Leanne Ward Nutrition

Fiber maxing is everywhere right now. High fiber wraps, high fiber protein bars, 50-gram-a-day fiber challenges. And while getting more fiber into your diet is genuinely one of the best things you can do for your gut health, there is a version of this trend that is actively making people's symptoms worse. In this episode, Leanne sits down with gut health dietitian and IBS specialist Chelsea McCallum to unpack exactly what fiber maxing is, where it goes wrong, and what actually works when it comes to improving gut health through fiber. If you have ever added a high-fiber wrap or protein bar to your diet and ended up more bloated than before, this conversation is going to explain exactly why. In this episode: What fiber maxing actually is, where the trend came from, and why the concept of eating as much fiber as possible is both right and wrong at the same time The Australian fiber recommendations for women and men, why the average Australian is only getting around 10 to 12 grams per day, and what a realistic and comfortable increase actually looks lik Why jumping from low fiber to 50 grams a day overnight is one of the most common mistakes people make, and the specific symptoms it causes The two to three gram every few days rule for increasing fiber gradually, and why this slow approach is the only one that actually works without wrecking your gut Why fiber and fluid are inseparable, how much fluid you actually need when increasing fiber, and why coffee and tea genuinely count The difference between fiber from whole foods and isolated fiber from processed products, and why the nutrients that come alongside whole food fiber make it significantly more valuable The two ingredients to scan every label for if you have a sensitive gut: inulin and chicory root fiber. Why they cause so much bloating and gas, and why the amount added to high-fiber products is far too much for most sensitive people to tolerate Why a multigrain wrap with four grams of fiber from whole grains is a better gut health choice than a white wrap with 12 grams of isolated fiber, regardless of what the label says Why Chelsea and Leanne would rather a client have a few squares of 70% dark chocolate than a high-fiber protein bar covered in chocolate, and what to look for on a chocolate label to know it is actually worth eating The 30 plants per week goal explained: what counts, why variety of fiber sources is more important than total fiber quantity, and how to actually track itChelsea's three top fiber tips to take away and use immediately Find Chelsea McCallum: Instagram and the Tummily app: @tummily.app Download Tummily on the Apple App Store or Google Play for free food and symptom tracking, plus a personalised low FODMAP program for IBS management Work with Leanne or her team: Lean Gut Mind Method, Leanne's premium 1:1 coaching program: fully personalised nutrition plans, daily support, and a dietitian matched specifically to your goals. Visit https://leangutmindmethod.com/ Leanne Ward Nutrition Virtual Clinic: single consults, review consults, and nutrition packs covering gut health, IBS, hormones, perimenopause, fat loss, body recomposition, and more. All consults are virtual, available worldwide. Visit: https://leannewardnutrition.com/virtual-clinic/ If this episode helped you, share it in your Instagram stories and tag Leanne at @leannewardnutrition. This is exactly the kind of conversation that needs to reach more women.

If you have ever strained on the toilet, felt heaviness or pressure down below, wondered if your bowel habits are actually normal, or quietly googled prolapse at 11pm because something just feels off, this episode was made for you. Leanne sits down with Amelia Godfrey, a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic health, pelvic pain, endometriosis, bowel dysfunction, and prolapse, and the founder of PelvyPatient, an evidence-based app making pelvic floor support genuinely accessible to everyone. Follow Amelia at @pelvy.app on Instagram. This is the conversation so many women need but almost nobody is having out loud. Amelia sees patients every single day for these exact issues, and she is honest, practical, and genuinely life-changing to listen to. In this episode: What the pelvic floor actually is, why it functions like a hammock for your organs, and why a pelvic floor that is too tight can cause just as many problems as one that is too weak What a healthy bowel motion looks like, what counts as normal frequency, and the red flags that mean you should see a doctor without waiting Why constipation is so much more common in women, including the role of hormones, hypermobility, stress, and the habit of ignoring the urge to go because life is too busy What actually happens when you keep holding on: the 20-minute poo window, what a mega rectum is, why chronic holding can cause bladder leakage, pelvic pain, and prolapse, and why fixing the bowel often fixes the bladder Do squatty potties actually work? Amelia explains the anorectal angle, what your feet and belly need to be doing, why height is not one size fits all, and the affordable Australian brand she recommends How long is too long to sit on the toilet, why the phone scrolling habit is doing real damage, and what to do if nothing is happening after five minutes What prolapse actually is, the early symptoms most women dismiss or do not recognise, how it progresses over time, and the tools available beyond just pelvic floor exercises including pessaries and vaginal oestrogen Straining and its long-term consequences: what it is doing to the connective tissue and fascia that holds your organs in place, and why it matters even if you have never had a baby Laxatives honestly discussed: the difference between osmotic and stimulant types, when they are genuinely appropriate and safe, and the nuanced truth about long-term use Pelvic pain and endometriosis: who to see first on a limited budget, the government-funded clinics most Australian women do not know exist, and why surgery and hormones are not the only options How perimenopause and menopause change pelvic floor tissue, why vaginal oestrogen cream is one of the most underused tools in women's health, and why HRT alone does not do the same job. Find Amelia Godfrey: Instagram: @pelvy.app PelvyPatient app: search Pelvy Patient on the App Store Brought to you by Garmin Today's episode is proudly supported by Garmin. The new Garmin Venu 4 helps you train smarter and recover better with advanced sleep coaching, Body Battery™ energy monitoring, on-wrist coaching, lifestyle logging for caffeine, alcohol and stress, over 80 sports apps, mindfulness tools, a built-in LED flashlight, and multi-day battery life. Learn more at garmin.com.au. Work with Leanne or her team: Lean Gut Mind Method, Leanne's premium 1:1 coaching program: fully personalised nutrition plans, daily support, and a dietitian matched specifically to your goals. Visit https://leangutmindmethod.com/ Leanne Ward Nutrition Virtual Clinic: single consults, review consults, and nutrition packs covering gut health, hormones, perimenopause, fat loss, body recomposition, busy mums and more. All consults are virtual, available worldwide. Visit: https://leannewardnutrition.com/virtual-clinic/ This is the episode to share in your stories or send quietly to a friend who needs it. Tag Leanne at @leannewardnutrition. This is exactly the kind of conversation that needs to reach more women.

You train hard. You eat carefully. You are doing everything right. So why are you not recovering well, feeling flat by mid-afternoon, or not making the progress you expected? The answer, more often than not, is underfuelling. And according to Brisbane sports dietitian Claire Bates, it is the single most common mistake she sees in women who exercise regularly, and most of them have no idea it is happening. In this episode, Leanne sits down with Claire from Nutrition Foodition, an accredited practising dietitian and sports dietitian who works with everyone from recreational gym goers to half Ironman triathletes, for one of the most practical and genuinely useful conversations this podcast has had on exercise nutrition. If you exercise and you want to feel better, recover faster, and actually see results, this one is worth your full attention. In this episode: Why underfuelling around training is the most common mistake Claire sees in women, including the difference between intentional underfuelling for weight loss and the accidental kind that quietly erodes your results Walking, Pilates, and low-intensity sessions: do you actually need to eat beforehand, and when does it matter? Runs under 10K on an empty stomach: when it is fine, when it is not, and the one question to ask yourself before deciding What happens to your glycogen stores during runs over an hour, why hitting the wall is a purely nutritional event, and exactly how much carbohydrate to consume per hour during longer efforts Why lollies, gels, and juice poppers are just as effective as a banana before training, and the science behind why your body genuinely does not care whether the carbohydrate came from a whole food Gym sessions, FitStop, CrossFit, and HIIT: the pre-workout fuelling window, what 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate looks like in practice, and how to train your gut if early morning eating feels impossible right now Body composition goals: how to drop body fat and build muscle without accidentally eating your own muscle mass, and why going too low too fast always backfires The protein timing myth: why the post-workout window is not as tight as the fitness industry has told you, and what actually matters more The red flags that signal your body is chronically underfuelled, including irregular periods, persistent injuries, slow recovery, afternoon energy crashes, and mood swings How to stop the pattern of underfuelling all week and overeating on weekends without it feeling like a restriction Claire's go-to supermarket meals for busy women who do not have time to meal prep, including her favourite quick salad kits, dressings, and protein combinations that take less than five minutes to pull together Find Claire Bates: Instagram and TikTok: @nutritionfoodition Website: nutritionfoodition.com.au Brought to you by Garmin Today’s episode is proudly supported by Garmin. The new Garmin Venu 4 helps you train smarter and recover better with advanced sleep coaching, Body Battery™ energy monitoring, on-wrist coaching, lifestyle logging for caffeine, alcohol and stress, over 80 sports apps, mindfulness tools, a built-in LED flashlight, and multi-day battery life. Learn more at garmin.com.au. Work with Leanne or her team: Lean Gut Mind Method, Leanne's premium 1:1 coaching program: fully personalised nutrition plans, daily support, and a dietitian matched specifically to your goals. Visit https://leangutmindmethod.com/ Leanne Ward Nutrition Virtual Clinic: single consults, review consults, and nutrition packs covering hormones, perimenopause, gut health, fat loss, body recomposition, busy mums and more. All consults are virtual, available worldwide. Visit: https://leannewardnutrition.com/virtual-clinic/  If this episode opened your eyes, please share it in your Instagram stories. Tag Leanne at @leannewardnutrition. This is exactly the kind of conversation that needs to reach more women.  

Something is off. You can feel it. Your sleep has shifted, your mood is harder to manage, your body is changing in ways that diet and exercise alone do not explain. And maybe you have already seen a doctor and left feeling like you were not quite taken seriously. This episode is for you. Leanne sits down with Dr. Christine Greenwood, a GP who specialises in women's health, perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal care, for one of the most honest and clinically grounded conversations this podcast has ever had on the topic. Dr. Christine sees upwards of 100 patients a week in this space and she is not holding back. If you are a woman in your late 30s, 40s or 50s, this is the episode you need to share with every woman in your life. In this episode: The earliest signs of perimenopause that are almost always missed, including why it rarely starts with hot flushes and almost always starts somewhere else entirely What is actually happening to your hormones, why they spike and crash unpredictably, and why that chaos drives so much more than just your mood Why so many women in perimenopause are being prescribed antidepressants when what they actually need is a hormone conversation with the right doctor The HRT and breast cancer myth, fully dismantled. What the old research actually said, why it no longer applies, and what the current evidence actually shows Why body identical hormones are fundamentally different to the pill, and why transdermal estrogen does not increase your stroke or clot risk How to actually get diagnosed when there is no single blood test that confirms perimenopause, and what to tell your doctor when you walk in The supplement industry's dirty secret: why spending hundreds of dollars on menopause supplements will not do what body identical hormones can, and which supplements are actually worth considering How to find a doctor who is genuinely educated and passionate in this space, including the exact resources Dr. Christine recommends The one question Dr. Christine wants every woman to ask herself before deciding whether to act now or push through Resources mentioned: Dr. Christine Greenwood on Instagram: @drchristinegreenwood, consulting at Eden Health, John Flynn Hospital, Tugun from June/July Australian Menopause Society find-a-doctor directory: menopause.org.au Dr. Louise Newson's Balance website: balance-menopause.com Dr. Mary-Claire Haver and Dr. Kelly Casperson podcasts, recommended by Dr. Christine for further education Brought to you by Garmin Today’s episode is proudly supported by Garmin. The new Garmin Venu 4 helps you train smarter and recover better with advanced sleep coaching, Body Battery™ energy monitoring, on-wrist coaching, lifestyle logging for caffeine, alcohol and stress, over 80 sports apps, mindfulness tools, a built-in LED flashlight, and multi-day battery life. Learn more at garmin.com.au. Work with Leanne or her team: Lean Gut Mind Method, Leanne's premium 1:1 coaching program: fully personalised nutrition plans, daily support, and a dietitian matched specifically to your goals. Visit https://leangutmindmethod.com/ Leanne Ward Nutrition Virtual Clinic: single consults, review consults, and nutrition packs covering hormones, perimenopause, gut health, fat loss, body recomposition, busy mums and more. All consults are virtual, available worldwide. Visit: https://leannewardnutrition.com/virtual-clinic/    If this episode opened your eyes, please share it in your Instagram stories. Tag Leanne at @leannewardnutrition. This is exactly the kind of conversation that needs to reach more women.  

Most women are getting their protein targets wrong. Not by a little. By enough to quietly stall their fat loss, slow their muscle gains, and leave their energy flat by 3pm. In this solo Q&A episode, Leanne answers ten of your most-asked nutrition questions straight from her Instagram DMs, including the protein one that comes up almost every single week in clinic. In this episode: Why nutrition feels so much harder than exercise, and why that is completely normal Are you genuinely not hungry in the morning, or have you just normalised skipping breakfast? The signs Leanne watches for, and what she actually recommends How much protein women need for fat loss, muscle tone, and healthy ageing. The real clinical targets, why the Australian guidelines fall short for most women, and the exact ranges Leanne uses with her own clients Magnesium: which foods actually contain it, why so many Australian women quietly fall short, and how to tell whether a supplement could genuinely help you. Leanne walks through the three clinical forms of magnesium in RESTORE by Designed by Dietitians, why each was specifically chosen, and who benefits most. Explore RESTORE here Greek yogurt versus Greek-style yogurt: what the labelling actually means under Australian food standards, and the one thing to check before you put it in your trolley Why Leanne drinks soy milk, what the phytoestrogen research actually says, and how she approaches plant-based milks with different clients Building muscle without the scale becoming the enemy: what body recomposition actually looks like in practice, and better ways to measure real progress The real difference between generic nutrition advice online and working with a dietitian one on one What to do after an osteopenia diagnosis. The four non-negotiables Leanne gives every client in this situation, and why walking alone will not be enough   Brought to you by Garmin Today’s episode is proudly supported by Garmin. The new Garmin Venu 4 helps you train smarter and recover better with advanced sleep coaching, Body Battery™ energy monitoring, on-wrist coaching, lifestyle logging for caffeine, alcohol and stress, over 80 sports apps, mindfulness tools, a built-in LED flashlight, and multi-day battery life. Learn more at garmin.com.au. Work with Leanne or her team: Lean Gut Mind Method, Leanne's premium 12 week 1:1 coaching program: personalised plans, daily support, and a dietitian matched to your specific goals. Apply here: https://leangutmindmethod.com/  Leanne Ward Nutrition Virtual Clinic: single consults, review consults, and targeted nutrition packs covering fat loss, body recomposition, gut health, hormones, PCOS, and perimenopause. All consults are virtual, available worldwide. Visit https://leannewardnutrition.com/virtual-clinic/leannewardnutrition.com Got a burning question for Part 3? DM Leanne on Instagram @leannewardnutrition