OH! Magazine - Australian Version January 2017 | Page 9

MEET AN EXPERT shleigh Feltham is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and owner of Feed Your Future Dietetics. She believes everyone deserves to live a life of health and wellness and as such, she’s passionate about helping people achieve their highest quality of life through nutrition, mental health and exercise. A Ashleigh holds a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Bachelor of Human Nutrition. In addition to being an Accredited Practising Dietitian, she is also a qualified personal trainer and group fitness instructor and has been working in the fitness industry for over ten years. Ashleigh was an elite gymnast as well as an elite rock climber, having represented Australia for four years. What is your personal philosophy around nutrition and exercise? My philosophy is there are nutrition guidelines for the general population but everyone is unique. This means everyone’s needs is slightly different for optimal Name: Ashleigh Feltham Expertise: Nutrition Website: http://feedyourfuturedietetics.com health. This is where I believe I can help others, by understanding and optimising their health based on their individual circumstances. I do not believe in hard to follow diets rather following a healthy lifestyle, which is balanced and can be enjoyed What do you think makes you different from other dietitians? I have experience as an elite athlete which has given me first hand experience on the need for optimal nutrition to achieve results. Through life experiences I also understand the vital role nutrition plays in health and to be able to live in a way that feels good on the inside rather than just on the outside. How nutrition can enable life to be felt and experienced more of less fully depending on how adequate our bodies needs are met. I feel I am able to use some tough experiences in my life to be more empathetic to my clients and also to be able to help others in a way I may not have been able to if I had not had these experiences. What do you think is the most commonly misunderstood nutrition fact? That there is a quick fix or a magic bullet to achieve results. The fad diets have been around for a long time and will continue to thrive because of this belief. Instead of understanding how a balanced diet can not only achieve health but help achieve results in a way no fad diet could ever do in thee long term and not just for a few weeks or months. What are your top three tips for people to achieve and sustain optimum health? 1. Live a balanced diet which can be enjoyed. 2. Stay away from the fad diets, celebrity chefs and celebritites claiming they have found the ‘new quick fix to weight loss and health. 3. See a dietitian. ( JANUARY 2017 ) OH! MAGAZINE 9