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Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Changing relationships with food, compassionately
Reducing her mum to tears was not the aim of Claire Turnbull's latest book but she felt she had to lay it all on the line if she was going to be able to effectively help people, the Queenstown-based nutritionist tells Rebecca Fox. Claire Turnbull believes it is hard to help others if you have not experienced tough times yourself — so she is "brutally honest" about her own journey. "I think when you've got to the point where you didn't want to be alive any more and you've gone through the process of wanting to take your own life, I think off the back of that, where I've got to now, is, like, I've literally got nothing to lose by putting this out there because I nearly wasn't here anyway." If by "ripping off my Band-aids and just sharing it" helps her connect with people, then she is willing to do it. "Because we've all got our battle scars and I think that's where the healing is, and I think we don't need to be defined by those, but they are part of us. "And I just hope that by revealing some of my own scars that someone can feel more comfortable with theirs." She is quick to point out that she is not 100% healed and will never be. "I'm still on the journey. But I can pick up a marshmallow and be like, oh, I don't really fancy that and put it down. But I'm a person that used to, literally, if I looked at a bag of Maltesers I'd already eaten three bags of them." Turnbull, a trained dietitian and fitness instructor, details that journey in her latest book alongside insight, advice, tips and tricks on how people can change their relationship with food for the better "for free". Having practised as a dietitian for two decades she has seen a repeated pattern of people getting to the point where they are struggling with their weight and fatigued but wanting to eat better and look after themselves. "But the first thing they default to is the next diet. And what happens is people get results, and then they can't maintain it because it's unrealistic, and really they haven't got to the root of the problem for themselves." Food information can be quite subtle and sneaky these days, but anything that restricts what you eat is a diet and will be hard to maintain long-term, she says. "It's bull.... and people know it. But we all think, gosh we'll get there. Well, you know, it's not worked the 20 times we've done it before, it's still not going to work this time. It cannot be fixed in six weeks, it cannot be fixed with a pill." Many people reach for food or alcohol for comfort or due to boredom. For others it is a way to manage difficult feelings resulting from abuse and trauma, while for Turnbull it was low self-esteem and a tendency to be obsessive. "There's all these different reasons why we struggle with food, and it's this horrible cycle of self-hatred and self-blame and shame around the way that we eat and we think that the next diet is gonna be the answer, and I just want people to understand why they've got themselves into this position and then find a way through that is a lot more compassionate." If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. She warns the book is not a "quick fix" and that people's journeys, like her own, will be ongoing. "Real life is always going to throw you curveballs and always going to throw you challenges and unfortunately all these diets that sell you the quick-fix option. Turnbull, who has a positive psychology diploma, worries that each time someone experiences that, it erodes their soul. But there is another way, she says. "We just need to realise that we are all human, we are all imperfect. We all are going to struggle with very different things. We're all going to make mistakes." She firmly believes the solution is to find the root cause of the problem and work on that as food is often the symptom of a situation — hence the use of the iceberg analogy. "So when people understand themselves, that is the first point of change. So through my 20 years of working, the biggest thing I know is that awareness is the first stage of change." The book aims to help people understanding why they struggle with food — why they eat when they are bored or tired or to manage their emotions. "We eat very habitually. People finish their food off their plate because we were told to do that when we were children. We eat when something is offered to us because it's rude to say no. We eat food when it's there at a morning tea shout or a lunch thing or picking out of our kids' lunch boxes when it's there. "There's so much eating and drinking that happens that has got absolutely nothing to do with us consciously, like, nourishing our bodies." So if people are able to eliminate what Turnbull calls "non-hungry" eating and manage those behaviours they do not need to go on a diet because a lot of the extra food and drinking they are doing is what has sent them off-track. Instead of using a restrictive or limitation method which just makes the food more appealing, she urges people to flip the way they think about food. "What I encourage people to do instead then is actually approach food from a place of what can you add in to the way that you're eating to help nourish your body better? How can you improve the way that you eat?" She also looks at sleep. How much or how little people get impacts on appetite and cravings and ability to manage emotions. It helps to look at how people grew up, their parents' relationship with food and how that influences their own behaviours, she says. Turnbull grew up when everyone's mothers were going to Weightwatchers or on a diet and watching their weight. It was one of her mother's diet books that triggered her own journey to an eating disorder including secret bingeing and throwing up. She was in her second year of university when her mental health took a turn for the worse and she decided she wanted it to be all over but luckily a friend walked in and took her to the doctor. Getting her mother to proof-read the book was very difficult. "She cried a lot because she didn't know what happened to me. I didn't go into detail of what happened, but dear God, it was a hard read." It was also hard as her mother blamed herself despite her behaviour being completely normal for that era. "It's like smoking, you know, no-one knew the implications of putting your kid on a diet or telling them they were a bit too fat, you know?" Turnbull is thankful both of them have a healthier relationship with food these days. "She's in a really good place with food, because of the work that I have done. And I said, 'Mum, if we'd not been through this journey together, this book and the work that we've done together is not going to help all the other mothers and daughters out there that have been through the same thing'." The important thing for parents to realise is that children are watching carefully their language and actions around food as it is behaviour not words that children take in, she says. "It's so difficult for children to eat well in this modern environment that we live in. But they are not listening to what you say, they are watching what you do." But what Turnbull wants people to be aware of is that they are only human and do not have to be perfect every day. She aims for a balanced lifestyle which means nothing is off limits and she enjoys the odd treat. And no, she is not judging you when she sees you in the supermarket or in a restaurant. "I would just like to always say to people, I don't care what's in your trolley. If I'm around a friend's house or out for dinner, I genuinely am not thinking about what other people are eating. They're probably thinking about it more than I am, to be honest. There's no place for judgement." The book End Your Fight With Food , Claire Turnbull. How to change your eating habits for good, Allen and Unwin, RRP $36.99. Where to get help: Lifeline: 0800-543-354 or (09) 522-2999 Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0508-828-865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youthline: 0800-376-633 or free text 234 Samaritans: 0800-726-666
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Governance about realising responsibility for ‘whole piece'
Accountant and governor Rachel McLauchlan answers questions at a lunch for women in governance in Dunedin this week. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Being asked to join a board is a privilege and aspiring directors need to understand it is a huge responsibility that must be taken seriously, Rachel McLauchlan says. Since returning to Dunedin 14 years ago after a decade working in London, Ms McLauchlan has developed a strong interest in governance across various sectors including property, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), manufacturing, technology and education. Responsibility for board decisions sat with everyone. "It's about everyone realising they are responsible for the whole piece," she said. It was while working for a United States-listed company in London that the chartered accountant had the opportunity to see so many different aspects of such a huge organisation, including strategic decisions being made. Questioning the reasons behind those decisions started to whet her interest in governance. That was coupled with her brother's own prominent career in business and governance and him talking to her about what was going on in his world. Describing herself as a very proud Dunedinite — and also very proud mother-of-three — Ms McLauchlan grew up in the city, attending both school and the University of Otago, completing degrees in commerce and law. After graduating, she moved to Auckland, embarking on her professional career at KPMG where she had an "amazing time", with exposure to many different industries, businesses and sectors. She later travelled overseas with her husband and landed a role with the US-listed company in London. Shifting from practice into industry was a big step, she recalled. Returning to Dunedin was also a big step professionally, having been away for quite some time. But she was loving living and working in the city and being part of the community. Her first network connection was through the Institute of Directors, an organisation which people encouraged her to join. Former branch manager Vivienne Seaton suggested she do the governance development programme and she discovered a "fantastic network of people". While she was an accountant and also did consulting, she was interested in exploring the governance space and the institute had been very good at opening the pathway and giving her ideas on how to do that and what skills she needed. She has served on the board of Whitestone Cheese and is currently on the boards of Otago Innovation, Hillcrest Properties, Columba College board of governors and is a trustee for the Transition to Work Trust. Asked who had been instrumental in her governance career, Ms McLauchlan said she had "just clicked" with Queenstown-based professional director Sarah Ottrey whom she got chatting to during a coffee break at an Institute of Directors national conference. Over time, she was someone she would bump into and, once she got to know her, she was able to "pick her brain" and ask her for ideas. "Sarah is just wonderful, she gives up so much time for people. You need someone like that in your life you can pick the phone up or ask a question," Ms McLauchlan said. Flipping that around, she now tried to do that with other people. Another influential person had been her late father who was also involved in the business community in Dunedin and was a very positive person, something that she also endeavoured to be. Management did not sometimes understand what governance was there for and what a director actually did. Some people were "almost scared" of board meetings and directors and that was a real shame. "Directors are on the team of the business, they are just part of the organisation. They are the umbrella on top of everything." For those starting their governance career, it was a huge learning curve particularly when they joined their first board because they were trying to understand not only a business, but also the terminology which could be very specific to that business. So it was about listening, particularly in that first year, and being respectful of institutional knowledge — "sitting there and tapping into it as much as you can". When considering a role, it was important to do due diligence — "please understand the financials of any organisation" — get a feel of it and ensure it was the right fit. Directors needed to be clear about why they wanted to be on a board. Many governors started their career in not-for-profit roles and the experience gained there, whether on school boards or sports organisations, threw up a huge amount of governance issues. "I think you see it all, I think it's great preparation for going into that commercial space." There was a "very delicate dance" between governance versus management and the critical thing in any board and management relationship was a good relationship and alignment between the chairman and chief executive. "If that relationship is not strong, the organisation is not going to flourish." Asked what directors were thinking about at the moment, she said board succession was relevant and, with that, a skills matrix. When looking at a board, it was important to understand the skills of each board member. "Everyone brings something different to the table." Lately there had been government policy changes and discussion around how that was impacting organisations. Boards were also grappling with the "tariff world". "It's quite an unsettled world at the moment and people are quite unsettled. Being aware of that is really important," she said. Plus, everyone was talking about artificial intelligence. While there was a lot of debate around it, Ms McLauchlan said it was "just another tool to use". Asked how her own values had supported her, Ms McLauchlan said being someone who was trustworthy was very important. "Trust for me is critical. Feeling like people can trust you and you can trust in someone else is really important. If you don't have that, you have a problem." Building connections and relationships with those you worked with was also important and having integrity and showing respect — even if you did not agree with a point of view — was critical, she said. Asked about imposter syndrome, Ms McLauchlan said "the feeling of being completely out of your comfort zone" was common going into a new board setting, but that was normal. If she was feeling a little uncomfortable, she would ask lots of questions — not necessarily at a board meeting — and, if she was not understanding things, she would reach out to the organisation. There was no such thing as a silly question. When it came to culture, that could change very quickly and it did not take much to upset the culture of a board, particularly if strong personalities were involved. "For me, a lot of culture comes from that respect that everyone has for each other and that philosophy of supporting each other and being aligned with the purpose of the organisation and what you're there for. "When you've got a good culture, work really hard to hold on to it," she said.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Pair set on pursuing glowworm cave project
Two Queenstown-based influencers are vowing to continue their fight to establish a purpose-built glowworm cave near the resort's CBD. Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray, through their company Faraway Entertainment Ltd, applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2023 to establish and operate what they said was New Zealand's first sustainable glowworm experience, "Eco-Cave", planned on a 119ha site off Gorge Rd, part of which forms the Queenstown Adventure Park. A council report recommended consent be refused, something independent commissioners Wendy Baker (chairwoman) and Jane Sinclair ultimately agreed with. In its decision, the report said the primary issue was Faraway's desire for a freehold subdivision on the land, preferred over a leasehold subdivision, because the envisaged lease term is more than 35 years. They had offered a condition that if the glowworm activity was to cease in future, the subdivided lot containing the glowworm cave would be amalgamated back with the parent lot. But the commissioners said in their decision they had "serious concerns" with the proposed methodology for the subdivision as proffered and sought their own legal advice, "which confirmed our uneasiness". "After extensive consideration, we have reached the conclusion that we have unresolved concerns with the practicality of the conditions as proposed. "In particular, we are of the view that the applicant has provided insufficient detail and evidence to demonstrate a further re-amalgamation is likely to be successful." Possible issues were if one party did not want to amalgamate and refused to co-operate, or if parties failed to reach an agreement on sale price/future ownership, or who was to apply for the amalgamation and "other terms". "It would then fall to the council to enforce a sale of land and a process in which a third party, being Linz and the registrar-general, are involved. "This is potentially time-consuming and costly and not a realistic or appropriate role for the council." Mr Richwhite said they were meeting their team next week "to discuss potential next steps", noting the subdivision aspect was "certainly something we'll need to revisit". "Given the significant time and resources already invested, we're not in a position to walk away from the application," he said. He noted, overall, the proposal received "encouraging feedback" from the council. "We believe the issues identified, such as the lease timeframes, are specific, and we believe resolvable in future discussions with the QLDC." While "very surprised" by the commissioners' decision, he and Ms Thackwray "remain committed to progressing the Eco-Cave on the intended site". "We look forward to working with QLDC to find a suitable outcome."
Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Skating into a southern feud
Mark Shroyer has stumbled into the middle of a rivalry he is only beginning to understand. The 29-year-old American has signed with the Dunedin Thunder and arrived in the country on Saturday. The powerful defenceman has been playing professionally in France for four years, but he will call Dunedin home for the remainder of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. He has had a couple of skates on the ice with his new team-mates, between checking out the city's beaches with his girlfriend, Charline Maehr. They are an outdoorsy couple and plan to do some hiking while they are here. Shroyer is keen to do some fishing as well. But tonight he will be fishing for a win. His first assignment with the Thunder is as tough as it gets. They are hosting the Stampede, their Queenstown-based provincial rivals, in back-to-back games this weekend. The Stampede have set the benchmark in the league for the past decade and are an Otago team worth celebrating. They are a finalist for the team of the year for the Otago Sports Awards. That must grate on Dunedin's ice hockey fans. Enter Shroyer. He had a solid college career at Castleton University and went on to play three seasons in France for Morzine-Avoriaz and a season for Tours. Shroyer has a reputation as a reliable defender who likes to get forward and attack. "A lot of people so far have mentioned the rivalry," Shroyer said. "I think I'm going to understand a lot more about what the rivalry means in a couple of days. "But I'm excited that my first game will have a lot of meaning for our town here and that I can show that it means a lot to me and that I'm all-in for Dunedin." Shroyer played against Thunder player Cole Beckstead while in France, and that connection brought about the opportunity to come to Dunedin to play for the Thunder. "I've always wanted to travel to this part of the world. I've always been fascinated and wanted to see it." He also heard ice hockey was a growing sport in New Zealand and he wanted to be part of that. "I just thought it would be really cool to come and help do that." He is doing some coaching while here. "If I can help this team win some hockey games and bring some more fans to the club — that is really my biggest goal. "Outside of that, it is about me and my girlfriend enjoying our time here and just really diving into the culture in New Zealand. "We are really just starting to peel back how much this place has to offer and are actually pretty blown away by what it has to offer." The Stampede (12 points) lead the competition standings from the Thunder (9), West Auckland Admirals (9), Botany Swarm (6) and Canterbury Red Devils (0).
Otago Daily Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Sports noms haul for Queenstowners
The Whakatipu is well represented in the finalist list for this year's Central Otago Sports Awards. To be announced at a formal dinner on May 8, at the Lake Wānaka Centre, the awards, sponsored by Forsyth Barr, recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and teams from across Central Otago over the past year. Sport Central sport and active recreation adviser Jo Knight says the calibre of this year's nominations speaks volumes about the strength of sport in the region. "The level of competition made it incredibly difficult for our judging panel to select finalists, let alone winners. "It's a wonderful reflection of the dedication and talent that exists across Central Otago," Knight says. In the sportswoman of the year category, Queenstown ski racer Alice Robinson's a finalist, alongside Wānaka snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Alexandra ice swimmer Sophie Winter. Robinson's head coach, Nils Coberger, is a finalist in the coach of the year category, as is SkyCity Stampede coach Cam Frear, Queenstown-based snowboarding coach Sean Thompson — other finalists in that category are Upper Clutha Rams rugby coach Alex Dickson, para skiing coach Dan Bogue, skiing coach Hamish McDougall, all of Wānaka, and national freeski coach Murray Buchan (Scotland/Lake Hawea). Frear's Stampede ice hockey team is a finalist in team of the year, as are the Wakatipu under-18 coxed quad scull rowers, the Wakatipu U17 boys double scull and the Wakatipu boys U18 double scull. Other finalists there are the Upper Clutha Rams rugby team and the Wānaka Football Club. Queenstowners also dominate the junior sportsman of the year — our finalists are Mason Clarke (cricket), James Weber (athletics), Lewis Laird (mountain biking), Charlie Manser (rowing), and brothers Noa and Dan Milburn (tennis). They're up against Cromwell's Levi Casey (squash) and Wānaka's Luke Harrold (freeski halfpipe). In the junior sportswoman category, Queenstowners Brooke Hansen (freeride snowboard), Siena Mackley (running), Zara Hazledine (equestrian) and Rosa Dawson (gymnastics) are all finalists, alongside Wānaka's Phoebe Laker (athletics), Mathilda Watterson (alpine ski racing) and Eva Small (freeride skiing), Cromwell's Sky Sanders (rodeo) and Bella Breen (rowing) and Alexandra's Heidi Winter (ice swimming). And in the official of the year category, Queenstown ice hockey ref Adam Nagy will be up against Wānaka's Flick Wallace (snowsports) and Central Otago rugby ref Craig Anderson. Tickets for the awards night cost $75, via The event includes dinner and a presentation from Wānaka's Dougal Allan, a world champion multisport and adventure racer and Team New Zealand cyclor.
