We’ve recognised that more people with serious health conditions are choosing bariatric surgery, a type of weightloss surgery. It’s a powerful and effective treatment. People understand surgery involves risk but don’t tend to know about the nutritional risks of weight loss surgery. Nutritional deficiencies are common after weight loss surgery with the potential for serious health consequences. Fortunately, most nutritional deficiencies are preventable with high quality nutrition guidance. This is why we’ve launched Enlighten Nutrition. We’d like to share our nutritional expertise to help you avoid preventable deficiencies to enjoy life after surgery.
Enlighten Nutrition is a place that can be visited by anyone, anytime to obtain evidenced based scientific advice to support surgical care. At Enlighten Nutrition we believe when you choose to improve your health by having surgery you deserve to receive the most up-to-date information that is backed by scientific evidence. It’s essential that you have enough nutrition knowledge to know how to prevent and treat vitamin and mineral deficiencies. At Enlighten Nutrition this is what we know best and it is our aim to help you know best too.
Meet the team
Nicole West APD
Bachelor of Science (Nutrition & Dietetics)
Member DA
Nicole, an Accredited Practice Dietitian (APD), boasts over 20 years of clinical expertise in both public and private healthcare realms. Her passion lies in tailoring individualized medical nutrition therapy to align with each client’s unique objectives and lifestyle preferences. With a particular focus on general surgery, bariatrics, endocrine disorders, and mental health, Nicole’s dedication to her craft shines through.
In 2019, Nicole played a pivotal role in co-founding Enlighten Nutrition, an initiative that introduced the EatRIGHT 90-day transition program designed for the peri-nutrition period surrounding weight loss surgery. This innovative program aims to support patients through their weight loss journey with comprehensive nutritional guidance.
Having honed her skills in acute clinical settings, notably in general surgery and diabetes, Nicole now extends her expertise as a consultant on upper GI and weight loss surgery within Hunter Diabetes. Here, her focus remains steadfast on metabolic disorders and staying abreast of pharmaceutical advancements as a trial coordinator, contributing to the forefront of nutritional care and treatment strategies.
I appreciate that many patients are juggling work, family and health commitments. Getting to a dietetic appointment during office hours is difficult. For those with busy schedules, we hope that sharing our knowledge online will make accessing quality information more convenient.
Dr Cathy Harbury* PhD, AdvAPD
Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition and Dietetics
Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma of Dietetics
Member DA
*Co-founder until 2023.