These Crew Stories have come from one simple realisation. Our Crew is made up of countless everyday superheroes taking one small step at a time towards their ultimate ambitions. They may not have won Gold at the Olympics or lifted a trophy in front of thousands, but within the mundane of every day, life lies something truly inspirational. We can all take a leaf out of these Athletes. This weeks' Crew story is from Sandra Heriot. She loves being in nature and feeling fit and strong and healthy. In particular, she loves running, trail running, hiking, walking, biking, gymming, and swimming – basically all sorts of ways of being active. At first, she used her training as an excuse to travel – London, Chicago, Rotorua, Boston, Big Sur, and so on - but more often they provided a goal for me to train and keep fit as I got older.   Earlier in the year, she saw nutrition as the last piece in her performance puzzle. She had always eaten lots of ‘healthy’ foods for fear of putting on weight, like many of in her family. What she discovered through nutrition is truly inspirational. Of course, she had events lined up for this year which have been canceled or postponed – but this has not deterred her. She is still training as she says "Events will come around again and it’s just what I love to do. I have lots of time now to carry on with the nutritional plan, really build up and get stronger – who knows where I might go?"

Hello and welcome to the next episode of the Compeat Waffle! This next episode came about after we started talking about heart health on our socials. In particular, we mentioned what could impact resting heart rate and how to know if it’s something you should be alarmed about. With all the questions and the conversations that came out of that discussion we thought it would be a really good opportunity to dig all the little bit deeper into cardiac health in active individuals and athletes. Which is why we invited someone who knows a lot more about hearts than we ever will, Dr Nikki Stamp (@drnikkistamp). If you haven't come across Dr Nicky in either Instagram land or Twitter it is absolutely time to go and follow her. She is an epic human-based in WA where she is both a heart and lung surgeon. She improves her patient’s outcomes by translating each and every risk, complication, and process so that the patient feels informed and comfortable. She is also an author of 2 books (which are very much worth reading). I think this is why she is so well received on social media and has seen such an amazing rise (again go check her out!) In this episode, we pick her brain on all things related to the heart and you can just really sense the passion she has on the topic - It’s clear she has picked the perfect career. We discuss: The basics of the heart (so glad we asked this as her ability to simplify is epic) What happens to the heart when we exercise – how does it adapt? What’s an athlete’s heart? What are the signs and symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore? Atrial fibrillation Heart rate variability and wearables Dan Edge, Co-CEO of Compeat Nutrition shares his own personal story around training for Triathlon and the complications with his own heart. If you are concerned with any signs or symptoms you may be experiencing so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us @compeat_nutrition or Dr Nikki (@drnikkistamp). You can also find her on her website at http://www.drnikkistamp.com/

Over the past few months one of our team members has been very busy interviewing the Compeat Core team… and now it’s her turn. Mikaela Welti is one of our Accredited Sport Dietitians and I’m sure you will have come across her voice at some stage. Mikaela has been immersed in sport her whole life, which has shaped her incredible work ethic and her drive for continuous improvement. She is also a boxer, professional rugby player and just to oppose that combative side, a talented dancer. There’s no other way to explain this girl other than a complete powerhouse in the best possible sense I don’t know how she fits it into the day but somehow she does and together we get sh*t done. Mikaela joined the team last year when she started doing some some contract work. However it quickly got to the point where we couldn’t ignore her any more. When COVID hit she quickly lost all her work, but we saw this as a perfect opportunity to snag this girl. In this podcast we talk a lot about her journey as a child growing up and her relationship with exercise. However, the thing that really sticks out is her personal story around eating disorders. Hearing how it deeply impacted her family hit me hard and has really made me empathise so much more. If anything in this episode has resonated with you please complete our free preliminary assessment. You will receive a personalised recording from a member of our performance team to guide you along the next steps in your nutrition journey. Please also visit the butterfly foundation  (@butterflyfoundation) for help and guidance.

Following the sheer number of athletes who have experienced an injury due to the COVID-caused forced ‘off-season’, we just had to talk about injury nutrition. As the lockdown came at a critical point in everyone’s season, it has resulted in very sudden changes to training type, volume and intensity. To make matters worse, just as quickly as sport went away, it came back! This is likely part of the reason why the spike in injuries has occurred all over the world. So what are some things you should consider when returning to sport from injury? The difference between the acute phase and the functional recovery phase Which nutrients to look out for What supplements may be beneficial and at what doses How to cope with disappointment, fear, pain and anxiety How to identify the signs of disordered eating early! While we know that all of these considerations are important, each situation and each injury is extremely different and requires unique attention. You can talk to us about your injury in a judgement-free zone through our free preliminary assessment.  A member of our performance team will come back to you with the very next steps you can take to ensure your rehab progresses as well as possible.

Wow – we so excited to introduce this next guest (and still slightly in shock). Amy Sheppard (@amysheppardpie) is a singer-songwriter for the Australian indie-pop band Sheppard. You may have sung along to their most famous songs on the radio – ‘Geronimo’, ‘Coming home’ or ‘kiss my fat ass’ However, that’s not the main reason why we wanted to get Amy on the waffle. A couple of years ago Amy found herself very instrumental in a movement that she then termed kiss my fat ass (#kissmyfatass). Since then it has exploded in the most positive sense. In this episode, Amy talks a lot about her Journey, the difficult years at school, what instigated her negative body image and how she journeyed through to recovery. We also talk through the pressures of the music industry, when she first noticed those negative thoughts around her body and the strategies she used to overcome them. Our favourite part has to be her definition of health and what her future holds. We are still a little bit shocked at the privilege it was to have her on

Welcome back to the 4th Episode of Compeat Conversations! Hermes is one of our Accredited Sports dietitians at Compeat Nutrition where he also looks after the day-to-day operations. Hermes was the first official full-time employee of Compeat Nutrition following Co-founders Dan and Alicia and you will definitely hear about how many different balls he's juggling at any given time.  It was great to sit down with Hermes because he's a man of few words... but when he does sit down and speak he also has a way with words that makes him quite an inspiring person to listen to.  We chat through: What was it like growing up in Australia as an immigrant? What it's like experiencing your first diet as a male in your teenage years? How body image can be moulded during the formative teenage years? What drove Hermes to begin working with Compeat? We are so excited to share some of his wisdom with you.   Enjoy! 

We had so much fun doing research for this podcast! At Compeat we are very big on allowing athletes to be informed and drive the conversation. We believe this allows for a very open space in which athletes are informed of the positives and negatives of taking certain substances... and CBD is no different!  CBD is a chemical compound found in cannabis. it can be taken as a supplement in a variety of ways and may elicit multiple health benefits in the user. There were lots of people interested and lots of questions coming through for this one so we hope you get a lot out of it! The areas we discuss in this podcast are: What it is? Possible benefits? Can it help the athlete? What are the side effects? Is it legal? Should you take it? If you're not quite sure whether CBD is for you, why not fill out our Free Preliminary Assessment. Simply tell us what you're going through and what you feel is holding you back to receive a personalised response from one of our dietitians.

Welcome to the Compeat This next episode is with an absolute legend that we have had the pleasure of working with for the past few years. Pat Carroll is the 4thbest marathoner in Australia but arguably Australia’s most versatile long-distance runner. Some of his most notable achievements to date include: 1st Place – 1995 Beppu Marathon with a whopping 2 hours, 9 minutes and 39 seconds (his fastest marathon time) Current Australian record holder for the half marathon: 61 minutes, 11 seconds Represented his country 18 times at major events Completed his very first zoom call ever on this very podcast! Plus many many more! Since retiring 2001, Pat Carroll has remained in the sport. He is now more commonly known for his commenting amazing coaching ability through the Pat Carroll Running Group (PCRG)... oh and he also has a stellar personality which shines through this pod. We have always admired how Pat remains firmly in his coaching lane and places such a large focus on referring to different practitioners when required. He is a coach who truly cares for each and every one of his athletes, both online and in person. If you’re interested in doing some work with Pat, you can find him at: Website: https://patcarroll.com.au/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcrg_running/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOPCRG

Health is More Than Just Visible AbsWe need to change the conversation of Men’s Health into something so much bigger. We need to stop presenting numbers of mass or extremely low body fat % as the epitome of health. The truth is, achieving those things is often done at the COST of health. The introduction of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) in a desperate attempt to achieve a body composition that is otherwise impossible to maintain; a leanness that leaves an obsession over food, suppressed mood, irritability and low sex drive; a restriction that can impact occasions and relationships. When only 3% of males are managing to eat enough fruits and veggies; when every 3 out of 4 suicides are male; when there is a 50% chance of cancer by 85yrs; and when 4 out of 5 aren’t reaching minimum goals for movement – we need to make the progress toward health simpler and more enticing. We need to create an environment and a social movement that uses fewer scare tactics & guilt messages. We owe it to everyone to show the image of male health with diversity (all bodies, all ages, all ethnicities) – because we cannot be who we cannot see. We need to share with proliferation that achieving your definition of health doesn’t equal extreme loss, expensive supps or a lifetime of chicken & broccoli. Health is about becoming your highest-performing self – and I will tell you now, you are rarely performing your best when at 4-5% body fat. Your best performing self is defined by you – and it will change at each life stage. It may be getting through the day filled with energy; achieving an ongoing improvement in strength; increased concentration and productivity in the workplace, or having the mental and physical capacity to play with patience and presence with your kids. So, before embarking on a quest to shred or bulk, I really encourage the question of why. Not because a change in body composition is bad, but rather to ensure that your ‘why’ and ‘how’ lines up with you becoming and sustaining the best version of yourself in all areas of life. If anything in this episode has resonated with you please complete our free preliminary assessment. You will receive a personalised recording from a member of our performance team to guide you along the next steps in your nutrition journey.  

What does it take to go from being one of the top engineers in Australia and having such an influence on that industry, to now being a kick-ass boss and businessman with Compeat Nutrition? Hello and Welcome to our latest Ep. This week we have another Compeat Conversation line op for you, and it’s with Daniel Edge, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Compeat Nutrition. And today’s conversation is a little bit different. Dan hasn’t had a traditional path to entering the world of business. In this Convo we talk through all the curveballs and successes along the journey that have led Dan to where he is today. We also get his perspective on leadership following the realisation that PEOPLE are at the centre of EVERYTHING! But before you dive in! If you haven’t done so already, we would highly recommend having a listen to our previous Compeat Conversation with Alicia, Dan’s beautiful wife and partner in crime. If there’s anything in this podcasts that’s piqued your interest or would like to learn more about Compeat Nutrition as an emerging business, why not get in touch with us directly at www.compeatnutrition.com