About me

About me

I’m your everyday Aussie bloke who has always loved travel, good food, good company and, most of all, surfing.

I’ve loved food for as long as I can remember, but my real passion for cooking started after travelling around Europe, Japan and the Pacific Islands in my twenties. I fell in love with the food, the flavours and the idea that cooking something delicious from simple ingredients, that I often grew in my own garden, could be such a rewarding part of life. I love how food brings people and families together.

Then life changed.

I got married, had children and settled into work that involved long hours and being mainly sedentary. Gradually, I became overweight and unfit. I tried diet after diet, but nothing seemed to work for me long term. Eventually, I found myself in a place I never expected to be. Unfit and overweight.

I was struggling with my fitness, I had shoulder pain, surfing and ocean swimming—the sports I had always loved—was becoming increasingly difficult. I wasn't getting out in the water very often, and when I did, I wasn't having the kind of surfs I used to enjoy.

I remember telling myself, “You’re just getting old.”

But I wasn't ready to give up.

With a Bachelor of Medical Science and experience working as a medical scientist in Qld hospital pathology labs and IVF clinics, I already had a good understanding of anatomy, physiology and how the body's systems work together. So instead of trying another diet, I decided to do a deep dive and really understand what was happening, especially with our digestive system. 

I started looking closely at what I was eating and how different foods affected my body. I explored approaches including carnivore, paleo, time-restricted eating and fasting. I also became fascinated by fermented foods, the gut microbiome and the importance of gut health.

One of the biggest things I discovered was just how much sugar and highly processed food had become part of the modern diet. And a lot of it is hidden. 

Slowly, things started to change. 

I found a way of eating that worked for me—without feeling like I was constantly “on a diet.” I learned that I didn't have to give up the foods I loved. I just needed to understand food differently and find a way of eating that I could actually enjoy and stick with.

The weight started coming off, and fast, but that was only part of the transformation.

My health improved significantly, especially my mental health. The aches and pains I had accepted as part of getting older reduced or disappeared. I don't seem to get sick and my energy is in abundance. My fitness improved much more easily than I expected, and I found myself enjoying being active again.

Most importantly, I found my way back to something I thought I was going to give away—surfing. I now compete in masters surfing comps, ocean swimming races and SLSA events, at a national level. 

Three years later, this isn't a diet I'm following. It's simply how I live.

That's why I created this website. I want to share what I eat that helped me reclaim my health so you can too.

I want to share the recipes, ideas and lessons I've discovered along the way with people like me—ordinary people who love food, love being active, and perhaps have found themselves a little further away from the lifestyle they once enjoyed.

The food here isn't about deprivation, complicated meal plans or eating boring “diet food.” It's about real food that tastes great, is enjoyable to eat, and is simple enough to fit into everyday life.

My goal is to show that you can enjoy the foods you love, make better choices, and create a way of eating that doesn't feel like a diet. Follow my YouTube channel to follow me on my journeys and find out a bit about the science behind our bodies and food. 

Because I've discovered that getting healthier doesn't have to mean giving up the things you love.

Sometimes, it means finding a better way to enjoy them.

My mission

Accessible cooking

Simplified recipes

Science behind food and body systems

Culinary adventures

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