Leah Higl | Ideal Nutrition

14 Jan 2022

Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?

Coffee is probably one of the most well-studied beverages around. If you received a dollar for every time you saw a news article citing recent research about the benefits or risks of coffee drinking, you would probably get pretty rich, pretty quickly. But have you ever heard someone say that coffee stunts your growth? There are quite a lot of reasons why you may not be wanting to pump your kids up with coffee. Hyperactivity due to the caffeine probably being at the top of that list. Another reason parents often cite though is not wanting to stunt the growth…

05 Jan 2022

By Leah Higl

CSID: How To Manage Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency

What is CSID? Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID) is a genetic condition that affects the body’s ability to digest certain sugars. Sucrase and isomaltase are enzymes produced in the lining of the small intestine to break down sucrose and maltose/isomaltose (starches). But with this condition, there is a relative deficiency of these enzymes. Therefore, when a person with CSID consumes sucrose or maltose they may experience unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms. The most common symptoms are loose bowel movements or diarrhea and bloating. Although some people may experience vomiting as well. A familiar way to think about CSID would be to compare it…

09 Dec 2021

By Leah Higl

Training The Gut For Endurance Athletes: A Dietitian’s Guide

Endurance athletes such as marathon runners, triathletes, and long-distance cyclists typically utilize food during training and events to improve their performance. The body can only store a limited amount of glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates, in the liver and muscles. So once these storages have been exhausted or significantly reduced, the body has to turn to fat as a major fuel source. The issue with this is that using fat as a fuel source is less efficient than carbohydrates and will limit the intensity that the athlete can continue to perform at. This is often what is occurring when…

26 Nov 2021

By Leah Higl

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: How To Restore Your Period

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is a condition where the menstrual cycle has stopped. Amenorrhoea is the absence of a menstrual cycle. Hypothalamic refers to the hypothalamus, which is a section in the brain that produces a number of hormones. The menstrual cycle provides key insight into the body’s hormonal balance. So when someone loses their period outside of menopause, the effects of contraception, or another diagnosed condition, it may be a sign that something is wrong. Nonetheless, if the menstrual cycle has stopped, it can be a sign that the body is under a lot of stress. The concept of not…

19 Nov 2021

By Leah Higl

Do High Protein Diets Negatively Impact Gut Health?

Diet significantly affects the health and composition of the gut microbiome. Recently, there has been a lot of talk around high protein diets and their impact on gut health. Specifically, high protein diets may negatively impact the gut microbiome. Although, it seems that there are several dietary strategies you can use to protect your gut health if you do have a high protein diet. These include maintaining a high fibre intake, having a diverse range of plant foods in your diet, limiting fat intake to <40% of caloric intake and moderating intake of red and processed meats. The Research -…

04 Nov 2021

By Leah Higl

Inositol: Is It A Useful Supplement For Those With PCOS?

Inositol is a compound that is abundant in the human body. It plays a major role as a component of cell membranes. It also influences insulin and other chemical messengers in the body. Supplementing with inositol has gained traction as a treatment for some of the symptoms and conditions associated with PCOS. But how useful is inositol supplementation and how do you take it? What Is PCOS? PCOS is a condition that affects hormonal levels in women. It is categorized by a higher than normal production of male sex hormones which can lead to an inconsistent menstrual cycle, infertility, body…

27 Oct 2021

By Leah Higl

Carbohydrate Periodisation: Train Low & How To Do It

Traditional approaches to managing nutrition for endurance training have previously placed an emphasis on high carbohydrate availability. This often means having a carb-rich meal or snack before training, carbohydrates during longer training sessions and followed up by a carb-rich post-training meal. So what is this new train low concept? We have relatively small carbohydrate stores of around 300-900 grams in the muscle and 20-100 grams in the liver. The storage form of carbohydrates is called glycogen. How much carbohydrates you store (your carbohydrate availability) depends on your diet. A higher carb diet will result in greater carb storage while a low…

20 Oct 2021

By Leah Higl

Is Soy Really That Bad For You? Soy & Estrogen

Soy doesn’t have the best reputation in the western world. Whilst foods like tofu and edamame are embraced in many Asian cultures. It seems to be quite a demonized food in countries like Australia and the United States. First things first, I work with predominantly plant-based and vegan people. Mostly assisting them with optimizing their diet for athletic performance and muscle gain. I am a huge advocate for soy as a predominant source of protein in this situation. Soy has what we would consider a ‘complete’ amino acid profile. Products made from soy are usually very efficient sources of plant-based…

01 Oct 2021

By Leah Higl

Does Celery Juice Live Up To The Hype?

I remember when the celery juice craze started. It was mid-2019 and I was still partly working in a hospitality job. It was kind of overnight that we had to start buying up hundreds of dollars worth of celery each week to keep up with the celery juice demand from customers. One large celery juice, hold the ice, was a very popular order. Each customer describes the benefits of celery juice at the checkout whether or not their thoughts were asked for. Common lines were, “ Celery juice is just so hydrating” “I am doing a cleanse and can only…

28 Sep 2021

By Leah Higl

Diverticular Disease: What To Eat & How To Reduce Flare-Ups

Diverticular disease is when small abnormal pouches form in the bowel wall. This condition has two different classifications. Diverticulosis - this is the formation of the pouches in the bowel wallDiverticulitis - is the inflammation or infection of these small pouches in the bowel wall Diverticulosis can be present and remain completely asymptomatic causing no issues at all. However, the issue is when diverticulitis develops. However, only 10-25% of people with diverticulosis will develop diverticulitis. Diverticulitis may present with abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence and/or blood in the faeces. Management of the active states of diverticular disease often involves…