RAW Human Nutrition

31/05/2026

I’m a Clinical Nutritionist who not only knows the science but lives in perimenopause and truly understands your struggles.

Here’s what has helped me more than anything…💡

Eating a plant forward diet for the past decade 🌱
DAILY: Edamame, tofu, flaxseeds, tempeh.

Plant foods that support oestrogen balance.

My insomnia toolkit changes depending on what I feel is driving it that week…can we just blame the full moon once a month 😁

This is how I support my clients.
Listening to their story.
Considering the biggest lever we can pull to get the best results for your body 💚

Real life in your 40’s is a lot!

What’s your biggest symptom right now? Tell me below 👇

27/05/2026

Your body is not the problem. Restriction is. 🙏

If you’re in perimenopause and feeling like your body has suddenly “turned on you” — I need you to hear this:

Eating less is not the answer.

Your hormones, your metabolism, your mood, your sleep — they all depend on you fueling yourself well.
This is the season to nourish harder, not restrict more.

You deserve an approach that works with your body through this transition 💚

💚 Book a 1:1 consultation with me via the link in my bio - let’s build a nutrition plan that helps you feel strong, energised and like yourself again.

24/05/2026

Grocery shop ➡️ “What can I create with this?” 😅🌱

I rarely shop with strict recipes in mind. Instead, I focus on bringing home a variety of plant foods each week and building meals around them.

Diversity on the plate = diversity for the gut microbiome 👏

Today’s creation:
✨ Sautéed leek
✨ Silver beet
✨ Cannellini beans
✨ Edamame
✨ Brown rice
✨ Feta
✨ Vegan broth concentrate

…then some of the mixture got wrapped in filo pastry in an attempt to “teenage-boy-proof” it 😎

Why I love meals like this👇

🌱 Leeks are rich in prebiotic fibres which help nourish beneficial gut bacteria

🫘 Cannellini beans + edamame provide fibre, plant protein and resistant starches that support gut health, blood sugar balance and fullness

🥬 Silver beet is packed with folate and other nutrients important for energy production, detoxification and overall health

🍚 Brown rice adds extra fibre and slow-releasing carbohydrates for sustained energy

Simple food. Flexible meals. More plants. More nourishment 🤍

21/05/2026

Post-30km run refuel — and why this bowl matters more than you might think 🍓🫐🥝

Just crossed the finish line on a 30km run, and while I’m reaching for protein and electrolytes too…this bowl of mixed berries and kiwi is non-negotiable right now.

Here’s the science behind it:
intense, prolonged endurance exercise causes what’s known as exercise-induced oxidative stress.
Contracting muscles produce free radicals, and the rate of production rises with exercise intensity.
A 30km run creates a significant free radical load your body needs help clearing.

Endurance athletes actually need to take even more caution protecting themselves against oxidative stress — because that intense focus on oxygenation during performance is a catalyst for increased reactive oxygen species activity 🔥

That’s where this bowl comes in 💚

Berries like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are loaded with antioxidants including vitamins C and E, which combat oxidative stress and protect cells from free radical damage. They also contain flavonoids and polyphenols with anti-inflammatory properties.

And kiwi? 🥝
Quietly one of the most powerful fruits on the plate. Beyond vitamin C, kiwi is also a good source of vitamin E, carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and polyphenols…all working to fend off free radicals that, when left unchecked, contribute to oxidative damage and chronic disease.

For women in midlife specifically, this matters on another level. Menopausal symptoms including hot flushes and joint pain are associated with inflammation — and incorporating anti-inflammatory foods may help provide relief.

Kiwi’s antioxidant properties also help reduce oxidative stress that can affect hormone balance, and its fibre content supports healthy digestion, including the elimination of excess oestrogen from the body.

Food first. Always. 💪

20/05/2026

Reflecting on the event from Sunday…

It had been quite a few years since I’ve tackled a longer distance and the idea of doing it is always more romantic than actually running that far!

Nearly 3 hours of running is hard.
Physically, things start to hurt, then it all becomes a mental battle.
But the “runners high” is real. For me, it doesn’t come til you’re done.

I find running a kind of active meditation where thoughts come and go…you learn to control some of those thoughts and the emotions they bring.

Fuelling nearly 3 hours of movement is its own challenge — and something I’ve had to learn the hard way.

Pre-run I kept it familiar: rice cakes with peanut butter and honey. Enough to top up glycogen without sitting heavy.

During the run, gels were a no-go for me - gut issues in training ruled them out. Instead I used a drip-feed approach with gummies and jelly beans from 10km in. Small, frequent hits of glucose that my gut actually tolerated. Sometimes the “optimal” option isn’t the right one for your body.

Post-run digestion is often compromised, so I started gentle with a few choc coated rice cakes, then my usual oats, berries, protein powder, nuts and seeds about an hour later.

We were so lucky with the weather on Sunday considering the rain either side. Despite being 3x10km laps, the scenery presented differently and beautifully each time.

16/05/2026

Hot flushes at 2am aren’t just uncomfortable- they are your nervous system asking for support 💚

Here’s what’s actually happening:

As oestrogen declines in perimenopause, your brain makes less GABA (the neurotransmitter that acts as a brake on your nervous system).

Without that brake, noradrenaline surges in the hypothalamus (your body’s thermostat), narrowing your temperature tolerance zone. Even a tiny rise in core body temp is enough to trigger the alarm. ‼️

The result? Peripheral blood vessels dilate, sweat glands fire, and you’re suddenly throwing off the covers at 2am.

This is where targeted nutrition becomes genuinely powerful 💪

🌿 Taurine - directly potentiates GABA-A receptors and calms the noradrenaline surge at the root of vasomotor symptoms

🌿 Magnesium glycinate - a GABA agonist that also blocks NMDA receptors, dampening down the exciting pathway that drives the thermostat haywire. As oestrogen falls, magnesium absorption drops too - deficiency compounds the problem.

🌿 Glycine - an inhibitory neurotransmitter in its own right. Glycine receptors in the hypothalamus play a direct role in thermoregulation and sleep architecture

🌿 Phytoestrogens bind oestrogen receptor beta and help support the upstream enzyme (GAD) that produces GABA in the first place

In my practice I’ve had some great client outcomes using a practitioner formulated supplement combination of these targeted nutrients along with dietary phytoestrogens. The frequency and severity of hot flushes have significantly reduced 💚💚💚

This is what nutritional medicine looks like. Not a band aid. A mechanism.

📌 save this post if you’re in your 40’s - you never know when you may need it.

14/05/2026

Most of us have been taught to read a nutrition label and think we understand what a food will do in our body.
But the label can't tell you about the food matrix.
Or food synergy.
Or the fact that plants are signalling molecules for your DNA.
I wrote about all three this week...and why nutritional science is finally catching up to what nature has always known.

Worth a read if you've ever wondered why whole foods consistently outperform supplements, protein shakes, or "nutritionally equivalent" processed alternatives.

Link below:

By Tracy O'Brien, BHSc Nutritional Medicine | Clinical NutritionistThere is a quiet revolution happening in nutritional science. It is not loud, and it does not make headlines the way a new superfood or diet trend does. But for those of us who have long believed that food is medicine, it feels like....

07/05/2026

Struggling with broken sleep, night sweats, or a mind that won’t switch off? You’re not alone…sleep changes in perimenopause are incredibly common and deeply linked to our shifting hormones.
I’ve written a blog exploring the why behind these changes and the practical steps you can take to start sleeping deeply again.

Read the full blog via bio or here:
Rawhumannutrition.com.au

02/05/2026

If you’re not cooking with tofu yet, this is your sign.
It honestly works just like chicken in so many dishes…it soaks up flavour, adds protein, calcium, phytoestrogens, and is incredibly versatile.

This one was so easy thanks to 🙌
I simply added:
💚 Broccoli
💚 Mushrooms
💚 Silverbeet
💚 Capsicum
💚 Green peas
💚 Spring onions

→ quick, nourishing, and packed with plant diversity for your gut 💚

Tofu is also a beautiful option if you’re looking to include more plant-based proteins without overcomplicating meals.

Save this for a busy night when you want something wholesome fast.

28/04/2026

Using food as medicine…
✨ She’s pain free
✨ She feels in control of her food choices
✨ And as a by-product (not the goal) - she’s lost 8kg

For a condition like lipoedema, that can significantly impact daily life, this is huge.

This is your reminder:
Change doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective.

Sometimes it starts with…
🫐 One blueberry.

If you feel stuck with your food choices or don’t know where to start, I’m here to help.