Julianne Taylor, Registered Nutritionist

05/09/2026

A recent publication from my PhD, this one is a qualitative study. I interviewed the nine participants who took part in the autoimmune protocol elimination diet study twice, once immediately after the study and again a year later.

Seven of nine participants reported improvement in R a symptoms after the study. The AIP diet is very strict and excluded a number of food groups, so I was interested to find out to what extent people maintained the exclusions and diet quality.

At the end of the study, instructions for reintroducing foods were given, and I wanted to find out how they managed this process.

This paper is an overview of the two interviews.

McNeill J, Mearns GJ, Grainger R, Zinn C. Exploring participant experiences with the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet in rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal qualitative study. J Nutr Sci. 2026 Aug 3;15:e73. doi: 10.1017/jns.2026.10135. PMID: 42559207; PMCID: PMC13439018.
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03/08/2026

Another publication from my PhD, this is a qualitative study. I interviewed the participants with rheumatoid arthritis who followed the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet for 8 weeks, immediately after the study and again a year later to see how they had managed the food re-introductions and what their current diet was like, and how their rheumatoid arthritis had been in the year since the study.

Exploring participant experiences with the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet in rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal qualitative study - Volume 15

24/07/2026

Just out in NZ - lower fat higher protein cheese.

19/05/2026

Ozempic vs Your Body’s Natural GLP-1
Can any food or supplement work the same way?
Short answer: no.

GLP-1 is a hormone your body naturally produces in the intestine after you eat. It helps regulate blood sugar, slows stomach emptying, and increases feelings of fullness by acting on appetite centres in the brain.

But there’s one major limitation: natural GLP-1 only lasts around 1–2 minutes before an enzyme called DPP-4 rapidly breaks it down.

Ozempic (semaglutide) is different. It is a modified GLP-1 molecule designed to resist breakdown and remain active in the body for around 5–7 days.

Scientists achieved this by:
• changing the amino acid where DPP-4 normally cuts the molecule
• adding a fatty acid chain that allows semaglutide to bind to albumin in the blood and be released slowly over time

This is why Ozempic works far more powerfully and for far longer than natural GLP-1.

Yes — certain foods and meals can modestly increase your natural GLP-1 release. Protein, fibre, and mixed meals may help. But the effect is tiny compared with GLP-1 medications.

Despite what influencers may claim, there is currently no food, “hack,” or supplement that can replicate the pharmacology of GLP-1 medications.

Ozempic remains active in the body roughly 5,000–10,000 times longer than natural GLP-1
(This post was inspired by one on GLP-1 by )

10/05/2026

Could diet help reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?

In our pilot study, 9 adults with rheumatoid arthritis followed an 8-week Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet after a 4-week period on their usual diet. The AIP diet removed foods such as grains, dairy, legumes, eggs, processed foods, alcohol, and nightshades, while emphasising vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat, and healthy fats.

The results were interesting:
• 7 out of 9 participants improved in patient-reported RA symptoms
• Fatigue, pain, and sleep scores improved in many participants
• Several participants moved into remission-level disease activity scores
• NSAID use decreased during the intervention
• Vegetable, fruit, fibre, and seafood intake increased substantially

However, not everyone improved. One participant’s symptoms worsened, and some experienced side effects including digestive symptoms and unintended weight loss.

This was a very small pilot study without a control group, so it cannot prove the diet caused the improvements. But it does suggest diet deserves further investigation as part of RA care and symptom management.

The big unanswered question:
Was it the food exclusions themselves… or simply a major improvement in overall diet quality?

Larger controlled studies are now needed to find out.

28/03/2026

Your blood test might make it look creatine is damaging your kidneys. But evidence says otherwise.

Here’s what’s actually going on 👇

Creatinine (the marker your doctor looks at) isn’t just about kidney function.
It’s also influenced by:
• Muscle mass
• Diet (especially meat)
• Exercise
• Creatine supplementation

So when you take creatine, your blood creatinine can go up —
not because your kidneys are failing,
but because your body is producing more of it.

That can make your eGFR (an estimated marker of kidney function) look lower…
even when your kidneys are working completely normally.

👉 This is where a lot of confusion happens.

If you train, have a higher muscle mass than average, eat high protein, and take creatine —
your labs can look worse on paper than they really are.

So what should you actually look at?

• ACR (urine test) → checks for real kidney damage
• Cystatin C → a more accurate blood marker if needed

And when you get your blood test:
• Don’t go right after a hard workout
• Be well hydrated
• Tell your doctor you take creatine

Bottom line:
Creatine can raise creatinine —
but that’s not the same as kidney damage (in healthy people).

If your labs changed after starting creatine,
it’s worth understanding the full picture before jumping to conclusions.

Full explanation + research in the article here: https://juliannetaylornutrition.com/2026/03/does-creatine-damage-your-kidneys/

09/03/2026

Just a praying mantis snacking on a smaller insect

24/01/2026

When there is no gym, a few basics include push-up variations like deficit push-ups. Single leg squats and deadlift variation with dumbbells for lower body.

24/01/2026

This paper has sparked big claims and even bigger debate.
But I’ve seen it called a study, a meta-analysis, and a systematic review.
It’s none of those. It’s a narrative review. And that difference matters.

A study collects new data.
A systematic review follows strict methods to analyse all available evidence.
A narrative review is an expert-written summary of selected research.

So how can you tell the difference?

A systematic review follows PRISMA guidelines. You’ll usually see:
• The title clearly stating “Systematic review”, “Meta-analysis” or “Scoping review”
• A PRISMA flow diagram showing how studies were searched and selected
• A formal quality appraisal of included studies
• Charts, tables and forest plots summarising results
• Transparent, reproducible methods

This is high-level evidence.

A narrative review usually has:
• No PRISMA diagram
• No defined search strategy
• No quality assessment
• Evidence chosen by the author

Which means we must be cautious.

Narrative reviews:
• Can cherry-pick studies
• May ignore conflicting evidence
• Often mix data with opinion
• Are not designed to test hypotheses
• Can unintentionally exaggerate certainty
• Are interpretive, not definitive

But they still have value.

Narrative reviews:
✨ Explore ideas
✨ Identify gaps in research
✨ Generate hypotheses
✨ Start scientific conversations

So when you see bold claims, pause and ask:
What type of evidence is this?
Because how evidence is gathered matters just as much as what it says.

20/01/2026

Twenty five years married to .mcneill.315 🥰