you choose HPN?
I was looking for a course that wasn't traditional low fat nutrition. HPN seemed to have a very balanced and refreshing approach to nutrition. Would you recommend the HPN course to others? Why/ Why not? Yes, it provides a solid knowledge base and practical application. Describe your ultimate day off In a tent on an island, fishing, diving and hanging out with my husband and kids. That or digging in the garden. What's next for you in the nutrition and health field? Offering my services as a nutrition coach + I have a real passion for teaching kids about food and nutrition. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Being active and eating natural whole foods. Biggest weaknesses are coffee and chocolate! What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I have just started running again - trying to get in 4-5 runs a week, some short and some a bit longer at the moment to build a bit of a base and hopefully avoid injury!! Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Just Eat REAL Food!  Why did you choose HPN?
After completing my Diploma in Nutritional Science, I felt like I still had more learning to do. When I came across HPN and what it had to offer I was super excited to be able to continue on my path of study. It offered what was most important to me, holistic nutrition. The industry experience and knowledge that the HPN staff have is also another huge bonus. Im looking forward to working on the next phase of learning through HPN. Would you recommend the HPN course to others? Why/ Why not? I do recommend HPN! For anyone who has a passion for Nutrition, and for my colleagues or are already Clinical Nutritionists, I recommend that they try HPN not only for the learning but the support network it offers which to me has been valuable in the day to day running of my own clinic. Describe your ultimate day off My ultimate day off involves a long walk in the port hills of Christchurch. I love getting to the top and sitting and looking over this amazing city I call home. What's next for you in the nutrition and health field? I want to continue learning through HPN. Im slowly growing my clinical practice at a pace that works in with my family. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? My biggest food weakness is dark chocolate!!!! My favourite way to nourish my body is by making a huge salad with avo, chicken, and home made coriander dressing. I could eat this everyday if I could. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Walking or cycling. When I can....or running after my two kids if you can call that fitness.... Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Make small but sustainable changes....master one small change and then you can build on that with more confidence. You can find out more about Claudia and the work she does here  Why did you choose HPN?
Great prospective on nutrition for all aspects of humans Would you recommend the HPN course to others? Why/ Why not? Highly recommend for the ease of studying at a pace that works for anybody! Describe your ultimate day off Chill out with my fiancé and puppy doing what keeps us busy! Bush walks, beach walks - bliss. What's next for you in the nutrition and health field? Embracing the knowledge I have learnt to help already existing clients through Personal Training. Allowing all to understand what and how is the best for health! What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Biggest food weakness - Pizza and hot chips - yup I just can't say no. Nourishing my body - smoothies as you can choose a flavour and fill it with goodness! What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Crossfit 3-4 times a week with as many walks as possible to get my puppy outdoors = great for both of us! Favourite piece of nutritional advice? 'Nourish your body' Contact Elyse here  Why did you choose HPN?
I love the philosophy of a holistic approach where food comes first. It's not just the food we eat but our lifestyle that also affects our health and performance in day to day life. I adored the fact that each individual's metabolic map is so vastly different, so applying carbs appropriately very much resonated with me, in accordance to the individual's goal. I'm a fan of eating Whole Foods to fuel my life and my CrossFit performance went through the roof, as did my sleep and energy levels. I simply wanted to help others achieve what I did and HPN's course provided that next step Would you recommend the HPN course to others? Why/ Why not? Because it's affordable, can be done in your own time in easy to manage modules. The webinars and learnings are super valuable too. It provided a great cross section to apply to my clients and understand just what they need to progress Describe your ultimate day off A slow morning to read/meditate.. Leisurely brunch by the ocean followed by a walk with a girlfriend to walk it off.. A CrossFit session then an afternoon with my partner in nature followed by dinner and red wine with an early night What's next for you in the nutrition and health field? Food and Psychology. Getting an understanding as to why people find it hard to stick with eating healthy foods. I'm just about to make the move to Melbourne and ready to take my business Dani Vitality to the next level and work for myself full time What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I adore my protein breakfast smoothie because coconut cream and peanut butter feature! My biggest food weakness is a glorious cheese and antipasto platter *heart eyes emoji* What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? CrossFit 3-4 times per week then an HIIT style gym session. I also love a walk on the beach which is more therapy than fitness but I'm in active wear so I figure that counts! Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Eat when you're hungry and listen to what your body is calling out for. When you struggle to make healthy choices, ask what your body and goals need to be fueled and to feel good Visit Dani's website to find out more  Why did you choose HPN?
My journey started after watching the Nigel Latta show on sugar. After that my wife went and saw Mikki Williden which sparked my interest in Nutrition. I hit the age of 40 and decided I needed to do something else with my life. I spoke to Mikki about where to study and she recommended HPN (thanks Mikki). What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? HPN provided me with a lot of evidence based knowledge with a balanced and unbiased approach, I learned that there is no one size fits all approach to nutrition. HPN gave me the ability to learn from home while working fulltime, the support from the team has been great. I would recommend it to others because everything that is taught is supported by up to date research and as I mentioned earlier there is a huge amount of support. What was your background experience in nutrition? Aside from a general interest none at all. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? Looking at ways to continue my learning and gain some experience as a nutrition coach. My plan is to eventually turn nutrition coaching into a fulltime career. What does your ideal day off entail? Nice weather and a day at the skatepark. What is your favorite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Just eating real food, well balanced whole and unprocessed where possible. Biggest weakness is not being prepared and having to grab food that is convenient. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I try to run at least twice a week and skateboard as much as weather and time allows. Favorite piece of nutritional advice? Great nutrition starts with food first and foremost. You can make huge improvements to your overall wellbeing by eating whole unprocessed foods as much as possible.  Why did you choose HPN?
I got tired of searching through forums and blogs for science based sport nutritional advice that was in the realm of Carbohydrate appropriate. I believed there was too many courses looking at conventional sport nutrition which was being challenged by science. I was also keen for a NZ based course where I could easily communicate with tutors and mentors in the field. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I got a science driven view on nutrition for people wanting high performance in their life. I felt this was an unbiased view and the forums were always open with a very supportive learning environment. I would recommend it because HPN is changing the face of nutrition education. What was your background experience in nutrition? I studied Sport Science at Otago University where I completed several Sport Nutrition papers via the School of Nutrition. I have spent several years coaching various athletes and sport teams where nutritional advice has been given. I am also working for a natural health company here in NZ where I am able to give nutritional advice. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I am currently working as a Natural Health Business Consultant for GO Healthy NZ. I am also working with several athletes and people who are looking to change their nutrition to increase their daily energy. What's does your ideal day off entail? Fresh coffee and omelette before hitting the trails for a run in the mountains. Finished off with some nice food on the deck with my partner. What is your favorite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Favourite nourishment would be Kombucha. I love the probiotic goodness it can deliver while being low in sugars. My biggest weakness would cinnamon coated cashew nuts! What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Weekly I am running upwards of 10 - 12 hours, in the hills if I can. Try and squeeze a strength session in there as well as a swim (in the outdoor pool in Dunedin so summer time only). Favorite piece of nutritional advice? Carbs are used for fuel only... the less active you are, the less you need.   New week, new introduction! We are super excited to introduce to you another presenter at the HPN conference- Darren Ellis. Known as the ‘god father’ of CrossFit in NZ, Darren placed 4th in both the 2009 and 2010 Australasian CrossFit Games, and was part of the affiliate team that competed in the 2010 World CrossFit Games. We are lucky enough to have Darren taking us through a strength and functional movement workshop so you guys can all get your sweat on!!
Owner of CrossFit NZ, he is truly changing people's lives everyday with the work that he does. We asked Darren a few questions so you guys could see what he is all about!   Eric Helms is a coach, athlete, author, and educator. Eric has been involved in the fitness industry for over a decade, holds multiple degrees in exercise science and nutrition and has published several scientific studies in respected peer-reviewed journals. We are lucky enough to have Eric as the key note speaker for the second time in a row and trust me when I say this guy is someone you want to hear from! His incredible knowledge and insight into the health and wellness industry is priceless. We asked him a few questions so you guys could get to know him a bit better:
  Michelle knows what it’s like to battle with the ups and downs of poor health, diet confusion, and low self-esteem. She knows what it’s like to be a slave to the scale and ride the yo-yo diet roller coaster.
Michelle Yandle specialises in empowered eating and through her business has helped many men and women take control of their eating once and for all. We are are lucky to have her speak at the conference as we feel it is an incredibly important topic to cover! We interviewed Michelle so you can learn a little bit more about what she does:  HPN 2016 is coming up in November and we are super excited to share with you our presenters! We are very lucky to have Clinical nutritionist and naturopath Philip Dowling on board who will be discussing better health, weight loss and your microbiome.
Ever wondered what your gut bacteria has to do with your health and your weight? Philip will be answering all your questions and informing us on how we can manage our microbiome through nutrition. This is a presentation not to be missed! Phillip was Head of Nutrition and Naturopathy at Wellpark College from 1999 to 2014. He now practises locally at his clinic Health Journeys. We asked Philip a few questions so you can see what he is all about:  What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others?
I would recommend the HPN level 1 nutrition course to any aspiring personal trainer who is set on enhancing their professional development and best practice delivered to clients. The ability to apply what I have learnt and deliver evidence based nutrition information to clients has improved the value of my personal training business. Nutrition is an important component to any training regime, from performance, body composition, to health benefits the advice I have provided clients has delivered results for them and my own personal journey. What was your background experience in nutrition? Experience in nutrition has come from university (tertiary lvl) papers completed at AUT University undergoing a bachelor of sport and recreation: Exercise Science. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I run my own personal training business “Logan Botica - Performance and nutrition coach”. What's does your ideal day off entail? My ideal day off includes a good morning training session, preferably resistance training. The rest of the day would be perfect spent at the beach in hot weather with a home cooked meal to top off the day. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? My favourite way to nourish my body through incorporating as many whole food sources as I can – anywhere between 70-90%. I believe in having a balance in my lifestyle when it comes to food, I don’t believe in bad or good foods. Quality and quantity of nutrition is still important, however maintainable results that promote consistency is the key to an overall balanced lifestyle. My biggest weakness… would have to be a combination of three – sushi, burgers & pizza aka carb heaven. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I first began training to improve performance for basketball. Over the years my philosophies and goals have changed after I became more interested in training and it became enjoyable. I train 6 days of the week, 1 day off through periodisation of resistance training. I am a typical meathead and typically train to improve body composition/physique. The resistance training involves a lot of work focused on hypertrophy and high volume of each body part while incorporating specific overloading techniques. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? My advice to anyone wanting to change their approach to nutrition is to stay consistent, trust yourself, be patient, stick to a routine that is maintainable and allows you to live a positive & balanced lifestyle.  Why did you choose HPN?
I am a Registered Personal Trainer and a requirement for this is I have to complete ongoing study (which is a great thing I believe, can never stop learning!). I picked HPN course as one of my study options for the year. It gave me REPS points and good nutrition is a passion of mine, so was keen to learn more. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? What didn't I get out of it! :) The knowledge that Cliff and the rest of the team at HPN have is mind blowing. I now have a greater knowledge of what type of nutrition plans suit each individual person. I learnt a lot about the high fat low carb way of eating and how you can modify this to suit all clients. I loved having the team to bounce ideas off and if supplementation was needed for clients the team are great for giving help to choose the best. Mostly I think I learnt the importance of holistic nutrition to aid in performance not just in sports but everyday life! What was your background experience in nutrition? When doing my training to become a personal trainer and group exercise instructor I studied papers in nutrition. I also have read numerous books to increase my knowledge. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? The same as I was before however equiped with more knowledge, that I use with my clients and for my personal well being. So I think same but better than before! ☺ What's does your ideal day off entail? An early morning run with my running buddy, followed by a coffee with my husband on our deck looking over the beautiful vineyards in Marlborough and then planning family activities for the day with our four children. Oh and of course finishing the day with a good book and a glass of wine...now that would be perfect! What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I love my breakfast! Protein pancakes with full fat greek yoghurt and a handful of blueberries. My biggest food weakness would be toast with pics peanut butter and banana. Not that this is necessarily bad....I just listen to my body and pancakes fuel me better than bread. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Everything! I'm an exercise addict. Spin classes, metafit classes, running, weight sessions, walks, yoga. Whatever I can fit in I will! Favourite piece of nutritional advice? "Food is the most abused anxiety drug and exercise is the most underutilised antidepressant" or If it’s man-made eat less of it...If you could see it when walking through a garden or a forest, then eat more!  Why did you choose HPN?
I had read a lot about the LCHF movement and after trying the lifestyle for myself I wanted to know more and wanted to learn from the best in the industry. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I would recommend the course to others because it is a very thorough comprehensive course that delivers the material in an easy format to follow, it covers a lot of information and provides direction to explore innovative and fresh thinking. What was your background experience in nutrition? None apart from my own reading around nutrition from broscience to proven theories. What's does your ideal day off entail? Time with family catching up on fun stuff, relaxing and trying to fit in some sort of physical activity. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I don't have one specific way to nourish my body as I try to follow a whole, natural and unprocessed lifestyle for both me and my family. Although my biggest weakness is chocolate, the darker the better. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I try to fit in 3 or 4 weight sessions a week and a few functional fitness/body calisthenics/Zuu sessions at 'The Wall'. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? There is no one fits all approach to nutrition, experiment and monitor how your body responds then make small tweaks.  If your not familiar with Nicky Samuels, you will be soon. The Olympic & Commonwealth games representative and world champion triathlete is set to impress at Rio this year. Holistic Performance Nutrition is proud to support Nicky Samuels with her journey on the road to Rio. We asked Nicky a few questions to get a bit of insight into the life of a world class triathlete.
 Why did you choose HPN?
I chose HPN because the information made sense to me as HFLC had worked for me in the past. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I got detail - the reasons why HFLC works and how to tweek if for individuals to improve their results. I would recommend HPN for the support and knowledge the HPN team offer. What was your background experience in nutrition? I had no experience, I was a stay at home mother that just wants her own daughter to have the knowledge and skills not to struggle with health/weight as I have. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I am here to guide those that want it. What's does your ideal day off entail? Riding my horse in the NZ Cowboy Challenge. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? Favourite nourishment would be home made butter chicken loaded with silver beet on a bed of cauliflower rice. My biggest food weakness is baileys and mars bar cheesecake! What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? 3 sessions HIIT, 2x 10km plus walks with my chocolate dog and riding horses at the weekend. Swimming if I get time. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? "We feed our livestock on grain to fatten them but we never take them past their prime"  Why did you choose HPN?
I'd been wanting to do some additional formal nutrition for a while, but just hadn't found the right course. After a few conversations with Cliff Harvey, I realised that HPN course was exactly what I was looking for. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I think that the HPN course is awesome regardless of whether you already have qualifications in nutrition or you're completely new and are just getting started. For me, I found that the HPN course further solidified my beliefs about nutrition and also gave me even more certainty in explaining carbohydrate appropriate nutrition, based on the individual. l I've already recommended the HPN to quite a few people, some of whom have gone on to complete the HPN course also. What was your background experience in nutrition? I originally studied nutrition at Otago University and have a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition. As I've gone through my own health journey and work journey, my views on nutrition have evolved and I've gone from pretty fat phobic to not being able to get enough of it! It was really during my studies to become a Chiropractor that I really developed an appreciation for how amazing the human body is and how it's designed to function and as a result, I really started to focus on what nutrients the body needs to thrive and where we find that in food. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I'm currently working in Bundaberg, Australia. I spend most of my time as a Chiropractor, with a particular focus on seeing families. I also do a little 1:1 work with clients from a nutrition perspective as well as running various workshops, both online and offline, for work places, clients and parents. I have a particular passion for working with Mums and families and think it's of vital importance that we empower Mums (and Dads) to start fuelling their kids with real food from Day One (in fact before Day One) so that kids can have the very best start to life. What's does your ideal day off entail? Wake up early. Journal and mediate. Have a walk on the beach or workout. Breakfast out with the family. Do something work related. Spend some family time together. Ending it with a date night with the husband (minus the child) What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I go through phases of favourite foods! 80-90% of the time myself and my family nourish ourselves with nutrient dense, real food - Pork Belly cooked slowly in bone broth with loads of crackling, roasted brussel sprouts and a pile of other vegetables is probably my favourite go to meal if I want to 'wow' friends over dinner! My biggest food weakness is a drink weakness (although I'm not sure I'd call it a weakness) - I'm very partial to a beautiful glass of red wine. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? At the moment it's a mixture of walking, a couple of PT sessions each week and usually a yoga / pilates session or two. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? How you eat is just as important as what you eat! I think most of us eat food in a stressed out state, which affects our ability to digest, assimilate and absorb the nutrients from the food we are eating, not to mention it's less satisfying! Stay awake at your plate (aka: eat without distractions). Focus on real food first. Get the basics right - fat, protein and micronutrients at each meal and don't sweat the small stuff.  Why did you choose HPN? I was looking for a course I could do via distance learning and something progressive and with up to date content. As I already had a qualification in nutrition I wanted to extend my knowledge but also learn some more practical applications to the theory. HPN offered all of this. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I enjoyed the online lectures and being able to do this in your own time. I gained a lot of knowledge, a lot of the theory was reinforcing the practices I already had in place myself but it gave me more confidence to go and advise others. I would recommend it to anyone who has studied nutrition but since queried a lot of the theories learnt at University. I’d also recommended it to anyone wanting to learn more about nutrition and interested in up to date research and being involved in a really innovative and forward thinking community. What was your background experience in nutrition? I have a Bachelor of Science from Massey University majoring in Human Nutrition and Sport Science. Have worked as a Nutritionist in the past. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I am looking at ways in which I can get myself back into the Nutrition and Wellness space, planning on doing some nutrition consulting in the near future. I am currently working full time in an unrelated field but one I am still passionate about as Surf Education Manager for Surf Lifesaving Northern Region. What's does your ideal day off entail? It starts with a swim and then a big cooked breakfast maybe eggs, mushrooms, greens and salmon plus a coffee. It would then involve something active outdoors like a bush walk and picnic or a day at the beach, then finish with yoga and a lovely dinner somewhere. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I try to nourish by body everyday with fresh, homemade meals brimming with colour from different vegetables. My weakness is probably cheese or peanut butter, or the two together! What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I swim in the morning about 4 x a week in the summer, and also go for a jog 2-3 times a week, yoga is also a big part of my life and I try to get to class twice a week but also do my own practice at home. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Eat real food! Hard to go wrong with this advice; real, natural, whole and unprocessed. Find out more about Sarah Mortimer at www.gratitudethroughfood.co.nz  Why did you choose HPN? Right time right place basically. It was perfect timing when I met Cliff, right when I was looking into Online nutrition courses and he told me about his HPN course. It was perfect because it was online but also we had just become a client of Nuzest NZ and so I would be able to build a relationship with Cliff which was a lot better than other courses where I probably would never have met those behind the scenes. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? I was very new to Nutrition, there is only 1 nutritionist in the Cook Islands that works for the Ministry of Health, so I was looking for any courses that could teach me the foundations of Nutrition to give me a good starting knowledge base. The HPN course gave me more than that. You learn a lot of the basics to nutrition but it also encourages you to look deeper into what is the latest research and teaches you to keep an open mind about the changing beliefs around nutrition. The other online courses I had looked into around the world I believe would have just taught me stock standard old school basics behind nutrition with no reference to what is new or even a holistic approach to nutrition which arguably is the best way to get people to change their bad habits around eating, especially here in the Cook Islands. What was your background experience in nutrition? I had absolutely no background experience in nutrition before the HPN course. My partner and I started running some Health & Fitness groups to try and start getting people active in groups of 12 at a time for 12 weeks. As part of that service we offered some advice on nutrition which was just what I found online on nutrition mostly around the Paleo diet. I may not have had any certificate behind my name but because there was no one else here it was still more than what they could get from anyone else. Following the Paleo diet was a simple way to teach people initially because to eat cleaner diets was always going to make a huge impact on their health, especially because we were/are the fattest and most obese nation in the world. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I didn’t wait till I got my certificate before practicing what it taught. I started making changes to the content I taught immediately and kept revamping it as I learnt more from the course. To give some perspective on how my content has changed, I started with teaching people about what has always been commonly believed around nutrition e.g. Calories In should be less than Calories Out; Follow Paleo and you can’t go wrong; Fat was bad. To now running an initial workshop with a presentation that educates people about our dire NCD statistics, why we get fat is not as simple as Calories In vs. Calories out, and why fat is not all bad. I then teach them about Paleo and why it is a great starting point but to truly get the best results from your nutrition we need to tweak it to be more high fat low carb with a holistic approach to change some bad habits that got them in that situation in the first place. However, I only ever ran these workshops and challenges in house (I co-own a CrossFit gym). I didn’t promote it to outsiders as I wanted something behind my name before doing so. Now that I have a Certificate I can now start announcing workshops / presentations to the wider community and can actually write articles for the newspaper, which hopefully will create more awareness about proper nutrition and good habits to make some lasting changes in peoples lives. What's does your ideal day off entail? Spending the day at the beach with our kids and family. Our lives get very hectic and busy throughout the week with long hours from 5am through to 8pm at night. Our kids get very limited time with us and so a day at the beach takes you off the grid and disconnects you from the online world and everything else in life that causes stress. There is nothing better than spending the whole day in the water or sitting under a coconut tree on the beach talking to family while watching your children enjoy themselves playing and having fun all day long. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I swear by Nuzest’s Good Green Stuff and recommend it to absolutely everyone and anyone that live a busy life. It is so hard to get all the nutrition you need from the food we eat today, and GGS is the perfect nutrition insurance to give you a good head start every day. Since taking GGS my daily performance and output has doubled, and that is probably an understatement. Coconut oil is my other must have, I can’t go half a day without having some sort of dose of coconut oil whether it is in a cup of coffee or cooked in my meals. I don’t really have a food weakness as I have never had a sweet tooth or had a food item that I couldn’t resist. My main problem around food is that I get really busy and to cook food sometimes I view as a chore and time waster that I quite easily fall to convenient food because it is quicker. My attraction to those foods is the time it saves me as opposed to the enjoyment I get out of them which isn’t much anyway. So because of this I have created an armoury of meals that are really quick for me to pull together that require minimal preparation time. There are always healthy nuts and fruit all over our house as well. The funny part to all this is I actually find cooking therapeutic and should do it more often. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? This is an area of my life that I am working on. Since starting up our CrossFit gym and taking on nutrition clients on top of raising a young family of 3 boys under the age of 8 and a full time job as an accountant with 5 busy clients, I have had less and less time for exercise. I have tried to get into a routine to find that I start off enjoying it because my body needs it to actually resenting it because it is stealing to much of my time which I need to get through my mountains of work that I am months behind in. I always preach to everyone that regardless of how busy you are you need to make time for exercise, and because I am a firm believer of leading by example this is an area that i really need to get sorted in my life. So Yoga and stretching for 20-30 minutes a day is where I will start as a desk job can have a lot of detrimental effects on your body. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? “YOU CANNOT OUT-TRAIN A BAD DIET”. There is a common misbelief that if you train hard you can eat whatever you want because you earned it, there are some that believe that you can go for an easy 30minute walk with a friend and you earned your dessert for dinner. Some people train so hard and wonder why their body composition doesn’t change, when all they need to acknowledge is that what they are eating is the culprit. In a way, the fact that I don’t have a fitness routine helps me hammer this message home as I get many compliments from people that I look good and fit. They believe that I do CrossFit to look like this and are surprised to learn that I actually don’t train and that I look like this because of how I eat and not how I expend my energy. I manage to get their attention when I tell them this and they become more interested in what I have to teach  Why did you choose HPN? I chose HPN as it is evidence based nutrition knowledge with content put together by the most knowledgable experts in nutrition in New Zealand. I wanted a course that taught me about eating real whole foods to fuel the body for optimal performance not just in sports but in life. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? HPN course taught me a lot about the fundamentals of sports performance nutrition, as well as nutrition for everyday life. It taught me about using natural, whole and unprocessed food sources for optimal performance. I would recommend HPN course as I feel it is essential for everyone to have a understanding about what they are putting into their bodies and to be taught the correct food choices and supplementations to live a healthy happy life. What was your background experience in nutrition? Diploma in Clinical Nutrition from Wellpark College, Personal Training. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? Working at my own clinic/training studio seeing clients for clinical nutrition and personal training. What's does your ideal day off entail? A sleep in, followed by a nice walk up a mountain in the sunshine or a day on the beach followed by a gym session. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I love eating natural whole foods, eliminating everything processed. My biggest weakness is definitely fast food burgers. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Weight training sessions 7-10 times weekly, followed by cardio 5-7times weekly outdoors or inside. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? You can’t out train a bad diet. Too many people spend hours in the gym day in, day out, and don’t see results because their nutrition is not correct. It isn’t until you sort out your eating that you will start seeing good results.  Why did you choose to study nutrition with HPN? Last year around this time, I received the book 99 Things You Need To Know to Lose Fat by Cliff Harvey. Within the book there was a reference to seeking advice from a certified Holistic Performance Coach. This was the first I had heard of the term and so I went straight to the computer and did some investigating. Having a huge amount of respect for Cliff and wanting to have a New Zealand based certification I signed up within the hour! Previously I had studied with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition which prepared me with the skills I needed to be a good coach but felt like it was missing some of the science that HPN could provide. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? First and foremost, HPN taught me some serious critical thinking skills. It woke me up to the fact that all the "evidence" out there in the world wide web isn't necessarily properly reviewed and proven. It gave me the skills I needed to research different ideas thoroughly so I could have an unbiased evidence based approach to my learning. HPN breaks through the hype and fear mongering that is more often than not today's health and weight loss industry and is so important for anyone who wants to be seen as a credible resource for health and wellbeing. I also learned the science behind the nutritional theories I practice which provided me with more confidence in my practice. What was your background experience in nutrition? Un-officially I've been involved with nutrition all my life. Beginning from my battles with weight as a young child and teen. I wanted to know what makes us well and continue to have that drive today. I started with a couple courses online - through IIN and other sources but again, wanted something more. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I have a successful health and nutrition coaching business based here in Taranaki however I provide workshops and seminars New Zealand wide. I have a strong following in various social media outlets and use those to help continue to inspire and educated. I have also recently published a book "A Diet for 7 Generations" which provides simple nutrition and lifestyle advice amongst all the chaos out there today. I have also recently been hired as the "Healthy Inspirations" brand ambassador for Bin Inn Retail Group so you should see me a lot more around NZ! What's does your ideal day off entail? What's a day off? haha. Honestly, a day off would involve getting away from home. I love travelling around NZ but mostly love spending time away with my husband. We love to go for rides in our Canadian canoe and go for walks up the mountain. Sitting in the sun with a great book is also amazing. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? My favourite way to nourish my body is indulging in the freshest of produce either from our own garden or the local farmers market. There is nothing quite like fresh strawberries this time of year or sautéed silver beet straight out of the garden. I don't really have a lot of weaknesses as I know I can have these things if I truly want them, but my favourite "treats" are definitely chocolate and fresh bread. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? I keep things pretty simple most weeks. We do a short "tabata" type workout once or twice a day, potentially some yoga and then some walks in between. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Just eat real food, practice self care, and listen to your body.  Nikki Ralston is an Auckland yogi who founded the Ralston Method in order to provide people with a unified approach to well-being. We are fortunate to have secured her for the HPN conference to take us through an early bird yoga class! There is no way to explain the way that you feel after one of her classes, only that you always leave inspired with a smile from ear to ear!
Nikki is filled with endless wisdom, so read on to she what she has to say!  Why did you choose HPN?
I was left feeling disheartened after my nutrition degree not believing in a lot of what I was taught and I knew I wanted to learn more. When I found out about HPN and that the content was evidence based but with a holistic focus I was excited and I knew I had to do it. What did you get out of the HPN course/ why would you recommend it others? Belief that nourishing your body with real food has the ability to change lives. It has taught me how to practically apply my nutrition knowledge and its given me real direction as a Nutritionist. Even though I already had a nutrition background, I think a lot of the content is applicable to anyone in the health industry who wants to some exciting concepts. Also the support network; being able to ask questions of really experienced, well established practitioners with a wealth of knowledge made it even more well worth it. What was your background experience in nutrition? I have a BSc in Human Nutrition and Exercise and Sport Science. Prior to HPN I had a role in a public health nutrition initiative and I also did some nutrition work for Nadia Lim. What are you up to now as a graduate of HPN? I'm now living on the Gold Coast and working as a Nutritionist at an organic health food store and will shortly be seeing clients out of the clinic. What's does your ideal day off entail? Heading down to Byron Bay and finding some beautiful local produce for a beach picnic or adventuring into the hinterland for a bush run and a waterfall swim. What is your favourite way to nourish your body and what is your biggest food weakness? I love to nourish my body with freshly caught seafood and a big huge salad. My biggest weakness is without a doubt raw dark chocolate. What does your weekly fitness routine consist of? Most mornings you'll find me in Burleigh at Func Fitness doing functional training, TRX and Zuu classes which are HIIT based on primal movement patterns. It’s a lot of fun. I try and get in a couple of yoga sessions a week and on Sundays I go for a bare foot beach run. Favourite piece of nutritional advice? Thats simple… just eat real food |
*The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has evaluated the Certified Holistic and Performance Nutrition Coach (Micro-credential) delivered by Holistic Performance Limited and has assessed it to be equivalent to 35 credits (350 notional learning hours) at Level 5 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF)
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