BASE launches low cost nutrition clinic

Monash is now offering personalised low-cost nutrition consultations to staff, students and the general public.

The Monash Nutrition Clinic offers personalised consultationson a range of nutrition issues including, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances, bone health, child and adolescent nutrition, chronic disease management, pregnancy and breast feeding, high cholesterol as well as weight loss, diabetesand general healthy eating.

The new service is available at the Be Active Sleep Eat (BASE) Facility, part of the School of Clinical Sciences. Individual sessions last for 45-60 minutes for new appointments and 30 minutes for review sessions. The aim is to help people optimise their diet and assist with a variety of nutrition or health issues.    


Similar to a teaching hospital, where trainee doctors see patients, the Monash BASE clinic is often utilised by trainee dietitians who are supervised by an experienced and qualified Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD). 

The Clinic is the latest addition in a range of services available to suit individuals, groups, companies and the community, including sleep, endocrine and corporate health clinics.

Shay Occhiuto, Clinic Manager at the BASE Nutrition Clinic said the service could be of benefit to people whose healthcare providers do not cover the cost of seeing a dietitian.

“Apart from being happy, one of the most important things in life is how healthy we are, but it’s something we often take for granted. Being in ‘good health’ is linked to many different factors including: how active we are; the food and drink we eat; and how much we sleep,” Ms Occhuito said.

“BASE is dedicated to exploring these issues, so it made sense to launch a nutrition clinic that is low cost and accessible to everyone. The clinic could really help people who want to make a positive change to their diet but don’t know where to start.”

BASE (Be Active Sleep Eat) Facility is part of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Situated adjacent to the University’s Clayton campus, the state-of-the-art facility was established in 2013, to enable scientists at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics , the School of Psychological Sciences, and the Department of Physiology to better understand the links between exercise, sleep and nutrition Through a multidisciplinary approach to optimise health and wellbeing, the research team at BASE are pioneering the integration of nutrition, sleep, and exercise physiology from research into practice.

The Monash Nutrition Clinic costs $15 per appointment and $5 per appointment for students, pensioners and concession cardholders. If you have an illness such as diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol, you may be eligible for free treatment under an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan.
No referral is necessary to see a dietitian and appointments during business hours and a clinic runs once per month after hours. Clients may be referred to see other specialists such as a sleep physician or an exercise physiologist.

For more information, or to book an appointment, please visit the BASE website.