Rnd #3: 3rd March - 23rd March, 2024

A three week program of education and breakfasts to stabilise blood glucose, leave you fuller for longer, & increase energy, vitality & overall health.

Rise & Thrive is a nourishing and empowering three week program of education about the most important meal of the day - breakfast - and about the accessible interventions we can all make to better support our own & our family’s health.

For you and your family, you’ll learn how to stabilise blood glucose levels, how to eat to feel fuller for longer (reduce snacking!) and increase your energy, vitality and overall health. You’ll learn more about your relationship with food, self & what really nourishes you.

Did you know that the balance of foods you choose to eat for breakfast has a huge impact on the physical functionality of your body long into your life, and either helps or hinders healthy mental & physical health expression?

Did you know the impact of your breakfast (or not eating breakfast at all) on your blood glucose levels dictates how hungry and ‘hangry’ you’ll feel for the rest of the day? 

Sharp rises in blood glucose levels and/or low blood glucose levels vs keeping them on the most even keel you’re able, either sets you up for greater mood-swings, energy crashes, feelings of hunger and low pep, or has you feeling satiated, strong, energised and able to take on the day with stamina and liveliness (we’ll take the second category, thanks!).

Rise & Thrive will teach you how to choose foods, cook, serve and ‘eye-ball’ breakfasts that will support better days, and ultimately, better lives.

Rise & Thrive runs Sunday 3rd March - Saturday 23rd March.

After you sign up, you’ll receive a receipt from our payment provider.

You will then receive an email within 24hrs of sign up with further details & your two detailed downloadable eBooks - your 78 page Breakfast (& any time) Recipes book, & your 62 page Reference Guide. Don’t worry if these don’t come through immediately (but make sure you check your spam).

Meet our Round Three guest practitioners

  • Dr Pran Yoganathan

    Dr Pran Yoganathan is a Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Gastrointestinal endoscopist based in Sydney. He aims to empower his patients to embark on a journey of self-healing using the philosophy of “let food be thy medicine”.

    Dr Yoganathan has a strong interest in the field of human nutrition. He practices an approach to healthcare that assesses the lifestyle of the patient to see how it impacts on their gastrointestinal and metabolic health. He ‘walks the talk’ by sharing his own dietary, movement and self-educational pursuits across his engaging social platforms.

    Pran believes that the current-day nutritional guidelines may not be based on perfect evidence and he passionately strives to provide the most up to date literature in healthcare and science to provide “Evidence-Based Medicine”. He advocates for personalised healthcare, emphasizing dietary interventions over long-term medications, particularly in addressing conditions like Gastro-oesophageal Reflux (GORD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and abdominal bloating.

  • Dr Jessica Turton

    Dr Jessica Turton is a leading researcher and Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) who holds a PhD in Nutrition & Masters in Nutrition & Dietetics and who serves as the Director of Ellipse Health.

    As part of Jessica’s PhD, she examined the role and efficacy of low carbohydrate diets specifically in the management of diabetes, particularly type 1.

    Though diabetes management is one of Jessica’s primary interest areas, she is passionate about utilising the nutrition care process to investigate the role of diet in a wide range of conditions including gastrointestinal issues, obesity, insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, hypertension, PCOS, dyslipidaemia, chronic pain, systemic inflammation, anxiety/depression and disordered eating. Jessica is proficient in identifying, understanding and applying the latest scientific research in her clinical practice to provide premium goal-oriented nutrition services.

    With consideration of her own health background and personal nutrition journey, Jessica has made a commitment to empower as many people as she can with evidence-based knowledge, practical skills and trusted support to experience food freedom for life.

  • Dr Jin Ong

    Dr Jin Ong is professionally trained as an osteopath, psychosomatic therapist, western medical acupuncturist and herbalist living in the beautiful lakeside town of Wanaka, New Zealand.

    Having treated thousands of clients in her clinics, she felt she wasn’t seeing the results she’d hoped for with her clinical skills alone. Deep down, she knew her client’s pain (not only physical) was a manifestation of their emotional state.

    Based on a client’s pain, injury, mental imbalance or behavioural dysfunction, Jin taps into her intuition and interprets the deeper emotional issues at play. Not only does she bring awareness to the issues her clients may previously have been unaware of, she facilitates her clients through a process to help them release these stored emotions and liberate them of their pain physically and mentally.

    As a cathartic release therapist, Jin loves to dig deep, speak about the unspoken, and help people process unresolved emotions that hold them back from living the life they truly want.

Rise & Thrive will help if you & your family are experiencing one or more of the following health expressions:

  • Autoimmune issues

  • Low energy in the morning (11am ‘slump’)

  • Afternoon fatigue (3pm ‘slump’)

  • Craving salty or sugary foods

  • Feeling the need to constantly snack

  • Poor skin and hair condition

  • Loss of muscle mass

  • Loss of bone density 

  • Physical weakness

  • Chronic inflammation

  • Moodiness/grumpiness (‘hangry’ vibes) & emotional &/or physical dysregulation

  • Difficulty losing weight

  • Thyroid issues

  • Leptin & insulin resistance

  • Difficulties with focus and concentration (may relate to attention difficulties in an educational context)

  • Blood-glucose & cardiovascular issues (these might relate to pre-diabetes, diabetes or support following cardiovascular concerns, but if this is you, we strongly encourage you to engage with this incredible program alongside working with an integrative health practitioner who is familiar with your specific circumstances).

“Breakfast plays an important role in health because it has been associated with overall health, which includes a high daily nutrient intake & a low risk of chronic diseases.”

— Giménez-Legarre N etal., 2020, ‘Breakfast Characteristics and Their Association with Energy, Macronutrients, and Food Intake in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.’

“…evidence highlights the importance of the biological clock as a modulator of energy balance & metabolism. Recent studies in humans have shown that ingested calories are … utilised more efficiently in the morning than in the evening & this is manifest through improved weight loss.”

— Ruddick-Collins LC et al., 2018, ‘The Big Breakfast Study: Chrono‐nutrition influence on energy expenditure and bodyweight’.

“…the failure to eat (a well-balanced) breakfast has been documented to have a deleterious impact on cognitive performance.”

— Murphy et al., 1998, ‘The relationship of school breakfast and psychosocial and academic functioning.’

“The meta–analysis reveals consuming a protein–rich breakfast has an impact on decreased subsequent energy intake, decreased hunger and increased fullness among children and adolescents.”

— Qiu M etal., 2021, ‘Effect of Protein-Rich Breakfast on Subsequent Energy Intake & Subjective Appetite in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.’

Why does it seem that everyone is talking about blood glucose levels all of a sudden? Is this just another diet ‘fad’? 

While we’re well aware that diet ideologies come and go, the foundation of Rise & Thrive isn’t new. Supporting the body with foods that offer a stable energy source is something wonderful functional health practitioners have been recommending for decades (and is the basis of eating patterns centuries-old). 

We’re hearing more on this topic because as a society we’re witnessing the extraordinarily concerning effects of chronic and substantial sugar spikes and crashes on young people and adults alike (as a teacher, Hayley witnesses the impact of non-supportive breakfast and food choices on children of all ages on a regular basis).

In the long term, repeated spikes in our blood glucose levels (also known as blood sugar levels) can cause heart problems, kidney problems, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and related heart problems.

In 2020, diabetes was ranked seventh in the leading causes of death in Australia. In 2018, Type 2 diabetes was the twelfth leading contributor to Australia’s total disease burden.

What do we know about the most significant causes of type 2 diabetes (most of which also impact almost every other leading cause of death in Australia)? Poor diet, not getting enough physical activity, and being overweight or obese.

This research might be a reminder or a wake-up call, but either way, this is a call we can help you answer with confidence!

Rise & Thrive is a program for those of us who recognise we need a little nutrition love in our days. A little nutrition love that comes in the form of a breakfast that will sustain us - and our children - throughout the day & steer us away from a higher risk of illness or disease.

Wonderfully, a Rise & Thrive style of eating is achievable and accessible in varying ways no matter what your prior education, location, economic situation or current health issues are. 

The great ‘side-effect’ of eating for stable blood-glucose is that our overall health improves. Auto-immune conditions, hormones, moods, and energy levels all benefit, and other predictors of chronic illness and disease decrease. 

The ‘risk’ in trying something new for a three week period? You’re going to feel better, regardless! Countless Rise & Thrive participants have shared they have, & we know your learnings will help you feel better too.

“As we sleep, chemicals in our bodies are at work digesting food from the previous night. By morning, we are ready to "break the fast" after a stretch of not eating. The blood sugar (glucose) we need to power our muscles and brains is normally low when we wake up, and breakfast helps replenish it. But if we miss the first meal of the day, we may start tapping our energy reserves — including what's stored in our muscle. In addition to making us feel tired, missing breakfast is likely to increase the temptation to reach for an unhealthy pick-me-up snack later on and to overeat in general.”

— Harvard Health Publishing, 2011, ‘Breaking the Fast.

“Scientific studies suggest that making a healthy breakfast is related to a greater intake of nutrients in the total of the day, better coverage of the nutritional recommendations & better quality of the whole diet. It is also associated with better body weight control & healthy cardiometabolic risk indicators, both in children & adults. Breakfast has also been related to improvements in attention & cognitive function in all age groups, both in acute, chronic & intervention studies.”

— López-Sobaler AMª et al., 2018, ‘Importance of breakfast in the nutritional and health improvement of the population.’

Rise & Thrive runs Sunday 3rd March - Saturday 23rd March.

After you sign up, you’ll receive a receipt from our payment provider.

You will then receive an email within 24hrs of sign up with further details & your two detailed downloadable eBooks - your 78 page Breakfast (& any time) Recipes book, & your 62 page Reference Guide. Don’t worry if these don’t come through immediately (but make sure you check your spam).

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘I’m totally thrilled & blown away by this. My expectations have been blown out of the water. Even my picky-eater son is eating more now & feeling better. This morning he was the brightest I have seen him…for a long time. He was always a fruit & carb boy… but he is eating the protein now. This morning I was particularly touched by your work.’ - Fill Good Bulk Foods

    ‘With consistency, I also noticed a positive impact on my menstrual cycle. The education, examples & discussions are epic, & I feel more confident now to really implement this for my whole family.’ - Kate

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘Hey ladies, I just want to say thank you for Rise & Thrive. I’ve always eaten a savoury breakfast but for whatever reason my gut has been a mess for years. I‘ve done every healing protocol under the sun & nothing has helped.

    Since implementing the ACV water & eating protein, fibre, fat & carbs in all meals I haven’t experienced any stomach problems.

    It’s literally changed my life & I mean that. My stomach is so much more settled & I feel so much better & more comfortable.

    Thank-you again.’ - Brittany

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘This course was phenomenal but I think more than anything, the most amazing thing for me was the practical & simple recipes, the food hacks & seeing in real life what people were actually eating - I still find myself checking the Insta to get meal inspo & the baked beans have become a staple breakfast for my daughter who I previously struggled to get protein into.

    The podcasts were also incredible to learn deeper on all sorts of topics.

    There’s still so many recipes from the recipe book I’m looking forward to trying!’ - Samara

Who are we? 

We are sisters who've been cooking, gardening, learning and educating on health and food together since we were three years old (and plonked in the garden to crawl, eat worms and explore well before that!).

Now we're also chief meal-creators, home-shapers, mini land-tenders and life-guides to the four little people we have between us. We're focussed on creating foundational health and a connection to earth and the 'nourishment-chain', minus any diet dogma and disconnection from personal autonomy.

Alice Nicholls

Alice also grew up in country Victoria, and now lives on Gubbi Gubbi land on the beaches of the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia.

Alice studied Nutritional Medicine at the Australian Institute of Applied Science and approaches health with an integrative and functional approach, combining diet, lifestyle (including movement) and mindfulness to provide the strongest foundational wellness for any person to live from. 

At the time of writing this, she has two daughters who are 10 and 13 years old.

Hayley Bunting

Though we both hail from South Gippsland in Victoria, Hayley now lives on Bundjalung land in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia.

Hayley is a writer and Secondary Humanities, Psychology & English teacher who continues to work supporting students & education facilities as a tutor, sessional teacher and consultant. Her research and work around nutrition, food education and positive mealtimes has seen many families implement ways of being that see more joyful connection with food, family and self - around home mealtimes and school eating times.

At the time of writing this, she's the mother of a 3 year old boy and a 5.5 year old girl.


What you’ll receive (there’s a LOT!)

  • Extensive information on the Rise & Thrive philosophy which comes contained within your 62 page Reference Guide.

  • Exclusive Instagram account for daily tips, meal prepping information and recipe sharing + community engagement

  • A 78 page recipe book (Breakfast - & any time - Recipes), featuring three weeks + of breakfast recipes alongside recipes for sides, condiments & meals you could eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner (some from our favourite Australian chefs & foodies!), detailed information on balancing your plate, macro-nutrient focus & also micro-nutrient dense ideas and information.

  • Zoom LIVES with Hayley & Alice - Introductory live and Closing live (2 per program).

  • Round 3’s incredible LIVE guest practitioner chats:

    • Dr Pran Yoganathan, Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist & Gastrointestinal endoscopist

    • Dr Jessica Turton, Dietitian, Nutritionist & Director of Ellipse Health

    • Dr Jin Ong, medical intuitive & cathartic release therapist, coach, trainer & osteopath

  • Lifetime access to all content recorded in previous rounds of ‘Rise & Thrive’ (11 hours in total thus far) - & future rounds - including conversations with:

    • Dr Gary Fettke, renowned orthopaedic surgeon & advocate for the health benefits of low carbohydrate, healthy fat (LCHF) nutrition

    • Chantel Hutnan, hormone health specialist & Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner

    • Dr Peter Brukner, author, medical doctor, specialist sports & exercise medicine physician & founder of SugarbyHalf & Defeat Diabetes

    • Helen Padarin, Nutritionist, Naturopath and Herbal Medicine Practitioner

    • Steph Lowe, Nutritionist & Complementary Medicine Association member, Steph Lowe

    • Renee Jennings, Registered Dietitian & Nutritionist, with a special focus on gestational diabetes & pregnancy health

Meet our Round Two guest practitioners

Rise & Thrive runs Sunday 3rd March - Saturday 23rd March.

After you sign up, you’ll receive a receipt from our payment provider.

You will then receive an email within 24hrs of sign up with further details & your two detailed downloadable eBooks - your 78 page Breakfast (& any time) Recipes book, & your 62 page Reference Guide. Don’t worry if these don’t come through immediately (but make sure you check your spam).

Meet our Round One guest practitioners

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘It just changed EVERYTHING: mine & my family’s energy, sleep, moods & concentration. I can keep myself stronger & clearer for longer just with my diet! I totally was not eating enough protein… Now my diet is complete. I don’t eat any other way anymore. It is as impactful as when I learnt how to navigate my cycle. I navigate my protein intake now too & my blood sugar & glucose are even. Boundless gratitude to Hayley & Alice.’ - Dr Planet Soap

    ‘Honestly, [the Rise & Thrive info] has changed my entire perspective and day! Savoury breakfasts = WOW! I feel really good. Not getting that 10-11am hunger, & more importantly, I can concentrate! Also don’t get that afternoon SLUMP or craving.’ - Paris

    ‘Less snacking! Almost none now, actually. Satisfied between meals & no afternoon slump.’ - Kelsey

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘I don’t feel like I’ve been hit by a truck every morning when I wake up. Pretty alert & ready!’ - Tashy

    ‘Balanced energy throughout the day. Less cravings throughout the rest of the day’ - Lisa Marie

    ‘Just made so much sense… thank you for breaking the idea of what foods SHOULD be consumed when; I would never have thought to have sauerkraut with brekkie but, actually, why not? And it tastes good!’ - Holly

    ‘As a woman who is not currently in a disordered eating pattern but has clawed her way out of an eating disorder in the past, Rise & Thrive has given me SUCH freedom with the visual knowledge of the macro & micro nutrients to aim to meet WITHOUT the dogmatic approach or eating plan or diet culture & it has been so FREEING.’ - Shannon

  • How eating a Rise & Thrive breakfast feels:

    ‘I joined right at the last minute after considering joining for weeks, & I'm so glad I did! The biggest take away for me was protein, protein, protein! I was not personally having enough protein, so the knock on is that neither were my family. Not only did it change the way I viewed breakfast meals, we have also shifted to incorporate the basic 'protein, fat, fibre, greens/veg' to most meals, & gradually the changes are sticking. Meal prep is easier, I know how to make labneh now!! And using clean ingredients really effectively to make great tasting food!!! 5 stars guys!’ - Jo

    ‘Less desire for sweet later in the day, longer satisfaction… Also ate slower & enjoyed more.’ - Claire

    ‘10/10 concentration’ - Paris

    ‘Always worth the effort! Kids aren’t hungry again after 0.45 seconds!’ - Claire

FAQs

How will the materials be delivered + what is included? 

Rise & Thrive updates will be delivered in two places:

Our private Instagram Club for daily connection and community engagement, and via email for weekly updates, live education session times and reminders and to deliver eBooks and other resources (many of which - including regular new recipes and ideas-  will also be stored in the Instagram Club for you).

Why only breakfast? 

The foundational pillars of the Rise & Thrive philosophy are interchangeable for any meal of the day, and our recipes reflect meals that could be served whenever you feel like them,  however, we focus on breakfast because the breadth of research highlights that it’s what we eat when we begin our day that supports or hinders us most throughout the day.

We feel that if we teach you how to ‘eat the whale’ so to speak, using the most beneficial time to create this habit, the knowledge will flow into the rest of your day (and life!).

Are there rules? 

We definitely never expect you to aim for ‘perfection’ (there’s no such thing), so besides focusing on our pillars for each breakfast plate for the majority of the time, there is scope for you to change up meals the way you feel you and/or your family need.

Staying aware of the program’s teachings, though, will mean a greater impact on your health and more noticeable - positive - changes over the three weeks!

We’ll help you in your aim to fill your plate with micronutrient dense proteins, fats and carbs (and no, we will never ask you to measure these) to help your health and life improve.

When will the course materials be delivered? 

You’ll receive the course content and access to the private Instagram club on the 10th of July, which gives you an entire weekend and a whole week to plan and prep what you need to to get started.

What results can I expect?

Check out our testimonials of course, however, typical results will look like:

  • Improved and more sustained energy

  • Less snacking 

  • Lower cravings, especially for sugary foods

  • Increased satiation

  • Better moods

  • Better sleep

  • Improved skin

  • Clarity of mind/better focus

  • Better physical composition 

  • Reduction in stress-markers, anxiety and irritability 

  • Feeling like a rockstar

  • LOVING breakfast more (& loving yourself more too)!

Do the meals support a ketogenic or low carb high fat diet? 

All of our recipes are focused on a balance of lower carbohydrates, higher protein and fat and powerful micro-nutrients through vegetables and additional sides and condiments. 

Fats we use include lard or tallow, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and ethically sourced animal fats. If you’re following a keto or low-carb diet these recipes will be easily supportive of you.

How long will I have access to the course?

Call us mad, but we are allowing lifetime access to you when you join Rise & Thrive. And with a goal to support a new cohort at least bi-annually, this gives you incredible value.

Is Rise & Thrive only for omnivores? 

While we are aware that the most micro-nutrient dense foods on the planet are animal foods, and we base a lot of meals on this, there are vegetarian and vegan options within Rise & Thrive, and both Hayley (who has only recently began eating meat again so is navigating new meal ideas) and Alice are always happy to support questions on substitutes for recipes.

Rise & Thrive runs Sunday 3rd March - Saturday 23rd March.

After you sign up, you’ll receive a receipt from our payment provider.

You will then receive an email within 24hrs of sign up with further details & your two detailed downloadable eBooks - your 78 page Breakfast (& any time) Recipes book, & your 62 page Reference Guide. Don’t worry if these don’t come through immediately (but make sure you check your spam).