**2025 Update - Helen will be commencing Parental Leave from April 1st, 2025. She will return in April 2026 ** 'Performance Nutrition is a science, but eating is a behaviour ' Helen is an Advanced Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Therapist with over 15years of experience. She works to blend advanced sports/rehab nutrition science with a practical and simple approach to nutrition counselling. She practices a health & performance behaviour driven, Non-Diet, Health At Every Size (HAES) philosophy . Helen is passionate about integrating elite nutrition science/evidence-based strategies with respect to individual autonomy, culture and context. Her client-centred approach aims to put the person in the driver's seat of their health & performance journey. With her collaborative style, individuals are guided through the Nutrition knowledge , application and eating behaviour change processes aimed at: – Improving energy levels – An informed approach to optimsing body composition (increase lean mass and manage healthful body fat levels with awareness of benefits and potential risks to health and performance) – Injury Prevention: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) , Bone, soft tissue, concussion - Heal and rehabilitate post-surgery or through injury eg. Bone injury, ACL surgery – Enhance ongoing physical and mental wellness. - Create and maintain positive relationships with food and body In addition to her High Performance Nutrition skillset, Helen’s areas of nutrition experience include: – Eating Disorders, disordered eating and managing Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in elite athletes . Her experience spanning multiple sports including Gymnastics, Ballet, Performance arts, Swimming, Football (Soccer) , Netball, AFL, AFLW and Cricket. She has particular interest in assisting all genders navigate eating challenges in high pressure (elite sport/talent ID) environments. – Emerging nutrition strategies aimed at healing musculoskeletal injuries, improving bone health as well as the holistic role of nutrition in concussive injury rehabilitation. Experiences that have shaped Helen's career include: - The Senior Sports Performance Dietitian for 12 years leading the High Performance Nutrition Program at Cricket Victoria, the Melbourne Stars & Melbourne Renegades BBL/WBBL teams. The 2023-2024 season was her 12th and final season working with Victoria's elite and emerging Cricketers and within the Cricket Australia High Performance Nutrition Network. - 2023, Helen launched the Waverley Gymnastics Centre's inaugural Performance Nutrition Program. A proud initiative to support the gymnasts and their families - incorporating the Gymnastics Australia Body Positive , Body Care Guidelines and key AIS position statements. - 13 years as a GG & WAG qualified Gymnastics coach teaching general to early talent ID Gymnastics (2002-2014) - 9 seasons as Performance Nutrition Lead with the VFL Sandringham Zebras Football Club (2009-2019) - AFLW National Academy (2017-2019) - Inaugural Performance Nutrition Lead providing individual nutrition servicing and education programs - AFL National Academy : Consultant since 2011 and Performance Nutrition Lead 2016-2019 - A-League Western United Football Club (2019) : Performance Nutrition consultant during the inaugural year. - St Kilda Football Club: Performance Nutrition Assistant (2016-2019) Saints Next Generation Academy (NGA) Performance Dietitian since 2018. - Bianca Chatfield Netball Academy (2019 - current): Performance Nutrition consultant