Nearly two decades ago....
My passion for nutrition began 19 years ago following the birth of my first child. I looked at his perfect body and knew that I didn’t want to put anything in there that would harm him. I read books, scoured the internet for information and started to study nutrition. That kept me pretty content for a while as I busily raised my family.
Fast forward a number of years and my son started taking his chosen sport very seriously. Nutrition became an important part of our family routine as I learned what nutrients he needed and when to maximise his training and race performance. I became expert on how much protein and carbohydrate was in everything he ate and I managed the way he fuelled post training and post races for maximum gain and recovery.
A couple of years later my second born was 11 years old and announced that she was vegetarian. The cascade of thoughts that followed were focused on her nutritional needs and family meal times and how that would work in our family.
Suddenly I was catapulted into a world of cooking two meals, worrying about how much pasta with tomato based sauce my daughter was eating (a lot!), and dealing with the never ending worry that my daughter was not getting the right balance of protein, vitamins and minerals that her growing body and brain needed.
There were some rocky times and I really needed to dig deep to support her. And I wasn’t always the supportive parent I was attempting to be. At times it was frustrating and inconvenient! But the more committed I was to looking after her health and wellbeing, the more I was creating a healthier diet and lifestyle for the rest of the family.
I hope that you find useful information and support here. I am passionate about the role of food in health and wellness and I am passionate about families and the mummas that support them. As parents we are responsible for the health of the next generation but we are also responsible for our own health and wellbeing. The world is changing rapidly and food is not immune from these changes.
This photo is of me with my fabulous daughter recently on holiday. She is such a fun young woman who inspires and motivates me and reminds me to laugh and see the good in the world. It's not always laughter and holidays, but supporting her food choices has been one of the most important relationship building times I've encountered as a parent.
I wish for you the same joy.
Plant for Sporty Teens
Protein is foundational for muscle growth and repair. Without it, training effort is unrealised. Is your sporty teen getting enough protein to fulfil their athletic potential?