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Welcome to The Weekly Motivation by Steph Polson, your go-to podcast for quick bursts of inspiration, accountability, and support. Every week, I’ll share practical tips, uplifting messages, and the encouragement you need to go beyond your goals. It’s about more than just achieving a goal—it's about the ongoing journey, building emotional resilience, and staying accountable along the way."
In this short episode of Change Your Mindset, Beat the Sick: What to Do When You Feel It Coming, you’ll discover my #1 mindset and action to help beat sickness before it takes hold. If you’re starting to feel under the weather, learn one key tip to support your immune system and prevent a cold or flu from taking over. Tune in for actionable advice to stay healthy and strong, no matter what season it is. -
The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council’s Whole Grain Week is here! We’re bringing you Karlu Chu, The Healthy Grain CEO to take us on the journey of BARLEYMAX® and show us why this whole grain really is a superfood.
We cover:
About Karlu Chu, CEOBARLEYMAX® cultivated by CSIRO What is BARLEYMAX®? BARLEYMAX® growers Use of BARLEYMAX® in food products The scientific evidence of BARLEYMAX® and gut healthElevate Food CoCollaboration in the journey of BARLEYMAX®Global Health TrendsOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“BARLEYMAX® is a whole grain which has more than 30% fibre and 16% plant protein and also 4 types of prebiotics including fructans, arabinoxylans, beta-glucans and also resistant starch.”
“We are bringing to the consumers here a more complete set of products which are 100% BARLEYMAX®. So consumers can get their BARLEYMAX® in bread, in cereals or as a snack or salad topper.”
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The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council’s Whole Grain Week is here! We’re bringing you Jessica Ferguson, the Weet-Bix™ Dietitian to answer your top questions about Weet-Bix™.
We cover:
What are Weet-Bix™ made of? What does 100% wholegrains mean? How many wholegrains in Weet-Bix™? Why you should eat wholegrains How many wholegrains to aim for each dayNutrition & health benefits of Weet-Bix™ Dietitian’s top ways to eat Weet-Bix™
One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“We can look at what Aussie’s are purchasing and when we look at the most recent data we see that only 1/3 of the recommended daily serves of grains and cereals foods were actually those that were whole grain or high in fibre. This is quite low and a steady decline from the previous 3-4 years.”“Weet-Bix can be that vehicle to top with your favourite chopped fruit, milk of choice, low fat yoghurt, sprinkle of nuts and seeds and you pretty quickly have a well-rounded brekkie.”
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The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council’s Whole Grain Week is coming soon (next week!). We’re bringing you Elissa Price, PhD Candidate at the University of New South Wales to discuss her research findings on ultra-processed foods (UPF) and whole grains.
What is food processing? Why are foods processed? Is it always bad? What is an UPF? The latest evidence on UPFs and healthRegardless of how whole grains are processed, what does the research tell us about whole grains and health? Can UPFs be part of a healthy diet? Elissa’s three key takeaways on UPFs and whole grains
We cover:One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“They categorise foods based on the level of processing and that UPF is that more extreme group of processing. They define an UPF based on the nature, extent and purpose of the food processing and are identified foods that have gone through more extensive processing.”
“Higher ultra-processed food intake and worse health outcomes. Some of those being obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression and all-cause mortality. There is a lot of research happening in this space and a lot of links being made.”
ReferencesWhole-grain health benefits
Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet, 2019. 393(10184): p. 1958-1972.
UPF health associations
Taneri, P.E., et al., Association Between Ultra-Processed Food İntake and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Epidemiol, 2022.
Martínez Steele, E., et al., Dietary share of ultra-processed foods and metabolic syndrome in the US adult population. Preventive Medicine, 2019. 125: p. 40-48.
Lane, M.M., et al., Higher Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Is Associated with Greater High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Concentration in Adults: Cross-Sectional Results from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Nutrients, 2022. 14(16): p. 3309.
Beslay, M., et al., Ultra-processed food intake in association with BMI change and risk of overweight and obesity: A prospective analysis of the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. PLOS Medicine, 2020. 17(8): p. e1003256.
Nova UPF subgroup associations
Mendoza, K., et al., Ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular disease: analysis of three large US prospective cohorts and a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 2024. 37.
Chen, Z., et al., Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Three Large Prospective U.S. Cohort Studies. Diabetes Care, 2023. 46(7): p. 1335-1344.
Cordova, R., et al., Consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a multinational cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
Nova UPF whole-grain exclusion
Price, E.J., et al., Excluding whole grain-containing foods from the Nova ultraprocessed food category: a cross-sectional analysis of the impact on associations with cardiometabolic risk measures. Am J Clin Nutr, 2024.
Nova and ADG discordance
Nguyen, H., et al., Extent of alignment between the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the NOVA classification system across the Australian packaged food supply. Nutr Diet, 2024.
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Join us for a conversation on alternative proteins through the lens of nutrition and health.
We cover:
What are alternative proteins? What are complementary proteins? Mainstream media on diet, health and alternative proteins Are conventional processed meat products (e.g. sausages, bacon) improving the nutritional profile of their products? Food Frontiers position on the ultra-processed foods How alternative proteins could be positioned within the Australian Dietary GuidelinesOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“We are told constantly through dietary guidelines and information that comes out of health associations that processed meats are very bad for us. And it’s gone to the extreme in some cases - state governments in Australia banning the use in school canteens of some of the processed meats. As by definition they are heavily processed, they have all sorts of processes involved in the production of that product that we now understand are detrimental to health and in some cases carcinogenic. ”
“I think we are going to see the growth of portfolios within government that have a clear focus on food systems because it is going to become essential. We are seeing in Australia the pressure on our food systems that are coming from climate change, particularly areas that have been impacted by food and draught.”
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To drink juice or not to drink juice? Tim Cassettari has been researching juice for the past 3 years, so we are in excellent hands as we cover the latest research on juice and health.
Why study juice?What do dietary guidelines say about juice?The latest research Health benefits and health risks of juice The effect of juice on satiety & weight, dental health, brain health, gut healthThe optimal amount and type of juice What about pulp?The different types of juice processing and their effect on healthWhy might 100% juice have health benefits?How concerned should we be about sugars?What to look for on the label Practical considerations of juiceBigger picture health & nutrition learnings that can be taken from juice
We cover:One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“Under extreme conditions juice can lead to worsening to some markers of dental health but we don’t actually have evidence to say that’s the case in normal circumstances.”
“100% juice can also improve markers of cardiovascular health and help to lower markers of chronic inflammation.”
“We now have 19 randomised controlled trials comparing 100% juice to non-calorie beverages, so that could be water, an artificially sweetened beverage. There is not one study that shows any change in body weight with 100% juice. ”
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It's Women's Health Week and mental health always matters! Join us as we discuss what the evidence says when it comes to nutrition and depression & anxiety. We also look at a new study that was published in the Lancet comparing lifestyle (diet and exercise) and psychotherapy interventions.
WHO definitions of depression & anxiety Rates of depression & anxiety in NZ and Australia Mediterranean diet & mental healthNew Lancet study around nutrition & mental health
We cover:One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“Across Australia and New Zealand, rates of depression and anxiety are ever-increasing.”
“Overall, research shows that diet is important to mental health, the same way it is to physical health. Eating healthier positively impacts mental wellbeing, such as improving depressive symptoms.”
“Over eight weeks they found that those assigned the lifestyle intervention had a 42% reduction in symptoms of depression and a 37% reduction in the psychotherapy program.”
References
https://theconversation.com/food-and-exercise-can-treat-depression-as-well-as-a-psychologist-our-study-found-and-its-cheaper-235952What exactly is the Mediterranean diet? Easy adjustments you can make now to reap health benefits
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It’s Women’s Health Week and Clare Goodwin, the PCOS Nutritionist and founder of Ovie is here to answer your questions on PCOS. We cover it all, including how PCOS affects weight and fertility.
We cover:
What is PCOS?How common in PCOS? Does it matter if someone remains undiagnosed? Causes of PCOS Main symptoms of PCOSHow PCOS affects weight How PCOS affects fertilityOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“For years and years women have been treated like hypochondriacs and so a lot of that stems from this women not being taken seriously with pain, especially period pain and being told that this is normal when it is absolutely not. And thinking we need to dull down our symptoms.”“PCOS isn’t a particularly well named syndrome as a lot of the emphasis gets put on the “cysts” on the ovary which are just follicles and just a symptom of what was going on.”
“We know that insulin and testosterone both cause body fat gain in females. So then we have this weight gain, and with this we get more testosterone and more insulin resistance, and this again causes more weight gain. And so it is this vicious cycle and in our body there is no negative feedback loop for this.”
References
https://www.ovie.io/Support the show
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It’s Women’s Health Week and endocrinologist, Dr Megan Ogilvie is with us and flipping the script on menopause. Megan draws from different cultures and looks at menopause through a positive lens. A must-listen for all women that will leave you feeling aspired!
We cover:
What is menopause? And what is “normal” for women? How do you think women should view this time? What does this time really mean? Menopause myths Menopause and belly fat, why?
One-liners you don’t want to miss:“In the 1800s life expectancy was about 45-50 years, we all died of our postpartum haemorrhage having our eighth baby. In 2024, life expectancy for women is about 85 so we can all expect very reasonably to live about 1/3 of our lifetimes in our postmenopausal years.”
“Increasingly, science is showing us that this midlife time that is often the menopausal time for women, is a real window of opportunity to shape their health and wellbeing and therefore quality of life over their postmenopausal years.”
“All of this talk around menopause which is so vast now is mostly good, but it’s a very negative Westernised narrative out there at the moment. It’s all about you’ll get this symptom, this symptom and this symptom then you get old and you become invisible. All tied up with Western ideas of ageing.”
References
https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info
https://erhassociates.co.nz/curated-resourcesSupport the show
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It’s Women’s Health Week and endocrinologist, Dr Sasha Nair is with us to discuss premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
We cover:
What is PMS and PMDDSigns & symptoms of PMSPMDD the more severe variant of PMSWhat impacts PMS?How does PMS typically change throughout life?PMS myths Management & treatment of PMS How to talk to teenagers about PMSOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“Things that may impact your symptoms are basically things that impact your nervous system sensitivity - stress, trauma, sleep deprivation. ”“PMS varies and is individualised. Sometimes it comes on very clearly at the time of having your period in the beginning, some people start to notice it after a traumatic event. It goes away by definition in pregnancy...”
“The biggest myth is that PMS is normal or you have to put up with it.”
“When you ovulate estrogen is at its highest point and a lot of people feel good at that time. Quickly after ovulation your estrogen drops quite suddenly and you can get estrogen withdrawal symptoms or headaches/migraines, drop in mood and energy…”
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Are packaged snack foods creeping into your diet more than you would like? Join us as we look at what we are snacking on, how we are snacking and what changes could be made that take into account the reasons you love to snack.
We cover:
The Healthylife 2024 Living Healthy Report An overview of recommended serve sizes from the dietary guidelines compared to those found on food packetsAustralian’s favourite packaged food snacksHow snacking has changed across the last 4 years How core food groups and their consumption have changed across the last 4 yearsHow to improve portion controlWhat Healthylife does to help the snacking habits of Australians What snacks Simone recommends to children, teens and adults The easiest way to select better-for-you packaged food snacks Simone’s take on how the population is going to move towards a healthier dietary patternOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“Definitely biscuits, these are our biggest discretionary “unhealthy” food that people are purchasing, followed by ice cream. ”
“Try and think about snacking as just a smaller meal, because that way you don’t think about it as biscuits and ice cream and chocolate as much.”
“How do we make sure that people are putting fresh produce into their basket? I think alot of that is probably around the misconception that healthy is more expensive. Yes we want convenience, but it is just as convenient to me to peel a banana than open a packet of bisicuits.”
“We seem to have this social status where we talk about discretionary “unhealthy” foods as treat foods. We need to improve our language and embrace that fresh produce taste delicious. But we talk about, you have been really good so let’s have a fast food burger, or chocolate, lollies, ice cream or at a party it is these sorts of foods. We sort of give a status that these foods are better, more rewarding and taste better than the others.
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No idea how much dairy you should be having each day? Laura Anderson, Global Head of Nutrition at Fonterra has you covered. This episode explores dairy through the lens of portions, recommended serve sizes and daily targets.
We cover:
Portions, serve size, serving - what do they all mean? Where New Zealanders go wrong with portion control Recommended serve sizes of dairy foods How do children and adults go at reaching the dairy targets? Does portion control matter when consuming milk, yoghurt or cheese? Has dairy consumption changed in NZ over the years?What role does the food industry play when it comes to portion control?Does dairy help with weight loss & weight maintenance? Nutrition criteria Fonterra follow when designing new products Laura’s top 3 tips on choosing the right dairy products for them and in the right amountsOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“49% of New Zealand adults are consuming the recommended serves of dairy per day (data from a survey carried out by Fonterra).”
“ Most people don’t know that most people who are lactose intolerant can still consume dairy without concerns. Cheese and yoghurt have much lower levels of lactose and milk even when consumed as part of a meal can often be well tolerated. ”
“The serve size of milk is 1cup (250ml), cheese 2 slices (40g), yoghurt 3/4 cup (150-200g).”
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The first of three podcast episodes on food portions! To kick us off we have Ashleigh Jones, Nutrition & Health Manager at Lite n’ Easy to give us the facts when it comes to food portions and how to go about portion control (something we could all use a little help with).
We cover:
Portions, serve size, serving - what do they all mean? Where Australians go wrong with portion control Does portion control matter when consuming healthy foods? What role does the food industry play when it comes to portion control?What role does portion control play with weight loss & weight maintenance? Nutrition criteria Light n’ Easy follow when designing new products Ashleigh’s top 3 tips on choosing the right food portions for youOne-liners you don’t want to miss:
“Hyperpalatable snack foods, if you are eating these straight from the packet, which a lot of us are guilty of, you lose track really quickly.”
“ It is up to food manufacturers on what the serving size actually is. It is great to work for a company who is ethical and transparent with how they do things. It would be easy to be a bit sneakier I guess if the company didn’t have the same values.”
“If in doubt measure it out. What I mean by that is if you’re not sure how much cereal or chips, what a serving of vegetable is, it is actually a really good idea to get out the measure cups or the scale (and I am not saying to do this all the time as this wouldn’t be healthy)...”
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When hearing milk and gut health in one sentence, many would assume gut health ‘problems’ or ‘issues’. Not today my friends! Dr Emma Beckett walks us through why milks role in gut health is overlooked and the early evidence behind milk and gut health. Emma also busts the top milk myths!
We cover:
Why is milks role in gut health overlooked? What are some unintended consequences of self-diagnosing oneself with lactose or dairy intolerance? The top milk myths that need busting this year! What is a2 milk and what are its benefits? The early evidence behind milk and gut health
One-liners you don’t want to miss:“There is really no data that says avoiding milk helps with weight loss. There is no data that says consuming milk increases weight or causes weight problems.”
“ People don’t feel the impacts of being low in calcium immediately. It’s something where you can go yes I feel better, I cut dairy. It’s not going to catch up on you until later in life when you start having trouble with your bone density. It’s really easy to get caught up in the now and forget about the future when it comes to this food group and food.”
“I would rather be farting in my 30s than have broken bones later in life.”
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It’s Men’s Health Week and it's time for you to take the first step to being in charge of your health. Join Dave Monro, Chief Advisor of Food & Nutrition at the NZ Heart Foundation and I as we explore men’s health and provide you with some actions to put you in the drivers seat of your health.
Men’s health in NZ - is it improving? What happens with men’s health across the life stagesThe top 5 nutrition changes men should make and the impact they would have on their healthDave’s core approaches/philosophies on health & nutrition Tips and tricks for busy DadsWhat Dave encourages men to do as part of Men’s Health Week
We cover:One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“As a man you don’t want to be told what to do and how to do it.”
“ 1 in 3 adults over the age of 30 have high blood pressure. Men a more likely than women to have high blood pressure and are also less likely to medicate.”
“Your 30s should be a time where, or even late 20s, to get your health assessed and for a lot of guys a really great starting point is just understanding family history.”
Other helpful links:
My Heart Check Tool
Men’s Health Week
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Join us as Professor Rachel Brown provides a deep dive on the highly sought after weight loss drugs. So sought after, that there are shortages of these drugs across the globe.
We cover:
What is GLP-1?How is GLP-1 different in obese individuals?What are glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) agonists?What are some known brands that people may have heard about? Where are these available? How long have these injections been around for? What are clinical trials showing when it comes to this medication and weight loss? Some people do not see weight loss on these drugs, why may this be? How do people describe their experience on the drug?With the absence of long-term safety data, what is the current recommendation for when individuals should come off the drug?What have clinical trials shown once participants stop taking the drug? It’s important for people to get an understanding of the different aspects that meals play in impacting GLP-1. What are some key aspects for our listeners? Why should someone seriously consider working with a nutritionist alongside taking this drug? What does the future of weight loss look like 10, 20, 30 years from now?
One-liners you don’t want to miss:“It wasn’t until 2014 that we saw that one of the GLP-1 drugs was approved for people with obesity in the US. It didn’t capture the public’s attention so much as there was some wight loss but probably not as large as what we are seeing today.”
“It is quite impressive the weight loss that we are seeing. The Mounjaro (tirzepatide) actually has the highest weight loss that we have seen in clinical trials, up to around 22% of body weight is lost in people without diabetes and about 15% for people living with diabetes.”
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Are you like everyone else and not sure what to believe when it comes to intermittent fasting and its effect on weight loss and health? Tune into this episode with Dr Evelyn Parr and get answers to your questions!
What is fasting? What are some of the main types? Where does the fasting research originate from? What is time-restricted eating (TRE)? Why is TRE the focus of Dr Evelyn Parr's current research projects? What is the link between the circadian rhythm and TRE?What are the differences between early TRE and delayed TRE?What interrupts a fast? Are there differences between an 8, 10 or 12 hour eating window? What is the current eating window of Australian’s & New Zealander’s? Negative impacts of TRE Calorie restriction vs TRE How much evidence is behind TRE? What do we know about TRE and exercise/performance?TRE and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes - Dr Evelyn Parr’s current projects Fear of failure with TRESupport the show
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Are you wanting to eat more plant foods but need a hand to get going? Join Sanitarium Senior Dietitian, Charlotte Coltart and I as we take you through 5 surprising health benefits of eating more plant foods and easy ways to add more to your plate.
We cover:
Have you tuned into part 1? There is a part 1 to this episode so start there. Surprising health benefit #4 Surprising health benefit #5Details on the GIVEAWAY!
One-liners you don’t want to miss:“One of the things often overlooked when we think about our skin health is the role of vitamin C. Vitamin C actually plays a huge role in helping our body produce collagen. Collagen supports our skin health and vitamin C is important for this. Where do we get vitamin C from? Fruits & veggies!
“Not all carbs are created equal. Certainly things like lollies, soft drinks, cakes etc. when we eat them our body breaks down those carbohydrates really quickly which can lead to big spike in blood sugars and then a big drop in blood sugars. Eating these foods they may give you a quick pick me up and leave you feeling quite sluggish.”
Click this link for the up_statuss & Sanitarium GIVEAWAY
Easy Eats eBook | Sanitarium Health Food Company
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Are you wanting to eat more plant foods but need a hand to get going? Join Sanitarium Senior Dietitian, Charlotte Coltart and I as we take you through 5 surprising health benefits of eating more plant foods and easy ways to add more to your plate.
Do you also want to go in the draw for our giveaway? Well, tune in to find out more!
We cover:
The evidence behind plant-based dietary patterns What does plant-based actually mean? As well as plant-based claims on food products. A major myth on protein and amino acids Surprising health benefit #1 - Hunger, cravings and blood sugar controlThe requirement for not only protein, but fibre for satiety Protein and fibres impact on sugar cravings and blood sugarsSurprising health benefit #2 - Gut health The most important foods for a healthy gut What happens to out gut health if we don’t eat the right foods? Probiotics and fermented foods Surprising health benefit #3 - Mood Recent research on food & mood How food affects your mood
One-liners you don’t want to miss:“There is also some evidence that consuming healthy sources of protein and fibre can help reduce sugar cravings. Not only do they help us feel fuller for longer, protein and fibre also help to stabilise our blood sugars.”
“A study which is hot off the press found that every three per cent increase in plant protein consumption was associated with a 38 per cent higher chance of staying healthy for women as we age, which means fewer chronic diseases, better physical mobility and mental health, and less cognitive decline.”
up_statuss & Sanitarium GIVEAWAYEasy Eats eBook | Sanitarium Health Food Company
References
Dietary protein intake in midlife in relation to healthy aging – results from the prospective Nurses’ Health Study cohort - ScienceDirectSupport the show
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Ever wonder what the Mediterranean diet actually is and why it is regarded as one of the healthiest dietary patterns in the world? This conversation strikes a balance between the traditional Mediterranean diet and what may actually be achievable for everyday Kiwi’s & Aussie’s.
What is the Mediterranean diet?What is a dietary pattern or eating pattern? What are the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet?What’s in the NEW Fresh Start by My Food Bag Mediterranean meal planThe Mediterranean diet is uniquely characterised by large intakes of extra virgin olive oil. What is the difference between extra virgin olive oil and olive oilAdherence to the Mediterranean diet in NZ & AustraliaEasy adjustments Kiwis and Aussies can make right now to their dietary patterns to reap the health benefitsWhat other non-dietary factors are included as part of the Mediterranean diet? Summarising: 3 key actionable steps for listeners
We cover:One-liners you don’t want to miss:
“The evidence has really strengthened over the last decade. Even though it has been around for a long time, it is more recently we have had clearer and stronger evidence for health outcomes.”
“If you look at the evidence collectively, we have evidence from long term observational studies and also randomised controlled trials looking at various heath outcomes. What I would say, some of the strongest evidence is in relation to managing our weight, supporting heart health and protecting against diabetes.”
Grab The 3 Simple Steps To A Mediterranean Diet right here!
ReferencesAustralian adult adherence
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31635208/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36458481/
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/24/9321
NZ adult adherence
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/12/2663
3 Simple Steps To A Mediterranean Diet | Uncategorized - Fresh Start (myfoodbag.co.nz)
FREE! Mediterranean Meal Plan | Fresh Start (myfoodbag.co.nz)
https://www.freshstart.nz/
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