Dietary Specialists

07/09/2026

It’s been a busy and exciting year for our dietitians, with opportunities to attend and present at conferences both around New Zealand and internationally. 🌏

We’re passionate about keeping our knowledge up to date, staying connected with the latest research and learning from other experts in our field. Just as importantly, we love the opportunity to share our own knowledge and experience with others.

Most recently, Leigh had the opportunity to present at the ASCIA Conference in Christchurch, sharing her expertise on nutrition and complex conditions.

We’re looking forward to continuing to learn, connect and share throughout the rest of the year! 💚

17/08/2026

📢 **Do you have IBS and anxiety or depression? You could take part in a research study.**

If you live with **IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)** and also experience **anxiety and/or depression**, you may be eligible to take part in a new research study exploring the relationship between diet, gut health and mental wellbeing.

As a study participant, you will receive:

🥗 **Full support from a dietitian** throughout the study
🛒 **A free food hamper**
🔬 The opportunity to contribute to research that could help improve the way IBS and mental health are managed in the future.

If you think you might be eligible — or know someone who may be interested — please read the **full study details and eligibility criteria below**. 👇

📩 If you have any questions about whether you may be eligible, please use the contact details provided in the study information.

**Please feel free to share this post with anyone who may be interested.**

15/08/2026

Looking forward to presenting at the South Island GP conference today and tomorrow

15/05/2026

Looking for delicious low FODMAP New Zealand made products, check these two clever dietitians at the Friendly Food co

This Dietitians Week, we’re celebrating the different ways dietitians support New Zealanders through food and nutrition.

Meet Bianca Berton-Scarlet and Kelsey Paterson from The Friendly Food Co.

11/05/2026

Our dietitians at Dietary specialists are highly experienced in the dietary management of gastroparesis, if you or someone you know needs some help book via our website https://www.dietaryspecialists.co.nz/

07/04/2026

At Dietary Specialists, we couldn’t agree more with this.

Getting the basics right is a powerful first step in improving your health. Our team of experienced dietitians focuses on practical, evidence-based nutrition to support you—whatever your situation.

We work with people managing IBS, food intolerances, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, endometriosis, PCOS, diverticular disease, reflux, perimenopause and menopause, as well as neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Strong foundations matter. When you get those right, everything else becomes easier.

Don’t let elite nutrition research distract from everday nutrition evidence.

A lot of nutrition science is designed to optimise performance, recovery, body composition... it's about marginal gains for the elite athlete. That work is valuable...

But it’s not the same as the evidence base for what humans need to live well, stay well, and age well in everyday life.

We have decades of strong, consistent evidence showing that health outcomes are shaped by the fundamentals:
• adequate energy intake
• dietary diversity and bioactive compounds
• sufficient protein and fibre
• essential vitamins and minerals

These are not “basic” in the sense of being unimportant; they are basic as in foundational.

Optimisation research operates on top of adequacy. It assumes the basics are already met. But in the real world, that assumption doesn’t always hold.

People are stressing about whether or not they need collagen or creatine supplements, when they aren't eating close to the recommendation for vegetables. We are adding protein to everything and ignoring the needs we have for bioactives or fibre.

The biggest impacts on population health don’t come from perfecting the top 5%, they come from supporting the 95% of everyday nutrition that underpins living and ageing well. Don't skip that step.