“My first degree was in Mass Communication, during which I dabbled in radio news, wrote for my local paper, and then (after graduating) worked full-time in magazine publishing in Melbourne,” Zanna explained. “I went to an Endeavour Open Day there and the following day, I discovered I was pregnant. As I exited a decade of partying and unhealthy lifestyle choices, I decided it was much cooler to sip on sparkling kefir than a Long Island Iced Tea.”

“My focus soon shifted to motherhood and nourishing my growing daughter with the best food possible. While I wrote the occasional article for parenting magazines, I still yearned to learn more about the body and nutrition,” she said.

Zanna had grown up in a natural way as her parents ran a healing retreat. They lived in a beautiful valley, where there were minimal toxins and medicine and an abundance of simple, nutritious food. As a child, Zanna thought the food was plain and boring. Later, she realised that healthy food doesn’t have to be that way.

Four years after visiting the Endeavour Open Day, Zanna started Nutrition and Dietetic Medicine at the Gold Coast Campus. It took her eight and a half years and a lot of determination to finish the degree. She took multiple breaks from her studies to travel Europe, renovate her home, and dedicate time to her second child. Living in Byron and commuting to the Gold Coast for classes was challenging, especially when Zanna spent nights away from her children to complete her student clinic hours.

“I went into the nutrition degree knowing that I didn’t want to become a practitioner. Being in the student clinic reinforced that it wasn’t for me,” Zanna explained. “Rather than one-on-one consultations, my mission is to make nutrition knowledge accessible to as many people as possible. I want people to know you can quickly create meals and snacks that are delicious and good for you.”

By combining her communication and nutrition skills, Zanna has many career avenues to explore. She currently writes for different magazines through her business, Words by Indigo. As a solo mum with two children, she likes the flexibility and variety of work that freelancing offers. As a qualified nutritionist, she now has in-depth knowledge and credibility when writing about health products and services.

Using her nutrition skills, Zanna has also created a small business cooking in people’s kitchens for them. “I have cooked for a person with chronic fatigue and someone with Parkinson’s disease. In helping them to eat well, I delved into their conditions, expanding my knowledge and theirs.”

“I have so many avenues to go down now,” Zanna said. “Many people are looking to pay qualified nutritionists to write up extensive meal plans for their health conditions. I’ve already done some recipe development and blogging about this.” Zanna’s other plans include a podcast, YouTube videos and practical workshops in schools and other community spaces.

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