Bookings available
Dietitian (APD) / Nutritionist Ring 4635 6111 to book
Let's work together to optimise your nutrition and plan for a healthy lifestyle!
Empowered, Encouraged, Enriched
Meet the Dietitian
Welma Joubert is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), returning to clinical practice after 10 years in the role as Director of Nutrition and Dietetics in Darling Downs. She is practical, solution focussed, engaging and brings with her over 20 years of experience and a strong commitment to providing best practice in dietetic services.
A Health At Every Size (HAES®) approach is supported. Weight, size, or BMI is not used as proxies for health; and a flexible, individualized eating is promoted, based on hunger, satiety, nutritional needs, and pleasure, rather than any externally regulated eating plan focused on weight control.
Welma has a special interest in eating disorder management and have practiced in both public and private settings. She has extensive experience providing professional, user-friendly and personalised dietary advice and strategies to overcome the impacts of eating disorders.
Services incorporate contemporary health coaching strategies to assist clients in setting achievable, meaningful goals. Clinical outcomes is aimed at valid biochemical measures, physical function measures and health behaviour measures to more accurately record health status than BMI alone. These skills helps clients achieve outcomes across chronic disease management (refer to "who can benefit" section below).
Welma offers 10 min complimentary introductory slots via telephone of telehealth to answer any questions before you make a booking. Available from the booking screen.
Who could benefit
People with conditions, such as:
- disordered eating patterns, body image concerns, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating behaviours
- a new diagnosis requiring specific dietary modification, for example, Coeliac disease, Diabetes
- failing to meet nutrition needs such as in anaemia, osteoporosis
- having significant unintentional weight change – either weight loss or gain, eg in COPD
- recent poor food intake, poor appetite, dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), or difficulty preparing or eating food, which can occur with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease
- a deterioration of symptoms or a change in care needs
- a medication that may affect dietary intake such as psychotropic medications or chemotherapy
- post-bariatric surgery, needing a periodic dietary review
- children with fussy eating behaviours
Adapted from Dietitians Association APD guidelines
What to expect
During your in person or telehealth visit Welma provides guidance about how to appropriately manage nutrition for people who may be affected by health conditions such as Diabetes, Cancer, Heart disease, COPD, Renal disease, Gastro-intestinal Diseases, Food allergies and/or higher than ideal bodyweight. Optimise Nutrition Darling Downs has a special interest in assisting with management of eating disordered behaviours and conditions.
The first visit allows exploring the reason for your visit, your current eating patterns, any relevant medical and family history, and any other aspects identified, in a motivational patient-centred way. Many factors impact your health and lifestyle, including upbringing, medical conditions and medications, food supply, genetics, occupation and shift work, living situation and environment, sleep habits, dieting history and stress-levels. A better understanding and assessment of your situation enables collaborative goalsetting for progress towards better health from a unique and individual perspective.
Acknowledgement to Country
Optimise Nutrition Darling Downs acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which services are provided, and their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of our communities.