Meet Rachel
Clinical Nutritionist and Owner of Busy Families Nutrition
Rachel holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Clinical Nutrition) and is a registered member of the Australian Natural Therapies Association (ANTA).
I’ve loved good food and cooking for as long as I can remember. I’m also fascinated how the human body works. See where we’re going here?
I used to love nothing more than planning an elaborate meal with a huge ingredient list, intricate steps and many hours of preparation. This wasn’t always the case (more about this below), but when I had the time, this is what I was doing.
I’ve changed my philosophy a bit these days…
Whilst the time available to me for meal planning and preparation has significantly diminished, my appetite for delicious healthy food hasn’t. And this is why Busy Families Nutrition came about.
As a busy mum myself, I know it’s crucial to be able to quickly prepare wholesome, balanced meals that the whole family will actually eat AND enjoy, and that includes those meals on the run. I believe in a balanced approach to eating – no food is “bad”, everything in moderation.
I’m a big advocate for family meals when it comes to feeding adults and children, as no one wants to cook two recipes for every meal! Eating as a family has huge benefits to both adults and children, in terms of developing healthy eating habits, exposure and willingness to try new foods, as well as improving communication, mental health and self-esteem.
However, what works for me may not work for you, and I’m all about finding a way to best work with your lifestyle to meet your and your family’s health goals. Whilst I’m quite a practical person when it comes to planning meals, I also like to incoporate some creativeness when it comes to traditional recipes to allow for intolerances, allergies and personal preferences.
I’m really looking forward to working with you and between us collaborating to build a happy, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Rachel.
My Story
So how did I get here?
Before I pursued my studies in nutrition, I worked in the demanding information technology space where the job required me to be available almost 24/7. It was an all or nothing approach at the time – gourmet meals or quick take aways. After years of prioritising work over my own needs, especially my health, I burnt out.
I’d always been prone to headaches and migraines and now I was frequently unwell, and even a minor cold could leave me sick for weeks, requiring antibiotics. I lost weight, I gained weight. I was depressed, although not realising it at the time, and one day reached a point where I couldn’t physically make myself leave the house to go to work.
Finally, I decided to seek help from a naturopath. Although the herbs she gave me helped with my acute symptoms, her nutritional and lifestyle advice resonated with me, and my physical and mental health improved within a fortnight.
This experience inspired me to do something different. Why not use my interest in food for a career? So I enrolled into my degree and completed it whilst working a combination of full-time, part-time and maternity leave. And it was eye-opening. Understanding all the complex processes our bodies go through every second of every day just to keep us alive, and how the food we consume makes the difference in something being able to do all those processes efficiently and effectively. It’s truly amazing.
At the same time, I experienced my own fertility battles to build my family, and then lived the difficulty of introducing solids to a child with food sensitivities and intolerances.
And I know my journey is not yet finished. Whilst I’m past the really picky eating toddler stage, I’m always faced with different challenges meal-wise when that food that was favourite yesterday is awful today, or how to ensure we maintain an overall healthy diet on an extended camping trip? I love these challenges, and finding what works, what doesn’t and everything in between.
Are you ready? Let's do this!
Let’s work together to transform your health!
Book your preferred date and time for our initial consult so we can start building a practical and sustainable plan to boost your health to the next level.
