SuccessFuel Nutrition

SuccessFuel Nutrition Associate Registered Nutritionist (NSNZ)
Online 1:1 consulting based in Wanaka. Fuelled by Science, Centred on You.

Support for: Women's Health/Life Changes, Gut Health, Weight Management, Athletic Nutrition
www.successfuelnutrition.co.nz

04/09/2026

Whole fruit is always a great choice - but not all fruit affects our blood glucose in the same way.

My tip? Dress up your fruit. Pair sweeter fruits like banana or mango with Greek yogurt, nuts, or seeds to add protein, healthy fats, and fiber and help soften the glucose response.

And berries? Still, one of my favorite naturally sweet choices - low in glycemic response and a great after dinner treat!

Wānaka women — confused about what’s actually happening to your body in midlife?After a fantastic first Fuelling Women T...
27/08/2026

Wānaka women — confused about what’s actually happening to your body in midlife?

After a fantastic first Fuelling Women Through Midlife evening in Hāwea, I’m bringing the workshop to Wānaka.🤩

This is a relaxed, evidence-based evening designed to help you better understand the changes happening through perimenopause and midlife — and what you can actually do to support your body.

We’ll cover:
• Why our hormones change through midlife
• Nutrition strategies to support energy & metabolism
• Strength training for healthy ageing
• Managing cravings, sleep & weight fluctuations
• Practical, science-backed strategies you can use straight away
• Take-home resources to help you put it all into practice

No fads or complicated rules — just good information, practical advice and a better understanding of your body.

Come along, bring a friend, and let’s make midlife a little less confusing.🤍

Limited seats — book now via the link below:
https://events.humantix.com/fuelling-women-through-midlife-wanaka

A little 2-minute noodle hack for the kids👍🏼When you need a lunch that is QUICK, easy and actually gets eaten:🍜 2-minute...
13/08/2026

A little 2-minute noodle hack for the kids👍🏼

When you need a lunch that is QUICK, easy and actually gets eaten:

🍜 2-minute noodles
🥄 Miso paste
🫛 Frozen peas
🥕 Frozen carrots

The hack: Skip the dried seasoning packet and cook the noodles with a little miso paste instead. Throw in a handful of frozen peas and carrots while they cook.

Done in minutes, adds some veggies, and my kids absolutely loved it.

Throw in some left over chicken for some protein 🤍

Quick. Simple. Kid-approved.

I cook with olive oil every single day, and I season my food with high quality extra virgin olive oil.It tastes amazing,...
01/07/2026

I cook with olive oil every single day, and I season my food with high quality extra virgin olive oil.

It tastes amazing, and the research on inflammation, heart health, and cholesterol is massive. It works.

The polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil reduce inflammation markers, support your gut lining, and improve how your blood vessels function. For women dealing with perimenopause - when inflammation already runs higher - this matters even more.

Here is what people get wrong though.

They think you cannot cook with it because of the smoke point. They save it for drizzling and use seed oils for cooking instead.

The research does not support this. Extra virgin olive oil is stable at normal cooking temperatures - sautéing, roasting, even pan-frying. Yes, you lose about 40% of the polyphenols when you heat it, but if you start with high-quality extra virgin olive oil, you still get massive benefits. The gut microbes still get fed. The anti-inflammatory compounds still work. And olive oil has 36 different polyphenols compared to just 6 in coconut oil - so even with some loss, you are way ahead.

Swap out the saturated fats and seed oils. Make olive oil your normal go-to - for cooking, for finishing, for everything in between. It is one of the simplest changes that actually moves the needle on inflammation.

For more info, check out my blog on the benefits of this powerhouse.

Make it a routine. Cook with it. Your gut and your heart will respond faster than you think.

A DEXA scan measures bone density, lean muscle mass, fat mass, and visceral fat with a level of detail no scale or BMI n...
25/06/2026

A DEXA scan measures bone density, lean muscle mass, fat mass, and visceral fat with a level of detail no scale or BMI number comes close to.

I just had mine done at in Queenstown.

Most women get their first bone density scan after something is already broken or sick.

If you are still pre-perimenopause, this is the window where a DEXA scan does the most work for you. Nothing is wrong yet, and that is exactly why the baseline matters. It is the most valuable data point you can hand your future self.

Here is what tends to happen once perimenopause starts:

→ Bone density begins dropping, with the steepest losses in the first 5 to 7 years around menopause
→ Lean muscle mass declines quietly, often while the scale barely moves
→ Visceral fat tends to climb, even when eating habits have not changed
→ Basal metabolism slows, sleep fragments, cortisol rises, and body composition shifts under all of it

Without a baseline, you are guessing.

With one, you can see what the transition actually cost you, where to intervene, and whether the work you are doing is moving the needle.

The price has dropped enough that it is becoming more accessible. Some insurance plans are starting to cover it, especially if bone health risk factors are present, so it is worth checking with your provider.

Bone density matters because the fractures women face in their 60s and 70s are predicted by the bone they built or lost in their 40s and 50s. Visceral fat drives metabolic risk that bloodwork sometimes catches too late.

If you are in Queenstown or close by, Imaging runs these scans and the team is excellent!!

Get the baseline now. Repeat it through the transition. Use the data to build, not to panic.

Your mushrooms can make Vitamin D! ☀️Yes, the ones sitting in your fridge right now.Here is what the research shows. Mus...
15/06/2026

Your mushrooms can make Vitamin D! ☀️
Yes, the ones sitting in your fridge right now.

Here is what the research shows. Mushrooms contain ergosterol, a compound that converts to Vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Place them gill-side up on a sunny windowsill for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, and the Vitamin D content can increase significantly.

In winter, when sun exposure drops and Vitamin D levels in women crash, this is a small intervention that actually moves the needle.

But the story does not end there.

Mushrooms also contain beta-glucans, a type of fiber that feeds the bacteria in your gut, supporting microbiome diversity and immune resilience through the colder months when most of us catch something.

And then there is ergothioneine. An antioxidant found almost exclusively in mushrooms, linked to cellular protection and slower biological aging in emerging research.

How I recommend using them through winter:

→ Sauté shiitake or button mushrooms in olive oil with garlic, low and slow, to release the umami and break down the chitin (which raw mushrooms hold, and your gut struggles to digest)

→ Roast portobello or oyster mushrooms at high heat for that deep caramelisation, perfect tossed into warm winter bowls

→ Blend cooked mushrooms into bone broth or a slow soup for a gut-soothing, mineral-rich meal

→ Always cook them. Raw mushrooms are somewhat suboptimal for the gut, and the nutrients are far less bioavailable

One small note. Wild and supermarket varieties differ in their nutrient profile, and not all UV exposure is equal. But even basic white button mushrooms respond to that windowsill trick.

This is the kind of foundational shift I love. Cheap. Evidence-based. Quietly powerful through a long winter.

Try the windowsill experiment this week, and notice how you feel by the end of the month.

NOTE: 🍄 Mushrooms are NOT a replacement for adequate sun exposure or supplementation when deficiency is present, but they're a simple way to boost vitamin D intake while also providing fibre, antioxidants, potassium, and umami flavour.

🌾When most people think about coeliac disease, they think about avoiding bread, pasta, and gluten-containing foods.What ...
11/06/2026

🌾When most people think about coeliac disease, they think about avoiding bread, pasta, and gluten-containing foods.

What they don't see is the mental load.

The label reading. The fear of cross-contamination. The awkward conversations at restaurants. The exhaustion of trying to explain that "just a little bit" isn't okay.

As an Ass. Registered Nutritionist, I work with women who are often doing everything they can to feel better, yet they're still struggling with fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, digestive symptoms, brain fog, and hormonal challenges.

The good news? Thriving with coeliac disease is possible.

For Coeliac Awareness Week, I've put together a blog sharing 7 evidence-based habits that can help support long-term health, improve confidence around food, and make living gluten-free feel less overwhelming.

If you or someone you love has coeliac disease, I'd love to hear: What has been the biggest challenge for you since diagnosis?

Read the full blog here: www.successfuelnutrition.co.nz/post/7-evidence-based-habits-for-thriving-with-coeliac-disease

One of the biggest challenges I hear from parents is finding snacks and breakfasts that are both nutritious and actually...
07/06/2026

One of the biggest challenges I hear from parents is finding snacks and breakfasts that are both nutritious and actually get eaten.

These Flourless High-Protein Banana Pancakes tick both boxes.

Made with simple ingredients you probably already have at home, they're naturally sweetened with banana, packed with protein, and freeze beautifully for busy mornings and lunchboxes.

I love recipes like this because they don't rely on protein powders or fancy ingredients. Just real food doing what real food does best.

Ingredients:
• 1-2 ripe banana
• 1 cup cottage cheese or greek unsweetened yoghurt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

Optional add-ins:
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Dark chocolate chips

Method:
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Fold through any add-ins. Cook in a lightly greased pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.

Serve with fresh berries, Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup, or simply enjoy as they are.

A little nutrition bonus:
The combination of protein, fibre, and healthy fats helps keep little tummies fuller for longer compared with traditional pancakes made from refined flour.

Save this recipe for your next meal prep day.

More nutritious recipes can be found on my website: www.successfuelnutrition.co.nz

Every winter I see people loading up on supplements to try and avoid getting sick.What many people don’t realise is that...
02/06/2026

Every winter I see people loading up on supplements to try and avoid getting sick.

What many people don’t realise is that vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common during winter, especially when we’re spending less time outdoors and getting less sun exposure.

But more isn’t always better.

Here’s what the evidence actually says about the three most talked-about winter nutrients.

1️⃣ Vitamin D

We get less sun exposure during winter, and deficiency is common.

If your levels are low, supplementation can help support normal immune function.

If your levels are already optimal, taking more doesn’t appear to provide additional immune benefits.

2️⃣ Zinc

Among these three nutrients, zinc has some of the strongest evidence.

When taken early in the course of an illness, zinc may help reduce how long symptoms last.

It appears to support the body’s ability to recover more efficiently.

3️⃣ Vitamin C

Many of us grew up believing vitamin C could prevent every cold.

The research tells a more nuanced story.

Vitamin C may slightly reduce symptom duration in some people, but it doesn’t reliably prevent illness.

The bigger picture?

Supplements are exactly that: supplements.

They work best when they’re filling a genuine gap.

Your immune system relies on much more than a pill.

🌟 Quality sleep

🌟 Regular movement

🌟 Stress management

🌟 A healthy gut

🌟 Adequate protein

🌈 Plenty of colourful plant foods

Build the foundation with REAL FOOD FIRST.

Then use supplements strategically when needed.

If you’d like more guidance on food sources, testing, or whether supplementation is right for you, feel free to send me a message.

I offer a free 20-minute chat to help support your immune system, winter health, and overall wellbeing.

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