Dietetics / Nutrition

Empowering you to make positive lifelong decisions about your health

Caring and consultative practitioners aim to understand you and your goals
Big picture approach for better success with your personalised eating plan
Small changes and practical tips so you get long lasting results

Do you need help managing your weight?

Would you like the confidence to look after your own health long term?

Do you have an aching gut or always on the lookout for the nearest loo?

Do you want to avoid or management your heart disease or diabetes?

Our diets are the foundation to good health and well-being. Dietitians can help people in any stage of life: to lose weight, manage a health condition, or for more energy to get through the day.

Weight loss is a common reason people see us. But so is weight gain and other health concerns.

When you’ve been struggling with food choices and weight for many years, it can be hard to get out of the vicious cycle of yoyo dieting. And thinking you need to eat 100% healthy all the time.

What’s more, there’s so much conflicting information out there about diets, superfoods, weight loss foods, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. You’ve tried everything (it seems). But you’re stuck and you can’t seem to make any progress.

Perhaps you rely on the scales a lot to check whether you’ve been ‘good’ or ‘bad’ - which only leads you to eat out of rebellion and makes you sick, guilty, and down on yourself.

Add to that, you’re scared your children will take on the same relationship with food. You don’t want them to go through this when they’re older...

Can anyone really understand where you’re coming from and help you get the results you’re after?

What your dietitian can help with

Your dietitian can help:

Manage your weight
Improve general health
Set and achieve your goals

Manage medical conditions including:

Diabetes
Heart disease
Cancers
Eating disorders

Gastrointestinal diseases such as Coeliac, Crohn's and irritable bowel (IBS)
Food allergies and intolerances

Children’s food intolerances, picky eating, and more

How dietetics / nutrition can help

Specialised medical nutritional advice

You’ll get a plan that considers your medical conditions. Our dietitians are university trained and experienced to create a medically safe plan.

Personalised

Your plan will be as unique as you are. According to your food preferences, schedule, energy needs, activities, culture, and who is doing the cooking. So you’ll get a realistic plan that you’ll be able to follow. Together, we’ll set you up to succeed. That includes eating foods you enjoy.

Well-rounded approach

We don’t just leave you with a shopping list and plan - and hope for the best.

We’ll understand you as a whole person. Including your emotions, habit, sleep, and your mental state affect how you eat, when you eat, and why you eat.

We’ll talk with you about these and help you make small changes to change your diet - and your life.

Follow up

Just like having a gym buddy gets you to the gym, regular follow ups give you the extra motivation to make food choices that you’ll feel good about sharing. To keep you on track and keep you motivated.

These sessions will give you the chance to ask any questions and help you deal with any roadblocks you come across. You are not alone.

Encouragement

Behaviour change takes time. We’ll be with you on your journey to celebrate successes. Help you adjust your plan if needed. Pep you up when you’re feeling down. We’re here to support you, especially when life gets overwhelming and you drop the ball, as we all do sometimes. We’ll help you realise you are enough - and always have been.

Science-based advice and education

You’ll be given plans based on scientific principles and current information that’s been proven. Reliable and unbiased information.

This means you can make educated decisions about your health - instead of being a victim of marketing tactics, latest trends, and incorrect information by unqualified people wanting to sell you products.

Education will empower you to make better lifelong decisions about your health.

FODMAP diet

FODMAPs refers to the sugars in foods like lactose, fructose and others. Both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can be helped with a low FODMAP diet. Your dietitian will help you decide if it’s suitable for you, create a tailored plan, and support you with practical tips and follow-ups to check your progress.

FAQs about Dietetics

Do I need a referral by a doctor?

No. While Dietitians often work closely with GPs, anybody with a dietary concern is welcome to an appointment.

If you are referred by your doctor under a CDM / EPC plan, our dietitians offer $20 sessions!*

*$20 is the gap payment for follow up consultations. Full & up to date prices can be found here.

Will I get a blood test?

Dietitians do not take blood or interpret blood work. You are more than welcome to bring your blood test results from your referring doctor and our dietitians can work with you on the relevant areas.

How many sessions do I need?

After your initial consultation, you may need 2 - 5 sessions over the course of a couple of months to a year depending on the severity of your condition.

Will I get a meal plan?

Yes. You will get a personalised plan that considers your food preferences, lifestyle, culture, medical conditions, activities, and goals.

What support will I get outside my appointment?

The support that will be provided to you includes:

Specific goals set together during the session for you to work on at home – goals that are realistic to you and your lifestyle.
Food Diaries to document what you are eating (and any symptoms you may be experiencing) so we can see how you went at home.
For urgent questions and support in between appointments, our dietitians are happy to answer via email at dietetics@bodybraincentre.com.au

Are there any rebates on dietetic consultations?

Depending on your Private Health Insurance, you may be eligible for instant rebates. These leaves you just the gap to pay.

Alternatively, your GP may write a Chronic Disease Management (also known as CDM, previously Enhanced Primary Care - EPC) Plan which entitles you up to 5 rebated sessions a year.

Other forms of rebates available include:

What is FODMAP?

FODMAPs refers to the sugars in foods like lactose, fructose and others. If you feel bloated, get stomach cramps, or have to run to the toilet, these are all common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). A low FODMAP diet may help.

Can you help me create a FODMAP diet plan?

Yes. If you want to sort out your gut so you can conceive, lose weight or feel more energetic - we can help you.

Specially trained FODMAP dieticians: Your dietitian has specialised postgraduate training in the FODMAP diet. So you can be sure they know all the intricacies of FODMAP and how to best help create the right plan for you.

Evidence-based guidance: New foods are continually being studied for their effect on digestion and wellbeing. Your FODMAP dietitian guides you according to the latest research - research mostly done at Monash University here in Melbourne. So you can be sure your dietitian will be on top of changes.

Get ongoing support and a FODMAP diet plan: We commonly see people get stuck trying to do this alone. Yet following any diet can be tricky, let alone the intricacies of the FODMAP diet. It can feel isolating and frustrating at times. People spend years avoiding foods rather than truly understanding what they can - and can’t - tolerate.

Your dietitian will arm you with practical tips and support. We’ll tailor a FODMAP diet plan, give you tips and support, and follow up to help you track your progress.

No doctor or specialist referral is needed. Rebates may be available - please refer to the frequently asked question about rebates on this page.

About your first appointment

Your dietitian will:

Work out your nutritional needs, incorporating your medical conditions and personal circumstances
Run through your current diet
Review any blood tests, biopsy or other test results
Create a personalised eating plan, shopping lists and food preparation advice

Periodic reviews will then keep you accountable and help you with any concerns about your dietary and lifestyle advice. Generally you will require 2 - 5 sessions over the course of a couple of months to a year depending on the severity of your condition.

And answer any questions or concerns that may appear over the journey.

About your Dietitians

Dietitians are university-qualified and nutritional experts. They have been chosen for their genuine care and dedication to giving you awesome service.

You’ll find them really easy to talk to and understand. Importantly, they’ll be there for you in between sessions - checking in on you, answering any worries or questions you may have, and getting insight from other health practitioners in the clinic (with your consent of course). So you get the best treatment possible.

Dietitian / Nutritionist in Melbourne’s western suburbs

We’re based in Moonee Ponds and are visited by patients from the Western suburbs of Melbourne, and beyond. Includes:

Altona
Ascot Vale
Brunswick
Coburg
Essendon

Flemington
Footscray
Maribyrnong
Moonee Ponds
Niddrie

Pascoe Vale
Williamstown
Yarraville
Melbourne

Dietetics / Nutrition at Body & Brain Centre

Caring and knowledgeable practitioners
Simple, practical and holistic approach
Empowering scientific-based education

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food - Hippocrates