More to processing than meets the eye
The majority of our modern food supply and virtually everything we put in our mouths is processed to some degree - whether that be frozen, chopped, cleaned, blended, dehydrated, heated and more. Indeed, food processing is a spectrum, with various terms used to define the level of processing used. Highly refined foods like yogurt, olive oil, and bread have many processing steps, and they don't look anything like the original ingredients at the start of processing, yet all these foods are generally accepted as being healthy. Processed foods can be essential for human health. For example, iodized salt has helped people all over the world get the iodine their bodies need to function. Lack of consensus The point of tension lies in the concept of “food processing,” (universally recognised as playing a role in food [...]
10 business lessons from an unforgettable year
2020 - the year that no-one will ever forget, even though most would like to. Some birthdays can be like that too, bringing back not-so-good memories of the previous year. But even with the shitty parts of a year, which almost everyone on the planet has endured this year, birthdays are still a celebration of the good stuff that life offers. And in a year like this, a lot comes down to an attitude and approach to things you can change, as well as those you can't. This was something I was keenly reminded of a few weeks ago when my son turned nine, at the same time as my business turned six. Despite a global pandemic that has brought the world to its knees, this tiny microscopic virus was no weapon against his excitement [...]
The Ride Of My Life
It’s been 5 years since I started my own nutrition consulting business. As my 5th business birthday approached this month and I started to receive the LinkedIn prompted “congrats on your anniversary” messages, it was a reminder to stop and reflect, like I do each year at this time, on what the last year of running my own business has taught me. The moments I succeeded, the moments when I wish I had taken a different path. The highs and lows of winning and losing business, the doors that opened and the ones that shut, some by me and some of their own accord. I am proud as punch of what I have achieved. I left the securities of a well-paid corporate job and ventured down this unknown path. No matter what lies ahead and where [...]
A world of cherry wonder
Last month, I was invited by the Victorian Cherry Association and Vikki Leng Enterprises to visit one of the many Victorian cherry orchards that us Melbournians are lucky enough to have (almost) on our doorstep. Australians love cherries, especially at Christmas time. Our country produces about 15,000 tonnes of cherries every year, with the majority consumed by our domestic market, and it's always good to eat what is home grown! Now you don't have to be a dietitian to know that cherries are one of nature's true natural born superfoods, as they are a great source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C. In fact, one serve (150g) provides about 60% of your daily Vitamin C requirements. Now that's what I call a great dose of nutrition goodness all in one bowl of red sweet [...]
4 years down the road
I remember how life felt like a turning point when my children turned 4 years old. Whilst they still relied on me a lot, they seemed to have acquired a new level of independence and a greater understanding of the world around. This is a very similar stage that my business is going through as it turns 4 years old this month and has reached a level of established independence. Of course, there are still challenges, ongoing learnings and growing pains. Like my kids at this age, I am discovering so much about what I want my business to be, the place I want it to occupy in my personal and professional life, the type of clients I want to work with and the ways I want to utilise my nutrition and marketing skills. The [...]
You Never Stop Learning
My kids are in their first few years of school. Every day, I watch with fascination as they learn how to read, write, calculate, question and experiment. As adults we take so much of what we automatically know for granted, yet when you watch and experience the learning capacity of a young child, you understand what a privilege education really is. The thing is, what I have realized as I have got wiser older, is that the learning never stops. Whilst I may have cemented the basics of reading and arithmetics (I hope so!), so much of my life learning has only begun. My business recently turned three years old and it has become a bit of a tradition that on each birthday, I take the time to reflect on my professional, business and personal [...]