Transformed Dietitians

 

Our Accredited Practising Dietitian can give you nutritional advice that is based on the latest scientific evidence yet easy to understand and incorporate into your daily lifestyle.

 

Our Dietitian will not only give you an understanding of what food to eat but also provide you with stress free meal plans and tasty, healthy and nutritious recipes based on real food!

Milly Smith

Accredited Practising Dietitian

Hannah Dobbie

Accredited Practising Dietitian

NOURISH

 

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"

- Hippocrates

FAQs from Dietitians

Frequently Asked Questions Before Bariatric Surgery

What can I do before surgery to improve my outcomes from surgery?

Getting a comprehensive blood test before surgery can be useful to correct any deficiencies and monitor any changes.

Reflecting on your eating and seeking advice about your diet can significantly improve your surgery experience.

Weight loss surgery is a big decision and unfortunately is not a 'magic bullet' for weight loss; it still requires long term commitment. Gradual changes to your lifestyle BEFORE surgery can make the transition a lot easier and more successful.

Seeing a dietitian prior to surgery and for follow up afterwards has been shown to improve nutrition status and maximise long-term weight loss.



Should I be using a meal replacement in the lead up to surgery?

The use of meal replacements (e.g. shakes) before surgery is largely up to the surgeon and what they deem appropriate for you. Having meal replacements or a very low energy diet (VLED) before surgery has been shown to reduce complications during the operation itself. In most cases, if meal replacements are used correctly, this process will also result in some weight loss in the lead up to surgery. Talk to your surgeon and dietitian about whether meal replacements may be suitable for you.



What could I expect from a visit to a Dietitian before surgery?

Your first visit to a dietitian will likely include collecting information about your medical history, discussing your motivations for surgery, talking through your current eating patterns and answering any questions you may have about nutrition. If needed, it may involve addressing any dietary habits that may impact on the success of your surgery. Follow up visits will discuss your progress, pre and post surgery dietary requirements and ongoing support for symptoms that may arise.



What do I eat straight after surgery?

For the first 1-2 weeks following surgery, usually a liquid diet is required. This allows your stomach to recover from surgery. Following this, you would start on a pureed diet then progress to a soft food diet. From approximately 7 weeks after surgery, you will gradually reintroduce solid foods and increase the variety of foods eaten. The exact time frames will be explained by your surgeon. It is important to have adequate protein in your diet to avoid muscle loss after surgery.



Do I really need multivitamins after surgery and which one is best?

This is something that depends on the type of surgery you have, the types of foods you are eating after surgery and any signs/symptoms you are showing that point to deficiency.

Generally, all people having a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass procedures will need to take a multivitamin lifelong. It is best to start a chewable bariatric-specific multivitamin soon after surgery and have follow up blood tests. You can talk to your dietitian about how to take multivitamins, what to ask for as part of your blood tests and how long you need your multivitamin for.

Transformed has BN Multi chewable multivitamins available for purchase.



 

Frequently Asked Questions After Bariatric Surgery

What can I do before surgery to improve my outcomes from surgery?

Getting a comprehensive blood test before surgery can be useful to correct any deficiencies and monitor any changes.

Reflecting on your eating and seeking advice about your diet can significantly improve your surgery experience.

Weight loss surgery is a big decision and unfortunately is not a 'magic bullet' for weight loss; it still requires long term commitment. Gradual changes to your lifestyle BEFORE surgery can make the transition a lot easier and more successful.

Seeing a dietitian prior to surgery and for follow up afterwards has been shown to improve nutrition status and maximise long-term weight loss.



Should I be using a meal replacement in the lead up to surgery?

The use of meal replacements (e.g. shakes) before surgery is largely up to the surgeon and what they deem appropriate for you. Having meal replacements or a very low energy diet (VLED) before surgery has been shown to reduce complications during the operation itself. In most cases, if meal replacements are used correctly, this process will also result in some weight loss in the lead up to surgery. Talk to your surgeon and dietitian about whether meal replacements may be suitable for you.



What could I expect from a visit to a Dietitian before surgery?

Your first visit to a dietitian will likely include collecting information about your medical history, discussing your motivations for surgery, talking through your current eating patterns and answering any questions you may have about nutrition. If needed, it may involve addressing any dietary habits that may impact on the success of your surgery. Follow up visits will discuss your progress, pre and post surgery dietary requirements and ongoing support for symptoms that may arise.



What do I eat straight after surgery?

For the first 1-2 weeks following surgery, usually a liquid diet is required. This allows your stomach to recover from surgery. Following this, you would start on a pureed diet then progress to a soft food diet. From approximately 7 weeks after surgery, you will gradually reintroduce solid foods and increase the variety of foods eaten. The exact time frames will be explained by your surgeon. It is important to have adequate protein in your diet to avoid muscle loss after surgery.



Do I really need multivitamins after surgery and which one is best?

This is something that depends on the type of surgery you have, the types of foods you are eating after surgery and any signs/symptoms you are showing that point to deficiency.

Generally, all people having a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass procedures will need to take a multivitamin lifelong. It is best to start a chewable bariatric-specific multivitamin soon after surgery and have follow up blood tests. You can talk to your dietitian about how to take multivitamins, what to ask for as part of your blood tests and how long you need your multivitamin for.

Transformed has BN Multi chewable multivitamins available for purchase.



 

Have you ever heard the phrase “your body is your temple” and wondered what it means?


Keeping our physical body healthy and happy is just one of the many challenges we face, and yet, many of us don’t know how to best achieve it.

 

Positive decisions around diet and food preparation are key to this process, and you will
find the essential skills you need to pursue a healthy, informed lifestyle in Nutrition and Wellness.

 

Making sure you know how to locate, buy, and prepare fresh delicious food
will make you, and your body, feel amazing. Impressing your friends and family as you nourish them with your knowledge?


That feels even better.

Understanding your nutritional needs

Food is the fuel for your body, and you need to pick the right kind of fuel for your body to run its best.

 

In this tab, you will learn how to calculate your nutritional needs, including calories and how many servings you need of different types of foods.

 

You’ll have the opportunity to think about what you eat and what you should eat to feel your best. You’ll also learn a little about physical activity.

 

Physical activity forms a key component of overall wellness and is an essential addition to a lifelong plan to be strong, fit, and healthy.

 

With a smart plan for nutrition and wellness, you won’t be running on empty.

The science of nutrition and wellness

There are many different ideas about nutrition and wellness. This can cause a world of confusion for so many of us.

 

I know that I personally have been confused by all the conflicting nutritional information available.

 

How do you know what’s right?

 

It’s all about the science of nutrition and wellness. Throughout this topic, you will learn how scientists study nutrition and wellness, and why it matters to you.

 

You’ll learn about the health issues connected to nutrition and wellness, and what we know about improving health through nutrition and physical activity.

 

And you’ll learn about the body mass index, metabolic rates, and how you can use technology to make smarter nutritional choices.

 

This information will make you better able to make good choices for yourself, whether you’re in gym class, the cafeteria line, or sitting at home on a Saturday afternoon.

The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

​

Happy, content, fulfilled.

 

These words are all used to describe an overall sense of well-being, or wellness, throughout your life.

 

In this unit, you will learn about the aspects of wellness. Wellness isn’t confined to good nutrition and exercise. It includes how you feel, how you relate to other people, whom you interact with, where you work, and much more.

 

Each aspect of wellness is important for you to live a happy and fulfilling life. Wellness can be divided into eight separate areas, or dimensions.

 

You’ll learn what each of these dimensions are and how you can change your behaviour to improve that dimension of wellness.

The Savvy Shopping and Meal Plan

Look down the aisles of your grocery store.

 

How do you know what to buy?

 

How do you know if you’re getting a good value for your money when you shop?

 

In this unit, you’ll learn about budgeting for food, shopping strategies, and meal planning. With these skills, you can keep your spending down and eat healthy and delicious meals. You’ll also reduce food waste and save yourself time and energy!

Staying Smart and Safe in the Kitchen

The kitchen is home to more potential dangers than any other room of your house.

 

Cuts, falls, food poisoning—the kitchen can create all sorts of problems if you’re not careful.

 

Learning how to manage and prevent those dangers is an essential part of becoming a good and safe cook to feed yourself and others.

 

In this topic, we will learn how to keep your kitchen clean and free of pests, how to handle a knife safely, and how to store and cook food to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Preparing Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits should make up a large portion of your diet, but many people overlook these delicious and healthy foods.

 

Filling your plate with nutrient-rich and high-fibre fruits and vegetables keeps you healthy, fuels your body, and helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

 

Learning how to prepare and cook these foods can keep you healthy, enable you to experiment in the kitchen, and allow you to begin to develop cooking confidence.

 

Get over your fears of Brussels sprouts and papaya. Tackle the tomatoes. And embrace the eggplant. 

 

Decorate your fruit plates with beautiful flowers

Book a consultation with one of our Dietitians

Cooking with dairy and eggs

It’s time to embrace new foods and new cooking techniques as you master dairy and egg cooking.

 

This isn’t all about pizza and ice cream—it’s also delicate scrambled eggs and healthy creamy yogurt.

 

In this topic, we will explore all about dairy products and eggs, and you’ll be ready to start cooking with these foods in your own kitchen.

 

Though most of what you’ll learn is healthy, you’ll also learn how to make some treats, including homemade ice cream!

Cooking with meat, poultry, fish, beans and nuts

You’ve tackled fruits and vegetables, dairy and eggs—now, it’s time to handle meats, poultry, fish, and vegetarian protein sources, such as beans and nuts.

 

In this topic, we will explore how to cook these foods to use in a variety of ways, and how to make the most of cheaper foods, such as dry beans or inexpensive cuts of meat.

 

Simple cooking formulas will get you started, and your own creativity will let you make a variety of delicious dishes.

Grains, Breads and Baking

From the bread, to rice, grains make up a significant part of nearly every diet, whether it’s a healthy one or not.

 

For a healthy diet, choose whole grains rather than refined ones. Eating a diet rich in whole grains keeps you healthier, but it does require you know how to cook those grains.

Mastering Moderation:

Creating a SMART Eating Strategy For a Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining good health throughout your life takes work, but you’re already on your way.

 

Together we are exploring the beginnings of the kitchen know-how you need to prepare healthy meals, and you are developing a good Understanding of which foods are healthy and which ones aren’t.

 

In this unit, you’ll learn how to translate those skills into lasting healthy habits that can stay with you throughout your life.

 

These include how to plan meals for your changing needs, and your changing body, as well as ways to manage stress and keep your diet smart and focused throughout your life.

Water

Keeping hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day. Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet's surface is covered by water.

Perhaps it is the ubiquitous nature of water that means drinking enough each day is not at the top of many people's lists of priorities.

 

Fast facts on drinking water

 

• Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.

• There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.

• Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.

• When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.

• Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.