Five questions with…Premium Member Nicole Dynan, Owner & Director, The Good Nutrition Co.; Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian; Accredited Wellness Coach
1. You founded The Good Nutrition Co. in early 2012. What is the driving philosophy behind it that makes your practice unique?
The changes that I made four years ago when I established The Good Nutrition Co. made a big difference to how I helped people with their health issues.
Through many years of working in chronic disease management within the pharmaceutical industry, I saw how the health of our nation was rapidly deteriorating and our reliance on medicines increasing. I also experienced first-hand the challenges of maintaining my own health while working within a stressful corporate environment. Using medicines was one thing, but I was driven to go much deeper than that, and so began my journey toward helping people with where it all begins: themselves and their nutrition.
I started The Good Nutrition Co. to share my knowledge of the power of food with as many people as possible, and to help them change their lives for the better. My driving philosophy is that ‘small changes can make a big difference to the way we feel’. So often I see people make radical, unsustainable changes based on depriving themselves of the food they love, where a small but significant habit change could be more effective and sustainable.
Since opening our doors, we have had the privilege of helping thousands of people through our four private practices, and through our corporate and workplace nutrition and wellness programs.
2. You served as CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet Online’s ambassador. What was the highlight of that position for you?
My first experience with the media was in 2015 when I became the media ambassador for the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. I had been helping out a dietitian friend of mine by piloting the online program for the CSIRO and next thing I knew, I was helping launch it through a TV infomercial campaign. It was my first real TV Media experience and I am sure instrumental in assisting me to get the DAA Media Spokesperson role this year. The highlight of that experience was meeting Manny Noakes and watching someone so experienced in the media in action.
3. What impact has social media and its reach made on your practice?
Social media has been a great way to convey images and information on our areas of interest (weight / health management, food intolerances, digestive health and sports nutrition) to a broader audience than we could reach through private practice alone. It has helped us to keep up to date on all things nutrition and refine our writing skills to capture and share key messages across the most relevant platform.
4. What online platforms do you find offer the best return on investment?
Our two most popular platforms are Facebook and our website (www.goodnutritionco.com), which incorporates our Instagram feed. Our most engaging posts on Facebook tend to be those involving our dietitians in the media. Most of our referrals however, come through our website, where we receive emails every week from patients seeking to make appointments with one of our five regular dietitians.
5. It’s rumoured that your husband makes a “wicked seafood paella”! When it’s your night to cook, what’s your signature dish?
I’m the Monday to Friday cook in our house and my speciality is making something balanced (and fast) from nothing. I love the challenge of an empty pantry and fridge! Whether it’s a vegetarian omelette, home-made baked beans, rice paper rolls or leftover chicken quesadillas there are always vegetables, be they fresh or frozen. I made the decision a long time ago never to serve a meal without something green on the plate or on the side.
Outside of that, my love of baking was sparked when completing 3-unit home-science in year 11 and 12, and has never waned. These days I can spend hours substituting ingredients to create something tasty, healthy and nut-free (for school lunch boxes) from more traditional recipes. My kids are always keen to provide feedback and I am always more determined to make it tastier and better next time. My favourite recipe at the moment is a sugar free Apple and Cinnamon Bread.