Magnesium is everywhere in the body and a hard little worker. Low grade underconsumption is common in diets lacking whole plant foods. So, if you aren’t tip top but can’t put your finger on why then maybe you should consider whether magnesium might be an issue.

Vitamin K is possibly the least discussed vitamin. It sits off to the side, absent from nutrition panels and with a weird name, so no one ever thinks much about it unless they have a blood clot or rat bait poisoning. But behind the scenes, research has been finding vitamin K is valuable beyond blood clotting, possibly protecting against against cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Australia is one big solar panel but more than one in five of us is vitamin D deficient. Who cares? You should. Let’s find out what vitamin D does - it’s about more than just bones - and how we can be grown ups and meet our vitamin D needs, while looking after our skin.

Calcium is undeniably important for bone strength but it’s not the only show in town. How much we need is contested but, in any case very few Australian adults get anywhere the recommendations. Certainly, for women at least, it’s not for want of lifelong pressure to consume more calcium. So, should we try harder? Admit defeat and supplement? Or a bit of both? This one is complex but, by the end, I hope you feel you’ve replaced your chronic low-grade calcium guilt with a plan.  

The Lancet has published its latest report on risk factors for dementia. It’s a fascinating read. Here we briefly look at the role of nutrition in moderating dementia risk.

This article will look at the bigger osteoporosis picture and some lesser known lifestyle and nutrition factors. The following four articles will look at the most well researched protective nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium. Much of the research is in women but, as bone weakness is not a trivial issue in men, I’ve tried to include them where I could. Let’s begin!

Fermented foods and drinks that rarest of finds: something that’s really good for you and enjoyable too.

Postbiotics? They’re the new, new thing and they’re going to be everywhere. Let’s learn what they are and what they do.

With the global probiotic market worth billions it’s not surprising that probiotics are everywhere in everything.

While probiotic marketing greatly foreruns the evidence, they’re easy and safe and, in some cases, can be very effective. Here we look at how they might be able to help you.

Prebiotics what they are and what they do.

The festive season is on us, which is a significant religious holiday of course. But also: bottoms up! In December, Australians drink 70% more than the their average intake over the other 11 months of the year. And the rest of the Summer (and most of Autumn) is one long jolly as well. We know heavy drinking is unwise but what are the health effects of light drinking? And are they the same for everyone? Let’s find out.

A brief explainer of some research terms and some of the difficulties in conducting nutrition trials.

One of the most obvious changes between diets a century ago and today is the loss of fibre, yet we tend not to give it much thought.  Australians only eat about three-quarters of the recommended intakes. But we’d be a lot healthier if we consumed more. You may think fibre’s not a very glamorous topic but let’s see what we’re missing out on.

Let’s look at some macro ranges which will help you manage your appetite and weight long term.

If you haven’t yet partaken of the Eden-esque resources of ChatGPT and experienced the limitless and instantaneous knowledge it can provide, then I guarantee you soon will.

So what can CAYA Nutrition provide that you can’t get more quickly and cheaply online? That’s a good one. Let’s find out.

Stop berating yourself for your weight. The nexus of biology and a free market drives most adults in developed countries (and increasingly those in less developed countries) to be overweight and most can’t lose it for very long even when they try (though possibly with long term GLP-1 agonist drugs). Carrying excess weight carries health risks but we need to play the hand we’re dealt. Here we examine our options.

Approaching half our calories come from ultra-processed food (UPF). While they’re not all bad, more UPFs  mean more heart disease, diabetes, cancer, anxiety, poor sleep and obesity.

It’s a hard slog to resist the forces of commerce pushing UPFs at us at every turn, so let’s understand what we’re dealing with and see how we can get more out of UPFs than they get out of us.