

Join us for a Twitter Chat!
NEW - AfN Nutritionists Twitter Chat! I am so excited to be working along with 3 fellow Nutritionists on a regular twitter chat that is relevant to AfN (Association for Nutrition) Registrants. Over the past few months we have been developing the @AfNutr website and preparing for our first twitter chat on the 22nd January. You can follow @AfNutr on twitter to keep up to date with the chats. The #AfNutrChat is a moderated conversation which will be held once a month on twitter


2018 Highlights from a Freelance Registered Nutritionist
2018 was another great year of learning and developing as a Freelance Registered Nutritionist working in nutrition research and communications! Here are some of the highlights of my past year… Some 2018 Highlights * Writing a range of articles on one of my favourite topics... food innovation! I'm delighted to be part of the Food Spark team keeping up to date with the latest on emerging food trends and new innovations. Some of my recent articles include one on innovation in


What are the best plant foods for iron?
I'll share info on who is most at risk from low iron intakes, why you need iron, what are the signs of low iron, how to help your body a


What can you learn from attending an Intuitive Eating dinner?
Earlier this month I joined about 15 other individuals at an intuitive eating dinner at The Apartment restaurant in Edinburgh. We had a fantastic selection of breads and dips, followed by a buffet of dishes including fish, chicken and vegetable kebabs, roasted potatoes, and colourful salads. The hosts for the evening were the fabulous Danni from @Chachipowerproject and Tali from @talisyoga. Intuitive eating takes a bit of time to get your head around and to put in to practi

Why red meat is particularly useful for some population groups.
Some nutrients found in red meat, are often found to be at low levels in the diets of particular population groups. This article explains w

Scottish views on a Good Food Nation: Findings from the Kitchen Table Talks
This lunchtime, I was outside the Scottish Parliament to meet and chat to many others who want to #BringOnTheBill. The main reason for this event was to highlight the launch of the report on the findings from the recent Kitchen Table Talks and to ensure a wide and inclusive consultation on the Good Food Nation that ideally the Government would begin before the Summer Recess. Kitchen Table Talks Between February and April 2018, over 800 people discussed the future of Scotla

Brain food: Preparing for exams
Stress is a common issue, especially for students studying for exams or feeling pressured to complete course assignments on time. Although some stress, every now and again is fine, constant or longer-term stress may start to have negative impacts on health and wellbeing. Let’s talk about brain food I was delighted to be ask recently to provide nutrition advice on BBC Radio Scotland’s Kitchen Café programme with Chef Neil Forbes (the recording is available for the next few we


VEG POWER - Your chance to get involved!
VEG POWER is a marketing fund that will use the best people in the advertising industry to create impactful, innovative digital campaigns. The aim is to tackle the critical issue of the lack of veg consumption. Why?, well: 80% of children do not eat enough veg (1) 95% of teenagers do not eat enough veg (1) Only 1.2% of food and drink advertising gets spent on vegetables (2) 86% of children are reported by parents to pester them for junk food (3) Parents and children are bomb

The tipping point - Time to tackle Scotland's poor diet and health
Monday (26th February) saw the publication of two new reports from Food Standards Scotland on the Scottish diet and retail food purchasing patterns in Scotland. These reports provide yet more evidence that we need to take actions that will make healthier choices easier for people to make. The two reports published are: Food Standards Scotland (2018) Monitoring retail purchase and price promotions in Scotland (2010 – 2016). Food Standards Scotland (2018) The Scottish Diet: It

Just to be clear...Sugar means Sugar
It seems there is still a lot of confusion around sugars. Not surprising, considering the amount of misinformation on the internet and social media. So I wanted to set the record straight and hopefully clarify a few things about sugars. Firstly, what is sugar? is sugar addictive? is sugar toxic? should I go on a sugar-free diet? what is the maximum recommended sugar intake? and what should I look for on food labels? So here goes… What is sugar? Sugars are simple carbohyd