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The Healthstyle Doctor, Tarras (2026)

19/03/2026

Have you heard of leptin resistance?

This is one of the most common things I see in clinic — and one of the biggest missing pieces when it comes to understanding weight.

So many women feel like:
“I’m trying… but my body just isn’t responding”

And this is often why.

Your body has a built-in system that regulates hunger, fullness, and how energy is used.

Leptin is a key part of that system — it acts like a fuel gauge, telling your brain how much energy you have stored.

But over time, that signal can become disrupted.

So instead of your brain clearly “seeing” that you have enough energy…

It perceives that you don’t.

And responds by:
– Increasing hunger
– Reducing fullness
– Slowing metabolism
– Holding onto fat

Not because anything is wrong with you —
but because your body is trying to protect you.

Two of the biggest drivers I see are:
🔥 Inflammation
🔄 Insulin resistance

Which means this isn’t about trying harder.

It’s about understanding and supporting your biology.

💛 Comment ARTICLE and I’ll send you a deeper dive into this

19/03/2026

If you’ve ever felt like your weight is being “pulled back” to a certain place…
even when you’re eating well and exercising…

There’s a reason for that.

Your body weight is not just about calories in vs calories out.

It’s regulated by your brain — a bit like a thermostat.

Your brain is constantly sensing how much energy your body has stored, and adjusting two key things:

• how hungry you feel
• how much energy you burn

This creates a range your body tends to defend — often called your set point.

So what happens when you try to lose weight?

Your brain senses a drop in energy stores and responds by:

• increasing hunger
• slowing metabolism slightly
• making food more rewarding
• reducing energy and motivation

Not because anything has gone wrong…

But because your body is trying to protect you from perceived famine.

This is also why “eat less, move more” is only part of the story.

Around 70% of the energy you burn each day is just keeping you alive — your resting metabolism.

And that system is adaptive.

It can adjust up or down depending on what your brain perceives is happening with energy availability.

Over time, especially with repeated dieting, this system can become even more protective.

Which is why so many women experience:

→ weight loss that becomes harder
→ weight regain that feels almost automatic
→ weight that seems to keep creeping up

This isn’t a lack of discipline.

It’s your biology doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

And once you understand this, everything starts to shift.

Because instead of constantly fighting your body… you can start learning how to work with it.

💬 Comment ARTICLE and I’ll send you a free deeper dive on how this works

17/03/2026

As a metabolic and women’s health doctor, one of my favourite blood tests to use in clinic is high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP).

It helps detect chronic low-grade inflammation.

This is the slow, smouldering inflammation that can quietly sit in the background for years and contribute to many chronic conditions.

It’s very different from the big CRP spike you might see with an infection like pneumonia, measured by a traditional CRP.
Instead, hs-CRP gives us insight into the background inflammatory load on the body.

And lifestyle plays a huge role in driving this.
Some common contributors include:
• repeated blood sugar spikes from refined carbohydrates and sugars
• ultra-processed foods and additives such as emulsifiers
• low fibre diets
• trans fats
• poor sleep and circadian disruption
• chronic stress
• visceral fat and insulin resistance
• sedentary lifestyle
• smoking and excess alcohol
• gut microbiome disruption

Over time, this type of inflammation increases risk of:
• heart disease
• fatty liver
• type 2 diabetes
• dementia
…and importantly it can also contribute to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction.

If you’re curious about your own levels, you can ask your doctor for a high-sensitivity CRP test.

In my Metabolic Harmony course launching at the end of the week, I go much deeper into how chronic inflammation disrupts metabolism and contributes to weight gain — and what lifestyle strategies can help reverse it.

Comment HARMONY and I’ll send you the waitlist details.

12/03/2026

Last month I went to my husband in the evening and said,
“I don’t know what’s going on… I think I’ve lost my business mojo.”

I normally love working on my business at night — ideas flowing, projects happening, lots of creativity. But that evening I was just staring at a blank screen wondering what was wrong with me.

He looked at me, smiled, and said:
“Honey… that happens every month just before your period.”

I was shocked.

I track my cycle… but somehow I had never noticed that pattern.

Fast forward to this week — same thing.
Blank screen. No motivation. Low energy.

Then I checked my cycle.

Day 26.

Of course.

The more I pay attention, the more I realise the menstrual cycle really does have four seasons.

🌱 Spring (just after your period)
Energy returns. Mood lifts. Everything feels possible again.

☀️ Summer (around ovulation)
Creative, social, productive. Big ideas, new projects, lots of energy.

🍂 Autumn (after ovulation)
Things start to slow. More reflective. Less outward energy.

❄️ Winter (PMS days before your period and early period)
Lower energy.
Lower patience.
A little more irritable.
And sometimes… the mouth filter disappears.

Every woman will experience her cycle a little differently. But interestingly, many of the women I speak to in clinic describe a pattern very similar to this ❤️

For me this tends to show up worst day 23–24

Now when my period arrives, I look ahead at the month coming up and mark days 23 and 24 in my calendar as “stormy.” It’s a simple reminder not to overcommit, plan big things, or expect peak productivity from myself during those days.

Instead of fighting it, I’m learning to work with it.

To create and build during my “summer”…
and allow more rest and gentleness during my “winter.”

Sometimes nothing is wrong with you — you’re simply in a different season of your cycle. ❤️

📩 Send this to a girlfriend or partner who would appreciate understanding this too.

07/03/2026

✨ GIVEAWAY – Celebrate International Women’s Day ✨

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Give To Gain.”

So to celebrate, I’m giving away one free place on my Metabolic Harmony course.

This program is designed to help women understand their metabolism, hormones, and weight regulation in a science-based, practical way.

🎁 1 free place available

💫 Value: $197

The winner will be drawn in 1 week from everyone on the waitlist.

How to enter: 1️⃣ Comment HARMONY below

2️⃣ Add your details to the waitlist

Not required to enter but share the love and tag another woman who would love to join too!

If you’ve been thinking about joining the course, this is the perfect time to put your name on the list.

Good luck! ✨

06/03/2026

Bit of Friday fun..... but really give it a go 😆

04/03/2026

Something uncomfortable I’ve had to rethink as a doctor.

For a long time I avoided creating a weight-loss course for women.

Not because weight isn’t important — in clinic I talk about it every single day — but because I know how vulnerable women can feel around this topic. The last thing I ever want to do is contribute to shame or unrealistic expectations.

But in my perimenopause and lifestyle medicine clinic I kept hearing the same thing:

"I haven’t really changed anything… but my weight is going up."

Women often tell me they’re exercising, eating well, and doing all the things that used to work — yet their body suddenly feels completely different.

Another thing I hear surprisingly often is that women have been given advice from non-health professionals along the lines of:

“Just eat less.”
“Move more.”
“Track your calories.”

The problem is that when we look at the science of weight regulation, it’s rarely that simple. Restricting more and more can sometimes slow metabolism and make weight regain more likely over time — which can leave women feeling frustrated and blaming themselves.

And this becomes even more complex during perimenopause and menopause, when hormones, muscle mass, sleep, stress and insulin sensitivity all begin to shift.

So over the past few months I’ve been quietly working away in the background — reviewing the research and bringing together what we understand from the science with what I see actually working for women in clinic.

This has become my new course:

Metabolic Harmony: Weight Loss & Healthy Metabolism for Women

It launches 24 March, and I’ve now opened the waitlist with benefits for early birds who join the list.

If this resonates with you, comment HARMONY and I’ll send you the link 💛

26/02/2026

Cinnamon is one of those things many women start adding into their routine when they’re trying to support their metabolism or blood sugars.

Maybe it’s in your coffee.
On your oats.
In a smoothie.

And there is some evidence that cinnamon may support blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and inflammation — particularly in people with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.

But here’s the part that often gets missed:

Most of the cinnamon sold in supermarkets is Cassia cinnamon.

And while completely fine for occasional use in baking or cooking — Cassia contains much higher levels of a naturally occurring compound called coumarin.

In larger amounts over time, coumarin may place stress on the liver.

So if you're someone who is having cinnamon regularly (like I do — twice daily in my coffee ☕), it may be worth choosing Ceylon cinnamon instead.

Ceylon cinnamon (also called true cinnamon or Cinnamomum verum) is much lower in coumarin — making it a more suitable option for daily use.

It’s not a magic fix for metabolism.
But small supportive daily habits can add up over time

✔️Save this for next time you're shopping 🛒

✔️Share with a friend who might want to know

✔️Follow and comment ARTICLE if you'd like more info on insulin resistance & blood sugar balance

18/02/2026

Boss Burgers!
As we head into the final stretch of summer, it’s the perfect time to mix up your BBQ routine.
Swapping a few red meat meals each week for plant-based options isn’t about restriction — it’s about balance.

What the guidelines say:
The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as carcinogenic and red meat as probably carcinogenic at higher intakes.

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting red meat to around 350–500g cooked per week (roughly 3 portions).

The Heart Foundation of New Zealand encourages regularly including legumes and beans as heart-healthy protein sources.

More beans = more fibre, lower saturated fat, better gut and heart support.

That’s where my Boss Burgers come in 🍔
A hearty bean patty that:
✔️ Is high in plant protein + fibre
✔️ Holds together beautifully on the BBQ
✔️ Freezes well for easy prep
✔️ Can be made gluten-free (swap breadcrumbs for quinoa flakes)

Before BBQ season ends, consider this your sign to try a version that’s just as satisfying — and supports your health at the same time.
Comment RECIPE and I’ll send you the link to my free recipe hub so you can make a Boss Burger 🍔.

12/02/2026

We often underestimate how powerful movement really is.

This latest Cochrane (2026) review looked at 73 randomised trials and nearly 5,000 adults with depression.

Here’s what stood out to me:

• Exercise reduced depressive symptoms compared to doing nothing.
• It performed about the same as psychological therapy.
• It showed similar improvements to antidepressants in small trials.
• Light to moderate intensity seemed just as helpful (if not more) than very intense training.
• Consistency mattered more than type.

There wasn’t one “perfect” form of exercise.

Aerobic. Strength. Mixed training.
All helped.

Which is actually very reassuring — because it means this isn’t about finding the ideal program.

It’s about finding something you enjoy enough to keep doing.

When I suggest exercise in clinic, it isn’t a throwaway lifestyle comment.
It’s because the evidence shows it genuinely helps.

And you’re not just supporting mood.

You’re supporting your brain, metabolic health, bones, cardiovascular system and long-term resilience at the same time.

That’s powerful medicine.

If you’d like to read the full review, comment LINK and I’ll send you access via my free resource page.

And I’d love to know — what kind of movement makes you feel better?

10/02/2026

Why I changed from oat milk to soy 🥛

This wasn’t a trendy swap.
It was a data-driven one.

When I started wearing a CGM — and reviewing CGM data from my patients — the same pattern kept showing up:

📈 Oat milk = glucose spikes
(even when the label said “no added sugar”)

Then I tried something interesting…
I made oat milk at home.

Have you ever done this?

It tastes fine — but it’s not sweet.
Nothing like the creamy, slightly sweet supermarket version.
Even when you add dates.

And that’s when things clicked 💡

Here’s the bit most people aren’t told 👇
Commercial oat milks often use enzymes during processing that break oat starch down into simple sugars like maltose — a rapidly absorbed sugar.

So yes — no sugar is added.
But sugar is effectively created.

Then there’s the protein piece.

☕ Protein matters, especially for women 35+
It supports:
• steadier blood sugars
• better satiety
• fewer energy crashes
• appetite and hormone regulation

That’s why I now mostly use protein-enriched soy milk:
🥛 ~10 g protein per cup
📉 far steadier glucose response
😌 more fullness, less snack-seeking

This isn’t about labelling foods as “good” or “bad” (I still drink an oat coffee every now and again).
It’s about choosing what works with your metabolism.

If you notice:
• hunger soon after coffee
• mid-morning crashes
• blood sugar swings on a CGM

This is a simple swap worth experimenting with.

💬 Comment “LINK” if you’re a woman 35+ and want my free nutrition guide with practical, hormone-supportive food swaps.

04/02/2026

We are off camping again this long weekend!

Camping doesn’t have to mean ultra-processed food all day — and it definitely doesn’t need to be perfect to be healthy. With a little intention, you can support your energy, digestion and your gut microbiome, while still enjoying the fun treats.

Here are my go-to camping food tips:

🥦 Build meals around whole foods (plants first)
Base meals on vegetables, beans, lentils, chickpeas, whole grains and fruit — then add in eggs, fish or vegetarian sausages if that works for you.

🥕 Feed your gut microbiome with fibre
Fibre is the main fuel source for your gut bacteria. Including a variety of fibre-rich foods helps keep them alive and thriving — so when you get home, your microbiome is still strong and diverse rather than needing a “reset.”
Think legumes, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

🥚🐟 Include easy protein options
Eggs or porridge with nut butter for breakfast, tinned fish or hummus wraps for lunches, tofu or tempeh, bean burgers, and vegetarian sausages for the BBQ help keep you full and your blood sugars steady.

🌯 Keep meals simple with “assembly” options
Wraps, bowls and salads work beautifully when camping. Add fibre-rich plants + protein + a carb + a healthy fat and dinner is sorted.

🥑 Don’t forget healthy fats
Olive oil, avocado, tahini, nut butters and olives add flavour and help meals feel satisfying — especially helpful for hormone health.

🔥 Simple is still nourishing
One-pot lentil stews, BBQ veggies with eggs or fish, baked potatoes with beans, or porridge topped with fruit and nuts are easy wins.

🍫🔥 And yes — the treats belong too
Marshmallows, s’mores, hot chocolate and shared snacks around the fire are part of camping. Enjoy them fully, without guilt. Your gut and your health are built on patterns, not one meal.

Camping food is about balance, flexibility and enjoyment — nourishing your body and your experience outdoors.

💬 Comment RECIPE and I’ll send you the link to my free recipe hub with all my favourite camping recipes included — simple, nourishing and family-friendly 🏕️ SUSHI, BOSS BURGERS, NACHO BEANS, STICKY TOFU BUDDA BOWL, FALFEL WRAPS.

The Healthstyle Doctor

19/03/2026

19/03/2026

17/03/2026

12/03/2026

07/03/2026

06/03/2026

04/03/2026

26/02/2026

18/02/2026

12/02/2026

10/02/2026

04/02/2026

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