Mikki Williden, PhD

Mikki Williden, PhD Registered nutritionist, whole food, health, nutrition, sport nutrition, primal, podcast Mikkipedia

A surefire way to put anyone off anything is to call it boring.Who the F$%^ wants to spend most of their life doing bori...
03/01/2026

A surefire way to put anyone off anything is to call it boring.

Who the F$%^ wants to spend most of their life doing boring 💩 ?

Most of us want to live our best lives. The fundamentals of health allow us to do this, and that is AWESOME.

There’s nothing better than knowing that, not only can you eat delicious food from the protein and vege that you prioritise, you can confidentally go for a meal out, a couple of days away, a week’s holiday and it literally will not make a dot of difference to your overall health or body composition in the big scheme of things.

It’s not all chicken, broccoli and brown rice. There are so many delicious meals that can be made focusing on protein and fibre. And, this doesn’t really take any culinary skills (as I don’t have many myself) but you can make meals worth looking forward to. Enjoying chocolate that doesn’t have to even be dark chocolate daily without feeling like you have to consume an entire block as it’s the last time you’ll ever eat that. That is food freedom, not some sort of mundane diet. And that you don’t have to give up any of your favourite foods.

How great is it to wake up not feeling like absolute 💩 because you’ve figured out a routine sleep schedule for the week is such a game changer. And that staying up super late watching yet another episode of your favourite show is not a flex. That show isn’t going anywhere. How nice is it to thank that stranger for offering to help you with your bags, but that you don’t need them? Or if your friend calls you out of the blue to go for a hike and you can do it, because you are fit enough? And that you know how GREAT it feels after a workout so you want to do it, even if you don’t ‘feel’ like doing it?

This is awesome. This isn’t boring. This is Elite (capital intended).

So why don’t we start shouting this from the rooftops, instead of rolling our eyes at how ‘boring’ we are and the basics that we practice?

Eat less, move more doesn’t have to be the worst advice ever. It’s all how you frame it. Eat less often, removing snacks...
01/01/2026

Eat less, move more doesn’t have to be the worst advice ever. It’s all how you frame it.

Eat less often, removing snacks and eating more at the meals you do eat. Give your digestive system a break and allow yourself to feel truly hungry when you do eat. Snacks are often what do people in when it comes to what they eat. Eat filling meals with a decent amount of protein and fibre if you tolerate it so you’re not distracted by hunger.

Eat less junk food. You know the ones. Many of the things sold as snacks (processed refined oils and carbs) or as ‘treats’ which some eat multiple times a day : muesli bars, chips, crackers, biscuits, snow pea crisps, bliss balls etc

Eat less of foods you don’t tolerate: if bread bloats you. If you get extreme gas from cabbage. If your latte sends you immediately to the bathroom 💩 - choose alternatives.

Move more during day. Look for opportunities in your every day life to be more active. At work and at home. Challenge yourself in the gym by increasing your weights or the effort you put into it. Get outside as much as you can to enjoy time in nature.

What can you do differently in 2026 that allows your actions to align more with your goals?

Coming into 2026 with the same energy as 2025 and all the years gone on before.I’ll keep prioritising movement because i...
31/12/2025

Coming into 2026 with the same energy as 2025 and all the years gone on before.

I’ll keep prioritising movement because it lets me move well now and later.

I’ll keep training, entering events, and doing hard things because that builds resilience that carries into the rest of life.

In amongst active recovery that supports the nervous system and musculoskeletal health, not just performance.

It’s about staying capable, motivated, and physically independent for as long as possible. For this year and with the next 20 years in mind. Use it or lose it.

How about you?

Muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat. It takes up less space than fat. So for the same given weight, if you have more musc...
29/12/2025

Muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat.

It takes up less space than fat.

So for the same given weight, if you have more muscle mass and less fat tissue, your body shape can look quite different.

Muscle takes time to build.

But when you do, everything changes.

Your metabolism is more flexible, allowing you to withstand higher calories, more flexible food choices, not having to obsess over everything that goes in your mouth. Your mindset around food becomes more flexible because of this. You relax a little. You build more trust in yourself around food and in your body in general.

Your metabolic health is enhanced. You have a place for glucose to be disposed of so blood sugar is better regulated. Your blood pressure can be normalised. Less likely to accumulate fat around the middle.

You look different. More defined. More ‘toned’.

You can lose fat and build muscle at the same time. Especially as a newbie to strength training. Or with the right tools, or under the guidance of an experienced coach. It’s more difficult the more experienced you are but you can do it.

If you’ve spent a lifetime of chasing a smaller number on the scale, maybe 2026 is the year you switch to focus on building a stronger physique, more flexible

28/12/2025

It takes monumental willpower to avoid grabbing a wee treat if every time you open your fridge, cupboard, pantry door they are front and centre in your eye line.

A scorched almond here, a Christmas cake bite there, and there is several hundred more calories that do not touch the sides in terms of hunger, you barely notice you are doing it, yet make a big difference to your calorie intake across the day. Multiple this by several days and you can see how people gain a kilogram at this time of year.

Out of sight, out of mind. Put these at the back. Put them up high. Pop them in a container that is opaque so you can’t see them. This will make a big difference to your habitual intake.

And then when you do make the decision to eat them, you’ll do so out of enjoyment, not because it’s a default movement of your hand to the bowl without even thinking about it.

It’s not that you ‘can’t help yourself’ - but this situation certainly doesn’t help most people.

*excuse that herb stalk in this bowl. 😂

28/12/2025

Artemis posted this reel on her page last night, go there for the full recipe.

It uses the flour/cottage cheese mix as a dough. I used light cottage cheese, butter (not coconut oil) and Natvia stevia that is like brown sugar. Didn’t glaze as I don’t love a glazed bun.

Super easy to make. And macros according to how I made them were 20.7g Carb, 3.4g Fat, 6.1g Pro for 10.

Thanks Artemis! ❤️

Many people aren’t great at listening to their appetite. Eating out of habit, social pressure, because something looks g...
26/12/2025

Many people aren’t great at listening to their appetite. Eating out of habit, social pressure, because something looks good, because it’s ‘time’ to eat.

Actually listening to your appetite and figuring out if you’re truly hungry (and subsequently when you are full) is a skill we can lose in childhood. So if you’re not sure what ‘hunger’ feels like you’re not alone.

Physiological hunger is a genuine biological need for energy and nutrients. Typical signs include:
• Stomach growling or a clear empty sensation
• Gradual onset of hunger that builds over time
• Low physical energy or fatigue
• Reduced strength, power, or coordination
• Difficulty concentrating; mental fog
• Feeling cold or chilled
• Headache or light-headedness
• Subtle shakiness or weakness
• Increased salivation
• Food sounds appealing in a non-urgent, non-emotional way
• Hunger that is satisfied by a balanced meal (not just one specific food)

A useful rule of thumb: physiological hunger is persistent, non-dramatic, and resolves with adequate food intake. It does not disappear with distraction, caffeine, or willpower alone.

After a couple of festive days, some people will still wake up feeling hungry and want to eat. Prioritising protein choices and maybe some vegetables or berries to help stabilise your blood sugar makes good sense. Listen to that.

Others don’t feel hungry as they’ve eaten a lot. Listen to that and eat when you feel hungry.

Just common sense really.

If you stepped on the scale this morning and saw a number that surprised you: just a quick reminder:That’s not fat gain...
25/12/2025

If you stepped on the scale this morning and saw a number that surprised you: just a quick reminder:

That’s not fat gain.

A couple of days of festive food, extra salt, more carbs, a few drinks, and less sleep can cause the scale to jump but what you’re seeing is mostly:

🔹 Water retention (especially from higher carb and salt intake)
🔹 More food in the system still being digested
🔹 Changes in inflammation and stress (hello late nights and social overstimulation)
🔹 Glycogen storage your body storing fuel, not fat
Real fat gain doesn’t happen in 1–2 days. And just like fat loss, it requires sustained change over time.

So, skip the scale today if it’s going to mess with your head. It’s not giving you useful information right now.

Instead, focus on what supports you:
✅ Drink your water
✅ Prioritise protein + plants
✅ Get outside and move
✅ Get some rest
✅ Return to your usual routine

This is all part of a normal, flexible lifestyle. One that’s not derailed by a holiday meal or a couple of days out of routine.

23/12/2025

TL; DL: weight loss medications are not cheating.

For most people they are giving them the bandwidth and space to put into practice the actions and behaviours that allow them to create routines around diet and exercise.

Ideally you don’t want to be losing your appetite in a way that makes it impossible to eat, as you may also lose the energy and drive to strength train and be active which is a critical component to preserving muscle mass.

You also want to be prioritising protein to help provide the substrate to preserve and protect muscle mass, neurotransmitter production and bone density.

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