Julia Rucklidge - Mental Health & Nutrition Research: Te Puna Toiora

17/06/2026

PLEASE consider partcipating in this important research! 50$ KOHA for a couple of hours of your time.

14/06/2026

Lisa's podcast Pushing the Limits takes a fresh approach to the struggles on nutrition. Listen here:

Professor Julia Rucklidge on why your brain is starving and how foo...

07/06/2026

I have had a number of people tell me recently that they cannot get Daily Essential Nutrients (DEN) in NZ. THIS IS NOT TRUE! But I do take responsibility for some of the confusion given I write about all the frustrations and pleas to government and medsafe to change their stance on access to supplements that work.

A NEW initiative from Stay Well Pharmacy ([email protected]) is to supply DEN based on a Section 29 prescription.

What does this mean for New Zealanders?

If you want DEN, go to your GP or nurse practitioner and ask for it under a Section 29 order. This means it is not listed under the standard prescribing software. They need to prescribe DEN (Hardy's Daily Essential Nutrients) Section 29 as a new item for a 12 month supply. If you are on other medications, your prescriber will need to learn how to prescribe those alongside DEN. The prescription is then sent to Stay Well Pharmacy and then the DEN can be mailed around the country from Stay Well.

I hope this helps clarify the process. This info only applies to the DEN WITH lithium. The DEN WITHOUT lithium can still be obtained through straussherbs with a letter of authority from a prescriber.

Any further questions please email Mark or Máté at the email above.

02/06/2026

On tomorrow!!!!

Learn about the role of nutrition in mental health and the power of food and micronutrients to support mood, resilience and recovery.

27/05/2026

This talk will be practical and developed with the public in mind with a focus on brain injury. And beautiful venue too!

Learn about the role of nutrition in mental health and the power of food and micronutrients to support mood, resilience and recovery.

20/05/2026

Five years ago I developed a very popular online course through EdX called Mental Health and Nutrition. I have spend the last several months updating it and filming new videos for it. So if you want a refresher on what's new in this space or haven't done it yet, it is free (or small fee to get a certificate)! Just go to the link. Over 100,000 learners have taken it to date. University of Canterbury UC Science

'Mental Health and Nutrition' is a free, online course through University of Canterbury's UCx platform that explores the fundamental role nutrition plays in our mental health.

30/04/2026

If anyone wants to hear the story of the frustrations for an academic trying to translate research to practice, come along to my department talk at the University of Canterbury. It is free. 252 is located in the Department of Psychology, Psychology Block just off fine arts road.

28/04/2026

UPDATE - not exactly what I have been hoping for as the long term solution, BUT short term, DEN WITH lithium can now be obtained in NZ with a prescription (still not funded and I don't know the cost):

How to Access DEN Original

You can now fulfill orders for the Original Daily Essential Nutrients formula through Stay Well Pharmacy. To access this formula under current Medsafe regulations, please note the following:

• GP Prescription Required: You will need to obtain a script from your General Practitioner (GP).
• Pharmacy Fulfillment: Once you have your prescription, you can provide it to Stay Well Pharmacy to complete your order.
You can either ask your Doctor/Specialist to send your prescription directly to Stay Well Pharmacy ([email protected]), or visit the pharmacy in person with your prescription. Please ensure your prescription has a valid contact cell phone number. The pharmacy can take payment over the phone, or via internet banking. Their phone number is 0508STAYWELL (0508782993). I don't know anything more than the info provided here...

DEN with vitamers can still be obtained from NatureZone - nothing changes there.